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Tareq’s
one-year-old daughter Fatema
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By
Tareq Delwani, IOL Jordan Correspondent
AMMAN,
April 8 (IslamOnlin.net) - He was better known for his distinguished
manners and remarkable boldness. He was a real journalist in the broad
sense of the word, said one of Jordanian journalists who held a sit-in
Tuesday, April 8, to mourn the death of their colleague Tareq Ayyoub,
35.
Ayyoub,
one of Al-Jazeera correspondents in Baghdad, died of his injuries
following a U.S. missile
strikes on the station's Baghdad offices earlier on Tuesday.
He
left behind his one-year-old daughter Fatema and a patient wife
bereaved by the death of her loving and devoted husband, who breathed
his last while he was fasting.
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His
grieved wife |
Ayyoub
performed Hajj (pilgrimage) last year and went to Baghdad despite
fears from his family and friends.
“I
will go to Baghdad…but I have a strong feeling that I would not come
back,” he told one of his friends before heading to the Iraqi
capital.
Descending
from Palestinian origin, Ayyoub is a telling example of a generation
of young Jordanian journalists, who set themselves up as a paradigm
for professionalism and objectivity.
He
was singled for his scoops as a reporter for many media organizations,
particularly with Al-Jazeera.
Ayyoub
also harboured grudge and feelings of hatred towards those who stabbed
him in his back: the Americans.
“He
is a fighter journalist distinguished by his strong determination and
active coverage of events on Al-Jazeera. His Masters in journalism and
B.A. in English literature from an Indian university supported his
work,” one of his close intimates said.
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His
lamenting mother |
Martyr
Ayyoub worked for several media networks, whether Jordanian or
international.
He
worked for the Associated Press until 1994 then he joined the Jordan
Times as a member staff.
In
1998, he worked as an economic correspondent for Al-Jazeera till June
2002 and shortly afterwards the Qatar-based channel appointed him as
its correspondent in Jordan.
Few
days ago, Al-Jazeera dispatched him to Baghdad to help cover the
U.S.-led war and he aired his last reports at dawn Tuesday, April 8.
He
attributed two article to IslamOnline.net on Conference
On Child Soldiers Held In Amman and
Jordanian Opposition Lash Out At U.S.