Archive photo of some Palestinian detainees in Negev prison

By Samer Khuwayera & Hanadi Dwaikat, IOL Correspondents

NABLUS, June 14 (IslamOnline.net) – Already facing rough living conditions, Palestinian detainees in the Israeli prison of Magido have started a most startling thing: launching an anti-smoking campaign.

"The campaign will run for the coming two weeks, with all detainees targeted," Abu Huzaifa, the spokesman for the Magido detainees, told IslamOnline.net from behind bars.

The organizers hope the campaign would reduce the number of smokers through flyers distributed to the 1,500-estimated detainees, Friday prayers and religious lectures.

They were inspired by Amr Khaled, a prominent Muslim preacher who was honored this month by the World Health Organization (WHO) in recognition of his televised anti-smoking campaign.

Honorable Image

The health hazards caused by smoking as well as religious edicts on the phenomenon were also used by the campaigners to drive detainees away from smoking.

"The detainees sacrificed their life for the sake of their homeland. We convince them to quit smoking to keep this honorable image bright," said Abu Huzaifa.

"Our enemies have stolen our liberty. Do not let them steal our pure air," read one sign hung on the walls of the notorious facility, where Palestinian detainees suffer from tough treatment and other hard conditions.

The prison authorities have raided a number of detainees' cells and took away such services as television and radio sets, as well as kitchen kits.

A reporter for the BBC News Online had described living conditions for prisoners as extremely harsh and difficult.

Abu Huzaifa said that prison officials allot a specific number of cigarettes to the detainees to keep them enticed to smoking, and they increase their number in interrogation as a sort of pressure.

Human Rights Watch says the 4,500 Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in the massive military sweep through the West Bank in March-April 2002 were subjected to widespread ill-treatment such as kicking, beatings, squalid conditions and deprivation of food and drink.

Fruitful

The detainees' spokesman said the campaign bore fruits one week after its launch. More than 70 smokers quit the habit. The organizers expect the number to double within the coming few days.

"Financial aid and merit certificates would be offered as prizes to dissuade more smokers from keeping the practice."

"The number is expected to increase."

In the meantime, students in  Al-Nagah University in  Nablus set up a club of "Life Makers" – named after Khaled's program to combat smoking in campus.

The club, with 6,000 member students, seeks to have a decision taken to prevent smoking in the university's buildings.

A strategy was laid down for implementation in the coming university year. Members are also growing in number.

The Egyptian preacher, who left for London  in 2002 to study for his PHD, dedicated the award to his audience who gave heed to his calls and quit smoking as part of his "Say No To Five Narcotics" Campaign.

His "Life Makers" program, produced by ART satellite TV network, "is based on the idea that young people should break free from the shackles of irresponsibility, indifference and passivity."

The program proved a must-see success in Arab countries.