Egypt adds image of Palestinian child Muhammad al-Durra to baccalaureate curriculum

• Egypt has included an image of Palestinian child Muhammad al-Durra in its baccalaureate curriculum.
• His father, Jamal al-Durra, said the move honors not only his son but Palestinian children and victims more broadly.

Egypt has included an image of Palestinian child Muhammad al-Durra in the country’s baccalaureate curriculum, according to comments by his father, Jamal al-Durra.

Muhammad was killed on September 30, 2000, after being caught in Israeli gunfire in Gaza during the Second Intifada. Footage of the child taking shelter behind his father became one of the defining images of the Palestinian struggle.

Speaking in televised remarks, Jamal al-Durra said he received the decision with mixed feelings of pride and pain, describing the inclusion of his son’s image in Egyptian schoolbooks as a significant recognition of the Palestinian cause.

Al-Durra said preserving his son’s story in schoolbooks goes beyond honoring his family, describing it as a tribute to Palestinian children and those killed.

He thanked Egypt’s leadership and people, as well as the Ministry of Education and Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif, for highlighting Palestinian rights and history in students’ education.

He also urged Egyptian students not to view Muhammad’s image merely as a historical symbol, but to understand the human suffering behind it and consider events through the experiences of those who lived through them.

Al-Durra said his son’s image had become a global symbol of the suffering of Palestinian children, while emphasizing the historic ties between the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples.