Who is Maryam Afifi? The Palestinian girl who laughs in the face of danger

By Web Desk Staff On May 12, 2021

Maryam Afifi has become the new face of Palestinian resistance after her arrest at the hands of Israeli forces during latest escalation.

The woman’s smile after being dragged and humiliated by the Israeli forces become a symbol of courage as the Jewish state continued to use force against Palestinians.

Maryam Afifi sat for a brief interview with AJ+ and talked about her arrest and the smile that made her famous.

Talking to AJ+ she said, “It just made me laugh, like why are you doing this? Are you this weak? So I wasn’t really afraid because, like, the way he treated me, the way he kicked me, the way he dragged me…It just shows he’s not OK here (heart).

An Israeli officer dragged 26-year-old Palestinian Mariam Afifi by her hair. Her response? To smile in the face of occupation.

How has smiling become an act of resistance for young Palestinians? pic.twitter.com/cwyCdukKMe
— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 11, 2021

According to Arab media, Maryam Afifi is a 26-year-old activist and a musician. Her pictures with a guitar are also doing the rounds on social media.

Maryam is being praised on social media in several Muslim countries for standing up to Israel against the brutalities being carried out against the people of Palestine.