Closest to God - A Female Journalist's Middle Eastern Stories (Zhao Yujun, the only international journalist permanently in Gaza, CCTV's 2004 Chinese Journalist of the Year, documenting her Middle Eastern experiences)

Author: Zhou Yijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The Middle East, this sensitive land in the world, is not only a battleground for military powers but also a competition ground for international media. Life and faith are here tested by blood and fire, and the integrity and professionalism of the media are severely examined here. Zhou Yijun is stationed in a sensitive country. She has walked on bomb explosion sites, on the bloodstains after Israeli missile strikes, and has witnessed various war scenes. Her excellent journalistic instincts bring readers both written and photographic reports, allowing them to experience firsthand the cruelty of war. This is a good book. It is her authentic war diary from her 700 days in Gaza, recording her days from entering to leaving Gaza. Throughout, death, hatred, true emotions, contradictions, and conflicts intertwine, filled with captivating foreign circumstances and the author's humanistic sentiment. The Middle East, this sensitive land in the world, where life and faith are tested by blood and fire, and where the integrity and professionalism of the media are severely examined. Yet it is her perseverance that ensures the voice of the Chinese people reaches every place in need; this perseverance is the most basic and most valuable belief of a journalist! As a resident journalist in Gaza, Zhou Yijun, over the course of two years, has encountered a large number of local figures, having had multiple direct interactions with Yasser Arafat, Sheikh Yassin, and Mahmoud Abbas. This book vividly depicts the suffering and struggles of the local people with a humanistic touch, showcasing the war-torn Middle East. Zhou Yijun shares her personal experiences in the Middle East in the book. That is why the cover of Closer to God features a powerful photograph—a beautiful Palestinian girl fully armed, wearing a Hamas headscarf on her forehead. Inside the book, we can see many interviews with important figures in the Middle East, including the late Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Yasser Arafat, the late spiritual leader of Hamas Sheikh Yassin, and the current Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Mahmoud Abbas. However, Zhou Yijun says she wants to tell readers more about the stories behind the news, those hidden human stories. Zhou Yijun says, "Although we are far away from the Palestinian-Israeli region and our lives are completely different from theirs, I believe on a human level, we are connected. So this book is more about telling human stories, the real lives in the Palestinian-Israeli region behind the cold news." In August 2002, Zhou Yijun traveled alone to the Middle East as the only resident journalist in Gaza, where she stayed for two years. During her 700 days in Gaza, she witnessed daily bloodshed and conflicts. Due to her perseverance, China Central Television (CCTV) named Zhou Yijun one of the "Most Influential Chinese Journalists of 2004." On May 1st at 2:00 PM, Zhou Yijun will hold a live signing event for her new book Closer to God at Shanghai Book City.