But in the midst of all these differences, there came struggling students who stood as role models for everyone. Among these students were six, each from a different faculty, who never left their seats in the classroom but held on to them until their last breath. Four of them were on the verge of graduation, in their final university year, while the remaining two graduated during the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood, received their diplomas, and then set off to fulfill their resistance duty.  From here emerges a different image than the one traditionally drawn of the resistor, a picture that erases the resistant human from life, portraying them solely as someone who seeks death and martyrdom without living any other part of their life outside of resistance. This clearer image is that of the university student resistor  

Academically:

 An outstanding student who studies with a clear goal in mind, aiming to reach a specific purpose through their knowledge. This is what makes the knowledge here beneficial, “Useful knowledge.”   

Jihadi:

A struggler who is conscious of the greater cause worth sacrificing for. This awareness means that the struggler does not fight blindly but truly understands why and for whom they are fighting. They know that fighting with awareness, thought, and intellect is fundamental before fighting with weapons. This battle is one of consciousness and insight before it is a physical war

Let’s start with these young men, then. Each of them carried a great responsibility as university students. At this age, university youth are often drawn to a love of life, going out, staying up late, and neglecting their studies, seeing their age as a time not meant for the burden of studying. Yet, each martyr has a story, and every martyr carries a message.
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Psychological support for university students

Because loss and pain do not affect only the family but also the classmates and friends of the martyred students, the university made sure to stand by them during these difficult times. To that end, it launched a counseling program at the beginning of the fall semester in November. In our interview with Ms. Miray Khafaja, Director of the Student Affairs Department at the university, she explained that the program consisted of a male and female counselor who supported the students at scheduled times. This counseling service was provided free of charge, either individually, through the student’s initiative to contact a counselor and schedule confidential, trustworthy, and private sessions, or through a series of workshops aimed at supporting the students comprehensively, both academically and psychologically

- Loss Workshop – Support and Coping:  

1

Learning how to deal with loss properly to prevent depression, anxiety, and other issues that may affect their future lives, providing a safe and healthy environment for emotional release 

Workshop on Adapting to University Studies Amid Current Challenges: 

2

Strategies for students to cope with psychological and academic changes in a different environment under stressful conditions

Activities for Understanding Self and Emotions Among Students on the Playground

4

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Workshop on Preparing Oneself to Face Pressures and Challenges: 

3

Raising awareness and skills, and building personal resilience to handle various daily stresses

In conclusion, their martyrdom was not an end, but rather the beginning of a new awareness born from their stories and their scientific and jihadist journeys. It is the start of a model that has become a compass guiding generations to the right path, the path that says, “Our war today is a war of knowledge and awareness, so arm yourself with knowledge first.”

“We are proud because among the sons and daughters of the homeland are those from our institution. We take pride in defending this homeland​, that students from our institution stood up to defend the country. This pride is ours.”

        ​— Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Kamal Al Lezzeik