He has reported for numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs,[1] Al Jazeera,[2] New Statesman,[3] Pacifica Radio, Electronic Intifada,[4] The Nation,[5] Inter Press Service,[6] Free Speech Radio News,[7] Vermont Guardian,[8] ArtVoice Weekly,[9] the Norwegian Morgenbladet,[10] and Dagsavisen, the Swedish dailies Dagen Nyheter and Aftonbladet the Swedish magazine Arbetaren,[11] the Basque daily Berria, the German daily Junge Welt and the Finish magazine Ny Tid.
[16] In the award citation, he was honored as "the voice of the voiceless" and his reports were described as an "humane record of the injustice imposed on a community forgotten by much of the world".
[20] Omer was born and raised in the Rafah refugee camp at the southern end of the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border.
[24][better source needed] Omer graduated with dual bachelor degrees, English and literature, from the Islamic University of Gaza in June 2006.
[27] According to a United Nations report, Omer is convinced that the brutal assault occurred when the security services were frustrated at their inability to confiscate the money he had been awarded.