Al-Qalam 
By Ismail Suder
As the Global Samud Flotilla of 50 boats sail towards Gaza, one prominent South African media personality, Yusuf Omar, is overcome with seasickness – it’s the least of his worries as he and others face an uncertain fate in the face of Israeli aggression.
Ten other South African Palestinian activists – two from KZN – are sailing with the Global Samud Flotilla, carrying symbolic food aid to Gaza, said to be the most powerful attempt to break the Zionist siege of the enclave whose 2,2-million are being starved to death.
After throwing up overboard, Omar says: “Seasickness is not going to stop our Flotilla to Gaza.” On his social media platforms, Omar is posting blow-by-blow accounts of life on the boat which he is sharing with famous Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg.
The other South African activists on the Flotilla are Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, Dr Fatima Hendricks; Zaheera Soomar; Jared Sacks Elham Mouaffak Hatfield; Zukiswa Wanner; Irshaad Ahmed Chotia; Fazel Behra; Nurain Saloojee and Reaaz Moola.
The fleet, carrying hundreds of activists from around the world, received a rousing send-off from the Spanish port of Barcelona, with another Flotilla expected to sail on Sunday from Tunisia. The 3000 km journey would take about eight days to reach the shores of Gaza.
According to a statement from the Global Movement for Gaza (South Africa), the participation of the South African delegation “have chosen to act in solidarity with Palestinians living under siege.
“Their participation reflects the conscience of a nation whose struggle against apartheid was made lighter by the solidarity of the world. Today, that solidarity is returned to Gaza. From Cape Town to Johannesburg, Durban to Pretoria, South Africans are rising to say with clarity and conviction that what is happening in Gaza is genocide, that silence is complicity, and that action is necessary.”
The ANC has backed the Global Samud Flotilla and praised the South Africans taking part. “We salute their principled stand, which aligns with the ANC’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and our government’s courageous action at the International Court of Justice. The Flotilla is a vital, non-violent act of defiance against the illegal blockade of Gaza and a powerful statement against the ongoing injustices faced by Palestinians.
It continued: “We trust and expect that the government of South Africa will provide the necessary consular support for the South Africans that are part of this flotilla.”
Cape Occupational therapist, Dr Fatima Hendricks, who is on the Global Samud Flotilla, is the daughter of the former editor of Al-Qalam, Fuad Hendricks.
In an interview from Tunis where she boarded a boat of the Global Samud Flotilla, Hendricks told Al-Qalam that her attire on the board to Gaza will be white clothing.
“My white clothing is symbolic for many reasons. It is the colour worn by the noble Prophet Muhammad and the colour of the ihram, worn in the purest state during both minor and major pilgrimages. White is also the colour of shrouds. In the midst of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, these shrouds appear in all sizes and forms, each representing a life cut tragically short. The pervasive presence of these white shrouds in this live-streamed genocide urgently underscores the magnitude and brutality, compelling us to confront the human cost of those who have been unjustly taken from their families. The seemingly endless procession of these shrouded beautiful human beings highlights an urgent call for intervention, and justice”.
Hendricks said it was important for her to join the flotilla. One story that really moved her was that of journalist Mariam Abu Dagga who sent off her young son Gaith to the UAE before she was martyred.
Hendricks said, as a mother, Mariam’s Will to her son was heart-wrenching. In her Will, Mariam wrote: “Gaith the heart and soul of your mother, I want you to pray for me, don’t cry over my death”….My dear son, I want you not to forget me. I used to do everything so that you would be happy and comfortable, so that you would grow up, get married, and have a daughter named Mariam after me.”.
It concluded: “You are my love, my heart, my support, my soul, and my son who lifts my head high. It is a trust on your shoulders, Gaith – your prayers, then your prayers, then your prayers. Your mother, Mariam.”
