Gaza Convoy: 17 Convoy Members Banned From Egypt

(18 Oct 2010, Lattakia, Syria) Yesterday, Sunday 17 October spirits were high as the Greek cargo ship sailed towards Lattakia to pick up its load of vehicles filled with aid, and their drivers. Hopes were high that all would have an early-morning Monday departure.

A Press Conference called for 12 noon saw spirits dampened somewhat as a list was read out of the names of 17 people banned by Egyptian authorities from entering Al-Arish. As organisers pointed out, several of the prohibitions were utterly incomprehensible - one named person was not even on the convoy and never had been, while another (Amena Saleem-uddin) was astonished to discover she had been prohibited on the grounds she was married to a member of the Viva Palestina management committee when in fact she is a single 40 year old woman who has NEVER been married!

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Amena Saleem-uddin

Two Turkish men who were carrying soil from the graves of their compatriots murdered on the Mavi Marmara to mix with Gazan soil and plant trees to commemorate them, were also banned. One of these (on the left in the photo below) is one of the kindest and gentlest men I have ever met, who is always around to lend a hand in the camp - despite speaking no English or Arabic he always has a smile and an act of kindness for everyone, whether it be giving a piece of fruit or rushing to bring two chairs to lift the washbowl onto so I didn't have to bend to do my laundry. How this man could possibly be considered a threat to national security is beyond me - unless metaphoric killing with kindness is a crime. The other, also retired, is equally non-threatening.

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Omer Karabacak and Orhan Tokca from Turkey

However the cruellest decision was to forbid highly-respected 83 year-old Jordanian Sheik Ismail Nashwan from travelling through Egypt, causing him to break down in tears on realising he would not reach Gaza.

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Sheik Ismail Nashwan

While George Galloway challenged his banishment as completely unjustifiable on any grounds, he announced his preparedness not to travel with the convoy if it meant the rest of us could pass unhindered.

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George Galloway and Zaher Khalid Hasan Birawai

• .MP3 Audio From The 17 October Press Conference (with Arab Translation)
  (NOTE: right click links below and save to disk to play.)
  George Galloway Part 1
  George Galloway Part 2
  George Galloway Part 3
  George Galloway Part 4
  George Galloway Part 5
  George Galloway Part 6
  Kevin Ovenden

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Dr Mousa Abu-Mazouk

That evening the ship arrived in port, and most of the camp prepared to leave, packing food-boxes into the night to tide us over for three days should we hit snags in Al-Arish, and packing to make sure we would all be in our vehicles ready to leave for the port at 7.30am for those able to enter Egypt, or to return home for some of those prohibited.

This morning, everything changed. The early-morning departure was delayed by two hours....then another two hours....but the camp curfew remained, leaving some hope we may yet depart. As the day wore on it became clear we would be unlikely to leave before nightfall, and at 5pm a meeting was announced for 7pm, so hopes of departing today disappeared.

Sure enough, the 7pm meeting announced bad news - the ship's owner had now decided not to permit passengers to travel. As convoy organisers emphasised, that left us in a very difficult position with regard to our legal obligations to donors etc - we could not just abandon our vehicles and aid and hope that the Egyptian's would deliver them to Gaza for us. We were informed that negotiations are continuing, to seek a solution. It is difficult to believe that Israeli pressure is not behind this sudden about-face by the shipping company, but we have confidence that a solution will be found.

Rather than demoralise the convoy, this turn of events has served only to reinforce the commitment and conviction of participants. As people unpacked the vehicles and set up their tents and beds again, the mood was one of quiet determination. After all, the people of Gaza have been under siege for two years, and we are only in our third week.

Definitely to be continued!

(continuing….)

Earlier Coverage Of The Gaza Convoy From Julie Webb-Pullman:
Kia Ora Gaza Convoy Diary - Part II
Scoop Audio: Kiwi Gaza Convoy To Reach Egypt
Scoop Images: Kia Ora Gaza Arrives in Europe
Julie Webb Pullman: Viva Palestina Diary Part 1
Kia Ora Gaza team says “Listen to Helen Clark.”

Julie Webb-Pullman (click to view previous articles) is a New Zealand based freelance writer who has reported for Scoop since 2003. She was selected to be part of the Kiwi contingent on the Viva Palestina Convoy - a.k.a. Kia Ora Gaza. Send Feedback to julie@scoop.co.nz

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