SEPANG: Dr Fauziah Mohd Hasan may have failed to reach Gaza to distribute humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, but believes that amidst the despair, there is a silver lining.
The sole Malaysian representative on the Women’s Boat to Gaza mission, arrested with 12 other activists aboard the Zaytouna-Oliva ship off the Gaza coast, says their detention by Israel has brought to the fore the plight of the Palestinians.
Recalling the incident, Dr Fauziah said they were prepared for the worst at the hands of the Israeli authorities.
She recalled being threatened numerous times to abort her humanitarian mission to Gaza and to leave for home.
"Gaza was only 35 nautical miles away when our ship was intercepted and brought to Ashdod, Israel.
"We negotiated and begged the Israel navy officers to allow us to bring our aid and supply to the long-suffering people of Gaza.
"The Israelis were adamant in halting our journey," she said.
Dr Fauziah said the mission crew did their best to demonstrate that they were on a solely humanitarian mission.
"We threw our phones, laptops and other communication devices into the sea to show that we came in peace but they didn't believe us."
She said some of her teammates were stripped of their clothes.
"Some of us were stripped and checked. Although I wasn't shamed that way, three others had to undergo the indignity and were inspected from top to bottom," she said.
Dr Fauziah was speaking to reporters after arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport today from Bangkok, and before that Tel Aviv.
She was received by her husband at Prof Dr Alauddin Mohd Ali at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Around 100 people had gathered at KLIA to welcome her home.
Meanwhile, Dr Fauziah said she was only held by the authorities for less than 22 hours as she knew negotiations were ongoing and help was on the way from home.
Despite not successfully completing the humanitarian mission, Dr Fauziah said the mission was somewhat a "success" as the news of her arrest, along with the other volunteers across the world, created awareness on the cruelty of Israel and the suffering of the Gaza people.
She said it was high time that Malaysians and the world come together in efforts to free Palestine.
"Gaza will not be habitable in another four years. We must do something to help them and give them a new lease of life.
"I cried numerous times thinking about the lives of the Gaza people who do not have food and basic necessities. Something must be done and should be done fast to help them," said Dr Fauziah, who served as the mission's physician.
She is a consultant at the Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital in Kuala Lumpur and is also on the board of trustees of Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCare).
Asked if she would go on such a mission again, she replied in the affirmative.
She also said she would regroup with her other team members in Stockholm, Sweden in May, to plan another humanitarian mission.