Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 17 November 2025 | 10:10 CAT

📷 British commentator Sami Hamdi speaks to Radio Islam International after his release from US immigration detention – a case he says reflects a growing crackdown on Palestinian advocacy and free speech. Image: Reuters

Urgent attention is being drawn to the conditions surrounding the recent detention of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who describes his two-week ordeal in U.S. immigration custody as “political punishment dressed up as immigration law.” Allegations of being denied medical care, held in inhumane conditions and publicly framed as a “terrorist sympathizer” claims that never surfaced in court have ignited concerns about the shrinking space for Palestinian advocacy.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Hamdi asserted that his detention must be understood within a wider, deeply troubling pattern: “This was never about a visa… it was about shutting down dissent.” He warned that the U.S. government and pro-Israeli lobby groups appear increasingly determined to stifle voices critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and beyond.

Hamdi argues that his case reflects a lobby acting not from confidence but fear. “The shift in public opinion is enormous, sympathy for the Palestinian cause is growing rapidly,” he said, pointing to young American voters rejecting “Israel First candidates” and to candidates publicly refusing AIPAC funding. He noted that this generational and cross-party shift has placed unprecedented pressure on the Israeli lobby: “They believe themselves today to be in an existential crisis.”

The commentator detailed a concerning escalation of attempts to silence pro-Palestinian advocacy from targeting U.S. citizens like Mehdi Hassan, to green card holders such as Mahmoud Khalil, to student visa holders including Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi. Courts repeatedly ruled these efforts unconstitutional. “Citizens, they couldn’t get them. Green card holders, they struggled. Student visas, they failed,” Hamdi explained. “So they went after a short-term visitor visa, they came after me.”

Two U.S. federal judges later found “clear signs of an infringement on his right to freedom of speech,” prompting a sudden shift in tone from government lawyers eager to “make this go away.”

Reflecting on his experience, Hamdi emphasised faith over fear: “Allah always looks after me, nothing that happened to me compares to the genocide taking place in Palestine.” He invoked the suffering of children like Sidra and Hind Rajab as a stark reminder of the true scale of injustice.

In his closing remarks, Hamdi offered a pointed message: “There is a joy to know that the voice was so loud that they had to come after us, despite their material superiority, it’s not providing them any comfort.”

His ordeal now stands as a warning and a call for vigilance as global repression of Palestinian activism intensifies.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Samdi Hamdi.