{"id":100245,"date":"2025-09-03T10:53:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T08:53:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=100245"},"modified":"2025-09-03T12:53:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T10:53:11","slug":"south-african-activist-joins-sumud-flotilla-to-challenge-gaza-blockade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/south-african-activist-joins-sumud-flotilla-to-challenge-gaza-blockade\/","title":{"rendered":"South African Activist Joins Sumud Flotilla to Challenge Gaza Blockade"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n3-minute read
\n03 September 2025 | 10:43 CAT<\/p>\n

\"\"

\ud83d\udcf8Global Sumud Flotilla sails to Gaza.<\/p><\/div>\n

A South African delegation has joined an unprecedented international flotilla in Tunis, aiming to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. The initiative, known as the Sumud Flotilla, brings together participants from 44 countries in what organisers describe as the largest collective effort to date.<\/p>\n

Dr. Zaheera Soomar, a South African activist and participant in the flotilla, spoke to Radio Islam International<\/a><\/em> about the logistical and operational challenges of such an undertaking. \u201cIt is the 38th flotilla to set sail, so it is not new per se, but the scale and coordination required are unprecedented,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom securing boats mechanically and ensuring safety, to preparing participants physically and medically, every detail must be managed meticulously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Soomar explained that each boat requires thorough checks for tampering. \u201cIn the last flotilla, boats were sabotaged before departure, ropes cut and acid poured into containers so security is paramount,\u201d she added. Participants also undergo extensive briefings and training to prepare for the unpredictable conditions at sea and the possibility of aggressive interception by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging the risks, Dr. Soomar said fear is not her overriding emotion. \u201cIt is about solidarity, preparation, and knowing that what we are doing can make a difference,\u201d she said. \u201cI think about the people of Gaza, and I think about my own children. Watching a genocide unfold without acting is not an option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Past flotillas have largely been intercepted, but Dr. Soomar emphasises that the initiative\u2019s impact extends beyond reaching Gaza. \u201cSuccess is not only about arriving on the shores, it is about raising awareness, exposing violations of international law, and applying pressure on governments and private sector actors who support the blockade,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Sumud Flotilla\u2019s unprecedented scale is expected to draw global attention to Gaza\u2019s humanitarian crisis. \u201cWhile previous efforts were individual or smaller in scale, this collective action is likely to prompt unprecedented international response,\u201d Dr. Soomar said. \u201cInshallah, even if one boat reaches Gaza, it will be a historic moment for the cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the flotilla prepares to depart Tunis and join vessels from Barcelona, organisers remain hopeful. Dr. Soomar concluded, \u201cMay Allah guide and protect us, and make this initiative successful in supporting the people of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim<\/em><\/a> with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr. Zaheera Soomar, a South African activist and participant in the flotilla.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 03 September 2025 | 10:43 CAT A South African delegation has joined an unprecedented international flotilla in Tunis, aiming to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. The initiative, known as the Sumud Flotilla, brings together participants from 44 countries in what organisers describe as the largest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":100259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995,4998,4997],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa","category-ummah","category-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Sumud-Flotilla-new.jpg?fit=225%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-q4R","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-13 20:24:52","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}