{"id":101389,"date":"2025-10-14T14:12:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T12:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=101389"},"modified":"2025-10-14T14:14:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T12:14:43","slug":"flotilla-activist-returns-home-calls-for-renewed-pressure-on-israel-and-local-accountability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/flotilla-activist-returns-home-calls-for-renewed-pressure-on-israel-and-local-accountability\/","title":{"rendered":"Flotilla Activist Returns Home, Calls for Renewed Pressure on Israel and Local Accountability"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a> <\/em>
\n3-minute read | 14 October 2025 | 14:04 CAT<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 9: (SPEECH) Fatima Hendricks speaks about how Israeli soldiers brutalised activists during a disagreement over prison mattresses on October 9, 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa. Israeli authorities detained South African activists for taking part in the Gaza Sumud Freedom Flotilla. They were released and deported after intervention by the South African government and international pressure. (Footage by Wesley Fester\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

A wave of reflection, resilience, and renewed activism follows the return of South African occupational therapist and activist Dr Fatima Hendricks, one of the few local participants aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy that set sail to challenge Israel\u2019s ongoing blockade of Gaza. The mission, which brought together activists, doctors, clergy, and human rights defenders from across the world, was intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n

Dr Hendricks, an occupational therapist and long-time advocate for human rights, recounts the moments of humiliation she and others endured while in Israeli custody. \u201cThey stripped me of my hijab, mocked the scars left by my cancer treatment, and held us for days,\u201d she told Radio Islam International.<\/em><\/a> \u201cWe were demeaned and treated as criminals, yet all we carried were medicines, medical supplies, and the will to stand for justice. But I return unbroken, my voice louder than ever against modern-day apartheid.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since her release, Dr Hendricks has been welcomed home with prayers, dhikr, and gatherings of solidarity. \u201cThese have been days of deep gratitude and reflection,\u201d she shared. \u201cI\u2019ve met people who made dua for Palestine and for the flotilla. Their support reminds me why we sailed to stand for humanity, for dignity, and for the right to live free from oppression.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for \u201csteadfastness,\u201d carried representatives from over 30 countries, symbolising global unity against injustice. \u201cIt was a mass mobilization never seen before,\u201d Dr Hendricks reflected. \u201cPeople of every race, faith, and nation stood shoulder to shoulder. Even Israeli soldiers were bewildered they saw blue-eyed, blonde-haired Europeans and brown-skinned activists from the Global South united for Palestine. It shattered their illusion of moral superiority.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Dr Hendricks, the flotilla\u2019s impact extends beyond the Mediterranean. \u201cThis collective effort the ports closing, the global marches, the online campaigns all of it helped push for the current ceasefire,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe are told it came through diplomacy, but it was people\u2019s resistance, Palestinians livestreaming their own suffering, and the world\u2019s moral outrage that forced Israel\u2019s hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning her attention to South Africa, she urged reflection on local complicity. \u201cZionism is alive and well here, through lobbying, trade, and silence,\u201d she said. \u201cOur government must be held accountable for its ties, the continued sale of coal, and its failure to prosecute hate groups. We cannot fight apartheid abroad while ignoring its shadow at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her message to South Africans is one of endurance and purpose. \u201cIt was the people\u2019s flotilla that sailed when governments failed. We must continue organizing, mobilizing, and standing in loving solidarity until Palestine, and all oppressed people, are free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim<\/em><\/a> with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Dr Fatima Hendricks.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read | 14 October 2025 | 14:04 CAT A wave of reflection, resilience, and renewed activism follows the return of South African occupational therapist and activist Dr Fatima Hendricks, one of the few local participants aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy that set sail to challenge Israel\u2019s ongoing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":101392,"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-101389","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\/10\/Dr-Fatima-Hendricks.jpg?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-qnj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-10 19:52:47","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\/101389","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=101389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}