Am I a terrorist?

THE descriptions coming out of Israel about participants like myself in the Global Sumud Flotilla are expected, but untrue. We have been called terrorists by Israel, and statements issued by Israel claim that the Global Sumud Flotilla is funded by networks linked to "terror groups".

Citing Israel’s Foreign Ministry during the flotilla, The Jerusalem Post reported the claim that traces "direct Hamas involvement in organising and financing a 'close-knit' flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of the Strip".

The claim elaborates that "key assets of the flotilla are effectively owned and controlled by Hamas", the Foreign Ministry said.

However, the Global Sumud Flotilla's goal was to break the illegal and immoral siege of Gaza, and to open up a sustainable humanitarian sea corridor of aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza. The flotilla deployed direct non-violent action mobilising a cross section of civil society, across over 44 countries around the world. It is a grass roots flotilla, a people's flotilla organised by the people, for the Palestinian people, with the people.

The members of the flotilla came from all walks of life across many differences uniting in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Despite this, as a member of healthcare workers for Palestine South Africa, and an occupational therapist, I together with other civilians were abducted by Israel in international waters and held captive for six days in an Israeli prison. The purpose of our participation in the flotilla was to reach Gaza with aid. However, we were intercepted in international waters, our boats stolen, aid stolen, and we were held illegally by Israel.

Describing the members of the flotilla as terrorists implies that we are people who use or threaten to use violence against others for political, religious, racial, or ideological causes. This label of terrorist connotes the use of fear, panic or hate to further a political agenda with violence. However, when members of the Global Sumud Flotilla were threatened by the Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters, we as civilians responded with non violence because the sailing to Gaza was by intention a direct non-violent action to break the illegal siege of Gaza.

We are protected by international law to sail to Gaza to deliver aid. Yet it is we the civilians that are being accused of being terrorists, while Gaza has been enduring a genocide for two years perpetuated by Israel in its reign of terror, and Israel broke international law repeatedly in intercepting and capturing us. It is the Israeli Occupation Forces that are executing a reign of terror on the Palestinian people in Gaza, and breaking international law.

With the Balfour Declaration in 1917, the British promoted the settlement of European Jews in Palestine just like they enabled European colonial states for the migration of colonial settlers to Africa. Therefore as South Africans, we know all too well about how unjust terrorist labels were used for those who struggled for the liberation of our country against apartheid and settler colonialism, like Nelson Mandela.

Apartheid South Africa then, and Israel currently are both best understood as settler colonial states, where one groups terrorists are another liberators. As a case in point, Nelson Mandela's name was only removed from USA terrorist lists before his 90th birthday in 2013, shortly before he passed away. The USA had labelled Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) as terrorists during the 1980s.

South Africa has taken Israel to the International Criminal Court. In this context, President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the nation after the ICJ's ruling.

"Some have told us to mind our own business. Others have said it was not our place. And yet it is very much our place, as people who know too well the pain of dispossession, discrimination, state-sponsored violence," he said.

"We are also a people who were the victims of the crime of apartheid. We know what apartheid looks like... We, as South Africans, will not be passive bystanders and watch the crimes that were visited upon us being perpetrated elsewhere."

It is in this spirit that the six South Africans sailed to Gaza on a humanitarian mission in the Global Sumud Flotilla, as people of conscience, not as "terrorists" designated by the Israel that is  perpetuating a brutal genocide on the Palestinian people.

Nelson Mandela reminds us: "Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians".

As a person of conscience, I will continue with direct non-violent action to break the illegal and immoral siege of Gaza, irrespective of name calling. I am ready to sail again.

A mother of two and a cancer survivor, Dr Fatima Hendricks has three masters degrees, a doctorate, and 30 years of international experience in health and education programme development. Her work highlights the devastating impact of oppression on health, education, and family life, and has taken her to South Africa, Nigeria, the USA, Turkiye, and the Syrian border. She is giving voice to the crime of genocide as a "mass disabling event" and is inspiring awareness of the Palestinian right to live freely and peacefully. Hendricks is the author of Please Forgive Me and Living Love.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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