Mission of mercy

Last week, Dr Mustafa Al Sayeed, secretary general of the National Committee for the Support of the Palestinian People was sent on a mission of mercy to Gaza, by His Majesty King Hamad.

On his return, Dr Mustafa shared exclusive moments of his trip with the GulfWeekly to thank us for our support for his campaign.

BETSY:_ Dr Mustafa, we congratulate you on your heroic humanitarian trip to Gaza and want to ask how long you stayed there and what was your mission?

Dr MUSTFA:_I was there for three days but it seemed like three hours as myself and my accompanying medical team worked from 8.30am to 11pm at night apart from short breaks for a 'falafel' sandwich which was the main meal for us and the lucky ones in Gaza. Food was understandably scarce. Our mission was based on His Majesty's instruction to negotiate with the Egyptian and Palestinian authorities to allow 20 critically injured Palestinians, including five children, to travel to Bahrain for urgent medical treatment. Inshallah they should arrive soon.

BETSY:_ Any other objectives?

DR MUSTAFA:_Yes, we travelled on the cargo plane that took 40 tons of medicine to Gaza. I personally followed the delivery process which took 18 hours from arriving in Al Areesh airport to Al Rafah border, through the streets of Gaza and all the way to the famous Al Shiffa Hospital. There we organised a simple hand over ceremony followed by a visit to the wards. I insisted that this precious cargo be passed to the hands of the chief medical officer to ensure it reached those in need.

BETSY:_What were your feelings at that time?

DR Mustafa:_I felt good that the Palestinian people were so grateful for our modest gesture of support and to see how much they love our King and the people of Bahrain.

BETSY:_Did you see any damage in Gaza and how bad was it in reality compared to what we see on the news ?

DR MUSTAFA: It was shocking, the Israelis have destroyed everything in their path, with total precision. Industries destroyed, over 45 mosques totally obliterated and the few surviving mosques had their minarets blasted off. Houses were in ruins and I saw many families going through the rubble searching for salvageable possessions.

BETSY:_Did you feel safe or were you in any danger while you were there?

DR MUSTAFA:_They were attacking the tunnels around Raffah border and I saw some small workshops and a couple of young men on a bike under attack.

BETSY:_Were you scared?

DR MUSTAFA:_No, I was too busy being angry at some of the things I saw. Apart from the human misery, I saw fields full of dead cows and baby calves that had been executed by a bullet through the head at close range and nearby a man whose dairy factory had been totally destroyed and with it his livelihood. I also witnessed many children with severe phosphorous burns whose photos you cannot publish in a family newspaper, they were too shocking.

BETSY:_Did you have any happy moments during your trip?

DR MUSTAFA:_Yes, when by chance I discovered the previous generosity of our King to the Palestinians.

I was driving through Gaza and saw a large group of buildings that had been destroyed and I asked our driver to take me there when I was told it was the University of Gaza. I went inside and met the dean of the university and offered him my commiserations and told him I was from Bahrain. He then welcomed me most warmly and thanked Bahrain for its kindness and asked me if I would like to see a miracle. He took me around the corner, where, in the midst of this devastation was a beautiful building that was untouched by the bombs.

This he told me was the King Hamad College of Management and Administration, built by His Majesty for the university in 2005. Now I was beginning to understand just why the Palestinians revered our King, as this unannounced gesture of generosity by our King was just one of the many reasons the Palestinians hold him so dear.

BETSY:_There are many stories of aid that goes missing in Gaza or that is held up and is not allowed to cross the border. Can you reassure people that their donations will reach the Palestinians?

DR MUSTAFA: I am glad you asked me that question Betsy, as it is important. On the instructions of His Majesty, we were the first to deliver vital medical supplies to Gaza, indeed Bahrain was the first Gulf country to act in support of Gaza.

Our goods are clearly and professionally packed and labeled to comply with international regulations so that is one reason and also the fact that Bahrain enjoys such strong ties with the Egyptian authorities who trust and respect us. This meant that even the BBC praised Bahrain's actions and its success at being the first to respond and actually deliver aid. Those generous people who donate should feel happy that they are really helping very effectively.

BETSY: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

DR MUSTAFA: Yes I would like to thank your readers and the GulfWeekly for their support of our noble cause. I really wanted the Palestinians to understand how much the people of all nationalities living in Bahrain, cared for them, so I took with me lots of copies of the GulfWeekly to show them the beautiful letter you had Betsy, to President Obama, asking him to help the Palestinians. Everywhere we went, we distributed the GulfWeeekly as evidence that we do care and support Palestine. So thank you for that.

Betsy's footnote:_This week, when you are worrying about your problems, spare a thought for the Palestinians and their plight. I bet it puts things into perspective.