The controversy involving the humanitarian mission in Gaza, Palestine conducted by preacher, Ebit Lew has entered a new episode after the revelation of the Chief Executive Officer of Cinta Gaza Malaysia, Muhammad Nadir Al- Nuri via his Telegram channel on Tuesday (20th July). Nadir Al- Nuri is no stranger in the humanitarian mission field involving Palestinians in Gaza.
Nadir Al- Nuri is also known as an individual who plays a vital role concerning the affairs of anyone who wants to enter Gaza. In his long Telegram post, Nadir made a remark on the issue of the famous Malaysian preacher, Ebit Lew entering Gaza with his team which is now a hot topic among netizens.
According to Nadir, the remark was not based on jealousy or disparaging one’s humanitarian effort, but it was made on the basis of love so that it could serve as a lesson for Ebit Lew’s team, and all those involved, including himself.
These are five important things to note from Nadir’s Telegram post:
1. Ebit Lew’s team silence sparked concern
- Nadir mentioned that at first, he welcomed the news of Ebit and his team’s intention of coming to Gaza, and he even offered assistance, in terms of documentation needed for the delivery of donation. Admitting that he was contacted by the team’s representatives, Nadir claimed that they did not give any response after that, although he tried to contact them several times. “When Ebit Lew’s team was in Cairo, I tried to contact them several times to get an update but there was no response. Malaysians and the media team were worried about the disappearance of the ‘Hero Malaya’,” he remarked regarding the time when Ebit Lew’s team was silent upon arriving in Cairo, Egypt.
- “For a month, they remained silent, and various speculations regarding their safety and security arose, despite the fact that it was far from the truth. Friends in Cairo informed me that Ebit’s team were still in their hotel room, they even went sightseeing in Hussein’s tourist area and visited the pyramids (as posted by his PA) while waiting for permission to enter Gaza,” he wrote. “Wouldn’t it have been better then to post an update about their situation to reassure millions of Malaysians that their situation is good and they only have to wait for permission to enter the land,” claimed Nadir.
2. The purchases of the aid should have been bought in Gaza, not from Cairo
- According to Nadir, he has informed the media that the best way to provide aid for the Gazan people is through purchasing the items in Gaza’s market. He mentioned that if the purchases are made in Cairo, it will worsen the process of bringing the items into Gaza as it has happened before to many other world NGOs.
- “Previously, I have mentioned to the media that the best way to bring in aid to Gaza, is through buying the items inside Gaza’s market, because the people can benefit more from the purchase. I was shocked when I saw the things they purchased in Egypt to be brought into Gaza. It will spark more questions from the people. Will the aid be able to be brought into Gaza? For all I know, the items are still stranded in Egypt among other donations. Isn’t that such a waste?” Nadir remarked.
3. Minor misunderstanding
- Nadir claimed that his sentence was misinterpreted by Ebit Lew’s team and got the cold shoulder while he was welcoming the team’s arrival to Gaza. He said that Ebit Lew was also avoiding him by walking far away from him and had refused to talk to him while they were sitting next to each other.
- “I did not expect to be misunderstood as stated by Ebit Lew’s PA, as I was not allowed the opportunity to talk to him. There were only two sentences said to me by the team, ‘do not do a live streaming and delete all the pictures’,” Nadir further stated.
4. The 3-day visit didn’t amount to much.
- Nadir also stated that Ebit and his team’s arrival in Gaza only took 3 days and it was too short to leave any impact or traces on the land.
- “Maybe Malaysia celebrates their arrival in Gaza but for Palestinians, the 3-day visit is too short a time,” he remarked.
5. Ebit Lew team’s insistence could impact other NGOs
- Among other things, Nadir criticised the way Ebit’s team handled their humanitarian mission, which allegedly did not go through the usual procedures and processes undergone by other NGO groups from various countries to enter Gaza.
- Aside from that, Nadir criticised the team’s approach in entering Gaza using the service of a company known as Hala. “In the duration of eight years after the change of power in Egypt, NGOs were only able to enter Gaza via Rafah through the international NGO Miles of Smiles, with approximately only 200-300 people able to enter in a year,” he explained. He stated that the team’s action could give a huge impact to other NGOs.
- “Why does the team’s method have a big impact on other NGOs? Because before many NGOs could enter Gaza through the old way with Miles of Smiles, now they have to use the new way by paying the company a high price. As a result of the Malaysian government’s insistence, Ebit Lew’s team managed to enter Gaza despite the high entry cost and regardless of the huge impact after that. They managed to enter Gaza through the service of Hala,” he claimed.
- According to Nadir, the Hala company is well known by the Palestinians for its services that can be used by anyone who can afford the cost of travel in and out of Gaza, without having to go through many checkpoints.
In his lengthy post, he also remarked on their plans in opening an orphanage there despite the Palestinian culture not allowing orphans to live in orphanages, as they are taken care by surviving family members. He explained that there are already many orphanages in Gaza but there is only one orphanage that operates, which is the Ma’ahad Al- Amal that houses only 120 Palestinian orphans.
Nadir also urged Ebit Lew’s team to come up with their own explanation regarding the situation as they have been silent throughout the controversy. In an update, Ebit Lew has lodged a police report over various allegations made against him related to his aid mission to Gaza and he will answer all the allegations made against him in a live update today (Thursday, 22nd July).
Sources: Awani, Astro Gempak, Nadir Al- Nuri’s Telegram
