Freedom Flotilla Faces Fierce Storms, Shahidul Alam and Ruhi Lauren Join Gaza Voyage
Drik’s Managing Director and photographer Shahidul Alam has joined the ‘Media Flotilla’ initiative under the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, aimed at breaking the silence of Israeli media regarding the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. On Thursday, October 2, he shared the latest updates on the Global Flotilla through a Facebook Live broadcast.
Standing on the upper deck of the Conscience Flotilla, Alam told journalists:
“I am Shahidul Alam. This is the largest among these waves of flotillas and the last to set sail. The Greek authorities have issued storm warnings. We already passed through a storm last night. The captain increased the speed so that we could stay ahead of it.
Currently, the storm and lightning have subsided, and the rain has stopped. We are behind compared to the rest of the flotilla; the ships ahead have already been attacked. Still, we are not intimidated by this threat and continue our course towards Gaza. We will break the siege—Palestine will be free.”
[Live Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17Xgb6jqCb/]
Meanwhile, another fleet carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza—the ‘Global Sumud Flotilla’—also includes Bangladeshi photographer Shahidul Alam. He is not alone in representing Bangladesh; British-Bangladeshi human rights activist and healthcare expert Ruhi Lauren Akhtar is also part of the Sumud flotilla, having joined the convoy on September 18.
Ruhi Lauren Akhtar is the founder of Refugee Biriyani and Bananas (RBB), a humanitarian organization that provides emergency food, medical supplies, skills training, and leadership development for people displaced by war and conflict.
On Wednesday, October 1, Akhtar posted on Facebook that she is aboard a ship named Summertime Jong, positioned just behind other vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
She wrote:
“We are advancing with determination and hope despite extreme uncertainty. This flotilla team is making a final attempt to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid, defying Israeli obstruction.”
