Ep 173. - The General's Plan: The Killing Fields of Northern Gaza
We have seen the horrific genocidal scenes unfolding in the north of Gaza and in particular the onslaught by the occupation in Jabaliya. There is a horrendous cleansing of Palestinians, apparently to make way for Israeli settler expansion and cut the territory into two. This is a Nakba but worse. A catastrophe. But the world seems to remain silent. On a deeper level – many are asking when will the help of Allah come? How do we deal with this situation as a personal trauma. My guest today, is Imam Fuad Abdo, himself from Palestine. Imam Fuad is the imam of Al Ansar Centre, Goodmayes, and someone who I have seen first-hand at the forefront of activism – especially encouragement the encampment movement.
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Transcript - This is an automated transcript and some of the language may not reflect the actual conversation
0:00
this is a general's plan yes have absolutely Circle jabalia and jabal and they cut them
0:06
from water food there is no ambulance there is no hospitals anything moving is Target we need
0:12
to just to bury them the dogs and the cats they eating them 700,000 people they willing
0:20
to slaughter them there is somebody burned a life this is something the whole world should
0:25
stop and pause why have the Egyptians Been So Silent there is a con for a famous Arab
0:32
singer in Alexandria which is 400 kilom far from I have no idea how we will stand before
0:40
Allah we have witnessed a horrific genocidal scenes unfolding in the north of Gaza and in
0:49
particular the onslaught by the occupation in jabala there is a horrendous cleansing of
0:55
Palestinians taking place and apparently this is to make way for Israeli settler expansion
1:01
and cut the territory into two this is a knba but worse a catastrophe but the world seems to
1:09
remain silent and on a deeper level many Muslims are asking deeper questions when
1:15
will the help of Allah subhana wa ta'ala come there is a lot of personal trauma taking place
1:20
within our umah and we need answers to these really important questions my guest today is
1:28
Imam fad Abdu IM IM fad is from Palestine and he's also an Imam of a mosque here in London Al
1:36
lansar Center in good uh Imam fad has firsthand experience of activism on on Palestine and I came
1:46
across him very recently uh when uh he was uh speaking to Muslim Students on the encampments
1:53
at universities alhamdulillah Imam fad has extensive knowledge of Islam and Lum and Dean
2:01
uh he studied in Saudi Arabia and in Jordan and he gives regular lectures and sermons uh across
2:07
uh the country uh he's also a senior advisor at the Islamic Council of Europe IMD and welcome to
2:16
the thank you very much for having
2:21
me and I think today's conversation is really a a difficult conversation to have
2:30
um the last few days have been uh emotionally extremely difficult I think just by watching
2:38
what's happening on the screens um so let's start with the reality because I think a lot of people just don't know what's happening we get fragments maybe we're getting tired maybe
2:50
uh we're we're feeling hopelessness but we just don't know exactly the scale of what's happening
What is happening in the north of Gaza?
2:57
in the north of Gaza so before we get get to the politics of it just explain to us what's happening
3:02
there actually to start with in lots of time uh uh when I speak about the uh anything to
3:20
do with Palestine for a while I used to avoid to speak about Palestine because I don't want
3:26
the people to say ah because he's Palestinian he speak about pal I think the issue the Palestinian
3:35
issue is a Muslim issue first and foremost yeah and it's happened my father was born in yaa and
3:45
my grandfather born in yaasa and my family it's from yaa originally but that doesn't mean um just
3:54
belong to or that the issue of Palestinian because I'm Palestinian I need to speak about it actually
4:00
it's the the Palestinian issue is first and foremost for every Muslim living in this earth
4:07
it's part of it because this is from for all Muslim so is what I what I own intine today
4:15
or in part of Palestine is exactly like anybody from turkistan or from uh South Russia or from
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Indonesia we all Muslims and this is our land and this is our issue that's the first and foremost
4:31
the second thing as well it's today it's the issue of all it's anybody who would like justice in the
4:40
world because it's what's happening today it's it's it's it's something is mindblowing how the
4:47
people they can literally close their eyes for something is very blunt it doesn't need to be
4:53
smart it doesn't need to be uh you know it it doesn't need to have big level of Justice you
5:00
don't need even to just look deep on the thing it's just see the number of people they've been killed yeah it's just that and we can we can speak about it therefore today when you speak about it I
5:14
would like the people when they listen is not about the country or what's your passport or
5:21
where you come from or where family Lage this is if you human that's enough what's happening in nor
5:31
in fact this will lead us for after one year of the attack on the and the resistance they still
5:40
there and the people of they refuse to move in fact the northern they keep remove them from
5:47
their houses over them four five times and every time when they remove them they either bomb them
5:52
or they the the snipers they start shoot them so the people of the northern they deci TI we're
6:01
not moving we stay in our area yeah and when we say Northern Gaza that will be so Gaza if if the
6:08
people they just just to realize is very small uh strip on the sea yes so is around 43 kilom that's
6:18
around 30 mile by 15 kilm that's less than 10 m so literally it's just strip all the way the south
6:28
is RA where the people they know that's in the border with Egypt and all the way after that we
6:33
goaz as a city after that it will become kanun as as a big city after that we have Gazza as a city
6:42
after that we have what's we called it Northern and this is where is jabalia and I'm sure people
6:50
they know beun and B people they heard about it in the news yes that one is the border with what
6:59
we called it now is occupied festine or what they called it Israel and that is part of what uh that
7:08
where as well there is the border so some of the generals they come and they said look we not able
7:15
to do in a lot in let's do something else anything Norther than line and this is what's separating
7:25
north and south and anything in the north Gaza City we will make a military base that's mean
7:39
the people we need to remove them and let them go the South this is a general's plan yes this
7:45
is the generals plant yeah and the one he said and by the way this they didn't hide it the one
7:52
he he did it it's is published and you people they can't see it it's published and as one his retired
8:00
General the one he went actually in the media and he spoke about it so there is no hidden thing here
8:07
yes and he said we will give them short time uh time to leave the area and they go south let's
8:17
speak about the the people there jabalia when we have jabalia there's two part of Ja there is the
8:24
c jabal yeah and this is lots of the Palestinian they come from 1948 from the and there is jabad
8:33
which is this actual City this is very small City before right between this jabal and jabalia jabal
8:44
and the The Refuge Camp jabal is around 150 to 200,000 people living there and in the whole
8:52
Northern Gaz there is around 700,000 people to move this amount in place this small where they
9:03
will go plus this people they be moved several time and they not moving anywhere this people
9:10
they show the real bravery and they said This is Our Land this is our thing we've been moved 1948
9:17
we don't want to move anymore this is our place we're not going so they give them short period
9:25
where they surround them from all the way from Northeast twiest and they left the South for them
9:31
to move and they understand as well if they move they will be easy Target and that's happen several
9:36
time so in a few days after three four five days they have absolutely Circle jabalia and jabal bad
9:45
and they cut them from water food there is nothing there is no ambulance there is no hospitals in the
9:53
whole Northern Gaza there is just one Hospital there and there's nothing com in nothing coming
10:00
out there is no media there is nothing coming in and out jaal and anything moving is Target we mean
10:11
anything moving including if there is somebody he thinks to go to get some water actually I
10:17
have a story from somebody he pH in Al jaaz and he speaks and you can see it as well in Al jaaz and
10:27
with his voice and is written and we can find as well the evidence people they can find it
10:33
he found speaking about his neighbor his neighbor it's from uh hamuda he's a doctor he's in his 50s
10:41
he has some children in his house and they have no water they become very thirsty so he went just to
10:49
go outside with his son his son Ahmed 22 years old to bring some water for the children they
10:56
they dying out of thirst outside a little bit of their house their sniper sh them they both
11:05
died the neighbor he fall after a few days he said please speak with the Red Cross or anybody
11:19
we need to just to bury them the dogs and the cats they eating them they' been there for a few
11:27
days and nobody at ble to go out to even just to take them to bury them last week everybody
11:36
know about Shan the one burned yeah life that was in the northern yes the prices of the food
11:46
and vegetable it is over than anybody and you can see the full list and how much every time
11:54
is changing the price I will mention some of it just this is like last I think it's four or five
12:01
days old there is some updated but this is four five days uh ago 1 kg of cucumber is $150 in the
12:12
northern Gaza 1 kg of tomato is over than $180 in the northern Gaz 1 kg of frozen meat over than 90
12:25
in in Gaza the flower 20 25 kg of flour and flour is is the normal Food for People is over than
12:34
1,500 dollar inaz bear in your mind there is a now we nearly the the 13th month of there is no
12:47
any money coming for that people yes there is no income and that's the situation in the northern
12:53
jabalia because that doesn't come to jabalia there is nothing coming in or out of jabalia that's
12:59
outside this is in and something like that yes yesterday I I think the people just before that
13:07
when they buried him a life him and his mother may Allah have mercy upon them and may Allah accept
13:14
them from sh people they don't know he was in the tent outside of hospital that booming was for the
13:23
hospital yesterday in B they boed School and over than 47 people died they were in schools I would
13:36
like just to stop for a second and I don't want the brothers and sisters when we listen to have to
13:46
deceived with the numbers when we speak about 47 or 30 33 this is people we know them we know that
13:59
the color of their eyes the little girl we know the color her hair we know everything the dream
14:09
she would like to do we know the sister she's just cist she tried just to do a little bit of
14:15
art to explain herself they boned her targeting bomed her just because she's artist yeah which
14:24
level what they think of a little woman in her place doing a little bit of art how is that to
14:30
be not civilian the situation of cutting water and for the whole area under the siege I don't
14:41
know in under whatever law a human or nonhuman law they saying that is something is understandable
14:51
there is the whole 100 nearly 150,000 people they don't have ambulance there in the whole Northern
15:02
Gaza today there is one Hospital working there we sit with some of the doctors they come from
15:09
there and they told us some ideas sorry some some picture and some photos they show us some
15:19
it's something I think is enough to haunt us for the rest of our life w we saw some of that picture
15:29
there is some doctor they spoke there is a doctor he he's not even he he he's not even an Arab or even he's Muslim he's American he went there he say I have a body is a Hol there is no
15:40
brain there is nothing inside is a Hol body for a little girl she's a few months that all of it
15:48
all of this this is in the easy B this is in the South we have some we received some messages from
15:55
some of the brothers in the South they say we are in comparing what's happening in the north
16:01
there is somebody of the north he say by Allah if what's happening today in the north it is the
16:09
banishment of the day of judgment this is enough for all people to become Muslim they comparing
16:16
what's happening in the northern with the day of judgment in that situation the situation
16:24
is become that tense and unfortunately like what you mention when we go for the news we don't know
16:34
what's happening yeah they try to cleanse that area so this is the General's plan to cleanse it
The Generals plan
16:40
by killing everyone 700,000 people either for them to move them if they would like to live the one
16:48
they wouldn't move they will kill them yeah I just would like to the brothers and sisters to realize
17:00
we don't speak about 10 20 30 we speaking about 700,000 people they willing to slaughter
17:11
them brothers and sisters listen to the number it's seven and five zeros after
17:21
that this is a human lives 700,000 people people they willing to Target them all to
17:32
kill them to cleanse them long she what why do you think that the International
Why is the international community silent?
17:41
Community Muslim non-muslim countries are So Silent over what's happening in Gaza
17:48
generally but also what's happened over the last week or so in Northern Gaza unfortunately from let me say it in Arabic this is this is is not something new it is for
18:08
them for the intern International uh Community it's they will come and they will see the victim
18:17
what's the color of the victim and is it like what one of the famous uh interviewers and the
18:25
famous uh bu in the media he said H they not our alliance it is about the alliance if you
18:34
one of them they will cry you and everything it will change and if you from the people they you
18:41
not represent them I remember the first week of what's happening with Ukraine when they
18:47
started crying in the media they are like us they white and they have blue eyes they said
18:54
it it is and after that if this people they not representing they not from so for them this is a
19:01
normal and they will have any excuses just to but a blind eye and this is this is something
19:08
unfortunately we see it that doesn't mean there is no people they would like to have a Justice
19:13
and the people they would have to speak and there is some people they speaking but unfortunately
19:18
it's not enough yeah that's the first people the Muslim there is two part of it there is
19:30
the leaders and a the the the Normal public the
19:38
leaders I don't know how to say it better but
19:45
uh again they let us down B time I lived in the time where if there is anything happen
19:59
before fortine or something at least the Arab League they will sit and the leader and they will speak about it and at least they will say oh we don't agree with that or something
20:07
we don't see that even happening yeah even a little bit here and there something they
20:14
speaking about it every now and then there is a little bit of speaking and there is nothing and what's happening today in the northern Gaza I haven't seen anybody spoking about
20:22
it I have no idea in the same time in the same time last week in the same excuse me in the same
20:30
day being bured their lives there is a Muslim Capital they have a match whereas
20:43
there is a a concert after concert after concert before they starting the match there is somebody burned their life a music concert it was it was in music concert and
20:53
after that it was boxing boxing boxing match right where was this that was in riy that was in riy and unfortunately and it was very hurting after that the people the
21:08
day after that in the news who win and what's happening in the news there's somebody burned a life this is something the whole world should stop and pause yeah somebody for
21:18
the first time for the first time this holoc coost was life people see him burning a life
21:29
is not something recorded we see it in the same second somebody was there recording somebody
21:36
burning there we see him and we saw his mother and after that we ask the day after that what's what's
21:46
the what what's the result of the the match I I have no idea again it's forgot about it it's as a
21:54
Humanity I I was speaking to someone uh today and we were speaking about the Egyptians Egypt is very
Why have the Egyptians been silent?
22:02
near to of course the rougher Crossing but very near to uh to in many ways has has an opportunity
22:10
to open up the borders and to engage uh with the situation uh why have the Egyptians been so
22:17
silent again the leader unfortunately the leader of Egypt it's changing a lot 20 2012 when what's
22:31
happening to Gazza before yes when the leadership of Egypt they tried to do something and they they
22:37
were no this isaza and you that the war stopped easily but today Egypt they even be before the
22:46
war some of that people some of that the wounded people they went to uh Egypt they said we are in
22:56
prison we not allowed to go outside hospitals so again that doesn't mean that the mass the
23:05
the public they they with us alhamdulillah the the boycott in Egypt they the people they would
23:12
like but again I'm disappointed a little bit yeah for example yesterday from yesterday of the day we
23:19
recording this yesterday and the people they can Google that there is a concert for a famous Arab
23:33
uh singer in Alexandria which is 400 kilometer far fromaz which is if they just be silent a
23:46
little bit they will hear it through the the sea they will hear it I'm not sure if is everything
23:53
dark will they see the booming or no it's not far at all there is a 100,000 people they gather for
24:01
that concert what if that people even let's leave anything to do with Halal andam and 100,000 people
24:16
if that picture went and the people they dying inaz they saw the picture what they will feel
24:26
what message it will come for their neighbor brothers and sisters some of them is exactly
24:32
the same families they share the families they cousins they cousin by blood is Neighbors it's
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you can hear it you can fly there with less than half an hour you will be there it's not
24:46
far is some of them is the same they have the same family names yes and they come they gather
24:53
on that what they feeling what's the message if the same people they gather in the Masjid
24:58
raising their High their hand making Dua for the people of what's that will make the difference
25:06
wouldn't be scared the people of and Allah say the one he will answer the one he's desperate
25:14
situation wouldn't be scared of the people of in this situation to raise their hand and they
25:20
say wouldn't be scared to say oh Allah put them in the desperate situation
25:29
like what what's happening wouldn't we read in the Quran what's the security for that people that generation that young
25:38
people 100,000 people is not they are the target tomorrow what's happening if there is something happening
25:47
tomorrow Allah give us in the Quran example of
26:01
it's that Allah give us example of a is a city or a village they were
26:06
absolutely fine and there is nothing with that and when they do the kufur that's changed to them if you come for the people of Gazza before one or two
26:15
years they were kind of okay yeah every now and then there is a but they wouldn't think
26:21
250,000 units housing unit is d destroyed if we with a very easy math 250,000 unit if
26:36
average every unit four people that mean there is 2 million they don't have houses that's a simple
26:46
math it doesn't need the thing 80% 80% of any road and any uh it's destroyed in that inclose fire of
26:57
Egypt how they don't think all the Muslim around us we wouldn't be held accountable for that but
27:05
tell me some sh I used to always believe that you made this distinction between the rulers and the
Is there a problem with the Muslim Ummah?
27:10
ru and the people and the people are generally good and the rulers are corrupt but it takes a certain level of I don't know how to describe it a certain level of um of unacceptability for Muslims
27:26
to gather in Alexandria for a concert 100,000 of them uh or in Riyad or in Amman or in these places
27:34
and engage in these frivolous football matches and these concerts while Northern Gaza Southern Gaza
27:42
is been destroyed by the uh by these oppressors like is there a problem with the Muslim umah
27:49
that's what I'm asking unfortunately we we have we have the generally the general alhamdulillah
27:55
the general people they have sympathy yes and some of them they asking what we can do and they
28:03
would like to move day to day yeah but that's not enough why is not enough because this is except ex
28:12
exceptional situation this is nothing not we could say sympathy is enough when there is a little bit
28:22
of Oppression what's happening and I need to live day to day but in the normal circumstances
28:28
yeah we need to be in the different situation yeah on the time of and in that situation the
28:39
whole um need to be in different level of the IM therefore few people they will come
28:48
down of the whole Army it will be under the because some of them they have done
28:58
because this is exception time when there is exceptional time where whole um need to be
29:04
exceptional I understand the brothers some of the people even they win the concert they said that's
29:11
what we can do we are sympathized at no that's not enough yeah that's not enough for the whole
29:17
um it is the time for people I have received lots of messages the people of Northern Gaza they don't
29:28
say now support us with the money or something no they said way simpler than that they say just
29:33
remember us in Dua and speak about us don't let us die in silence all what they say do something
29:42
W I have I received somebody and they can't see it he say do something all what his message is
29:48
he he he film it he say do something do to your pray for us make Dua for us do certain things
29:56
speak about us TW wait do something they would like any type of support brothers and sisters we
30:04
need to understand we the time the history is is is maybe it's is a very unique time of the
30:11
history we crying about what's happening during and this they said it's what's happening in and
30:19
when we cry about 70,000 and something we have somebody burned a life Li lies people they saw
30:31
him we saw the people we saw the children we saw everything it's never been in history the
30:38
people the whole um sometimes when there is a class has happen will they know about it later when the news comes today we knew it in the minute in the same second I have no idea
30:52
how we will stand before Allah when he ask us what you have done to you brothers and S
Why are non-Muslims more active than Muslims?
30:58
what I want to ask you about because of course um at the beginning of this crisis a year ago
31:05
uh there was a lot of effort that took place in the Muslim Umma in the Muslim Community here in the UK but you must have noticed that uh there's been a decline of attention amongst uh General
31:16
messes amongst the Muslims and sometimes you go to a demonstration and and sometimes you see
31:21
more non-muslims there than Muslims um like how do you explain that that's even University when
31:28
we visited it yeah yeah unfortunately Allah understand I mean the university is is really
31:33
important we'll come back to that but you know when we went to we uh were at King's College
31:39
and um uh the number of Muslims from the Islamic Society were minimo at this encampment at this
31:46
prot I visit them next after that and I think even some of them they don't take part even
31:51
that's changed Subhan yeah long understand and I visited more than one University and
31:58
some of them I'm disappointed with them yeah uh they invite me to speak in one of the talks and
32:03
hopefully they wouldn't be upset now with me and they they would invite me uh let's go back
32:10
for what's happening here actually yes I am very disappointed yeah surprising I'm I'm disappointed
32:18
with with a little bit different alhamdulillah again there is some people they doing great job
32:23
yeah and there are some people Mah they still they try to do the thing alhamdulillah and the um there is always but I'm speaking about the mass what's happening there is a lot we can still
32:34
do and especially after one year we shouldn't decline actually we should become we have a
32:41
quality I was thinking in the beginning because it's just happen the people they just would like
32:46
to do anything but after that I thought no we will be organized and we start doing something in in
32:52
in like more professional and there is some group and there is some some lawyers they will come and
32:57
there is some some some activity and something we try something like grass root unfortunately and I
33:04
see that even like like decline it's it's is not what I'm surprising the work alhamdulillah I will
33:13
take something else as well I don't want to jump from one topic to the other but even the M how
33:20
many mid today they have yeah is the basic is the Dua for our brothers and sisters the
33:26
prophet sallallah Al wasam expl is the Dua where is the the prophet Sall alai wasallam after what
33:32
happened in for 30 days there is few of the sahab or some of the sahab they've been killed so the
33:39
prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam after that for 30 days the prophet s wasallam in the end of the Salah he used to make Dua uh against the for the the oppressed and against the the so is that the
33:54
basic we need the mass they need to do that as well the we have the people let's do something
34:01
invite some of activity do the mass now they went silent is like that doesn't belong is part
34:10
of the um the mid in Islam it's never been just to pray and close the door that's not the Masid
34:15
yeah this is I'm really sorry I don't want to the think this is the m Allah say Allah he say
34:33
every time it is men the people they come there is the whole idea of the theam where is the activism
34:46
everything everything used to be with a with a uh with a in the Masjid the prophet sallallahu
34:52
alaihi wasallam he feed the poor in the Masjid the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam he prepared the
34:58
for his battles in that Masjid the Masjid is a place where it is supposed to be the active
35:04
the young the woman the man everybody come to benefit from the Masjid and to do something in
35:10
the Masjid what's happening for our M the basic Dua we don't know about it the news
35:16
about what's happening we don't know about it the is changed we don't have that I'm not
35:21
speaking about all the mass but unfortunately I don't want as well to blame but lots of mass yeah
35:27
now is not the time for us to become tired and we come calm down actually it's time for us to
35:33
become more professional and we do something else there is some advocacy group they need
35:38
to do something and they need to have the quality it is Our obligation from Allah yes
35:48
is not optional for us to do or to not to do is obligatory us to do something the prophet say
35:58
let him change it with his hand if he can't let him change it with his tongue if he can't
36:05
let him change it with his heart alhamdulillah most of us we able to change it at least with
36:12
our tongue write about it speak about it try to spread the word speak with your colleague
36:18
try to do something let's have other people let's deliver the voice of the people of Northern there
36:27
is PE people by today for 15 days without water today we speaking the time is is is taking 1
36:35
15,000 people today today for 15 days without water without medicine without food without
36:43
blood they said please for the people of Northern Gaza please donate your blood there is nothing there there is some people reported died in their houses out of hunger
36:59
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