Reactions of the European Muslim Brotherhood to the Gaza flotilla incident are consistent with those of the US Muslim Brotherhood published earlier, accusing Israel of horrific crimes and seeking and end to the Gaza blockade. The Federation of Islamic Organizations In Europe (FIOE), the umbrella group representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, issued a statement accusing Israel of “a gross and bloody act of piracy and a horrific massacre”:
The attack on the Freedom for Gaza Flotilla is an act of blatant piracy and a horrific massacre. In the very early hours of this Monday morning, Israeli military forces—by premeditated decision of their government—committed a gross and bloody act of piracy against the “Freedom Flotilla”; ships that had embarked from several European ports aiming to take humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who are suffering under a strangling and immoral blockade. Reports spoke of heavy concentrations of Israeli forces—authorised by the extremist right-wing Israeli government, attacking and boarding the ships of the “Freedom Flotilla” in international waters. On board these ships are humanitarian aid teams, media professionals, parliamentarians, and representatives of European and world civil society institutions. The Israeli forces in their aggression have committed a bloody massacre on board the ships with tens of victims, both dead and wounded, among the unarmed civilians, who are only carrying humanitarian supplies, food, medicine, children’s toys, and material for reconstruction. Such a blatant attack on 750 civilians of diverse nationalities from across the world, travelling on European ships to the Gaza Strip, is a very dangerous development in the train of naked Israeli violations, and a blood-drenched message from the Israeli occupation to the entire world reflecting its complete and utter disregard for humanitarian conventions, international law and norms. The Israeli authorities have acted as the rogue state above the law. The Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe emphasises that the “Freedom Flotilla” is a live expression of human conscience rising against the unjust blockade inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza; given that this blockade is a reprehensible crime rejected by religion, human values, moral standards, and international conventions. These seafarers travelling to Gaza present an image of courageous human solidarity that has broken the wall of silence surrounding the blockade, and scored a victory for the right of peoples to life and dignity. The Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe condemns in the strongest possible terms this act of piracy and mass killing perpetrated against the “Freedom Flotilla”, and demands serious and urgent official European action to confront this dangerous piracy, and bloody massacre, and put an end to a long series of blatant Israeli violations. The Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe also expresses its solidarity with those humanitarian organisations, public figures, and European and world media participating in the Freedom Flotilla, and calls upon civil society and media institutions in Europe to take up responsible stances corresponding to the enormity of the crime, and to focus attention on the grave and serious nature of this bloody attack on a humanitarian convoy, as well as the crime of a suffocating blockade inflicted on human beings. The Federation calls upon Muslims in Europe, and the general public in European societies, to urgently mobilise—in wide-scale and public action, to condemn the blatant piracy and bloody massacre perpetrated against the Freedom Flotilla, and to escalate in the legitimate demand for a lifting of the unjust blockade on Gaza that can no longer be tolerated.
The German Muslim Brotherhood, represented by the Islamischen Gemeinschaft in Deutschland (IGD), issued a statement which talked about a “human catastrophe. According a software translation:
On the attack against the Israeli army on the humanitarian aid convoy is expressed by the President of the Islamic community in Germany Samir Falah shock and with deep concern. “The fact that a peace flotilla, on international waters, en route to a permanent blockade of the Gaza Strip for months, is attacked militarily, is a human catastrophe, is a crime that must be condemned in the strongest terms,” he added. This attack of up to 19 people have been killed and several were injured. “The world community, especially the European Community, must act consistently and take steps against the Israeli government” asks Samir Falah. In Gaza, more than 1.5 million people live for years in great distress as a result of the Israeli blockade. More and more peace and human rights activists try by peaceful means to break through this blockade to the needy people to help in Gaza. “And if so what happened and such actions are met with military force, then one can not speak of a disproportionate nature, but of a great injustice, for disproportionality requires that both sides use the same methods, but in the relationship are different.” IGD said the President. On the ships of many prominent peace activists including members from Germany and other European countries. all “the families of the victims of Israeli aggression, we express our heartfelt condolences to those injured we wish to thank speedy recovery and for their courage and sacrifice,” said Samir Falah and added “only with the courage of such people the chance increases to peace.”
The French Muslim Brotherhood, represented by the Union Des Organisations Islamiques De France (UOIF), spoke of a “murderous attack” and a “barbaric agression”:
The state of the occupation has attacked a humanitarian convoy killing a dozen antiwar activists. Israel, accustomed to impunity, to the complacency and silence of the “international community”, thus feels more than ever, free to kill even in international waters. After the barbaric aggression against Gaza, a UN report alleging war crimes, the humanitarian situation that Palestinians face on their own land in that occupation is more u’insupportable. The murderous attack on the fleet of aid pro-Palestinian part of this deadly business of Israel, ignoring all protests and international resolutions. The UOIF strongly condemns these killings against militants humanitarian appeals to all forces of our country to speak frankly and courageously against this barbarism. The UOIF calls on all people, political parties, associations loving justice and freedom to support the besieged Palestinian people and any effort to loosen the stranglehold imposed on the Palestinian Israeli. The Union of Islamic Organizations of France
Both the IGD and the UOIF are FIOE member organizations.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), an umbrella group dominated by the UK Muslim Brotherhood, issued a statement call Israeli actions a “savage act”:
The Muslim Council of Britain today called on Foreign Secretary William Hague to condemn Israel’s attack on an aid convoy to the besieged people of Gaza. There are currently unconfirmed reports that 19 people have been killed and many injured in the flotilla in international waters. The fate of 28 British people who joined the peaceful convoy is also unclear. The flotilla was an international attempt to bring aid to the blockaded population of Gaza. Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, the Secretary General, said: “The attack and killing of peaceful aid workers is reprehensible. This underlines Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law that continues without any real censure. It is unfortunate that while some of our European partners have already withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel in protest of this killing, our government has yet to react to Israel’s flouting of international law. We urge our Foreign Secretary to join the international community and condemn this savage act.” The Muslim Council of Britain will be writing to the Foreign Secretary and urge leadership in this matter.
The MCB today came out with a letter to the UK Prime Minister seeking an end to the Gaza blockade. The letter was also signed by many of UK Muslim Brotherhood groups and their allies.
Previous posts have discussed the role of FIOE and the European Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza flotilla.