Humanity is dying in Gaza. Our Palestinian brothers and sisters are showing great resistance both in Gaza and in the lands that the occupying Israel has been trying to evacuate with cruelty and torture for 75 years. Israel's cruel, spoiled, and arrogant attacks, which do not recognize any rules, are supported by most of the Western countries, especially the USA. The countries that do not openly support it are just watching.
The Islamic world, with a population of up to two billion, is incapable of taking an effective stance against the ongoing genocide and massacre. This test is the test of all Muslims as well as our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Palestinians continue to stay in their land and resist at the cost of their lives. The number of martyred Palestinians is now over ten thousand, unfortunately, the number is increasing every minute. The answer to the question of how many lives are left under the destroyed buildings and how many wounded are left will not be known for a long time. There is something everyone can do for our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We can show our reaction and show our side with our prayers, with the aid we will send, and by announcing the persecution to the world.
The Deniz Feneri Association has been closely involved in the Palestinian issue since the day it was founded and has realized many projects for our brothers and sisters. Years ago, we purchased a building for the Islamic University of Gaza together with a few sister humanitarian organizations from our country and put it into the service of Palestinian youth. We have implemented development projects in Gaza, and we have orphans in Gaza whom we have been supporting regularly for years. During Ramadan, we opened tables in the Al-Aqsa Mosque and shared the joy of iftar with our Palestinian brothers and sisters.
I would like to draw your attention to a few noteworthy steps we have taken for our Palestinian brothers and sisters...
Within the scope of the aid campaign launched by the Lighthouse Association for Lebanon and Palestine with the slogan "Palestine and Lebanon are Waiting for Help", 100 truckloads of humanitarian aid materials were sent to the region. The aid collected for Lebanon and Palestine was sent on a ship departing from Mersin Port for Palestine and Lebanon. The humanitarian aid materials on the ship arrived at Syria's Tartus Port after about two hours, from where they were transported by trucks to the regions in need. 250,000 people are expected to benefit from the humanitarian aid supplies, which include baby food, flour, dried legumes, olives, canned food, ready-to-eat meals, powdered milk, diapers, clothing, blankets, bed sheets, linens, tents, medicines, fluids for kidney patients, serum and dressing materials, disaster rescue supplies, gas stoves, and stationery. (August 24, 2006).
In 2009, the Lighthouse Association organized a bazaar for Palestine, which has been struggling to survive under the oppression of Israel for many years. The products and aids collected in this bazaar were sent on a ship from Haydarpaşa Port to be taken to Gaza. The departure of the ship was broadcast live to our donors and viewers. The ship contained 208 prefabricated health cabins, 14,000 boxes of urgently needed medicines, and 6,000 various medical supplies. The ship reached Egypt's El-Arish port in five days and from there the supplies were loaded onto trucks and delivered to Gaza Khan Yunus Nasser Hospital. The total value of the supplies on board was 1 million 38 thousand dollars. (January 20, 2009).
As a result of the joint efforts of Deniz Feneri Association Ankara Branch and Hak-İş Confederation Öz Sağlık- İş Union, "Bridge of Hope School for the Disabled" was opened with a big ceremony in Gaza, Palestine. Our school, where 350 disabled students receive education, was built on an area of 1.650 m2. There are 19 classrooms in total, including a computer classroom, physical therapy and rehabilitation classrooms, a library, a therapy pool, a prayer room, a kitchen, and many areas for various activities. Lighthouse Association Ankara Branch Manager Musa Balkan expressed his feelings and thoughts about the "Bridge of Hope School for the Disabled" opened in Gaza as follows: "Today we are witnessing the opening of our Bridge of Hope School for the Disabled, which we signed a protocol with Öz Sağlık-İş Union affiliated to Hak-İş Confederation last year and completed its construction in a short time. I salute our brothers and sisters, 87% of whose lands are under occupation and who defend their lands to the last drop of their blood in the name of Islam, and wish them victory. I wish our brothers and sisters days of peace and tranquility. A fully-fledged modern school for the disabled has been built where approximately 350 children with autism, paralysis, hearing, vision, and physical disabilities will receive education and rehabilitation services. I hope that it will be beneficial for our disadvantaged brothers and sisters and their families in Gaza, and I would like to express my gratitude to our donors and volunteers, especially the Confederation of Hak-İş, Öz Sağlık-İş Union." (19.08.2023).
A while ago, I had a conversation with Mr. İbrahim Altan, with whom we worked together for many years for my book The Lighthouse that Never Goes Out. I asked him about the stories of goodness that he could not forget from his years working at Deniz Feneri. He shared a memory about Mr. Islam Jude, an official of one of our partner organizations in Gaza. Mr. Islam Jude, with whom we have been working on humanitarian aid since 2005, told me something.
Mr. Ibrahim said, "I still can't forget him. It was very emotional" and continued as follows; "He said, 'I always wonder whether I will be martyred or not.' Because one of his sons was martyred. 'One night I had a dream, I had a traffic accident and I died from a brain hemorrhage. Then they take me to the place where the martyrs are in heaven. I say I'm not a martyr, why did you bring me here? They say, lift your head and take a look. I look, there are children everywhere, I know people from my neighborhood, they are all children of martyrs. They say we brought you here because you are looking at them."
I wish the Islamic Ummah to pass the test of Palestine, and I wish our brothers and sisters to get rid of oppression and live a free, independent, and prosperous life in their lands as soon as possible.