Islamic Relief organiser wants United Nations to take lead role

By Morag Lindsay Published: 01/06/2010 Habib Malik, Aberdeen-based organiser for Islamic Relief, said he was “shocked and angry” after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of boats carrying supplies from Cyprus to the Gaza Strip. Mr Malik, holder of the 2010 Robert Burns Humanitarian Award, said one of his friends from Glasgow was anxiously awaiting news of his son, Hassan, a 25-year-old journalist on board one of the boats covering the event for London-based channel Press TV. “He called at 6am to see if I knew anything. He knew we had been working in Gaza for 10 years and wondered if I had any contacts, but I just know what everyone is hearing on the news. “I am bitterly shocked and angry, and I will be praying for a peaceful solution to the situation in Gaza. “That will have to be a political solution and will only happen when people come round the table and talk. “The UN needs to take the lead and order an inquiry, and this is an opportunity for the new coalition government to show it can take a strong role when it is needed.” Mr Malik, from the Hilton area of Aberdeen, has visited Gaza many times over the last decade, overseeing Islamic Relief projects in Palestinian orphanages, hospitals and schools. His charity aims to purchase most of the aid it needs over there, to maximise the benefits to the local economy. But he said he was aware that other organisations had been looking into the possibility of transporting goods by sea, rather than face border blockades when they tried to move consignments by land. “I had a call a few weeks ago from someone asking about this group which was collecting concrete and medicines in Aberdeen and Dundee to send on boats,” he said. “Some of the other convoys have tried going through Egypt to Palestine but they can face all kinds of difficulties so there has been talk about trying a different route by sea. It looks like that’s what’s happened here. “Safety has always been a concern for those working in Gaza, but this will send a real reminder of the dangers that people face there every day.” “The people on board were all civilian volunteers trying to take aid to the million and a half people in Gaza living in terrible conditions. There were elderly people there, and children, going through all kinds of psychological trauma, that makes it even more shocking.” Mr Malik spoke to the Press and Journal before attending a demonstration in Glasgow against the outrage. He said he would be praying for peace for Palestinians and Israelis, as well as those caught up in the attacks and their loved ones back home.