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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 13 March 2009

Malaika Raza

Border guards bar volunteer ferrying relief to Gaza bombing victims

A FORMER student from Barnsbury who was taking children’s toys, books, clothes and shoes to beleaguered Gaza as part of a relief convoy has been turned back at the border by Egyptian police.
Malaika Raza, 27, a London Metropolitan University graduate in business studies who lives in Caledonian Road, was ferrying supplies to the Palestinians on behalf of refugee relief organisation Islington Friends of Yibna.
Pakistan-born Malaika joined the £1million, 110-vehicle relief convoy – headed by Bethnal Green and Bow Respect MP George Galloway in a London ambulance – in Cairo on March 3. The convoy left London on February 14.
Speaking by mobile phone from a town near the border, Malaika said: “We thought we’d get a warm welcome from the Egyptian authorities. We assumed they would be sympathetic to the Palestinians after the terrible bombing by Israel, which resulted in more than 1,000 dead.
“They’ve been very unfriendly.”
The convoy was halted for a week until the Egyptian police finally allowed essential medical supplies through to Gaza.
However, the Egyptians have still forbidden any non-medical aid into Gaza, which meant that Malaika was yesterday (Thursday) still waiting at the Rafah crossing for permission to go through.
“We’re OK but we don’t feel safe here,” she said. “Local people who apparently don’t support Gaza’s Hamas administration have been threatening us and making life difficult.”

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