Prayers in Tunisia: Global Sumud Flotilla Volunteers Prepare for Gaza Voyage

Tunis: Indonesia’s Ambassador to Tunisia, Zuhairi Misrawi, held a joint prayer with volunteers from the Indonesia Global Peace Convoy (IGPC) at the Indonesian Embassy residence in Tunis on Friday, September 5, 2025. The prayer marked the send-off for their humanitarian voyage to the Gaza Strip as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) mission.

A total of 60 Indonesian volunteers are currently in Tunis, with 34 of them set to sail through the Gaza blockade alongside thousands of other volunteers from 44 countries. Among the group are two Metro TV journalists, Iqbal Himawan and Yahdin Syafrizal.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zuhairi, popularly known as Gus Mis, described the IGPC volunteers as individuals carrying out a noble mission, continuing the vision of Indonesia’s founding fathers in supporting Palestine’s independence struggle.

“In the past, I observed the Palestinian issue merely as a Middle East analyst. Now, as an ambassador, I experience it firsthand,” he said in a written statement to Metrotvnews.com on Saturday, September 6, 2025.

He stressed that the struggle for Gaza is an effort to restore the values of humanity. “What is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is a grave injustice. We cannot remain silent. Genocide is the most serious crime, and international law justifies the movement of GSF ships as a step toward correcting the course of human civilization,” he emphasized.

Gus Mis also expressed gratitude to the volunteers embarking on the mission. “You are the nation’s fighters, whose names will be recorded in both national and humanitarian history. I am confident that the world will soon witness the independence of Palestine,” he added.

Meanwhile, IGPC Coordinator Muhammad Husein explained that IGPC was formed three months ago in response to the genocide in Gaza. “We gathered scholars and activists, and from there, IGPC was born. The movement is directed toward a strategic goal—breaking the blockade on Gaza,” he said.

Husein noted that this large-scale convoy movement is spearheaded by the Global Movement to Gaza, which oversees the GSF maritime initiative. In Southeast Asia, the movement is known as Sumud Nusantara.

He also reflected on the symbolic meaning of their journey. “Subhanallah, Allah directed this mission to Tunisia, a visa-free country. If it had been a visa-required nation, perhaps we would not have been able to enter. This is no coincidence,” he remarked.

Despite acknowledging the enormous risks, Husein underlined the determination of the volunteers. “The worst risks in this journey will never compare to what our brothers and sisters in Gaza are enduring,” he asserted.