Jamaat-e-Islami demands release of flotilla detainees

LAHORE:

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday demanded urgent efforts to secure the release of activists detained by Israel after the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) was intercepted, and rejected the two-state solution as unacceptable.

Addressing a million-strong Gaza solidarity march in Lahore, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman voiced fierce criticism of the United States and Israel and offered full-throated support for Hamas.

He described Hamas as a lawful movement and "a beacon of hope" whose resistance, he said, must not be delegitimised. "Hamas is a legal movement; it is lighting the flame of hope across the world," he told the crowd.

He accused the US of a violent history and blamed Western powers for past wars and mass casualties.

Recounting historical grievances, he said Washington and its allies had perpetrated atrocities from Hiroshima to Iraq and argued that those with records of mass violence had no standing to label resistance movements as "terrorist".

Turning to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman painted a grim picture of civilian suffering. He said Israeli bombardment had turned whole districts into rubble.

"Our children and youth are continually being hit by Israeli bombardment. Women and children are constantly under attack, and the whole Gaza has become a heap of debris. When people in Gaza line up for food, our heads bow in shame."

He called on Muslim countries to host Hamas offices within their territories to better coordinate political and humanitarian support.

He also said the flotilla detainees must be freed without delay and criticised any attempt to impose a time frame on Palestinian prisoner releases while insisting there can be no time limit on freeing Palestinian captives.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman praised Hamas for its steadfastness under extreme duress. "I salute Hamas … they have witnessed flowing blood and the bodies of the slain, have drunk bitter cups in these circumstances, and have spoken on equal terms," he said.

He accused Israel of continuing strikes despite diplomatic pressures, adding that promises by those such as US President Donald Trump to halt bombardment had not been honoured.

He said the global balance of power was shifting and branded the US a waning power that had brought hardship to Pakistan, not help. "America has given us nothing but inflation; our economy has been ruined by the US," he asserted, adding that Pakistan should not be a vassal of Washington or Tel Aviv.

The JI chief strongly rejected the two-state formula and any so-called Abraham Accords-style normalisation efforts.

"The two-state formula is not the policy of the state of Pakistan," he insisted, warning that any government moves toward such agreements would be resisted by the nation. "If anyone takes steps toward an Abrahamic accord, the nation will block the path and the people's power will crush them," he warned.

The JI chief also spoke about the flotilla itself, saying the campaign exposed "the falsehood of America and Israel".

He specifically named Pakistani activist Mushtaq Ahmed, who is detained in Israel, and demanded his immediate release along with all other flotilla detainees.