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[00:00:00] What's up everyone? So, I just returned [00:00:02] from a trip to Chicago where I met Dr. [00:00:04] Muhammad Taher, a British Iraqi doctor [00:00:07] better known online as nerve surgeon. [00:00:10] He's the longest serving foreign doctor [00:00:12] who volunteered in Gaz during Israel's [00:00:14] genocide. He witnessed horrors [00:00:16] unimaginable to the human eye, heart, [00:00:19] and soul. And through his work and [00:00:21] platform, he has inspired millions of [00:00:23] people around the world by his courage [00:00:26] to simply save Palestinian lives under [00:00:28] incessant bombs, sometimes performing [00:00:31] surgeries for 36 hours straight. Israel, [00:00:34] of course, banned him from returning to [00:00:36] Gaz. So, he's working with Fajar Global, [00:00:39] a humanitarian medical organization that [00:00:41] treats victims of war. Today, Dr. Dr. [00:00:44] Taher is working to evacuate thousands [00:00:46] of injured Palestinians to provide them [00:00:48] with life-saving care and dignified [00:00:51] homes so they're not trapped. Dr. Taher [00:00:54] is not just a surgeon. He's a healer, an [00:00:56] intellectual, and a leader in giving a [00:00:57] voice to Palestinians in Kazip. Now, I [00:01:00] sat down with Dr. Taher for an interview [00:01:02] from Mit Press News to learn more about [00:01:03] his latest efforts to get injured [00:01:05] Palestinians out of Gaza and the global [00:01:08] wave of solidarity including from Spain [00:01:10] and Italy while Palestine's Arab [00:01:12] neighbors aid the apartheid regime. I [00:01:15] began by asking him why Kier Starmer's [00:01:17] sudden recognition of the state of [00:01:19] Palestine is problematic. Check it out. [00:01:26] >> Thank you first of all for uh the [00:01:28] interview. [00:01:30] uh Kama has uh has been a problematic uh [00:01:35] character [00:01:36] um in the events leading up to [00:01:40] uh where we are today. [00:01:42] I say that because he's presided on over [00:01:46] the genocides from the UK's perspective, [00:01:49] continue to arm Israel with weapons, [00:01:53] provided with um uh spy spying [00:01:57] information, I suppose, with their spy [00:01:59] jets that flow fly from Cyprus and back [00:02:02] and forth and, you know, revealed [00:02:04] information for the Israelis to carry [00:02:06] out air strikes and kill innocent [00:02:08] people. So they're very much embedded [00:02:10] and very much complicit. [00:02:13] I think now however Israel have become [00:02:17] uh they are so out of control that all [00:02:21] the uh international bodies are calling [00:02:24] this a genocide. Uh people like Kama [00:02:27] have nowhere to run. So the realities [00:02:30] are facing them and uh they know that [00:02:34] history will be written and they will be [00:02:36] included in the list of those who have [00:02:38] enabled genocide. [00:02:40] So for the UK to recognize the state of [00:02:44] Palestine is a little bit of lip [00:02:45] service. I think it's a little bit of [00:02:47] deflection. [00:02:49] they've instituted some uh details [00:02:53] alongside with the state of Palestine [00:02:55] such that for example the state of [00:02:57] Palestine is not allowed to have an army [00:03:00] and who the hell are you to tell another [00:03:03] nation whether they can defend [00:03:05] themselves or not. [00:03:07] It is the right of every nation to have [00:03:08] an army. So who the hell are you to [00:03:10] dictate they can or cannot? Of course, [00:03:12] the UK was uh one of the chief, if not [00:03:16] the chief instigator and cause for all [00:03:18] of this plight when they took control of [00:03:22] Palestine [00:03:23] and um you know felt that they were [00:03:28] empowered to hand it over to another [00:03:29] nation. So they are legally and morally [00:03:32] historically uh obligated I suppose in [00:03:35] some ways to fix this. Um, [00:03:39] so you know, you know, don't get me [00:03:42] wrong, we we we welcome, as many [00:03:45] Palestinians did, the recognition of [00:03:47] Palestine. Um, in some ways, it's a bit, [00:03:50] you know, of a uh insult that, you know, [00:03:54] we have to wait for you to recognize the [00:03:55] state of Palestine, but nonetheless, [00:03:57] it's a step in the right direction, I [00:03:59] suppose. [00:04:01] Is it a complete step? No. Uh, does it [00:04:05] need to be married up with more action? [00:04:07] And of course, stop the genocide. If you [00:04:09] want to recognize state of Palestine, [00:04:11] first thing you have to do is stop the [00:04:14] bloodshed. [00:04:15] Um, and then if you really truly want to [00:04:17] be a just state, you need to think about [00:04:20] reparations for the people of Palestine. [00:04:23] Um, then you open up the can of worms of [00:04:26] whether you believe in the 67 borders at [00:04:29] all. Many Palestinians will tell you, [00:04:32] "Why should I relinquish an inch of my [00:04:33] land? My land is the whole from the [00:04:36] river to the sea. Every single inch is [00:04:38] Palestine. [00:04:40] Uh the one single state. [00:04:43] This is a complex debate. Uh if you want [00:04:46] to have it on the international uh [00:04:49] scene, of course my belief is that it is [00:04:51] all Palestine. Every single inch is [00:04:54] Palestine. And the Zionists had a [00:04:58] project. It is a failed project. It is a [00:05:01] project that is uh elbows deep in blood. [00:05:05] uh it has brought about shame onto [00:05:08] humanity and they've relinquished the [00:05:10] right to govern. So my opinion is all [00:05:13] this ruling class of Israel all need to [00:05:16] be thrown [00:05:18] uh in front of the judge and the [00:05:20] international criminal court all need to [00:05:21] be tried locked up uh and for all [00:05:26] literally every single one have the key [00:05:28] thrown away. If it were up to me then we [00:05:30] would bring back capital punishment for [00:05:32] them. [00:05:34] uh and the land handed back to the [00:05:35] people of Palestine. Then you have the [00:05:37] question of you know what do we do with [00:05:39] the Jewish population? Well for sure [00:05:42] there was a Jewish population that lived [00:05:43] there and they should continue to live [00:05:45] there in peace as they have always done [00:05:47] under Islamic Muslim rule. But the ones [00:05:51] that have come from Europe and America [00:05:53] and so on and so forth in the last few [00:05:55] years and have this birthright and this [00:05:57] nonsense absolutely don't believe that [00:05:59] they have that right. That's my opinion. [00:06:03] And speaking of uh winning the hearts [00:06:05] and minds of humanity, um what was your [00:06:07] reaction when you when we heard the news [00:06:09] about Spain and Italy providing naval [00:06:12] fleets to protect the Samud flatillaa [00:06:14] while Palestine's Arab neighbors are [00:06:18] helping Israel circumvent the Red Sea [00:06:20] blockade by providing them with aid and [00:06:23] military weapons and shipments of goods. [00:06:26] I think uh the uh Emirati foreign uh [00:06:31] minister just met Netanyahu today [00:06:34] >> in a in a side uh meeting at the UN. [00:06:38] Just goes to show the level of [00:06:39] complicity of our Arab states. Look, uh [00:06:43] I would say Spain in particular has [00:06:46] really had an honorable position from a [00:06:48] governmental perspective. [00:06:50] Um, and of course the people, but the [00:06:53] people of Italy really have set [00:06:55] themselves apart from the rest of the [00:06:56] world with that day of protest and [00:06:59] strike which they brought the country [00:07:00] into a standstill. The government, [00:07:02] however, is lacking behind the Spanish. [00:07:05] Um, the Italian uh prime minister still [00:07:08] has not recognized the state of [00:07:09] Palestine. She's tried to create some [00:07:12] unrealistic conditions for that. [00:07:15] Um but nonetheless we welcome that they [00:07:19] have uh let uh some of their navy fleet [00:07:23] I think it's one per country or one or [00:07:25] two per country sail along with the sum [00:07:28] to protect however only their citizens [00:07:32] plus some other EU citizens that those [00:07:35] EU countries have requested. So it's um [00:07:38] you know in some ways it's good but you [00:07:40] know it still leaves a lot of other uh u [00:07:44] boats uh from Arab countries exposed and [00:07:47] vulnerable. [00:07:49] Uh however it's a step in the right [00:07:51] direction. I mean we cannot be you know [00:07:52] and we do have this problem as Arabs and [00:07:54] Muslims. We're constantly uh in a caught [00:07:57] up in a state of being negative about [00:07:59] everything. And we do have to see the [00:08:02] positives. These are definitely positive [00:08:03] signs. I'm very proud of what Spain are [00:08:06] doing. I'm proud of the Italian people. [00:08:09] I think they're leading the leading the [00:08:10] charge at the European front putting a [00:08:13] lot of Arabs and Muslims to to great [00:08:15] shame. Uh and they're making people [00:08:17] realize, hang on, these things are are [00:08:19] possible. I mean, I've been calling for [00:08:21] a global day of protest for a long time [00:08:23] now, and I have constantly spoken about [00:08:26] this. [00:08:28] Uh I spoke to some of the uh [00:08:30] stakeholders in the UK and they said [00:08:31] that the trade unions are are are [00:08:34] powerless because they're committed [00:08:36] legally only to um you know bring about [00:08:40] um this sort of action [00:08:43] uh like strikes for example when it [00:08:45] comes to [00:08:47] dealing with specific problems relating [00:08:50] to employment. [00:08:52] And so that's why I asked the question, [00:08:53] you know, are you are your values tied [00:08:55] to financial gain or to the principles [00:08:57] of humanity? And it seems for them it's [00:08:59] tied to just financial gain. We need [00:09:01] people to break the rules. We're in a [00:09:03] situation where enough is enough. [00:09:06] Humanity has had enough of Israel and [00:09:09] its and its lies and its murder and its [00:09:14] impunity. We're sickened by it. We we [00:09:17] we've had enough. We've witnessed enough [00:09:19] and we want to see it end. Now, [00:09:22] >> I want to talk about your time in [00:09:26] >> what is the most um nightmarish [00:09:28] experience [00:09:29] that you witnessed in as a surgeon that [00:09:32] still haunts you today? [00:09:39] >> Is full of uh painful memories to be [00:09:42] honest. Um [00:09:46] it depends on the on the day and the [00:09:47] moment that you ask me. I remember the [00:09:51] feeling of uh helplessness many a time [00:09:54] in the ERs of uh uhos the hospitals in [00:09:59] particular shada [00:10:01] when we were drowning patients and [00:10:03] people were dying all around us [00:10:04] including children and we couldn't stop [00:10:06] it. We had to choose between [00:10:09] uh which child to give a ventilator to [00:10:11] and which child to die. And when we [00:10:14] would be faced in a in the context of a [00:10:17] mass casualty and the child would lose [00:10:18] his pulse and we would not be able to [00:10:21] resuscitate him because don't have the [00:10:23] manpower or the resources to commit to a [00:10:26] CPR for one person in in and amongst all [00:10:29] this death. [00:10:31] Um, I'm [00:10:34] troubled sometimes when I ask myself, [00:10:36] could I have done more for this person? [00:10:38] Was there more I could have done for [00:10:39] this person? [00:10:41] But I know that really I gave [00:10:45] my [00:10:46] my heart and my soul. I ex I pushed my [00:10:50] body and all my team to the beyond the [00:10:54] limit. We work day and night, you know. [00:10:56] That's why our slogan became [00:10:59] until the rise of dawn and soon even you [00:11:02] know because we would operate until dawn [00:11:04] prayer but even like we would go beyond [00:11:06] that we would operate for 36 hours [00:11:09] straight [00:11:11] >> um and uh but you know it's uh it's the [00:11:15] the the dead children that uh sometimes [00:11:19] I remember they have lifeless bodies um [00:11:22] some of them with bullets in their heads [00:11:25] uh some of them were struck shrapnel [00:11:27] injuries to their torn limbs and abdomen [00:11:30] and thorax. [00:11:32] I um [00:11:34] I always I often remember [00:11:39] the mother of uh one of our girls that [00:11:41] we've evacuated actually Zena. [00:11:45] Um [00:11:48] so [00:11:49] one day in the north of Raza we were hit [00:11:53] with u an influx of uh patients. Um we [00:11:58] were told actually one of our colleagues [00:12:00] was killed in that same strike. He was [00:12:03] found u just his upper half was found. [00:12:06] His lower body was missing. [00:12:09] His name was Abu Amin. May Allah accept [00:12:12] him. Um then the team were distraught. [00:12:16] The team were on the floor crying in [00:12:18] pain and hurt and then we had the influx [00:12:20] of patients and I was a young female 21 [00:12:23] years old or 22 thereabouts [00:12:27] and I just looked at her body as they [00:12:29] brought her to the operating room and it [00:12:32] was destroyed. [00:12:35] She had an open skull fracture. [00:12:38] The part of her chest was completely [00:12:40] missing and I would see I was seeing her [00:12:42] ribs um ribs all broken and her lung was [00:12:45] inside and it was covered in mud and [00:12:47] dirt inside the thoracic cavity. She had [00:12:51] penetrating injuries to her abdomen. Her [00:12:54] right leg, her knee was blown out in [00:12:58] pieces. Her left foot was in pieces. Her [00:13:01] arms were injured. And I was like, "What [00:13:03] the?" [00:13:06] And uh we got to work. I mean I worked [00:13:08] on all her peripheries and there was a [00:13:11] general surgeon working on her abdomen [00:13:12] and he just I could see he was [00:13:14] struggling. [00:13:15] Meanwhile uh they were telling me about [00:13:17] the another girl who a baby whose uh [00:13:20] lower her leg was hanging off by the [00:13:22] skin. [00:13:24] And um you know I would tell I told the [00:13:27] general surgeon like if you don't know [00:13:28] where the bleeding is just pack the [00:13:30] abdomen um and you know that's all you [00:13:33] can do for now. [00:13:35] early 20s. So I went into the other room [00:13:38] and then I saw this baby 8 months old [00:13:42] and her leg was hanging off but she was [00:13:44] covered in shrapnel injuries [00:13:46] and also had penetrating injury to the [00:13:49] uh abdomen as well. So a pediatric [00:13:51] surgeon got working with her abdomen. I [00:13:53] was trying to replant the leg which was [00:13:55] basically hanging off skin but it was [00:13:57] already quite delayed. [00:13:59] Um so we you know we'd been going and [00:14:02] going going. I finished at like 11 a.m. [00:14:06] the following day. Went up to the office [00:14:09] and I was I asked my colleague what [00:14:11] happened to the mother to the to the [00:14:14] lady rather and they told me that she [00:14:17] she didn't survive and then they told me [00:14:19] that this young female was the baby's [00:14:22] mother. [00:14:24] So the baby and at the scene of the uh [00:14:29] air strike, the baby's father and the [00:14:31] other brother were killed. So this baby [00:14:33] was now an orphan. [00:14:35] But I remember the mother and I remember [00:14:38] her injuries and uh it's those uh I know [00:14:43] you just you just wish that you were in [00:14:45] a better situation, better resources, [00:14:48] more team [00:14:50] um and maybe we could have saved them. [00:14:52] maybe would have prevented this baby [00:14:54] from being a limbless orphan [00:14:57] and many many painful memories of haz to [00:14:59] be honest but [00:15:01] >> and does that kind of those memories how [00:15:04] are they affecting you and your sleep [00:15:05] and your mental health and [00:15:08] >> anyone who comes out from is not the [00:15:10] same person [00:15:12] um I think that's something that uh all [00:15:14] people say consistently [00:15:17] uh obviously having spent 7 months in [00:15:19] there [00:15:21] uh I is probably amongst the longest [00:15:24] duration of any surgeon foreign surgeon [00:15:26] in the world [00:15:28] and uh you're not the same person as you [00:15:32] come on life is not the same you know [00:15:35] you're not motivated by maybe the things [00:15:38] that you were when you were young you [00:15:40] know about having a nice car and a nice [00:15:42] house and a nice family and you go on [00:15:44] holidays and nice restaurants and [00:15:46] whatever just all of a sudden that whole [00:15:49] thing just shatters is it's not [00:15:52] important anymore. What's important is [00:15:55] fighting for justice. What's important [00:15:57] is to defend the oppressed to be their [00:16:00] voice. [00:16:01] And so um [00:16:05] you know also when Allahh puts you in a [00:16:09] position where people now look up to you [00:16:13] and uh people follow you and listen to [00:16:18] you and they see you as an inspirational [00:16:22] figure. Then you all of a sudden have [00:16:23] this uh responsibility. [00:16:27] >> Um and it's a responsibility you can't [00:16:29] turn your back from. you must keep [00:16:31] going. [00:16:33] Um, [00:16:34] so whilst I I'm affected by it for sure, [00:16:38] but as I often say, it's uh I use it as [00:16:41] rocket fuel to to motivate me to keep me [00:16:44] going. So, [00:16:48] >> um, beyond physical, what has been the [00:16:50] most psychological damage you've seen to [00:16:53] the children of Raza? [00:16:56] >> All the children of Raza are [00:16:57] psychologically damaged. [00:17:00] all of them [00:17:02] and uh the ones that come out [00:17:07] um they manifest strange behavior [00:17:11] um and you know there had been there [00:17:13] have been incidents obviously I cannot [00:17:15] tell you about that have shocked me [00:17:18] um as this behavior of a a child or [00:17:22] children with post-traumatic stress uh [00:17:25] manifests [00:17:28] uh [00:17:29] Yeah, it's shocking really. These these [00:17:32] kids have been through a lot. Um, some [00:17:34] kids, you know, obviously born in the [00:17:36] war, [00:17:38] born in the genocide, [00:17:40] only knew genocide and then were killed [00:17:42] in genocide. [00:17:44] That sums it up. That sums up what this [00:17:46] is about really. This is an [00:17:48] extermination of a people. They've tried [00:17:50] to exterminate them physically. They've [00:17:52] tried to exterminate them academically. [00:17:54] They've tried to ethnically cleanse [00:17:56] them. And then they try to destroy their [00:17:58] futures by preventing children from [00:18:00] experiencing schools and learning and [00:18:03] also by creating trauma. [00:18:06] Um [00:18:08] this [00:18:10] will not leave the people of Gaza for [00:18:14] generations. [00:18:16] This pain will stay and will run in [00:18:18] their blood. [00:18:20] But as they as the uh you know the [00:18:22] saying goes [00:18:25] uh tough times create tough men and [00:18:28] tough men create good times and uh I'm [00:18:32] confident that the people of Gaza will [00:18:34] fight for their liberty and their [00:18:35] freedom and Israel will collapse and [00:18:37] will not succeed. [00:18:43] >> Their childhoods have been ripped away [00:18:46] from them completely. [00:18:49] And as a Palestinian myself who as a [00:18:53] child saw children getting shot at, [00:18:56] buildings being blown up, knowing [00:18:57] there's families inside, [00:19:00] >> that completely [00:19:02] traumatized me. [00:19:03] >> But like you said, I had the privilege [00:19:05] of living in the West like you [00:19:08] >> and that was used as the that trauma was [00:19:11] used as the rocket fuel as you described [00:19:13] it to [00:19:14] >> build a media organization and for [00:19:16] yourself to continue your medical work. [00:19:18] Um, what is the most dire medical needs [00:19:21] that needs right now? [00:19:24] >> What needs more than anything right now [00:19:26] is for the killing to stop? [00:19:29] >> The genocide must come to an end. [00:19:33] Netanyahu must stop killing the people [00:19:36] of Gaza. This is the first the most [00:19:40] important the most effective [00:19:43] uh lifesaving life preserving measure [00:19:46] more than anything else you can think of [00:19:47] more than food more than medicine more [00:19:50] than anything just stop this godforsaken [00:19:55] genocide. [00:19:57] This is the first intervention and as I [00:19:59] said this is the thing that's going to [00:20:01] work the best. After that [00:20:04] then it's a quagmire. It really is [00:20:06] because you have a destroyed [00:20:08] infrastructure. No hospitals, no [00:20:09] schools, no no roads, no universities, [00:20:13] homes have been leveled now. Even those [00:20:16] buildings that were left in the med in [00:20:17] the city of Gaza uh been uh blown up. [00:20:20] All the towers, I mean, I don't even [00:20:22] know how many towers now. At one point, [00:20:24] it was like 50 in the space of 36 to 48 [00:20:27] hours. 50 towers. [00:20:29] God knows if anything's left. [00:20:33] Um how do you rebuild a society from [00:20:36] that? [00:20:37] Uh how can you turn around and say to [00:20:39] the no no you must stay patient, [00:20:43] you must stay firm, you must stay [00:20:45] steadfast and live in this squalor [00:20:50] uh because we believe that you know you [00:20:52] know we should remain in in our land and [00:20:55] you haven't even done anything. You sit [00:20:58] at home, you fill you fill your belly [00:21:01] with food and you go to sleep, you wake [00:21:03] up, you go to work, you go on holidays, [00:21:05] and then you bark [00:21:07] um all these uh orders at the people of [00:21:11] all these uh and you you mention all [00:21:13] these moral um [00:21:16] all this moral framework of remaining [00:21:18] steadfast in your land. Honestly, it's [00:21:20] hypocrisy. [00:21:22] I don't know what the people of if we're [00:21:25] being perfectly honest, I don't know [00:21:27] what proportion of them would want even [00:21:29] want to stay. This this is the reality. [00:21:31] Uh if you want them to stay, then we [00:21:34] must be there sacrificing with them. Let [00:21:38] them feel they're not alone. Let them [00:21:39] feel that we're sharing their pain, that [00:21:42] we're giving with them. I mean, look, [00:21:43] for example, at Yemen, look at South [00:21:46] Lebanon. they gave [00:21:49] uh and amongst the [00:21:51] the the [00:21:53] most dear to them. [00:21:55] Um so I mean those those people I [00:21:58] suppose have have something to say about [00:22:00] it but for the rest of the the world [00:22:02] they honestly honest they ought to just [00:22:05] be quiet. [00:22:07] Um but you know, nonetheless, how do we [00:22:11] get all the Arab states uh to sit around [00:22:14] a table and figure out how the [00:22:16] rebuilding process works? I mean, from [00:22:18] our perspective and organization, we [00:22:20] have uh potentially hundreds of mobile [00:22:23] homes and we're prepared to expand to [00:22:25] thousands uh which will offer these [00:22:28] families dignity, temporary dignity. You [00:22:30] know, [00:22:30] >> this is this is Fasure Global. [00:22:32] >> Fasure Global. Yeah. I mean, so we have [00:22:33] we've developed these homes. Uh it's [00:22:36] like a you know basically like a [00:22:38] container that's modified into [00:22:40] reasonable living conditions like a [00:22:42] shower, a toilet, bedroom, a small [00:22:45] living space. [00:22:47] And if you were able to stack these and [00:22:48] you can offer people dignity but living [00:22:50] in tents and squala, no toilets, you [00:22:52] have to dig a hole and just think about [00:22:54] all the exposure to insects and this and [00:22:56] that. That's not going to work. [00:22:59] Um and I don't know it's going to take a [00:23:02] lot of great minds in the world in the [00:23:04] world of uh of engineering and [00:23:07] architecture but I hope that we can [00:23:09] offer some solutions. [00:23:11] Um so that's one aspect. The next aspect [00:23:13] if you focus in more on medicine all you [00:23:16] need to allow all medicines surgical [00:23:19] equipment [00:23:20] uh foreign uh uh doctors to come in to [00:23:24] relieve not to say that they're any [00:23:27] better than the doctors inside but they [00:23:28] need to relieve them. They've been at it [00:23:30] for 2 years they're exhausted. [00:23:33] Um and also potentially, you know, [00:23:36] temporarily uh relocating all the [00:23:39] injured to have treatment outside of [00:23:40] Gaza. You know, we're in part of that [00:23:42] process as well. For example, in Jordan [00:23:43] now, we've got a big project and we're [00:23:45] treating those who have already been [00:23:47] evacuated into Egypt. Um and uh sort of [00:23:52] taking the the load away from the [00:23:54] hospitals inside. [00:23:56] Uh it's going to be multifaceted and [00:23:58] it's going to need, you know, extensive [00:24:01] framework. They're talking about uh [00:24:03] bringing back the war criminal Tony [00:24:05] Blair. [00:24:07] I don't know if Tony Blair uh [00:24:11] feels remorse for his war crimes in Iraq [00:24:14] and wants to genuinely make this up. [00:24:17] Doubt it very much. I think uh once a [00:24:20] poodle, always a poodle. He was a dog of [00:24:23] George Bush. He'll now be the dog of [00:24:26] Donald Trump. And he'll do what he's [00:24:28] told. [00:24:31] So, it's a complex situation. Honestly, [00:24:33] it's it's so tough, but uh we're there [00:24:36] and we won't give up. [00:24:38] >> Is there anything else that Fajar Global [00:24:40] is doing to help the people of Gaza that [00:24:42] you wanted to add? That was my last [00:24:44] question for you. [00:24:45] >> We um [00:24:47] look, there are many organizations out [00:24:48] there do great work. Um the problem is a [00:24:53] lot of the work that organizations do [00:24:55] are either duplicated. [00:24:58] uh there's no collaborative uh or [00:25:00] teamwork involved between organizations [00:25:03] people some organizations out there for [00:25:05] glory [00:25:07] um I don't know maybe some organizations [00:25:10] not are even profiteeering because it's [00:25:12] become lucrative business [00:25:15] um I'll give you an example of the [00:25:17] dangers of sometimes working outside of [00:25:20] organizations though we have one kid who [00:25:22] has an amputation to his left leg and [00:25:24] amputation to his right arm and he's got [00:25:26] an external fixator on what's left of [00:25:28] the right arm on the humorus. Somebody [00:25:30] took his photo and his videos and [00:25:32] launched a GoFundMe [00:25:35] and they raised $100,000 [00:25:38] in his name. They stolen the money and [00:25:40] ran. And we asked the family, "Are you [00:25:43] guys is this related to you?" And they [00:25:45] said, "Absolutely not. We know nothing [00:25:47] about this." The family responded with. [00:25:53] So there's a lot of exploitation. [00:25:57] I um the people know me, the people of [00:26:00] Gaza know me, what I stand for, what I [00:26:03] represent. [00:26:05] Uh there's no amount of money in this [00:26:07] world that can buy me or my voice or my [00:26:10] words or my actions. [00:26:13] There is no price. [00:26:17] I uh with feder [00:26:20] because uh there's no organization [00:26:22] that's perfect but it is the best of the [00:26:27] organizations there and I can influence [00:26:29] them in ways that I see is the most [00:26:32] beneficial for uh these causes and they [00:26:36] listen. People have different visions [00:26:38] but we come together. We have like a sh [00:26:41] and we we decide. [00:26:44] And uh for example when we realized we [00:26:47] were banned from I said we needed to do [00:26:49] something. We needed to act more than [00:26:51] just working on evacuation. We needed we [00:26:54] need to help with the starvation. And so [00:26:55] we did one of the bigger initiatives [00:26:59] uh $1 million initiative that we uh used [00:27:02] to purchase locally grown vegetables by [00:27:06] local farmers. Believe it or not, they [00:27:08] still exist. Yes. Ridiculous prices. [00:27:12] That's the reality. [00:27:15] And fed thousands of people with it. And [00:27:19] we continue to help in that front. uh [00:27:21] we've throughout uh the years I mean [00:27:24] obviously I was there for many three [00:27:27] three missions seven seven months you [00:27:30] know I performed nearly 1,200 operations [00:27:33] there my colleagues also came and went [00:27:35] they also contributed in other [00:27:37] specialtities [00:27:39] so there was a large footprint but the [00:27:42] problem is we were too successful at [00:27:44] helping and too successful at conveying [00:27:48] the reality and so Israel blocked us so [00:27:50] then we're faced with this uh challenge, [00:27:51] what do we do next? So um we continue to [00:27:55] support [00:27:57] uh as I said from a you know food and [00:28:00] water program sort of way but really now [00:28:03] our focus is on medical evacuation [00:28:09] even if you were in even if I were in [00:28:13] there are some operations you cannot do [00:28:15] because you don't have the equipment you [00:28:17] don't have the conditions people don't [00:28:19] heal well and so on so the best thing [00:28:21] for these complex cases is to come out [00:28:23] of to be treated outside of and we're [00:28:26] working on those most complex cases, the [00:28:29] ones that uh most other organizations [00:28:32] shy away from because they're either too [00:28:33] costly or you know too too much of a [00:28:37] headache. [00:28:39] Uh and we're working on those and we're [00:28:41] working to help those uh uh freshly [00:28:44] injured you know children and women uh [00:28:47] to come to Jordan and other places. We [00:28:49] also got a huge project in the in Egypt [00:28:52] as I said before working on education [00:28:55] working on uh surgeries for patients [00:28:57] there and also on mental health support. [00:29:00] Um you know there's about 100 to 150,000 [00:29:04] in Egypt that evacuated in the first [00:29:08] first half of this war genocide rather. [00:29:12] We've also evacuated them to other [00:29:14] countries including the US and we're [00:29:16] also working to evacuate them to places [00:29:18] like South Africa. We've worked very [00:29:20] closely with the WHO to evacuate many [00:29:22] others to Europe. Uh we also have [00:29:24] long-term vision of you know when the [00:29:27] ceasefire occurs inshallah what do we do [00:29:30] immediately after for example as I said [00:29:31] before we have the mobile home units [00:29:33] that we've uh looked to set up. We had a [00:29:36] field hospital ready to go in that was [00:29:39] blocked by the Israelis. [00:29:42] From my perspective, [00:29:44] um although you know this is solely [00:29:47] outside of Feder, but you know it's come [00:29:48] through my work with Feder, I got the [00:29:51] promise of the Iraqi government to build [00:29:52] the Iraqi hospital in Gaza, uh a bricks [00:29:56] and mortar hospital. So that's ready, [00:29:58] you know, to be funded immediately on [00:30:00] day zero. So we have plans now and we [00:30:05] have plans for day zero after the [00:30:07] ceasefire inshallah [00:30:10] and we're staying ready uh and if time [00:30:13] comes where you know we can start [00:30:14] getting in food aid and whatnot we're [00:30:16] ready too inshallah we do our best for [00:30:19] them. [00:30:21] >> Can I ask you how if you have hope or [00:30:25] how your faith plays a role in any hope [00:30:29] that you may have? Allahh says [00:30:35] so we can never be uh or feel hopeless [00:30:39] from the mercy of Allahhala. [00:30:42] Um challenges have come for people [00:30:45] before it came to the people of Surya [00:30:48] came to the people of Lebanon came to [00:30:50] the people of Iraq. [00:30:52] Uh it came to many people throughout the [00:30:54] generations even Baghdad at the time of [00:30:57] the Mongols. even the Philistine at the [00:31:00] time of the crusaders. [00:31:02] So uh challenging times have come upon [00:31:06] our um this is the fitna for us today. [00:31:10] Allahh is watching what we are doing. [00:31:15] The tragedy of today the particular [00:31:17] tragedy of today is the betrayal. [00:31:20] This is not the first war. I of course [00:31:22] these are the most advanced weapons that [00:31:24] vaporize human beings which you know [00:31:28] >> really is a is a any new use of AI which [00:31:30] is a new frontier and savagery of [00:31:32] mankind on the part of the Israelis. I [00:31:36] no doubt that's you know a precedent [00:31:37] that's been set now unfortunately [00:31:40] and written in the name of the Gazen [00:31:43] blood. Um but it's not the first you [00:31:46] know human challenge but as I said [00:31:49] before the particular problem the [00:31:51] particular heartbreak for the people of [00:31:53] and for us regular folk is watching the [00:31:57] u betrayal and the complicity of Arabs [00:32:00] and Muslims in the murder of [00:32:04] and that's uh that's the tough you know [00:32:06] tough pill to swallow but [00:32:09] uh the people are the beyond uh fsing [00:32:14] Now they're boiling [00:32:16] and uh they will explode. [00:32:19] All of these governments that have been [00:32:21] uh put in place to control us, to stifle [00:32:24] our voices, to regulate our behavior, to [00:32:28] ensure that we are orderly and never, [00:32:30] you know, fight for our rights. They [00:32:32] will all soon go. This is a promise and [00:32:34] we we believe this. [00:32:37] And of course you know Allahh says in [00:32:40] the Quran that he will test us with the [00:32:43] loss of our lives and lo loss of our um [00:32:48] blessings in this life and give glad [00:32:51] tidings to those who are patient. [00:32:55] Those that when challenged say [00:32:59] and have taught us this lesson. They're [00:33:02] the ones that go through this pain. [00:33:05] They're the ones who are being uh having [00:33:07] their their children slaughtered before [00:33:09] the world's eyes and they are reminding [00:33:10] us of the importance of faith. So we [00:33:13] cannot lose faith either. [00:33:15] We always say alhamdulillah [00:33:18] as they say alhamdulillah. [00:33:20] But uh you know the flip side to that is [00:33:24] you know I see some people saying oh [00:33:25] mashallah they so patient you know may [00:33:28] Allah help them. This is also a [00:33:30] betrayal. [00:33:32] Um [00:33:34] the people of Gaza have been tested but [00:33:38] all of us have been tested because yes [00:33:40] they've been tested with death and [00:33:43] hunger but we are being tested with [00:33:46] whether we will respond and our inaction [00:33:48] and most Muslims sadly have failed. [00:33:52] >> Thank you Dr. Taher for all that you've [00:33:54] done for Palestine. And I as a [00:33:56] Palestinian of course am extremely [00:33:58] grateful for all of your work and I'm [00:34:00] sure the people of Gaza appreciate it as [00:34:02] well. And um thank you for sitting with [00:34:04] me today. [00:34:09] [Music]