A large Asian aid convoy called the Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan left India for the Gaza Strip with about 500 activists from 17 Asian countries. While convoy organizers try to position their action as solidarity with the Palestinian people under a unified umbrella of Asian countries, the convoy include militant activists that have been injured in the Marmara Gaza flotilla convoy. Considering the Marmara activists were armed and ready to attack IDF soldiers, these are not peaceful activists.
The convoy set out from India to Pakistan and have now reached Iran. They plan to travel to the cities of Qom, Tehran, Zanjan, and Tabriz and then cross into Turkey. Here is the rest of their journey:
They would like to arrive to the Gaza region towards the end of December, 2 years after operation Cast Lead began to stop Hamas’ rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
As they travel through Iran, motorcyclists waving the Hezbollah flag, the Palestinian flag and the Iranian flag escort them. A five-year-old girl with a pink placard that shows dismembered bodies and shouts “Death to Israel” is the center of attention. The attitude is anti Israeli and anti US and the western “imperialism”.
Iran is by far, the loudest state supporter of this flotilla, not a promising indication about the peaceful agenda of its organizers.
The head of the Indian delegation, who preferred not to reveal his name in the press, hailed Iran’s role in supporting the Palestinian people, and reiterated that support for the oppressed people has been institutionalized in Iran. As we all know, Iran may stand up for the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza, but it does a great job oppressing the Iranians back home.
