Women’s Forum “Flood of the Free” Held in Istanbul

The Global Women's Coalition for Quds and Palestine, in partnership with the Turkish organization, Insan ve Medeniyet Hareketi, held the special women’s forum, Flood of the Free, on Monday, May 20, in Istanbul.

This forum comes as an extension of the massive “Flood of the Free” festival organized by the GWCQP on May 18 and 19. Participants included symbols of the Ummah and prominent figures from all countries of the world.

The forum began with a speech by Ms. Jabariya Qarbi, Vice President of the Global Women’s Coalition. She stressed that the Global Women's Coalition is the first to embrace Palestinian women, especially Gazan women, who make up the most casualties of the war.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
In her speech, Ms. Zahraa Nonch, representative of Insan ve Medeniyet Hareketi, stressed on the need to rally as one body around Palestinian women.

Dr. Sufjan Al-Shami described the state of Gazan women during wartime, displacement, dislocation, and loss, and the process of writing history as the most beautiful images of steadfastness and defiance despite the great pain. 

Ms. Al-Taqia Al-Mukhtar, head of the Maghrebi Women’s Coalition in Mauritania, stressed that Mauritanian women are standing by Palestinian women, hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder, in all aspects of the war.

To support Palestinian women and children as well as their steadfastness, the relief projects that will be implemented by the Global Women’s Coalition in the coming period were reviewed.   

The forum had two dialogue sessions: the first was on mechanisms for supporting Palestinian women and children during and after Al-Aqsa Flood, and the second was on the role of international institutions and UN organizations in implementing international law, in addition to the role of the Muslim individuals in supporting Palestinian women and children.

The session addressed the topic of motivating the audience for the practical application of supporting and assisting Palestinian women given the challenges and harsh conditions they have suffered since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Flood War.

The forum concluded with a session titled ”Voices from Gaza” for women who witnessed the war in Gaza. It ended with Dr. Shaima Abu Shaaban saying, “I lost twenty-two people from my family, including my children, my mother, and my father; no woman in this world should ignore the violations committed by the brutal occupier against women in Gaza.” She emphasized on the need for a unified voice to support them.