Family’s relief over aid worker’s safety

HOPE . . . sister Nosheen with a photo of Paveen

Now we just want her back — family

THE sister of Paveen Yaqub, the Oldham Council worker caught up in the attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, said the family are desperate for her release.

Nosheen Yaqub (31), from Skipton Street, Abbeyhills, has not heard from her sister Paveen since she left to join the ship last month (May).

Paveen (39), an Oldham Council LIFT co-ordinator, who lives in Honley, Holmfirth, set off to join the flotilla as a volunteer on May 16.

It left Cyprus on Sunday (30)and was due to arrive in Gaza on Monday (31), defying a block on humanitarian aid.

Israeli forces raided the pro-Palestinian flotilla and at least nine people were confirmed dead.

Fears had arisen over Paveen’s safety after her name appeared on an unconfirmed list of 19 people, released by The Muslim News website yesterday (1), believed to have been killed.

However, the Foreign Office yesterday (1) confirmed that Paveen was one of 30 British nationals being detained by the Israeli authorities.

The British Consulate yesterday visited 29 of the group, believed to be held in held at the Be’er Sheva detention centre in southern Israel, with no complaints about their treatment.

The final visit will be carried out today (2), and they are all expected to be released and deported within the next 48 hours.

Nosheen, a mental health worker in Rochdale, said: “We want her home as soon as possible, we want to know that she is safe.

“Our parents Mohammed and Khurshid are elderly, they are trying to keep strong but they are struggling.

“They are sick with worry and can’t sleep.”

Nosheen said her sister is not an pro-Palestine activist but a keen charity worker who decided to volunteer.

She said: “Although it was a bit scary, Paveen was excited to go.

“She had read up on the background to the conflict and wanted to go out as an aid worker and do her bit to help.

“We were concerned and anxious about her going, but looking at the cause, I can totally understand what she was doing.”

Nosheen said she is angry at the Israeli army for the attack and said the British government should be doing more to resolve the situation and bring people home.

She said: “They were bringing medical supplies, wheelchairs to Gaza, one ship was full of dental equipment.

“It is a load of rubbish about the Israeli forces being provoked, my sister doesn’t have a violent bone in her body, she was going to help people.

“The Israeli military and Israeli government attacked innocent people, they are murderers.

“It makes me feel so angry and upset for the people on the ship and their families.”

Paveen, the former manager of Surestart Westwood and Coldhurst, is a board member on Oldham’s Race Equality Partnership.

Tariq Rafiq, partnership manager, said they have contacted Oldham MP Phil Woolas and MEP Chris Davies for help.

He said: “Paveen was not expecting this reaction.

“She thought the worst case scenario was that they would not get through the blockade and she would be back in Britain on Friday (4).

“If they’d got through, she planned to spend a week visiting charities and distributing aid.

“She has been involved in helping humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan and organising fundraising events, and raised £5,000 before she went for aid supplies and medicines.

“She is a very popular and active young lady, we just want her back.”

The expulsion of activists – including more than 40 Britons – detained during the storming of an aid flotilla heading for the Gaza Strip was under way today.

All the 679 detainees taken off the ships during the Israeli military–led action which saw nine civilians killed will be deported within 48 hours, but about 50 will be held for questioning, a statement from the Israeli government said.

Dozens of pro–Palestinian activists detained in the raid arrived in Jordan after being deported from Israel, officials said.

The 124 activists from 12 Muslim nations – most of them without diplomatic ties with Israel – crossed the Allenby Bridge aboard five Jordanian buses.