They can jail us but not our mind and soul - Former Zionist prisoner

ISKANDAR PUTERI: "They can jail us but not our mind and soul. Allah's promise of victory for those who are patient gives me strength when in prison."

That was the cry of a Palestinian woman, Samar Sbeih, 39, who was imprisoned by Israel in 2005.

Recalling the bitter memories, the mother of three said she was an activist against Israeli c at that time and was detained without a valid reason.

"They arrested me when I was only a month pregnant with my first child and they put me in an underground prison where no sunlight could penetrate.

"Besides, I was denied food and medicine for my pregnancy," she said when met after a Hi-Tea themed 'What's Behind the Caged Eyes' organised by MyCARE Johor at a hotel, here, Friday.

Also present at the event were Johor MyCARE manager Rozi Abdul Ghani and Econsave general manager Mas Imran Adam.

In prison, Samar said she also witnessed Israel's brutality against fellow Palestinians, including women and teenagers.

"There are so many zionist atrocities that one day is not enough if we were to relate them one by one," said Samar who gave birth with her hands and feet tied.

She was also given the nickname "mother of the youngest prisoner" after giving birth because her newborn son was also detained until they were released three years later.

"After being released from prison, my son and I took time to return to society due to the trauma of being imprisoned in an underground prison for a long time.

"Alhamdulillah, with the help of family members and friends, I am active again to tell the story of Israeli atrocities so that those out there know about it," she said in Arabic, which was translated by MyCARE Johor volunteer Nurhanis Abdul Halim.

Samar said her eldest child is now 16 years old and has memorised the Al-Quran and she also has a pair of 13-year-old twins, a boy and a girl.

Meanwhile, another Palestinian activist Abeer Z Barakat said many Palestinian women who were victims of the brutality of the Israeli Zionist regime also suffered from psychological problems.

"Most of the women who face Israeli brutality do not have room to express themselves and only hide their feelings, which sometimes leads to various other problems in Gaza. So, we try to help them," she said, adding that the non-governmental organisation programme has benefited about 250 Palestinian women.

As of April last year, a total of 4,450 Palestinians were imprisoned by the Zionist regime, including 160 children and 32 women, of which 549 prisoners received life imprisonment while 499 individuals had been locked up and imprisoned for more than 20 years without any clear wrongdoing.

-- BERNAMA