JAKARTA – “My first trip to Gaza was when my wife was six months pregnant,” exclaimed Bambang Suherman, Program Director of Dompet Dhuafa, at the Jum’at Dahsyat—Dompet Dhuafa’s internal amil (Islamic philanthropic worker) meeting, on Friday (3/11/2023).
He explained that being an amil of Dompet Dhuafa involves more than just collecting and distributing zakat (Islamic charitable giving); it’s about championing humanitarian values in the field. The most challenging part, he noted, is balancing two interests: the humanitarian duty, which is more than just a job but a space for actualization, and family responsibilities. When saying goodbye to his wife, he was straightforward to avoid unnecessary drama.
“I told my wife that I had to leave and it couldn’t be postponed. Surprisingly, she expressed a desire to accompany me to feel okay and stay together. However, she wasn’t trained for a war situation and was pregnant. I reassured her that the trip would be calm. That was my first visit in 2010, followed by trips in 2012 and 2013,” he revealed.
As the leader of the Indonesian humanitarian team, Bambang reached Cairo and visited the Indonesian Embassy there. Initially advised by the Embassy to return home, Bambang instead sought to engage in discussions and commitments to strengthen the mission.
On the third day, Bambang and his team journeyed to el Arish. A journey that normally took 5 hours extended to 9 hours due to numerous checkpoints. Amid the tense journey, they anxiously hoped their names were listed at the border gate. The stress was intense, with no information allowed to be released.
After nine days of effort, Bambang and his team persevered in their attempts to enter Gaza.
Baca juga: Ambulans Kemanusiaan di Gaza Palestina Kena Serangan Rudal Israel
“Traveling back and forth from El Arish to the Gate, we waited for clearance to enter Gaza. Frustration nearly overcame us, and we even considered returning to Indonesia from Cairo. In Cairo, after bidding farewell at the Embassy, we were unexpectedly invited to the Ministry of Information for an update. Shortly after, we received the necessary documents and were granted permission to enter Gaza. At our lowest point, Allah provided a way,” he acknowledged.
Returning to el Arish, Bambang and his team crossed the border gate and entered Gaza through unexpected routes. “Welcome to Rafah Land!” They had successfully entered Gaza.
“There was a sense of joyous relief, akin to a wedding celebration,” joked Bambang.
“We were received as guests of the state, which alleviated much of our concern. Gaza, Palestine, is a place of blessing. There, a strong sense of brotherhood prevails. We witnessed the growth of fruits and vegetables and initiated the Food Bank Program, establishing rabbit farms. These farms produced 3—8 kg rabbits, harvested every two weeks, providing two rabbits per household each week. We also started a potato farming initiative and built wells, with one well able to irrigate 120 hectares of farmland,” he continued.
Baca juga: Dilepas Presiden Jokowi, Bantuan Kemanusiaan Dompet Dhuafa untuk Palestina Resmi Berangkat
During his time with Dompet Dhuafa, Bambang experienced life-threatening situations in Gaza, Mindanao, and Somalia. He shared, “Among all these, the most fulfilling and calming was Gaza. The lines of conflict are clear there. Palestine is seen as mahsyar, a place where the distinction between right and wrong is stark, not ambiguous.”
Bambang observed that Israel consistently instigates acts of cruelty towards Palestine twice a year.
“The Jews are a clan and have an exclusive nature. This war started from the letter sent by Balfour to Baron Lionel Walter in 1917, a year before the end of the world war. So, the main issue in Palestine is colonization,” he stated firmly.
Bambang explained, “Why October 7, 2023? On August 13, 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was to make a peace deal with Israel, which would be signed on October 8, 2023. The normalization of Israel. Previous peace agreements included Egypt and Israel on March 26, 1979, and then Jordan and Israel on October 26, 1994. This will later be followed by 17 other (Muslim) countries. It could be Bahrain, Saudi, including Indonesia. The goal is a new scheme, No Filistin in Filistin (a Palestinian state outside Palestine), namely Sinai, Egypt. But qadarullah, this untold story leaked to Gaza,” he detailed.
Yes, 5,000 missiles were launched simultaneously at Israel by Hamas. This was a genius strategy to deceive the Iron Dome. Bambang said, “These first 20 minutes were crucial. With just the M75 missiles, Israel was worried. The M75 has a range of 75 kilometers from Gaza to Tel Aviv.”
Concluding his story, Bambang reaffirmed the amil of Dompet Dhuafa, “Don’t forget, besides physical invasion, Israel also invades the minds of everyone. What happens in Palestine is not just a common humanitarian issue, but part of our faith. There is no other conflict like this. Our distance to Palestine should be very close.” (Dompet Dhuafa/Dhika Prabowo)