Muslim members of Greta Thunberg’s Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) to Gaza have reportedly been quitting and complaining because of the inclusion of LGBT activists.
The Brussels Signal reported on Monday that GSF coordinator Khaled Boujemâa, a Muslim, resigned on Sept. 16 “in protest at the presence of LGBTQ activists in the flotilla.”
“We were lied to about the identity of some participants in the vanguard of the flotilla,” he said in a video posted to Facebook. “I accuse the organizers of having hidden this aspect from us.”
Queer per la Palestina, caos a bordo della Flotilla.
Come riportato dalla testata Le Courrier de l’Atlas, ci sono state tensioni nel contingente maghrebino della Flotilla, diretta a Gaza. Il coordinatore Khaled Boujemâa ha lasciato la missione per protestare contro la presenza… pic.twitter.com/kY1jZ8w1dB
— Leonardo Panetta (@LeonardoPanetta) September 22, 2025
Muslim activist Mariem Meftah (as in an ACTUAL Muslim activist, not a fake one) published a Facebook post on Sept. 14 complaining about the flotilla trying to impose a “progressive” agenda on the Palestinian cause.
“[S]he stressed that such activism is viewed as incompatible with Islamic beliefs and warned against using ‘the sacred cause of Al-Aqsa’ to advance unrelated agendas,” according to Brussels Signal.
She also accused the flotilla’s organizers of “betraying the trust of supporters who contributed resources for the flotilla’s mission” and “called on others to correct what was described as a ‘serious mistake.'”
انك تكون شاذ فهذا أمر يخصك وحدك وعندك الحرية الكاملة بش تعمل اش تحب وربي عاطيهالك مش انا. ونزيدك زيادة تسكر على روحك…
Posted by مريم مفتاح on Sunday, September 14, 2025
Samir Elwafi, another Muslim, penned a Facebook post of his own a day later with similar complaints.
“Palestine is first and foremost the cause of Muslims, and it cannot be separated from its spiritual and religious dimension — with Jerusalem at the heart of its symbols and destiny,” he wrote. “So why involve in it dubious activists serving other agendas that do not concern us and have nothing to do with Gaza, such as homosexuality!?”
“Why do we hear the voices of these discredited and rejected figures in a flotilla meant to represent our societies and their solidarity with Gaza!? Why divide people over the very cause that unites them!? Why all these financial, moral, ideological, and security suspicions surrounding a flotilla that is supposed to embody Arab sentiment and the conscience of humanity!?” he added.
“What do you expect an Arab Muslim to think when he hears the slogans of this ‘queer’ movement within a flotilla launched in the name of his most sacred and central cause, only to see it degraded in this way!?” he concluded.
فلسطين قضية المسلمين أولا ولا يمكن فصلها عن بعدها الروحي والديني…لوجود القدس في قلب رموزها وفي صميم مصيرها…فلماذا…
Posted by Samir Elwafi on Monday, September 15, 2025
Even Thunberg hasn’t been spared. While she’ll remain aboard the flotilla as an organizer and participant, she’s reportedly resigned from the flotilla’s leadership team.
“Her profile was swiftly removed from the list of board members on the mission’s website, and she left the Family boat, used by the members of the humanitarian directive, and joined the Alma boat with her bags, used by activists,” according to Brussels Signal.
She released a statement saying that she believed the flotilla’s leadership had been too focused on internal affairs and not enough on the alleged “genocide in Palestine.”
“I very much believe in the goal of this humanitarian mission, as well as the power and symbolism in the mobilisation we see worldwide for a free Palestine,” she said. “We all have a role to play in ensuring these movements remain decentralised, de-colonial and with a clear focus on the purpose of the mission, which is Gaza and Palestine.”
“My role here will not be in the steering committee, but as an organiser and participant, as I think I will be able to contribute better. The necessity and urgency of this mission cannot be overstated, even though it should absolutely not fall on civilians to do the job of world governments and uphold human rights and international law,” she added.
Meanwhile, journalist Yosef Omar has exited the flotilla altogether after participants complained about his “sensationalist” reporting style.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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