Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah

[Zeeze]

I am attending an event soon where Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah is a speaker.

Is he a genuine good guy doctor or an Hamas shill?

Can anyone tell me why he was banned from entering Germany and the Netherlands earlier this year?

I cannot find anything objective in an internet search.

Thank you.

I think your mistake is thinking anyone can tell you who is good or bad or that you shouldn’t listen and consider regardless.

I have no real evidence on which to base a decison. That is why I posted and thanked the poster who bothered to answer the question posed.

I wasn’t trying to attack you. Of course you have no “evidence” as you haven’t heard what the man has to say. My suggestion really was to go and listen, knowing this may or may not be a good person. You won’t be tainted by listening to his testimony. Curating your experience on others experience and opinion to the point of not listening to things in case the speaker is “bad” leads to a very limited understanding. We don’t need more echo chambers or people huddled in their bubbles.

Ok thanks for clarifying.

@Zeeze

I suppose if he was considered a bad guy by some groups, then you would need to find evidence to corroborate what he might say, as you could see him as an unreliable source.

You would also need to consider what motives might exist to discredit him, and know that being a bad guy, doesn’t mean that everything someone has said, is necessarily untrue.

I think it’s good to ask questions, like you have done here.

Out of interest, what is he speaking about at the event?

I was following his page when he was working as a plastic surgeon in Gaza at the start of the war. He was doing amazing work over there spending hours on end on surgery. He really highlighted the brutal impact of Israeli bombs on young children in the strip.

After returning from Gaza he also held a conference in westminister.

This is a short interview he gave with Channel 4 after the press conference

https://www.channel4.com/news/we-were-having-to-do-procedures-without-anaesthetic-says-gaza-war-surgeon

I watched that C4 clip, what a remarkable man.

His description of treating the injured without anaesthetic is horrifying.

From what I remember at the time he was from amongst the first to raise the alarm that the situation had deteriorated to such an extent. And this was only during the first two months of the war so can't even imagine how it must be now.

Dr Ghassan also reported white phosphorus burns when Israel were denying using it as a weapon. Plus the first reports of attack drones & new types of weapons & an interesting commentary on why organs were being harvested. Also his musings on the attacks on hospitals & why were highly illuminating at the time.

"The Jewish contingent"?

Yes.

Do tell us why you think that's an acceptable phrase to use @Cantonet ?

What is 'the Jewish contingent'?

It wasn't meant in any derogatory way.
Maybe a better term would be the Pro-Israel supporters of which not all will be Jewish. But the majority would most probably be.

I'm interested that this is something you have to think about.....that its not immediately obvious to you that it is 'derogatory'. The numbers of Jewish people in Britain are tiny (have a guess?). So the suggestion that the majority of 'Pro-Israel' supporters are going to be Jewish is based on what?

Utterly shameless

I follow him on instagram.

I’d be open to what he has to say. I’ve read through several articles about his ban from European travel and can’t see any good reason given although I appreciate they probably have knowledge we don’t.

Ultimately he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes or associations so I don’t see a reason not to listen to him.

@SharonEllis this is a thread on Dr Ghassan so please take your discussions/criticisms on the numerous other threads you're on. Don't sidetrack this one.

You can't say anything you want then object to those who then question you?

I'm sorry but you sidetracked this one with your language and your explanation has only made it worse. People need to see where you are coming from to weigh up your opinion on this subject.

Everything online suggests he is a highly regarded surgeon who, as a British Palestinian is very firmly pro Palestinian. I imagine he will be speaking with authenticity about the injuries he has witnessed but will not be attempting to present an objective view ( and why should he?)
I don’t think there is any evidence he is a Hamas supporter but I can see that he might not be able to publicly denounce Hamas as that would put him in serious danger while he was trying to do Humanitarian work.

Very true. Plus he may still have family there & won't want to put them at risk or any future doctors visiting as part of voluntary medical aid.