WIFE OF DETAINED UK JOURNALIST SAMI HAMDI, VOCAL AGAINST ISRAEL, CALLS FOR HIS RELEASE

Thu 30 October 2025:

The wife of UK journalist Sami Hamdi is calling for his release after he was detained earlier this week by US immigration officials when his visa was revoked for unsubstantiated “national security” reasons.

“Our beloved Sami was abducted over the weekend by the US government because of his courageous and effective advocacy for Palestinian human rights,” a statement from his wife, Soumaya, reads.

His wife stated that Hamdi’s detention appears to be a “politically motivated act of intimidation”.

“Sami was on a speaking tour across North America when a politicised group of social media influencers targeted him for his support for Palestinian rights. They have mischaracterised my husband and his views in an effort to discredit and silence him,” Soumaya stated.

She urged the UK government to provide “full consular support” for Hamdi, something it has not yet done, she stated.

“Sami’s advocacy at events across America is simple: millions of Americans are facing food insecurity and falling living standards. He argues that taxpayers’ money should prioritise healthcare, housing, and welfare rather than being depleted by providing political support for Israel,” stated Soumaya.

Earlier, Hamdi’s father, Dr. Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi, dismissed attempts to link his son to extremist groups, describing him as a principled advocate for justice and peace. In a statement on X.

“I affirm unequivocally that he has no affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood or any political or religious group. His stance on Palestine is not aligned with any faction there, but rather with the people’s right to security, peace, freedom and dignity.

“He is, quite simply, one of the young dreamers of this generation—yearning for a world with more compassion, justice, and solidarity.”

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Hamdi, a popular commentator across the Muslim world, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and had his visa revoked after being stopped at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday.

Hamdi was on a speaking tour of the United States and had been invited to speak at several events organised by the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

His detention came following an intense and Islamophobic smear campaign headed by several pro-Israel influences who expressed opposition to his US tour over his anti-Israel views.

Hamdi’s detention has sparked widespread outrage across the Muslim world with commentators, activists, and organisations, branding the move as an attempt to silence a criticism of Israel amid an alarming rise of Islamophobia across the West.

Hamdi, who has been highly critical of Israel and its genocidal war on Gaza, has also specialised and analysed various other subjects related to the Islamic world, including: internal Saudi politics, Western foreign policy in the Islamic world, the geopolitics of North Africa, the Syria civil war, and the Arab Spring.

Hamdi’s arrest has reignited growing concern about the treatment of Muslim voices critical of Israel in the Western world.

Many now argue the incident highlights how pro-Palestine views are increasingly being criminalised and the extent to which Israeli lobby forces have penetrated into the establishment of Western democracies.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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