Flotilla’s Italian captain embraces Islam in Israeli detention

Istanbul: Italian activist Tommaso Bortolazzi, captain of the Maria Cristin vessel in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), embraced Islam while in Israeli detention after the flotilla was intercepted in international waters en route to Gaza.

The flotilla, comprising around 44 vessels and hundreds of activists from different countries, departed from Barcelona on August 30 to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli forces intercepted the ships on Wednesday night, October 1, detaining several participants, including Bortolazzi, and deported some of them on Saturday, October 4.

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul after his release, Bortolazzi said his decision to embrace Islam came while he was imprisoned, moved by the faith and courage of his Muslim companions.

Videos of his testimony, shared widely online, show him wearing a black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh as he recounts his experience and newfound faith.

“My company was from Turkey and almost all were Muslims. While they were praying, Israeli police entered and stopped them. I felt the need to oppose that, and afterwards, with my friend, I recited the Shahada,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Watch the video here

A Turkish detainee who witnessed the moment said Bortolazzi joined them in prayer inside the cell despite pressure from guards.

“He sat with us during dawn prayer. We prayed aloud so that everyone in the prison could hear. When Israeli police tried to enter, he stopped them,” the activist said.

Bortolazzi described his conversion as a profound moment of clarity and inner peace.

“It felt like being born again,” he said, expressing solidarity with Palestinians and gratitude to his fellow detainees.

In a similar development, American activist and TikToker Megan Rice embraced Islam in November 2023 after being inspired by the resilience of Palestinians and studying the Quran.

The following month, around 30 women accepted Islam at the Meadow Heights Mosque in Melbourne, Australia, moved by Palestinians’ steadfast faith.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which began on October 7, has caused vast destruction and claimed more than 67,100 civilian lives, most of them women and children.