One California inmate’s efforts to assist Palestinians affected by Israel’s ongoing navy marketing campaign resulted in an enormous outpouring of help.
Final week, Los Angeles-based filmmaker Justin Mashouf shared pictures on X of a pay stub that belongs to a 56-year-old man recognized solely as “Hamza.”
Hamza is at the moment serving time in a Northern California jail the place he makes solely $0.13 an hour working as a janitor. The work log Mashouf shared confirmed Hamza was paid $17.74 final October after working 136.5 hours over 21 days.
Hamza donated each final cent of these earnings to Gaza victims.
“An incarcerated brother I’m in correspondence with donated $17.74 for aid efforts in Gaza,” Mashouf wrote on X. “This donation is the sum of 136 hours of his labor within the jail working as a porter/janitor.”
Mashouf’s submit took off on social media, touchdown 1000’s of retweets and likes.
Mashouf launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe to boost cash for Hamza’s reentry into society. A whole lot of donations poured in during the last six days, and as of March 5, greater than $102,000 has been raised.
The Washington Submit reported that Mashouf has identified Hamza since 2009, when the filmmaker was engaged on his documentary known as “The Trustworthy Battle.”
After seeing the information final 12 months concerning the Israel-Hamas battle, Hamza reached out to Mashouf to see how he may donate to civilians in Gaza.
“These previous couple of months, he’s been very anxious concerning the state of the world, particularly since he is aware of he’s reentering the true world,” Mashouf instructed the Submit in a telephone interview.
Hamza was just lately granted parole and might be free of jail on the finish of March. The Submit obtained authorized information displaying he pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide in 1986 for capturing and killing his uncle. He was sentenced to fifteen years to life.
He was denied parole 13 occasions between 1995 and 2023, however after practically 40 years behind bars, his launch was lastly granted.
“Within the 80’s, Hamza unintentionally fired a gun at a beloved one, which killing the sufferer, resulting in his imprisonment for over 4 a long time,” Mashouf wrote on the GoFundMe web page. “He has lived with the ache of dropping his member of the family as a result of his personal mistake day-after-day for many years. Whereas in jail, he has turn out to be a religious Muslim and has been pleading for parole for many years.”
Mashouf wrote that the donated funds will assist him “entry important sources, safe housing and transportation, and navigate the challenges of his new freedom.”
“He gave individuals hope by displaying how selfless he’s, after which they gave him hope by means of their kindness. However when individuals started displaying him kindness, it actually helped prepared him for this reentry,” Mashouf instructed the Submit.
The fundraising web page was up to date with a thanks be aware from Hamza, who not solely expressed immense gratitude for the donations but in addition known as on individuals to proceed serving to and advocating for these in want.
“From my coronary heart, I thanks all on your generosity and kindness in donating these funds to assist and help me upon my launch from jail,” Hamza wrote. “Nevertheless I need to ask every of you now to please, please, please look upon and take into account the struggling kids, moms and dads of Palestine, Yemen, and Africa residing beneath inhuman situations, being bombed each hour of the day, with out water, shelter, treatment and meals.”
The Submit reported that Hamza will even be donating the earnings from his March paycheck to Gaza civilians.
Well being ministry officers in Gaza estimate that greater than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed for the reason that struggle began final October. Israel’s assaults have additionally reportedly injured greater than 60,000 individuals, most of whom are ladies and kids.
