Support for the Manna family back from Gaza

This fundraiser is being organized by friends of Mouna Manna and her family. We are hoping to raise $5000 for Mouna and her family to help cover the costs of bringing Khalil and Nabila back from Egypt, to help with any legal fees, and to support Mouna in taking time off work to reunite with her parents and heal from her injuries. We would like to come together as a community so the Manna family don’t have to face this alone. The funds will go directly to the family, and any excess funds will be given to other Palestinian families that have incurred similar costs. Please give generously.

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Mouna and her family are from Gaza, but have been living in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for close to three decades. In September’s Mouna’s elderly parents, Nabila and Khalil, travelled to Gaza in September to visit her sick grandmother and arrived 10 days before the most recent bombardment began. They have been Canadian citizens for 28 years. Like the rest of Gaza, since October 7th, they endured countless bombings and airstrikes, lack of communication with the outside world, and lack of access to clean water and food.

In November, the border was opened for some Canadian citizens, but to Mouna and her family's dismay, her parents weren’t on the list. The next time the border opened a few days later, the same thing happened.

Mouna realized she would have to take action here in Canada. Despite many emails and phone calls to her MPs, she didn't have much luck. She decided to join a group that was protesting a Liberal fundraiser at a restaurant to try and speak with the MPs in person.

While inside the restaurant, she tried to get MP Andy Fillmore’s attention to try and tell him about her parents being stuck in Gaza, but instead the police arrested her. During the arrest, Mouna was injured, ending up with a concussion and torn muscles in her arm. Mouna is considering lodging a complaint against the police to try to get some justice, a process that will incur significant legal costs.

The next day she followed up with Global News to try and get the word out about her parents. You can read the article here: https://globalnews.ca/news/10099046/halifax-woman-says-police-injured-her-bill-blair-and-filmore-security-conference/

The following day, she got word that her parents would be allowed out of Gaza. On November 19th, after enduring 42 days of airstrikes, bombings, and massacres, her parents were allowed to cross the Rafah border and ended up safely in Egypt. After exhausting the 72 hours of provided accommodation, they have had to pay for a hotel so they can recover before flying home, which they are also financially responsible for. We are so beyond overjoyed to say that they will be landing in Halifax on Monday, November 27th.

The Mannas are a generous and kind family, and are part of our Nova Scotia community. Funds raised will be used to reimburse her parents for costs associated with leaving Gaza. The fundraiser will also allow Mouna Manna to take time off of work to spend time with her parents when they get back to Canada after exiting Gaza and recover from her injuries, as well as help cover any legal costs associated with her November 16th arrest. Any excess funds will be given to other Palestinian families that have incurred similar costs.