Muscat/Dubai: The ringing of a telephone keeps breaking an eerie silence as worried relatives and friends call Gulf News Reporter Abbas Al Lawati's Muscat family to enquire about his whereabouts from the time television channels broke the news about Israel Navy's attack on the ‘Freedom Flotilla'.
"We are worried and praying for his safe return," Abbas' mother Iffat Al Lawati told Gulf News. The mother of three obviously looked worried for her son.
Abbas, youngest of three, was on board the lead ship the Mavi Marmara, as part of the ‘Freedom Flotilla' reporting for Gulf News when the Israeli navy attacked them.
"I was so worried that I had told him not to go but my brother and other son asked me not to stop his wish and I relented," she said in a choked voice.
"He is the youngest so I probably worry more about him," she added.
At the same time the soft-spoken mother said that she was proud of her son for taking such a brave decision.
"He knew I was worried so he kept calling me since he left for the mission, I am really proud of him that he has taken this brave decision," she said.
In fact Abbas called his mother at 8pm Oman time on Sunday and assured her that all was well. "When I asked him what if they attack you? He said that it was not possible," she said.
In the morning Abbas' father Mustafa Al Lawati switched on his computer around 8 and saw an email from his son timed 3.15am.
"He had written that they were surrounded by the Israeli naval ships and this could be his last email as communications could be cut off," he recalled.
To reassure his worrying mother, Abbas did tell them that they could be taken in by the Israelis. However, he told his mother that in that case he would be deported. "Don't worry, at the most it would take a week," he reassured his mother over the phone.
Iffat said that all of her three children were in Dubai. "It is only me and my husband here and he keeps worrying," she said pointing at her husband.
Mohammad Al Lawati, Abbas' older brother, spoke to Gulf News yesterday from his home in Tecom.
"I'm very worried and quite anxious to hear something. The only information we have is the news, which is not really that good. So we're just waiting to understand what's happening, where the boats are going and how Abbas is," he said.
Mohammad continued that despite resistance from his family, Abbas took the decision to go. "I personally fully supported his decision — he was very passionate about this story," his brother said in a worried voice, "I hope the maximum thing he goes through is detention".
