The Hijacking of BOAC flight 775 and internationalisation of the Palestinian cause The story of a Sri Lankan aboard that aircraft

The BOAC Vickers VC10 flight 775 coming from Bahrain via Bombay, was hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and brought to Dawson’s Field in 1970. The aim of the PFLP mission was two-fold -to free Leila Khaled- a Palestinian freedom fighter held in a British jail and to highlight the plight of Palestinians at the hands of the Zionist regime in IsraelThough most Lankans still do not know it, on board that aircraft was the son of a Lankan family travelling to London to attend a boarding 
school there. 

Young Iqbal Cassim was 13 years old traveling via Colombo to Bombay and on to London to start his studies at a boarding school there. He was travelling with his mother.  
The Cassim’s first flew from Colombo to Bombay where they stayed a couple of nights to take BOAC flight 775 to London. We boarded the flight said Iqbal. In those days however, flights transited with two or three stops before they reached the final destination. Unlike today’s flights, they rarely went directly to their destination. 
The first leg of the flight was to Bahrain. Shortly thereafter, while breakfast was being served, the aircraft was taken over by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. 
The first we got to know that something was amiss, was when a stewardess came running screaming down the aisle. We were wondering what was happening. Then the captain came on speaker and said that the aircraft had been taken over by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). When I looked to the front of the plane, I saw one of the hijackers standing in one of the aisles with a pistol in his hand. 

World politics 

That was my first introduction to what was going on in world politics. At 30,000 feet above the ground, and at the age of 13, it was not exactly an experience that anyone would want to go through.  
A little later, the captain made another announcement. Then a hijacker who was in the cockpit came on air, introduced himself and his organisation. He warned us not to do anything that would not be ok.  
In the meantime all the while the flight was circling over Beirut awaiting permission to land. All we could see was the sea. At one time I was afraid we were going to land in the sea. The fear of death was omnipresent and scary. 
The hijackers told us they were forced to take this course of action to draw international attention to the ongoing massacres of the Palestinian people by Israeli authorities. 

In the seventies, Sri Lankans knew little about the ‘Middle East (West Asia), other than that it was the land which gave the world the Christian and Muslim faiths and was a land awash with oil. Even today, many remain unaware that West Asia was part of a land governed by Turkey. 

The Allies partitioned the huge conglomeration of territories and peoples that formerly comprised the Ottoman Empire and divided it into several new states. 
They proceeded to redraw the artificial boundaries of countries in the region. Thus setting up enmity and clashes between countries in the region over the newly defined borders; and diverting anger away from the occupying colonial powers. 
In the land of Palestine -also earlier part of Turkish lands in West Asia- the newly formed United Nations Organisation (UNO) carved up the hitherto undivided land of Palestine into two parts giving 55% of the territory to the newly created state of Israel.  
Europe was seeking a place to resettle Jews displaced during the Nazi occupation of Europe during World War II away from the European mainland. Jews were not looked on kindly by the people of Europe and were largely seen as usurers and exploiters of human deprivation.     
Resettling these unwanted people in West Asia meant the creation of a client state dependent on the West of its very existence which would serve as agents of disruption in the oil-rich area on whose resources the West was dependent. A perfect strategy to keep the region in turmoil and continue Western domination of its oil resources.  
At the time of the partition of Palestine, Muslim citizens comprised 403,795 persons and made up 86–87% of the population. Christians comprised 43,659 and 9%; while Jewish people formed 15,011 only 3% of the population. 
The two-year period prior to Israel’s acceptance as a member of the United Nations (1947 to 1948) was a violent one. At least 750,000 Palestinians out of a population of 1.9 million were made refugees beyond the borders of the state.  
Zionist forces had taken more than 78 percent of historic Palestine and ethnically cleansed and destroyed about 530 villages and cities. Over 15,000 Palestinians were killed in a series of mass atrocities which included more than 70 massacres by May 14,1948 -the date the state of Israel was

established.  

Massacres and atrocities 

With communications not developed to the extent it is today most of the world was in the dark regarding the massacres and atrocities which Israel was committing  during that time. 
 After what seemed an eternity, the flight received permission to land. Passengers were asked to keep the shutters to the windows closed.  
The plane did not take in fuel or anything. After about thirty to forty minutes, passengers were informed two additional passengers had boarded the flight. They were to navigate us to the ‘Dawson Revolutionary Airport in Amman -Jordan.  
Once these two got in they closed the aircraft doors and the plane took off. All this can be seen on video. “Each time I see this video I break out in goose bumps” said Iqbal. “All the events I’m relating to you are, imprinted in my mind and I can recall everything in vivid colour” he said.   
Once these two got on board, the flight took off and landed in Amman in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. The plane landed in the sand. The plane had landed on the sand in the desert. 

The flight landed sometime in the evening and soon after, the captain in order to preserve electricity in the generators, opened the emergency exits so the aircraft could be ventilated. I could see desert all around us. In the distance we could see two other aircraft on the ground and further away we saw camels. 
It was freezing, as the nights were very cold. The meals we had that evening were served by the stewardesses -leftovers from previous meals which were divided among the passengers. 
Whatever water we drank was given to us by the PFLP. But the captain of our flight was not happy about the water and put salt tablets to purify it. Unfortunately, when you drank that water we became even thirstier. Therefore I did not drink much water for almost 24 hours.   
Nearly fifty to sixty percent of passengers on the flight were students returning to the UK after their summer vacation. The hijackers… in reality they should be remembered as a ‘resistance force’ reassured us we had nothing to worry about. That we were being held hostage for the freedom of one of their colleagues who was being held in the UK. They then brought a bag and we were asked to put our passports into it.
When our passports were returned to us a PFLP visa was stamped on it. 
This was the biggest hijacking the world had ever seen until the hijacking of 3 flights in the US on 11 September 2001. 
The first aircraft that was hijacked was a Pan Am 747 that was subsequently destroyed, the second one was a Hela aircraft that was going from... I believe Amsterdam to New York that landed in the UK with one of the hijackers killed and the other subdued. 

That was Leila Khaled who was held in a prison (14.30) in the UK. 
We spent the first night on the aircraft and I am ever grateful to the Red Cross because they brought tinned food and whatever. 
 The following day they got us off the aircraft in order to clean it. 
Once we were brought down, we could see two aircraft on the ground -the TWA and Swiss Air flights. There were no buildings around and they painted the PFLP symbol on the aircraft. They repeatedly reassured us we would not be harmed. They were very kind to us.  
That was my first introduction with Palestinian people and their warmth. There were many young armed boys and girls -kids with weapons. They told us this was because they were a resistance force and anybody was ready willing and able to resist, were trained and given weapons. 
My mother later confirmed seeing them put explosives under the seats. I did not see it but my mother saw it. This was to prevent any an outside force from coming in and trying to rescue us. That would have been catastrophic for all passengers including us.  
By mid-day on the second day, a number of mini vans arrived and we were taken to a hotel –a military club of some description, I cannot remember what it was. We were given rooms. It was the first time we were able to shower -after two and a half days. We were also provided with other necessities.  
We spent the night there and the following evening we were told we were being released and asked to collect our luggage, which was by now coated with dust.

We identified our luggage. I don’t remember if we were given our passports. The following evening we were told we were released.  The UK government had agreed to release Leila Khaled.  

Mini vans 

Once again we got into the mini vans and were taken to Amman airport. It was dark; I can’t remember exactly what time it was. Perhaps at around 10.00 at night we were taken to the Amman airport and told there was a Middle East Airlines (MEA) that was going to take us to Nicosia (the capital of Cyprus). 
When we went to the airport (that is about three days into our captivity), but   there was no aircraft. We were then taken to the Amman Intercontinental Hotel. When we arrived there mayhem broke out. There were so many reporters, TV and radio broadcasters. As soon as we got off the vans we were questioned by various reporters. I remember a French reporter managed to corner me and asked me in French how it was during our captivity etc.  

I had studied French as I had to prepare for boarding school and one of the conditions was that I learn French. So I had gone for French tuition in Sri Lanka and I was responding to this gentleman in French. But my mother was too tired. She had enough of this experience, and caught me by the arm and said let’s go in. 
 We were walking towards the entrance of the Intercontinental Hotel which actually slopes to the entrance. Just at the entrance, my mother slipped and fell and broke her arm. I could see there was a clean break of her arm. It had not pierced the skin. 
That was it, the experience and trauma of the past days all too much for me. I remember kneeling beside my mother crying. It was too much for me, I could not control myself  I began crying loudly. Soon a large number of reporters surrounded us asking questions and taking photos. 
Fortunately, a BOAC representative who was present, ran inside and brought some brandy which he gave my mother to control the pain. Soon ambulances arrived and took my mother to hospital. The air hostesses took care of me and I spent the night on a mattress in their room. The next day I was wondering what was going to happen as we were now separated. All these thoughts were running through my mind. 

Civil war 

However soon the other students came to see me and together we began wandering around… like going to the top of the hotel and checking things out. At this time we noticed that the glasses of several windows were shattered and suddenly we came to know there was a civil war going on. 
King Hussein’s troops were fighting the Palestinians in Jordan. Later that day arrangements were made for me to go and meet my mother in hospital. There for the first time I saw for myself the compassion, hospitality and the warmth of Palestinian people.  
My mother was lying in bed surrounded by Palestinian women who had provided her with fruits, were talking to her and was so caring. I felt the humanity and hospitality of the Palestinians.  
I can never forget that for the rest of my life. They were extremely kind to my mother and even now while thinking back, tears come to my eyes because even now I can visualise what I saw all those years ago.  The following day, we were informed that we were going to be released and we would have an aircraft waiting for us. My mother was brought back to the hotel and again we all clambered into the mini vans and taken to the Jordanian International airport.  
We then entered into the waiting aircraft –an MEA airline- and the flight took off. All the passengers began clapping, hugging each other, laughing… a release of stress. 
It was a short flight from Amman to Nicosia and we landed in Nicosia and got out of the aircraft and about fifty yards away was a BOAC plane. So we got off this aircraft and walked to the other one -the aircraft which was going to take us to London. When we got on once again the people started clapping and hugging each other etc.  
Apparently one of the passenger’s birthday fell on that day and the airline had a cake ready. The cake was cut and there was singing and all kinds of merry-making. 
I and my mother, with her hand still in a cast, joined in these festivities, but both of us were worried about my father and siblings back home. How they were, and how well they were holding up under the strain.  
Back in Sri Lanka unlike today, at that time there were no internet facilities. The first news that something was amiss, came through when the person who was supposed to meet us at Heathrow called my father to say the flight had not arrived. At around the same time news channels began announcing the hijacking. 
My father who was close to Dudley Senanayake who put my father in contact with Ms. Bandaranaike -the then Prime Minister. He informed her that his wife and son were on the plane which had been hijacked and asked if she could intervene to ensure our safety.  
The premier was attending a Non Aligned summit meeting being held in Africa at the time.  
She promised to intervene on our behalf. She got through to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and asked him to intervene to secure the safety of the Sri Lankans on board as well as those of the other hostages. 
Arafat in turn promised Ms. Bandaranaike that no harm would come to any of the hostages.  
Traumatic experience 
While it was a traumatic experience, I think I matured. I can say I aged by around ten years during that incident. When the plane landed at Heathrow we, all of us passengers broke out in song. All were clapping and laughing in relief. Our ordeal was over.  
We were given right royal treatment. The aircraft taxied to the Queens terminal. All the other passenger rushed to get off, but my mother and I stayed back because of my mother’s injury. 
UK immigration officers came on board to stamp our passports and then an ambulance came close to the aircraft and both of us got into the ambulance and were taken to the hospital. If I remember right, it was the hospital at Houndslough. The British authorities wanted to check if the cast had been set right.   At the hospital they took x-rays, did whatever was needed to be done and we were discharged. I guess that was the end of our trial by hijack experience. The next day as I was watching the BBC news on TV they showed the three planes in the desert being blown up. 

A plus point for me if you can call it so was that I did not have to report to classes immediately. At the beginning of the term the headmaster at assembly had announced that one of their fellow students had been on the hijacked flight and would only be reporting to class a week late.(31:21) So I entered the boarding at Highgate school in north London a week late. That was a welcome break, otherwise I would have had to enter school immediately. 
It also helped in that I became a sort of a celebrity, with everyone wanting to know what happened. Because of this I was able to make many friends. 
Even today I can vividly recall the stress of those three to four days as though it happened yesterday.