Dr. Mohammed Tahir: The British Doctor Who Chose Gaza Over His Career
For over 18 years, I’ve interviewed inspiring and influential figures—people with extraordinary experiences who have each left me with an unforgettable lesson. But my conversation with Dr. Mohammed Tahir was unlike anything I had encountered before. It was something I wasn’t fully prepared for.
When I sat across from this Iraqi-British doctor, newly returned from Gaza, I wasn’t just speaking to a neurosurgeon. I was in the presence of someone profoundly changed by his experiences—a witness to a tragedy beyond words. His words carried both unbearable pain and unwavering hope. He wasn’t just a guest on the podcast; he was a messenger, bringing a raw and urgent testimony straight from the heart of catastrophe.
It was impossible to hold back tears. There were too many moments of silence, too many times when his stories—of wounded children, families who had lost everything, and doctors performing life-saving surgery under relentless bombardment—felt like open wounds. Each word was a reminder of the world’s cruelty and, at the same time, of Gaza’s extraordinary resilience.
Dr. Mohammed wasn’t just a doctor in Gaza; he became someone who understood that Gaza doesn’t only need help—it needs to be seen, to be understood. He went there to save lives, only to realise that Gaza had saved him. He thought he would share his knowledge, but instead, he came back transformed, having learned profound lessons in humanity. He spoke with heartbreak, yet his resolve was unshaken. It was as if part of him no longer belonged to the outside world—Gaza had become an inseparable part of him.
An Interview with Dr. Mohammed Tahir
In this episode of Arabs Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Mohammed Tahir, a British neurosurgeon of Iraqi origin who walked away from a promising medical career in the UK and Brazil to volunteer in Gaza. His story is a deeply moving and harrowing account of his time there during Israel’s most recent assault.
Key Topics Discussed:
- The Reality Inside Gaza’s Hospitals
- A firsthand account of the massacres targeting children and women.
- The systematic bombing of hospitals, aimed at breaking Palestinian society.
- The fight to rebuild medical facilities despite the blockade and destruction.
- Witnessing the Daily Struggle
- The devastating impact of food and medicine shortages on patients.
- Personal stories of survivors who lost everything.
- From Neurosurgery to War Medicine
- Why he abandoned a promising career to save lives in Gaza.
- The reality of performing surgery in a war zone under unimaginable conditions.
- The Challenges of Entering and Leaving Gaza
- The near-impossible task medical teams face in reaching and exiting Gaza due to the Israeli blockade.
- A Deep Personal Connection to Palestine
- How Palestine shaped his awareness from childhood and became part of his identity.
- Documenting War Crimes
- Eyewitness accounts of entire cities turned to rubble.
- Haunting testimonies of bombings and the atrocities of the occupation.
- His Unwavering Commitment to Return
- Despite the risks, he couldn’t stay away and immediately sought to go back.
- His continued efforts to support the wounded and call for greater humanitarian aid.
Dr. Mohammed Tahir’s journey is a powerful testament to sacrifice, resilience, and an unshakable commitment to humanity. He walked away from a bright future to dedicate himself to Gaza’s wounded, bearing witness to the horrors of war and answering the call of his conscience. He didn’t just stand on the sidelines—he stepped into the heart of the crisis, choosing action over comfort, compassion over career. It’s a journey that changed everything.
This episode of Arabs Podcast is more than just an interview—it’s a testimony for history. It will move you as it moved us. And it will make you see Palestine through a different lens—the eyes of Dr. Mohammed Tahir, the doctor who entered Gaza to heal, only to leave with his heart forever bound to it.
Watch the full episode with English subtitles here:
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