The response of the Muslim world is extremely disappointing, frustrating, and highly condemnable. What to talk of uniting together to stop Israeli brutalities, the Muslim world has failed to denounce such cruelties effectively. Nor it has taken desired measures to ensure timely humanitarian assistance for their Muslim brethren while they are dying due to hunger, starvation and lack of food and medicines. The hearts of common Muslims bleed to see such callousness and apathy of their rulers and leaders. The role of Muslim religious scholars and Imams, in forcing their government to take appropriate measures, is not very appreciable either. Some NGOs have extended some help, as they could, despite very inhuman restrictions imposed by Israel for allowing humanitarian aid to the besieged and oppressed Gazans. Of course, many barriers and hurdles have been created by neighbouring Muslim countries as well.
The Palestine – Israel dispute is, at least, one hundred years old. Though, Arab – Jews conflict has much deeper roots. Muslims captured Syria and Palestine in 634–638 CE. Caliph Umar came himself to accept the surrender of Jerusalem in 638, as demanded by Patriarch Sophronius. On the eve of surrender, a treaty signed by the Caliph and Patriarch included ‘an assurance of safety for the people of Jerusalem and for their property, their churches, their crosses, the sick and healthy of the city and for all the rituals which belong to their religion.’ Furthermore, it was guaranteed that ‘their churches will neither be inhabited nor be destroyed by Muslims. Neither they, nor the land on which they stand, nor their property will be damaged.’ The Caliph also assured them that they will not be forcibly converted. At the time for prayer, Sophronius invited Caliph Umar to pray inside the Church, but he refused for the reason that if he prayed there, later Muslims would use it as an excuse to convert it into a mosque – thereby depriving Christians of one of their holiest sites. Instead, the Caliph prayed outside the Church. Jews living in Jerusalem and surrounding areas had faced harsh discrimination and sever persecution on the hands of Christians. Successive Muslim rulers treated both Christians and Jews with compassion and fairness.
For two hundred years, between 1096 and 1291, the region remained under great turmoil. A series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims, which are called Crusades, were fought, primarily to secure control of holy sites considered sacred by both. In all, eight major Crusades took place. These expeditions were initiated by religious motivated European Christian clergy (Pope Urban II) and were supported by kings, knights and feudal with multifarious objective. During the Crusades, Muslims suffered a lot, including enormous loss of life, untold damage to the properties, and disruption of peaceful existence. Highly zealous and fanatically inspired Crusaders perpetrated countless brutalities and bloodshed of Muslims and Jews alike. Jerusalem and many cities in the Levent changed hands repeatedly. Ultimately, on July 3, 1187, Sultan Salah ud Din Ayubi (known as Saladin in the West) defeated the Franks in the Battle of Hattin. In October 1187, Jerusalem was captured by a combined force led by Salah ud Din. The tales of his bravery, benevolence and generous treatment of his adversary, King Richard of England, are part of legendry history of crusades.
According to modern estimates, approximately 1.7 million people died as a result of the Crusades. Though, some accounts mention that the death toll varies from two to six million people that included a vast number of Muslims and many Jews. Thereafter, Muslims ruled the entire area for centuries, albeit many internal fights and civil wars. Last Muslim ruler of Palestine were Ottomans. Palestine saw its longest period of peace for four hundred years, from 1516 to the dawn of the British Mandate in 1917. During this period, Palestinian were promised an independent state of their own but the British betrayed them. Rather, they connived with the Jews and Zionists of Europe, through Balfor Declaration, and contrived to establish Jewish State of Israel on the land that had been occupied by Palestinians for over two thousand years.
The sad story of illegal occupation of Palestine, conflicts, forced displacement and eviction of many million Palestinians, perpetual wars of attrition and annihilation of Arabs (Muslims and Christians alike), unabated settlements of Jewish immigrants on Palestinian lands, in West Banks and Golan Heights, and perpetuation of apartheid regime against Palestinian people, is very well known to the world. This ironical drama has been played with full complicity of the Western world, especially the United States, which is main supporter and sustainer of Israel. Equally, shameful and shocking is the response of (so called) Muslim world, which has watched the carnage without any remorse. It has not extended any meaningful and tangible support to its Palestinian brethren in their freedom struggle and for establishing an independent state, of course, due to their petty interest and subservience to global masters.
The Palestinians have suffered from perpetual brutalities, unbridled massacres, genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid. In last five months, Israeli Forces have killed more than thirty-one thousand innocent Muslims in Gaza, mostly include women, children, infants, and sick people, and have injured more than eighty thousand. Israel has, forcibly, displaced over 1.5 million Gazans, by destroying their houses and habitat and have imposed worst blocked on humanitarian aid. These are the worst crimes against humanity in the recent history. Israel, perpetually encouraged and abetted by the U.S. through its continuous military supplies, financial help, and diplomatic support, and consecutively vetoing the United Nations security Counsil resolutions for immediate cease-fire, and similar support by the Western Christendom, is defying the world. Though, the US President Biden has asked for cease-fire during the holy month of Ramadan, yet this demand has not been backed with any resolve. It seems more of a diplomatic rhetoric and a political gimmick. Such arrogant and egotistically conceited behaviour is a clear threat to international peace and security. More than that, the callousness and extremely belligerent attitude of Israel and Zionists pose great danger for humanity at large.
Indeed, Palestinians are facing a neo-Crusades. This time by Judeo-Christianity and Zionists, and not by Christendom alone. Alas, there is no Sultan Salah ud Din or Sultan Selim I, who can liberate Jerusalem and put an end to ongoing genocide of Gazan Muslims. The Muslim world, in general, is disunited, week, and fragmented. It has no collective leadership. The Muslim Arab states have their own interests, compulsions, and problems. But, despite these weaknesses and short comings, failure of the Muslims to provide much needed humanitarian aid, especially food supplies, essential medicines, and minimum requirement of fuel, especially during Ramadan, is completely inexcusable. It is very disheartening to know that many philanthropic organizations wish to extend lot of help, but they are facing enormous difficulties to do so. Therefore, the UN General Assembly must take initiative, by passing the Security Council, to launch a UN Special Peacekeeping Force to establish a ‘Humanitarian Corridor’ for Gaza through ‘Rafah Crossing’ and sea and air routes, to facilitate supply of essential humanitarian aid for besieged, starving, and dying Gazan people. Let Humanity prove that its conscience is still alive.
This article was published by Daily Minute Mirror, Lahore, Pakistan on March 15, 2024.
