[Photo: UNRWA Palestinian school bombed, MEM, Dec. 16, 2023 (Mahmoud Sabbah – Anadolu Agency)]

By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD

Mahboob Khawaja, PhD

Looking Beyond the Obvious Lens of War

Justice and fairness search for reason and truth, not mythological criteria of political power and ethnic supremacy of the few in global affairs. Canons of rationality do not subscribe to treacherous ambuscade but focus on imperatives of reasoned legitimacy of purpose and an enlightened core principle of justice for all. The UN and all of its organs are dysfunctional, the UNRWA has no operating schools or to shelter millions of refugees, and UN-NGO’s food programs are not allowed when civilians are being starved as a weapon of war. The UN Secretary-General Deteurres using Article 99 (UN Charter) for the SC meeting called it an ‘apocalyptic event’ destroying humanity. President Joe Biden and PM Netanyahu appear to be linked to a false narrative of power politics undermining their own moral vulnerability and sustainable future.  On December 8, the US veto at the UNSC meeting signals that reality in the making. America and Israel have plunged into a moral and political abyss and would find it hard to return to the transition of reason and global harmony. American policies are blended into Israeli actions to subdue the Arab world and to destroy the population of Gaza. When there is no reason in global deliberations, cruelty, and insanity is empowering the evil acts of disingenuity against mankind. The tribulations, terror, deaths of innocent civilians, and destruction of human cultures and civilization are hallmarks of the war on Gaza. Perhaps the prevalent scenes of the barbarity of planned killings of women, children, and the innocent are embedded in a hybrid culture – part human and part vulture – as reflected in policies and practices. American veto power at the Security Council signals preference to foil ceasefire and save Israel from the consequences of a barbaric war rather than to listen to voices of global reasoning. Humanity faces a havoc situation of multiple crises of human suffering and abandoned close to 2.3 million civilians.

Jews for Peace  vs. the American and Israeli Alliance

Wars are integral to American and Israeli formative history. All of the WMD are supplied by America and Israel are the bombs the international NGOs and Human Rights Watch allege are “genocidal acts of vengeance” against the civilians of Gaza. Virtually inexhaustible bombing spares no life, no hospitals, no UNRWA school, no safety to protect the civilians, and no respect for International Humanitarian Law or the Geneva Conventions as if these are just paper-based dried ink words without any meaning.   Israeli PM Netanyahu is egoistic and cares about his political survival unleashing violent assumptions of hatred, animosities, and killings of Palestinians to overwhelm the daily thinking process across many spectrums of Israeli society – a nation no matter how normal it claims to be, cannot function as normal beings to co-exist with their self, the surroundings – in the human culture and make any positive contributions to human change and progress. Even the warmongers cannot predict what the end game is after the forced expulsion of 2.3 million people from Gaza. There are many Jewish organizations (such as “Jews for Peace” and “Jews against Zionism”) across the US and Europe committed and standing for peace and global brotherhood. They all are calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

A favorite perversion is at work when American and some European leaders call it a simple “operation” across Gaza whereas cold-blooded massacres are the result of daily life. Evil happens when conscientious men do nothing. God created the Heavens and Earth as a trust to fulfill all human aspirations and to flourish human generations since time immemorial. It was not meant to be bombed and destroyed by sheer ignorance and wickedness.

The Earth is a Trust to Us, Those Bombing it are not Normal Human Beings

The Earth is a living entity and is meant for us – human beings. The Divine warning (Chapter 7: 56: The Qur’an), is self-explanatory: Do no mischief on the Earth after it hath been set in order, but call on God with fear and longing in hearts; For the Mercy of God is always near to those who do good. We live on an earth that sustains all forms of living things, yet human ignorance and arrogance are at work to destroy the essential foundation of our existence. When nations and leaders subscribing to political absolutism start acting like God and challenge the sanctity and limits of the Laws of God; historically speaking they become an object of unthinkable natural calamities- earthquakes, wildfires, floods, deaths, and destruction. The WHO- Geneva warns of a ‘tsunami of diseases’ in the making if immediate preventive measures are not taken to remove the rubble, and dead bodies, restore functional hospitals, and increase supplies of fuel, clean water, food, and well-being of the displaced people. While the US and West European leaders offer lip service to the Two State solution, Palestinians are worthy of human dignity and rights as are the Israelis”, and “Two States – Israel and Palestine.” “ Gaza: War on We, the People and Arab-Muslim’s Shame ”

Are the Arab-Muslim Leaders waiting for the Unthinkable?

America and Israel view all the Arab States as vulnerable to domination and political supremacy.    The former European colonial powers and America appoint former tribal agents as dictators, kings, princes, and royals, and the masses are viewed just as sheep and goats and nothing else. The Cop28 at Dubai was nothing more than an insult to common sense while America and Israel are slaughtering the innocent people in Gaza. Most Western leaders supporting an exclusively Israeli stance were there to be entertained with dance and music. Qatar is overwhelmed with Expos 2023 and football matches. Egypt under General Sisi is complicit in Israeli strategic plans. America and Israel have working plans to conquer more Arab lands to resettle the Palestinians and put a finished answer on Palestine as a State. Would the Arab-Muslim leaders rethink outside the imperial box to opt for a navigational change in relationships with the US and its military hegemony?  The time, history, and future generations of people with consciousness will curse the so-called tribal agents for their ignorance, wickedness, and greed to be kings queens, and princes.

Most Arab-Muslim leaders live in complete disconnect from the prevalent strategic realities emerging across the Middle East. Their imagination if any reflects a world of fantasy not facts of life. There are no public institutions for discussions and accountability and leaders are not equipped with knowledge and wisdom to cope with the harsh challenges of the 21^st century global affairs.  They should be questioned and held accountable for failing to help the besieged people of Palestine. Could they ever envisage how the futuristic Arab world would look like?

There are thousands of Israeli citizens demonstrating in Tel Aviv asking the government for peace with Palestinians and a safe return of hostages still in Gaza. The Netanyahu Government is not listening to voices of reason and moderation. The Israeli Ultra Nationalist groups are continuously violating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Arab-Muslim leaders are simply watching the provocations. Please see by this author: “Al-Aqsa Mosque Waiting for the Arab Leaders.” and

The followers of Moses – the generations of Israelites – are reminded by God ( Quran 2: 84-85 and Torah):  And remember, We took a Covenant from the Children of Israel (progeny of Jacob), Worship none but God; ….shed no blood amongst you, Nor displace people from homes: and Ye solemnly ratified, And to this ye can bear witness…. It was not lawful for you to banish another party, then it is only a part of the Book that ye believe in…. And on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty, For God is not unmindful what ye do.

To be honest with ourselves and our future, American and Israeli manipulation of time, warmongering and dictum are contrary to the Nature of Things. The Gazan landscape is filled with deaths and destruction which could have been avoided and undone if reason and honest policies were implied to the crisis. The time and opportunities call for rethinking and new ideas to reject violence and vengeance as contrary to the nature of humanity, peace, and intellect. To avoid most dreadful tragedies in the making, we must reject the tyranny of war as a means to solve political problems and demand a return to persuasive communication and dialogue for conflict management and peace-making.

Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and is the author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Germany, 12/2019.