14 February 2024

Global Humanity Witnesses Continued Insanity and Continued War on Gaza

Map of Gaza and Israel highlighting Rafah

[Map: Virtually the entire population of Gaza is now crammed into Rafah -the circled area. The Gaza Kitchen]

By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD

Editor's Note
Virtually the entire population of the Gaza Strip has been relocated to Rafah – approximately a 5-fold increase in their population. Now Israel is planning a military incursion into Rafah. The 1.5 million people filling every available ground space are trapped with no place to go. They are literally trapped against the armed border of the Gaza Strip. It is impossible for armed forces will move through these people without massive harm to civilians. Warnings to Israel are having no effect, and unless all other nations refuse to supply any further munitions we are looking at a bloodbath in the making. Israel seems to have no limits in terms of “collateral damage”, so we must have.

Continue reading

Category: Crimes Against Humanity, Gaza, Genocide, Israel, Mahboob A. Khawaja, Ph.D., U.S., UN, War and Conflict | Comments Off on Global Humanity Witnesses Continued Insanity and Continued War on Gaza
19 December 2023

The War on Gaza: How Did America Did Use Its Veto to Support Israel and Insult Humanity?

[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.

Continue reading

Category: Crimes Against Humanity, Dehumanization, Israel, Mahboob A. Khawaja, Ph.D., Palestine, U.S., UN, War and Conflict | Comments Off on The War on Gaza: How Did America Did Use Its Veto to Support Israel and Insult Humanity?
5 December 2023

War on Gaza and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed

[Photo: Gaza Refugees, Policy Options, Khan, Nov. 28, 2023.]

By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD

Editor's Note
Though some may try, it is impossible to overlook the massive humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Southern Gaza, particularly Rafa, is now under bombing by Israel. The damage being done to buildings and infrastructure will take a decade or more to rebuild. But, who will pay for the rebuilding, and what will the dispaced do in the meantime?

Continue reading

Category: Crimes Against Humanity, Israel, Justice, Mahboob A. Khawaja, Ph.D., Morality & Ethics, Pakistan, Social (In)Justice, State Repression, U.S., UN, War and Conflict | Comments Off on War on Gaza and the Pedagogy of the Oppressed
6 May 2022

Western Leaders Witness Loss of Ukraine National Freedom and the Russians are Coming and Coming!

children of war, Ukraine

[Photo: Alibin Alibin, Flickr, 4/14/2022]

By Mahboob Khawaja, PhD

Editor's Note
We are in an era that is marked by many failures – environmental crisis, inequality, aggression, communication. Among the critical failures underlying them all is the lack of truth. We can point to many things chopping down this tree, from the capitalist success at “branding” and “marketing” everything from products and businesses to ideas and ourselves. This has led to what might be termed ‘the life of commercial’ where we are a living commercial. In commercials, the effort is to create an imaginary world where the product has magical powers – even when we are that product. There is little, if any, truth in the world of commercials. However, the commercialization of everything is but one threat to truth. However, it paves the way for our suspension of disbelief, which is critical to the erosion of truth and the ascendency of deceit and gaslighting.

Definition of 'gaslighting'
The “psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

Continue reading

Category: Mahboob A. Khawaja, Ph.D., NATO, Russia, U.S., Ukraine, UN | Comments Off on Western Leaders Witness Loss of Ukraine National Freedom and the Russians are Coming and Coming!
11 March 2022

A No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine Could Unleash Untold Violence

US Imperialsim flag

[Photo: Public domain]

By Noam Chomsky and CJ Polychroniou
Source:  Truthout

Editor's Note
I too think that caution is needed to keep the United States and Russia out of direct conflict. However, I think that the United Nations should definitely be involved in helping to protect the citizens of Ukraine. I also think that a significant amount of the resources that we send for Ukraine should be in humanitarian aid. The nations currently absorbing Ukrainians fleeing the invasion are, or soon will be, overwhelm the hosting countries.

Continue reading

Category: Guest, Imperialism and Colonialism, Militarism, NATO, Peace, Russia, Ukraine, UN | Comments Off on A No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine Could Unleash Untold Violence