Daily Times

Any sane person will agree that whatever Israel is doing in Gaza does not quite fit into the category of so-called “self-defence”. By no stretch of the imagination can one kill hundreds of people (the count sadly keeps going up with each passing day) in self-defence. Incoming rockets are presented as an excuse for such blatantly naked aggression, which certainly does not add up. It does not matter who you are, what you believe in and what you look like, you just cannot tolerate the horrific images of dead children with hollow skulls and brains oozing out in the arms of their parents. Or, for that matter, no one can tolerate a toddler burnt beyond recognition, completely dead and charred. Something inside you shivers and shudders. The mind numbs and a question starts racing through your mind: how can humans stoop to this level of barbarity? Stone cold hearts can inflict such horrendous harm and you ask yourself: for what? It boils down to who has the power and who can use and execute that power with impunity.

People around the world are voicing their disgust at the naked aggression of a tiny country in the Middle East. The so-called champion of freedom and democracy, my country of residence, echoed with that tiny state at the onset by being quite cold and callous. When the streets of Europe and here in the US, along with other parts of the world, questioned quite unanimously the shameful method of this self-defence, the radar here changed a bit. Most reasonable people will agree that self-defence is any nation’s rightful stand but, for Heaven’s sake, 500 plus people do not die for that reason.

President Obama had to come out with a statement reflecting the sentiments of the people on the streets and was compelled to say that the US wants a ceasefire. Secretary John Kerry was dispatched to the Middle East to at least put some traction into that statement. However, the number of casualties keeps on going up. The Israelis and their offensive are absolutely deaf to all these developments.

Without going into the detail about this subject, which was once discussed here in a column of mine titled ‘The open wound’ (Daily Times, November 22, 2012), the topic of Palestine and Israel keeps creeping up, every now and then. This issue never goes away and tends to raise its ugly head every so often. The reason behind why it never goes away is because we Muslims endlessly use all kinds of excuses to avoid coming up with a reasonable solution. On the other hand, we tend to make all manner of hue and cry any time Israel starts its aggression. The talk shows have their usual loud mouth anchors and guests make meaningless noise, the social media has its own hash tags and yes, of course, rallies incite more violence. The usual justification for our anger is provided as being derived from the unrest in the Middle East. Some go a step further and use all kinds of ill will for the state of Israel and Jews in general.

The hateful speeches at such forums tend to exacerbate the issue and add more fuel to the fire. My main objection has always been that, for so many long years, we have only focused on the aspect of confrontation. One does not need to be a genius to ascertain that this particular point of view has harmed not only the cause but tarnished the image of Muslims as a whole. For 66 years or so, the Muslim world as a whole has either been in denial about the cold hard fact that Israel is a country and it does exist or has been defiant and antagonistic. This explains the reason for the hostilities that never come to an end.

The premise that is presented at most debates or discussions is that the Israelis must vacate all the Palestinian lands at once. On the surface, it sounds all fair and just but in reality is it possible? If it had been possible, then would it have taken 66 long years and so many innocent lives? The fact of the matter is that the Muslim world as a whole is not on the same page about this issue and, come to think of it, it is fair to say that the Muslim ummah (community) is not on the same page for almost anything at all. It is no wonder that Israel has been able to maintain its hawkish stance.

The first step towards any progress is cessation of hostilities, beginning of talks and meaningful negotiations. Without going into the setbacks to these steps, which both sides have suffered in the past in this regard, there is no other way. Talks will require extreme efforts from both sides and, yes, the leader of the free world has to take charge. The Muslim world as a whole needs to come together and present its unanimous position towards meaningful dialogue and discussion. The outcome may not be perfect, absolutely fair and equitable but it would be 100 times better than this ugly bloodshed.

Our religious leaders need a different approach as well. Rather than fanning the sentiments of hostility, they should focus on how to alter the mindset of adversaries. This issue has a peaceful resolution. It might not be ideal but it will give us the ability to gear our strengths towards something positive.

The writer is a Pakistani-American mortgage banker. He blogs at http://dasghar.blogspot.com and can be reached at dasghar@aol.com. He tweets at http://twitter.com/dasghar