By Om Prakash Dwivedi
In the 75-year history of Israel, 7 October 2023 stands as its darkest day. It may as well be etched in history as a genocide event that led to the destruction of infinite lives, not to mention the distortion of the Middle East itself.
Violence breeding violence has been the fundamental principle of our civilised world. That said, the Middle Eastern world is collectively responsible for this tragic moment that has turned each passing moment into a moment of acute trauma, grief, and ineffable suffering.
That is exactly what we witness now!
Hamas’s barbaric act of terrorism has opened up a spiral of events that may end up relocating 1.1 million residents based in northern Gaza to farther south.
The United Nations (UN) has critiqued this move of Israel since it is “impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences.”
Whereas Hamas continues to demonstrate its ugly face by urging people to stay put and not to evacuate their homes. Eyad al-Bozom, the spokesperson for the Hamas, said:
“We tell the people of northern Gaza and from Gaza City, stay put in your homes, and your places. By carrying out massacres against the civilians, the occupation wants to displace us once again from our land.”
Pitted against the Israel-Hamas war are the lives of innocent civilians.
To be infatuated by the codes of religion at this critical juncture would be a blunder. That would only stoke more violence. We have already witnessed the brutalities of crimes committed by the Hamas group against Israeli citizens, the way many innocent citizens were butchered, kidnapped, and tortured. While one cannot ignore the coercive role played by Israel at times, the nub of the matter is that the Israel-Palestine war has turned out to be a perennial civilisational clash. Hamas’s clarion call for Palestinian freedom raises several issues.
First, if the task of our freedom is handed over to terrorist groups like Hamas, ISIS, or Hezbollah then one is only playing with fire. Terrorism and peace cannot be wedded since terrorists’ task is to spread terror and violence. Likewise, Hamas has overtly declared itself as a jihadist Ismalist group, having least interest in the civilians living in Gaza. One only has to read the Hamas Covenant to understand the organisation’s goals. The document reeks of xenophobia, urging every Muslim to collectively work for the Jews’ annihilation. Article 7 of the document of Hamas offers a ‘Final Solution’ for the Muslims:
“The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’”
Second, it is vital to look at Hamas’s funding source. It is already apprehended that Iran has diverted the funding it has received from the US to the Hamas entity. Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis said:
“Iran has helped fund this war against Israel and Joe Biden’s policies that have gone easy on Iran have helped fill their coffers.”
Although there is no official consent regarding this, Iran’s close ties with Hamas cannot be ignored. Apparently, an attack of such a magnitude cannot be undertaken by Hamas alone. The backend support of Iran and the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah cannot be downplayed. Hamas, an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement), represents a political group powered with military training, was launched by the Palestinian cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 1987. It stands as a transnational Sunni Islamist organisation that has continued to exercise its control over the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Whether the ensuing developments lead to diplomatic negotiations or violent turbulence can be answered only by the degree of wisdom Israel demonstrates.
Israel’s further retaliatory may position itself against the Arab world. This can ring an alarm bell for Christians as well. A storm is brewing in the region and a severe crisis in West Asia is lurking ahead. If other regional and international parties decide to become an ally in this war, then a global economic crisis is also a possibility.
War has become the raison d’etre of modern times, underlining our deceptive story of progress and development. The extremist fringe elements have agreed upon a universal language of war to write our stories of vulnerabilities and distorted futures. We are yet to learn to live collectively on this planet. This madness to invent wars and design death machines has resulted in the militarization of life itself. We have forgotten that human life has a limited time, hence, the agenda of controlling the world, seems mostly to be a mirage. Many leaders have been seduced by this mirage in the past, yet those stupid iterations have only led to loss and destruction.
Contributing Author: Dr Om Prakash Dwivedi teaches at Bennett University, Greater Noida, India.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The Australia Today is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts, or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of The Australia Today and The Australia Today News does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
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