– Arshad Shaikh
Looking back over the history of the last century and a half, the land of the Middle East always seems to present a scene of continuous conflict and chaos. The vacuum that started with the fall of the Ottoman Empire, followed by the machinations of British and French colonialism, finally culminated in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and the forced expulsion of the Palestinians (known as the “Nakba”). This was the time when more than 700,000 Palestinians were evicted from their homes and lands and the story of the world’s largest deportation took place.
Since that day, the conflict between Palestine and Israel has been an open wound on the conscience of the Islamic world. It is also a fact that in these years, many parts of the Muslim world also went on the path of development. The smaller Gulf states like Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and especially Saudi Arabia were able to enjoy economic growth and political influence by benefiting from oil wealth.
But at the same time, it is a bitter truth that whenever Palestine burns and Gaza is bombed and thousands of innocent lives are lost, instead of practical help from Muslim countries, mere statements and condemnation resolutions come out. The question is, what are the historical, political and ideological reasons that have made the Muslim world so helpless in the face of this tragedy?
Historical Background and Bitter Memories
The first is the fact that relations between Palestinian groups and various Arab governments have never been cordial. After the wars of 1948 and 1967, millions of Palestinian refugees settled down in Jordan, Lebanon and other countries. But these refugees caused a socio-political crisis for the host countries. In 1970, a bloody conflict with the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) took place in Jordan, which is remembered as “Black September”.
Similarly, when PLO supported Iraq in the 1990 Gulf War, Kuwait expelled millions of Palestinians. Egypt also controlled Gaza for years, but when the Palestinian resistance movement developed close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian government distanced itself from them. It seems that historical experiences made most of the Arab governments suspicious of the Palestinian resistance, and this suspicion remains until today.
Political Expediency and Western Pressure
The other problem in taking a decisive position on Gaza is political. Most of the rulers of the Muslim world know that if they stand openly with Palestine, it will mean a direct conflict with Israel and America. Egypt receives $1.5 billion in military aid from the United States each year, while Saudi Arabia is focused on its “Vision 2030,” which requires Western investment and American patronage. The UAE and Bahrain have also established diplomatic relations with Israel in recent years. To expect anyone, in this situation, to open an adversarial front against Israel is simply wishful thinking. This compulsion of political power and Western support makes it impossible for Muslim rulers to stand with Palestine.
Fear of Internal Instability and Survival
The third major obstacle is the fear of internal instability. Most Arab governments fear that if they openly adopt a policy in favour of Palestinian people, resistance movements may arise in their own countries. So, they deliberately avoid actions that would cause public awareness.
Egypt and the Emirates are prominent examples that consider Hamas a ‘dangerous’ group and keep a distance from them. The main priority for these governments is the preservation of their monarchy or power, not the freedom of the Palestinian people.
Sectarian Divisions and Ideological Gulfs
The fourth aspect is the sectarian division of the Muslim Ummah. Iran openly supports Hamas, providing financial and military aid, but Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states consider it merely a political ploy by Iran to increase its influence in the region. As a result, they conflate aid to Palestine with Iran’s agenda and stay away. Thus, the issue of Palestine has also become a victim of Sunni-Shia politics, and the Muslim world has failed to take a united stand over the issue of confronting Israel in its genocidal actions in Palestine.
The Problem of Refugees
Another major challenge is the Palestinian refugee burden. Half of Jordan’s population already consists of Palestinian refugees. As many as 400,000 Palestinians are still living in refugee camps in Lebanon. These countries cannot afford more refugees, as this would seriously affect their demographic balance and economic stability. Therefore, they refrain from openly supporting Palestine so that the new wave of refugees does not come to their land.
Silence Justified or Forced?
Combining all these historical, political and ideological factors, the picture becomes clear: for Muslim rulers, support for Palestine is not just a moral issue, but a question of power and survival. They know that clashing with Israel and America means risking their seats of power. This fear has made them numb and silent in the face of the burning tragedy of Gaza.
But in spite of this, a basic question remains in its place: Shouldn’t the Muslim Ummah, despite all these constraints, raise a collective voice in favour of Palestine? Is it not possible that dozens of Islamic countries adopt a common strategy to stop Israel’s aggression, at least through political and economic pressure? If the Muslim world takes a united stand, it will surely be heard at the global level. But the tragedy is that every government is so engrossed in the concern of its chair and its power that it is not able to take any bold step even for its most sacred and historical issue.
This is the real crisis: Palestine is not just a geographical dispute, but a test of the unity, honour and ambition of the Muslim Ummah. Today, if the Ummah is failing in that test, it is more due to internal weaknesses, sectarian divisions and lust for power than external pressure.
In fact, the best explanation of the present situation is the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in which he prophesised, “People (enemies) will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish. Someone asked: Will that be because of our small numbers at that time? He replied: No, you will be numerous at that time: but you will be scum and rubbish like that carried down by a torrent, and Allah will take fear of you from the breasts of your enemy and cause wahn into your hearts. Someone asked: What is wahn. The Apostle of Allah ﷺ replied: Love of the world and dislike of death.”
