Najm us Saqib<\/p>\n
When the rich make war, it\u2019s the poor that die – Jean-Paul Sartre The world seems helpless in putting an end to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. The West is siding with Israel while looking away from death, destruction, and human suffering. The East is apparently waiting for the right moment to step in. As it is not an Arab-Israel war, the Ummah would not go beyond condemning the oppressor, of course, in the strongest possible words. Iran and Turkey, the two militarily strong Middle Eastern powers, have their own political and economic issues to address. The adjacent brotherly country of Egypt has outrightly refused to welcome the Palestinian refugees let alone play its due role. With all sorts of security fears in mind, the rich kingdoms are waiting for Allah to send some divine help. The UN Secretary General is clearing his throat in the face of his organisation losing the plot. He has not gone beyond verbally reprimanding Israel for the unjustified \u2018collective punishment\u2019 of Palestinians.
\nHowever, the entire world is pressing for distributing health and food supplies in Gaza. What does that mean? In simple words, it means that Israel has a license to kill, and it must not be stopped from achieving its stated strategic objectives. As human rights are more important than human beings themselves, the violation of human rights must be deplored. For the Palestinians to have their rights unwittingly violated, they must live. Hence, humanitarian aid and assistance must reach them immediately.
\nMeanwhile, the idea of Palestine, being a laboratory, is giving the skeptics s few sleepless nights.
\nThe question as to why the world is silently watching a whole population being maltreated in such a way is likely to remain unanswered. It seems immaterial if history will remember the oppressors in not-so-kind words. Creating fresh history seems to be more important to the powerful. Otherwise, why would the democratic, civilized, and developed world turn a blind eye to what has been happening in the besieged Gaza? In all probabilities, future history students will be reading a whole chapter on How Gaza Was won by Israel and how conscientiously the world stood by the \u2018oppressed\u2019 in the pursuit of justice and humanity.
\nClaiming a territory as one\u2019s own is not a new phenomenon. In fact, according to Rousseau, a Swiss philosopher and writer in the 18th century; \u2018the first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying This Is Mine, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society.\u2019 Whilst concluding his argument, he would warn us that \u2018you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.\u2019
\nThe world did not pay heed to what Rousseau said or meant when he pointed out the dangerous dimensions of one of our basic instincts- the sense of belonging and enforcing others to accept that This Is Mine. Referring to the case in point, respective claims over the \u2018promised land\u2019 make perfect sense. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Israel and the Palestinians will forgo their claims, even after the eagerly awaited truce.
\nOver millennia, the quest for peace has remained a cherished goal for humans. Whether one likes it or not, many still believe that war is an indirect way to achieve peace. From the Trojan Wars of the Greek era to the Hundred Years\u2019 Wars to WWI and WWII- one set of people fought with another mainly to satisfy their instinctive and material needs. The Vietnam War and the wars that followed involving Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria also prove the same point\u2026overpowering others to gain more influence or access to energy corridors or to flourish in business. In the process, not only the objectives remained the same, but the fa\u00e7ade also stayed as such\u2026we must fight for peace…!!
\nThe 17th-century philosopher, Rene Descartes, showed us another way of looking at this. Through his exultant declaration, cogito ergo sum, he explained how the power of thinking makes our existence possible. I think, therefore, I am. Note the word \u2018I\u2019 and its relevance to one\u2019s own thinking and in turn one\u2019s own existence. Instead of Israel or Palestine, put \u2018I\u2019 in the centre of the discussion and see how easy it is to explain what has been going on in the \u2018promised land\u2019, particularly since 1948.
\nOn the other hand, certain concepts like a country\u2019s \u2018national interest\u2019 or for that matter, the term, \u2018terrorism\u2019, have deliberately been kept undefined. The loose interpretation of events, actions, and reactions, thus, have been producing perplexing and distinct viewpoints. The same war is \u2018repression\u2019 for one party while it is the extension of one\u2019s national interest for the other. One man\u2019s hero could be a terrorist for another. Depending on which side of the table you are sitting at or who has the power to prevail, the justification for any act or omission will always be there. Surely, the explanation provided by the rich and powerful would invariably prevail. I think, therefore, I am. And I am right because I am mighty. Hence, just like previous similar events, the ongoing war in Gaza is likely to be won by Israel, one way or the other.
\nThat brings us to an intriguing set of questions. Is humanity willingly destroying itself on one pretext or the other? Where does this fatal streak lead us? Contrarily, is there any end to the meaningless discussions such as \u2018peace for all\u2019 or saving the planet from the hazards of Climate Change? What exactly is wrong with us? The simple answer is \u2018man as a man is a man throughout the world.\u2019 Unless one overcomes \u2018I\u2019 and replaces it with \u2018we\u2019, there is no way things would change. Considering the unchanged nature of \u2018my\u2019 instincts, it seems impossible. The bottom line? The elusive peace will keep on justifying present and future wars.
\nOne explanation was provided by Albert Camus in his award acceptance speech in 1957. This statement answers one of the questions more aptly. \u2018Each generation doubtless feels called upon to reform the world. Mine knows that it will not reform it, but its task is perhaps even greater. It consists in preventing the world from destroying itself.\u2019
\nCourtesy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Najm us Saqib When the rich make war, it\u2019s the poor that die – Jean-Paul Sartre The world seems helpless in putting an end to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel. The West is siding with Israel while looking away from death, destruction, and human suffering. The East is apparently waiting for the right […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[12978],"class_list":{"0":"post-365131","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-najm-us-saqib"},"yoast_head":"\n