News:

Since Friday (18th July 2014), the world was awakened by strong condemnation from top Turkey's leadership of indiscriminate violence perpetrated by the illegal Zionist entity against the people of Gaza. Military offensive into Gaza by the Zionist defence forces comprising of aerial bombardments as well as ground operations have caused countless civilian death including defenceless women and children. This yet another series war crime by the Zionist has sparked numerous protests around the world and Turkey's response shows it do not want to be outperform in this yet another game of condemnation.

Daily Sabah reported on Friday, Turkish President Abdullah Gül has warned Israel of "consequences" if it does not stop its attacks on Gaza's civilian population. In similar tone, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lashed out at Israel labelling it as terrorizing and carrying out genocide in Gaza. He also has not spared United Nation out when accusing the later of "serving a secret cause" and lambasted the Muslim world for not working to stop the killings in Gaza (Today's Zaman).

Comment:

It is true that no Muslim with sane mind will keep quite in the face of what has happened to our brothers and sisters in Gaza for the past 2 weeks. In fact, no Muslim with correct mind set will feel content with the situation befallen the Palestinian for the past decades. This is not a new tragedy. This is not a new massacre by the illegal Zionist occupier. People in the blessed land of Palestine has been living in terror and oppressed days in and days out for tens of years since the conflict begins.

Yet we keep hearing the same rhetoric coming out of Muslim's leaders all over the world every time Palestinian being prosecuted mercilessly. We keep numbed by the same condemnation statement made every time the Zionist broke every human rights of the Palestinian. However, these words coming out of those so called defender of Islam have the same characteristic; void of any substance. It is loud yet of no significant impact to the situation. It became a race of who can made the strongest voice and who can issue the most daring condemnation. When time passes, Gaza will be left razed to the ground, innocent lives perished and Muslims blood spilt, but not a single Muslim army will move their feet even an inch towards Palestine to defend their honour.

Dear Muslim Leaders of the World, why have you keep requesting the sterile United Nation to defend our brothers in Palestine while you keep your precious armaments in their depot accumulating dust and rusts? Why has you complained that the World has not taken up actions to protect the Palestinian while you yourself keep millions of your young fighters in their barracks gazing blankly at imaginary border drawn by the old colonials? Indeed Mr Erdogan, you are right when you say, "Muslim world, where are you? Is your heart not aching over what is happening? We keep asking why the West is silent. Leave the West aside! Will others be concerned if your own family [of Muslim nations] does not care?" But will you self-reflect those words into the mirror? Were you not have the power to make the required actions?

Why have we only hear empty threats over and over again even though your own people have been killed on the Freedom Flotilla three years ago? How much blood of the Muslims need to be split more before real action will be taken in place of empty remarks of condemnation? How many Palestinian children need to be mutilated before your army can start marching south? How many of our sisters need to be raped before you realize it is your own honour is being stripped naked? Verily remember the words of our Prophet:

حدثنا عبد الله بن عمر قال رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يطوف بالكعبة ويقول «ما أطيبك وأطيب ريحك ما أعظمك وأعظم حرمتك والذي نفس محمد بيده لحرمة المؤمن أعظم عند الله حرمة منك»

Abdulla bin Umar said - I saw the Prophet doing tawwaf around the Ka'aba saying "How sweet/ good are you and how sweet is your scent. How great are you and how great is your sanctity. By the One who the soul of Mohammad is in His Hand the sanctity of a believer is greater with Allah than your sanctity." (Ibn Maja)

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Yusuf Idris