THE world of Islam has listened to the felon, Donald Trump, and his indicted partner in crime, Benjamin Netanyahu, state their plan to impose indefinite colonial rule on Gaza in order to deport all surviving Gazans from their homeland and clear the way for American real estate developers and Israeli settlers. A similar genocide process to expel Palestinians from the West Bank is underway.

The open and utter contempt for the UN Charter, international law, and the Muslim world is breathtaking in its evil. It is no less than a final extremist Christian-Jewish-Zionist crusade against the Muslim world. The law of the jungle threatens to become the new rules-based world order unless concerned Americans halt their rampaging leader.

Accordingly, for those in the West, especially the US, who claim to oppose such mediaeval and self-destructive barbarism, the choice is clear: either stand up, reject, and defeat this dastardly crime in their name, or forever be complicit in genocide.

The Muslims of the world, of course, should be more than merely outraged against the satanic plans of the mightiest country on earth. They shall need to bend every physical, mental and moral fibre in them to counter the evil that confronts them and thereby keep their covenant with Allah. Otherwise, this wayward person will know no bounds in his evil intent to humiliate Muslims and expose their degradation, impotence and failure as a community.

Our outrage overwhelms us. It does not motivate us to do anything constructive.

This horrible moment has been in the making over decades by the sustained betrayal of a whole range of contemporary Muslim elites. They have progressively made an empty shell of their values, convictions and faith. Their governance has become the primary obstacle to the development of the talents of their peoples and the capacities of their countries. They have knowingly brought this moment of utter shame and disgrace upon their people and themselves. They continue to conspire against their people in league with their enemies in order to escape the consequences of their betrayal. Nothing could be more despicable.

Tragically, we as spectators, observers and commentators remain paralysed with our knowledge, fears and anxieties. Our outrage overwhelms us. It does not motivate us to do anything constructive. It merely confirms the contempt of our enemies.

Accordingly, the extremist Christian-Zionist crusader and the Israeli mass murderer feel completely secure and unrestrained. Trump has signed off on the resumption of Netanyahu’s genocide with his support for the mass deportation of the surviving wounded, sick, starving and devastated Gazans from Gaza. To top it all, Trump and Netanyahu are confident of the tacit, illicit or even open support they expect and demand from their Arab and other Muslim satraps. The ghost of Khashoggi seems stronger than ever! The dollar has become an article of faith for modern Muslim elites!

Meanwhile, we wait pathetically for another Salahuddin Ayubi to appear. Or can we become a billion Salahuddin Ayubis ourselves? The very thought seems to exhaust us. But we must and can transform ourselves if we still have a shred of the faith we claim. That faith will need to be received, interpreted and strengthened in a way that ensures success in today’s world, which in turn will require movements, struggle, sacrifice, good governance, institution building, education, justice, etc.

This would be the true ‘submission’ Islam envisions and enjoins; ie, surrender to the will of Allah by realising the potential and protecting the rights of all His creatures. This will also be a true jihad. These are unfortunately today mere words and wishes. and most of us are resigned to their remaining as such. But they can be much more if only we can respect ourselves and let our individual and collective conscience as well as our moral imagination move us to embark on an epic journey of change and discovery from tragedy and despair to achievement and fulfilment.

We have friends. But they can only help us if they see us helping ourselves. They do not. This has to change. We know the answers. We do not need a barrage of questions. Only with proper and collective resolve can the Trumps and yahoos of the world be sent packing.

Meanwhile, should Trump persist in his Islamophobic imperialism, all Muslim leaders will need to reconsider their relations with the US. They should emphatically condemn and reject his proposal to deport Palestinians from Palestine. They should realise that Israel will never consent to a Palestinian state in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. They should realise that instead, they will be expected to finance the colonial genocide of Trump and Netanyahu against their own brethren.

Accordingly, they should make clear their view that the UN headquarters should not be located in a country that has openly declared its enmity to the Arab and Muslim world.

OIC meetings have unfortunately become a laughing stock. Nevertheless, one should be immediately scheduled in an attempt to finally earn a measure of respect from the Muslim peoples of the world by considering a plan of action against the plans of Trump and Netanyahu.

Pakistan is the largest Muslim state in the heartland of Islam. Those who rule it today know in their hearts what is right and what is not. Let them pray for the conscience and courage to do what is right even at this late hour. They cannot lose if they do so. By respecting and submitting to the will of their people, they will help liberate Pakistan’s potential for itself, its Arab and Palestinian brethren, and indeed the entire Muslim world. That is the only way they can regain appreciation and respect. May the cynics and pessimists amongst us be proved wrong.

The writer is a former ambassador to the US, India and China, and head of UN missions in Iraq and Sudan.

ashrafjqazi@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2025