THE recent attacks on several outlets of an American food chain might have seemed like an appropriate way to highlight the genocide in Gaza to a few, but, to the majority of people, it was anything but.

Protesting against injustice, especially against one as harrowing as the crisis in Gaza, is necessary. The action of protesting and boycotting Western products is not wrong. In fact, it is one of the most effective ways of doing something about the issue at the mass level. But punishing your own people for it seems a bit unjust and reckless.

Videos are circulating across social media showing people draining cola bottles from a poor delivery man. Now, what does your humanity say about this? Are we sure this is the right way? Should we commit injustice to protest against injustice elsewhere? For people scrabbling to get a livelihood in an economy like Pakistan’s, actions like these are as counterproductive as they are cruel.

People losing their jobs in today’s world is no joke, it is not something small. People have utility bills, rents to pay, and families to feed. Mob attacks on outlets cause not just property damage; they are a direct threat to the lives and livelihoods of people who likely have little knowledge of the geopolitical intricacies, let alone any control over them.

Burning your own house just because it is cold outside is not the solution one should go for. We live in a world where kindness is rare, and humanity is rarer. But maybe that is all the more reason to protect it fiercely when and where we can. Approaching each other with peace and tolerance should be our go-to move. Choosing peace, empathy and strategic resistance must be our way forward.

Sania Fatima
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2025