DURING his recent tour to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, United States President Donald Trump was accorded receptions and given gifts that were outlandish even by the standards of oil-rich Gulf states. Everything during the entire tour was marked by pomp and glitter.

Yet, these countries, and, indeed, others in the Islamic world, have not been able to feed their brethren undergoing un-precedented sufferings in Gaza for the last more than 20 months. This is as embarra- ssing as it is criminal.

During the trip, even Trump was quoted in international media as having noted that the people in Gaza were starving amid critically serious shortage of food and healthcare supplies. But the gracious — unnecessarily gracious — hosts could not take up the matter with their mighty guest.

Mansoor ul Haque Solangi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2025