INSTEAD of exchanging greetings on Eidul Fitr this year, thousands of families across Iran, Lebanon and Gaza will be receiving condolences for the loss of loved ones. This Eid, the long shadow of war, death and human suffering has dampened the spirit of celebration across the Muslim world. Moreover, the internal disunity and weakness of Muslim countries have allowed hostile forces to launch wars of aggression, with no cogent response from the ummah. Over 1,400 people have been killed since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran late last month. Many of Iran’s top leaders have been wiped out, but the suffering of civilians is particularly acute, with the murder of nearly 180 people — mostly schoolchildren in the Iranian town of Minab — perhaps being the starkest example of the barbarity of this war.

Meanwhile, things are no better in Lebanon, where Israel has slaughtered nearly 1,000 people, while displacing close to a million since the start of this month. Though the ostensible trigger was rocket fire from Hezbollah, Israel had been violating the Lebanese ceasefire repeatedly. In Gaza, while the genocide by Israel is on pause, the situation has not returned to normal. Over 72,000 Palestinians in the occupied territory have been butchered since October 2023, and the humanitarian situation remains dire. Elsewhere, the normally glittering cities of the Gulf — considered oases of calm — have been rattled, as Iran has struck at what it claims are US and Israeli targets in the region. Countries in the vicinity, such as Pakistan, have also felt the heat of war, as fragile economies are exposed to rising energy prices and the threat of spill-over of the conflict.

As the heart of the Muslim world is exposed to ongoing devastation, the comity of Muslim states has been unable to respond to the challenges in any meaningful way. There was largely silence or ineffectual protests when Israel was slaughtering children in Gaza, when it was enlarging its occupation in Syria, and when the US-Israel combine began their assault on Iran. However, Iran’s counter-strikes have been criticised. There is certainly no doubt that Tehran’s attacks on targets in neighbouring countries are both ill-advised and imprudent. However, few are addressing the elephant in the room: the American and Israeli penchant for attacking sovereign states and destroying societies that do not toe their line. Had there been greater unity within the Muslim world, foreign aggressors would have thought twice about launching such criminal wars. Officials from many Muslim states, including Pakistan, met in Riyadh recently calling for an immediate halt to Iranian attacks on Gulf states. In addition to this, there should be a unanimous call from the OIC for an immediate cessation of the US-Israeli war on Iran and Lebanon.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026