Double standards in the West...and at home

In Pakistan in 2017, a council known as the Council of Elders, Panchayat, or Jirga in a remote area issued a disturbing order for a man to rape a 16-year-old girl as punishment and compensation because the girl's brother had raped his sister. In another instance, a local council issued a similarly horrifying decision to gang-rape a woman as punishment.

In some areas of Pakistan, it's deeply concerning that rapists are not brought to justice through the legal system. Instead, local or tribal authorities make "official" decisions that lead to the rape of the perpetrators' sisters. This represents a grave injustice, particularly when women in these areas are already marginalised and vulnerable.

Now, if this information shocks you, consider the following: What distinguishes these actions from those who defend the killing of Israeli children in response to the killing of Palestinian children? Both situations involve severe human rights violations and should be unequivocally condemned.

False reports and unconvincing claims

On a different note, there have been instances where the Israeli media spread false stories about the beheading of children. Even United States President Joe Biden initially adopted this narrative, only for the White House to discover hours later that the entire story was fabricated.

Additionally, Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy head of Hamas, shared an interesting perspective. In a recent television interview, he claimed that the instructions given to the Al-Qassam fighters were to adhere to Islamic principles during wartime, limiting their actions to fighting soldiers and militants only.

According to al-Arouri, the chaos that ensued, where some people in Gaza rushed to breach the borders, deviated from these Islamic teachings. Ironically, this narrative attributes any violations of Islamic principles not to the Hamas movement itself, but to the general population.

Khaled Mashal, the former head of the Hamas Political Bureau, stated in an interview with Al-Arabiya Network: "We have enough prisoners of Israeli soldiers to negotiate over our prisoners (in Israeli prisons), and we have conveyed to some countries our readiness to hand over civilian prisoners."

The question arises: Did Hamas capture civilians as Mashal claimed, or was it the people's actions, as al-Arouri suggested? This raises concerns about potential acts of treason.

Let's consider the possibility that the people of Gaza were indeed responsible for taking civilians, including children – there have been reports and images of the release of mothers and their children – why would Hamas still retain them if it follows the teachings of Islam, as it claims?

Demonstration of hypocrisy

Meanwhile, several European countries, which have permitted shows of support for Israel, have sought to restrict demonstrations held in support of Gaza, with some even threatening to arrest and deport some individuals involved.

Nonetheless, marches and protests have occurred in these countries, where participants raised the Palestinian flag and declared their unwavering solidarity with Gaza.

They also condemned the genocide being waged against Palestinians in Gaza by Israel. In a significant development, the French Supreme Court overturned the French government's decision and allowed demonstrations in Paris in support of Palestine.

In the US, the largest and strongest supporter of Israel, hundreds of American Jews organised an open sit-in at the Congress building, demanding an end to the Israeli war on Gaza and denouncing the massacres committed by Israel against the Palestinians.

At the same time, some Arab demonstrators, including intellectuals, journalists, and politicians, claim they would support Hezbollah if it opened the northern front and wage war on Israel.

They suggest they would forgive its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, for his role in the killing of hundreds of thousands of Syrians alongside Bashar al-Assad, all in the name of Palestine.

Is there a greater example of a moral divide than this? Then what amounts to a choice between different perpetrators of violence? A decision that must define which group's children are more valuable>

Undeniable truth and time to say "no"

Palestine's cause is an undeniable truth, and standing in solidarity with it is a humanitarian and moral obligation, above and beyond any Arab or Islamic duty.

Double standards in the West are nothing new. But can we face up to the issue of double standards in our own troubled East? Can we envision a demonstration – even if it involves only a few individuals – condemning the killing of all children?

Is it possible to imagine a group of Muslims coming together in one of the Arab or Islamic capitals, demanding a just peace and denouncing the killing of children?

We desperately need a few courageous voices that refuse to be silenced by accusations of betrayal and apostasy.

These voices should have the courage to ask questions, think freely, and say 'no' to duplicity and hypocrisy, both in the East and the West. They should say 'no' to killing children, regardless of their religious backgrounds – whether they are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or any other – and 'no' to favouring some criminals over others.

We have already endured enough political catastrophes; we do not need to compound them with moral and humanitarian equivalents.

The region truly needs to embrace reason and moral principles that denounce Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, its discriminatory treatment of Palestinians, and its justifications for violence.

The Israeli defence minister once deplorably referred to the people of Gaza as "human animals". We must recognise that such actions constitute crimes against humanity and violations of international law. The continuation of this occupation is incompatible with a world that aspires to a better future and the well-being of all humanity.

The need for a Palestinian state

On the other hand, we should embrace the Arab initiative – which outlines the foundation for peace as establishing a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This initiative was endorsed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which Israel recognised as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

It is also important to note that Hamas is the only group not yet acknowledged this initiative.

This criticism of Hamas does not stem from their resistance against the occupation, but rather from their refusal to align with the decisions and demands of the Palestinian people, which have been endorsed and approved by the PLO.

Hamas must acknowledge this and cease contributing to the division between Gaza and the West Bank, as it hinders progress toward a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian cause belongs to the Palestinian people. External entities such as Hezbollah, the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces militia, or the Iranian Revolutionary Guard should not manipulate or influence it.