Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari
The post-Renaissance European ruling class has become known worldwide as one of the most horrific perpetrators of destructive, painful, and degrading atrocities in human history.
Armed with material knowledge borrowed from Muslims and the East, but without any ethical anchor, Europe’s various ruling elites unleashed their newfound energy on the discovery of the then-new world. This led to merciless settler-colonial enterprises in the two Americas and Australia.
The savage violence led to the ethnic cleansing of indigenous inhabitants to establish settler-colonial states. The further colonisation of many weaker nations in Asia and Africa with unbridled firepower and a ‘divide and conquest’ policy is a testament to the devastation inflicted upon the wider world.
However, with nationalistic conflict erupting among several countries, Europe fell on its own sword and engaged in two catastrophic world wars in the first half of the 20th century, with tens of millions of human casualties. In the aftermath of this bloodbath, the desire and ability for direct colonialism ended.
The US arose as a new superpower, overshadowing Europe in its dominance of the rest of the world through political, economic, and military might. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the 9/11 atrocities on US soil a decade later gave America the conviction that it possessed the “manifest destiny” in the world.
The American media and academic establishment pumped out a stream of anti-Muslim views. As the sole hyperpower with a neoliberal interventionist agenda, America turned its gun against the Arab and Muslim world.
Israel as the West’s settler colonial state
As the British and other European powers waned after World War II, the newly created state of Israel soon found a more fervent and powerful ally in America for its, ultimate, goal of a total seizure of historic Palestine.
The story of Israel’s creation bears the hallmarks of past European settler expeditions. As the Ottoman Empire was losing its firm grip on its Arab provinces in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jewish immigrants from Europe slowly began arriving in Palestine. While the Jewish presence increased, the numbers were still minute.
The Sykes–Picot Agreement in 1916 and the Balfour Declaration in 1917 radically changed the status quo. Many Zionists from Eastern Europe poured into Palestine.
In the short few years after 1924, the Jewish population had risen by 16%, but Jews owned only 4% of the land. As a result, indigenous Arabs became increasingly concerned, and skirmishes erupted between the two groups.
Britain initiated the “Palestine Royal Commission,” also known as the “Peel Commission,” to investigate the causes of unrest and eventually recommend the partition of Mandatory Palestine in 1937, with 33% of the country becoming a Jewish state.
The Arabs vehemently opposed the partition plan. Britain, as the Mandate power, dissolved all Palestinian political organisations, deported leaders, and established military courts against Palestinian rebellion.
The creation of Israel in historic Palestine, inhabited by indigenous people for centuries, was the last-ditch attempt to create a settler-colonial state in the heart of the Arab world. In his phenomenal book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, prominent Israeli historian Ilan Pappé writes, “The 1948 Palestine-Israel War is known to Israelis as the War of Independence, but for Palestinians it will forever be the Nakba, the catastrophe.
Alongside the creation of the state of Israel, the end of the war led to one of the largest forced migrations in modern history. Around a million people were expelled from their homes at gunpoint, civilians were massacred, and hundreds of Palestinian villages were deliberately destroyed.
Though the truth about mass expulsion has been systematically distorted and suppressed, had it taken place in the twenty-first century, it could only have been called ethnic cleansing.”
Ethnic cleansing of Palestinian villages and settling Jewish immigrants from outside Palestine to occupy their homes, often forcibly and barbarically, bears semblance to the inhumane methods used by European settlers in the Americas and Australia a few centuries prior.
Jews had lived in peace and harmony in Muslim-ruled Spain and in the Ottoman Empire for over a millennium, in sharp contrast to the persecution they often faced in Christian Europe.
Sadly, the European secular Zionists in New Israel returned this Muslim friendship with a brutal occupation and subjugation of their historic friends. Prominent human rights groups, including Israeli-led organisations, have declared Israel a settler-colonial and apartheid state, even before the recent Gaza crisis.
Bringing justice to Palestine
The Global North ruling class, led by America and armed with an arsenal of political, military, financial, and media might, sees the world through a prism of entitlement. However, the rest of the world, including the Global South and a significant proportion of ordinary citizens in the West itself, see things very differently.
Humanity is now sharply divided between a powerful and arrogant minority and a disempowered and voiceless majority, yet the latter has recently gained greater confidence in challenging the ruling elites and their complicit media partners everywhere.
The Global North’s experiment with its settler colony state of Israel will undoubtedly fail because every occupation has its inevitable natural resistance. Ordinary citizens, the moral majority of the world, can play their part and maximise their effectiveness in supporting this effective challenge through multifaceted steps.
Educating, empowering, and strengthening people everywhere is vital. Countries of the Global South as well as communities and civil society groups across the world must invest in producing social, political, and intellectual leaders that one day will create a better generation equipped with material and spiritual strength.
Change often starts with a small group of highly dedicated individuals who can inspire and mobilise others.
Short-term steps to drive change:
Peaceful Protests: Organise peaceful protests and demonstrations to draw attention to injustice. Numbers are as vital as demonstrating physical presence in protest marches to rally ordinary citizens. With good community and social leadership, diaspora communities can play strong roles.
Education & Awareness: Raise awareness about the issues that need to be addressed. Inform people about the social and political matters at hand and their impact.
Organise & Mobilise: Create or join groups, organisations, or movements that focus on positive changes that serve the local community.
Advocacy and Lobbying: Advocate for positive causes through peaceful demonstrations, petitions, and lobbying policymakers.
Public Engagement: Engage with the public through social media, community events, and discussions to build support for significant causes.
Voting & Elections: Encourage others to participate in elections, run for office, or support candidates who align with values that work for the common good.
Building Alliances: Collaborate with other groups or individuals who share similar goals.
Long-term steps to drive change:
Long-Term Vision: Develop a clear and inspiring long-term vision for the community and how it will improve people’s lives.
Patience & Persistence: Social and political change often takes time, so patience is a prerequisite.
Leadership & Role Models: Identify and promote local leaders or role models who can inspire others to act and become more engaged.
Community Engagement: Create opportunities for community members to participate in decision-making and become part of the change process.
Communication: Maintain open and effective communication channels to keep people informed about progress and developments.
Empowerment: Provide the necessary tools, resources, and training to empower individuals within the community to take initiative and lead change efforts.
Partnerships: Collaborate with local organisations, NGOs, or government agencies that can provide support, resources, and expertise.
Monitoring & Evaluation: Establish a system to track progress and measure the impact of the changes being implemented.
Photo: Palestine refugees (British Mandate of Palestine), making their way from Galilee in October-November 1948. (Credit: WikiCommon)
Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Educationalist and Author
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