Kamran Chouhan
KARACHI: The situation is perplexing; what to say and what to understand? When Iran retaliated against Israel, there was initial praise followed by a sudden flurry of peculiar comments. Let’s attempt to decipher some straightforward points that might resonate with you.
While atrocities mount against Palestine by Israel, Iran, along with 57 Islamic countries’ leaders, limited themselves to mere condemnatory statements. On the other hand, a digital wave of condemnation persists among all Muslims, including myself.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t even boycott Israeli products as effectively as warranted. Nonetheless, as we move forward, let’s recall Iraq’s missile strikes on Israel in 1991, without any significant support, marking a pivotal moment when Iraq was made an example, cautioning the Muslim world that attacking Israel would result in dire consequences globally.
This narrative has been ingrained for the past fifty years, leading Muslim countries to refrain from launching any significant attacks on Israel, except for Iran, whose actions were often labeled as mere criticism or terrorist acts.
When Iran issued a threat against Israel, the Muslim world, particularly Iran, was convinced that any attack on Israel would lead to obliteration. Consequently, verbal condemnations from the Muslim world failed to progress beyond rhetoric against Israel’s unjust actions towards Palestinians.
However, ultimately, Iran shattered the “fear barrier,” demonstrating what perhaps no other Muslim country could. By launching drones against Israel, Iran not only received resounding support from Muslims worldwide but also provided a response to Israel’s oppression against Palestinians. Yet, instead of condemning Israel, some started to criticize Iran’s drone attacks, turning them into targets of criticism.
The question arises: why couldn’t any other Muslim country, besides Iran, take such action? Moreover, what’s the reason behind those Muslim countries maintaining favorable relations with America and Israel, refraining from easing the pain in the hearts of Muslims worldwide by taking significant action or at least condemning the injustices?
Well, Iran took the lead; now it’s up to the remaining Muslim countries to respond to the hopes of oppressed Palestinians by retaliating against Israel and convincing Iran that they too can take such “bold” actions.