🇵🇸 📝 Gaza Under Attack 2023/ notes

📝 my notes

Photo by Latrach Med Jamil on Unsplash

History is a great indicator. The US Iraq war was marketed as fighting terrorism, we later learned that it was about oil and money. Today the Palestinian genocide is being marketed as Israel defending itself. Tomorrow, we will learn it was about real estate and ethnic cleansing. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Israel has doubled down on its genocidal attacks on civilian populations. Israel has been killing and oppressing innocent civilians since even before Hamas existed. Decades of violence continues till this day. Hamas doesn’t operate in the West Bank and yet Israel still oppresses and kills innocent civilians in the area. The question must be asked to those in support of Israel’s genocidal endeavours. If you’re angry at Hamas for the hostages, you should be horrified at Israel for the mass genocide It’s committing against Palestinian civilians.

The irony of ironies

Those that have for decades spent their efforts accusing countless innocent parties of promoting violent jihad, have no problem condoning genocide by way of religious and political justification. The reality is that the Zionist movement has not had the same quality of media training like Muslims have had for decades.

For years, Muslims have had to tread the fine line of defending the innocent whenever slander and injustice occur and condemning the guilty whenever acts of violence happen. Especially when the perpetrators of violence happen to be Muslim. The Zionist movement on the other hand has only known one gear. Which was, and still is, to defend Israel’s actions at all costs, no matter how atrocious the crime. Because, with the help of mass media and western power, distribution of information was effectively controlled to suit Zionist/Israeli narrative.

In recent years, popular media has lost its control over distribution of information, and they are desperately trying to find ways to claw back control. On social media platforms for example, they hope to gain better control by ways of shadow banning, censorship, and access limitations to those that “violate guidelines”. The Zionist movement, however, shows no signs that it has adapted to the current political climate. When it is abundantly clear to the public that Israel is carrying out mass genocide against Palestine, the only response that the Zionist movement can offer is to unapologetically defend Israel’s actions. And in turn the media is failing to help cover up the cracks in the Zionist narrative. Muslims are aware of the side of history they should be on.

A few more years

Israel can no longer control the distribution of information throughout social media, and this scares them. More people are realising the atrocities Israel is committing on Palestine. More people are starting to realise the lies they have been fed for years by the media. This is why we are seeing Zionists taking an increasingly aggressive stance against those of us who are calling out Israel to end this genocide.

No longer, will you hear many Zionists refuting the accusation of genocide, as most media outlets have made the word palatable now. You are now straight up condemned for calling for a ceasefire on a civilian population. If you call for an immediate end to mass genocide and destruction, it’s antisemitism. Jews that call for peace and end to the violence are labelled as ‘self-hating Jews’. Once again, they are reframing the discussion because they realise their narrative is slipping and people are starting to think carefully about what they are supporting.

Governments and organisations that are supporting Israel’s genocidal ambitions are being called out more frequently. The Zionist movement is at risk of losing a significant amount of funding from around the world in the coming years as governments and corporations become less ambitious and more conservative with spending. Because, when the general population becomes increasingly concerned about global political financial events, shareholders and investors start de-risking their investments.

Salafis, loyalties and Palestine

The current crisis in Gaza in shedding light on many weak parts of our ummah today. Such as, the pacifist Salafi scholars and their loyalties to rulers who are normalising ties with Israel, while it oppresses Palestinians. These rulers cannot even tolerate scholars questioning their policies, it’s not hard to imagine what kind of swift crackdown would ensue on those critical of their governments’ lack of action on the current genocide taking place in Gaza.

Such scholars’ entire mentality is governed by their rulers, and many Salafi students in turn import this mentality to the UK. It’s therefore no surprise several influencers of the Salafi persuasion demonstrate a severely handicapped understanding of the modern political landscape in the UK, and in turn send mixed messages on issues like boycotting, protests and activism. All of which, by their very nature, challenge political authority.

Some have gone as far as to suggest that it’s haram to boycott companies that are in support of Esrael. It doesn’t take a genius to understand why some would suggest this. It’s due to their unquestioning allegiance to foreign senior Salafi scholars on all matters (Kibar). For a movement that eschews blind following, it’s sad that most Salafīs ironically blind follow the ‘Kibar’ that are of one particular nationality and government appointed.

Is Faris Hammadi a Zionist apologist?

His latest controversy is now that boycotting for the Palestinian cause is not halal. So the people of Saudi, for every day, week or month that you don’t go and eat at McDonalds, you are sinning according this guy. His excuse as expected; “because the rulers…”. However, we ought to be aware of a narration recalling a time, when Thumamah bin Uthal became Muslim in front of the Messenger, he boycotted one of the Messenger’s enemies, by saying…

“By Allah! You will not get a single grain of wheat from Yamama until it is permitted by the Messenger.” (Muslim)

It’s actually sad that there are people who still think this guy is credible. Go look at his social pages. He himself claims he’s only studied the religion for 12 years. The writing is on the wall quite literally. From the things he says and the way he says them, it’s clear that he’s just mouthpiece for the rulers and nothing more. He’s not even close to a scholar, yet his appearance and mannerisms would have believe he’s someone of significance in knowledge.

The fact that people believe Faris Hammadi is a learned figure, is a great misfortune for this ummah. A common theme with many of those who take their understandings from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab… is that they would rather sell their religion to the Saudi government and their jahilliyah than have a backbone. Thankfully Muslims in the UK have largely matured and moved away from the political teachings and misguided shenanigans of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

Similarly there seems to be people like Faris Hammadi advising Muslims that we shouldn’t be protesting because of fatwas from foreign Salafi scholars. These scholars from abroad haven’t the knowledge of western contexts to be issuing fatwas for us in the UK. It’s a mistake to import their fatwas without qualification. Local scholarship should be utilised instead for issues like this. Protests, rallies, and marches are all means to achieve some objective.

Regarding this issue, some passages that come to mind.

God does not like bad words to be made public unless someone has been wronged: He is all hearing and all knowing. (Quran 4:148)

Abu Hurayra said, “A man said, ‘Messenger, my neighbour does me harm.’ He said, ‘go & take your things out into the road.’ He took his things out into the road. People gathered around him & asked, ‘what’s wrong?’ He replied, ‘my neighbour injures me. I told the Messenger & he told me to take my things onto the road.’ They began to say, ‘O Allah, curse & disgrace the neighbour!’ Only then the neighbour came to the man & said, ‘go back to your home. I will not harm you.’” (Al Adab Al Mufrad)

Today protests have become a main form of activism for raising awareness on a large scale. There’s nothing inherently wrong with protesting providing the basic Islamic etiquettes are followed. We should also look to our local scholarship and leadership for guidance on these issues. Especially in recent times when genocide and oppression is being normalised in Palestine and other parts of the world, protesting to send a collective, effective message for immediate change seems even more necessary.

Mohamad Hijab vs Piers Morgan

Hijab, like he usually does, came with a lot of charged emotions. His emotions might come from a good place but what was shown generally doesn’t translate well on screen. Though I think I understand why he might have taken this approach in this instance. He knew media trained Piers would have gotten the better of him if he wasn’t careful. Overall, his approach was expected. What I’ve seen people take away from Hijab’s previous debates is the notion that such behaviour and attitude is normally justified in dawah and Islamic discourse. It’s not. Extremely little if not none of what many of these Hyde Park Muslim debaters do is prophetic in origin. A benefit I can see from this debate is that Piers had a wakeup call. He looked scared to press Hijab towards the end. Many will take Hijab’s key points and they should reuse them, hopefully a little more eloquently. We are at the end of the day human, and as Muslims we wear our emotions on our sleeves. Especially when it comes to our brothers and sisters being brutally oppressed around the world by tyrants and terrorist states.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that in years to come, people will look back at this genocide which Israel (the Occupier) is committing on 2 million hostages they have kept blocked in Gaza. People will look at the facts and figures and ask, “why were so many people around the world supporting mass genocide and decades of oppression against civilian hostages in Palestine?”. By then it will have become too late. The war criminals and supporters of genocide, the Netanyahus, Bidens, Sunaks, the Piers Morgans and Ben Shapiros of this world will be long forgotten. Their names will be inked in the pages of history books for the few who will want to remember.

Their fears

Through this genocide Israel and its supporters have shown their true intent & colours to the world. And the world will never forget. We live in an online age where everything we say is recorded. Years from now Zionists and their supporters will backtrack on their support of an entire genocide and the world won’t let them. Media outlets supporting Israel realise they have ‘fumbled the bag’ this time round. Israel and traditional media no longer control the distribution of information, we do! Trust in the government and the media is at an all time low. They all realise they have calculated this wrong. Every decision and censorship they are making is purely out of fear and panicking.

They fear the boycotts. They fear the protests. They fear the world is awake. Silence is not an option. Forgetting is not an option. Freedom however is guaranteed for the people of Palestine either in this lifetime or the next. Their statuses will be raised in this world and the next.

And your Lord is never forgetful. (Quran 19:64)

Free Palestine!