By Merve Berker
ANKARA (AA) – “What is happening in Gaza is a Nazi Holocaust war, suspected of ethnic cleansing,” the secretary-general of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) said on Sunday.
“When we see Gaza burning and its people suffering, we find ourselves facing one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of modern times,” Ali Muhiuddin Al-Qurra Daghi stated on X.
“Children are being killed and women are dying, while the Palestinian people are trying to defend their land and rights,” he said.
“The pictures and reports that we receive from Gaza show the tragedy that the people of Palestine are experiencing, but the question is: Where are the Muslim rulers?” he questioned.
“Where are the people who claim to be people of conscience?” he questioned, stressing: “The barbarism and brutal cruelty to which the people of Gaza are exposed requires the intervention and support of Arab Muslim leaders and rulers.”
“Innocent lives are being lost day after day, even if they are in hospitals that are supposed to be a safe haven for the wounded and sick, as well as mosques and churches being destroyed, and the world is silently witnessing this nightmare and does not move to defend the rights of these people,” the secretary-general lamented.
Questioning the position of the Arab and Islamic world in the face of the tension between Israel and Palestine, the official criticized: “Some Muslim rulers seem to have forgotten their identity, and are focusing on their personal interests rather than taking action to help the people of Gaza.”
He further asked: “Where are the international organizations and human rights organizations? Why are they not breathing? Why are they silent?”
“We see the violation of their humanitarian demands when they remain silent in the face of these ongoing crimes,” he emphasized.
“We cannot deny the role of Western rulers in worsening the situation in Gaza,” he asserted, noting: “We are concerned about human rights and the rights of women and children, but do you look at these massacres committed by the occupation? Are these murdered not children, women and elderly men?”
“What is happening in Gaza is a Nazi Holocaust war, suspected of ethnic cleansing,” he decried.
“Before God and before subsequent generations, everyone who neglected these human disasters will be questioned,” he said.
He questioned: “Where are the representatives of the United Nations and human rights organizations? Where are you, heads of churches and the Pope of the Vatican? Where are you too, Westerners who claim to defend human rights? Will you continue to watch and close your eyes to these atrocities?”
“We cannot ignore the tragedy suffered by the Palestinian people in Gaza. We need global action and solidarity to confront these crimes and stop the humanitarian deterioration in the region.
“Silence and inaction are no substitute for a strong stance and international cooperation,” he underlined.
Reminding that “Gaza is the qibla (center/direction) of Muslims and is a holy land,” he urged all to “stand by the Palestinian people and support them in their just struggle to regain their rights and freedom.”
-‘Silence will only exacerbate problem’
“Ignoring this tragedy and remaining silent will only exacerbate the problem and increase the amount of pain and suffering,” he warned.
“All nations, states and international organizations must assume their responsibilities and take action to protect the Palestinian people in Gaza,” he pointed out, saying: “The massacre taking place there calls for global solidarity and immediate action to stop these crimes and achieve justice and peace in the region.”
“We must not forget that the lives of children, women and the elderly in Gaza are worth defending, and that silence and inaction will have a heavy price in the future.”
The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army continues to target Gaza with intensive airstrikes that have destroyed entire neighborhoods, killing 4,651 Palestinians, including 1,873 children and 1,023 women, and injuring 14,245, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.