Gaza is a graveyard of the Muslim world’s conscince
Gaza’s blood stains not only the hands of Israel, the U.S., and the West — but also those of 2 billion Muslims who remain silent witnesses.
By Saleema Gul
April 6, 2025
MONDOWEISS
Palestinian Muslims attend Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip March 30, 2025. (Photo: Ramy Mahmud/APA Images)
A week ago, Muslims across the world observed the Eid al-Fitr holiday on Sunday, March, 30. Millions celebrated with nice clothes, decorated homes and sweet desserts, as is the Islamic tradition on the Eid holidays. But in Gaza, Eid was observed under the weight of immense grief.
In a searing piece for The New Arab, Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed, from Gaza, writes:
“For 538 days, I mistakenly believed that the Muslim world would come to our aid… I ask you now: How can you rejoice while we are wrapped in shrouds? How can you wear your finest clothes while we are wrapped in shrouds? How can you enjoy sweets while the children in my neighbourhood draw food in the sand?”
He continues: “You will need Gaza more than Gaza needs you.” His words are not an exaggeration. They are an indictment. They are also a warning.
Abed’s piece, written from a state of malnutrition, moral clarity, and raw anguish, is a mirror held up to the Muslim world—a mirror that reflects not just silence, but decay.
What have we really done for Gaza? That is the only question worth asking this Eid.
‘We Care’ is not the same as ‘We Acted’
According to Al Jazeera’s live tracker, since the genocide began, over 61,709 Palestinians have been killed, including 17,492 children, 111,588 injured, with 14,222 reported missing and presumed dead.
A week ago, Muslims across the world observed the Eid al-Fitr holiday on Sunday, March, 30. Millions celebrated with nice clothes, decorated homes and sweet desserts, as is the Islamic tradition on the Eid holidays. But in Gaza, Eid was observed under the weight of immense grief.
In a searing piece for The New Arab, Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed, from Gaza, writes:
“For 538 days, I mistakenly believed that the Muslim world would come to our aid… I ask you now: How can you rejoice while we are wrapped in shrouds? How can you wear your finest clothes while we are wrapped in shrouds? How can you enjoy sweets while the children in my neighbourhood draw food in the sand?”
He continues: “You will need Gaza more than Gaza needs you.” His words are not an exaggeration. They are an indictment. They are also a warning.
Abed’s piece, written from a state of malnutrition, moral clarity, and raw anguish, is a mirror held up to the Muslim world—a mirror that reflects not just silence, but decay.
What have we really done for Gaza? That is the only question worth asking this Eid.
‘We Care’ is not the same as ‘We Acted’
According to Al Jazeera’s live tracker, since the genocide began, over 61,709 Palestinians have been killed, including 17,492 children, 111,588 injured, with 14,222 reported missing and presumed dead.
These figures do not include deaths caused by starvation, malnutrition, or the lack of medical care, as the majority of Gaza’s hospitals have been destroyed by Israel, as it continues to block the entry of medical supplies and essential medicines.
And yet, the mood in much of the Muslim world, though sympathetic, feels detached.
Empathy without action is complicity. We must ask ourselves: Is anything we’ve done for Gaza and the rest of Occupied Palestine truly enough?
Abed’s words cut deep because they are painfully true: “You never truly stood up against your governments, nor did you pressure them to end their sales and connections with Israel.”
While some may argue that Muslims globally are more engaged than ever before, that engagement has not translated into sustained, coordinated action.
Muslim heads of state issue carefully worded statements. Protestors chant in the streets, but the sound rarely makes it past their own echo chambers.
Many have kept the momentum alive in cities like New York and London. On campuses, students continue to resist at great personal risk.
But these pockets of sustained resistance are exceptions — not the rule.
WhatsApp groups that once buzzed with strategy meetings focused on Palestine have become increasingly rare, drowned out by spam. There is a noticeable dip in energy, urgency, and sustained engagement.
Meanwhile, major Muslim countries have offered no coordinated economic or political pressure on Israel. Instead, many have strengthened their ties. What’s more troubling is the lack of serious public response to hold these governments accountable.
Yes, it’s true: much of the Arab and Muslim world is ruled by dictators, autocrats, or governments reliant on Western support for their survival. But the Muslim world must ask itself: is that a valid excuse?
Must Palestinians give everything while we hide behind fear? And how else will change come if people do not mobilize against massive injustice with massive mobilization?
Blood for trillion-dollar deals
The moral decay runs deep when we follow the money.
On March 7, 2025, Newsweek reported that Saudi Arabia plans to invest $1.3 trillion with the U.S. “There is no one else in the world now who could compete for Trump’s attention as MBS does,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics in an interview with Newsweek.
Not to be outdone, Reuters reported on March 21, 2025, that the UAE has agreed to invest $1.4 trillion in the U.S. economy following a meeting with Trump at the White House.
According to Global Firepower, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, and Egypt all rank among the top 20 global militaries. Saudi Arabia is at 24 and has the largest military budget among Muslim countries, at $55.6 billion. Dozens of Muslim countries have considerable military and economic capacity.
Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia even helped intercept missiles from Iran — bolstering Israeli security while Gaza crumbles.
This is not mere cowardice. It is betrayal. Meanwhile, blood is literally flowing through the streets of Gaza in yet the latest massacre.
Duplicitous diplomacy
While the West unites to enable genocide — supplying weapons, funds, and political cover — Muslim states compete to see who can descend deeper into moral depravity.
On March 4, 2025, the UAE publicly endorsed Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan—a direct rebuke to Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza and rebrand it as a luxury resort, a dystopian, colonial “Riviera.” Yet according to Middle East Eye, the UAE simultaneously worked to sabotage that very plan.
A U.S. official told the outlet: “The UAE could not be the lone state opposing the Arab League plan when it was agreed, but they are trashing it with the Trump administration.”
This duplicity is not isolated. The UAE has destabilized regions from Gaza to Darfur while parading as a diplomatic leader.
Faith without deeds
The Quran is not ambiguous on injustice: “What is [the matter] with you that you do not fight in the cause of Allah for those who are oppressed among men, women, and children?” (Quran 4:74)
Dr. Asim Qureshi, Research Director at CAGE International, warns that the Muslim world faces not just a political crisis, but a moral and spiritual collapse. In an open letter to Islamic scholars, he asks: “If scholars are the inheritors of the prophets, why have they created such a gap between religious instruction and real-world action?”
Yet, much of the religious leadership offers little beyond charity drives and prayers. As Qureshi notes, the Muslim world is effectively subsidizing Zionist violence by constantly rebuilding what Israel destroys: “This Ummah’s wealth eventually trickles down to a Zionist system engaged in settler colonialism and apartheid.”
Indonesia, ranked 13th militarily, responded to the destruction of over 1,000 mosques by pledging to build 100 more. Meanwhile, the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem remains under threat, as extremist groups openly prepare for a third Jewish temple atop its grounds.
These groups not only dream of demolishing al-Aqsa but are actively preparing for it. So what is the Muslim world’s plan to defend al-Aqsa, one of the holiest sites in Islam?
In a significant development, prominent Muslim scholars, likely at great personal risk, have issued a fatwa calling for armed resistance to defend Gaza. This decree urges Muslim-majority countries to intervene politically, economically, and militarily against the ongoing genocide. This shift could mark a pivotal moment for the Muslim world. Just as the world once united to halt the Nazi regime’s efforts to exterminate the Jewish people during the Holocaust, so too perhaps, the world might finally recognize the right to defend Gaza under both international and natural law.
Final words. Last chances?
On March 24, 2025, Israel assassinated journalist Hossam Shabat. Just hours before his murder, Shabat called out to the Muslims, not to their governments, imploring them for help.
His final words, released posthumously, now echo louder than most of ours will in life.
Gaza does not have to be the graveyard of the Muslim world’s moral standing. If even a fraction of their economic, political, and military power were used with unity as leverage, Gaza could become a symbol of the Muslim world’s turning point. Shabbat, who gave everything — including his life — left us with these words:
“I ask you now: do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories — until Palestine is free.”
Opinion
Dear Muslims, don't break bread with Israel and expect Gaza not to judge
The deaf ears of the Muslim world and their indifference to Gaza will be judged. Muslims need Gaza much more than Gaza needs Muslims, writes Abubaker Abed.
Voices
Abubaker Abed
28 Mar, 2025
THE NEW ARAB
Our lives are shattered once more, the salt rubbed into our wounds. This isn’t some sort of aberration, this is genocide by design, writes Abubaker Abed [photo credit: Getty Images]
As I write this, I am malnourished because, for the past 20 days, my Muslim brothers and sisters have not been able to send even a bottle of water into Gaza.
For 538 days, I mistakenly believed that the Muslim world would come to our aid in our hour of need. Having expected so much from them over the past few months and receiving nothing in return, I am filled with deep disappointment — there were barely any protests and most people kept silent, scared of losing their jobs.
Maybe their careers are more important than the life of a Gazan child stolen just three days after birth, one of at least 15,500 other young souls taken by Israel over the last 17 months.
Dear Muslims, we never asked you to ease our suffering with bottles of water or food parcels. You misunderstood Islam when you chose this path. Sadly, you only act with Israel’s approval, as you’ve been unable to lift the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza for over 20 days.
You should have stood with us in the fight against injustice and oppression, not passively stood by. This is what Islam and the Quran teach us. Don’t just offer us well wishes while we continue to be slaughtered en masse.
Thank God, I am a Muslim and a Hafiz of the Quran. And as a student of sharia and Islamic studies for the past eight years, I’ve learned that Muslims must stand united in the face of extreme adversity, sharing in the pain of any Muslim, no matter who or where they are.
In Surah An-Nisa, verse 75, Allah asks why you don’t fight in His cause and help the weak, men, women, and children, who are in desperate need of your support.
So why haven’t you responded all these months? This is just one of many verses in the Quran urging you to fight to ease the suffering of your brothers and sisters. Yet, you have failed to act, even in the smallest of ways.
What truly saddens me, and should awaken your numb consciences, is that you have allowed your governments to support the killing and torture of us. Your governments maintain close ties with Israel, always eager to strengthen their military and diplomatic relationships, enabling our slaughter and scourge before your very eyes.
You never truly stood up against your governments, nor did you pressure them to end their sales and connections with Israel. What we are witnessing now is a systematic normalisation effort, aimed at dismantling the unity of the Muslim world and erasing our identity.
Muslims need Gaza, but Gaza doesn't need Muslims
During the holy month of Ramadan, we’ve seen the so-called Muslim leaders from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and others sit around the table with the US Secretary of State and Israeli officials — literally breaking bread with one another. Meanwhile, my family and I struggle to find anything to break our fasts.
I’ve seen thousands of you post your daily meals on social media. Did the prophets not teach you to share your food with others, or at the very least, to eat quietly so as not to offend those who cannot find any?
Haven’t your so-called Muslim leaders read the last verse of Surah Al-Mujadila, which says that genuine believers in Allah and the Last Day will not form alliances with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their closest relatives?
Day after day, you watch hundreds of us drowning in our own blood, thousands of exhausted families living in ramshackle tents, begging for food and water, and hundreds of barefoot, traumatised children shivering with fear, cold, and hunger in the sewage-filled streets. What have you truly done for them?
We wish we never had to lower our dignity in front of the world to ask for our basic human rights, but we were forced to because you and the world have tolerated our unimaginable suffering. Over 60,000 people have been killed and more than 110,000 maimed. Are you waiting for this number to double or triple? How much more do you need to see to finally act and stop the hell that is being inflicted upon us?
We’re now in the final days of Ramadan, one of the two periods Allah asked us to intensify our worship throughout the Hijri calendar.
In verse 76 of Surah al-Nisa, just one verse after Allah compels us to fight for those who have been wronged, Allah also prioritises struggling for the oppressed over prayers, Zakat, and fasting.
So when you go to the mosque and stand foot-by-foot to pray, what comes to your mind when you remember Gaza? That is, of course, if you remember it. I know many of you don’t.
We should have been together hand in hand to free the entire occupied Palestine and its holy religious places. But you resorted to normalising war criminals, giving up most of our land, and encouraging genocide in Gaza. Nothing has been achieved on the ground.
Instead, we received nothing but hollow platitudes and degrading pleas. Allah's mercy is greater than theirs, but you decided to live under theirs. He indeed bestows His blessings and mercies onto you daily, but you refuse to realise it.
I naively assumed that I would spend Ramadan peacefully and comfortably with my family. However, Israel did what Israel does: implemented a starvation strategy against us and closed the borders two days later. And it was so easy for Israel to do this because you did nothing.
Now, our lives are shattered once more, the salt rubbed into our wounds. This isn’t some sort of aberration, this is genocide by design.
Please remember, as you break your fast this evening, Gaza will eventually escape the horrors we face. We will regain our independence, our right to life, and justice for those who wronged us. And when that day comes, you will need Gaza more than ever — to avoid facing the biggest question in the hereafter or at least to preserve your humanity.
You’re losing both right now, and you’ll not find anyone to intervene for you tomorrow because you didn’t intervene when we needed you today. This must be your daily reminder.
Two days before Eid, I wonder how you will celebrate when the essence of celebration has been absent from our lives for nearly two years. How can you wear your finest clothes while we are wrapped in shrouds? How can you enjoy sweets while the children in my neighbourhood draw food in the sand? How can you go to the mosque, having witnessed the destruction and desecration of nearly 1,000 mosques in Gaza? And how can you visit your loved ones and rejoice at home while we stand in grief by the graves of our family members and dear ones?
Many questions weigh on my mind. But Eid is a time when all Muslims celebrate together. If this reality doesn’t cross your mind, then it’s not truly Eid — it’s merely fleeting, self-indulgent joy, stripped of both Islamic and human values. It’s like a neighbour throwing a party on the very day your father passed away.
I don’t know how to silence the relentless agony within me. My heart has no room left for more pain. Yet, instead of easing my burden, your actions only deepen my suffering.
Abubaker Abed is a Palestinian journalist, writer, and translator from Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp in Gaza, interested in sports and languages.
Follow him on X: @AbubakerAbedW
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.
Dear Muslims, don't break bread with Israel and expect Gaza not to judge
The deaf ears of the Muslim world and their indifference to Gaza will be judged. Muslims need Gaza much more than Gaza needs Muslims, writes Abubaker Abed.
Voices
Abubaker Abed
28 Mar, 2025
THE NEW ARAB
Our lives are shattered once more, the salt rubbed into our wounds. This isn’t some sort of aberration, this is genocide by design, writes Abubaker Abed [photo credit: Getty Images]
As I write this, I am malnourished because, for the past 20 days, my Muslim brothers and sisters have not been able to send even a bottle of water into Gaza.
For 538 days, I mistakenly believed that the Muslim world would come to our aid in our hour of need. Having expected so much from them over the past few months and receiving nothing in return, I am filled with deep disappointment — there were barely any protests and most people kept silent, scared of losing their jobs.
Maybe their careers are more important than the life of a Gazan child stolen just three days after birth, one of at least 15,500 other young souls taken by Israel over the last 17 months.
Dear Muslims, we never asked you to ease our suffering with bottles of water or food parcels. You misunderstood Islam when you chose this path. Sadly, you only act with Israel’s approval, as you’ve been unable to lift the ongoing Israeli blockade on Gaza for over 20 days.
You should have stood with us in the fight against injustice and oppression, not passively stood by. This is what Islam and the Quran teach us. Don’t just offer us well wishes while we continue to be slaughtered en masse.
Thank God, I am a Muslim and a Hafiz of the Quran. And as a student of sharia and Islamic studies for the past eight years, I’ve learned that Muslims must stand united in the face of extreme adversity, sharing in the pain of any Muslim, no matter who or where they are.
In Surah An-Nisa, verse 75, Allah asks why you don’t fight in His cause and help the weak, men, women, and children, who are in desperate need of your support.
So why haven’t you responded all these months? This is just one of many verses in the Quran urging you to fight to ease the suffering of your brothers and sisters. Yet, you have failed to act, even in the smallest of ways.
What truly saddens me, and should awaken your numb consciences, is that you have allowed your governments to support the killing and torture of us. Your governments maintain close ties with Israel, always eager to strengthen their military and diplomatic relationships, enabling our slaughter and scourge before your very eyes.
You never truly stood up against your governments, nor did you pressure them to end their sales and connections with Israel. What we are witnessing now is a systematic normalisation effort, aimed at dismantling the unity of the Muslim world and erasing our identity.
Muslims need Gaza, but Gaza doesn't need Muslims
During the holy month of Ramadan, we’ve seen the so-called Muslim leaders from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and others sit around the table with the US Secretary of State and Israeli officials — literally breaking bread with one another. Meanwhile, my family and I struggle to find anything to break our fasts.
I’ve seen thousands of you post your daily meals on social media. Did the prophets not teach you to share your food with others, or at the very least, to eat quietly so as not to offend those who cannot find any?
Haven’t your so-called Muslim leaders read the last verse of Surah Al-Mujadila, which says that genuine believers in Allah and the Last Day will not form alliances with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their closest relatives?
Day after day, you watch hundreds of us drowning in our own blood, thousands of exhausted families living in ramshackle tents, begging for food and water, and hundreds of barefoot, traumatised children shivering with fear, cold, and hunger in the sewage-filled streets. What have you truly done for them?
We wish we never had to lower our dignity in front of the world to ask for our basic human rights, but we were forced to because you and the world have tolerated our unimaginable suffering. Over 60,000 people have been killed and more than 110,000 maimed. Are you waiting for this number to double or triple? How much more do you need to see to finally act and stop the hell that is being inflicted upon us?
We’re now in the final days of Ramadan, one of the two periods Allah asked us to intensify our worship throughout the Hijri calendar.
In verse 76 of Surah al-Nisa, just one verse after Allah compels us to fight for those who have been wronged, Allah also prioritises struggling for the oppressed over prayers, Zakat, and fasting.
So when you go to the mosque and stand foot-by-foot to pray, what comes to your mind when you remember Gaza? That is, of course, if you remember it. I know many of you don’t.
We should have been together hand in hand to free the entire occupied Palestine and its holy religious places. But you resorted to normalising war criminals, giving up most of our land, and encouraging genocide in Gaza. Nothing has been achieved on the ground.
Instead, we received nothing but hollow platitudes and degrading pleas. Allah's mercy is greater than theirs, but you decided to live under theirs. He indeed bestows His blessings and mercies onto you daily, but you refuse to realise it.
I naively assumed that I would spend Ramadan peacefully and comfortably with my family. However, Israel did what Israel does: implemented a starvation strategy against us and closed the borders two days later. And it was so easy for Israel to do this because you did nothing.
Now, our lives are shattered once more, the salt rubbed into our wounds. This isn’t some sort of aberration, this is genocide by design.
Please remember, as you break your fast this evening, Gaza will eventually escape the horrors we face. We will regain our independence, our right to life, and justice for those who wronged us. And when that day comes, you will need Gaza more than ever — to avoid facing the biggest question in the hereafter or at least to preserve your humanity.
You’re losing both right now, and you’ll not find anyone to intervene for you tomorrow because you didn’t intervene when we needed you today. This must be your daily reminder.
Two days before Eid, I wonder how you will celebrate when the essence of celebration has been absent from our lives for nearly two years. How can you wear your finest clothes while we are wrapped in shrouds? How can you enjoy sweets while the children in my neighbourhood draw food in the sand? How can you go to the mosque, having witnessed the destruction and desecration of nearly 1,000 mosques in Gaza? And how can you visit your loved ones and rejoice at home while we stand in grief by the graves of our family members and dear ones?
Many questions weigh on my mind. But Eid is a time when all Muslims celebrate together. If this reality doesn’t cross your mind, then it’s not truly Eid — it’s merely fleeting, self-indulgent joy, stripped of both Islamic and human values. It’s like a neighbour throwing a party on the very day your father passed away.
I don’t know how to silence the relentless agony within me. My heart has no room left for more pain. Yet, instead of easing my burden, your actions only deepen my suffering.
Abubaker Abed is a Palestinian journalist, writer, and translator from Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp in Gaza, interested in sports and languages.
Follow him on X: @AbubakerAbedW
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.
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