Gaza is a graveyard of the Muslim world’s conscience

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.”