Beyond Fear’s Vast, Rising Walls

Remembering Mercy, Taking Action: Beyond Fear’s Vast, Rising Walls


Former US president Jimmy Carter stated last week that it was a "crime against the people of Palestine" for foreign governments to halt aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas took over. His new book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, has strongly criticized Israel and the United States for blocking serious peace initiatives and exacerbating terrorism in the Middle East.

Not surprisingly, Jimmy Carter has been attacked right back. Right wing think tanks and Zionist pundits plot their revenge. Universities have refused to allow him to speak on campus. It is remarkable that a former President is treated this way, especially one so distinguished in service in the last decades and a man far, far superior to the President currently in office. He deserves our support.

Meanwhile, Unity Government talks with Hamas have collapsed. And the Palestinian people live with huge unemployment, alienation, and increasing insecurity. While living in such fear and suffering, however, human rights activists in Palestine do not only think of themselves, but call for universal human rights protection. When one part of the human body is injured, the whole feels pain.

This is why Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi has joined with other leading human rights defenders to sign a letter of concern regarding violent targeting of women and other vulnerable civilians in Darfur. "Women and young girls live in constant fear of attack," read the letter. It accused Sudan's government of being "unwilling or unable to protect its own civilians".

As Muslims we all know we must remember Palestine. Why don’t we have room in our hearts for African Muslims? Yet, even in their suffering, Palestinians like Hanan Ashrawi remember Darfur!

Why is Khartoum so unwilling to protect its civilians? Why did the Cities of the Plain reject the Prophet Lot? Sodom was unwilling to protect the stranger and the vulnerable within its walls. Sodom used rape as a weapon of intimidation. The same is happening in Darfur.

The UN Darfur Task Force Situation stated: "UNICEF has completed a child protection survey in Tawila. The report confirms a host of disturbing findings from the recent inter-agency mission, including a very large number of rape cases, in one case targeting 41 school girls and teachers, gang rape of minors by up to 14 men, abduction of children and women as well as killings of many civilians"

It is hard to understand how it is happening in a Muslim country, but rape and looting has been going on for three years. Amnesty International reports: “A Zaghawa man from Miski, in the district of Kutum, stated: "At 7am in August 2003, our village was surrounded by the Janjawid; we heard machine guns and most of the people ran away, some were killed while trying to escape. My sister, M., aged 43, was captured by the military and the Janjawid. They tried to sleep with her. She resisted, I was present and could hear her: "I will not do something like this even if you kill me" and they immediately killed her. Other people were also present when this happened."

The reports include many other testimonies, such as; “S. was five months pregnant when she was abducted with eight other women during an attack in Silaya, near Kulbus. According to S.: "After six days some of the girls were released. But others as young as eight years old were kept there. Five to six men would rape us in rounds, one after the other for hours during six days, every night. My husband could not forgive me. After this, he disowned me."

Should we make excuses for the tribes or for the government of Sudan, as the violence spreads across the borders of Chad? This is not the first divisive war within the boundaries of Sudan. Are Muslims to turn their heads when over two million fellow Muslims are pushed from their homeland? At least Palestinians understand! How about you?

“Peace upon you guests from an unknown people!” said the Prophet Ibrahim (Q:51:24), but continuing on their way to Sodom, the strangers were attacked as a rejection of Lot’s Prophethood. Sodom was punished. Similarly, the people of Thamud were destroyed for their rejection of Salih and his prophetic lessons on protection of the vulnerable.

And are we Muslims rejecting the lessons of Darfur? Are we so hard hearted now, that when others we dispute with are sometimes correct, we dare not join with them in true opinion? Just because Jews perceive the tragedy of Darfur, do we Muslims have the right to turn our backs on our brothers and sisters?

Each side has built a wall of rigid ideology and named it justice. Each side lives in suffering and constant fear.

But what are other leading Palestinian Rights activities doing now? They are working for peace in Darfur. They are reaching out to us and we need to reach out to them. You may have heard of them. Adam Shapiro is well known in our community as co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (www.palsolidarity.org) in Palestine. Jen Marlowe coordinated and directed a conflict transformation program in Jerusalem, creating and implementing co-existence programs for hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli youth. Following Rachel Corrie’s untimely death, Jen is a founding member of the "Rachel's Words" initiative (www.rachelswords.org). Now, together with activist Aisha Bain, Adam and Jen have produced an important new film called “Darfur Diaries.”

Jen tells me that this film has been shown on LINKTV. In the coming week it will show at the Karachi International Film Festival. The film helps provide clarity about the need for immediate action, peacekeepers and access to food. To order this film for an event or discussion, contact: info@darfurdiaries.org.

If a leader does not care for his people, he may lose his right to be considered the leader. Insha’Allah we may not have reached that point yet in Sudan, but we should recall the fate of Sodom and Thamud. And let’s forget semantics. Genocide or no genocide, let’s move forward. Don’t be fooled by the false idol of nationalism or tribalism. Let’s revisit the DPA Peace Agreement. As the Sudan Tribune suggests: “If ‘reopen’ and ‘renegotiate’ offend, speak of ‘additional protocols.’” Let’s not get stuck with word games. Let the African Union send his representative and his new peacemakers immediately. And let us demand that Congress send funding for this; until now they have only voted symbolic support.

Muslims, be in touch with Reality; embrace Truth with open mind; and with open heart, remember Allah the Merciful! “Isa ibn Maryam used to say, "Do not speak much without the mention of Allah, for you will harden your hearts. A hard heart is far from Allah, but you do not know. Do not look at the wrong actions of people as if you were lords. Look at your wrong actions as if you were slaves. Some people are afflicted by wrong action and some people are protected from it. Be merciful to the people of affliction and praise Allah for His protection."(Muwatta Book #56, Hadith #56.3.8)