How come an image of a young Syrian boy, battered in blood is generating media hype and scrutiny? We have been down that road many times, haven’t we? Was the western media sleeping over an image as brutal as this for the past decade or so? The bitter reality is; we, Muslims carry the dead bodies of our beloved every day. The western media is highlighting a mere fragment of bloodshed and trauma. Do they not know what has happened the past decade; in Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan? These Muslim states including Pakistan have endured relentless pain in view of airstrikes, drones and territorial claims. Despite that, I would like to say thank you! Thank you westerners for at least acknowledging the hazy, nearly invisible line of cruelty that goes about in countries such as Syria and Palestine every single day. Thank you for snapping back into reality and empathizing with that one Muslim boy and discarding millions of other heart-wrenching faces that we have lost over the years.
A noteworthy question I would like to ask all humanitarians is; are you lost? Can you not bear witness to what is going on in the Middle East, or is that too an unfriendly zone you cannot reach out to either? Where are all the activists who pledge allegiance to humanitarianism and take stand for justice, equality and peace? Are they only ‘active’ in developed states where healthcare and education is blossoming each day and millions of children throughout the world are dying of hunger and thirst? Being Muslims, was that our fault? I, for one believe that many core countries have blemished the true essence of humanity. Perhaps, the Ivy League universities should offer courses on humanitarianism to better enlighten up and coming human rights activists about spreading their wings as opposed to labeling themselves as hopeless, dormant activists.
I was not shocked to see the brutal photograph of the young Syrian refugee as I have seen dozens others in my home country; Pakistan. Before the photographs of Omran surfaced on the social media, did any international media outletcare to show or empathize with Pakistan when the Army Public School was attacked by terrorists? This goes to show that countries such as the U.S., England, Canada and Australia are all about diplomacy. It is ironic considering that the basic rule of thumb applicable to every state is preserving humanity. Has the U.S. forgotten about the Kandahar massacre that claimed lives of seventeen people? Have they discounted the Houla massacre in Syria that killed over 108 innocent civilians? What about the current death toll in Syria? Is that not a good enough wake up call for them?
But then again, as long as states have hidden agendas, innocent civilians will be targeted nonetheless. What is the basis for all these hate crimes, airstrikes and droning? Why is peace so hard to achieve? For sure, war on terror is justified, but claiming lives of innocent men, women and children is not. I plead the western media to shed some light on the Muslim world! These wars will never come to an end unless we do something about them. For once, draw a line between diplomacy and humanity.