By Aiman Wajid
When a child, soaked in blood, cries out for his mother, and the world just watches—are we still human? The summer of 2025 has opened yet another horrifying chapter for Gaza. The Israeli bombardment has not only destroyed buildings but has shaken the very conscience of humanity. The cries of mothers, the lifeless bodies of children, patients dying in overwhelmed hospitals, exhausted people standing in long queues for food, severe shortages of medicines, and days without electricity—all of this is screaming for the world’s attention. But sadly, the Muslim world is fast asleep.
Gaza is currently facing an acute shortage of water and food. Days have passed without electricity. Medicines are almost nonexistent. People are homeless, helpless, and voiceless. No one seems to hear their cries. Why? Over 80% of the population in Gaza has been deprived of basic necessities. In reality, Gaza has been reduced to rubble. Yet the Israeli attacks continue. If this is not war, then what is it? What is the fault of the innocent Palestinians?
Humanity seems to be breathing its last. The Muslim Ummah, which has always stood up for the oppressed, is now silent. Why is it limited to statements of concern? Why are OIC, the Arab League, and Muslim nations merely issuing press releases while chasing their economic and political interests? Humanity appears to be vanishing from this world. What is the crime of the innocent children and people of Palestine? Is the issue of Palestine not a concern of the entire Muslim world? Is Al-Aqsa Mosque only Palestine’s responsibility? Then why the silence? Why no answer to the barbarity? Don’t these people have a right to live? Are they not human? Why is the entire world silent?
Why is no one listening to the sobs of Palestinian mothers and sisters? What is the sin of those innocent children who are being martyred? According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, approximately 59,106 Palestinians have been martyred so far, out of which more than 17,400 are children, and 142,511 have been injured. Due to extreme food shortages, 113 people, including 81 children, have died of hunger. In July alone, more than 5,000 children have shown signs of malnutrition-related complications.
On March 18, 2025, at least 413 people, including 174 children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes. The total number of deaths rose to 591, with over 1,042 injured. In March, Israel closed nearly all humanitarian aid routes, cutting off access to food, medicine, and fuel. This is not the time for mere statements. This is the time for action. Platforms like the OIC must go beyond words and exert political and economic pressure on Israel. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, and others must impose sanctions on Israel and cut diplomatic ties. Millions of Muslim youth participated in protests in Dhaka, Bangladesh, demanding that all Muslim countries sever economic, military, and diplomatic relations with Israel. The OIC and Arab League must make a visible, effective decision now. The International Criminal Court must file the strongest cases against Israeli leaders.
Muslim nations must create their own pathways to deliver aid trucks, supplies, food, and medicines to Gaza. Now is the time for the Muslim Ummah to stand united and raise a voice against oppression. Institutions like UNESCO must document and publicize the death toll of martyrs to the international media. Muslim journalists and writers should use video blogs, articles, and digital platforms to raise awareness and bring the world’s attention to Israel’s brutal atrocities. The Muslim world must wake up and stand together for justice.
It can be said that Palestine’s cry is a test for every Muslim conscience. And if we still remain silent—watching in silence as humanity is being slaughtered—then our future generations will remember this: When humanity was dying, we were only watching.
The writer is the student of Communication and Media Studies department at Fatima Jinnah Women’s University Rawalpindi, Pakistan.