“Verily, with every hardship comes ease.”
The strange silence and apathy of the entire Muslim world, excluding Turkey, in the face of the crimes Israel committed against Jerusalem and Palestinians - this time under the explicit protection and direction of the U.S. - has been broken with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit and the strong memorandum it released.
As is known, the strange state of indebtedness and dependency of the majority of Muslim countries toward Israel as of their establishment is preventing them from raising their voices. Lately, most Muslim countries are racing to normalize their relations with Israel, let alone raise their voice. As this normalization has openly formed an appearance of deviation from the real founding principles declared until now, it has constituted a serious problem of legitimacy, especially for their own people.
The term “normalization” means the same thing as selling off the Palestine cause together with Jerusalem and betraying it. Hence, there is great public pressure on countries seeking to enter the normalization process.
Despite this, there is evidently a greater pressure on the nations seeking normalization that they are able to risk pitting themselves against their people so openly.
Jerusalem is the red line for all Muslim countries, it is the reason for the establishment of the OIC, the first qiblah of Muslims, the holy city of all Abrahamic religions and the city which left Zionists afraid that if they touched it, all Muslims will assemble into armies and advance toward them.
Of course, the reliable administrators who locked down Muslims in their own borders and are keeping them under control were there to abate these fears and until now, they never negated the trust put in them. They did this in such a hypocritical way that everyone was convinced that the reason for their existence was Israeli enmity. Cooperation displayed by making it seem like they are enemies. Now, it is said that there is no need for this much. “Normalizing” relations with Israel actually means nothing other than making the actual situation official.
This dependency toward Israel is of course not toward the Israeli state itself, it is toward the world order that has pegged Israel to this world. We can discuss what kind of function the Zionist and terrorist Israeli state has in this world order. A plethora of speculations can be made regarding whether Israel controls the U.S. and the world or the U.S. controls it. The result does not really make a great difference. Jerusalem being recognized as Israel’s capital today is a process which was activated by the U.S. moving its embassy there. Relations between the U.S. and Israel had never been exposed to this extent before. The plain character U.S. President Donald Trump demonstrates actually makes it possible to reveal the real power relations the U.S. has been continuing to date under different pretexts. Making what exists behind the scenes official is the U.S.’s new policy. Otherwise, the U.S. attitude and policy has not been any different since Israel was founded.
Hence, being against Israel means directly being against the U.S. and the oppressive world order it has established. Standing against Israel means opposing the world order.
It is not easy to risk taking this opposition. But what makes this even more difficult is the fears this order has placed within people. Their deep-rooted fears give life to this tyrannous order. These fears make them say this order cannot be stood against, it cannot be opposed. This is why they do not raise their voices in the face of even the clearest massacre, they are deaf to the voice of the oppressed and are hesitant to declare the oppressor's actions as oppression. They are trying to normalize their relations with the tyrant and become close with it. They think the closer they get to it the more they will be protected against its tyranny. Yet, it is none other than this behavior that gives life to the tyrant.
It could be asked what meaning and effect Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calling the OIC to an emergency assembly for the second time in such an atmosphere might have – and it is indeed questioned. There is a desperation, a pessimism spread by this atmosphere. Of course, the situation is not easy, but we must never lose faith that with every hardship comes ease.
Even the picture that emerged from the OIC’s emergency summit was sufficient to show this. Muslim countries need to remember that as a whole, they are a power that cannot be ignored. When there is no activity, one can forget even their own existence. A summit held at the right time, with an appropriate language and approach alone can help remind this. This reminder from the OIC Summit that gathered in Istanbul with an emergency agenda, headed by our President Erdoğan, showed the signs of a revival that may follow.
It was reminded and remembered again that Israel is a state of occupation that cannot be legitimized again in any way whatsoever. This perhaps became a warning or encouragement for those seeking ways to normalize relations with it to seek other ways. We saw once again collectively the reactions we expected and did not see individually from each country against Israel and the U.S.’s recent violations and massacres in Jerusalem. In addition to Israel, the U.S. was also criticized in the most explicit way possible for the first time as the force behind it.
The pessimism I sensed in the questions asked to me on some Arab channels I appear on to offer evaluations is also expressed about this summit too: “Another assembly is going to be held, with perhaps a harsh condemnation, but Israel is going to continue to do the same things. Is it not clear that these meetings have no effect?”
On the contrary, this summit has assumed a role that places Jerusalem back at the center of the Muslim world at a time when the Palestine and Jerusalem cause was almost abandoned and Israel’s oppression has peaked, and announced to both itself and the whole world that the Muslim world exists. “Verily, with every hardship comes ease. So when you have finished [your duties], strive in devotion.”
Erdoğan’s words reiterating that the world is bigger than five refreshed hope for the world and left a mark on the summit:
“Palestine is not alone, Jerusalem is not alone, Gaza is not alone. Unless the Muslim ummah becomes one voice, Muslims will continue to be oppressed in all corners of the world.”
