How often have you heard the following calls from the pulpits of Muslim places of worship? How often have you heard that our prayers are faulty, and our characters are weak for the current mayhem in the Muslim world?
Make more duas (prayers), fast for more days, and recite specific sentences of the Quran or certain paragraphs attributed to the prophet thousands or millions of times to seek the mercy of the Merciful for the people of Ghaza or Kashmir or any other people suffering from the oppression of their occupiers.
Allah is neither blind nor ignorant. He listens, sees, and knows all the people who swear by him in His world, and he knows when to strike, how to strike, whom to strike, and where to strike. To remind him that what he should do is not the prerogative of His creation.
He acts without being asked. He knows the rule of justice and fairness. He does not punish people for the crimes of others. He decides and executes without consulting anyone one, not even the most pious ones.
A dua is a self-assurance that we trust him and accept his sovereignty over our lives. A plea is an admission of self-failure to overcome our challenges in facing difficult choices.
He reminds us that our conditions change when we change our mindset and priorities. He invites us to ponder lessons from history and objective realities to counter the challenges.
If Muslims worldwide declare an open resistance to occupation and oppression and use peaceful means to mobilize public opinion, the evil will have no legs to stand.
Israel has continued its occupation because the so-called supporters of Palestine have backstabbed it. They have made secret deals with the apartheid structure. They have tried to legitimize the claims of the Zionists over the land. They have not challenged the narratives put forth by the Rabbis in international and interfaith forums. They have equated the oppressors with the oppressed.
Many in the United States do not know the root causes of the Palestinian issue. They often buy the narrative of the Israelis, whose edifice is on lies and propaganda. They often give credence to the Christian theology of the return of Jesus to annihilate Jews. If they are so convinced about the return of Jesus and his agenda, why are they offering lip service to the Palestinian cause? Why won't they wait for Jesus to complete his mission whenever he arrives?
The theological confusion with political apathy and a clear road map to liberate the land of Palestine has added fuel to the existing fire. Many think that duas would solve the problem. Duas may give us comfort, but not to those who suffer. Even donations would not help them out of the situation.
The Zionists and their supporters have resources to buy everyone living in Palestine. Yet the natives have chosen to stay and suffer because it is their God-given right to defend and reclaim their land. If we Muslims or justice-loving people want to impact the Palestinian struggle, we have to challenge the narrative put forth by Israel in all facets of life. We can make dua steadfast and honest in our efforts, with the realization that only when we challenge evil can we force it to retreat.