There is no need to describe the situation in Gaza. We have all seen and heard the stories of the tens of thousands of people killed, with a large proportion of them children. We know of the nearly 2 million displaced, with no place to call home.

The names of Hind Rajab, Rafat al Areer, and Hamza al Dahdouh are known to us like the names of our own family members. May Allah (swt) accept them all in the ranks of His chosen martyrs. Ameen.

We are aware of how the criminal Zionist regime has levelled every university, attacked every hospital, and cut off supplies of water and food. This is the army whose soldiers boast of their savagery by breaking into the homes of displaced Palestinians, making videos of themselves trifling through the undergarments of our sisters and playing with the toys of our children. 

There is also no need to tell any believing man or woman how to feel about this. The grief, sleeplessness and rage sweeping through the Ummah is a common emotion binding us all together, as it emanates from our core identity as Muslims, our very aqeedah. 

As an Ummah, we are more than aware of what the problem is. The only question is, what do we do about it? In a time of endless slaughter against our defenseless brothers and sisters, what response is required from us?

Situating the Horror

As we face the increasing savagery of the Zionist forces, who are now burning down tent camps filled with women and children in Rafah – a city they had encouraged Palestinians to flee to – it is crucial to understand that this violence is not isolated or unique. Rather, it is part of a global war machine which is dedicated to violently repressing anyone who opposes the interests of the Capitalist world order. The Zionist forces would not be able to last a week without the support of this global network. Without the arms and funding coming from the United States and the political support coming from Canada, Australia and most of Europe, the Zionists would be forced to stop their ethnic cleansing. 

This is because Israel, from its inception, has been a project of the Capitalist elite who were intent on colonizing the lands of the Muslims. After defeating the Ottoman Khilafah and fracturing the Muslim world into useless nation-states, they created the Zionist entity to maintain a dedicated foothold in the region. This is what then-Senator Joe Biden meant in 1986:

“[Supporting Israel] is the best $3 billion investment we make. Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interests in the region.”

This is also what Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is currently running for President of the US, meant when he referred to Israel as “[our] aircraft carrier in the Middle East.”

Zionism is not just a racist ideology in a particular land but is another instance of Capitalists colonizing the Muslim world for their benefit.   

The Scope of the Problem

It is essential to understand this link between Zionism and the global Capitalist order because it allows us to understand the true scope of the problem. The global powers that allowed for the creation of the Zionist entity also created a global economy that was built on plundering the resources of poorer countries for their benefit. They championed the liberal democratic institutions like Parliaments and courts. They created the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. They formulated the principles of what they call international law and decided who it would apply to and who it would not be applied to. The enemy is not just racist settlers in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv; it is a global system of law, commerce and organized violence. 

Defeating Zionism means liberating Palestine from this entire global system. And defeating Zionism is not enough. Why should our concern be limited to the suffering of Gaza? Have our brothers and sisters who are Rohingya, Uyghur, Moro (in the Philippines), or Kashmiri also not suffered for decades? 

What Not to Do 

Given the scope of the issue, it should be clear that we cannot liberate the Muslim world by relying on the institutions built by the Capitalist elite. This means that while hundreds of thousands of non-Muslims have genuinely stood up for Palestine, voting for a particular political party in our secular system will not lead to a solution. In capitalist countries, democratic elections are won by those who best represent the interests of the elite, not the people, and all parties cater to those interests. This was clearly illustrated by all the main political parties in Canada putting out one-sided condemnations after October 7th. This is why writing to your MP is not particularly effective. 

This is also why appealing to international law or global bodies, such as the UN or the International Court of Justice, will not be effective. These institutions are designed to be selective, time-consuming, and ultimately toothless against any form of accountability for the tyrants of the world. They are designed never to challenge the interests of the global Capitalist powers. This is why the United States can ignore the UN when it wants to invade a country like Iraq, destabilize the country, kill hundreds of thousands of people, and still have a seat on the Security Council. This is why they can use their position on the Security Council to veto resolutions against Israel. So, even if the ICJ rules against Israel, this will not lead to any help for the people of Palestine. 

If we are serious about liberating this Ummah, we must look at ourselves. As the Ummah of the Beloved Messenger (saw) who toppled empires and guided nations, as the Ummah that has revealed guidance from the Almighty Creator, what vision and resources do we have to create a Muslim world that is free of the tyranny and oppression of Capitalism?

The Illusion of Progress 

As we begin to answer this question, we should first understand that the answer will require more than just doing our basic obligations as Muslims. Maintaining our commitment to fulfilling our ritual obligations of the deen, such as salah, zakat, and fasting, is essential to our lives. And looking at our brothers and sisters in need and not making dua for them is a sign of sickness. But liberation will not come from just praying five times a day. And a dua that is not followed by a real commitment to strive for what was asked for is not serious. This is why we cannot delude ourselves into thinking that if we get our own individual acts of worship correct and make regular dua for Palestine, we have fulfilled our obligations and are on the path to victory. Instead, we still need to plan for how to make genuine political change. 

Giving charity to those who are suffering, especially at the hands of the brutal Zionist forces, is also a way to get immense rewards from Allah (swt). Giving is integral to our deen. But we cannot pretend that we are any closer to a liberated Holy Land by distributing food and donating to hospitals or schools in Gaza. The food, if it even reaches the people, will run out. The hospitals and schools will be bombed. Again, without a serious effort for a political solution to Palestine, we will not have made any progress. 

We must perform our salah on time, make dua for the Ummah, and give of our wealth, but we should not let these actions allow us to feel satisfied. Even if we are doing all this, Allah will still ask us why we did nothing to help his servants in Palestine. How will we answer Him?  

What is to Be Done?

Brothers and sisters, we must convince the Ummah to remove itself from the Capitalist system ideologically and look solely to Islam as the real solution to Palestine. We must recognize that the Capitalist system, what some call democracy, is solely responsible for the carnage in Palestine and elsewhere. We must reject the concepts and institutions of this Capitalist world order entirely and work towards a society in the Muslim lands based solely on Islam. Our deen does not just guide our personal lives but is a blueprint for creating a social, political and economic order independent of the world’s tyrants. Our deen is comprehensive, as Allah (swt) tells us:

“By your Lord, they will not be true believers until they let you decide between them in all matters of dispute, and find no resistance in their souls to your decisions, accepting them totally-” [TMQ 4:65]

Our deen mandates that we politically unite our hearts, minds, resources and lands in the worship of Allah (swt). The only solution to Palestine is striving for an Ummah that is rid of the nationalistic borders imposed on us by the Capitalist colonial elite, that has a leadership that is eager to implement Islam and is ready to confront the enemies of the Ummah with both economic sanctions and military strength. 

Consequently, our focus as a Ummah should not be to call out the predictable cruelty of the United States, the hypocrisy of the “international community,” or the savagery of the Zionists. Instead, the core part of our effort should be to call out the inaction and complicity of the rulers of the Muslim lands. Rulers like Erdogan of Turkey will speak against Israel but continue to provide the fuel and construction material they need to build more settlements and incinerate the homes of the Palestinians. Rulers like Abdullah of Jordan or Sisi of Egypt will pose in military outfits to show strength but will do nothing to help the most powerless in the Ummah. Sisi will not even open his portion of the blockade of Gaza. 

We must ask the Ummah: how many Palestinian children must be killed before we lay blame on the underlying Capitalist system? How many women must be widowed before we hold democracy responsible for the evil that we see befalling Bait-al Maqdis? We should not allow this politician waving a Palestinian flag or that politician wearing a keffiyeh to deceive us into thinking that there is good in this system. We should instead embrace the fact it is this liberal-democratic system that bears THE responsibility for the oppression, torture, and killing in the Blessed Land. This is the path the Aws and Khazraj took: they, unlike the other tribes, recognized that the system of tribalism was the root cause of the endless killings they were suffering and that they needed Islam to unite them. This visionary insight made them uniquely capable of supporting our beloved Messenger (saw) to launch the first Islamic State. 

Like the Ansar and the Muhajiroon, we must work to implement the complete system of Islam, the Khilafah, to shield the Ummah from harm and be a beacon of light for all those seeking guidance. If we fail to fulfill this duty, we will have to answer to our Creator. May Allah (swt) help us accomplish this fard. Ameen. 

“[They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right – only because they say, ‘Our Lord is Allah.’ And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might!” [22:40]