28 Nov 2023
Palestine: A Humanitarian Catastrophe
Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
Just like we chant, scream and shout for freedom, justice, equity and dignity for Palestinians, so must we do similar for fellow citizens of Malaysia and others who seek shelter in our shores. Otherwise it is sheer hypocrisy!
That’s why (apart from organizing rallies) many individuals and NGOs in Malaysia staunchly and sincerely address the many pressing needs of marginalised communities who’ve been discriminated against!
Our love for Palestine has not blinded us of our responsibility to the needs of our local communities!
Those who allege, we’ve lost our priorities and forgotten our locals, should first check out themselves before pointing fingers at others
As a matter of fact, many of the people who make these allegations and scream
the loudest are xenophobic towards the refugee community in Malaysia. They shout and scream takbirs to demonstrate their solidarity with the persecuted in Gaza, Palestine but literally shout against and shoo the Palestinians, other refugees and asylum seekers right in their very midst!
We must treat all non-Malaysians, whether Palestinians or other refugees, the stateless, migrants and asylum seekers as humans in need of shelter and protection and provide them, their families and their children equitable access to proper documentation, work, health and education.
Just imagine! Our own indigenous populations (Orang Asli) have suffered the brunt of our “occupation policies” – dispossessing their lands, burning their jungles, eviscerating their livelihoods, killing their animals, destroying their natural habitat, corrupting their biological ecosystem etc.
Our young doctors and volunteers love the Orang Asli villagers. As I write, one team is in Gua Musang to outreach healthcare services to them. Virtually every month for the past many years.
Since 2014, they have endeavoured to address the health needs of the refugees, migrants etc. With funding from Qatar Charity, they now have 5 standalone clinics working full time 8-5 pm daily, 5 days a week to service the basic health needs of the most deprived communities living in our midst at virtually no cost!
Other Malaysian NGOs e.g. Carefugees, focuses on the day to day welfare and well being of most if not all refugees in Malaysia. Others work in the domain of official documentation, legal services and close engagement with the authorities to enhance the peaceful co-existence of these communities in Malaysia.
Our works in Haiti, Sri Lanka, Philippines, India, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Chad and 20 other African countries, reflects just this love for humanity irrespective of their race, religion or politics.
Yes! We’ve been colour blind and endeavour to embrace and exude the humanitarian soul and spirit in our activities!
This brings me to White Supremacy, another major blot to the humanitarian call.
When Ukraine was attacked, leading global NGOs moved to save the White Ukrainians. The same leading global NGOs true color is now showing in Zionist Israel’s merciless bombings of the innocent women and children in Gaza, Palestine and the attacks on the indigenous Palestinians in West Bank.
It’s going to be tough for Malaysia. But, we each have to do our little bits in our respective circle of influence to advance the humanity within and around us!
As prescribed by Allah (SWT) in Surah al Hujurat, verse 13, and reiterated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his Farewell Sermon.
But the Palestinians have endured it since 1948 and now experiencing Apartheid and ethnic cleansing, described by the late Desmond Tutu as being worse than in Apartheid South Africa.
Some of us have been ostracised for pushing for the humanitarian catastrophe that is Palestine since 1948.
Most Muslim NGOs in Malaysia bias towards a religious war narrative between the Jews and the Muslims. Many Jews are our friends, nay they are our first cousins, and many support the Palestinian cause unequivocally.
Torah Judaism are Jews united against Judaism. They wrote:
“Israel is a political entity, not a Jewish state. Zionism is different from the Jewish people or Judaism. We will raise our voices against Zionism together! Israel does NOT represent all the Jewish people from around the world.
Israel is a political entity, not the Jewish People or Judaism.”
A proper reading of history will illustrate that it is the Zionists that has politicised and hijacked the “chosen people and chosen land prophecy.”
This is not unlike the racist politicians and religious bigots here at home who have politicised and religiosised the “sons of the soil” and “pendatang” narrative!
