THIS is with reference to the report ‘OIC seeks global intervention to halt Gaza genocide’ (May 6), which really left me dazed and confused. Of course, it is common knowledge that for practical purposes, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is little more than a forum at which various speakers excel in verbosity while offering little by way of substance.

As such, the absence of a concrete suggestion at the latest meeting (picture above) was not really surprising. What was shocking was the state of ignorance of the body which seemed unaware even of the fact that, representing about a quarter of the states and world population dotted all over the globe, OIC itself had a global standing.

And what added disgust and utter shame to the prevailing feeling was OIC’s begging for global assistance against the tiny state of Israel with a Jewish population of just over seven million. Even in recent history, Palestinians, Egyptians, Jordanians and Syrians have fought bravely against Israel till the United States intervened directly. These states could fight Israel again, but their weak economies do not permit this. Many of the wealthy Muslim states shortsightedly see their salvation in befriending the US and Israel.

After having used and destroyed Ukraine by making it fight the American war against Russia, the US will next use Muslim rulers and their state resources against Israel’s staunch enemy, Iran, which, having allied with China and Russia, ‘deserves’ in American eyes to be destroyed very much like Iraq, Syria and Libya.

When Muslim rulers have been sufficiently weakened by all these wars, Israel will advance and occupy yet more of their territories to realise its dream of greater Israel. It is about time Muslim rulers realised that they will be better off aligning with China, which is linking up the world in a positive way, and Russia, which saved Syria, instead of aligning with the US, which only creates frictions, conflicts and wars to satisfy its military-industrial complex. Period.

S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2024