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Why does Muslim world turn a blind eye to what is happening in Yemen?
In the past three years, Yemen has quickly become one of the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in history. The country is currently suffering from the worst kind of famine and cholera outbreak all caused by the Saudi-US led invasion.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia led international coalition began ruthless bombing on Yemen and the people of Yemen who ousted the Saudi backed government. Since then Saudi led airstrikes have bombed civilians, schools, and hospitals; they have bombed weddings and funerals, and the country’s entire vital infrastructure has been razed to the ground. The situation further worsened when Saudi imposed military blockade causing the world’s largest famine and the cholera outbreak that has claimed many lives. According to reports, more than half of the country’s water supply is unsafe to consume for drinking.
Did You Know: According to Save the Children, An estimated 130 Yemeni children die every day and an estimated 400,000 children will need treatment for acute malnutrition this year.
Despite it being one of the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world, Yemen has been criminally ignored by the international as well as the national media. The controlled media seems to only care about those that will help the propaganda of those benefiting from the wars. Ever wondered why Syria is always on the news but Yemen is not? It doesn’t suit the propaganda. Those who do report it try to paint this as a proxy war between two nations. In truth, it is nothing but a genocide being committed by a Saudi-US led coalition which consists of some 32 countries against the poorest Arab nation i.e. Yemen. Thank God for social media that has become an effective tool for the truth… for raising voice and awareness against the forgotten people like the ones in Yemen.
In latest developments, Saudi-US led coalition has begun the worst kind of attack on the main port of Yemen. In doing so they are potentially destroying the only means of contact with the outer world for Yemen. After the destruction of port, sending humanitarian aid will be almost next to impossible.
According to the United Nation’s website, 22 million people are dependent on humanitarian protection and assistance out of which around 8.4 million are at severe risk of starvation. According to UN aid chief Mark Lowcock, the humanitarian agencies are being restricted to aid. He said: “Humanitarian staff is being detained and intimidated and visas are being delayed and denied. Programmes and missions are being interfered with in ways which contradict humanitarian principles.”
Some living in Pakistan may question, what can we do about it? The least we can do is we can stop the double standard when it comes to raising voices against oppression. Be it Palestine, Syria, Kashmir or Yemen, we should use social media to raise awareness of the crimes committed by the oppressors… even if the oppressors are Saudi Arabia. What else can we do? Take part in the peaceful protests that are meant to raise awareness and denounce the oppression like the one organized by the Civil Society Pakistan (CPAP).
Living in Pakistan, a country where the people have a soft spot for Saudi Arabia, many tend to turn a blind eye on their crimes against humanity; however Civil Society and Pakistani Voice For Yemen took a courageous step and organized a peaceful protest to denounce the Saudi-US led brutality on Yemen outside their embassy past Sunday.
The protest was attended by a large number of civil society activists along with several men, women, and children from all walks of life. Participants carried play cards denouncing Saudi Oppression over Yemen and showcasing the sufferings of Yemeni citizens especially the children suffering from malnutrition due to the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia. The protest ended after a formal memorandum was submitted to the Saudi Authorities condemning the bloodthirsty regime in the most severe words.
Here is to hoping that we all play our part in raising voices against oppression wherever it is and whoever it is against. As Martin Luther King Jr once said: “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.“
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