Hypocrisy of our silence

The Pakistan government’s statement on January 17^th was clear, and unequivocal. A drone attack in the UAE that killed three civilians, including a Pakistani, was an evil act. It was wrong, and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Days later, however, when the Saudi-led coalition attacked Yemen, and killed over seventy people (including innocent children who were just playing in a field) and attacked a prison against all norms, there was not a sound from the government. No condemnation, no words of comfort for the grief-stricken family, no statement about Muslim solidarity. Nothing.

The consequence of the strikes was not the loss of innocent life but also a near complete internet blackout in Yemen. My colleagues in Yemen with whom my research team and I have been working closely for the last several years — people who we consider close friends — have not responded to our texts or Whatsapp messages. I cannot even imagine the agony of those who have close family and loved ones in Yemen, and who they cannot reach in this time of uncertainty and anxiety. Perhaps we should be used to the fact that the grand claims of caring about the vulnerable people, the bombastic speeches about human rights, and the eloquent statements about deep love for Muslims all over the world are a sham. Our claims are inherently hypocritical. It seems that we respond to acts of violence through an algorithm. In the case of Yemen, the algorithm is actually quite simple. The algorithm goes something like this: if the attack is by Houthis, then condemn and show full support. If the attack is on innocent Yemenis by the other party, then stay silent, look the other way, and move on.

Perhaps we all need a reminder that while the focus on Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is well merited and urgent, the crisis in Yemen is just as acute. The country is battered by multi-faceted epidemics that include not just Covid-19 but cholera and malnutrition too. Few supplies can make their way in with the entry points all but closed. International community continues to fail in mobilising the minimum resources. Many have probably forgotten that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been one of the most acute crises facing the world in the last several decades. The continued conflict makes it even harder to get humanitarian support even when there is some momentum. Given the geography, the people cannot leave the country — lest they be in states that are attacking them mercilessly. My colleagues in Yemen, who are immensely brave, kind and generous, talk about being stuck in in a vicious, torturous cycle that seems impossible to get out of. The US-made weapons rain misery on them, and governments like ours fail to find the moral compass that they are eager to export to the world.

It would be inaccurate to pin the blame on the current government alone. The current war has been going on since 2014, and the previous government was just as indifferent to the suffering of innocent people. Inheriting a hypocritical policy is not an excuse for continuing it — it just means that the rot is quite deep. Pakistan — unfortunately — is not the only country that chooses to stay silent, organisations of Muslim states, and countries across the globe, including those that have braved the deep scars of conflict, are just as indifferent. Siding with the people in Yemen, and worrying about their right to life, dignity and safety is not an endorsement of Houthi aggression and injustice. Far from it. It simply is a recognition that as a global society, we can only survive and thrive when we consider all lives sacred, when we believe that everyone has a right to a dignified and safe life, including those who do not have the means to prop up our economy through their high interest loans.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2022.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.