A Deafening Silence From Our NGOs on Gaza

There is a gnawing question among groups of Malaysians lately on the lack, or absence even, of protests by non-governmental organisations  in the country against the  Zionist atrocities in Gaza that have killed some 2,000 civilians, the majority of whom are women and children.

These groups are referring to self-proclaimed pro-democracy Malaysian NGOs  who were in the past involved in staging demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur.

Comango – Coalition of Malaysian NGOs – has been named along with Sisters In Islam for “not a murmur” of protest against the genocidal assault on Gaza.

“Where are their suara yang lantang”? asked a lawyer who is a partner in a well-known KL-based law firm. 

“Surely this is a humanitarian issue and clearly a gross violation of human rights that merits some protest from them?”

In the wake of “Save the Children of Gaza” rally at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, film-maker Dr Anwardi  Jamil updated his Facebook status with:

“Heard Ambiga & Co weren't at the gathering to Save Children of Gaza and Palestines. I guess any real demonstrations and rallies that doesn't help her in her political agenda is pointless to her."

His friend, writer Awang Goneng AKA Wan Hulaimi remarked in the comment box:

“And then they go to France to take an award. France banned such demonstrations.”

Is their deafening silence telling on them and exposing them for what they really are?

On the subject of the “Save the Children of Gaza” peace rally, what was glaring was the lack of support from non-Malays.

Perhaps, they are silent supporters. Perhaps the weather on Saturday afternoon was punishing. There were only a handful – notably the Tai brothers (activists Tai Zee How and Tai Zee Kin) and their friends and maybe others hidden in the huge crowd.

That is the other gnawing question a lot of people, especially Muslims are asking in social media – that has gone to real tabletalk discussions – the non-Muslim detachment of this humanitarian crisis.

Why are non-Muslims detaching themselves from what’s happening in Gaza.

No explanation is quite needed because one has only to look at remarks by mostly non-Muslims on Facebook especially.

Some regurgitate the Israeli narrative and the evil of Hamas, reflecting their ignorance while others see it as a Muslim bias.

How so? They would post photos and reports of the brutal killing of Christians by ISIS and ask why there has been no protest in Malaysia on the scale of Gaza.

I would suggest that someone organises one and I along with many Malaysians would most certainly join and denounce the brutal act of ISIS that is not done in the name of  Islam, and neither in mine.

The issue of Palestine is not a religious issue although some lesser Muslim leaders tend to get a bit emotional about it.

You don’t have to listen to these people.

Whatever standard you apply, surely the mass killing of women and children defy any justification?

The siege and offensive on Gaza this year began about a month ago, in the first week of Ramadan in retaliation – it was reported then,  to the killing of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas “militants”. But this was later found to be untrue.

Since then, Israeli forces under the Zionist regime have shown no sign of scaling down .

On July 30, Israel pounded artillery shells into a school full of evacuees, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens as the slept.

Most of the dead were children.

The building was the sixth United Nations school in the Gaza Strip to be shelled during the month-long  conflict.

In response, the United Nations accused Israel of  violating international law.

People across the globe reacted with horror, describing the situation in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis. Many were provoked into openly criticizing Israel for carrying out ethnic cleansing and .

Israel seems to be telling the world to shove it as its forces continued with air and ground strikes on the Gaza population.  Casualties have been mostly women and children.

Israel maintains that it is protecting its security and was only responding to Hamas’ firing of rockets .

Israel has also accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields and planting bombs in schools and public areas.

The UN and other independent bodies have found no evidence of this.

Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA),  reported to the UN Security Council that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has  “surpassed United Nations capabilities for emergency shelter and services”.

Its commissioner-general Pierre Krahenbuhl , describing the crisis as a “precedent”, expressed regret that UNRWA “no longer has the resources to provide for the additional influx of refugees”.

He noted that with the growing number of refugees, there is yet Palestinians fleeing their towns,  there is no organization on the ground that has the resources to provide food or water, let alone shelter for the night.

The United Nations estimates up to 440,000 people are now displaced with 240,000 residing in UNRWA facilities.

News website, Mondeiss reported that this meant that a quarter of the population of Gaza is living in tenuous, temporary shelter.

“In addition to the devastation to the civilian infrastructure in the northern communities of Shuja’iyeh, Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya, over 103 United Nations facilities and 24 medical facilities have been damaged. Seven UNRWA workers have been killed since the beginning of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge,” it said.,

Krahenbuhl was reported to have, warned the Security Council that Gaza “will become unlivable in a mater of years unless urgent steps are taken.”

He had also said that “immediate steps” must be taken to address “root issues, not limited to Israel’s security and lifting the blockade across the besieged Gaza Strip.

Mondeiss quoted him as having stressed accountability from Israel “as the occupying power to provide dire relief, as UNRWA has exhausted all of its means of caring for nearly a quarter million refugees.”