History bears testimony to the fact that the weak nations of the globe have suffered atrociously the brunt of colonial brutality and have been brought to submission both physically and mentally. Their resources and national wealth were looted, the country plundered, and the colonized were brought under the political, economic and cultural control of a foreign power.
After the Renaissance period, the UK under Elizabeth the First started to venture into foreign lands with the sole purpose of demonstrating its might to the weaker nations of the East. It was commonly said that “the sun never sets on the British Empire”. India was “the jewel in the crown”. Subsequently, other European countries like France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain embarked on a relentless journey of colonization. The Americas fell under the hand of the conquistadors, whose campaigns were marked by extreme violence, atrocities, and the dismantling of indigenous societies. They were also called on to accept a new faith and culture imposed on them by the conquerors. It took a long time for the subdued colonies to get rid of the shackles of colonial power.
After the conquest of those countries, manpower was needed to work in the extractive industry. This new labour force hard hit the Negroes of the African continent. The era of slavery started, and Black people were captured and sold on the slave market. A sad chapter in the history of mankind will surely take time to obliterate.
After a long and bloody struggle, most of the colonized countries acceded to self-government, while the abolition of slavery came as a harbinger of joy and happiness for the wretched souls. The colonies were exploited to the maximum, and freedom was acquired with a depleted treasury, while the slaves were set free after enduring inhuman treatment at the hands of their ruthless masters.
The presence of colonialism in the modern world
Today, in the modern world, the last vestiges of colonialism still exist in Palestine. The untold miseries of these people have lasted for almost a century. The struggle for freedom is crushed in a callous way by the Israeli government. The last uprising took place on October 7th, 2023. This battle between Hamas and Israel lasted for two years. Gaza turned into rubble, and about 70,000 Gazans lost their lives. Torture, mass killings, arbitrary arrests, hunger used as a weapon of war, and the absolute humiliation of the Palestinians were witnessed passively by the world. Even Muslim countries refused to extend their help to the assaulted people of Palestine.
It is to be noted that the colonists are devoid of empathy, and even babies are not spared by them. Israel, as a colonial power backed by the West, is executing its policy of territorial expansion. Unfortunately, the Arabs are still wooing the USA by accommodating them in their lands as a security guard. Had America intervened when Qatar was bombarded by Israel? The US put Israel first to the detriment of these Arabs. The divide-and-rule system is working at its best. It is only Iran that takes the Palestinian problem seriously.
A tit-for-tat war is being carried out by the two countries. Iran is fighting for the Palestinian cause, and it is definitely plausible. A new trend of war is being adopted by both Israel and Iran. Each country wants to attack the energy and economic infrastructure, disregarding the consequences it can have on the world. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is bringing havoc to the world.
For Iran, it is understood that foreigners want to create the same chaos as in Libya, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela. The allies thought that an easy job was awaiting them, but they are grinding their own teeth now. The incredible missiles invented by Iranian scientists are fanning cold fear in the IDF. In this context, Iran must bring forth a subtle slogan to the ummah that it is fighting to liberate Palestine. Will the ummah turn a deaf ear to this inveterate appeal?
Iran seems to be the last station of colonial arrogance. The support of the ummah and Muslim countries is paramount in the current context. The question for the ummah is whether to accept a greater Israel or to unite in order to fight Israel. It is now or never: go for the liberation of Palestine. Remember how a one-year-old baby has been tortured and burned with a cigarette by Israeli soldiers.
Cassam Tupsy
