“I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life’s blueprint. Number one in your life’s blueprint should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth, and your own somebodiness. Don’t allow anybody to make you feel that you’re nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.
Finally, in your life’s blueprint, there must be a commitment to the eternal principles of beauty, love, and justice. Well, life, for none of us, has been a crystal stair, but we must keep going. If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., Philadelphia, October 26, 1967
In Gaza, alongside the 17,000 innocent women and children who died, something else perished: the myth of Western values and human rights. As Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar astutely remarked, “Somewhere, Europe needs to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.”
When the Global South refers to “the West,” it typically means countries like the US,UK, France, and Israel, given their political and military influence. The perception is that these powers often act with impunity, striking others and celebrating their dominance. Yet, when faced with retaliation, they are quick to cry foul and assume the mantle of victimhood.
The West’s role in dragging Ukraine into its current disaster is unimaginable. Over 500,000 casualties have been reported on the Ukrainian side so far, according to some U.S. officials, and Ukraine is running out of fighters. The entire NATO alliance struggles to keep pace with Russia’s weapons production in this proxy war, where Russia’s daily shell output matches NATO’s monthly production.
Yet, many in the West—still glued to media like the BBC (mockingly referred to in parts of Asia as the “Big Lies Broadcasting Company”) and CNN (“Constantly Negative News”)—are led to believe that Ukraine is winning the war. Experts such as Scott Ritter, former United Nations weapons inspector; Colonel Douglas Macgregor, retired U.S. Army officer; Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago; and Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, offer a different perspective. They argue that the Russia-Ukraine war is primarily the result of Western provocations, particularly NATO’s expansion and interference in Ukraine’s domestic affairs. According to them, Russia’s actions stem from legitimate security concerns, not unprovoked aggression. All four emphasize that this conflict could have been avoided through diplomacy, and they criticize the U.S. and NATO for escalating tensions rather than pursuing peaceful solutions.
It seems Europeans have forgotten the lessons of the two World Wars, which claimed the lives of over 86 million people. They have also forgotten that during World War II, many Europeans sought refuge in countries like Syria, Iran, and even as far as India, where thousands of Polish refugees were welcomed. Yet today, Europe plays politics with refugees from the very regions it has destabilized.
Operation Barbarossa, launched on June 22, 1941, was a turning point in World War II as Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Hitler’s decision to proceed with the invasion, despite the strong objections of senior military commanders like Field Marshal Erich von Manstein and General Franz Halder, is widely seen as a significant strategic blunder. These commanders had cautioned against opening an eastern front before securing victory over Britain, a decision that could have dramatically altered the course of the war in Europe. The Soviet Union suffered immense losses, with 26 million people perishing during the conflict—starkly contrasted with the six million jewish lost in the Holocaust. Sometimes it seems like people don’t fully grasp the sheer scale when we mention figures like 26 million. To put it in perspective, that’s roughly equivalent to the entire population of Australia today. Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sparked controversy by claiming that Israel should stop using the Holocaust as an alibi to justify its atrocities against Palestinians.
In the complex aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, General Wesley Clark, a retired U.S. Army General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, shed light on a surprising and far-reaching U.S. strategy. During a visit to the Pentagon in 2001, Clark learned of plans to invade Iraq, despite no clear ties to the attacks, and later encountered a memo detailing a broader agenda targeting seven nations—Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and ending with Iran— over five years. This revelation points to a premeditated pursuit of regime change, driven by strategic interests rather than direct threats.
Meanwhile, current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his 2002 testimony before the U.S. House Government Reform Committee, argued that removing Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq would have significant positive consequences for the region. He predicted that such a move would resonate in neighboring countries like Iran, especially among younger populations, signaling the end of authoritarian regimes. When asked if this was speculation, Netanyahu referred to his previous advocacy for using military force to confront terrorist regimes, citing the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan as a successful example.
Netanyahu contended that, contrary to earlier predictions of a large-scale negative reaction from the Arab world, the opposite had occurred. He emphasized that the U.S. action in Afghanistan had led to a retreat of extremists from the region and a shift in Arab and Muslim countries’ alignment with America. He highlighted the importance of military power in combating terrorism, stressing that success breeds further success, making subsequent victories easier. According to him, the success in Afghanistan had paved the way for potential success in Iraq, which would then facilitate other victories in the broader war on terror. His core argument was that consistent victories in the fight against terrorism would lead to broader regional transformation.
However, in reality, each act of oppression has backfired, further escalating the conflict. After two decades of war in Afghanistan, the U.S. withdrew, having lost over 2,500 soldiers and leaving the Taliban stronger than before, along with billions of dollars’ worth of abandoned weapons. Similarly, the 2003 Iraq invasion created instability, which not only fueled the rise of ISIS but also laid the groundwork for further resistance in the region.
Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari warns of the dangers in framing conflicts solely through the lens of victimhood, urging both Israelis and Palestinians to move beyond this narrative and assume responsibility for a balanced resolution. According to Harari, clinging to victimhood perpetuates cycles of violence and hinders the search for peace.
The world had a genuine opportunity for peace in the region, but forces opposed to reconciliation chose not to seize it. The Oslo Accords, once celebrated as a significant step toward resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict in 1993, were ultimately undermined. Critics point to the divisive rhetoric and actions of Benjamin Netanyahu, whose inflammatory statements are believed to have contributed to a hostile political climate. This hostility culminated in the tragic assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 by a far-right Israeli.
Today, the region stands at a critical crossroads. The escalating tensions between Israel and Iran are far more dangerous than many realize, posing a grave threat to both regional and global stability. These tensions, against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict—which has increasingly become a proxy war between Russia and NATO—could potentially spark a wider global conflict, raising concerns about the possibility of World War III.
In this context, it is worth reflecting on the principles articulated in the Farewell Sermon delivered by Prophet Muhammad during his final pilgrimage to Mecca in 632 CE. This sermon encapsulates fundamental principles of justice, equality, and moral conduct:
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab. A white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white—except by piety and good action.”
faznotes.com 
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