It’s two days since the Zionist entity launched attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran. A clear extension of its war on Gaza, yet there has been notable silence from civil society figures and online commentators. These ethical lapses will be remembered.
Its thundering – the silence. And it makes me wonder. Were all those public voices clamouring about Gaza just naïve? Or is it worse? The many new voices, or those who had perhaps not centred Palestine in ways their recent rhetoric suggest, have lost their voice.
It goes back in part to the issues I discussed last year regarding the pro-Palestine movement’s failure to deal with political, religious and ethnic sectarianism within it. Muslim civil society ditto.
It is increasingly clear that the resistance to the resistance amongst figures with followings, is a contributory factor to the violence we all face: whether at the hands of police in Western states whilst protesting the genocide or in Egypt en route to trying to break the siege; or under bunker busters in Tehran, Tabriz, Beirut and Gaza. If, as has been the case, we can only call some of these Zionist crimes out, then we are erasing not just the crimes but the resistance to those crimes. And it is not just the resistance of the Iranians, Yemenis and Lebanese and others that the Muslim and other civil society establishments eschew in doing this, it erases the resistance of the Palestinians themselves. In all its facets: civilian, political, military.
Anyone else notice the reticence and relative silence of fellow Sunnis who recently celebrated Pakistan’s defence against India when it comes to supporting Iran as it retaliates against Israel?@DillyHussain88 pic.twitter.com/vuMOiUOUAZ
— Faz (@hacksupreme) June 14, 2025
There are also those half-hearted voices, somehow overnight experts on military strategy, who critique every response the Islamic Republic makes (‘Iran should do more,’ ‘Iran should be serious this time’ ‘Iran just puts on a show’) as if this scenario has not been planned for the last forty plus years. In this case, silence may have been better.
It’s time for remobilisation. Those of us who claim to be believers – I critique myself first here – need to understand that it is not large numbers that defeat oppressors, it is sincere action the results of which are ultimately not in our hands. We have seen it on a large scale these last twenty months – fishing boats from Yemen, the Lebanese resistance, above all the Palestinians outfighting one of the most militarised armed forces on earth. Let’s take the lesson. Else we end up undermining their bravery with our confusion and cowardice.
Arzu Merali is a writer and researcher based in London, UK.
Image: Flag flies at protest against the war on Iran and Palestine, 14 June 2025 (c) KFH Photos.
