BY RAHIM ER
TURKIYE- One cannot help but feel pity for the Palestinians. Who knows how many times Israel has attacked them, how many children have been killed? Defending themselves by throwing stones against tanks and missiles, farm fields being destroyed, electricity and water cuts, mounting iron walls, and more than 100 poor people killed yet again.
Israel is again punishing Palestine and the Palestinians. The US is only saying `stop the clashes,' as does the European Union. The United Nations only releases statements condemning the developments.
Are Israel and the others mentioned the only ones to blame? Do the Palestinians share any of the fault? Of course they do. Today Israel is crushing them, but one month ago they were crushing themselves. Such a tiny state with a tiny population and they divided themselves into supporters of Hamas and Fatah. If you don't support each other and act in unity, then of course your enemies benefit from that. On the other hand, it is rumored that Palestinian Arabs are the richest, most intellectual Arabs in the world. Where is that culture and money, then? Why they don't work? How clear is it who their ruler and premier are?
Today's Palestine is like yesterday's Afghanistan. Afghan fighters defended their country against occupying communist Russians and their domestic collaborators. Through Afghans' legendary fighting, the Russians were pushed out of Afghanistan. But then they began to fight each other. They became radical. They did harm both to themselves and Muslims in general. Now the country is in chaos.
In addition, Muslims in other places of the world are also suffering. World Muslims have no leader. There is the Organization for the Islamic Conference (OIC). But how influential is it, and what does it do? It has no military force and can't send troops like the UN when needed. It couldn't resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and couldn't even make peace among Palestinians.
Today the equation of Muslims and terrorists is a common allegation in the Western world.
Let's be objective.
Muslims are at fault.
They haven't worked hard enough to break the chains of underdevelopment. They don't love each other. Even in a very little conflict, they began to kill each other.
How will we end this sorry situation?
Through Turkey's becoming first a regional superpower, and then a superpower. To block this, they pit the terrorist organization against Turkey. The PKK isn't just harming Turkey, but also all Muslims and innocent victims.
Turk, Arab, Kurd, Afghan, Palestinian . all Muslims need self-criticism, and to see reality. We have to understand that in addition to lives lost in the fight against the PKK, let's also not waste time with the headscarf issue.
For great tasks await Ankara.