We, The People, Must Stand Unequivocally With Ukraine

By Junaid Jahangir, New Age Islam 2 March 2022 It Is Time to Look Within and Ask Why Did India and the UAE Abstain On the Vote against Russia Main Points: 1. In essence, it is time to unequivocally stand with Ukraine. 2. Focus should not be removed from Ukraine with whataboutisms. 3. It is time for solidarity with a nation that has been attacked unprovoked by the 2nd most powerful military in the world. ----- Ukrainians attend a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine. ----- Al Jazeera recently published an article on the double standards and racism associated with the outpouring sympathy for Ukraine that is missing for other places like Iraq, Afghanistan, or Yemen. However, now is the time to stand unequivocally with Ukraine. In 2018, the Humboldt tragedy occurred in Canada. Many of the deceased and injured in the bus crash were young boys from a junior ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada. The tragedy was felt viscerally by Canadians who responded overwhelmingly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Russian Invasion of Ukraine Has Lessons for Muslim Countries ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately, an argument was made that such Canadian outpouring of donations was due to the "maleness, whiteness, and able-bodiedness" of those who perished. This biting analysis was offered, as parents were grieving the loss of their young boys. I was not comfortable with this approach based on the ethic that you don't kick someone when they are already down. NBC News Ukrainian forces fight to hold capital as Russia vetoes UN Security Council resolution ----- A similar argument is being made in the case of Ukraine. But this is an abrasive approach. It seeks to split people apart rather than bring them together. Now is not the time for smart cheeky analyses. It is time for solidarity with a nation that has been attacked unprovoked by the 2nd most powerful military in the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Related Article: ‘Double Standards’: Western Coverage Of Ukraine War Criticised ------------------------------------------------------------------ It is important to note that people respond overwhelmingly when they see themselves mirrored in the tragedy. For instance, Pakistani PM Imran Khan has rejected that there is any Uyghur oppression at all. For quite some time the Rohingyas were ignored because Muslims were preoccupied with Palestine. Moreover, Muslims have generally not been concerned about the plight of Muslims in the Central African Republic in 2014. Many would not even know about the situation there. As for the racism of the West, its true there is racism. But this is also universal. You just have to live in other parts of the world to learn this on your own. When after 40 years of service you are left without pension, when your caste is an issue in climbing up the corporate ladder, when your religious denomination bars you from promotion, when the jealousy of others drags you down from success, in all such places you often don't have the luxury to make arguments against racism. I guess the point is effectively captured by the Urdu phrase "Is Hammam Main Sab Nangay Hain" (everybody is equally naked in this bath house). Berlin police estimate more than 100,000 people attended an anti-war demonstration in the German capital on Sunday ------ Only those who have experienced such issues can understand better than someone who was born in privilege. For often, people who make caustic arguments come from affluent places. Those at the bottom of the food chain don't have time to complain. They just have to get by. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: What Russia Wants: Threat of a Russian Invasion of Ukraine Is a Western Invention ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Returning to Ukraine, again, now is not the time to come up with smart cheeky analyses. The focus should not be removed from Ukraine with whataboutisms. We should not make it about our pet issues but expand our compassion to stand by others. The ethic is simple: stand by the oppressed without ifs and buts. If anything, it is time to look within and ask why did India and the UAE abstain on the vote against Russia, or why did the Pakistani PM shake hands with Putin, as he was wreaking havoc on a nation much smaller and militarily weaker than his own. In essence, it is time to unequivocally stand with Ukraine. Slava Ukraini! Heroiam Slava! (Glory to Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes). ------ Junaid Jahangir is an Assistant Professor of Economics at MacEwan University. He is the co-author of Islamic Law and Muslim Same-Sex Unions. With Dr. Hussein Abdullatif, a paediatric endocrinologist in Alabama, he has co-authored several academic papers on the issue of same-sex unions in Islam. He contributed this article to NewAgeIslam.com. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/ukraine-russia-governments-equivocate/d/126486 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism