This is not a Muslim vs. Jewish problem

I’ve been pondering this piece on the current Middle East conflict for several days. Even today, I stare at my phone, looking for answers to the questions the world we live in is posing. Missing some gentle deadlines only adds pressure to the words that will soon fill this article. In the few days I waited, nothing changed. As Alfred Pennyworth said to Bruce Wayne in ‘The Dark Knight, ‘Some men just want to watch the world burn’, and that is precisely what the world has been doing for the last few weeks.

It’s not about great interviews, incredible camera angles, and tough questions anymore. As movies have slowly leaned towards ‘found footage’, while news has been overtaken by the need for the ‘real’. We want camera shake, ground zero NSFW images, and a death toll to the minute. We do not want them because we are terrible, we want them because we are given too much ‘Hollywood-esque’ news coverage. The last few weeks have shown that our generation won’t be moved in a certain direction because the mainstream media says it’s. This is why journalism has changed. If you have a smartphone with an online connection, you’re a journalist. This is not to take from those who have struggled to complete their schooling and experience an accredited program. As the world goes round, there’s a definite need for truth. The concluding politics of twisting the truth of the situation no longer cut it for us. And we’re not happy about that.

Gaza has been a focus of mass genocide for years, yet polarizing images of individuals on the way of extermination have taken over all of our social network feeds. To the extent that if you flip through any news source during a prime time slot (not that anyone really watches television anymore) you will see someone giving an opinion/take/two cents on the abroad crisis. The tally has reached over 1900 deaths (the majority of civilians), with no sign of ending. Israel had made it clear that it wanted to teach Hamas a lesson, based on rumors (at the time an absolute truth) that three kidnapped boys had been killed for being Israelis. Among the 1300-1400 deaths (that’s our new time scale), there’s an official statement from Israel that these kids were NOT killed by Hamas. Let that sink in for a bit. The reason behind the aggression then shifts to the rocket that was launched, yes, wrong. But does that result in 50,000+ troops being mobilized to sink a few thousand ill-equipped, untrained, untrained and angry soldiers? No. The world is watching, reading and exploring news feeds on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit. It was impossible to feign ignorance about something that was happening before our eyes, no matter how remote it was. Our generation is not limited by distance.

This is not a problem of Muslims vs Jews. This is a world problem. No one supports the death of Christians and Shias in Iraq by ISIS. Nobody supports the deaths of non-Assad supporters in Syria (we are near 200,000). And nobody supports clashes in Israel/Palestine. The focus must be shifted from which countries should exist, because surprise, they both do. You want to call Israel illegal settlements, or Palestine does not exist, go for it. But remember, these people do NOT believe. They all exist, breathe, and share the same culture. If your dialogue does not change, then nothing will change. With increased visibility, this is not a clear vote for a side, but the end of hate, genocide, and ignorance. No one should have their homes destroyed, their families killed, or live in constant fear of bombings. We have it easy here. And we shouldn’t only accept that, but use it to better the lives of others. Recently, I worked with New York-based publicist Jenan Matari on a project called ‘I Write To You As.’ This project is a collection of prose, first-hand accounts, and posts from not only Arabs, Muslims, Jews, and Israelis, but everybody. This is a conversation about our hopes for peace, love, and a few sort of serenity. This is what our generation should know; ending old censures, and starting new ones. One that engages all of us, together, and on the same page. For once.