The graveyard of dignity: 57 Muslim states and the silence over Gaza

It was the last day of Ramadan here, but Eid ul Fitr in Palestine. 

I was surfing social media, blinked and saw a video from the occupied land.

In that single, heart-wrenching moment, I glimpsed a little girl.

She was lifeless, yet wore a beautiful, delicate bracelet on her tiny wrist.

Perhaps she had worn it to celebrate Eid, not knowing that it was her last Eid.

That image… that nanosecond… has carved itself into my soul. 

It haunts me. I can’t sleep. I can hardly breathe.

Her innocent face keeps flashing before my eyes — again and again.

Her childhood was stolen brutally, her dreams shattered mercilessly.

Israel didn’t just bomb buildings. 

It crushed a little girl’s laughter, her future, her right to live.

And the world? It watches in silence. 

My heart mourns endlessly for that child I never knew, but will never forget.

In a world that is increasingly connected and informed, where every image of injustice can be shared within seconds, it is not ignorance that keeps nations silent, it is a deliberate choice. Among the many heartbreaking conflicts of our time, the plight of Palestine stands as a wound that refuses to heal. Decades of occupation, displacement and violence have not only scarred generations of Palestinians, but also exposed the glaring apathy of those who claim to stand for justice and brotherhood, those in the Muslim world included.

The ongoing aggression, bombings and human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank have once again attracted global attention. Social media platforms are flooded with disturbing images of children under rubble, grieving mothers and decimated hospitals. And yet, amid this storm of suffering, the political leaders of many Muslim countries offer little more than carefully worded statements, diplomatic ambiguity or — worse — complete silence.

This silence is not neutral.

It is loud. It is deafening. And it echoes louder than the very cries of the oppressed.

Palestine holds immense religious and emotional significance for Muslims around the world. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, and stands in the heart of Jerusalem, a city constantly under threat. One would imagine that such spiritual and historical ties would be enough to inspire unified, bold action from Muslim nations. Instead, what we see is fragmentation, hesitation and, in some cases, normalisation of relations with the occupation state.

This betrayal is not just political; it is deeply immoral. The concept of ummah — the global Muslim brotherhood — is a pillar of Islamic thought. It stands for unity, support and shared struggle. But when bombs fall over Gaza and children are killed as they sleep, where is that unity? Where is the spirit of the ummah? We have a shared faith, but a forgotten responsibility.

READ: Israel kills 490 children in 20 days in Gaza, officials say

Many Muslim-majority countries today are entangled in economic dependence and political alliances that make it “inconvenient” to speak out against injustice. Trade deals, defence contracts and diplomatic pressures have become more valuable than the lives of Palestinian civilians. Instead of leading the moral charge for justice, these nations are often found compromising; walking the tightrope between appeasing powerful allies and maintaining a “neutral” image.

The result?

They pay lip service to human rights and utter empty condemnations.

Symbolic gestures that do little to ease the pain on the ground. Billions are spent on global summits and extravagant projects, yet not a single unified action is taken to hold oppressors accountable. This speaks volumes.

It is important to differentiate between governments and the people. Across the Muslim world, ordinary citizens have consistently shown solidarity with Palestine, through protests, humanitarian aid and social media advocacy. From Istanbul to Jakarta, Cairo to Karachi, the streets have echoed with slogans of support, tears and prayers. Yet, this groundswell of empathy rarely translates into policy. The disconnect between the will of the people and the decisions of their rulers has never been more apparent.

Why is there no joint Muslim military force for humanitarian protection? Why are there no economic sanctions or diplomatic boycotts? Why are resolutions passed in symbolic meetings without any real-world consequences?

The answer lies in fear, in political calculations and in the erosion of collective will.

Global silence there is, but Muslim silence hurts more.

The international community’s double standards and hypocrisy are nothing new. Powerful nations pick and choose which human rights violations to condemn. But the silence of 57 Muslim countries is more painful because it is silence from within. It is a silence that comes despite shared beliefs, shared histories and shared struggles. It is a silence that betrays not only the Palestinians, but also the very values that Islam teaches: justice, courage and standing against tyranny.

This is not a call for war. It is a call for conscience. For diplomatic courage. For unity rooted in values rather than politics. Muslim nations must understand that their silence today is the history of tomorrow. Future generations will ask: Where were you when Palestine cried out for help?

If not now, when? If not for Palestine, then for whom? If not by those who share the faith, then by who else?

True solidarity demands sacrifice. It demands action. It demands that Muslim nations rise above their fears and fulfil their moral and religious duties. The silence must end, because every moment of inaction costs another life, another dream, another child.

The silence of 57 Muslim countries does not reflect a lack of awareness. It reflects a lack of political and moral will.

And in times of injustice, silence is complicity; there is no neutrality.

The world watches, and history records. Will the Muslim world choose to be remembered as silent spectators, or as the voices that rose when it mattered the most?

READ: Israel has left over 39,000 orphans in Gaza

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.