"Standing on the Side of Humanity: The Challenge of Silence"

In my university days, I delved into the haunting chapters of human tragedies that marked my dad's era—the heart-wrenching tales of Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia, and more. Those stories carved questions into my mind that begged for answers. I turned to my dad, yearning to understand, asking him, "Where did you stand amidst these horrors? When humanity was at its lowest, what did you do?" He always answered the same way.

"To the extent of voice and reach of my hands I stood where any human has no choice but to stand, on the side of the oppressed, killed, colonized, persecuted. His head high, conscience clean and proud in front of his young son.

On my father’s 4th year of passing, I find myself grappling with our current reality—a reality that painfully mirrors the past. Emotions surge within me, colliding with an urgent need to dissect the consequences of our collective inaction. Our history is marred by chapters that scar the very soul of humanity, narrating stories of unbearable suffering and profound injustice.

Deafening Silence

The ongoing tragedy in Gaza serves as a grim testament to the moral vacuum engulfing our world. Lives are not merely lost there; they are obliterated amidst unrelenting bombardments, leaving behind fear and despair. Each death, each demolished home, echoes through time, weaving a fabric of trauma that stains generations to come. The toll on human lives is immeasurable, the anguish profound.

Yet, what pierces my heart with an almost unbearable intensity is the deafening silence echoing globally. It is a stark reminder of our collective failure to honor the sanctity of life and to condemn the horrors of war. The absence of resolute action from international bodies amid this bloodshed stains our moral conscience, leaving a mark of shame on humanity that will be remembered.

In couple decades, the next generation will turn to us with innocent eyes filled with curiosity, seeking answers to a question that pierces their very core: "What did you do when people, when children, were dying under the roar of bombs in 2023?"

In that moment, we will look back and comprehend the barbarism that lurked beneath the veneer of our so-called modern, civilized world. We will realize that the beauty we boasted of was a mere fa?ade, concealing the muted screams of dying children from every corner of the globe.

Will we entertain them with tales of impassive diplomacy, of political rhetoric that eclipsed human suffering? Or will we humbly confess our silence, our inertia in the face of injustice? Their gaze will demand more than empty words; it will demand accountability for our actions, or rather, our lack thereof.

We are not bystanders to this tragedy; we are guardians of humanity's conscience. It falls upon us to speak out, to champion peace with unyielding determination. The responsibility rests on our collective shoulders to amplify the voices of the oppressed, to challenge the systems perpetuating this vicious cycle of violence and be the voice of the voiceless.

Don't lose face to the next generations, speak...

In our quest for justice and peace let us not be confined by borders, nationalities, or ideologies. Let empathy and our humanity guide us, pointing towards a future where the horrors of Gaza are relegated to the archives of history—not a testament to our apathy, but to our steadfast dedication to safeguarding human dignity and life.

When next generation of children ask us what we did, let us meet their gaze and proudly declare that we stood on the side of humanity. Let us affirm that our voices rose against injustice, and our tireless efforts were dedicated to a world where peace reigns supreme, where the sanctity of human life is non-negotiable.

Whether we succeed or not will be determined by our collective actions, but we know one thing for sure, if silence dominates, humanity is promised to lose face against the children and youth of next generations and fail the ones desperately seeking survival today.