Respect and credibility are earned, not granted. Before we complain about the world community's hypocrisy and double standard in how it remains indifferent to the barbaric gulag in Guantanamo Bay, murderous US drones, racist and brutal Israeli apartheid against Palestinians, & genocidal actions against Burmese Muslims in Myanmar, let's challenge our community's and Ummah's own hypocrisy.
Why do we expect others to do what we ourselves are not doing? We lack self-respect and credibility when we complain about injustices incurred by "others", but then deliberately ignore the many injustices committed by those who claim to be Muslim. Until we stop identifying injustice solely on the basis of its perpetrator, we should not expect our credibility and effectiveness to improve. Until we change ourselves, we must not expect for the change from Allah/God to come.
Our list of injustices that need to be condemned and challenged should also include the racist and inhumane mistreatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia or UAE, the shooting of peaceful protesters (not just by Israel, but also by the governments of Bahrain, Syria, Bangladesh, Egypt,...), lack of religious and political freedom in most Muslim-majority countries, torture and abuse of political detainees (not just in Gitmo and Israel, but also in prisons in Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, and many other places, and the unfair and systemic mistreatment of women and minorities in many Muslim-majority countries (and not just the mistreatment of Muslims in Europe and the US). The list can go on and on.
Islam teaches us that justice, freedom, and truth are indivisible, non-negotiable, and the divine right for all. Without practicing and striving for justice, we would be turning our faith into a ritualistic and empty practice. Basically, without justice, there is no Islam or true Muslims. Let's make a serious effort to change, before it is too late.
"O You who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest You swerve, and if You distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that You do" (Quran 4:135)
"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do" (Quran 5:8)
