In the name of the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Why Occupied Palestine Must Be Protected for the Soul of Humanity
There are places on this Earth where the soil remembers the prayers of prophets. Where olive trees have witnessed generations bowing in submission not to power, not to politics but to the One who created us all. Palestine is one of those places.
Yet today, the streets of Bethlehem echo more with sirens than hymns. Churches and mosques, once side by side, are now shadows behind military checkpoints. And the very people who carry the oldest traditions of worship whether Christian, Muslim, or Jew are being pushed out, silenced, or erased.
This is not just a geopolitical crisis. It is a spiritual catastrophe.
📖 When Holy Texts Are Used Like Swords
Let us not deceive ourselves: the Bible, like many sacred texts, has been used to both liberate and enslave. Colonial empires invoked its name while plundering Africa, claiming to bring light while leaving lands in darkness. They beat drums of war with verses in hand but those same pages were also used by abolitionists and revolutionaries who cried out for justice, equality, and mercy.
It is not the scripture that is flawed it is the hearts of those who twist it for power.
Today, the same tragedy repeats. Holy verses once meant to heal are used to justify dividing walls, bulldozers, and bombs. In the land where Jesus (peace be upon him) was born, his followers are now spat upon, barred from prayer, denied peace.
🕊️ Christians, Muslims, and Jews: One Land, One Heritage
This is not just a crisis for Muslims. It is a tragedy for all who believe in sacred living.
Do you know that Palestinian Christians have lived in Bethlehem since the time of Isa (Jesus)? That they still chant hymns in Aramaic the very language he spoke? Do you know that many Muslims in Palestine have Jewish ancestry, and vice versa? That in Jerusalem, mosques, churches, and synagogues once stood in mutual respect?
When Allah revealed the Qur’an, God said clearly:
“There is no compulsion in religion…” Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256
This verse wasn’t just theology it was social instruction. Coexistence is not just possible; it is divinely commanded.
Today, that dream is dying under rubble.
🏛️ Protecting Palestine Is Protecting Our Shared Soul
It is not enough to slap a UNESCO plaque on a crumbling wall and call it heritage. We must protect the living people who keep these traditions alive because without them, the stones mean nothing. Without Palestinian Christians, Bethlehem becomes a museum. Without Palestinian Muslims, Al-Aqsa becomes a photo op.
The world must stop treating Palestine like a battlefield and start treating it like a sacred trust an Amanah.
Where are the calls to protect the entire region under heritage status? Where is the international community when over 60% of Gaza’s heritage is wiped off the map? Where is the outrage when ancient monasteries are crushed beneath drone fire?
We must move beyond hashtags and speak from the soul: you cannot worship God while ignoring His signs being desecrated.
💔 Africa Knows This Pain
Africa, too, knows the weight of sacred texts used for unholy conquests. We, too, were told that slavery was “God’s plan.” That colonisation was “civilisation.” We, too, watched our languages, cultures, and spirituality nearly vanish beneath the boot of empire.
So, from the ashes of the past, we extend our hand to Palestine and say: we see you, we remember you, we believe you.
We Can Still Choose Peace
The pain of Palestine is not just a Muslim issue. It is not just a Christian issue. It is not just a Jewish issue.
It is a human issue. A spiritual issue. A test.
Can we live together, as our scriptures ask us to?
Can we protect sacred land without possessing it?
Can we pray side by side without drawing borders between our hearts?
The answer to all this bloodshed isn’t in more bullets.
It’s in the whispered prayers of those still lighting candles in Bethlehem.
In the echo of the Adhan alongside church bells.
In the hope that one day, again, we will walk through Jerusalem not with soldiers but with salam.
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