Two scenarios providing a very stark contrast:
Scenario 1 takes place around Ramadan 2014. Israel has launched Operation Protective Edge, effectively turning the biggest open air prison in their world, Gaza, into their own shooting gallery and testing center for their latest batch of armaments. The usual howls of protest are heard around the Muslim world, yet there is deafening silence from the rulers of the nearby Gulf states, and the Egyptian government is almost an open collaborator with Israel. More than 2,100 innocent civilians died.
Scenario 2 takes place around Ramadan 2015. Following a political takeover by the Iran-backed Houthi tribes, Saudi Arabia and the adjacent Gulf States are suddenly galvanised into action and begin a relentless carpet bombing campaign of the country to bring the group into submission. Egypt once again gives it helping hand in this effort. Even far away Turkey and Pakistan were asked to lend their military muscle (thankfully they declined). No major protests from my view are taking place across the Muslim world. Thus far, the death toll is 3,000 person estimated in the first 100 days of the bombing.
There is a problem when the richest oil-drenched Muslims countries gang up and pound perhaps the poorest, with nary a complaint from the rest of the so-called 'Umma'. Yes, there is a complicated set of internal politics that must be taken into account before passing any judgment (not that complicated really, Arab Sunni Saudi Arabia and Persian Shia Iran are both tying for regional influence with its spillover in Yemen and Syria).
Many of the nearby Arab states are particularly queasy given the recently signed deal between the US (and five other world powers) and Iran to effectively end its nuclear programme. No doubt, for Iran it has granted a seal of legitimacy that will see a rush of investment and expanding clout. The problem is that now solving the Yemen situation has become much more difficult.
It is times like this that I feel that the Muslim world could use a non-sectarian Muslim Diplomatic Corps to work towards effective diplomatic solutions to these problems. The UN and some Muslims governments have tried some feeble proposals that never panned out. It is time that the concerned public take a more proactive stance towards peace rather than wait for seeing how it will be handled by inept and often corrupt governments that care more about political considerations.
In the policy circles, they call this Track II diplomacy, implemented by private actors who have the expertise and freedom to work with actors on the ground and find solutions. To establish a viable international Muslim-centric diplomatic push like this would take a degree of foresight and patience that I have yet to see demonstrated.
In the mean time, Yemen continues to be sadly torn apart. One can only pray that this poor and impoverished country finally see some measure of calm after so much carnage. We make dua.
