The Normalization of Tragedy in the Middle and Far East
- Generation Now
- Sep 25, 2020
- 7 min read
By Julia Brgan
September 21, 2020
For years, western media has defined the Middle East by its close proximity to conflict, as well as being a region where war is both expected and inevitable. It places violence in a position of being integral to the makeup of these countries that are defined as “Middle Eastern”, and creates a stigma that simply isn't true.
While countries may face issues, they are not defined by them. This stigma, as a whole, creates a problem. When crisis arises in the Middle East, it is often overlooked and/or disregarded, leaving victims of tragedy misplaced and without the support needed to recover. Recent events taking place in the Middle East can both expand upon and support this topic, as in each instance, movements have come to light, but have been quickly disregarded. Pushing past the common beliefs and stereotypes is the first step to denormalizing the idea of violence being inevitable in the Middle East.
Let’s debunk some common misconceptions about the Middle East:
The Middle East is mostly desert: This is incorrect, the geographical makeup of the Middle East is extremely diverse, including mountain ranges, plateaus, fertile river deltas, and forests.
The Middle East is clearly defined: In contrast, the Middle East does not have “cookie cutter” borders. Its cross-cultural network stretches from North Africa, to Western Asia and Central Asia.
Everyone in the Middle East speaks Arabic: Many different languages are spoken in the Middle East, including Hebrew, Kurdish, Farsi, and Turkish.
Everyone in the Middle East is Muslim: Not everyone belongs to the same Religion, several different Arab Christian groups exist in the Middle east; one of the largest being the Coptic Christians of Egypt, having over 10 million adherents.
There has always been conflict between Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religions: All of these different faiths have coexisted for centuries. All three even share roots, as Abraham, Noah, and Joseph, are all prominent within Islam.
Violence in the Middle East is inevitable: This is highly incorrect. The vast majority of those living in the Middle East want peace and harmony. While there have been conflicts, these conflicts do not represent those living there. The Middle East does not exist solely as a battleground.
Beirut Blast — Lebanon Explosion, August 2020
Prior to the explosion, Lebanon had been facing a socio-economic crisis, as well as the threat of the spreading Coronavirus pandemic. At the time, 1 million people lived below the poverty line, with Lebanon housing an additional 1.5 million refugees.
On August 4, 2020, a large fire at the Port of Beirut caused the rooftop of a warehouse holding 2,750 tonnes of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate to ignite. This source of nitrogen is commonly used within agricultural fertilizer, yet when combined with fuel oils, creates explosives for mining and construction purposes. What began as a large blast coupled with a few smaller blasts, quickly became a colossal explosion, creating a “supersonic blastwave [that] radiated throughout the city.” Following the blast, 20 people were charged, and Lebanon saw its Prime Minister, Diab, offer resignation.
As a result, nearly 200 people were killed, with 6,500 sustaining injuries. 40% of Beirut was severely damaged, with 300,000 homes destroyed, 3 hospitals left non-functional, and 3 others remaining severely damaged. The explosion placed increasing pressure on the healthcare system due to the overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients, and victims of the blast, who faced further issues due to the decrease by 500 in hospital capacity and 17 destroyed containers of PPE.
Although a movement was quick to develop, it quickly lost steam. Since the blast, the number of coronavirus cases has increased by 220%, with 500-600 new cases being reported everyday due to the lack of necessary care available. In response, a lockdown was imposed, however, for the hundreds of thousands displaced, a lockdown does little good. Lebanon’s healthcare system is currently being stretched past capacity due to the lasting damage to healthcare centers, and the depleted PPE stock. Lebanese currency has also lost around 80% of its value, and hyperinflation has severely limited access to food and other essential items such as medicine and hygiene products. With nearly 1 in 3 people being unemployed, residents are left traumatized, and overwhelmed. The coming winter also poses a great threat with the rehabilitation and rebuilding of dwellings being a clear priority. The people of Lebanon who have been affected by this tragedy are in need of help more than ever through donations and spreading awareness.
The “Free Palestine” Movement
Although many have seen the phrase: “Free Palestine” floating around the internet, few know what it actually means.
The conflict between Palestine and Israel began at the beginning of the 20th century, when Jewish people, seeking refuge, fled Europe to establish a homeland in what was at the time, an Arab and Muslim majority territory. The Arab people living there resisted, as they saw the land as theirs. Initially, a plan was set to divide the land between the two, yet it failed, resulting in several wars being fought over the territory.
The “Six-Day-War”, also known as the “June War”, that took place in 1967 was highly influential, as it resulted in Israel gaining control over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which both housed large Palestinian populations.
To this day, The Israeli government enforces strict laws and restrictions on the rights of the Palestinian people, involving collective punishment, the abuse of systematic rights, the use of excessive lethal force against protesters, and administrative detention for prolonged periods of time without a chance for charge or trial. By restricting and monitoring the flow of people and goods, and allowing the unlawful transfer of citizens to settlements, Israel makes it impossible for Palestinians to rebuild the West Bank without risking its destruction. The policy restricts the natural growth of the Palestinian people, boxing them into small, cramped communities, while nurturing and encouraging the growth in Israel, with many of the new communities being built on destroyed Palestinian land.
Currently, Israel controls 93% of the land, and uses the military as well as law to control the voices of the people. Palestinian journalists, activists, and everyday citizens can be arrested for speech and activity that opposes, criticizes, or protests Israel’s rule — it dismantles the ability for Palestinians to lead political, free lives. Airstrikes have also killed innocent people caught in the crossfire, with young children who have no military connections in the slightest being targeted by drones and rockets.
The “Free Palestine” movement aims to end this issue, by attempting “to defend and advocate for the human rights of all Palestinians, and in particular the right of access to all of Palestine.” The organization aims to do this by supporting the rights of Palestinians through defying barriers set by Israel, and imposing pressure on those that deny these rights. The “Free Palestine” movement has been active in several forms since 2003, as the normalization of this violence leaves Palestinians still fighting to be recognized as a state by all countries.
China’s Mass Internment Centers
TW: S*xual Abuse
Currently, China is receiving media coverage for the detainment of as many as 1 to 3 million Uighur Muslims in recent years. These so-called “re-education centers”, as they are named by the Chinese Communist Party, have forced its prisoners to undergo psychological indoctrination programs, including studying communist propaganda, and routinely giving thanks to the Chinese president. It is also reported that officials within the centers have used waterboarding as well as sexual abuse as part of their process.
This imprisonment and torture of innocent people has resulted in the largest ethnic-religious minority group mass detention center since the concentration camps of World War II. Recent investigations have even found that Chinese authorities have been subjecting the women inside to mass sterilization by forcing them to take birth control as well as undergo abortions. Many have argued that these attempts at control meet the United Nation’s definition of genocide which includes imposing methods of preventing birth within the group as well as causing bodily harm, both of which are being done.
Even those free from the walls of these centers are subject to discrimination and unfair policies, as China has used technology to turn Xinjang, the location of these camps, into an intense police state. Both inside and outside, Uighur muslims are forced into exploitation for cheap labour, as they are pressured into manufacturing clothes and products for sale both locally and abroad.
Although the Chinese government claims the camps are merely “vocational and training centers” the opposite has been proven true, with many countries around the world putting pressure on major corporations to cut ties with companies that are complicit in the forced labour of Uighur muslims. Advocates are also calling for more forceful action.
TikTok, the viral video sharing platform, has been integral for teens and adults in sharing information and raising awareness on various world issues. After Feroza Azis posted a video that quickly went viral, reaching 1.4 million views and gaining nearly 500,000 likes on the subject of the internment camps, she noticed an issue. Azis quickly came to the conclusion that the app had been banning her videos on the camps, with many others supporting the idea that the platform had been restricting access to these types of videos. By censoring important voices, awareness on issues can reach a halt, and the movement can slowly fade away. Building and keeping momentum is integral in ensuring that any movement at all is successful, lest it be erased.
Even with these voices, the wrongful punishment of Uighur muslims continues.
What can be taken from these movements is this: support for humanitarian crises within the Middle and Far East disappear very quickly, as they are often not taken seriously, or with as much urgency as those occurring in the western world. This can happen due to censorship by respective governments, or due to misconceptions about the Middle East that result in unfair prejudice and assumptions on what is or isn't critical. Movements may also lose momentum because there is not enough information on what is happening or how to help. People may not even understand what the problem is in the first place. In order to end the cycle, we must acknowledge that countries plagued by war and tragedy are not defined by the issues they face. Building a deeper understanding is integral to denormalizing violence, creating meaningful conversation and providing proper aid.
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