Israel once again bombs the men, women and children of Gaza. Predictably the rulers in the Muslim world give their usual lip service condemnation. Egypt’s Mohamed Mursi said, “The Israelis must realize that we don’t accept this aggression and that it can only lead to instability in the region.” But like his predecessor Mubarak, Mursi indeed accepts this aggression by refusing to take any concrete action such as tearing up the 1979 peace treaty or sending the army in to Sinai to annex Gaza back to Egypt.
Since its inception Israel has committed atrocity after atrocity against the Muslim ummah leading some of those in positions of power to become weak and frightened of standing up to such a ‘powerful’ state. But Israel is not the first arrogant aggressor to attack the Muslim ummah. In the mid-13th century the Mongol Empire under the leadership of Hulagu Khan (Genghis Khan’s grandson) invaded the Islamic Khilafah, occupying its lands and even killing the Khaleefah Al-Musta’sim in Baghdad. The Mongols slaughtered tens of thousands of Muslims and looted and destroyed mosques, libraries and hospitals.
After the invasion of Iraq Hulagu occupied Palestine and sent envoys to Sultan Qutuz in Cairo, Egypt demanding his surrender. Hulagu like Israel’s leaders saw himself as undefeatable. He arrogantly wrote:
“From the King of Kings of the East and West, the Great Khan. To Qutuz the Mamluk, who fled to escape our swords. You should think of what happened to other countries and submit to us. You have heard how we have conquered a vast empire and have purified the earth of the disorders that tainted it. We have conquered vast areas, massacring all the people. You cannot escape from the terror of our armies. Where can you flee? What road will you use to escape us? Our horses are swift, our arrows sharp, our swords like thunderbolts, our hearts as hard as the mountains, our soldiers as numerous as the sand. Fortresses will not detain us, nor armies stop us. Your prayers to God will not avail against us. We are not moved by tears nor touched by lamentations. Only those who beg our protection will be safe. Hasten your reply before the fire of war is kindled. Resist and you will suffer the most terrible catastrophes. We will shatter your mosques and reveal the weakness of your God and then will kill your children and your old men together. At present you are the only enemy against whom we have to march.”
Sultan Qutuz feared Allah سبحانه وتعالى and was not weakened by the Mongol threats. Rather he responded by mobilising the Muslim army and marching it out of Egypt, through Gaza and in to Palestine inflicting a humiliating defeat on the Mongols at the famous Battle of Ain Jaloot.
We must remember that the responsibility of halting Israel’s aggression falls on the Muslim Ummah and specifically those with the capability to halt it which is the Muslim armies. These armies will only be released by a Khaleefah who like Sultan Qutuz fears none but Allah سبحانه وتعالى and doesn’t fear the Jews or the Christians, Israel and America, or their allies.
قَاتِلُوهُمْ يُعَذِّبْهُمُ اللَّهُ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُخْزِهِمْ وَيَنْصُرْكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَيَشْفِ صُدُورَ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ
“Fight them! Allah will punish them at your hands, and disgrace them and help you against them, and heal the hearts of those who have iman.”
(al-Taubah, 9:14)