Why Does Violence Against Muslims Not Create Pain and Suffering for the World?

Why Does Violence Against Muslims Not Create Pain and Suffering for the World?

One of the most disturbing issues around the world is the violence resulting from mass killings and discrimination against Muslims. This violence and inequality can be clearly seen in many parts of the Middle East, for example, in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, Yemen, Sudan, among the Rohingya, and in Iran.

The violence in the Gaza Strip is not limited to October 7, 2023, or the recent past; rather, it is intertwined with the oppression, displacement, occupation, mass killings, and forced migration that Palestinians have endured for more than 75 years. This process began with the Nakba of 1948, which plunged generations of Palestinians into a cycle of violence and displacement. The United Nations defines the Nakba as the forced displacement and mass exodus of Palestinians during the 1948 war.

If genocide is considered a historical process rather than a single event, the history of Palestine cannot begin on October 7, 2023. What is happening today in the Gaza Strip is only one aspect of decades of violence, displacement, and forced migration that the Palestinian people have been forced to endure. The crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza cannot simply be reduced to a conventional military conflict. Therefore, in September 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry of the United Nations concluded that the Israeli regime had committed four war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza under the 1948 Geneva Conventions and accused Israel of genocide.

The occupying Zionist regime has intensified the suffering of the people of Gaza through the systematic killing of women, children, and civilians, the deliberate starvation of the population, and the destruction of hospitals, schools, and vital infrastructure.

Moreover, the 75-year silence of the international community is the most painful aspect of this tragedy. European countries, the governments of Canada's western provinces, and the government of the United States bear undeniable responsibility for supplying weapons to this brutal regime.

More clearly, the tragedy of Muslims does not end with Gaza.

Yemen, a Muslim country with a long history and rich culture, is unfortunately experiencing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. A prolonged civil war, political instability, extreme poverty, and severe shortages of food and medicine have made life extremely difficult for millions of Yemenis. Despite this suffering, Yemenis are known for their honesty, hospitality, and cultural resilience. The country has endured years of war and military intervention.

Sudan: The population of this country is facing catastrophic humanitarian consequences: famine and displacement. According to urgent warnings from United Nations agencies, such as the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration, this war has created the world's largest famine and displacement crisis. More than 8.6 million people are internally displaced in Sudan, and millions are at serious risk of starvation.

Rohingya: The Rohingya Muslims are one of the most persecuted ethnic minorities in the world and are facing a severe and prolonged humanitarian crisis. The status of the Rohingya — deprivation of citizenship: In 1982, the government of Myanmar passed a citizenship law that deprived the Rohingya of citizenship. Despite having lived in the region for centuries, the government still treats them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Ethnic cleansing and genocide: In 2017, the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya people. The United Nations described the operation as “ethnic cleansing” and stated that it was tantamount to genocide. Thousands were killed, villages were burned, and widespread sexual violence occurred.

Refugee crisis: In 2017, more than 740,000 Rohingya fled the conflict to neighboring Bangladesh. Today, nearly one million Rohingya refugees live in extremely difficult conditions in overcrowded temporary camps in Bangladesh, such as Cox's Bazar. The Rohingya are the largest stateless population in the world. Without passports and legal rights, they are deprived of access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Their future, whether returning home or integrating into a host country, remains uncertain.

Iran: Iran has been under political, economic, and security pressure from foreign powers for years. In late January and February 2026 (Bahman 1404 in the Iranian calendar), the United States and the Zionist regime officially launched attacks against Iran. According to official statistics and human rights organizations, the number of deaths is as follows: Iranian official institutions, such as the Martyrs Foundation and Iran's Legal Medicine Organization, reported between 3,375 and 3,468 deaths. Foreign human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Activists News Agency, estimated the total number of victims at more than 3,600.

Number of injured: Official estimates indicate that tens of thousands of people were injured in Iran.

“In this unjust war launched by the Israeli regime against Iran, the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school for girls and boys in the city of Minab became a painful symbol of attacks against schools and civilian children.”

This raises a fundamental question:

Why are the death, destruction, and displacement of Muslims around the world considered so insignificant?

Why does their suffering appear negligible compared with that of followers of other religions?

Why are Muslims deprived of justice and international assistance?

This clearly demonstrates a double standard, and the lives of Muslims have become a measure by which this double standard can be seen. Gaza, Yemen, Jerusalem, Sudan, Myanmar, and Iran are prominent examples of this reality.

However, every person who dies, regardless of their religion—whether Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or of any other faith—is a human being, and their life has value.

Author: Gouya Roshan

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