As the Gaza war recedes from memory, perhaps Palestinian supporters in the United States might choose a new group to fight for. Campus vigils, marches, social media campaigns, and contacting one’s senator and representative would all be welcome.
There’s a world of pain out there. Here’s just a small sample of important causes to consider.
You could stand with the Tibetans. China invaded their country, murdered their priests, burned their temples, exiled the Dalai Lama, and moved in hundreds of thousands of ethnic Chinese to inhabit what had once been an independent country. Richard Gere has been a major supporter of the Dalai Lama. The Chinese, who invest in Hollywood films, put out the word that Gere could no longer act. That was the end of his career.
Speaking of China, could you spare a thought for the Uyghur Muslims in western China? For years, they’ve experienced mass arbitrary detention, extensive surveillance, forced labor, religious suppression, and forced assimilation. Their treatment is brutal, but no Muslim country speaks up on their behalf. Why not you?
Another Muslim group that could use your support is the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar. You can find Myanmar on the map, if you have the slightest interest, between India and Thailand. They continue to experience mass expulsions, killings, sexual violence, denial of citizenship, and arbitrary arrest and confinement. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remain refugees in Bangladesh. They suffer at the hands of Buddhists in Myanmar’s military. Everybody associates Buddhism with peacefulness, meditation, and spirituality. The Rohingya might beg to disagree.
If you’d rather stick to the Middle East, that’s fine with me. You can take up the cause of the Yazidis, a group that practices an ancient religion of which the Islamic State disapproved. Perhaps disapproval is too light a term, considering that the United Nations concluded that ISIS committed genocide against the Yazidis, killing thousands and taking thousands of women and children into sexual slavery. The survivors, including the many still missing, would surely appreciate your support.
Staying with the Middle East, perhaps you have warm feelings toward the Baha’i faith. Adherents believe that their 19th-century founder was a messenger from God, a concept with which the Iranian mullahs politely disagree. Well, polite disagreement might again be too mild a term. The mullahs execute people for belonging to the Baha’i faith, lock them out of Iranian universities, and confiscate their homes, farms, and bank accounts. Human Rights Watch considers the Iranian government’s treatment of the Baha’i a crime against humanity. Maybe you could do a quick candlelight vigil for them, if you aren’t too busy.
And then you’ve got the Hazaras of Afghanistan, frequent targets of terrorist attacks. Or if Afghanistan isn’t too passe, you could broaden your sights to include all women and girls in the country, who face severe restrictions on education, employment, and personal freedom under Taliban rule.
If you’re more interested in supporting Christians, how about the Christians of Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo? They are subject to killings, kidnappings, church attacks, and displacement by jihadist organizations and other armed groups. Or do you want to wash your hands of your Christian brothers and sisters in Africa simply because President Donald Trump has spoken on their behalf?
North Korea is also a tough place for Christians, who face severe punishment for unauthorized religious practice. For the shocking crime of distributing Bibles, Christians have been arrested, beaten, tortured, imprisoned, and executed.
FIVE QUESTIONS MAMDANI DESPERATELY HOPES REPORTERS NEVER ASK ABOUT GAZA
So the question naturally arises. Why are the hipsters of Park Slope and the Upper West Side only interested in justice for Palestinians, when there is literally a world of religious oppression crying out for their attention? There’s only one reason: They’ve been conditioned to hate Israel, which is code for hating Jews.
All of the above persecuted religious groups are desperate for outside support. But when it comes to attention from hypocritical, manipulated, self-styled American “justice seekers,” take my word: They aren’t holding their breath.
Michael Levin is a two-time New York Times bestselling author. His next novel, 2028, A Political Thriller, will be published by Morgan James in April 2027.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
