Global Humanity Paralyzed by COVID-19 Pandemic and Politics of Conflicts Looks for Change and Unity

Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

COVID-19 Pandemic Deserves Critical Thinking and Human Unity

We live in a connected world of virtual reality – people in one part of the globe cannot be separated by resurgent COVID pandemic and continued insanity of violent political conflicts – man fighting man due to perpetuated ignorance, greed, economic and intellectual exploitation and political domination – an unending irresistible impulse of ill-informed mindset led by the few against many. The political leaders professing to be wise act like anarchist of political indoctrination without knowledge and human integrity.  Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed the human societies into a world of greater unknown and socio-economic and political instability. Vaccinations are hurriedly developed and are being used on experimental basis as if an effective remedial approach is beyond human scientific and reasoned understanding. Evil is real not imaginary - be it the COVID Pandemic or man-made political conflicts going-on throughout the world but we the 21^st century human societies and civilizations are unable to cope with. Rejecting politics of COVID-19 Pandemic, we the learned must focus on a scientific and spiritual approach to combat the infectious disease. Human existence embodies both material and spiritual factors and it is vital to combine both factors for an effective remedy of the disease.  The global community appears tormented with socio-economic disparities and moral and political cruelty and injustice echoes its own voices of reason and wants under extremely unfavorable circumstances. One cannot separate evil and truth as we face a turbulent emerging future of compelled uncertainty. We appear to be haunted by preposterous forces of distortion and destruction.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis is a strand that can be found in the interwoven people’s thought and politics of the 21^st century knowledge-based informed governance that echoes concerns and priorities that humanitarian imperatives are scarified for political expediency. The common sentiment of human solidarity is increasing over the inept nationalistic politics of the few like former US President Trump- “America First.” Politicians cannot resolve an exceptionally complex medical problem. When a global paradigm of this nature and unpredictable scope hits the mankind, one cannot think to focus on national interest and political campaigns to get re-elected. We are witnessing the severity of this COVID-19 impact across the globe and how millions and millions reject the politically maneuvered ideological divisions, hatred and fear and opt for understanding, collaboration and human solidarity to fight the virus with ingenuity, compassion and global unity.  It is impeccable for the thinking people of the globe to rise up to the challenge and demonstrate how best We, the People are connected together as One Humanity to encounter this invisible enemy of all without borders and nationalities.  For several decades, the political elite of the global systematic governance remained pre-occupied with warfare and insanity of victimizing good parts of the humanity in the Middle East, Asia South America and many parts of Africa. WE, the People deserve change for global unity to tackle the unknown impacts of the infectious disease. This is a call of global unity of all people - be it America, Europe, Russia, China, Asian and Africa or other parts of the earth with living human beings- we must rise to the challenge and given the scientific knowledge and medical cures, we are capable to overcome the multiple layers of socio-economic and political problems affecting the human societies.

Political Conflicts Continued to Dehumanize the Rational Thinking

We are witnessing continuous killings and bombardments of civilian habitats in Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Kashmir, forcibly displaced Rohinga people from Myanmar and Yemen and elsewhere. Tyranny has no other name except being a planned calamity imposed on powerless and innocent human beings – nowhere to hide for survival.  Palestinians are bombed and displaced from their natural homeland by forces of political ideology of Israel; Kashmiris are locked up for years by the Indian security forces for demanding their basic human rights of freedom and justice; Yemeni people are bombed by Saudis and UAE for political control and Syrians continued to be killed and displaced for authoritarianism. This was the moment that the UN-Security Council should have developed a workable mechanism of safety and protection of civilian in all major centers of political and ethnic conflicts. What sparked riots in East Jerusalem cannot be ignored from the broader conflict between Israel and Palestine? The forcible eviction of Palestinians from their ancestral homes in East Jerusalem is a global issue, it is not the domestic affairs of Israel, and the UNO and America should treat its urgency for a peaceful resolution. A ceasefire is not the solution but prelude to more factional conflicts. The core issue is the occupation and Israel should be made to understand that only Two State solution is the reasoned approach between the two rivals and to satisfy the norms of peace and expectations of the global community.

We need a constant force of reason, ingenuity and commitment to stop the killings and unwarranted bombardments of civilians – be it in Gaza, East Jerusalem, Yemen and Syria or other parts of human cultures. If Israeli and Palestinian leaders could sit and have a dialogue, would it not be preferred rather inhuman shelling of civilian population and cruelty of killings innocent children and displacement of civilian people with no ties to any political groups. President Biden’s administration must rethink to evolve a reasoned approach for peacemaking and stop support one against another in the Middle East conflict. Killing is madness , losing sense of normalcy and reasoned discourse - is this not happening for over 70 years in the Middle East?  America and West European hold the key for Two State solution to come into play and to stopping this insanity and to take initiatives for restoration of human consciousness for change towards peacemaking and conflict resolution.  The voices of reason are echoed across the globe but constant warfare undermines human concerns and optimism against many odds. We, the People  and Concerned Humanity must think out of the box as proactive scholars and thinkers to offer new visions and prospects of peaceful interaction and persuasion to resolve our differences and conflicts, otherwise, we tend to be on the wrong side of thoughts, time and history to destroy our own existence and future.

Can We, the People of Globe See the Mirror for our Future-Making?

If time and history are a reference point, we the humankind stand at a critical juncture of our own complacency to have allowed ignorance, hatred, fear and animosity to destroy our life, culture and existence. The few obsessed with invincible armies and political powers – the warriors as dreamers to control and dominate us have driven the humanity to a terrible sense of helplessness and void about its future. We are witnessing a growing culture of domination by the same as was in history- universally the self-centered maniacs claiming to be leaders of peace and mankind, the most hated and feared are turning the world into more man-made tragedies, animosities, continued drone attacks and bogus wars - all causing massive deaths and destruction to endanger life, human habitats and the sanctity of Planet Earth. The NEED is urgent to understand - how to change the egoistic and embittered insanity of the few hate-mongers and warlords into equilibrium of balanced relationship between Man, Life and God- given living Universe in which we reside all.

In a time of humanitarian crisis of the pandemic, we must allow truth of being One Humanity to support our existence and future – we must rethink that we are not alone - how we care about others – the neglected and tormented mankind striving for its existence and sustainable lifelines. Often, politically aligned thoughts in Europe and America have ignored the humanitarian vitality of China and Russia for convenient political expediency. There appears to be lot of conjures to be cleaned and clarified for change and a new world order of collaboration and help when it is most needed beyond national flags and borders. We desperately need to re-organize our thoughts and genius for unity and coordination to pool the humanitarian resources to fill the political gaps of egoism and anarchy between inept patriotism and its global outreach to restructure our policies and practices to extend humanitarian help to all those who needed most, not the weapons of mass destruction, not the claims of individual greatness but a revitalized sense of One Humanity ready to protect the present and future of human civilizations.

Can we see the Mirror with a collective conscience - why have we been pushed to resort to animalistic characteristics and behaviors that those who appear to be well educated and morally and intellectually intact but act like agents of the Draconian age as if there were no people of REASON and accountability populating the Planet Earth?  Bombardment of civilian habitats and displacement of civilian population will not create a better world of hope and optimism for the future. We must use force of reason, truth and adaptability to change and to understand the contemporary crises and protect our rights to freedom and human dignity and to be One Humanity. I wait to learn more from your inner conscience, your sense of humanity, your deep insight to human emancipation  for change and adaptability to the challenges of our common future as ONE Humanity as once one of the classical scholars Alexis Carrel entitled his book:  Man, The Unknown.

Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Lambert Academic Publications, Germany, 12/2019.