Gaza’s Resistance: The Antidote to a Decade of Islamophobia?
Following the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, 2023, numerous Western media outlets hastened to draw parallels between that conflict and the events of September 11. Their underlying objective was to resuscitate the waning tide of Islamophobia, which had lost its fervor, and thereby advance their geopolitical objectives in the Middle East. Islamophobia had in fact served as a pretext for the United States’ illegal and inhumane invasion of Afghanistan, atrocities that were rationalized in post-9/11.
The attacks of September 11, 2001, ostensibly delivered a devastating blow to Muslim communities, both within the U.S. and globally, paving the way for the spread of Islamophobia, which subsequently rendered life more difficult for Muslims worldwide—a reality whose repercussions are still felt in various parts of the globe.
Yet today, after October 7, the heroic resistance of the people of Gaza has thoroughly dismantled the West's Islamophobic narrative. Over the course of the past eleven months, the steadfastness of Palestinians in Gaza has prompted millions across the Western world to assume the mantle of advocates and emissaries for Islam, exposing to international public opinion the criminal nature of the Israeli regime. This paradigm shift has manifested vividly in the widespread demonstrations of solidarity with Palestine, particularly those that took place in the United States.
Even in the initial months of the Hamas-Israel conflict, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth noted that “Israel’s war in Gaza, in the wake of the events of October 7, coupled with the haunting images of suffering from the Gaza Strip, has stirred a newfound interest among many Americans in the Qur’an and Islam. This time, the spotlight is on Generation Z—a demographic that has discovered within the Qur’an a foundation for their worldview, and they have resolved to embark on this intellectual and spiritual journey.”
Similarly, The Guardian reported that young Americans, in their quest to comprehend the Palestinian resistance against Israel, have turned to reading the Qur’an. The report added that videos featuring the hashtag #QuranBookClub have amassed millions of views, with users eagerly sharing images and videos of themselves poring over newly acquired copies of the Qur’an, many of them encountering its verses for the very first time.
Prominent American TikTok influencer Megan Rice expressed astonishment at the unyielding resilience of Gaza’s people in a viral video, urging others to read the Qur’an to unlock the mystery behind their steadfastness. Ultimately, she embraced Islam and adopted the hijab. Reflecting on her conversion, Rice remarked, “In the Qur’an, I found deeply profound statements,” highlighting the verse that states, ‘Fitna (oppression) is worse than killing.’ She also expressed surprise at the Qur’an’s high regard for women and its unwavering defense of their rights. "Reading the Qur'an," she declared, "is truly extraordinary."
Rice’s conversion is emblematic of a larger movement that has rapidly gained traction among Generation Z via TikTok. This generation has found in the Qur’an and Islam values they deeply resonate with—principles such as freedom, social solidarity, and resistance against global tyranny and exploitation—while also discovering a powerful tool for challenging entrenched institutions and the preceding generations.
Thus, while the comparison between the events of October 7 and September 11 is not entirely without merit, it should not be construed in the simplistic terms that were initially propagated by pro-Israeli media in the early months of the war. Such a comparison provides insight into why international calls for a ceasefire have been largely disregarded within Israel. The conflict in Gaza is far from a mere regional skirmish; it has had profound repercussions for global political dynamics.
One of the most striking parallels between the October 7 war and the events of September 11 is the blatant disregard for international law in their aftermaths. Over the past eleven months, accusations of torture and abuse of Palestinian prisoners by the Israeli regime have surged to unprecedented levels, eliciting strong reactions from human rights activists across the globe.
One egregious example of these abuses is the "Sedi Taiman" camp, a military base repurposed by the Israeli regime into a detention center for Gaza’s prisoners. Here, Palestinian detainees are subjected to the most appalling conditions while awaiting their fates. According to investigations by CNN, alongside accounts from Israeli whistleblowers, former Palestinian detainees, and eyewitnesses, the inhumane conditions at this desert prison—including the use of blindfolds and handcuffs—have sparked widespread international outrage.
These atrocities, however, represent just a fraction of the human rights abuses committed during this conflict. Over the past eleven months, violations of the rights of Palestinian women and children have been rampant, with thousands of innocent civilians, including children, losing their lives to Israeli attacks. Yet, these violations have not been adequately addressed by international human rights organizations. This oversight mirrors the aftermath of September 11, when the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan led to widespread human rights violations, the consequences of which continue to reverberate to this day.
The undeniable reality is that after September 11, the United States became hopelessly mired in the quagmire of the Middle East, squandering trillions of dollars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, only to reap the bitter fruits of hatred and ignominy. In the end, it handed Afghanistan back to the Taliban and withdrew. The two decades of US engagement in the Middle East provided a golden opportunity for its principal geopolitical rival, China, to quietly expand its economic prowess and political influence. Today, China stands as the foremost trade partner for key regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, and Iraq.
The war on Gaza that erupted on October 7 is yet another manifestation of America’s ongoing failures in the Middle East, and it has posed a formidable challenge to the very existence of Israel. The recent strikes and protests among residents of the occupied territories, along with deepening rifts within Israel’s political and military leadership, attest to the fact that Israel is now ensnared in a quagmire from which escape seems increasingly elusive, if not impossible. Indeed, not long ago, U.S. President Joe Biden invoked the memory of September 11 in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, referencing the anger that had gripped Americans and Israelis alike both then and now. Biden candidly acknowledged that not all of the U.S. actions in the aftermath of that tragedy were justifiable, and he issued a warning to Israel urging caution. He further underscored the necessity of a two-state solution as the only viable long-term resolution to the ongoing crisis.
