“Palestinian people are racist toward Black people, so we should not speak out against the genocide being waged by the Zionist Israelis in Palestine.” So, says some black people as they strut out alleged instances of Palestinians being racist toward black people.
We heard the very same arguments at the time Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainians are racist toward blacks. True or not, we cannot allow other people’s hatred to change who we are. As a people, we are, by nature, loving people. We cannot afford to allow our enemies to change us into becoming them.
It is challenging to find any race of people not prejudiced or biased against Black people. It is impossible to find any race not inherently biased toward their own race. Racial prejudice has always been in the world it will always be here. Must we ignore atrocities because the victims are not our friends or because they would treat us badly?
Are we to remain silent in the face of blatant atrocities because the victims aren’t exactly our friends?
If we care only about ourselves or those who show us love, we are saying that injustice is fine as long as it is not directed at us or those who support us.
Using that logic, it’s only a matter of time before our turn comes around. Who will stand up for us then? Some argue no one stands up for us. That’s not true; many people of varying races have stood up in defense of us as a people. Many have paid the ultimate price for doing so.
We do not stand up for rights and justice because it is convenient to do so or because there is no possibility of harm coming to us. We stand up for justice because it is the right thing to do. Not because it’s easy but because it’s necessary. When we remain silent in the face of outrageous injustice and wrong, we are, by default, empowering the oppressors.
Eventually, no one is safe.
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
—Martin Niemöller
It is Christmas time, and those of us who profess to be children of the highest God must remember that we claim to be Christians because of Christ. Let us say a prayer for the innocent men, women and children in Palestine who are suffering at the hands of the powerful oppressors with their fighter jets, bombers, tanks, poison gasses and other weapons of human destruction.
Let us stop for one minute and pray for the downtrodden people of Palestine.
As Jamaicans, our leaders did not shirk from standing up to the evils of Apartheid in South Africa and other places on the continent. Let us honor their bravery and conviction by speaking out against the Apartheid in Palestine.
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Mike Beckles is a former Police Detective, businessman, freelance writer, black achiever honoree, and creator of the blog mikebeckles.com.