85+ Imams, Scholars Detail How Muslim Nations Could Help End Gaza Genocide

As Israel pursues a full occupation of the Gaza Strip, over 85 Islamic scholars, religious leaders, and institutions this week urged the governments of Muslim-majority countries to "take greater, concrete action to stop the ongoing genocide" in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

"We wake up every morning to see new images of men, women, and children in Gaza whose rib cages protrude through their skin because of starvation, whose heads have been hollowed out because of Israeli snipers, or whose bodies have been charred like charcoal because of a bombing," says the joint statement, published online by MuslimMatters.

"We also see the Israeli occupation stealing more swathes of land across Palestine and threatening to expel surviving Palestinians from Gaza. We see mercenaries opening fire on crowds of starving Palestinians seeking food," the statement continues. "We see that, even under increasing international outcry, an insufficient trickle of aid enters Gaza while the death toll from both starvation and Israel's indiscriminate attacks rises daily."

Israel launched its military campaign and restrictions on aid after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack. Since then, the Israeli assault has killed at least 61,258 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 152,045 others, according to Gaza officials—though experts warn the true death toll is likely higher. Nearly 200 people, including 96 children, have died from hunger in recent months.

"Despite the efforts of various human rights groups, brave journalists, nations like South Africa, and millions of protestors around the world, the Israeli occupation is now reaching the final stages of its campaign of extermination and expulsion," the statement says, nodding to the South Africa-led genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

"Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working," the coalition argued, urging action from Muslim-majority nations, particularly those surrounding Palestine. "We believe that these governments have the unique opportunity, legal authority, and moral basis to take greater, immediate, and concrete action to pressure the Israeli occupation to end this carnage."

Specifically, the coalition called for:

• Ending any economic, diplomatic, intelligence, and military relationships with the Israeli government, including the so-called Abraham Accords;
• Announcing consideration of an embargo on global oil and gas sales that directly or indirectly contribute support to the Israeli government's genocide;
• Banning the use of their country's airspace and the use of any military bases in their country to support the Israeli government in any way;
• Opening their side of Gaza entry points like the Rafah crossing and facilitating the travel of aid trucks, medics, journalists, demonstrators, and others who wish to approach the crossing and demand entry; and
• Organizing a unified diplomatic mission to a Gaza crossing with senior government officials personally leading an aid convoy and refusing to leave until Israel allows unlimited aid to enter freely by land routes.

"We believe that if they take the aforementioned steps and use other appropriate tools at their disposal in an attempt to stop the genocide, the entire Muslim world and people of good faith around the world will rally around them," the statement asserts, closing with a prayer for the people of Gaza, government leaders, for Allah to "inspire all of us to strive for justice with sincere intentions, wise decisions, effective strategies and successful outcomes."

Individual signatories to the statement include MuslimMatters editor in chief Hena Zuberi, Nihad Awad and Edward Ahmed Mitchell of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Imam Mohamed Abdel Salam of the Puyallup Islamic Community Center. Groups supporting it include American Muslim Health Professionals, American Muslims for Palestine, Muslim Legal Fund of America, Muslim Students Association, and North American Imams Federation.