Palestine: A Sacred Wound

Palestine is a sacred land, revered as the cradle of faith and spirituality by billions of followers of the three great Abrahamic monotheistic religions. This is the land where spirituality was bestowed by God, where prophets walked, where Jesus was born, where Moses dreamed of freedom, and where the beloved last prophet Mohammed (PBUH) ascended to the heavens. Palestine is deeply important to the Jews because it is known as the promised land in the Hebrew Bible, said to stretch from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates river. God promised this land to the Israelites. This is the land where the Temple Mount and the Western Wall stand as a powerful symbol of faith and history for the Jewish people.

In the same sense, Palestine means a great deal to Christians because it is where Jesus Christ was born, lived, taught, and sacrificed his life. Palestine is also the birthplace of Christianity; therefore, it is special to their faith and teachings. In addition to it, Palestine is deeply revered by Muslims. It is connected to the prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) miraculous night journey to the heavens. It is also the home of Al Aqsa mosque, which was the first Qibla direction of prayer for Muslims. These are the deep-rooted reasons why the followers of all three Abrahamic religions have long struggled to claim the land of Palestine.

      The saga of conflicts and vengeance traces its origins to 722 BCE, when the mighty Assyrian Empire conquered the kingdom of Israel and forced its people to leave the homeland. Later, in 586 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquered Palestine and forcibly settled many Jews in Babylon. These events caused deep pain and began a period of struggle and anger for the Jewish people.

     As history unfolded, Palestine, being the birthplace of Christianity, was ruled by Christians over centuries. They had been ruling the region since 324 CE. Over time, the balance of power shifted in 637 CE, when the second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar Bin Khattab (RA), conquered the region from the Byzantine Empire. After that, Muslims ruled the region for almost four centuries. Throughout these centuries, the Christian world remained silent, but the situation changed in 1095, when the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Urban II, declared holy war against the Muslims in France.

        He declared that it is the religious duty of all Christians to fight for the freedom of Jerusalem from the occupation of Muslims. They captured Jerusalem in 1099 and killed thousands of innocent Muslims. Men, women, and even children were not spared. Al Aqsa mosque and other sites became scenes of terrible violence. These tragic events left deep pain in Muslims. However, nearly ninety years later, in 1187, the great Muslim leader Salahuddin Ayubi fought back and defeated them. He captured Jerusalem but showed mercy. He didn’t harm anyone and allowed Christians to leave safely. His victory was seen as brave and noble in Muslim history.

    After Salahuddin recaptured Jerusalem in 1187 CE, Muslims continued to rule Palestine for many centuries. The Ayyubid dynasty, led by Salahuddin, was followed by the Mamluks, who defended the land against further Crusader attacks. In 1517, the powerful Ottoman Empire took control and ruled Palestine for about 400 years. During this time, Palestine remained a place of peace and culture. Cities like Jerusalem, Hebron, and Gaza flourished with mosques, markets, and schools. People of different religions — Muslims, Christians, and Jews — lived together in harmony.

      The long period of Muslim rule lasted until 1917, when the British captured Palestine during World War I. It ended 700 years of Muslim rule in Palestine. A deeply emotional and symbolic moment unfolded in 1917 when British General Edmund Allenby entered the city and reportedly declared, “The Crusades are now complete,” symbolizing a colonial triumph over centuries of Muslim rule (Al Jazeera).

     At the same time, another powerful movement had already begun to reshape the future of Palestine. In 1897, Theodore Herzl led the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. He saw that Jews were facing hatred and unfair treatment in Europe, so he called for a Jewish homeland in Palestine, where they could live in peace and safety. Herzl’s Zionist ideology gained global attention in November 1917, when British foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour sent a controversial letter to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community.

    Through this declaration, the British government officially announced support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. This favor was shaped by imperial interests, wartime diplomacy, and effective Zionist lobbying. Britain wanted to strengthen its position in the Middle East, protect the Suez Canal, and win Jewish sympathy in the USA and Russia during the war. Britain directly ruled Palestine from 1917 to 1948. Throughout the period, Jews emphasized and followed the process of Aliyah (migration to Palestine).

    The Jewish population in Palestine grew from approximately 9% in 1917 to 32% in 1948. This rapid demographic shift heightened tensions with the local Arab majority, who feared displacement and loss of political autonomy. After the establishment of the new world order in 1945, the United Nations proposed the partition of Palestine into two states — Palestine and Israel — with Jerusalem placed under the control of an international administration.

     As a result, the state of Israel came into existence on 14th May 1948. The proposal was accepted by Jews and strongly rejected by Arabs and Muslims, who saw it as unjust and a violation of their rights and self-determination. The United Nations itself committed historic blunders in the process of partition. The proposal allocated more land to the minority Jewish population than to the local Palestinians. Moreover, it restricted Palestinian movement between Gaza and the West Bank, requiring them to pass through Israeli-controlled areas.

    As the world was celebrating the birth of Israel, another reality unfolded for the Palestinian people: the Nakba (Catastrophe), which marked the mass displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians, destruction of 500 villages, and the death of 13,000 Palestinians. Families were uprooted, many at gunpoint or by fear of advancing Zionist militias, and forced into exile across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Those who remained lived under occupation or became second-class citizens in their own land. These developments marked the beginning of a new era of chaos, resistance, and bloodshed in the land of Palestine.

    In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. This created more suffering and anger among Palestinians and Arabs. Then, in 1987, the first Intifada began as a mass uprising against Israeli occupation. Later, in 1993, the Oslo Accord created the Palestinian Authority, but the peace process failed soon after. In 2000, the second Intifada arose but caused more violence and suffering for Palestinians. As a result, Israel built a separation wall in the West Bank.

    In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza, but when Hamas won the election in 2006, Israel imposed a strict blockade on Gaza. Subsequently, several wars followed in 2008, 2012, and 2014, resulting in many deaths of Palestinians. Meanwhile, the United Nations granted Palestine non-member observer state status in 2012. In 2018–2019, mass killings occurred when Palestinians protested near the Gaza-Israel border; they were demanding the right to return to their homes. Moreover, Palestinians were disheartened when some Arab nations signed the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020.

   This long, tragic journey has now reached its darkest hour. Since October 7, Gaza has been living in horror. More than 53,600 Palestinians have been killed. Most of them were civilians, and many were children. They died under the rubble of their homes. Bombs rained down day and night. Families were crushed in seconds. Streets that were once full of life are now full of silence and sorrow. Parents hold their children’s lifeless bodies and cry out in pain. Their dreams are gone and turned to ash in a war that shows no mercy.

    The people who survived are starving. A quarter of Gaza’s people have no food or medicine. The blockade is choking them slowly. Hospitals, schools, and mosques have been destroyed. The walls that once gave shelter now tell stories of suffering. The world is watching but doing nothing. Gaza has become a graveyard not just of bodies, but of hope, love, and humanity. Every number is a person. Every death is a family broken forever. Still, the bombs fall. The siege gets worse. Children cry in hunger. Mothers scream in grief. Leaders talk, but no help comes.

  This is not just a war. This is a slow, painful destruction. A wound so deep, it may never heal. This is no longer just a regional conflict—it is a test of global will. The world must rise beyond words and act, for in Gaza’s silence echoes the failure of humanity.