Hajj in the time of genocide and the unyielding cause of Palestine

Let our prayers rise with purpose, our sacrifices fuel resistance and our silence never be mistaken for consent.

This year’s Hajj unfolds against the backdrop of an unspeakable catastrophe in Gaza, casting a long, dark shadow over what should be a sacred convergence of spiritual renewal and global Muslim unity. Over 37 000 Palestinians—nearly half of them children—have been killed since October 2023, with more than 1.9 million displaced. As pilgrims gather on the plains of Arafat to seek divine mercy, their supplications are haunted by the cries of Palestinian mothers clutching the lifeless bodies of their children. The fifth pillar of Islam, meant to embody equality and solidarity, stands in stark contrast to the geopolitical indifference that permits this genocide to persist.

The Arab regimes, specifically the Saudi kingdom, the UAE, Egypt and Qatar are culpable for this bloodshed as they have become enablers through logistical silence, border closures and normalisation deals that betray Palestinian dignity. Saudi authorities, hosting Hajj, have suppressed even the faintest whispers of solidarity, policing the Haramain not to safeguard pilgrims but to stifle dissent and uphold alliances with Israel.

In 2023, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman openly declared that Palestinian statehood was ‘no longer a priority,’ even as his regime fast-tracked normalisation with Tel Aviv. In Egypt, the Rafah border remains sealed, trapping civilians in a warzone, while Emirati and Qatari leaders perform hollow gestures of concern, funnelling aid without challenging the root causes of oppression. Their complicity mirrors the moral bankruptcy of rulers who prioritise regime survival over Islamic principles.

This year’s Eid-ul-Adha arrives as Gaza lies in ruins, its people denied the most basic rites of burial and remembrance. The Quranic ethos of sacrifice, rooted in Prophet Ibrahim’s defiance of tyranny, stands as a rebuke to Gulf monarchs whose thrones are secured through allegiance to empire, not service to humanity. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund continues to pour billions into US tech firms like Uber and Lucid Motors, corporations deeply entwined with Israeli military contractors. Meanwhile, Emirati investments bankroll Israeli surveillance tech used to enforce apartheid. These regimes, draped in the rhetoric of Muslim unity, have commodified faith into a tool of statecraft, laundering their images through megamosques and glossy campaigns as Palestinian lives are erased.

The Nakba, now in its 77th year, is not a historical relic but a living nightmare. Bulldozers annexing Jericho, drones striking Nuseirat, and AI-powered targeting systems epitomise a colonial project sustained by Arab collusion. Yet global resistance, from student encampments to labour union boycotts, proves the conscience of humanity remains unbroken.

As Muslims mark Eid, we must transcend symbolic gestures. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to speak truth to power. Advocacy, grassroots funding for Gaza’s underground hospitals, legal challenges to arms suppliers, and electoral pressure on complicit governments are vital.