Bombs in Gaza Make Conscience of Humanity Bleed, Says Gülen
IInternationally respected Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen has said that an Israeli air offensive into Gaza makes the conscience of humanity bleed and called on the global community to take action to stop the Israeli violence.
At least 400 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,700 others have been wounded so far in the deadliest-ever Israeli air offensive into Gaza. Gülen, known for his efforts to encourage inter-religious dialogue, expressed sorrow over the suffering of the Palestinians and called on international civil society organizations to help put an end to Israeli violence. "Bombs dropped on Gaza make the conscience of humanity bleed. I hope immediate steps will be taken to relieve our conscience," Gülen stated. He also said international organizations, including the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Arab League, should seek an effective solution for ending the deadly attacks on Gazans.
"The impact of the attack has been greater on those who believe that the level of civilization humanity has reached in our era may help find rational, reasonable and humane solutions to problems. As I am one of them [believers in humane solutions], I'd like to express the deep grief I am in and the need to insist on humane solutions to problems," Gülen remarked.
Gülen also pointed to the timing of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, saying the occurrence of such an attack at a time when the United States is making preparations to withdraw from Iraq is thought-provoking. "Steps taken to block the path to peace are never acceptable. A state representing those who constructed one of the oldest civilizations in the world in one of the oldest places of settlement on earth acts as if there is no means for solution to problems other than power and violence, which is very thought-provoking. Violence exerted on people who do not even have a state may damage balances in the Middle East. It may increase tension in the region and drag the region into an atmosphere of conflict. It may, furthermore, turn the region into a ball of fire," he added.
Note from the editor: As the Today's Zaman's editorial team, we mistakenly translated a passage containing the words of Mr. Fethullah Gülen. We are reprinting the article with the correct translation and updated causality numbers in Gaza. We apologize for this error to both Mr. Gülen and to our readers.
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