“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
– Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist
LET us not pretend. We are all concerned with the Israel-Iran conflict, no matter how far away we are from the Middle East.
Talks of an imminent World War III involving nuclear armament are profoundly alarming. While some may dismiss such warnings as political posturing or media sensationalism, the mere possibility raises legitimate global concerns.
I want peace, you want peace. We all treasure peace and hope and pray that the world will always be a stable and lovely place for all of mankind to make a decent living, raise families and live happily ever after.
Sadly, the world is not an ideal place and in certain parts of the globe, tensions and wars are almost a daily affair. This has led to endless suffering and tragic loss of lives of the innocent, including children and babies.
The current conflict between Israel and Iran is also of great concern to you and me as it is not a distant or isolated matter, even for those living far from the Middle East, like us in Malaysia.
Its implications are vast, interconnected and potentially destabilising for the entire world. To pretend otherwise is to ignore the interconnected nature of today’s globalised society.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has declared Malaysia’s support for Iran and, at the same time appealing for both sides to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.
As a Malaysian, I have to state my stand that I want no part in the endless wars in the Middle East or elsewhere. I support no sides, only the prime minister’s call for good sense and peace to prevail among the warring factions in the Middle East.
When there are deep-rooted conflicts in the world, many of us look towards individuals or organisations of influence to help mediate and bring peace.
We need those with moral authority, political weight or global influence to step in and mediate. Peace does not happen by accident. It must be facilitated, negotiated, and in many cases, patiently built by those with the credibility, resources and commitment to resolve hostilities.
Happily, I’ve found out that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has set up a ministerial contact group to establish regular contact with international and regional parties to support de-escalation efforts after US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
In a joint declaration following a meeting of the 57-member group’s foreign ministers in Istanbul on May 22, the OIC condemned “the aggression of Israel” against Iran, stressing “the urgent need to stop Israeli attacks and their great concern regarding this dangerous escalation”.
It also urged the international community to take deterrent measures against attacks on Iran and “make Israel accountable for crimes committed”.
While the joint declaration from the meeting in Istanbul did not mention the overnight US strikes, the group also agreed on a separate 13-article resolution on the Israel-Iran conflict, in which it condemned both the Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, adding the OIC was in full solidarity with Tehran.
It said the OIC also called on Israel to “join without delay the treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and place all its nuclear facilities and activities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards”.
US ally Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons and says it struck Iran to prevent Tehran from developing its nuclear weapons.
OIC members also reaffirmed Iran’s “inherent right to self-defence and to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and citizens and to prevent recurrence of such criminal acts against its territory in the future”, the text showed.
I believe that the OIC, representing 57 Muslim-majority countries, is one of the few international bodies with the potential to influence Iran, a member state.
Although Israel is not a member and historically has had no formal relationship with the OIC, the organisation has the legitimacy and moral leverage within the Islamic world to reach out to Tehran and possibly encourage moderation.
At this crucial point, I’m less bothered by the OIC taking sides with Iran, and understandably so, as I choose pragmatism at this crucial juncture.
Indeed, in times of heightened global tension such as the current Iran-Israel conflict, the need for mediation outweighs questions of perfect neutrality, especially if the alternative is a catastrophic escalation.
I wish to see the OIC succeed in seeking Israel-Iran de-escalation for the sake of peace in the Middle East and the world. Let’s pray for their success.
Francis Paul Siah is a veteran Sarawak editor and currently heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
