The war in Gaza is currently in the spotlight of hundreds of millions of people, including Russian-speaking Muslims, some of whom are our readers. Therefore, it is not surprising that expressing a point of view that contradicts the emotions of the heated audience provokes a strong reaction, as happened with our previous article on «Palestine and Hamas».
In addition to the solidarity of people whose opinions are important to us, for which we express our gratitude, we have also received many critical responses. Some of them are purely speculative and ideological, which can be dismissed, but there is also an urgent practical question that needs to be considered right now. And this is not even a question of criticism of us or our article, but a question that is important to us and to some of our readers. Specifically, the question of the attitude to Ukraine of those who supported it in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Those who argue that we have been too supportive of Ukraine and now, «when it has shown its true face», should finally get out of the game, either do not want to or are unable to understand what has been said for about ten years. Namely, that at least the foreign Muslim volunteers and allies did not support Ukraine as such, and certainly not only because of its «beautiful eyes,» but as a battering ram and bridgehead in the fight against their main enemy — the Kremlin, Moscow, the Russian Empire in its various forms and versions. Because for those who have set themselves the task of liberating their captive peoples and countries from its foul boot, it is not the Zionists or the West, but precisely the Kremlin that is the main enemy. And if this enemy has a capable adversary who is ready to rely on those who oppose him in the struggle and provide them with political and technical support in advancing their agenda, then someone who really has his own project and is fighting for it will not refuse such an opportunity.
From this point of view, talk about the need for Muslim volunteer units to leave the ranks of the Ukrainian army because of its support for Israel is simply based on a lack of understanding of why they are there. For today, Ukraine is the only country that provides not only a physical platform for the creation of the backbone of future national armies, but also their legalization, thanks to which influential politicians of various countries deal with their political representatives and do not include them in lists of international terrorists, as would be the case if they were in Afghanistan or Syria. This fact has been annoying the Kremlin and the FSB all these years, shouting that Ukraine has become a refuge and a «laundry» for «extremists and terrorists». And if they were to give up all this, it would certainly be a great success for the Moscow friends of Hamas, but definitely not for these projects themselves.
However, all this does not mean that Muslims should turn a blind eye to what is happening now in Ukraine, where the establishment and a significant part of public opinion have taken an extremely one-sided position without considering their Muslim allies. Conclusions must be drawn from this, and they must be practical conclusions that are needed by us, not by our enemies.
And the general conclusion is actually the same one that we have written about in similar situations. And it is that the role of the Muslim and Jewish factors in the socio-political life of Ukraine is incomparable. In this regard, if the absence of a voice for Muslims in such matters is primarily a problem of Muslims themselves as an insignificant minority within Ukraine, then the absolute hegemony of Zionists in such matters of its foreign and domestic policy is a serious problem for Ukraine as a country and its titular nation, whose course in such matters is determined by the ethnic elite.
Why is this more of a problem for Ukraine than for Muslims? Because, frankly, Ukraine is not and will not be in a position to influence what happens in the Muslim world and harm Muslims any time soon. Unlike Russia, which is actively doing just that. However, by taking a position that is in line with Zionist interests, the Ukrainian establishment is going against the interests of Ukraine itself, which require Western support to be concentrated in Ukraine, rather than spread around the world as the Kremlin seeks.
Let’s see how Israel and its lobbyists behave in these situations. The Israeli government has explicitly told Ukraine that it will not supply it with weapons for fear that they will end up in the hands of Hamas (lol). And now the Republican hawks, who postponed the consideration of aid to Ukraine until their return from vacation, immediately interrupted their vacation because of the situation in Israel in order to vote in favor of it. And the most outspoken of them directly say that since US resources are not unlimited, it is better to direct them to Israel.
So the situation is clear. The resources of the West are indeed not unlimited. Therefore, they will have to choose who to give them to first and who can wait. And in the next step, when the question arises whether to freeze a conflict somewhere in order to win a war elsewhere, the question may arise who and for whose victory can be sacrificed.
In such a situation of strategic choice, instead of talking about a united front of all democratic forces, the Israeli government clearly demonstrates a position of defending its own interests, regardless of the interests of Ukraine. And if Ukraine were ruled by Ukrainians, they would behave symmetrically — currently seeking a solution to the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip, as countries like Turkey are calling for, so that Western resources are directed towards Ukraine’s victory. However, the main role in Ukrainian politics in such matters is not played by Ukrainians themselves, and therefore «we have what we have».
What conclusions should Muslims in Ukraine draw from this?
When we talk about foreign volunteers and allies, they should remember why they are there and what all this is being done for, including in terms of the ratio of potential gains and losses. It is clear that Muslim units are helping Ukraine in its overall struggle, but one must realize that even with all the desire to win this battle with their help, it will not be possible, and at the same time remember that after this stage of the war another stage must begin, for which they are there. For this, they must remain there and grow in strength, not disappear completely.
Speaking of Muslim Ukrainians, we would advise them to learn from their Jewish compatriots. Certainly there are some on the front lines, but Jewish participation is more visible in politics and the media, where they act as Ukrainian politicians and Ukrainian journalists, while Muslims are not very visible. Therefore, perhaps it is worth considering that Ukrainian Muslims who are capable of actively participating in the political and social life of the country are needed there, not on the frontlines. And this is especially true for Muslims from among ethnic Ukrainians or other peoples who have lived in Ukraine for a long time, who have a greater chance of being accepted by Ukrainian society.
Yes, it is understood that in order for the political life of the country to exist tomorrow, it must be defended today. However, as friends of Israel like Arestovych say, the war is now being fought not for the preservation of the state and the nation, but for territories. And there is a danger that while Muslims are shedding their blood in this war, a rival group is consolidating its influence in politics, the media and the economy.
This is not only true for Muslims. In the first years of the war, the most sincere patriots of Ukraine sent their best people to the frontlines, who could have become politicians, journalists, scientists, and so on. And it is understandable and speaks of their sincerity. But it may turn out that victory will be achieved, but its fruits will be enjoyed by others — not just other people, but those who promote values different from those for which sincere patriots fought, whether they are Muslims or simply reasonable, conservative-minded Ukrainians.
Therefore, this whole situation certainly does not change anything for those who have always been guided by their strategic priorities. But it is a good reason not only to refresh them, but also to re-evaluate how we can achieve our goals no less effectively than our competitors.