This may be considered the year of unparalleled exposure to hypocrisy from global positions at the end of 2024, with gradual erosion of everything that constitutes humanity. While Christmas and New Year are prepared with much enthusiasm all over the world, men and women remain confined in unimaginable sufferings, devoid of even basic rights and dignity. The targeted members of this small, already marginalized group include children and women, all victims of this relentless cycle of violence and hate.
If the horrors of being systematically attacked were not enough, this community now has to face a complete isolation from the outside world. All possible routes of aid have been blocked. Surrounded by bloodthirsty enemies on all sides, they remain cut off, silenced by a total media blackout. There is no aid, no relief, and no global outrage to break their torment.
It is even more heartbreaking to note that the people who share the same faith have kept silent. Fellow Muslims in nearby regions, who should be their first line of defense, watch silently, unwilling to act. The brutal blockade has not only taken lives but left many suffering due to the lack of basic human necessities like food and medicine, even the hope of escape.
Here is the fact: these are not numbers or statistics. These are living, breathing people—your people. The misery in question is not in Palestine, as one might have assumed.
This is the story of the people of Parachinar, a small community in Pakistan's Kurram region. If their shared humanity is not enough to stir your heart, know this: These are your fellow countrymen, you fellow Muslims, suffering unimaginable cruelty on your soil.
And yet, despite everything, the resilience of this community shines through. Every time I have talked to people of this region, they humbly say that donations are not required because their solidarity ensures no one sleeps on an empty stomach. But let there be no doubt-this unyielding spirit is being tested like never before. The systematic complicity and ignorance of the government of Pakistan aided and abetted this brutality, shattering the backbone of their resilience.
If the horrors of being systematically attacked were not enough, this community now has to face a complete isolation from the outside world
People of Parachinar cry for solidarity, not charity. And it is this continuous deafening silence by the so-called activists, journalists, and fellow Muslims that prolongs their agony without pause. Must we wait until there is mass killing before we wake up? Does a series of organized attacks never suffice?
It is a moment for introspection: how can we raise our voices against extremism elsewhere but not raise our voices here? When will we "boycott" these ideologies of hate and violence that plague our own homes?
The deafening silence from Powers That Be speaks volumes. Other than a cursory statement from the Sindh Governor, no government official has weighed in on the crisis. This inaction permits the suffering to persist unabated and is a reflection of the deep-seated apathy of those at the helm of affairs.
It begs the question: where there are tears for Palestine, how is this ignored? How can we raise our voices for one cause and fall silent for another when both stem from the same fundamental injustices? What use is solidarity if it is selective?
This year has come to a close; speak, write, protest for Parachinar and anyone suffering regardless of their caste, colour or creed. Let this be the moment where silence and more importantly complicity ends. For their sake, for the sake of humanity, let us hope 2025 is a year of change—a year where justice finds its place in Pakistan, and the world becomes a little better for everyone.