In a recent incident, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist from Columbia University, was arrested by U.S. immigration authorities under President Trump’s policy aimed at deporting Hamas supporters. This development followed campus protests that harassed Jewish students and vandalised property, occurring after the tragic October 7, 2023, massacre committed by Hamas. Khalil’s actions included distributing pro-Hamas materials and inciting unrest, which are thought to violate laws against supporting terrorism and sedition.
Despite Khalil’s controversial activities, his arrest was met with significant backlash from Congressional Democrats and social media supporters. A federal judge has since halted his deportation, raising unsettling questions about the defence of terrorism-supporting protests in the U.S. while the ongoing violence faced by Alawites and Christians in Syria is largely ignored.
The global focus on Gaza has intensified since the Hamas assault in 2023, leading to accusations against Israel for “genocide” amidst its conflict with Hamas. The United Nations has relied on dubious data from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which has been exposed as unreliable, despite asserting that civilian casualties were intertwined with militant deaths. Such allegations against Israel were predicated on misrepresented information, yet international bodies have responded with calls for ceasefires that overlook Hamas’s hostage-taking.
In stark contrast, the international community remains silent about the atrocities committed in Syria following the 2024 Islamic coup by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which saw the persecution of Alawites and Christians. New Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, linked to radical groups, has been legitimised in diplomatic circles despite his record. A notable absence of strong criticism from Western leaders exemplifies the glaring double standards in human rights advocacy.
The hypocrisy of this “human rights industrial complex” is palpable, particularly when compared to its condemnation of Israel while silently accepting the brutality by HTS. College campuses that protest in solidarity with Hamas neglect the violence faced by Syrian minorities, revealing a troubling selective outrage that underscores a politically convenient narrative against Israel.
Ultimately, the international community must confront its aversion to criticising extremist factions if it aims to preserve a credible human rights framework. Failing to do so only emboldens perpetrators of violence and discredits the very discourse it seeks to uphold, as seen in its tepid responses to the genocide in Syria.
The article discusses the arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil amidst a backdrop of campus protests supporting Hamas. It critiques the disparity in responses to Palestinian protests and the ongoing violence against Alawites and Christians in Syria. Highlighting the UN’s reliance on dubious casualties reports by Hamas and the leniency shown towards HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the piece calls for a reassessment of how human rights are upheld globally.
The article critiques the hypocrisy surrounding the defence of human rights, highlighting the stark contrast in international reactions to violence perpetrated by Hamas against Israel and that by HTS in Syria. As the U.S. grapples with its stance on prominent figures like Khalil, it raises deeper questions about selective outrage and political convenience in global human rights discourse. A call to action urges the international community to confront extremist threats to preserve genuine human rights advocacy.
Original Source: jcpa.org
