Rumeysa’s arrest at Tufts University stirred predictable outrage. Islamophobia! Oppression! Double standards! The same tired slogans, repeated over and over. Is it real or blind hatred?
But this time, let’s pause. Let’s ask ourselves: Is the reaction justified? Or is it yet another example of Muslim hypocrisy when it comes to free speech, Israel, and the West?
Blind Hatred of Israel
Muslims in America and Europe can march in the streets, scream for Israel’s destruction, and call for jihad. No one arrests them. But if someone in a Muslim country dares to defend Israel? They risk everything. Job loss, exile, even death.
This is the elephant in the room. We Muslims demand the right to speak freely—so long as that speech is against Israel. But the moment someone speaks for Israel, we call it treason.
Take the so-called “Right of Return.” We say Palestinians should return to lands they left in 1948. But do we acknowledge that Jews were expelled from Arab lands in the same period? If a Jew calls for a Jewish homeland, he’s a colonialist. If a Palestinian calls for Israel’s destruction, he’s a freedom fighter.
How does that make sense?
I envy Donald Trump. Unlike Muslim leaders who use Palestine as a political football but do nothing for actual Palestinians, Trump is clear. He supports Israel unapologetically. And unlike many Muslims, he doesn’t pretend Hamas is a “resistance movement.”
Gaza
Make no mistake: I care about the suffering in Gaza. But let’s be honest about who is responsible. Hamas, not Israel, rules Gaza. Hamas has received billions in aid. Where did it go? Not to schools, not to hospitals, but to rockets and terror tunnels.
Meanwhile, Jews and Muslims share centuries of history. We have more in common with Israel than we do with Western nations. Yet Christians stand by Israel, while Muslims call for its destruction.
Reflection
I hope Rumeysa spends her time in detention reflecting on this. I hope other Muslims do too. If we truly seek justice, we must embrace truth – even when it is uncomfortable.
