As almost a year has passed since the extended aggression of the historically imperialist Israeli genocide in Palestine, the rest of the Middle Eastern region has scarcely been spared. The history of this terrorist imposition is gruesome, but all the more empowered by its NATO confidants, active military aid from the peace-loving US and economically convenient EU. A lot has been revealed about foreign policy and war strategies over the past few months, the biggest of which is that the United Nations is just a simulation, a less effective, if I may say so, module of the MUNs cherished worldwide.
September saw documented bloodshed beyond the Palestinian territories as thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon and Syria. The pagers were being used because of the horrendous network breach by the Israeli fascist regime and infiltration across Hezbollah paramilitary ranks that forced alternative communication methods for the Shia resistance group that began retaliative operations in solidarity with their Palestinian counterparts. It is important to consider two perspectives here. Who is Hezbollah, and why is their strength necessary for the Middle Eastern resistance, much like Hamas? Two, what does the world have to say about the diabolical human rights violations happening across the region?
A gross presumption of the oppressor is that unless the victim is so perfectly helpless that they do not reciprocate the violence inflicted on them, their suffering does not deserve to be acknowledged. This is the pseudo-intellectual philosophy that has been operational for decades, but especially since last October. When the masses find no channel to protest, a natural course of action becomes the rise of resistance groups that represent their interests: violently, ruthlessly, but patriotically. We’ve seen this happen in Bengal before Pakistan’s genocide in 1971. The current curriculum still denies it, painting it as an internal matter. Still, one has to possess enough historical self-awareness to recognize when fascism is generated even within the bounds of one’s nation. Hezbollah and Hamas are just the same. Granted, they might not constitute the perfect picture of resistance, but the very idea is such a white fabricated fantasy that it has lost all meaning. Countries are certainly not won over through a quick sit-in at the marketplace anymore. Liberation and its very idea are rooted in what it is: dirt.
A huge controversy that has been framed repeatedly around such groups is their lack of human rights consideration, which is an oxymoron on its own, but let's entertain the assertion for now. The claims made about the discovery of beheaded babies? Debunked. Rape allegations against Hamas members detaining Israeli citizens? The aforementioned citizens themselves deny it. On the contrary, the past few weeks have seen Israeli citizens protesting in support of the sexual crimes committed by the IDF against Palestinian women, children, and most notoriously, men. Videos were released of the men being subjected to stripping and sexual exploitation, yet that was insufficient to deter any emotion from the international community.
The truth about these resistance groups is that their very opposition is a good indicator of their credibility. I will always stand on the side of the oppressed, even if that means debating against faux-feminist allegations. The very basis of intersectionality is a deep awareness of the sociocultural context in which the exploitation is taking place. You cannot justify the Palestinian genocide because your sexual orientation does not form the cultural norm there. This is a narcissistic approach in itself, where the goal of the white man is to create a sense of hollowness in the victim through an amalgamation of foreign ideas (many of which do not have a logical explanation in themselves). The Palestinian resistance lives and so do the ones in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Sudan, and countless other nations all too insignificant for the mainstream media to document. The dehumanization lies in the generalization of these individual facets of suffering.
I am hopeful, however, that despite the deeply ingrained power structures, the persistence of resistance movements across the Middle East will continue to expose the hypocrisy of global powers. The relentless courage of these groups shows that the spirit of liberation cannot be extinguished, even under the most oppressive circumstances. Resistance is often vilified because it disrupts the comfort zones of imperialist regimes and their media narratives. The world must come to recognize that oppressed people fighting for their survival are not merely "rebels" or "terrorists" but are resisting systemic injustice in the only way available to them. This understanding will be the key to unraveling the narrative built around power, privilege, and selective outrage.
In Palestine, Lebanon, and other regions like Syria and Yemen, these groups may not align with Western liberal values, but they are the manifestation of the fight for sovereignty, dignity, and survival. Each resistance movement across the region serves as a reminder that liberation is not neatly packaged; it is messy, painful, and bloody. The existence of resistance groups like Hezbollah and Hamas signifies a rejection of occupation and a refusal to bow to the systems that have oppressed them for decades.
I have faith in the endurance of the oppressed, knowing that, despite global silence, history will honor the courage of those who fought back. The truth about these liberation movements will eventually surface, even if it has been buried under years of biased media representation and political propaganda. The people of the Middle East, from Gaza to Beirut, will not remain voiceless.
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