Civilization, Hypocrisy, and the Crisis of Muslim Witness

In the modern era, the West and its allies repeatedly present themselves as arbiters of civilization, progress, and moral maturity. They instruct the rest of the world on human rights, ethics, and modern values. Yet when Palestine is placed before the global conscience, this claim collapses entirely.

Thousands of children, women, and men have been killed through advanced weaponry—rockets, bombs, and surveillance-driven warfare—often justified through the language of “security” and “threat.” A state small in geographic size but immense in geopolitical backing is allowed to operate with near-total impunity. The lesson is unmistakable: when a nation controls economic levers and technological narratives, it may define who is a “threat” and who is a “victim,” even while children are buried under rubble.

This is not merely political hypocrisy; it is a moral exposure. And it is visible from every angle.

What deepens the injustice is not only the killing itself, but the systematic silencing of those who attempt to speak against it. Journalists are discredited, activists are censored, academics are threatened, and students are punished. Since 9/11, Islam has been relentlessly framed as extremist and fundamentalist, yet no comparable moral language is applied to Israel in the aftermath of Gaza. Violence, it seems, is only named as such when committed by the wrong people.

At this moment in history, it is imperative that Muslims across the world articulate their moral case clearly and confidently in the international arena—not through reactionary rage, but through principled clarity about right and wrong, good and evil, justice and oppression.

A Misplaced Obsession with Debate

Recently, I witnessed a public debate titled “Does God Exist?” What struck me was not the weakness of the atheist arguments, but something far more troubling: the complete absence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the discussion.

For a Muslim, this absence is not a minor oversight; it is a theological failure.

Allah is not known through abstract philosophy alone. He is known because He chose to be known—through revelation, through messengers, and ultimately through Muhammad ﷺ. The Qur’an did not descend into a vacuum, nor did faith emerge from scientific inference. The Prophet ﷺ taught humanity who Allah is, what He requires, and how salvation is attained. Entire civilizations came to worship Allah through him. To speak of God while erasing the Messenger is to detach belief from its source.

There is a narration in which the Prophet ﷺ is informed that one of his honors from Allah is that their names would be mentioned together until the end of time. This reflects a core Islamic truth: Allah is known through His Messenger. Any attempt to “prove” God while sidelining Muhammad ﷺ is, at best, incomplete—and at worst, a form of intellectual vanity.

Yet the scholar in question was praised, applauded, and congratulated. Arguments borrowed from scientists were celebrated, while prophetic guidance was ignored. This is not strength; it is insecurity dressed as sophistication.

Islam Did Not Advance Through Ego

I do not endorse this culture of ego-driven debates that many Muslims have become enamored with. Islam does not need validation through intellectual performance. Truth is not strengthened by applause.

Did the Prophet ﷺ engage in philosophical sparring to satisfy egos? No. He recited the Qur’an. He warned of accountability. He spoke of the afterlife. He did not tailor revelation to impress the intellect of disbelievers, nor did he chase their approval.

The most disturbing moment of that debate came at the end, when the atheist mockingly remarked that they would be going to dinner together afterward—and the Muslim scholar offered no response. It was as though honor, boundaries, and moral seriousness had all been suspended for the sake of appearing “civil.”

This is not wisdom. This is self-gratification.

And this, I would argue, is one of the reasons Muslims find themselves in decline today.

Two Crises, One Root

The two issues discussed here—Western hypocrisy toward Palestine and the intellectual hollowing of Muslim representation—are deeply connected.

Muslims are accused of extremism.At the same time, Muslims are accused of being unproductive.

Both accusations stem from imbalance.

The Qur’an provides a profound framework to understand this through the story of human creation.

When Allah created Adam عليه السلام, the angels questioned the wisdom of placing humans on earth, foreseeing bloodshed and corruption. Allah replied that He knows what they do not know. This response implies that despite human capacity for violence, there would also be goodness, righteousness, and moral elevation among them.

In today’s context, this truth manifests clearly:Yes, blood is being shed—Palestinian blood—while powerful nations remain neutral or complicit.But there are also people who are meant to stand for justice, truth, and moral courage.

However, righteousness is not found in performative debates or intellectual superiority. It is found in humility, sacrifice, and moral consistency.

The Qur’an also tells us of Iblis, who refused to bow to Adam—not out of disbelief in Allah, but out of arrogance. “I am better than him,” he claimed.

This same disease has quietly entered the Muslim psyche.

Better than him.Better than her.More knowledgeable.More rational.More refined.

Even a little knowledge becomes a cause for pride. Instead of producing character, it produces contempt. Instead of service, it produces spectacle. Some argue aggressively; others debate politely and then dine with their opponents. Both are centered on the self.

This is extremism of another kind—extremism of the ego.

Reclaiming Our Moral Center

Islam does not need to be defended through arrogance, nor diluted for acceptance. It needs to be lived with integrity and spoken with courage.

The world does not lack arguments.It lacks witnesses.

Until Muslims replace self-gratification with sincerity, and performance with principle, neither our political outrage nor our intellectual efforts will bear fruit.

Allah knows what we have forgotten.

And it is time we remembered.