Listen for 'cry from Gaza.' Unite against atrocities inflicted upon all fellow humans

The transatlantic slave trade; 400 years of institutionalized slavery; the dehumanization and genocide of Indigenous peoples in America; Jim Crow and segregation laws; the deportation of Latino Americans during the 1930s; race massacres throughout our cities; the Jewish Holocaust; South African apartheid; the industrialized prison complex — what else will it take for us to learn?

Sir Winston Churchill is quoted as having once said: “The Americans will always do the right thing … after they have exhausted all the alternatives.” In all respect to Churchill, I believe his statement may be too generous. As a nation, it would appear that we have exhausted all our alternatives; but still, we turn to bullying, violence and extortion to satisfy our mad pursuit for power and wealth.

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In his literary masterpiece "Hustlin’ Backward," Stephen P. Hargrave gives this accurate depiction: “Oppression is not a lone entity without pattern and segregated. It is created! It is calculated! It is premeditated! It is precise! It is the most unfathomable wicked genius.”

The ongoing Palestinian/Israeli conflict that has produced horrific bloodshed has compelled me to lift my voice on the subject. I will say at the onset of this statement that I vehemently oppose and condemn all violence. The shedding of innocent blood is never justified. I sorrow for the loss and trauma experienced by every family and individual affected by this conflict, both Palestinian and Israeli. We pray for God to comfort them during this incredibly devastating time.

However, I believe that our personal integrity demands that we ask ourselves several soul-searching questions. Why have we so conveniently fallen for the self-justifying narrative that claims, “You either stand with Israel, or you stand with terrorism?” Is it possible that by doing so we also have entered into the category of “oppressor?" When we casually state, “Israel has a right to defend itself," have we carefully considered we may be inadvertently condoning the indiscriminate destruction and death of thousands of innocent lives? Why were Israeli casualties needed to capture the world’s attention?

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I grieve for the loss of every innocent life, but are innocent Palestinian lives less valuable? Is their quality of life of any less significance to us?

Should we not seriously question why we hear overwhelmingly biased reports from Western media sources? Why have there been so few broadcasts from the mainstream media concerning Palestinian suffering, their daily harassment at border crossings, the separation of families, the decades of imprisonment under Israeli occupation? Is it simply because Palestinians must first be dehumanized, then demonized, and then portrayed as “animals” in order for their suffering to be justified?

When God spoke to Cain, the brother killer, He asked, “Where is Abel thy brother?” Cain answered, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God then said, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

If we listen closely, with what little moral compass we have remaining, we may still hear our brother’s and sister’s blood crying out. If we have made the choice to be “our brother’s keeper," I urge everyone to begin by listening for “a cry from the ground." In this instance, “a cry from Gaza.” With some effort and in spite of censoring, you will find heartbreaking reports from Palestinian fathers, mothers and children. I challenge you to familiarize yourself with Palestinian authors and artists. Immerse yourself in their personal experiences expressed through their literature, lectures and art. Seek out Palestinian voices, and they will invariably become human voices!

We all should unite against the atrocities inflicted upon our fellow human beings. All leaders, whether religious, political or social, should stand against all humanitarian crimes.

This column is not written with the intention of creating deeper animosity in regard to the debate on Zionism. It is simply a plea for human rights.

As we enjoy this holiday season with family and friends, let us not only remember to be grateful for the blessings of peace and abundance, but let us also remember to pray for those whose lives have been shattered by loss, those who have been robbed of the very basic necessities of life, and those who see no future in their present. Then let us make a covenant that we will in no way support or condone the unjust and cruel treatment of any people.

Will we be our brother’s and sister’s keeper? Now is our time.

Elder Markus Tovstiga is pastor of the Church of God in Oklahoma City.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Middle East conflict begs question, 'Are we our brother's keeper?'