Thousands of protesters in Kızıltepe district of Mardin, Türkiye, took to the streets to denounce the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has claimed over 61,000 Palestinian lives since October 7, 2023.

Organized by the Prophet’s Lovers Foundation, the “Freedom March for Gaza” saw impassioned crowds march from Cumhuriyet Square to the district bus station, their voices echoing with chants of support for their oppressed Palestinian brothers and sisters.

The march culminated in a stirring press statement delivered by Muhammed Ali Varol in front of the Kenan Kösen Mosque. Speaking on behalf of the Prophet Lovers Association, Varol condemned the Israeli regime’s unrelenting massacres and called out the complicity of states and leaders who have failed to act against Israel’s atrocities. “Every state and leader that shirks its responsibility toward Gaza is despicable and doomed to disgrace,” Varol declared, emphasizing the moral and divine obligation to stand against oppression.

Varol’s speech underscored the betrayal of Muslim leaders who possess economic, military, and political power yet refuse to wield it against the Israeli oppressors. “Our brothers, children, and women are dying before our eyes,” he said, invoking the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “Until the Day of Judgment, Palestine will be a place of slaughter and gathering.” He affirmed that the faithful will continue their jihad against the Zionists and oppressors, undeterred by the silence of those who fail to act. “Allah will hold them accountable for their silence,” Varol warned, addressing scholars, leaders, and ordinary Muslims alike.

Varol outlined concrete steps for Muslims to support the Palestinian cause. He urged believers to rise before dawn for heartfelt prayers, pleading for divine intervention to halt the oppressors. He stressed the obligation of infak (charitable giving), calling on Muslims to send a portion of their income to aid Palestinians, warning that those who fail to do so will answer to Allah. Most emphatically, Varol called for a comprehensive economic boycott of Israel and its supporters. “Every product purchased from those who back the Zionists fuels the killing of our Muslim brothers and sisters,” he said, citing Israeli advertisements that boast of turning profits into weapons. He lambasted Muslim leaders for allowing Israeli-linked factories to operate in Islamic countries and criticized shopkeepers for stocking products like Coca-Cola, whose parent company openly funds Israel. “Have you no shame, O Muslim?” Varol asked, urging an end to complicity in the genocide.

Varol emphasized the critical need to instill the cause of Palestine in future generations. “We must raise our children to know heroes like Abu Ubeyde, Yahya Sinwar, Abdulaziz Rantisi, and Saladin Ayyubi,” he said, invoking the legacy of Saladin, who liberated Jerusalem at a young age. “If we fulfill our responsibilities, Allah will raise new Saladins from among our children to free Al-Aqsa and Palestine.”

The event in Kızıltepe was more than a march; it was a rallying cry for the Muslim ummah to unite against Zionist oppression. Varol reiterated that Palestine’s liberation is certain, as promised by Allah, but challenged the community to take a stand: “Can we support our oppressed brothers and sisters? Can we fulfill our responsibilities today?”

As the Israeli regime’s atrocities continue unabated, the people of Kızıltepe have sent a clear message: the struggle for Gaza is a collective duty, and silence is complicity. With unwavering faith, they vowed to continue their resistance until Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa are liberated, calling on Muslims worldwide to join them in prayer, charity, boycott, and raising a generation committed to the cause of Palestine. (ILKHA)