By Barrister Usman Ali, Ph.D.
Throughout modern history, powerful nations have repeatedly unleashed devastation across the globe under the pretext of defending freedom, promoting democracy, or protecting international security. But behind these noble claims lies a much darker truth: the relentless pursuit of control, resource extraction, and military supremacy, no matter the human cost. The United States and its allies, in particular, have led interventions that have not only violated the sovereignty of other nations but also shattered entire societies, displaced millions, and left long-lasting scars.
In Afghanistan, during the 1980s, global powers waged a proxy war against the Soviet Union by funding and arming militant factions under the banner of fighting communism. Once their goals were met, they abandoned the region. What followed was decades of instability and the rise of extremist groups that the same powers would later declare enemies. In Iraq, a sovereign nation was invaded under the false claim of weapons of mass destruction. That war claimed over a million lives, destroyed infrastructure, and plunged the country into sectarian chaos, yet no weapons were ever found.
In Libya, a NATO-led intervention toppled Muammar Gaddafi in the name of humanitarian protection. What followed was a descent into militia warfare, lawlessness, and human trafficking. Syria, too, became a theater of international power games, where weapons and fighters were poured into the conflict by rival nations. Civilians bore the brunt of the violence as their homeland turned into rubble.
And then there is Palestine. The repeated bombardment and blockade of Gaza, backed politically and militarily by Western powers, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands, many of them innocent women and children. The occupying power invokes its right to self-defense, while Palestinians are denied their right to live. The global response, at best, is silence; at worst, it is complicity.
Iran is the next target. Years of economic sanctions, assassinations, and threats have been justified in the name of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, even as nuclear powers with histories of aggression go unchecked. Western political figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have openly advocated for strikes on Iran, reinforcing a growing culture of militarism rather than diplomacy.
These actions are not new. In 1945, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instantly killing hundreds of thousands. It remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in war, yet has never faced accountability. In Vietnam, millions died under chemical and carpet bombings. More recently, Ukraine has become another battleground where international powers pour in weapons, prolonging the conflict instead of seeking peace, while civilians pay with their lives.
A painful aspect of this history is the role played by some of the world’s larger Muslim nations. In pursuit of regime security or economic favor, they have often assisted or remained silent during these interventions. But history has shown that such collaboration does not shield them; rather, it makes them vulnerable to the same tactics of coercion, destabilization, and aggression.
Modernization was expected to bring progress, cooperation, and peace. Instead, it has produced more efficient weapons, sophisticated propaganda, and selective morality. Those who claim to lead the world have led it into disaster. They speak of human rights while propping up regimes that violate them. They criminalize cruelty to animals while justifying the mass killing of children. They use the language of justice but act in the service of dominance.
It is now time for the global conscience to awaken. Peace-loving people around the world, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or politics, must break their silence. These wars don’t just target borders; they target schools, hospitals, and homes. The victims are overwhelmingly civilians: children, parents, and the elderly, caught between powerful agendas. Governments, civil society, media, and individuals must unite to demand justice, challenge propaganda, and support humanitarian relief. Silence is complicity. If we don’t act now, we betray the oppressed and eventually, we may become victims of the same system we allowed to thrive.
Today, the world stands on the edge of a precipice. In their lust to become the police and masters of the world, the powerful have pushed humanity into a deep ditch. Even in the stone ages, war had rules, there were boundaries and codes of honor. But in this so-called civilized world, even those have vanished. What remains is not leadership, but naked domination; not justice, but brute force. The weapons have changed. The cruelty has not.
