Rejecting recent resolution of the United Nations and world concern Israel has expanded the circle of its oppression against innocent Palestinians from Ramallah to many other Palestinian areas besides tightening noose around Yasir Arafat American support to Israel is continuing. Israeli tanks, armored vehicles and infantry on Saturday forced their entry into Beit Jala. Exchange of fire between Israeli troops and Palestinians is going on. American minister of state for foreign affairs, Colin Powel spoke to Yasir Arafat on telephone and pressurized him to stop aggressive campaign in Israel. Powel said that this message was also for the entire Arab community to immediately stop the terrorism and arrest the persons responsible or involved in terrorist activities and use its best resources to put a pressure on Palestinian president to carry out the operation against terrorists. Powel further said that Israel's move was defensive and it has all rights to adopt any measures for its defence. It may be noted that the UN Security Council through a unanimously passed resolution pressurized Israel to immediately withdraw its troops from Palestinian areas and end its siege and hold on the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasir Arafat in Ramallah. Moreover, the resolution said that Israel should stop ceasefire in Palestine and hold negotiations for lasting peace in the region. Arab countries warmly welcomed the resolution and expressed their desire and vow to put their efforts to restore peace in the Middle East.

The way Israel has ignored the resolution of UN Security Council and world concern shows that it is not serious for peace in the Middle East. It also seems that Israel neither cares for any resolution or laws nor it considers itself answerable to any world body. World concern and opposition by the Arab countries have no value near Israel. This is not for the first time. Israel has rejected about 60 UN resolutions in the past and this is all because Israel knows that as long as it enjoys the overwhelming support of America no country or world body can harm it. Moreover, UN resolutions are strictly effective only when there is US interest involved in any matter. America has no interest in Palestine and its innocent people but of course it very much has the interest in Israel and that is why Israel enjoys full support of America and Powel is advocating the Israeli cause and move. Instead of stopping Israeli aggression against Palestinians Powel is putting efforts to stop suicide bombing by Palestinians who are doing so in retaliation to Israeli aggression. On this situation, the world particularly the Arab community is highly concerned while various Arab countries have come forward with suggestions to extend help to Palestinians against Israeli aggression. If the situation is not controlled and more world or Arab countries opt for helping and extending military support to Palestine, there is a fear that a disastrous war may start in the Middle East, which may ultimately expand to the entire world, UN Security Council's resolution to pressure Israel to stop aggression against Palestine is highly commendable but there is also a need that the world body should also take measures to avoid any possible disastrous conflict in the Middle East. Muslims' confidence on the United Nations is possible only when its resolutions that were passed to stop atrocities on world Muslims are implemented in letter and sprit. Muslims are justified questioning, "Why world community becomes active and gather at one platform when any resolution is passed against any Muslim country like Iraq, East Timor and Afghanistan but all those resolutions which are in any way in the benefit and interest of Muslims or which discuss rights of Muslims has never been ensured to be implemented and the world countries split on the issue?" This situation questions the utility of a world body.

There is now a need that all member countries should use their resources and ensure proper implementation of recently passed resolution of the Security Council and put pressure on Israel to immediately stop the aggression against innocent Palestinians. The situation is highly concerning. If the world community does not move now to play its role and feel its responsibility then the time is not far away that Muslims community's concern would become a danger for the entire world and ultimately it would destroy peace of West and America.

The chief of UN organization on elimination of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, Glenn Metterman has revealed that till the end of February 2002 the poppy was cultivated on about 65,000 hectares of land as a result of which production of about 190 to 270 tons of heroin is expected. Talking to Russian news agencies in Kabul he said that in 1999 about 57,000 hectares land was brought under poppy cultivation which produced opium that was about 80 per cent of world production. However from year 2000 to 2001 Taliban implemented strict rules and banned poppy cultivation as a result of which the world witnessed a visible decline in overall poppy cultivation in all over Afghanistan. Taliban during their rule by banning poppy cultivation had put the entire world under obligation because open cultivation of this crop was the main source of heroin smuggling to all over the world. The puppet government of Afghanistan that has been installed at the directives of United States has been helpless before the tribal Sardars of Afghanistan and so the government has bowed to their pressure and allowed poppy cultivation. Therefore, Afghanistan has once again become the center of heroin production and the most sufferers will be America and Europe because they have the biggest market of heroin. It would be justified to say that America and Europe would now face the music of toppling Taliban government in Afghanistan. America and its allies considered Afghanistan a peanut and so they launched assault to swallow it but it is becoming a great problem for them with every passing moment. It would be in their larger interest that they should leave Afghanistan at its will and let Afghans decide their fate on their own. Prolonged external interference in Afghan affairs would lead to a situation that America and Europe would receive the gifts of heroin and bodies of their soldiers.

The Organization of Islamic Conference has condemned Israeli aggression against the Palestinians, saying that this was pushing the region towards war. A meeting of foreign ministers of the Islamic states held in Kuala Lumpur on last Monday unanimously passed a resolution, which besides vowing support to the Palestinians' struggle, urged the members of the UN Security Council and the European Union to take action to put an end to Israeli aggression and work for the pullout of Israeli troops from all the occupied Arab and Palestinian areas. The resolution warned that if the international community did not take a timely action to end the crises, the situation of the region might take a perilous shape.

Given the Israel's ongoing dangerous war against the defenseless Palestinian Muslims, OIC's action of adopting a solid and unanimous stand and warning the international community of the delicacy of the situation, must be appreciated especially in the context of OIC's disappointing role in the past.

At the time, the whole Islamic world is deeply feeling that the Muslim countries, taking a stern notice of Israel's aggression and America's partial policy, play such a courageous role to make the nations of the world realize the need to stop America and Israel from their anti-Muslim policies. Today, it is indeed a matter of shame that 56 Muslim states are unable to stop the state terrorism of a tiny state, which is surrounded by Muslims countries on all four sides. Despite the Muslims constitute the one-fourth of the total world population and possess over 60 percent natural resources of the earth, they are compelled to beg America and Europe for peace. Some Arab and other Islamic countries have diplomatic relations with Israel. Particularly, the Muslim countries neighboring Palestine have displayed such callousness and indifference that has further emboldened Israel, which has now refused to recognize any geographical boundaries with any Muslim country.

It is a curtail moment for the Islamic world, particularly the Arab countries, that they either decide not to bear oppression any more, or announce to accept Israel's supremacy. The plight of the Muslims had been truly predicted by the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) when he said that indignity and humiliation would be imposed on Muslims if they gave up jihad.

The remedy to our present indignity lies in that we give up the love of this world, get rid of obscenity and luxuries, stop following America and Europe and define the future course of action on the basis of Allah's help and our own power. Instead of begging the world nations, we should learn to speak in an unequivocal term. The time demands that we strengthen our belief in Islam's supremacy over all religions, civilizations and nations of the world. Let us now start implementing the political, military and economic orders of Islam. All the Muslim countries should strengthen their relations with one another instead of promoting political and trade relations with the enemies. If the Muslim rulers show a little bit of courage and vision, nothing can stop the Muslims from emerging as the most powerful nation of the world.