The funeral of an Egyptian soldier killed in an attack in Sinai, July 2.

The blood of Syrian children spills onto the Earth as countless bombs are dropped and buildings are decimated. Palestinian mothers mourn and bellow to the skies over their martyred sons. Yemeni people cannot leave their homes without the fear of spontaneous attacks and death. Iraq is in turmoil as ISIS continues its onslaught. Lebanon is endangered and split with multiple parties. 

There are all of these schisms in our homelands, and we have yet to realize the biggest culprit: ourselves. 

Certainly, the truth is never pleasant when its eyes are set upon us. 

But that doesn’t lessen its value. That doesn’t quell its mammoth weight. These momentous events deserve more than just public outcries; they deserve change. The change in our beliefs. The change in our approaches. The change in the way we view our neighbors and how self-righteous we deem ourselves over different races and religions. 

A wolf can only be subdued when it’s alone. When its pack is around, however, they unite to form a formidable force. 

Right now, the Middle Eastern world is comprised of nothing but a bunch of lone wolves. Our fingers are judges, pointing and condemning our neighbors as Shias, Sunnis, or Christians. The first aspect we focus on is helping our own. The true tragedy in this world lies beyond the dead and the destroyed homes. 

It resides within our failures to realize that we’re all one. Our blood is red, and all of our tears spill the same way when we lose a loved one or our belongings to these atrocities. But we do not view it in such a manner. We conduct ourselves with superiority, criticizing the other faction for their incompetence. 

We cannot complain that other world leaders capitalize on our egos. We can, however, blame ourselves for dividing and hating one another. The more we divide, the weaker we become. And the weaker we become, the more vulnerable we are. And when we’re vulnerable, evildoers will exploit us, for it is in their dispositions. 

We know the nature of our enemies, and yet we feed their flames and opportunities indirectly. Can a man blame a thief for stealing his belongings if he left them unattended? Exactly. That equates to the point of Arabs being divided and expecting their enemies to sit idly by.

If we stood together like a pack of wolves, our howls and cries would be heard throughout the world. But when we’re alone, it doesn’t carry the same vigor. We’re one entity left exposed and powerless. 

When malice infringes upon our world – whether it directly involves us or not – we are obligated to do something. All of us are one. We have a responsibility to unite and breach these barriers of injustice. We have a duty to speak and lift our neighbors when they cannot do it themselves. We have to love and coerce one another towards the gentle gaze of peace. We have to change and let its ways guide us to a radiating peace that will permeate our world. 

This division will only further our demise. Certainly, it’s easier to turn the other cheek and blame the opposition. But it’s much more productive to scrutinize ourselves and make profound changes that will impact this world for the better. In order to restore the beauty and tranquility of our homelands, we must first rid our hearts of wickedness and hatred. Only then will we be robust enough to make a difference.