Dear Editor,
Targeting friends, family and neighbors or broadly ethnic and political groups for an act perpetrated by members of a group is referred to as collective punishment. This is a war crime according to international law. On the one hand, it’s entirely reprehensible that Hamas attacked innocent Israeli civilians contrary to the Islamic rules of war. On the other hand, the innocent lives that are being destroyed by the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza by Israelis should also be condemned. We must unite to oppose injustice without regard to cultural ties or friendships. Otherwise, peace as we know it will cease to exist and our world may be engulfed by another world war.
Abdul N. Malmi-Kakkada, PhD
Augusta, GA
