Humanity Must Prevail Over Power Games and Religious Hypocrisy

By Kuldeep Kashmiri — A Human

The world today stands at a dangerous crossroad. Every day, headlines scream of war, destruction, and hatred—and the latest tension between Iran and Israel is one such dangerous example. Both countries are speaking in the language of fire and revenge. If they do not step back, the entire world will be pulled into a storm of sorrow and suffering. This is not just a fight between two nations; it is a fight that has the potential to destroy humanity itself. The damage would not be limited to the warring sides. The tremors of destruction, the economic aftershocks, and the emotional trauma would spread far and wide, consuming the innocent and helpless.

Let us ask ourselves honestly: What will war give us? What will nuclear weapons achieve? Will a mother who loses her child feel satisfied because her country won? Will a soldier’s widow find peace in the name of patriotism? Will a destroyed city ever rise again with the same soul it once had?

We live in an age where leadership demands wisdom, not arrogance. Unfortunately, we see arrogance glorified as strength and warmongering paraded as nationalism. Religions that were once sacred paths to peace have been turned into tools of manipulation. Faith, which should be a force for healing, has been twisted into a reason for killing. What we see around the globe is deeply disturbing: from religious extremists to political profiteers and military-industrial complexes—all joining hands in the name of power. They exploit sentiments, spread fear, and keep the world divided so they can rule from above, untouched by the fires they ignite.

Among the worst offenders is Pakistan. It loudly professes to speak in the name of Islam, yet its own people continue to live in darkness: economically shattered, socially unstable, and politically misled. The country is no longer governed by statesmen or visionaries. Instead, it is controlled by a nexus of corrupt individuals, both in uniform and in civil attire, who have no concern for the well-being of their own citizens. They have mastered the dark art of weaponizing religion, not to uplift the soul but to suppress minds. Instead of empowering their citizens with education and opportunities, they feed them hate and false heroism. While the poor in Pakistan suffer from poverty, unemployment, and inflation, their rulers dine in Western capitals, celebrate fake diplomatic wins, and betray even those allies who once stood by them.

The recent behavior of Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, is a clear reflection of this hypocrisy. While his country bleeds economically and socially, he was seen enjoying biryani in the White House and smiling for cameras, even as he diplomatically betrayed Iran, a fellow Islamic country with whom Pakistan often claims to share deep religious bonds. This is not diplomacy; this is pure opportunism.

This is the same leadership that once killed innocent civilians in Pahalgam for not knowing the Kalima, and now it betrays those who do recite it in Iran. What kind of religion are these power-hungry men propagating, where both Kalima-knowing and non-Kalima-knowing people are killed and backstabbed on the altar of their greed?

Their double standards don’t stop there. We all remember the India-Pakistan conflicts—be it the Kargil War, the Pulwama attack, or the Uri assault. In every instance, the world saw Pakistan’s role as an aggressor and India’s response as measured but firm. When India carried out surgical and air strikes against terror camps across the border, it was not an act of war but an act of defense—a clear message that India will not tolerate terrorism exported by a rogue neighbor.

Pakistan has long waged a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir, not with the goal of so-called ‘Azadi’ (liberation) but to destabilize peace. Terror outfits nurtured on its soil, trained and funded by its intelligence agencies, have been the root cause of bloodshed in the valley. Thousands of innocent Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs, and many others were forced into exile, turned into refugees in their own country. Villages along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, once full of life, now echo with the sound of shelling and sorrow. Let the world not forget that over seven lakh people were displaced from Kashmir due to terrorism engineered by Pakistan. And yet, it shamelessly continues to present itself as a victim before global platforms, masking its crimes with lies and diplomatic gimmicks.

These power games are not limited to South Asia. The Russia-Ukraine war is another horrifying example of what happens when ambition becomes blind to human life. What started as a geopolitical conflict has now become one of the bloodiest wars in recent memory. Cities flattened, children orphaned, millions displaced—and still, no end in sight.

What is even more shocking is the passivity of the global powers. Some benefit through the arms trade, others through energy deals. The same powers that preach peace often fund wars silently. This two-faced diplomacy has eroded trust in international institutions. The United Nations passes resolutions, but those in power bypass them with military action. Words like “human rights” and “global responsibility” are thrown around, but their meaning is lost in practice.

The same pattern repeats everywhere. The powerful become mightier while the common people pay the price. Whether it is Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, or Gaza, blood flows while global leaders issue statements. The grief of a mother in Jammu & Kashmir is no different from that of a mother in another troubled part of the world, yet their pain is used as a political tool.

In such a world, humanity itself is under threat. The conscience of mankind is being suppressed by weapons, propaganda, and power politics. The world must awaken before it is too late.

I appeal to global leaders with folded hands and a heavy heart: Stop this madness. Step back from the edge. Think not as kings or commanders, but as fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. Choose peace over pride. Choose dialogue over destruction. If this fire is not extinguished now, it will become a wildfire that spares none.

The time has come for the common people of the world—from east to west, from north to south—to raise their voices. Let us demand accountability from those who govern. Let us stand for peace, not politics. Let us expose the exploiters, reject the warmongers, and unite under the banner of truth and humanity. Whether Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Jew, or atheist, we are humans first. And in the eyes of suffering, all blood is red, and every tear is the same.

It is not enough to pray for peace; we must protect it.
It is not enough to condemn war; we must refuse to participate in its machinery.
It is not enough to be silent; we must speak loudly and clearly.