"Gaza, Barbarians, Madleen"

Barbaric Civilization: The Madleen Ship and the Face of Humanity

I don’t know from which corner of the world you’re reading this. But I do know very well where humanity should be headed. The shame is so thick in the air that it almost has a smell—a suffocating scent of what it means to be human. The overused phrase “geography is destiny” lingers in my mind. So let’s ask: if the meanings of unity and solidarity have been so thoroughly emptied, how is it that the image of barbarism still finds its way into our homes?

You cannot truly reconcile with your conscience just by thinking. And likewise, you cannot pay your debt to the oppressed simply through contemplation. Yes, this is a debt we all carry. Watching events from a distance and comforting ourselves with passive feelings like “empathy” might be easy. But to be human is to internalize the deprivation of another. And that kind of internalization doesn’t happen on a screen—it happens in the heart, not on social media.

The author of this blog is not an activist. That, in fact, is where the issue begins. We may not be able to reach every fruit in the garden, but we should not ignore the ones within our grasp. For those who refuse to see, the voice of conscience falls mute.

Prophecies about the West’s decline have been spoken for over a century. And at this point, they hardly feel like prophecies anymore. The events may be unfolding in the Middle East, but the strings of the puppets are being pulled from the West. Facing this reality is especially complicated for nations like Turkey—nations that still struggle to cross a certain threshold—where reconciling with the West seems like both a temptation and a trap.

We are in the year 2025. In an era at the pinnacle of technology, how is it that behaviors resembling those of medieval times still persist? If humanity has come so far, why is a child still praying not to go hungry?

To see the world through the eyes of a child in Gaza may be the most innocent and yet most crushing truth of our time. Imagine a child who prays every single day just to survive. A child who prays not to starve, not to die. This is not merely suffering; it is a silent rebellion directed at all of human history—past and future.

Those who were subjected to inhumane treatment during World War II are now reproducing the same barbarity. As if history has been forgotten. As if it’s all starting over. What does the deliberate killing of 54,927 people tell us? Nazi Germany carried out a pogrom against nearly 6 million Jews. Is today’s cruelty aiming to reach a comparable number?

Today, the so-called civilized barbarians try to stop the Madleen ship. As if that weren’t enough, they are detaining 12 activists. What do these people feel? Do they not have emotions, thoughts like ours? To witness, to care, to remain silent... all of these stem from a particular worldview. And to be human is to uphold dignity—even in the darkest of times.

And no—these are not just sentimental words.