Are we guilty of watermelon washing?

Greenwashing: companies pretend to champion environmentally sustainable practices to improve their public image

Pinkwashing: companies pretend to champion LGBT inclusivity to improve their public image

Recently, the Israel-Hamas conflict is a hot topic for many of us Muslims, and has drawn even non-Muslim allies to speak up on behalf of Gaza and Palestine.

But for businesses or individuals who have been silent on other Muslim persecutions, we should also ask ourselves why they only talk about Gaza. I call this "watermelon-washing".

For those that are not aware, let me first educate on other historical instances of Muslim persecution.

Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang

Beginning in 2014, the Chinese government put more than 1 million Turkic Muslims in internment camps. Over 1 million Uighurs were subjected to far worse conditions than the Gaza strip.

The Uyghur Tribunal determined that China had committed genocide against the Uyghurs via birth control and sterilisation measures. The tribunal also found evidence of torture and sexual abuse. Some 16,000 mosques have been razed or damaged.

Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

In late 2016, Burmese armed forces and police launched a major crackdown against the people in Rakhine State. The casualties were estimated at 43,000 deaths, and over 1 million Rohingya people were forced to flee the country.

The Rohingya Muslims are regularly persecuted by the Buddhist nationalists and government. The Burmese military was accused of committing genocide. The UN found evidence of wide-scale human rights violations, including killings and executions without trial, gang rapes, arson of Rohingya villages, and infanticides.

Watermelon Washers

Some businesses or individuals (I don't want to name local names) have been silent on other Muslim persecutions, but only talk about Gaza. Here is an example of Indonesian influencer @ilona_twita.

On 15 November 2023, she wrote a heartfelt message in support of "beloved brothers and sisters in [Palestine]", saying that they deserve to feel safe, and that she will be here for them:

I want you to feel asfe as I do as we all do. You deserve it, you deserve it, you deserve it.

On 4 December 2023, a mere two weeks later, she called for the Rohingya refugees to be expelled from her country. She only wants to write feel-good posts, but does not want to offer help.

"We don't want to be burdened by the presence of Rohingya refugees!"

Be discerning, be constructive

The Gaza conflict is serious, and many Palestinians are being subject to terrible conditions. But here are a few ways you can sift out the true supporters with a heart... from the watermelon washers.

1. Watermelon washers are silent on other massacres persecuting Muslims, such as the Rohingya or Uighur genocides.
   

2. Watermelon washers offer little of their own things. They don't offer their own money to charitable causes, and do not spend time volunteering.
   

3. Watermelon washers chase attention and eyeballs, not constructive change. Watermelon washers ask others to support their cause for them by writing petitions, holding rallies, and writing social media posts.

In the end we have to ask ourselves - are our actions making the situation better for Palestine and Singapore? Or is it just to make ourselves happy?

This article was written by a Muslim guest author, who works with the Singapore Red Cross.

Have a story? No story is too small. Chat with us at sgtelltale@outlook.com.