– Says conflict causing irreversible damages to people, environment
– Seeks more coverage of environmental challenges in the Nigerian media
Muslim News Nigeria, the most authoritative Islamic Newspaper in Nigeria, has charged the United Nation (UN), the European Union (EU), the United States (US), and international journalism bodies to continue mounting pressure on Israel to immediately end the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Nigeria-based media organisation highlighted the environmental impact of the seven-month massacre, which it said is capable of causing a wide range of health problems, including respiratory and heart diseases, as well as cancer due to the hazardous substances from the bombings and the collapse of the healthcare system in Gaza.
It added that the debilitating impacts of the environmental crisis have been largely on children, women, the aged and other vulnerable members, who are majorly affected by Israeli suppression in Gaza.
The medium made the call in a statement signed by its publisher, Rasheed Abubakar on Friday, May 3, in commemoration of the 2024 World Press Freedom Day, with the theme, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of environmental crisis.”
Abubakar cited the conclusions of the recent World Economic Forum held in Saudi Arabia which stated that rebuilding Gaza will take no less than 30 years, with 14 of those years to be used in clearing the debris alone. This is the extent of the destruction that Gaza has been subjected to, and this should give an idea of the catastrophic impact of the war on the environment.
He also used the occasion to honour the over 100 fearless slain journalists and media workers, most of them Palestinian citizens, killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
According to him, “We at Muslim News Nigeria join the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), which is dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis.
“Over the years, our medium has been marking the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) with a series of events where we issue statements and address the theme of every edition as it affects Muslims globally, Nigeria inclusive. That’s why we are using this occasion, based on the theme, to call the attention of the world, the international community and all actors on the international scene, including the United States, the European Union (EU) and the Arab League to the genocide going on in Gaza and the damage to the environment which demands that the war be stopped immediately.
“As we all know, environmental crisis is a global challenge. No country is immune from its impact, but as a Muslim medium which sees Muslims everywhere across the world as one, we’ll be calling the world’s attention to the environmental crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip in Palestine. It’s a great opportunity to address the environmental crisis going on in Gaza, especially since that which started on October 7, 2023.
“The sufferings of the people of Gaza must be told and shared for the world to come together and end the war.”
Muslim News says the ongoing war has not only led to the loss of over 35,000 Palestinian lives, it has also led to the wanton destruction of valuable properties, including residential buildings, hospitals, places of worship, and even schools and universities worth billions of dollars, especially those run by the United Nations and its agencies such as UNRWA.
“Apart from the destruction, the gases emitted by the missiles, the bombs, and the armored tanks, most of which were supplied by the US and fired from Israel have also contributed to the environmental challenge in the region.
“Also, hundreds of innocent Palestinians are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings with many of them presumed dead and impossible to evacuate, leading to poisonous stench from decaying bodies all around the city which is an environmental pollution of great proportion in the region.
“According to research by scientists which has been published by many international media, including ‘Inside Climate News’, an estimated 281,000 tons of carbon were generated by Israel’s aerial bombardment and from the ground invasion of Gaza in the first two months of the war, which is greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations.
“If 281,000 tons of carbon footprint was generated in Gaza, a country of about 2.1 million population, between October and November 2023, that number must have tripled by now with the war in its seventh month.
“The carbon footprint have great implications for Palestinians, especially those who were lucky enough to escape the continuous bombardment, by Allah’s will. It will also have severe psychological effects on those Palestinian children who would survive this war and who would have witnessed the mass murder of their family members, while many others who have been maimed forever would remain physically challenged for the rest of their lives. The situation is very pathetic. Little wonder Gaza is referred to as the world’s largest open prison.
“It will also have effect on the ozone layer which could add to the global climate change and global warming. The war on Gaza, like the one in Ukraine and other places, is contributing to climate change across the world, which is of great concern to the UN, even as the international community spends millions of dollars, time and energy on sensitization on its impact as well as address its challenges.”
The Publisher of Muslim News stressed that the international community, particularly (the United Nations) and all international journalism bodies including International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) should mount intense pressure on Israel to end the end war in Gaza with immediate effect.
“We should do it, if not for the Palestinians but for the world because the effect of environmental pollution will not affect Gaza alone but the rest of the world,” he said.
“While we recognise and applaud efforts across the world, especially at the UN to pressure Israel to stop the war with Israel remaining adamant, we should not give up. We must all come together and use every legal means to stop Israel from this madness. If this war cannot be stopped and further damage to the global environment halted, then our years of campaign and advocacy to end global environmental crisis becomes futile.”
Abubakar believes that the lives of the people of Gaza matter just like those of other countries. He therefore asked that the world should go back to the drawing board and ensure that the illegal and inhuman blockade of Gaza by Israel since 2006 should be lifted.
“After then, we can now talk about two state-solution which will give birth to an independent Palestinian state.
“We are appealing to them to look at the implication of the war on the environment since all efforts to stop Israel have almost proven abortive.”
Back at home, the specialised news medium mentioned that Nigeria as a country is also experiencing environmental challenges, suing for personal discipline in order to combat the situation.
“Unlike Gaza, Nigeria is being challenged majorly by flood and air pollution which are mostly caused by human activities, especially our relationship with the environment. Nigerians litter the environment with plastic bottles and other non-degradable products without proper waste disposal methods. The act of indiscipline by Nigerians has been the albatross, despite government’s efforts to combat environmental pollution.
“We commend government at all levels for the proactive moves in sensitizing the people on the effects of environmental pollution and for the measures taken so far to curb the effect of both air and environmental pollution in Nigeria.
“The level of public awareness especially in the Nigerian media is very low. Environmental issues only get prominence in the media during disasters, whereas government initiatives will never be successful without the cooperation of Nigerians and the media,” the statement added.
