Leaders of the Muslim world must act on the tragedy of Aleppo.

Dear leaders,

Perhaps by now you will have seen or heard the heartbreaking news coming out of Aleppo, Syria. News of missiles raining down from the sky onto the city; of those who have been driven from their homes; of lives that have been ripped apart; of fathers who have lost their children; women who have lost their husbands; mothers who have lost their babies; of the orphans; and of shattered dreams.

These stories are neither rumors nor fairytales. They are real and they are happening right before our eyes. The people of Aleppo are fighting to stay alive every minute of the day. They cannot sleep because they know bombs could fall on them at any moment. The lack of food means people are going hungry, while the limited number of safe zones makes it impossible for them to leave.

Our leaders, if we look at the map, Syria is located not far from your countries. Indeed, for some of you, it is but a stone’s throw away. More so, Syria is located at the center of the Muslim world. To the north is Turkey, in the east is Iraq and to the south is Jordan. Keep in mind that Syria still has many neighbors that are not so far away: Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, among others.

These countries fall under your leadership. You are all heads of state in your respective countries. In your hands lies the power that is not shared by many on this earth. Your actions to end the horror stories coming out of Aleppo could have a considerable impact compared with anyone else in this world.

Our leaders, the people of Aleppo are waiting for you to take action. Their tears are already running dry. Their homes have been reduced to rubble. Many of their families have died due to the Syrian regime’s barrel bombs and warplanes. It is more than clear that their misery must end soon. All of their hopes lie with you, whom they consider to be brethren.

Whenever we look at the news concerning the people of Aleppo, some questions always occupy our minds. How many more deaths need to occur before the Muslim world takes action? How many more buildings should be destroyed? How many more children should be taken away from their parents until our leaders make concrete efforts to end this catastrophe?

Our leaders, before we end this letter, allow us to remind you of a saying by Prophet Muhammad in which he said that Muslims are like one body. If one part of the body feels pain, the rest of the body should also feel pain. The pain of Syrians should be felt by all of us—especially you, as our leaders. We should cease our positions as spectators. Instead, concrete, real and serious efforts should be made as soon as possible.

Even if the basis of religious brotherhood is insufficient to move your hearts, there is no harm in taking concrete steps on humanitarian grounds. Because the people of Syria are human beings, just like the rest of us.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

Photo Credit: Abdukadir Savas