Has society lost its moral compass?

South Africa - Cape Town - 11 November 2023 - What has to be one of the most well supported marches in Cape Town, the Free Palestine march from Muir Street Mosque in District Six to Provincial Legislature, saw hundreds, if not thousands of supporters join the march calling for the ceasefire in Gaza, amoung other demands. Picture: Tracey Adams / IOL News

South Africa - Cape Town - 11 November 2023 - What has to be one of the most well supported marches in Cape Town, the Free Palestine march from Muir Street Mosque in District Six to Provincial Legislature, saw hundreds, if not thousands of supporters join the march calling for the ceasefire in Gaza, amoung other demands. Picture: Tracey Adams / IOL News

Published Nov 18, 2023

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Undeniably, the mother of all marches took place in the CBD on Saturday, November 11. Its aim was to highlight people’s dissatisfaction with the slaughtering of innocent Palestinian lives by the Israeli Defence Forces.

This occurred soon after October 7 when Hamas breached what was perceived as an impenetrable Israeli apartheid wall.

More than 11 000 innocent lives were abruptly and savagely taken in Gaza, with almost 70% being women and children. Sickeningly, Israel claims to be the only democratic country in the region, yet it has broken all international and fundamental rules of engagement in a war.

It has brazenly attacked hospitals, schools and places that are guaranteed protection and residential properties while families were still occupying them, under the guise of self-defence.

There have been numerous mass shootings in America. A mass shooting is generally defined as any single attack in a public place with three or more fatalities. On May 6 nine people were killed and 7 were injured at a mall in Allen, a suburb of Dallas in America, by a shooter who was killed by police at the scene.

Why is it that police have the mandate to shoot and kill a perpetrator of a mass shooting, but when almost 11 000 people are massacred then the world fails to get a mandate to prevent any further loss of innocent and precious lives? Why is Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, not arrested and still allowed to continue with the slaughtering of innocent lives?

Picture the following, my residence is burgled by a few thugs who belong to a certain gang from the surrounding area. To defend my family, do I have the right to enter his area and hunt down all members of the same gang and kill them in cold blood while killing other innocent bystanders as well?

Or is it required of me, as a law abiding citizen, to lay a charge with the police who are the law-enforcing authority?

A mass shooter is shot dead for his heinous deed at the time of the deed, but a prime minister is allowed to continue with his killing spree of innocent lives long after the massacre was identified initially.

Is there not something wrong with society that allows such a perpetrator to reign freely and continue massacring innocents?

* Adiel Ismail, Mountview.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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