Less than three years after the end of the first Russian agression against Chechnya, which lasted for two years (1994-1996) and claimed the lives of more than one hundred thousand, - and before we had a chance to recover from the cleansing in Kosovo which also took place before we had a chance to recover from the geocide in Bosnia - once again we Muslims find ourselves facing another naked agression that is claiming the lives, the honor, the land, and the peace of hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Chechnya.

Milosevich was tempted by the impunity he enjoyed after the Bosnian massacres; and only geopolitical (not humanitarian) factors motivated the Western powers to intervene in Kosovo, not to put an end to the mass killings, but to prevent the widening of the war in the region. That intervention is now taken by Russia as an excuse and a precendent to justify its savage attack on Chechnya. In fact, Russia did not really need an excuse, since neither the United States nor Europe hae any significant interest in the region.

Two factors are common in all those tragedies: the victims, who are Muslims, and the driving force, which is the historical hatred against them. The Chechen war is also motivated by the power struggle in Russia and the attempt of the Russian regime to divert the attention from its scandals, corruption, and incompetence. Russia is also trying to take revenge for its humiliating defeat at the hands of the Chechen fighters.

If there is any difference between the cases of East Timor and Chechnya, it favors the cause of Chechnya. However, the ractions of the Western powers and the World community are anything but consistent. Their silence becomes even more unjustified given the horrors that is accompanying this particularly savage campaign (See Eyewitness Account), and given that the Organization for Security and cooperation in Europe supervised the election of Aslan Maskhadov as President of Chechnya; and that in May, 1997, Russia recognized the legitamacy of his regime when he and Yeltsin signed a peace accord.

What is even more shocking is the indifference of Muslim countries and the limited reaction of the American Muslim community. Amazingly, governments of Muslim countries chose to look the other way and did not even bother to use their diplomatic and economic leverages to oppose the aggression. On the other hand, most American Muslims are yet to realize that as taxpayers and citiezns they have a say in the domestic and foreign policy making of their government. In other words, we can do more than collect and send donations and in-kind relief supplies. This is not to underestimate the noble relief efforst that have made a difference in the lieves of millions of victims around the globe. Nor should it be understood that we expect American troops to be sent to Chechnya. We only hope to see more morality and consistency in our foreign policy. A stronger American and European stand on Chechnya would have made a big difference in the course of events. But, in this pluralistic society, government officials hear only the voices of the people who actively organize themselves to influence policy. And this process, which does not yield quick results, requires patience, persistence, and a proactive attitude. Without such an attitude, the U.S. government can comfortably take a low-profile stand on the occupation of Chechnya in exchange for Russian cooperation on Kosovo and Iraq.

In spite of the savagery of the Russians, the insensitivity of the world community, and the passivity of the more than on billion Muslims, the Chechen fighters forced the respect of the world with their bravery and perseverance in defending their religion, their honor, and their land. Russia thought and convinced all interested parties that this time the annexation of Chechnya would be acheived in a matter of days. The unexpected Chechen resistance and the miraculous victories of the Chechen fighters can only be explained by the nobility of their cause and the Divine help sought by the prayers of millions of Muslims especially in the blessed month of Ramadan.