The power of a photo

The Gulf is engulfed in flames; Iraq and Syria are subjugated to the tyranny of ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, and corrupt leaders such as Bashir Al-Assad. The re-ignition of the Middle Eastern powder keg has had devastating consequences for the peoples who inhabit it. Arab culture is rooted in nomadism by choice. The turmoil in the region has forced nomadism as a means of survival.

Indeed, there is a refugee crisis enveloping the region, displacing thousands and killing many. There is a certain irony in being rejected from asylum in Arab countries that are among the richest in the world. Somehow, these nations have millions to spend on their leader’s lavish lifestyles but not a penny for the pauper. Worse even is that the key culprit, Saudi Arabia, prides itself on maintaining the purest form of Islam. I guess they missed the major pillar of their faith, zakat, which obligates Muslims to help the needy. The hypocrisy is starkly evident.

Every few weeks or so, an image or video makes its rounds on social media, inciting a tremendous initial response but no continuity past its usual two week quota. There was the “Stop Kony 2012” campaign that accumulated millions of views in hours, only to turn out to be a fraud. The “Ice Bucket Challenge” last summer raised a huge sum of money and awareness for ALS research, but when was the last time we donated since then?

This reveals an unfortunate reality: we only care about problems that are plainly obvious to us. When an issue is in the limelight, a plethora of Twitter activists advocate for its resolution. But as soon as the next problem gets highlighted, we lose the fervor for the prior one.