Dr. Violeta Stratan İlbasmış writes: Alyona and Ahmet

Alyona. On the morning of February 24, 2022, Alyona was going to wake up, drink her coffee, and go to work as she did every day. Everything changed in an instant when her phone started ringing. Alyona and her husband heard that Russia had attacked Ukraine. The war had begun. Although they were far from the regions under attack, she gathered the most valuable items in the house, got into the car with her husband and daughter, and set off. There were terrifying, horror-filled days and heavy traffic. Everyone was trying to flee the country. After nights filled with rain, wind, tears, and fear, Alyona and her family were able to reach Poland. There, financial and moral aid was being provided. They were placed in a hotel. They stayed in Poland for a while because they did not want to move too far from Ukraine, hoping the war would end soon. However, instead of ending, the war spread to a wider area with each passing day. Alyona decided to go to Germany with her husband, where she could find work. And so it happened. Alyona is still in Germany. She feels well, but she misses Ukraine very much.

Ahmet. At the end of September, Ahmet, who works in Istanbul, decided to visit his mother and father in Gaza. However, on October 7, the war caught him there, alongside his parents and siblings. Having grown accustomed to crises and wars in his childhood, Ahmet realized this time that things were quite serious. He decided to leave Gaza via the Egyptian border. He made it to the Rafah crossing along with Gazans who were being forced by Israel to migrate southward. His name was on the list of Egyptian authorities, and just as he was about to cross the border, the Rafah crossing was bombed by Israel. Ahmet did not die, but other innocent people did. He returned to his parents' house, where he still lives, and said:

"I don't know who is luckier: the one who died or the one who survived? We are physically fine, but we are psychologically broken. We hear the sound of an explosion every 15 minutes. No one decides where they are born or what ethnic background they have. I was born a Palestinian, and that is not my fault."

Last Sunday, the Al-Maghazi refugee camp where Ahmet lives was hit by a bombing attack. Ahmet survived, but his chances of survival are dwindling. Food is running out, and Israel's attacks are intensifying.

Both Alyona and Ahmet are two good friends of mine. I have witnessed, and still am witnessing, their stories of survival in the wars their countries are experiencing. Comparing wars is neither good nor bad/ethical. Because, regardless of the continent or country, human tragedies are extremely painful. But still... these two stories are very different.

Alyona is Ukrainian, Ahmet is Palestinian; Alyona is blonde with blue eyes, Ahmet has brown skin and black eyes. Alyona was able to leave her burning country easily, but Ahmet is trapped in his country and cannot leave. All countries neighboring Ukraine opened their borders to Ukrainian refugees, but Arab countries did not do the same for the Palestinian people. We cannot compare the wars, but we can, and indeed should, compare the media's discourse regarding these wars.

In the discourse of Western media, we see that they portray Alyona as coming from a civilized country and Ahmet from an uncivilized one, and that they report that people are being killed in Ukraine and Israel, while civilians are being killed in Gaza. The West accused Russia of committing crimes against humanity by violating international law when it attacked Ukraine. Only a few countries accuse Israel of turning the Gaza Strip into a graveyard for children.

In Ukraine, "deliberately targeting civilians is a war crime," but in Gaza, it is not accepted as a war crime. While sanctions were imposed on Russia immediately after the war began in Ukraine, no sanctions have been imposed on Israel. A genocide is taking place in Ukraine, but the use of this word in the Gaza Strip is selective. Russia's actions of depriving Ukrainians of water, heat, and electricity in winter were evaluated as barbaric acts, while Israel's actions were characterized as defensive measures and a fight against the Hamas group.

When Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly," the United Nations expressed its concerns regarding the "clear violations of international humanitarian law" occurring in Gaza. That is all that was done. In the analyses of social networks and many media sources, we can notice this: the international public tends to equate everyone living in the Gaza Strip with the Hamas group; but labeling 2.3 million people as terrorists or barbarians is completely wrong.

Innocent people are dying in Ukraine, in the Gaza Strip, or in Israel. People, and especially journalists, should not use divisive, hate-sowing labels instead of uniting people. Even if we see these labels, let us choose to prioritize defending peace, life, freedom, and humanity. Let us condemn the double standards and hypocrisy in news bulletins.

Unfortunately, we see from these two wars and stories that Alyona's life is considered more important, and Ahmet's life is considered of no importance at all. When skin color, eye shape, religion, and race become identity, human values lose all significance. Armed conflicts never cease around us. We live in a painful geography. We see pain and tears in the news every day. We must show the same empathy to Alyona and Ahmet by feeling their pain. Not classifying people according to their color, religion, or ethnic origin should be our duty as human beings.