Moral Responsibility and Ethical Response in Times of Genocide

This essay presents an ethical-theological reading of the concept of ʾamāna (trust) as a foundational category for moral responsibility in the face of contemporary genocide, with particular reference to the case of Gaza. Drawing on Taha Abdurrahmane’s ethical thought and Qur’anic metaphysics, the essay proposes that reclaiming the trust entails resisting the moral disintegration that enables atrocity. Through a critical engagement with the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the essay contends that euphemistic language, advantageous comparisons, and the diffusion of responsibility normalize violence and obscure ethical agency. Theological concepts are here read not as abstract ideals but as imperatives for resistance, or simply put – to know is to bear witness and to bear witness is to act. The argument proceeds through a critique of liberal internationalism’s ethical failures, and a constructive proposal for a form of Islamic praxeology rooted in interpretations of moral intentionality and spiritual accountability. Structurally, the essay moves from diagnosing the metaphysical rupture of our time to articulating a principled response grounded in ʾamāna. Ultimately, the analysis asserts that taking moral responsibility is a form of resistance that engages profoundly with traditional Islamic principles of justice, humility and accountability all of which are most urgent for our global ethical crisis.