Article Published by The Express Tribune
The opinion piece titled "Morality and God" was published on June 19, 2026, by The Express Tribune.
About the Author
Aneela Shahzad identifies herself as a geopolitical analyst. She writes at globaltab.net and tweets under the handle @AneelaShahzad.
The Gaza Episode as a Pivotal Issue
According to the article, the ongoing Gaza episode is described by the writer not merely as an issue on the sidelines of human activity but as a pivotal matter defining politics, history, religion, and human society. The text states that unbound by time, it feels like a tumour, the malignancy of which keeps hitting the wider human conscience and keeps subsiding into collective apathy all the time.
Historical Context
The writer characterizes the situation in Gaza historically as connected to antiquity involving Noah and Abraham. According to Aneela Shahzad, with Israel's growing imperial lust, it seems to be a case that will persist until the end of times.
Morality: Individual vs. Communal
The article argues that morality is not solely a person-to-person societal matter but also a communal one judging collective behaviors of human societies. It gives clarity, according to Shahzad, to the argument regarding whether morality has a secular nature or is grounded in religion and divinity.
Critique of Secular Morality
Aneela Shahzad presents an argument regarding whether morality can be grounded in reason rather than religion. The writer asserts that the secular argument—that morality can be grounded in reason, common sense empathy, scientific understanding, consequentialism, and utilitarianism leading to greater civility—has "utterly failed" in human societies.
According to Aneela Shahzad, this failure of the secular moral argument is demonstrated specifically by the case of Palestine and Gaza. The article notes that rather than becoming more understanding towards each other or responsible as predicted by utilitarianism, humanity has shown a different trajectory despite an accumulation of knowledge, sciences, wealth, freedoms, technologies, and culture.
Source Attribution
All claims regarding the failure of secular ethics are attributed to Aneela Shahzad. The article does not include responses from opposing parties or external verification beyond the provided source text.