Panama: What's Unfolding, Its Strategic Heart, and Where It's Heading
Title: Panama's "Disappeared": A Mystery That Demands Answers, and a Reminder of Our Shared Humanity
The story coming out of Panama is chilling. A father, Ghussan Iqbal, and his two young children vanished back in May. Baby Musa was found, tragically, in a river. But Ghussan and his daughter, Nousaybah, are still missing. Six months. Six months of unanswered questions, of a family caught in a nightmare, and a nagging feeling that something isn't right.
It’s easy to see this as a faraway tragedy, another news story flickering across our screens. But it's so much more than that. It's a stark reminder of the fragility of life, the importance of community, and the gut-wrenching reality that sometimes, the world just doesn't make sense. The family's frustration with the investigation, the slow pace, the conflicting information...it all paints a picture of a system that isn't working the way it should.
The Unraveling
What really gets me is the sheer mystery of it all. According to reports, Ghussan left without his phone, wallet, or even food. The brother and sister-in-law, Sulman and Nagham Iqbal, traveled to Panama, and what they found was a tangled web of inconsistencies. The "ran away" theory, pushed by Ghussan's wife, just doesn't hold up, they say. No surveillance footage. Conflicting stories. It's like they vanished into thin air. How does someone just “disappear off the face of the earth” in 2025?
And then there's the heartbreaking detail about the wife's alleged multiple identities and shifting stories. It's like peeling back layers of an onion, each one revealing more questions than answers. How can a family even begin to grieve or find closure when the ground keeps shifting beneath their feet?
I can only imagine the anguish this family is going through. The brother, Sulman, expressed guilt, wondering if they could have done more to support Ghussan and his children. That's the thing about these kinds of tragedies, isn't it? We always second-guess ourselves. We replay the "what ifs" in our minds, searching for something we could have done differently.
The lack of urgency from Global Affairs Canada is also deeply troubling. “It’s honestly very scary knowing that as a Canadian citizen you’re basically out of luck if something happens to you abroad,” Sulman said. That statement should be a wake-up call. What does it say about our global community if citizens feel abandoned when they need help the most? It’s a stark contrast to the kindness and helpfulness the family initially experienced from people and government officials in Panama. According to a recent report, the family of the missing Ontario man and his daughter have "no idea" what happened to their loved ones ‘Disappeared’: Family of Ontario man, young daughter missing in Panama has ‘no idea’ what happened to their loved ones.
The political unrest and protests in Bocas del Toro only add another layer of complexity to this already heartbreaking story. It feels like everything is conspiring to keep the truth hidden.
What responsibility do we have, as global citizens, to demand answers? How can we ensure that families aren't left to navigate these tragedies alone, feeling like they're shouting into the void?
A Plea for Justice, A Beacon of Hope
This story out of Panama isn’t just about one family’s tragedy; it’s about our collective responsibility to each other. It's about demanding answers, pushing for justice, and never giving up hope, even when the darkness seems overwhelming. The world can feel like a cold, indifferent place, but it's in moments like these that our shared humanity shines through. Let's amplify their voices, demand answers, and show the Iqbal family that they are not alone.