The US has fallen into the Vietnam Trap by misreading Iran’s resilience. Tehran is prepared to pay a huge price because capitulation would mean the end of the Islamic government. The US, a materialistic society cannot do so, hence it cannot win.
The UAE ruler, Muhammad bin Zayed is punching way above his weight. His tight embrace of the zionist entity has created fissures in the artificial entity called the United Arab Emirates. It is no longer united but is deeply divided and may disintegrate under the weight of MbZ policies.
The Sisi regime is pressing Al Azhar university to throw its weight behind the Arabian regimes, especially the UAE and against Islamic Iran. Al Azhar stands at a crossroads and can reclaim its past glory of independent scholarship by remaining faithful to Islamic principles.
There is a curious phenomenon that Bani Saud have monetized Hajj, an important Islamic obligation, while complaining about Islamic Iran’s monetization ofthe Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, for the benefit of the Ummah.
Through technological indigenization, intricate networks across Lebanon and Gaza through local allies, and economic chokepoints, the Islamic Republic of Iran has collectively redefined the cost-benefit analysis of modern war in West Asia.
There are differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Their approach to political, economic and strategic issues manifest themselves at the practical level. The Saudis use their position in the OIC to project power; the Emiratis want to claim stability to attract finance.
In this series of articles, ICIT director Zafar Bangash offers his personal reflections on Hajj. These are not related to the performance of the manasik of Hajj but the Bani Saud’s mismanagement of this vital Islamic obligation.
At every step of the way in performing Hajj, Bani Saud incompetence is the greatest impediment. Despite their decades-long illegal occupation of the Haramayn, they do not seem to have learned anything. Perhaps, they do not care.
If a mishap happens—and this is a common occurrence during Hajj—the Bani Saud’s default reaction is to close the roads around the area. They do not tell bus drivers where to go, they simply cannot go forward. It creates unnecessary problems and adds to endless confusion.
Struggling for hotel accommodation in Makkah and then being checked out of it a full 15 hours before our departure from Jeddah was a deliberate fraud. The Saudi operators wanted to save an day’s hotel costs without caring for our comfort or well-being even though we had paid the full cost.
Donald Trump’s Beijing visit was a desperate attempt to seek Chinese help in salvaging America’s declining influence. He came away empty-handed and humiliated. It also signaled the end of US hegemony and the unipolar world order.
Dr Kalim Siddiqui was a strong supporter of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He saw it as the first break Muslims had achieved in contemporary history after a long period of colonial subjugation. He urged Muslims to rise above their sectarian differences and support the Islamic Republic.
Trump is caught in a trap. Goaded into war against Iran by the indicted war criminal Netanyahu and falsely told that it would be over in a matter of days but it hasn’t. The US economy is tanking. Republicans will likely lose both houses of congress leading to Trump’s impeachment.
While the US-zionist-Arabian led war on Iran has failed militarily, it has inflicted immense suffering on ordinary civilians and destroyed much infrastructure in Iran. These constitute war crimes. The perpetrators must be held accountable for these crimes.
Before confronting the Crusaders who had occupied the Holy Land and Al-Quds, Salahuddin Ayubi had to defeat the Crusaders’ puppet Muslim rulers and unite others behind his effort. Islamic Iran will have to pursue a similar strategy to liberate Al-Quds.
The US-zionist military defeat is already forcing Arabian potentates to adjust their policies. They are left with no choice but to end their hostility toward the Islamic Republic of Iran otherwise they may end up losing their thrones.
Zionist Israel’s new death penalty law is aimed at one and only one group of people: the Palestinians. Like most other laws in the illegitimate zionist entity, it is discriminatory and violates all international norms.
Al-Masjid al-Aqsa has always been the target of zionist occupiers. They want to destroy it in order to build their mythical third temple. In recent months, the zionists’ encroachment campaign has intensified. Muslims cannot overlook this imminent threat to Islam’s third holiest site.
For decades, the west maintained its hegemony through the dollar as global reserve currency but more importantly, its economic model as guarantor of prosperity and stability. This is no longer the case. The western economic model is failing to deliver to its own people much less to others globally.
Iran’s control of the vital Strait of Hormuz and its geography give it an advantage that its enemies—the US and zionist Israel—cannot neutralize. Today, Tehran controls the global energy supply and can significantly damage the economies of Europe and US allies.
