Imam Khamenei's Message to Hajj Pilgrims 2011

The spiritual spring of hajj has arrived with its freshness, purity and God-given grandeur and majesty, gathering again the faithful and eager hearts like butterflies encircling the Ka'bah of Divine Unity and Islamic solidarity.

In the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful


All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and greetings be to the Master of creatures, Muhammad al-Mustafa, and his immaculate Family and his Companions.

The spiritual spring of hajj has arrived with its freshness, purity and God-given grandeur and majesty, gathering again the faithful and eager hearts like butterflies encircling the Ka'bah of Divine Unity and Islamic solidarity.

Camped at Mecca and Mina, Arafat and Mash'ar are the fortunate human beings who, having responded to the call of "proclaim the Hajj to all the people", are being honored with the hospitality of the munificent Lord. Here is the blessed House and the source of guidance from which the manifest signs of divinity radiated, and here is where a canopy of safety is set up.

Wash your hearts in the water of piety, humility and God's remembrance. Open the inner eye to the lights of the Divine signs. Embrace the spirit of submission and dedication, which are the hallmarks of the true servant-hood. Keep on refreshing in your hearts, the memory of that patriarch, who, in willing compliance, led his Ishmael to the scene of sacrifice, thus showing us the real path of attaining the friendship of the Glorious Lord, and the manner of traversing it with a resolve infused with faith, and an intent imbued with sincerity.

The station of Abraham is one among these manifest signs. The footprint of Abraham, Peace Be upon Him, by the side of the Holy Ka'bah, is only a symbol of the station of Abraham. The station of Abraham is his station of dedication and self-sacrifice, his fortitude and resistance to personal desires, and fatherly feelings, as well as against the domination of unfaithfulness, polytheism, and Nimrod, the tyrant of the time.

Today these two paths of deliverance lie open before each of us individuals belonging to the Muslim Ummah. Determination, courage and firmness of resolve on part each one of us, can advance us towards the same goals to which mankind has been invited by the Divine envoys, from Adam to Muhammad, with the promise of dignity and felicity in the world and the Hereafter, for those who take this path.

It will be worthy of the Hajj pilgrims at this great assembly of the Islamic Ummah to address the most important issues of the Islamic world. The uprisings and revolutions in some Islamic countries are at the head of these issues. The events that have taken place in the Islamic world in the interval between the previous and the present Hajj pilgrimages can change the destiny of the Islamic Ummah; these events speak of a bright future accompanied with dignity and progress, both material and spiritual. Dictators and 'corrupt' regimes, allied with foreign powers, have been overthrown in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, and the stormy waves of popular uprisings in some other countries threaten to bring down the castles of wealth and power.

This new chapter in the history of our Ummah reveals certain truths, which are all manifest signs of divinity, and give us vital lessons. These truths should be taken into account by Muslim nations in all their calculations.

First, a young generation has emerged from the heart of these nations, after decades of political subjugation to foreign powers; with its admirable self-confidence, it is ready to face dangers, confront dominant powers, and is determined to change the status-quo.

Second, despite the authority and efforts of secular rulers and their overt and covert measures to curtail the influence of religion in these countries, Islam, with its conspicuous and impressive presence, has become the guiding principle of popular expression and sentiment. Like a fountainhead, it has given vitality and freshness to the rallies and activities of the millions. The mosques and minarets, Islamic slogans and calls of Allahu Akbar, are all clear indications of this fact, and the recent Tunisian elections provide clear evidence for this claim. Without doubt, free elections in any Islamic country will result in nothing but what happened in Tunisia.

Moreover, as revealed for all by this year's events, God Almighty has placed such a force in the resolve and determination of nations, that no power whatsoever, can withstand it. With this God-given power, nations can change their destiny and taste God's help.

During the last decades, arrogant powers, led by the United States, had reduced regional states to a state of subjugation through their political and security ploys. They thought they had opened an obstacle-free highway for their rising economic, cultural and political domination over this sensitive part of the world. But now, they are the primary target of disgust and hatred of the region's nations. To be certain, the governments and powers emerging from these revolutions, will never submit to the disgraceful inequalities of the past; the political geography of the region will be drawn by these nations, which will hopefully result in their dignity and complete independence.

The crafty nature of the hypocritical Western powers has become all too clear for the people of these countries. The US and Europe made their utmost efforts to retain their pawns in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, each of them in a particular way. But when they were forced to give in to the resolve of the nations, they cast a wily and cunning smile at the triumphant public.

There are further precious facts and manifest Divine signs embedded in the regional events of the past year, which are not hard to discern for reflective minds.

Nevertheless, the entire Islamic Ummah and especially the revolutionary nations stand in need of two basic elements:

First, the continuity of their stance and avoidance of slackness in their resolve. In the Holy Qur'an, God almighty addresses Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him). He says: "Be steadfast, just as you have been commanded, [you] and whoever has turned [to God] with you; and do not overstep the bounds (11:112)" and elsewhere He tells the Prophet: "Be steadfast, just as you have been commanded (42:15)." Prophet Moses, Peace Be upon Him, is quoted as telling his people: "Turn to God for help and be patient. The earth indeed belongs to God, and He gives its inheritance to whomever He wishes of His servants, and the outcome will be in favor of the God-fearing. (7:128)"

At the present, the most significant aspect of God-fearing for these rising nations is not to stop in their auspicious movement, and not to be complacent. This is the most important part of being pious; whoever is pious, is rewarded with a "favorable outcome."

Second, vigilance against the plots and gimmicks of arrogant international powers, who have suffered a setback from these uprisings and revolutions. They will not stand idle. They will reenter the arena with all their political, financial and security ploys to reestablish their influence in these countries. Their policies are the carrot and stick, and deceit. Experience has shown there are some among the elite who are susceptible to these gimmicks. Fear, greed or negligence prompt them to serve the enemy. The vigilant eyes of the youth, intellectuals and religious scholars, should be watchful.

The biggest danger that threatens unfaithful and arrogant powers is the intervention and influence of the new political systems in these countries, they will do their utmost to see that these new systems do not take on an Islamic and democratic identity. All concerned people in these countries and all those who cherish their homeland's honor, dignity and progress, should work hard to ensure the establishment of a complete and perfect Islamic and democratic character. In this regard, the role of the constitutions will be prominent.
National unity and official recognition of sectarian, tribal and ethic differences, are a precondition of future success.

The brave revolutionary nations of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, as well as other nations, should know that the only way they can free themselves from the oppression and guile of the United States and other Western powers is the establishment of a balanced global power conducive to their interests. Muslims should take themselves to a level that is equal to where world powers currently stand in order to solve their differences and problems with these world powers. This cannot be achieved except with the cooperation, understanding and solidarity of Islamic countries. This was an unforgettable advice of the great Imam Khomeini.

For months on, the United States and NATO dropped bombs on Libyan people, making Gaddafi, a vicious dictator, an excuse. Gaddafi was someone who was considered their close friend prior to the uprising of the Libyan people. They used to coddle him, steal the wealth of Libya through his hands, and press or kiss his hand in order to dupe him. Following the people's uprising they made him an excuse to destroy the entire infrastructure of Libya. Which state could stop the tragic massacre of the Libyan people and destruction of the country at the hands of NATO? Until the claws and fangs of the bloodthirsty and barbaric Western powers are not broken such dangers will remain conceivable for Islamic countries. Their safety from such dangers is not possible except by transforming the Islamic world into a powerful pole.

Today, the West, the United States and Zionism are weaker than ever before. Economic troubles, successive failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, deep-running public outrage in America and other Western countries, with its daily widening scope, the struggles and sacrifices of the people of Palestine and Lebanon, the daring popular uprisings in Yemen, Bahrain and some other countries under the influence of the US - all these are a good omen for the Islamic Ummah especially for revolutionary nations. Faithful men and women throughout the Islamic world particularly in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, should make the most of this opportunity for the formation of an international Islamic power-block. The vanguard and the elite of the uprisings should place their trust in Almighty God, and with reliance on his promise of help adorn the new chapter in the history of the Islamic Ummah, with their lasting achievements; thus, earning God's approval and fulfilling the prerequisites of His help.

May Peace Be upon God's righteous servants!

Seyyed Ali Hossaini Khamenei

29 Dhul Qa'adah, 1432
5 Aban, 1390
27 October, 2011

West seeks to defeat Muslim liberation movements

Imam Sayyid ‘Ali Khamenei

Imam Sayyid ‘Ali Khamenei addressed the inaugural session of the First International Conference on Islamic Awakening, held in Tehran on 9-17 and 9-18-2011. Below is a translation of his remarks.


In the name of Allah, the Mercy-Giving, the Merciful. May the peace, blessings, and mercy of Allah be upon you all. Allah, the Almighty and the Truly Wise, says,


In the name of Allah, the Mercy-Giving, the Merciful. O Prophet, guard yourself against Allah’s power presence and defer not to those who reject Allah’s power presence and the dual-loyalists [as such deference will inevitably invite Allah’s corrective justice]: indeed it is Allah who is All-Knowing, Wise. [Rather] follow that which has been revealed to you by your Sustainer; indeed Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. And rely on Allah [alone] for none is more worthy of reliance than Allah (33:1–3).



I welcome our honorable audience and dear guests. What has brought us together on this occasion is the Islamic Awakening, which has been inspired by a greater awareness among the Muslim Ummah [of its own captivity and ultimate destiny]. This awakening has led to a major upheaval among the nations of our region, spawning in its wake uprisings and revolutions that could never have been contemplated in the calculations of the dominant, regional and international, satanic powers. These momentous liberation movements have razed to the ground autocratic and imperialist strongholds [in the Muslim East] and vanquished the tyrants guarding them.

There is no doubt that colossal social upheavals of this kind [which engage all sectors of society] have always culminated from the solid foundation of history and an irrepressible civilizational momentum, and are byproducts of the accumulation of wisdom and experience [in the fight for liberation and human rights]. Over the past 150 years, great intellectual and jihadi personalities, who were the inspirational and motivational force behind the Islamic movements in Egypt, Iraq, India, and other countries in Asia and Africa, contributed the forerunning and pioneering efforts that are responsible for the present state of affairs in the Islamic world.

The developments in the 1950s and 1960s led to a national power personality that deferred mostly to materialistic ideologies and thoughts, and because of this inherent character, the regional regimes fell prey to Western imperialist and colonialist powers. The lessons learned from this maturing experience [with taghuti power orientations] have contributed substantially to the evolution of general and profound understanding in the Islamic world. The dual impact of the Islamic Revolution in Iran — hailed by Imam Khomeini as “the victory of blood over sword” — and the establishment of the enduring, robust, courageous, and progressive Islamic Republic on the current Islamic Awakening is in and of itself a long story that deserves to be contemplated and researched. There is no doubt that the Islamic Revolution in Iran will be accorded a thorough and comprehensive chapter in the ultimate historical analysis and record of this new situation in the Islamic world.

For this reason, it cannot be overemphasized that the emerging facts and truths on the ground in the various Muslim countries are not simply disconnected events that can be easily severed from their past historical roots, and our own social and intellectual, Islamic background. Otherwise, it would allow our adversaries and the shallow-minded to present these liberation movements, in their warped and biased analyses, as a passing wave or short-lived phenomenon in order to snuff out hope in the hearts of those striving for justice and human rights.

In this fraternal dialogue with you I want to place special emphasis on three areas:

1. the identity of these uprisings and revolutions,

2. major threats and harms lying in their way, and

3. recommendations for solutions that could forestall these threats and harms.


Regarding the first point, I believe the most important element in these revolutions is the genuine mass presence of people in the arena of action, struggle, and jihad. They have been present not only with their collective heart, desire, and commitment, but also with their individual bodies and souls. In public perception, whether in front of similarly concerned people or even in front of the largely indifferent, there is a vast disparity between the impact of a mass popular presence and that of a military cadre or armed combatants.

The events of 1950s and 1960s indicate that in some countries of Africa and Asia, the heavy weight of the revolution was not shouldered by diverse segments of the population and the youth from all parts of the country, but rather by the officers of a coup d’état, or small and limited armed groups. They decided and acted, and they themselves or the succeeding generation [unclear about the objectives that made them distinctive from their predecessors] changed their direction as a result of certain motivations. Their revolutions thus became their own worst enemies, thereby allowing their traditional adversaries [imperialism and Zionism] to once again prevail.

This is in stark contrast to the change that comes from the [collective will of all the] people. It is the people who bring their [once, but no longer fearful] bodies and souls to the arena of action, and by their jihad and devotion, push back and defeat the enemy. It is the people who make the slogans and set the goals; and it is they who identify, uncover, and pursue the enemy. They develop their vision of the future — although not comprehensively — and by this virtue, they do not allow the revolution to deviate from its original path, they do not concede to the enemy, they do not change course by compromising with the tainted few who sponsor special interests, and above all, they thwart the schemes of the enemy’s agents [and surrogates]. In such a grassroots movement [that unifies diverse constituencies onto a single platform], the revolution may be slowed a bit, but because of its grassroots foundation, it can avoid being short-sighted or on shaky ground. Allah (Â) says in the Qur’an “Have you not considered how Allah sets forth the parable of a good word? [It is] like a good tree, firmly rooted, [reaching out] with its branches toward the sky” (14:24).

When I saw on television the brave body of the proud Egyptian people in Tahrir Square, I became convinced that their revolution would triumph. Let me confess something to you. After the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, which caused an earthquake in the materialistic hemispheres of the East and West and brought unprecedented excitement and joy to Muslim peoples, we expected that Egypt would be next in line. The reason was the history of jihad, progressive thinking, and the presence of great mujahids and intellectuals in Egypt. In my heart, I was reciting this poem by Abu Faras,


I see you tear resistant/proof, ornamented with patience — penchant cannot tell you “do” or “don’t do”.


Of course, I’m nostalgic, nursing an affinity — but persons of my status do not have their secrets divulged.


When I saw the people of Egypt in Tahrir Square and squares in other cities, I knew I had received my response. The people of Egypt told me with words coming from their hearts: this sacred secret was nothing but the motivation and resolve to rise. And gradually these people cemented this thought in their minds, and at a historical juncture, they manifested their resolve and entered the arena in a magnificent show of power. Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain are no exception to this general rule.

In these revolutions, the principles, values, and goals are not written in prefabricated manifestos of factions and parties; rather they are written in the minds, hearts, and desires of each and every person present on the scene, and are declared in the context of their slogans and behaviors. Through these signals one can clearly discern the principles of the ongoing revolutions in Egypt and the other countries:

• revival and renewal of national dignity and respect, which were previously broken and trampled under long years of dictatorial and corrupt rule, and the political domination of America and the West;

• keeping up the banner of Islam, which is the profound din and longstanding attachment of the people, so that they can enjoy the peace of mind, justice, progress, and prosperity that is only achievable under the Islamic Shari‘ah;

• resistance to the influence and domination of the United States and Europe, which have wrought the greatest damage and humiliation on the peoples of these countries over the past 200 years; and

• countering the usurper and fictitious Zionist regime, which the imperialist powers have planted like a dagger in the heart of this region so that it can serve as a staging area for extending their diabolical domination after expelling a whole ummah from its historical homeland.


There is no doubt that these revolutions, which rely on and demand these principles, are not to the liking of America, Europe, and the Zionists, and they are going to use all available means to deny them, but the truth will not change with their denial.

The widespread participation of people in these revolutions is the most relevant feature that constitutes their identity. Foreign governments that tried everything in their power and used all possible schemes to keep their tyrannical, corrupt, and subservient client rulers in control, only abandoning them when the indigenous people left no other choice, have no right to claim a share in the victory of these revolutions. Even in Libya, after causing irreparable damage, the intervention by America and NATO cannot distort the truth. Had it not been for the military intervention of NATO and America, who were formerly accomplices of Qaddafi, the people’s victory might have been delayed, but all their infrastructure would not have been destroyed, and innocent [civilian] women and children would not have been killed in this innocent war-torn country. The people, the elite who are of the people, and the others who are from the people are the true proprietors of these revolutions — and these are the ones who should be trusted to protect them and draw the path to the future.

Secondly, regarding the threats and harm, I should first emphasize that although there will always be threats, there are also ways to stay safe. The mere presence of threats should not weaken the resolve of an entire people, “…verily, the stratagem of Shaytan is weak, indeed” (4:76). Allah (Â) says about a group of mujahids from early Islam,


…those who have been warned by other people, “Behold, a host has gathered against you; so beware of them!” Whereupon this only deepened their commitment, so that they answered, “Allah is enough for us; and how excellent a guardian is He!” and returned [from the battle] with Allah’s blessings and bounty, without having been touched by evil: for they had been striving after Allah’s goodly acceptance; and Allah is limitless in His great bounty (3:173–174).


We need to know what these threats are so that we are not surprised and are able [to have the confidence] to find our own solutions. We faced these same perils and threats after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and overcame them. With the grace of Allah (Â), the leadership of Imam Khomeini, and the sacrifices of our people, we managed to sail through them safely. Our enemies’ plotting still continues but so does the firm resolve of our people.

I divide the harm to these movements into two groups: those that have their roots within ourselves and come from our own weaknesses, and those that have been directly planned by the enemy. The first group of harms concerns the complacent afterthought that the job is over after the downfall of the corrupt dictator. The peace of mind and comfort that accompanies the victory, and afterward the declining motivation and weakening determination are among the first perils — and the most damaging threat is when individuals begin to ask for their share of the spoils of victory. What should immediately come to mind is the Battle of Uhud, in which the early Muslims seeking the spoils of victory caused their own defeat, and these mujahids were reprimanded by Allah (Â). This is a good example that should never be forgotten.

Being shocked and awed by the overbearing appearance of the arrogant powers and feeling fearful of America and other interventionist powers are emotions that also fall into this category of self-inflicted harm, and should be avoided. The brave and the young should expel these fears from their hearts. Trusting the enemy and falling into the snare of their smiles and promises is another threat that needs to be avoided by the forerunners and leaders of these new liberation movements. The enemy must be identified regardless of what public face he puts on. The people and the revolution should protect themselves against the designs of this enemy that, at times, hides behind appearances of friendship and supportive gestures. Another aspect of this is to become overconfident and overlook the enemy. Bravery must be tempered with wisdom and good judgment. We must use all the treasures Allah (Â) has put at our disposal against Shaytan al-Jinn wa-al-Ins. Causing division and pitting revolutionaries against one another, thereby allowing the enemy to penetrate behind the battlefront of struggle, is another great harm that needs to be avoided with all your power.

The second category of harm has been experienced by the people of almost every country in the region during the defining events of their day. The first of these is the ascension to dominance by those who are committed to America and the West. The typical script goes like this: after the downfall of one of its pawns, in an effort to perpetuate its continued domination, the West tries to sustain the basic pillars of the system and its levers of power by installing a different head on the same foundation. [If you accept this] it is a waste of all your efforts and sacrifices. At this stage, if they face resistance from the people, they introduce and offer other alternatives that are designed to divert the course of the movement. Such a scenario could take the shape of “recommended” [secular] government models and constitutions that will again throw the Islamic countries into the trap of cultural, political, and economic dependence on the West. Such influence, should it proliferate among the revolutionaries, could marginalize the genuine currents of the revolution in favor of greater financial and media strength devoted to a counter, West-leaning current. This would again mean domination by the West and the yet stronger grip of its outdated secular models that are a far cry from the basic principles of the revolution.

If these tactics do not produce the desired result [of thwarting the liberation movement], experience tells us that they will resort to anarchy, terrorism, and civil war among members of religious or ethnic communities and tribes, political parties, or even among neighboring countries and governments. Parallel to these actions, they will impose economic blockades and sanctions, freeze national assets, and launch an all-out media war complete with propaganda [against the “rabid” nature of the revolutionaries]. Their intention is to exhaust and frustrate the ordinary people and make the revolutionaries disappointed. Under these circumstances [of despair], it becomes easy to defeat the revolution. Assassinating the righteous elite of the society and those who have the capacity to build a following, defaming and vilifying others of influence, and even enticing some with money are among the usual ploys used by Western powers who lay claim to the “moral high ground”. In Iran, the documented evidence from the US Den of Espionage [its embassy in Tehran] that fell into the hands of the revolutionaries traced all these plots to the regime in the United States. And the “principle” behind these dirty tricks is to dilute the revolutionary momentum to a point where the people call for a return of the reactionary and dependent rulers.

In the last part of my remarks, for your consideration, I will present recommendations based on our tangible experiences in Iran and what has been gathered from in-depth studies of movements in other countries. Undoubtedly, conditions differ among states and countries. Nonetheless, there are incontrovertible truths that can prove beneficial for all. The first of these is that on the one hand by placing your trust in Allah (Â) and having confidence in the repeated promises of divine victories in the Qur’an, and through astuteness, resolve, and courage on the other, it is possible to surmount all these obstacles and emerge victorious. Of course, the task you all have taken up is quite profound and momentous. Thus, you must bear great hardship for its sake. Amir al-Mu’minin, al-Imam ‘Ali (a) said,


Certainly, Allah does not break all-time despots/dictators except after extended times of leisure/affluence, and He has not healed the broken bones of nations except after long times of tribulation; and in between your [people’s] forward anticipation and rearward predicament lies a lesson to ponder.


Thus the most important recommendation is that you must always consider yourself as being present on the scene, “Hence, when you are freed [from distress], remain steadfast…” (94:7). When you have liberated yourselves, labor hard still, always consider Allah (Â) to be with you as your aid, “…and unto your Sustainer turn with all your attention” (94:8), and do not allow your victories to make you arrogant or negligent, “When Allah’s victory comes, and liberation, and you do see people entering Allah’s din in multitudes, then extol your Sustainer’s limitless glory, and praise Him, and seek His forgiveness: for, behold, He is ever an acceptor of repentance” (110:1–3). These are the true foundations of a faithful ummah.

Another recommendation is the constant reappraisal of the principles of the revolution. This permits its slogans and principles to be refined so that they can be aligned with the foundations and irrefutable principles of Islam. Independence, freedom, justice, refusal to bow to despotism and colonialism, rejection of ethnic, racial, and religious partisanship, and the outright rejection of Zionism, which, today, comprise the pivots of the Islamic movements in Muslim countries, are all inspired by Islam and the Qur’an.

Write down your principles on paper [and communicate them broadly]. Preserve your genuine nature with a high degree of sensitivity. Do not allow your enemies to formulate the principles of your future system. Do not allow Islamic principles to be sacrificed for transient [special] interests. Deviation in revolutions begins with deviation in slogans and objectives. Never place your trust in the US, NATO, or criminal regimes such as Britain, France, or, Italy, which for centuries have plundered and divided your land among themselves. Look upon them with suspicion and do not be deceived by their smiles. Behind these smiles and promises lies conspiracy and betrayal. Find your own way by resorting to the blessed fountainhead of Islam and throw these foreigners’ prescriptions back at them.

A third important recommendation is to leave behind [as part of the last century] religious, ethnic, racial, tribal, and border conflicts. Recognize differences as legitimate and manage them: reconciliation among Islamic madhhabs is the key to salvation. Those who fan the flames of religious division by characterizing other Muslims as kafirs are the mercenaries and servants of Satan, even if they do so inadvertently.

Creating your own system of governance is your main and seminal task. This is a complex and difficult undertaking. Do not allow secular, Western liberal, extremist nationalist, or leftist Marxist models to be imposed on you. The leftist Eastern Bloc collapsed some decades ago, and the Western Bloc that took over is propped up through violence, war, and deceit, and does not appear to have a bright outlook. The passage of time is their enemy, but a friend to the Islamic current. The ultimate goal must be a unified Islamic Ummah and the creation of a new Islamic civilization founded upon commitment to Allah (Â), rationality, knowledge, and morality.

The liberation of Palestine from the savage claws of Zionism must also be a prime objective [for any Islamic movement of liberation]. The countries of the Balkans, Caucasus, and Western Asia were liberated from the clutches of the former Soviet Union after 80 years of occupation. Why should the Palestinian people not be able to free themselves from oppressive, Zionist captivity after 70 years of degradation and humiliation?

The present generation in Muslim countries has the capacity to accomplish such great feats. The young generation of today is a source of pride for the past generations. As noted by the Arab poet,


Abu al-Sakhr’s honor and status comes from his being a member of Shayban [the tribe] — but I said to them, “Not so!” For the life in me, it is Shayban that draws its status and honor from his being from them.


Many a father is dignified by a son who scaled the peaks of honor — as ‘Adnan [the Prophet’s ancestor] did by having [in his offspring] the Messenger of Allah.


Trust your young generation. Reinforce their self-confidence and benefit them by the experiences of those who preceded them [in the battle for self-determination].

There are two important points in this connection. First, one of the most important demands of the people who have revolted and thus been liberated is to participate decisively in the management of their countries. And since they have confidence in Islam, their desire is to create a system of Islamic representation, that is, the rules for electing new leaders through a popular vote and the dominant principles and values of the society ought to be based on Islamic knowledge and the Shari‘ah. This can crystallize in various countries, depending on their conditions, through various methods and civic engagement. However, utmost care must be taken not to confuse just, Islamic representative mechanisms with Western liberal democracy. The secular, and at times anti-religious, Western democracy is anathema to Islamic representation, which is committed to the values and [social justice] principles of Islam in its system of governance [and not the institutional entrenchment of special interests in the public decision-making process].

Second, Islamic tenets must not be equated with backwardness, obscurantism, and ignorant and extremist biases. The demarcation between these two must be pronounced. Religious extremism, which is usually attended by violence, will cause you to fall short of the lofty goals of the revolution. This, in turn, will result in the loss of public support and the eventual failure of the revolution.

In summary, to speak of Islamic awakening is not to speak of a nebulous and abstract concept that is amenable to various interpretations. Rather, it is to speak of a palpable reality in our real world that has dominated the public discourse and resulted in great uprisings and revolutions, removing from the scene some of the enemy’s most savage proxies. Nonetheless, the scene remains fluid and hence needs to be shaped and brought to a conclusion. The ayat recited at the outset contain a complete and effective set of guidelines, especially at this sensitive and momentous juncture. Though they are addressed to the Holy Prophet (r), we all are their interlocutors and responsible for adhering to them. In these ayat, taqwa in its lofty and broad connotation is the first recommendation. Then comes the rejection of the orders [systems and social conventions] of the kafirs and munafiqs, adherence to the divine revelation, and, finally, trust in Allah (Â). And there is no better conclusion or introduction than the words of Allah (Â), cited earlier,


In the name of Allah, the Mercy-Giving, the Merciful. O Prophet, guard yourself against Allah’s power presence and defer not to those who reject Allah’s power presence and the dual-loyalists [as such deference will inevitably invite Allah’s corrective justice]: indeed it is Allah who is All-Knowing, Wise. [Rather] follow that which has been revealed to you by your Sustainer; indeed Allah is well acquainted with all that you do. And rely on Allah [alone] for none is more worthy of reliance than Allah (33:1–3).



Peace and the mercy of Allah be yours.

Tehran conference puts people’s uprisings in proper Islamic context

By Zafar Bangash

The First International Conference on Islamic Awakening held in Tehran on September 17 and 18 was a grand affair. There were more than 700 delegates from 84 countries representing all shades of opinion and thought in the Ummah. There were leaders of almost all Islamic movements, current and former government officials — presidents, vice presidents, prime ministers and ministers — as well as academics, political activists and journalists at the conference.

Reflecting the great importance the Islamic Republic of Iran attached to the conference, the Rahbar of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei himself addressed the opening session of the conference (see pp. 27–33 for his opening address). President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Attorney General Ayatullah Sadegh Larijani, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Conference Chairman, Dr. Ali Akbar Velayati (a former foreign minister) accompanied the Rahbar as he entered the hall to loud cheers and was ushered to the stage. As the Rahbar took his seat on the stage, the others walked down to the conference floor to take theirs.

In his wide-ranging address, the Rahbar touched on several important points. He paid rich tribute to the courageous people of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain and other places where Muslim masses are involved in struggles to regain their dignity and honour. The Rahbar urged them not to be discouraged by the undoubted challenges they will face and also warned them against the beguiling smiles of the satanic powers that had kept them in bondage by propping up corrupt dictators for so long. He urged the Muslim masses to remain on the scene until they had achieved their objectives.

Naturally not all 700 delegates could have been given the platform to speak but leaders of some of the leading movements were asked to address the conference. Other participants were accommodated and recognized by being invited to sit on the platform for each of the four daily sessions. Leading conference delegates were divided into five committees to tackle various issues and report back to the conference on the final day. Before the concluding address of President Ahmadinejad on the final day, the conference chairman, Dr. Velayati, read out the Conference declaration. Iran’s Foreign Minister Dr. Ali Akbar Salehi, also addressed the conference on the morning of the second day.

In his address, President Ahmadinejad talked about the common bonds of humanity and its quest for peace based on justice. He emphasized that all human beings are created equal but it is because of Shaytan and the imprisonment of humans by carnal desires based on the distinction of race, color or birth that they have been chained. Such people, he asserted, will never taste true freedom. Iman (faith-commitment) was in the nature of human beings and no society would achieve true happiness based on shirk. Describing freedom as the greatest gift bestowed upon humanity by Allah (Â), President Ahmadinejad asserted that no society could have peace and happiness without freedom. He also pointed out that all prophets were sent with the same message of tawhid (oneness of Allah – Â), and that their mission was one: to establish justice in society that could only come about through divine rule.

President Ahmadinejad asked whether the seven billion people in the world are happy today and if not — as they clearly are not — then what are the reasons for their unhappiness? He placed the blame squarely on the mismanagement of global governance by the predatory powers led by the US. If there were proper management of world affairs, there would be justice and peace, he insisted. There would be no mass starvation and there would not be endless wars to plunder the resources of the people of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In referring to the current uprisings and Islamic awakening in the Muslim world, he said it was not helpful for Muslims to be quarrelling among themselves. He extended a hand of friendship to the people of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and all other countries and said that Islamic Iran was willing to help them in whatever way possible. His call was greeted with resounding cries of Allahu Akbar and prolonged applause.

In addition to recognizing the contribution of speakers at the conference, the plenary sessions and committee meetings were held to address the following:

1. develop historical, conceptual and theoretical foundations of Islamic awakening;

2. recognize prominent players in the Islamic Awakening;

3. identify challenges and threats facing the Islamic Awakening;

4. identify goals and objectives of the Islamic Awakening; and

5. clarify the outlook and future prospects of Islamic awakening.


Mindful of their responsibilities as a single Ummah, the participants expressed their sympathy and solidarity with the drought-stricken people of Somalia and underlined the Islamic imperative of mobilizing humanitarian assistance to help them. The valiant struggle of the people of Palestine facing Zionist aggression was also recognized and the continued occupation of al-Quds (the Holy Land) was seen as a great affront to Islam and the worldwide Muslim Ummah. A clear distinction was made between what is referred to as “Western-style democracy” in which vested interests manipulate the system to their advantage and the representative system of Muslims backed and supported by the will of the people. Muslims have their own system of governance distinct from the West.

The conference participants resolved to establish a permanent Secretariat of the Islamic Awakening Conference in Tehran that would be headed by Dr. Velayati as its first Secretary General. The Secretariat will hold consultations with Muslim activists and welcome any input through email, letters or any other means to promote the legitimate aspirations of Muslims.

This important conference for the first time brought Muslims from divergent backgrounds and outlooks onto a single platform and urged them to work toward the common goal of achieving honor and dignity in society. It will go a long way toward making Muslim strugglers more confident, secure in the knowledge that they are not alone in their quest. The world is certainly on the threshold of major changes in which Muslims for the first time in many decades will be in the driving seat. It will certainly usher in a more just and fair world than what we have hitherto experienced.

Muslim East: revolutions and counter-revolutions

Power is not given up voluntarily, at least not by those who have usurped it by force in the first place. The Muslim East (Middle East) is witnessing unprecedented uprisings by peoples that were hitherto considered too apathetic to move. There was a sense of resignation until, that is, the uprising in Tunisia sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, the street vendor who could not take the public insults of a female police officer any longer, changed everything. His act set the entire Muslim East ablaze; the flames are still raging. How many dictators will ultimately be consumed is still uncertain but a clearer understanding of the reality is crucial.



Long entrenched dictators can be dislodged from power; that is often the easy part. It is not the dictators but the system that maintains them in power that must be better understood. Dictators do not rule in a vacuum; they represent the tip of the iceberg. The ingredients that make up this iceberg are the military, the police, the bureaucracy, the political parties (the ones permitted to operate), judges, courts and a vast network of patronage in which businessmen and politicians develop close relations to help sustain the system and the dictator in power. Since everyone’s personal interests are tied to the system, it is not so easy to dismantle. In fact, the system would often sacrifice the individual in order to dissipate public anger and help stabilize and situation. Tunisia falls into this category.

Let us consider specific examples. Both in Tunisia and Egypt, two long-serving dictators — Zine el-Abidine and Hosni Mubarak — were driven from office within a short period. Yet it would be wrong to assume that the systems that sustained them have also gone. In both countries, vested interests are fighting back to subvert gains made by the people. The military appears to be the first but not the only line of defence. There is another, more invidious factor at work: withdrawal of capital from society, leaving protesters and the disadvantaged even more vulnerable. This is evident in both countries.

Billions have been taken out of each country and there is little likelihood that this money would be returned as long as the political environment remains uncertain. Moneyed classes are also linked with foreign financial interests. In fact, they often work in tandem to advance each other’s interests. Foreign governments, international financial institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF and foreign banks withhold capital at the most critical juncture to force governments to tailor their policies to suit external players. If money is given it comes with powerful strings attached. It is during times of upheavals that governments most urgently need cash because production is disrupted while workers still have to be paid. These are the people that live from one weekly wage to the next.

Further, many societies especially Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan, are also dependent on tourism for revenue that dries up in times of political turmoil. Why would foreign tourists wish to visit a country engulfed in riots? Naturally, it affects the livelihood of that segment of society that services the tourist industry. Under such conditions, it becomes easier to turn one group of people against another. This has been attempted in Egypt where government-sponsored thugs, disguised as street vendors, were unleashed against the protesters camped in Tahrir Square accusing them of undermining their livelihood. Revolutionary fervor in the absence of power and authority to make decisions can take people only so far. This is the dilemma facing the young protesters in Egypt. They understand the challenges facing them but appear powerless on many issues. It would be unrealistic to assume that they will gain their rights without further sacrifices and vigilance against subversion.

This is the story of the revolutionaries. There are also counter-revolutions underway in places like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Yemen. After overcoming the initial shock of losing two dictators in rapid succession, especially Mubarak of Egypt who was viewed as the lynchpin of the colonial occupation of the Muslim East, the Saudis were able to formulate a counter-revolutionary strategy. Their first line of attack was Bahrain where they dispatched troops to crush the people’s aspirations. This has largely been successful. They are also deeply involved in Yemen where President Ali Abdullah Saleh, badly injured in a missile strike on his residence on June 3, is undergoing treatment in a Riyadh hospital. He refuses to relinquish power and the Saudis do not appear keen to nudge him out. In contrast, the Saudis are actively involved in undermining regimes in Libya and Syria with Western help and to plant their own agents in power.

The reasons for undermining the regimes in Libya and Syria are not the same. In Libya the aim is to subvert Colonel Muammar Qaddafi’s plans to break loose of the Western economic and financial stranglehold, especially in Africa. This is seen as a threat to Western economic hegemony that could inspire people elsewhere to emulate his example and hasten collapse of the West’s financial system. Syria does not pose a financial threat but it is part of the resistance front against Zionist colonialism. Israel’s weakening would undermine Western strategic and military dominance in the region. In both Libya and Syria, the Saudis are acting as Western Zionist agents by financing anti-government rebels.

While there is no single theory that fits all Middle Eastern uprisings, the struggles of peoples in these lands are not only for fundamental rights. There are also external players involved in manipulating local grievances in order to advance their own agenda. This is most clearly evident in Libya and Syria where the people’s legitimate grievances are being exploited for Western political and geo-strategic purposes. In Bahrain, the situation is reversed: the people’s legitimate demands are being suppressed in order to maintain the rule of a corrupt monarchy subservient to the West.

Nuclear assassinations belie Zionist desperation

Thousands of mourners attend the funeral of shaheed Muslim scientist Darioush Rezai in Tehran, 7-24-2011, after he was gunned down by motorcycle assassins.

By Afeef Khan

Imagine a Muslim government popping off American and Israeli scientists because these were perceived to be a threat to the Islamic state and further imagine that this had been going on for the better part of several decades. Imagine if Robert Oppenheimer (1904– 1967) and Edward Teller (1908–2003) were killed right before they could complete their work on creating the first nuclear device of mass destruction. Would any of the victim governments tolerate such a violation of their sovereignty and of the human rights of their citizens? Would they not be preparing for war at the first possible moment because their national (human) assets were being destroyed?



Would their media, pundits, commentators, opinion makers, and policy executives not be in overdrive condemning the blatant disregard of international law, the arrogance of power, and the ideological foundations of Islam that permit the Muslims to go out and take the lives of innocent researchers who want nothing more than to advance the cause of their people? Would not the cacophony of these voices be so loud, so pervasive, and so convincing that anyone asking for calm would be summarily drowned out on the way to a military resolution of the crisis?

Yet when eminent Muslim scientists, who have pursued the “nuclear option”, are being regularly and consistently assassinated or found dead in “tragic accidents” for the better part of 65 years, there has been no outcry, no sympathy, no support, and no concern from those who make a living out of pointing the finger at terrorists and their state-sponsored support networks. When a Muslim scientist gets killed, it is hardly newsworthy — a brief note in various news outlets suffices to present this on-going tragedy in a largely forgettable way. In effect, no one is making a federal case out ot it.

The consistent pattern of such attacks, the breadth of the area covered from Pakistan to North Africa, and the length of time it has gone on without redress or punishment ought to warrant action from the United Nations. But unfortunately one of the perks of power in a world controlled by Christian imperialism and Jewish Zionism is to make forward-thinking Muslims pay for self-determination with their lives while throwing self-accountability at the feet of impotent international bodies who rubber stamp the depredations and ravages of potentates, princes, and presidents. So far, for the scores of Muslim scientists killed, perhaps even hundreds, no realistic investigations have taken place and none of the likely perpetrators in the United States (CIA) and Israel (Mossad) have been targeted for justice; and nor have their governments been held accountable for hiring and training death squads to go out and murder Muslims.

The latest case involves the tragic murder of Darioush Rezai, a 35-year-old Iranian electronics engineer, whose identity was apparently mistaken for a nuclear scientist that was to be killed by the same Israeli assassins. The now shaheed Darioush and his wife were heading out to work on the morning of 7-23-2011 when they were assaulted by motorcycle gunmen brandishing automatic weapons; Darioush could not survive his fatal injuries and his wife, also strafed by the gunfire, is in critical condition at a Tehran hospital.

This incident marks the fourth Iranian nuclear scientist or physicist targeted by CIA/Mossad assassins in the last four years, and continues the long tradition of earmarking Muslim nuclear scientists and heads of state of Egyptian, Lebanese, and Pakistani origin for termination. The inset on the next page gives a short list of the Muslim researchers who either lost their lives to foreign plots or have been threatened with the same; in fact, there are many others whose stories may never be adequately told. And it is not only individuals who have been targeted; the nascent nuclear programs in Iraq (1981, Operation Babylon), Libya (2003, War on Terror), and (apparently) Syria (2007, Operation Orchard) have all been overtly destroyed by the same Israeli government, which is given a free hand to operate without threat of reprisal from the dominant power culture in evangelical America.

In the world today, why haven’t North Korean, Brazilian, and Indian nuclear scientists been on the CIA/Mossad/MI6 hit list? Why is the Nuclear Services Group, under pressure from US industrialists and the Pentagon, looking for loopholes in the NPT so that it can sell nuclear technology and tons of spent uranium to India, which by not signing the NPT does not differentiate between its civilian and military nuclear program? Is this not a blatant violation of the NPT by the US and its satellites in Europe, Japan, Australia, and Canada, in stark contrast to the very minor (not substantive) reporting violations by the Islamic Republic? And in times past, when Chinese and South African research teams were enriching weapons grade uranium at a time when their power was on par with the power of the Islamic Republic today, why weren’t their scientists targeted for assassination?

The answer is simple: none of these countries and their peoples represent a credible threat to the security of Israel? And the United States would rather see Israel secure than to see itself alive in the domain of global geopolitics. All of this places Pakistan in a rather precarious position, because it is the only Muslim country with nuclear weapons. It appears to have barely survived the failed-state scenario, hanging on by a very thin thread as this issue of CI goes to press. For ten years, the US tried to destabilize the country from within so that it could be declared a failed state thereby giving the “international community” (read that Israel’s proxies in the US and EU) the green light to go and occupy Pakistan’s nuclear facilities and delivery mechanisms. This strategy was complicated not only by America’s failure to win decisive victories in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also by the civil uprisings in the Muslim East. With the twin realities of the rising influence of Iran and the wave of overthrown dictators in Arabian countries, the Saudi monarchy is feeling the heat like never before and is after nuclear technology like a hungry dog after a bone.

This is where Pakistan needs to be extra careful, at home as well as in its diplomatic overtures to its neighbors. The Israelis will not countenance Washington “giving” Saudi Arabia any kind of nuclear technology, not the least after Obama’s obsequious call for a nuclear-free world. The new calculation in Washington is that Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would be far safer in Saudi hands — a lifelong friend of Tel Aviv and Washington, and a lifelong obstacle to Islamic self-determination. If Pakistan willingly or surreptitiously gives the Saudis any nuclear capability after the Saudis hang a suite of carrots in front of it to relieve it of its economic and endemic energy problems, then Pakistan will be immediately ravaged by the “international community” as the king of rogue nations. On the other hand, if its own tortuous road to nuclear independence quickens its heartbeat to a moment of reflection, Pakistan will know that Washington and Riyadh are on the same team, and that the road to policy independence goes through Tehran.

Time is running out in the Muslim East

Zafar Bangash is Director of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought

The Islamic Arab East has fire in its belly. The popular mood is: “fa-al-yasqut al-nizam — down with the regime.” Masses of people are breaking the fear barrier and expressing their century-old, pent-up feelings. Some dictators have been toppled, others are teetering, and still others are trying to change laws and make amends before they, too, are swept away by the people’s fury. It all began in Tunisia when a vendor, out of desperation, set himself on fire because the police denied him a permit to sell vegetables to make a living. That one act in a cauldron of seething popular resentment and frustration set off a chain of events that began in Tunisia, immediately followed by Egypt, and then spread to other countries whose people have had it with playboy Pharaohs and tin-pot tyrants along with their drooling luxury classes.

Ever since then, the media has focused attention on this life-sized event. Some media refer to it as the Arab Spring; others call it the Islamic Awakening. Whatever one’s choice of words, the dust has not settled yet. In this popular movement, what is unmistakable is the beginning of the unraveling of the old imposed political order on the Islamic peoples in that geographic area of the world. And the chances are that in a few months, at most a couple of years, other populations will erupt and bring down their own IMF-World Bank sponsored regimes. Already, Greece, Spain and Portugal have witnessed popular protests that threaten the stability of governments in Athens, Madrid, and Lisbon.

Roughly speaking, the popular movements in the southern and eastern Mediterranean fit into three broad categories. The first is the spontaneous or self-generated, as in Tunisia and Egypt.

The second is the pre-existing: examples include Yemen and Jordan. Third, there are the contaminated, such as Libya and Syria. Another category, not much in the news as yet, is what can be characterized as the latent — the ones that are not presently in eruption. Included in this last category are such states as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the tribal states in the Persian Gulf. The only exception in the Persian Gulf is Bahrain, which may be included in the first category above. Much has been said and written about this excitement and the arousal of these peoples who have one thing in common: they all lack representative government and have been forced to live at the survival level for decades.

Up to this point, no Muslim has any objection. But from here on it gets tricky, messy, ugly, and nasty. Some wet-behind-the-ears Muslims are going to feel uncomfortable with what we have to say; but we are not writing for people to enjoy a comfort zone. The truth sometimes stings. So let us go ahead and say it as it is.

The peoples’ movement (let us call it that) took two opposite camps by surprise. Firstly, it caught the imperialists and Zionists off guard. No one with a functioning mind can deny the fact that the loss of Zine el-Abidine Ben ‘Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt is a grand loss for their remote controllers in Tel Aviv. Now Benjamin Netanyahu and company have no slicked-up proxies in the presidential palaces in Tunis and Cairo. The Israeli political establishment is and has been in damage-control mode ever since. Recent leaks indicate they are working through their American channels to ease out Field Marshal Mohamed Husain Tantawi in Egypt who appears too independent for them. Tantawi is not playing the American card in Egyptian internal politics. The Americans want the September elections postponed because they fear a significant Islamic gain in these “early elections”. And the Israelis are experiencing frequent and watery bowel movements simply because they cannot digest the Egyptian main course.

Secondly, the opposite camp that was taken by surprise was the “Islamists” themselves. Up and down the Islamic political spectrum in Egypt no one was prepared for this type of explosion of the popular will. Not that they feel unhappy about what has happened; on the contrary, most members of the Islamic Movement in Egypt are cheerful and excited that the Pharaoh is gone and they have a chance of rearranging Egyptian society in an Islamic way. Hold on, though: we said “most of the members of the Islamic Movement” — because the dumbed down salafi-Saudis had come out last January at the beginning of the popular movement, saying things like: demonstrations are thankless acts (a‘mal ghayr mahmudah), or that they are a bid‘ah. This word bid‘ah must be their favorite recourse to abort any human ijtihad to do the fara’id (Islamic obligations). The poor enlightened sons of the global Islamic Movement do not have the finances to counter the high decibel Saudi voice of bid‘ah with the word ijtihad. And for Muslims who know their history well, it was that time in Islamic history when the mentality of bid‘ah set in that phased out ijtihad.

And since that time the bid‘ah ‘ulama have reigned supreme. Their heirs are the current Saudi ignoramuses who, in the name of bid‘ah forbid their mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives from driving vehicles. Without going off on a bid‘ah tangent here, even the Islamic Movements beyond Egypt were caught by surprise. And now they are in “catch-up” mode. We dare not think of what Egypt would look like if the well-financed Saudi contingent of the Islamic Movement turns the civilizational and cosmopolitan land of the Nile into an Egyptian version of Saudi Arabia! Imagine a salafi king of Egypt! With all the loops and gaps in the literature of the Islamic Movement no one should be surprised if in the years to come we wind up with a Saudi Arabian Egypt.

Now we get to the nerves and bones of the issue. “Sunni” Muslims, generally speaking, cannot concede the natural right of the people in Bahrain to form their own representative government. The majority population in Bahrain is “Shi‘i”. So, why does any Muslim have second-thoughts about the masses of Bahrainis dethroning a king who is an absolute monarch and whose ambassador to Washington is a Yahudiyah? The Bahrainis, every Muslim should say, have all the right in the world to a representative government; and if that representative government wants closer relations with Islamic Iran than with American Saudi Arabia, all the best to them. No Muslim in Indonesia or Algeria should lose any sleep if the Bahraini people were to rid themselves of a king who has prostituted his country to the American Fifth Fleet (literally).

Now we go to a more sensitive issue. “Shi‘i” Muslims, generally speaking, cannot concede the natural right of the people in Syria to form their own representative government. The majority population in Syria is “Sunni.” So, why does any Muslim have second-thoughts about the Syrian masses unseating a regime that has shown its anti-Islamic colors during the course of the last four decades? Only last year it wanted to host a pan-Arab conference on secularism, which was canceled days before it was to be convened, probably because of positive influence coming out of Tehran. The same regime was doing an Ataturk in the past few years by barring Islamic dress code in government schools. The only argument the Syrian government may have is its support for Hizbullah in Lebanon and the myriad Palestinian resistance groups in Damascus, especially Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Ba‘thi regime in Damascus, in and of itself, would not have gone so far in supporting Islamic liberation orientations had it not been for positive influence from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

But at the end of the day, the government in Damascus rules the Syrian people, not the Palestinians. So, why can’t a reasonable and levelheaded Muslim concede the right of the Syrian people to have a government that represents them? The inability of the Syrian decision makers to be politically inclusive of their own people is what gives Washington and Tel Aviv inroads into a heartsick and fatalistic population. The stubborn and bloody official policies of the political and military establishments in Syria are playing into Zionist and imperialist hands. The more blood that is spilled in Syria, the more years it will take to stabilize that society — that is if the society can survive these polarizing events. The Muslims in Syria, like Muslims elsewhere, do not have an “Islamic political culture”. In this vacuum, the Saudi Wahhabi nutcases will feed their acolytes the venom of sectarianism. And the sectarianism of “Sunnis” will breed the sectarianism of the “Shi‘is” and this will result in the “Iraqization” of all countries that have a “Sunni-Shi‘i” population in them. Sayyid Hasan Nasrullah was on the mark when he said (and I paraphrase him): “if this thing begins here (in Bilad al-Sham) its fires will rage on into Arabia itself.”

If anyone, anywhere needed the good offices of the Islamic Republic of Iran it is here in this context. Only the Islamic Republic of Iran has the credentials and merit to preempt this sectarian fireball from scorching Syria-south and Arabia-north. A reformed Syria with all its anti-Zionist and pro-Islamic potential is much better than an alternative American-Israeli-Saudi friendly regime that sneaks into power via the victimhood of the Syrian people.


Certainly, Allah does not change the [social] condition of a people until they change their attitude (13:11).

No, he is not an American agent!

Abu Dharr

Caution! This article is not written for the rationally disabled or for those who are reproach-free.

In the past month, the world was abuzz with the announcement of the American president that US forces had killed Osama bin Laden (OBL). We seriously doubt that Osama bin Laden was killed at the time, in the manner, or at the place they officially said he was. Many alternative news media have done the job of debunking and repudiating the official US version of Osama’s death. At this point, we take a moment to look beyond statements of the ruling class in Washington, at this Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda political widget.

Before OBL and al-Qaeda sprang into the public mind (this was in the early to mid-1990s) there was an Islamic leadership and an Islamic heroic sacrifice that had Washington and Tel Aviv politically hypnotized and militarily confounded — and that is the Islamic Revolution and its political administration in Iran. All Euro-American and Ziono-American policies were for more than a decade preoccupied with policies and in fact haunted with strategies of how to diminish or defeat in a conclusive manner the first burst of Islamic self-determination in the contemporary world.

Their proxy in Baghdad failed through a long and drawn out war to bring the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic purpose in Iran to its knees. Parallel to that, the Zionist military in occupied Lebanon was taking a beating at the hands of Hizbullah and the Islamic resistance until they finally had to withdraw their occupation forces in ignominy (May 2000). The ruling elites in Washington and Tel Aviv were sitting on thorns as they watched their incompetence and deterioration unfold from an ascending Iran to an aspiring Hizbullah. The new set of anti-American and anti-Zionist circumstances demanded a “stroke of genius”. Enter the Taliban and al-Qaeda. To refresh one’s memory, Afghanistan for a decade and a half (1979–1995) was swarming with mujahidin from many corners of the earth, particularly those who marched there from Arabia to the cadence of an American-Arabian master plan for jihad to defeat the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

Tens of thousands of mujahidin were all over Afghanistan fighting valiantly against the brutal Soviet occupation not knowing they were being used by the Saudis, who themselves were being used by the Americans, who in turn were being used by the climactic interests of the Yahud. As long as these credulous and trusting warriors in Afghanistan were fighting the evil empire they were heroic mujahidin in the political literature of Arabia and America, until finally the Soviets were defeated. Now that the Soviets were out of Afghanistan, what do you do with a reserve of hardened combatants who were on the warpath in Afghanistan? Combatants who were motivated to take on an Islamic enemy militarily? Behold the kickoff of al-Qaeda and OBL. To set the stage for that we had tens of thousands of Taliban (religious students) acting like professional soldiers, experienced commanders, and competent armed forces moving from Pakistan into Afghanistan at a time when the Afghans were slugging it out against themselves (remember the major polarized “Islamic” forces around Ahmad Shah Mas‘ud and Gulbuddin Hikmatyar?)

Well now there was a new kid in town. The Taliban became the rulers of Afghanistan with the support and recognition of three US satellite nation-states: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this Taliban enclave we had the bourgeoning of al-Qaeda and its leader OBL. Let us make it very clear that many if not all the Islamic foot-soldiers in al-Qaeda and to a lesser extent in the Taliban are sincere and single-minded Muslims. In their heart they went out on a course of jihad for the sole purpose of raising the banner of Islam high and eminent. The problem with them was not in their heart and motivation; it was in their mind and cognition. Little were they aware of the fact that they were pawns on a global chessboard of duplicity, chicanery, and enmity.

What were the consequences of this “Emirate of Afghanistan”, an emirate whose emotions were running ahead of its mind? In the first instance, we had the implementation of “Shari‘ah” in what may be described as a premature manner. Remember, Afghanistan was a country devastated by war; hunger and poverty were rampant and all around. Families were torn apart and dislocated. State institutions were not present. A civil war was still brewing. And in the middle of all this, without any forethought, the Taliban-al-Qaeda duo began implementing Islamic law on a population that is living at a sub-society level and with social and economic conditions that are akin in some aspects to the society in Madinah and Arabia when ‘Umar (d) suspended “legality” to relieve people who were living at the survival level. But you can’t tell that to these emotionally charged but rationally bereft officials. Then came their oddball and madcap act in which they blasted the stone chiselled image of the Buddha. As if all the previous Muslim generations dating all the way back to the days of the sahabah did not discover this “idol” but these Taliban and al-Qaeda types did. And boom! Even a delegation of Muslim scholars headed by none other than Shaikh Yusuf al-Qardawi could not convince them otherwise. These emotions-first, thoughts-last types were passionately programmed to “enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil” as they saw it, and only as they saw it — as they are al-fi’atu al-najiyah (the saved and redeemed faithful) — in reference to their oft-quoted hadith about the Ummah disintegrating into 73 groups all of them condemned except one.

And to further prove their mettle, they went to Mazar-e-Sharif to kill Shi‘i Muslims there and to make sure they kill Iranian Shi‘i Muslims, some of whom had “political immunity” — if that ever was any consideration in their vocabulary and definition of rawafid! These Zionist and imperialist, well-monitored specimens of “Islamic Fundamentalism” passed their test with flying colors. They proved that they have what it takes to plunge the whole Muslim world into a dark age of obscurantism and Islamic civil wars that will extend imperialism’s looting of Muslim resources and Zionism’s occupation of Islamic lands. Before the grand performance of 9/11 there had to be some feats-of-camouflage. So we had the American embassy bombing in Africa and the USS Cole attack off the coast of Yemen. As this imperialist and Zionist media-sponsored presentation of OBL and al-Qaeda eclipsed to a large extent the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Islamic liberation in Lebanon the show went on and the denouement took place on 9/11. OBL, after initially denying any involvement, emerged as an iconic hero or sensational villain to all those who also had their emotions trumping their thoughts. And the rest is history as they say.

Having said all of the above — and there is much more that you can fill in with the information that a Muslim mind can glean — we do not for one moment mean to say that OBL and those with him were CIA agents or imperialist toadies. Such is the role of Turki and Bandar among a cabal of Saudi others. Rather OBL in ways that were unknown to him became an executor of necessary movements that would justify imperialist wars and occupations. In his wildest dreams he probably never knew that he was being set up and prompted to do, more or less, exactly what he and his vacuous brethren-in-arms were doing. This is what happens when individuals are brought up in the tedious and deadening religious climate of an American Saudi Arabia. Uncommon and remarkable as it is, we have a person (OBL) who deep down inside of himself thinks that he is taking on the enemies of Islam — and this is attested to by his sermons and statements — while at the same time he becomes the imperial instrument in setting off a chain of events that are needed by imperialists and Zionists to justify their military occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq and their political movements to unseat rulers who are outdated and no longer useful in the broad imperialist schemata of things.

The takfiri soul of the salafi body of Saudi sponsored zealots was used to the hilt by Zionists and imperialists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Persian Gulf, and elsewhere to bleed the Muslim body into imperialist submission. There are many Muslims around the world who cannot see how manipulative-prone other Muslims become when they have not thought through their God-given responsibilities. The Saudi kingdom by taking the Muslim mind out of the Qur’an and Sunnah has provided imperialism and Zionism with diehards who think they are doing Allah’s (swt) will, not realizing they are undeclared proxies of the enemies they are purportedly fighting against.


Say, “Shall We tell you who are the greatest losers in whatever they do? [It is] they whose efforts have gone astray in this world’s life, and who nonetheless think that they are doing good works: it is they who have chosen to reject their Sustainer’s power illustrations and encounter.” Hence, all their [good] deeds come to nought, and no weight shall We assign to them on Resurrection Day (18:103–105).


The Islamic Revolution and Islamic liberation have weathered this attack from within — by the Saudi regime directly and by the Israeli and American regimes indirectly.

Has the Arab Spring wilted before its blossom?

Zafar Bangash

Expectations for rapid change in the Muslim East have not materialized despite two long-entrenched dictators in Tunisia and Egypt respectively being driven from power in quick succession. What has prevented change in places like Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Syria, that the people in Tunisia and Egypt were able to achieve in short order? Are conditions in these societies so different than in Tunisian and Egypt to frustrate change? Let us be clear: there are few representative governments anywhere in the Middle East. The two examples in the region are those of Turkey and Islamic Iran. The other wall-to-wall Middle Eastern dictatorships have managed to fight off challenge to their rule, which General Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak were unable to do.

At the outset we must acknowledge the undoubted courage of the people participating in the uprisings. They managed to shed their fear of the dreaded security forces. Fear has been a powerful instrument in the hands of all oppressors throughout the ages. There is also no doubt that the ubiquitous security and intelligence forces have acted with absolute ruthlessness to crush any attempt at dissent. But this was also the case in Tunisia and Egypt. Thus, in order to understand fully what is afoot we need to look a little deeper. Both in Tunisia and Egypt, the militaries refused to obey the dictators’ orders to open fire on unarmed civilians. When the police forces failed to quell the protests, the dictators were forced to flee. The credit for all the uprisings belongs to the people of Tunisia who were the first to take a stand. Their example has been emulated by people elsewhere.

We must also recognize that the conditions in each society are not identical. Further, there is external interference both in support of the dictators as well as against them. Again, this represents a curious paradox. For instance, in the case of Libya and Syria, external powers are actively backing the people’s movements. In Libya, the West led by Britain, France, Italy and the US, has gotten involved directly. They have now overstepped their original dubious mandate given by the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya ostensibly to prevent the Libyan government from attacking the rebels from the air. The Libyan government immediately declared a ceasefire and offered to negotiate with the rebels but the West was not interested. Since the March 17 no-fly resolution, Western planes have bombed Libyan ground formations, their equipment, oil installations and even residential areas. At the end of April, Colonel Muammar Qaddafi’s house was attacked killing his youngest son and three grandchildren. How does this advance enforcement of the no-fly zone? This was an act of cold-blooded murder perpetrated by Western forces. NATO attacks on residential areas have continued unabated as reported in this edition of the Crescent International. While Western forces have not intervened in the same manner in Syria, there is active support for the rebels there and money and guns are being supplied by the Saudis, Lebanese and Israelis.

The West’s policy toward Libya and Syria stands in sharp contrast to its behaviour in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In all three cases, the West has not only maintained a studied silence but has actually supported suppression of peaceful protesters. This is most shocking in the case of Bahrain where peaceful protesters including women and children have been attacked and killed. Even medical personnel have not been spared because they treated those that had been injured during the protests. Entire neighbourhoods have been placed under curfew while armed thugs of the regime have gone about arresting and dragging youth from their homes as well as vandalising their properties and cars. Even masjids have been destroyed and copies of the Qur’an desecrated. Women have been raped. Such crimes have evoked little reaction from the West or its human rights organizations that are quick to denounce those they do not like. Why the double standards?

Saudi Arabia managed to both crush the meek attempts at uprising as well as bribe others into silence. The Saudi regime has also used its court ‘ulama’ to issue “fatwas” to declare uprisings against the ruler as “haram”. One is forced to ask: what ayat of the Qur’an or what hadith of the noble Messenger (pbuh) support such contention? If per chance, this is true, then why has the Saudi regime joined in the assault on Qaddafi’s regime and why is it supporting the uprising in Syria?

So we see that there is more at work than meets the eye. Many of these dictators quickly re-adjusted their policies once they had overcome the shock of the overthrow of Ben Ali and Mubarak. In fact, it is known that Saudi king Abdullah was upset with US President Barack Obama for allowing the overthrow of Mubarak who was a major lynchpin of the US-crafted order in the region. After Mubarak’s removal, the new dispensation in Egypt announced on May 26 that the Rafah crossing with Ghazzah would be opened so that the long-besieged and oppressed Palestinians can get much needed supplies of food, medicine and cement and steel to rebuild their homes.

It is clear that rulers like Qaddafi, the two Abdullahs and Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen will fight back to retain power. Saleh also has the support of the Americans because he is seen as a bulwark against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Whether there is any substance to this claim is open to debate but Saleh has convinced the Americans that he is their man to fight the al-Qaeda “menace”. Thus, while the regimes are fighting back, the West’s hypocrisy stands exposed as does the brutal nature of these regimes. Finally, the lack of leadership of all these movements is a major cause for concern. They can and are being manipulated. That is why Islam lays so much emphasis on leadership.

While one must extend every support to the people’s movements in these countries, it must be admitted that change will not come about easily or without huge cost. The dictators are fighting back and will show no respect for people’s rights or lives. They never have in the past; why should they behave differently now that they are fighting for their lives?

Saudis resort to crude sectarianism to create divisions in the Ummah

Abu Dharr

Sectarianism has been a time tested tool in the hands of illegitimate rulers since the Islamic institution of khilafah was subverted into mulukiyah nearly 1,400 years ago. Today, the illegitimate rulers of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are using this weapon to divert attention away from their oppressive policies and subservience to the West and to Zionist Israel.

Pictured are (left ro right): Kuwait's Crown Prince Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah; the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani; a representative of Sultan Qaboos of Oman, Fahad bin Mahmoud Al Saeed; Kuwait's Emir Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah; Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah; Bahrain's King Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and UAE President and Abu Dhabi Ruler Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayyan


Until now, the main culprit was the regime in Saudi Arabia followed by Kuwait. Now tiny Bahrain has also joined these troublemakers because its illegitimate rule is being challenged by the people that have been subjected to brutal suppression for decades. Saudi Arabia has established a fatwa factory from where it habitually issues fatwas of takfir against the Shias. Such fatwas, however, are not hurled only at the Shi‘is. Any Muslim that disagrees with their narrow obscurantist views is immediately branded a kafir or accused of indulging in bid‘ah or other “un-Islamic” practices. The underlying message is that only the Saudis are “true” Muslims.

The Saudis are the leading manufacturers and exporters of takfiri fatwas. The uprising in Bahrain where the people are demanding their legitimate rights like people elsewhere in the Muslim East have been dismissed as “Shi‘i agitators.” The Saudis have gone so far as to accuse Islamic Iran of interfering in Bahrain’s affairs. It is interesting to note that while thousands of Saudi troops and tens of thousands of American sailors are prowling all over Bahrain, the Saudis are crying hoarse about Iran. There are no Iranian troops in Bahrain. Even Western officials — no friends of Iran — have said they have found no evidence of Iranian involvement in or instigation of the people’s uprising yet the Saudis have been using the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a platform to hurl invectives at Tehran.


Bahrain Protests: More Than 100,000 March Through Capital As Helicopters Circle Overhead
On April 17, the frightened rulers of GCC member states — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE and Oman — met in Riyadh and called on the Islamic Republic to stop its “interference” in the GCC. The meeting was called to discuss the rapidly escalating crisis in Yemen but the foreign ministers found time to make allegations against Iran. Without providing proof and in a desperate Saudi and Emirati bid to camouflage their own occupation of Bahrain to crush the legitimate aspirations of the people there, the GCC called on “the international community and the [UN] Security Council to take the necessary measures to make flagrant Iranian interference and provocations aimed at sowing discord and destruction” among the GCC states.

It said the GCC “categorically rejects all foreign interference in its affairs and invites the Iranian regime to stop its provocations.” Unable to justify their brutal clampdown of peaceful protesters especially in Bahrain where the overwhelming majority of the population is Shi‘i (there is also a sizeable Shi‘i population in Saudi Arabia that is equally suppressed and deprived of basic rights), the Saudis are trying to turn this into a sectarian issue. If people ask for their fundamental rights, how does it become a sectarian problem? The Saudis were also opposed to the removal of Hosni Mubarak from power because they felt it would expose them to pressure from people demanding similar rights in the kingdom. This is true. Was sectarianism also involved in Mubarak’s removal? If not — and it clearly was not — how can they categorize the Bahrainis’ demand for rights and dignity as promoting sectarianism? The Saudis feel quite vulnerable; and they should. Their rule is illegitimate and their policies have caused great damage to the larger interests of the Ummah.

The Saudis and their frightened GCC partners, clinging to each other for support, are not content merely with issuing appeals to the “international community and the Security Council” to save their tottering regimes. They know these appeals will not yield much direct help. Western support, even for friendly regimes has limits. Chastened by their experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Americans and their allies are not about to rush into another minefield even if they will increase the volume of their rhetoric against Islamic Iran or whoever the Saudis think is causing them grief. The most that will happen is that the West will not support any uprising in these countries as they have shown in the case of Bahrain.

While that may bring some comfort to these regimes, the Saudis have gone further. They have resorted to their favourite ploy to divide the Ummah along sectarian lines. They have sent their court ‘ulama to visit various countries and mobilize Muslim communities to form councils and organizations in “defence of the Sahabah”.

The Imam of Masjid al-Haram, Shaikh Sudais, for instance, was recently in India to rope in the Muslims into the Saudis’ campaign of sowing sectarian discord. Muslims have great attachment to Makkah and Madinah and the imams there are looked upon with respect. Most Muslims also admire their reciting skills but to use these imams for such nefarious activities is not only sad but also dangerous. It is equally disturbing that such imams allow themselves to be used by the corrupt and anti-Islamic rulers of Saudi Arabia.


Let us be clear: there should be no insults of the Sahabah or the Umahat al-Mumineen (the Mothers of the committed Muslims, that is, the wives of the noble Messenger of Allah – r) by anyone. But if the Saudis and their court preachers are really serious about this, we are constrained to ask: why do they not start in the kingdom itself? The Saudis have a strange sense of respecting the Sahabah; they have vandalised most of the historic sites of Islam. In fact, in their inexorable drive to build concrete and glass monstrosities in and around the Haram in Makkah and Madinah, they have obliterated virtually all traces of Islamic history including many monuments associated with the noble Messenger (pbuh) and his Sahabah (companions).

For instance, the house where the noble Messenger (pbuh) spent 25 blissful years of his married life with Khadijah (g), has been turned into a toilet. What kind of respect do these Saudi-Wahhabis show for the Prophet (pbuh) and his beloved wife and family? Even the green dome over the Prophet’s (pbuh) grave in al-Masjid al-Nabawi is not safe from these primitive bedouin vandals from Najd. Plans are afoot to demolish the green dome and remove the Prophet’s (pbuh) body from there. What more proof do Muslims need of the Saudis’ disrespect of the noble Messenger (pbuh) and the vile nature of the Saudi regime?

Why does Shaikh Sudais not raise his voice and lend his prestige to protest real acts of vandalism and desecrations by the House of Saud rather than flying all the way to India to whip up hysteria over a hypothetical issue? Even if the Imam of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah has little sympathy for people struggling for their rights and dignity in the Muslim East — and there is no reason why he should not — what excuse does he have to remain silent about the Saudis’ destructive policies that are obliterating Islamic history and heritage? And why is the Saudi regime not helping the oppressed people of Palestine in the same way that it has joined the crusade against Qaddafi of Libya? Saudi hypocrisy and subservience to the kafirs know no bounds.

It is sad to see such ‘ulama lend their name and prestige — that comes with being imams of such noble sanctuaries — to become tools of the corrupt Saudi monarchy, which is only interested in protecting its own illegitimate rule regardless of the damage it causes to Islam or the honour of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Sahabah. It is also quite revealing that not one imam either in Masjid al-Haram or al-Masjid al-Nabawi has raised his voice about the destruction of masjids by Saudi troops or desecration of copies of the noble Qur’an in Bahrain. Should one conclude that these imams do not know about this or that they are complicit in these crimes?

Either way it is not a good reflection of their character or behaviour. Muslims deserve far better from such ‘ulama than becoming tools in a vicious propaganda campaign against the legitimate aspirations of the people in the Muslim East whether in Bahrain, Yemen or Saudi Arabia. The time for games is over; let the ‘ulama of Saudi Arabia make a clear choice: are they with the Muslim masses struggling for dignity and honour or with the corrupt rulers that are subservient to the forces of kufr, nifaq and zulm?