https://thoothu2018.blogspot.com/2018/07/10.html?spref=fb&m=1

Trump’s Middle East policy

*Palestinians stage a protest against the 'Deal of the Century', planned by US President Donald Trump to solve the conflict between Palestine and Israel, in Ramallah, West Bank on 2 July 2018 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency

Dr Mohammad Makram Balawi

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland — the Nakba — by the Zionist Movement, which established the state of Israel on the land of our forefathers. Since then, Palestinians have not only suffered displacement but also continuous aggression and oppression by Israel. Since 30 March, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been taking part in the Great Return March, a series of peaceful protests against the refusal to allow refugees to return to their homeland. Israeli snipers have shot and killed more than 130 Palestinian men, women and children, and wounded around 15,000. The international community has largely turned a blind eye to this injustice and US President Donald Trump has sided with the killers.

Israel has used its religion-based propaganda to woo the West and ensure support for its scheme to colonise as much of Palestine as possible; Trump’s open support is the latest evidence of this. Israeli leaders such as Menachem Begin (1913-1992) and Yitzhak Shamir (1915-2012) were wanted as international terrorists. Begin was born in Belarus and led the Zionist terrorist group Irgun; he also founded the Likud party, of which current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the leader. Shamir was born in Poland and was a leader of the Zionist terrorist group Lehi. Both men became prime minister of Israel, despite their terrorist past and responsibility for the ethnic cleansing of more than 60 per cent of the indigenous people of Palestine. Their terrorism targeted the British Mandate administration, most notably with the 1946 bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Bizarrely, that and other atrocities against British military and civilian personnel are overlooked by the British government and “Friends of Israel” MPs today, with Israel being a key ally. The same is true of the Americans, who either have collective amnesia about the deliberate Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, during which 34 US Navy sailors were killed and 171 were wounded, or they simply choose to forget it. A cover-up by Washington has been in place ever since, which suggests the latter.

Thwarting the ‘deal of the century’ is possible

Although the Palestinians have the legal right to resist the Israeli occupation and return to their land, resistance movements are presented as terrorist organisations in Western mainstream media and designated officially as such by politicians. The US, for example, designates Hamas as a “global terrorist entity” (emphasis added) despite the undeniable fact that the movement has always restricted its action to the historic land of Palestine; Hamas has never carried out any act beyond the borders of its homeland. In stark contrast, Israel acts as a state above international law. Men, women and children have been bombed and killed in Israel’s frequent military offensives against the people of the Gaza Strip. It stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity with its policies. Israel has not only invaded and occupied neighbouring states but also assassinated Palestinian leaders, writers, poets, intellectuals, journalists, academics, scientists and social activists with apparent impunity.

Many of these murders have taken place well beyond the borders of Palestine. Being a member of a liberation movement gives Israel, its politicians and supporters believe, an open licence to kill indiscriminately; no arrest, charges and trial are needed. In April, for example, the Palestinian scientist and Imam Fadi Al-Batsh was brutally murdered while he was walking to a local mosque for the dawn prayer in Kuala Lumpur, where he worked in a local university. A couple of months earlier, in January, Israel tried to assassinate a Palestinian school teacher called Muhammad Hamdan in Lebanon by planting a bomb in his car. Luckily, he escaped with minor injuries. Before that, in December 2016, the Israelis shot dead the Tunisian scientist Mohammed Al-Zawari in front of his house in Sfax. Mahmoud Abdel Rauf Al-Mabhouh was murdered by Israeli Mossad agents in January 2010 in a Dubai hotel. The Israeli assassins used false passports of their allies in Europe, and thus created an international scandal. They also murdered Izz El-Deen Sobhi Sheikh Khalil in Damascus in September 2004, by planting a bomb in his car. In September 1997, Israeli agents even attempted to murder Khaled Meshaal, the then chairman of Hamas, in broad day light in Amman, the capital of Jordan. The would-be assassins carried false passports and were captured by the Jordanian security services. The attack took place in Jordan even though Israel had signed a peace treaty with the late King Hussain. This illustrates clearly that Israeli governments have no respect for the sovereignty of any other state, even their allies. They have long spied on Israel’s main sponsor, the United States of America.

Israel is allowed to do what it wants and is never taken to account for its breaches of international laws and conventions. It claims to be acting as part of the “war on terrorism” and then sells its “anti-terrorist” and “security” expertise in the global arms market. The Israeli discourse in this respect pushes a divide and rule agenda. In the name of “self-defence” and internal security it systematically destroys the aspirations of the indigenous Palestinian people. Israeli opportunism is, in every respect, a threat to world peace and stability.

So-called “Islamic terrorism” is the stock in trade of Israel and its allies, especially the US. The Americans are behind the mushrooming terrorist organisations with an Islamic veneer; they summon the terrorist demons and use the pretext of fighting them in order to destroy countries, as they have done in Iraq and Syria.

Palestinian resistance, on the other hand, has a very clear purpose: to liberate Palestine from Israel’s brutal military occupation. Resistance groups never interfere in other countries or meddle in their domestic matters. The external leadership of Hamas, for example, left its base in Damascus because it couldn’t support the position of the host government led by Bashar Al-Assad in 2011, nor could it stay and do nothing while such injustice took place in Syria. While favouring peaceful means to settle differences and negotiate towards internal solutions, resistance groups reserve their legitimate right to resort to arms when pushed to do so. The Palestinians know the importance of peace and yearn for it.

The Europeans and Americans who benefit most from the UN have little or no respect for the organisation. In fact, the powers in Washington treat the international community as a whole with contempt. Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, for example, flew in the face of UN Resolutions which state that the status quo of the city should be maintained and its occupation should not be accepted. Europe is rather more hypocritical; whenever Israel breaks international law, European states tend to abstain if proposed motions censure the Zionist state, and they still give it favoured trading status. What’s more, they always join the chorus of those who insist that the Palestinians — who are the victims of Israel’s occupation and violence, lest we forget — should refrain from reacting violently and “show restraint” in the face of extreme provocation by Israel.

The Trump administration is arguably more racist and right-wing than Netanyahu and his Likud-led governing coalition, to the extent that Mahmud Abbas, the most dovish of Palestinian leaders, refuses to recognise the Americans as mediators. Netanyahu, Trump and the rest of his Zionist choir now believe that it is the perfect time to impose a “deal of the century” on the Palestinians, as long as the regional Arab leadership is willing to go along with the charade in order to gain US and Israeli support for countering the aspirations of their own people to have democratically elected governments. Such a short-sighted foreign policy will lead to the isolation of the United States and see the world lose faith in international organisations like the UN, as well as international law. Coalitions will be formed, excluding America, as countries seek to build their own security umbrella. US interests appear to play second fiddle to Israel’s in such policies, and the pro-American Arab regimes will lose their legitimacy as a direct result.

The March of Return to destroy deal of the century

Although the US was the first to use the term “soft power”, it seems to be ignorant of the tremendous influence that the Palestinian and Arab people have in the Islamic world and around the globe. Social media has loosened the pro-Israel grip on the mainstream media which has been used to suppress the Palestinian narrative. The result is that public support for Palestine in the West and elsewhere is becoming more widespread as images of Israeli atrocities are in the public domain as soon as they happen.

With no credible Palestinian backing for his “deal of the century”, Trump faces it becoming the flop of the century. He will go down in history alongside the Zionist terrorists and Arab dictators as the villains of the piece, while the Palestinians will be seen as those who stood with great courage to defy the most powerful and arrogant world power in their quest for justice. It is they who are the heroes, and heroes live forever.

சவுதி அரேபியாவின் சீர்திருத்தங்கள்: நிலையானதா நிலையற்றதா

அப்­ஸானே ரெஷாத்

தமிழில்: முஹம்மத் றஸீன், நாவலப்பிட்டி

சல்மான் பின் அப்துல் அஸீஸ் அல்-­சவுத் 2015ல் சவுதி அரி­யணை ஏறி­யது முதல்;, உள்­நாட்டு மற்றும் பிராந்­தியக் கொள்­கைகள் தொடர்­பாக ரியாத்தின் நட­வ­டிக்­கைகள் மற்றும் தீர்­மா­னங்கள் என்­ப­வற்றில் ஒரு தெளி­வற்ற தன்­மை­யையே காணக்­கூ­டி­ய­தாக உள்­ளது. வேறு வார்த்­தை­களில் கூறு­வ­தானால், கடந்த மூன்று ஆண்­டு­களில் அரசு ஒரு அமை­தி­யான சூழலை அனு­ப­விப்­பதில் தோல்­வி­க­ளையே சந்­தித்­துள்­ளது.

சவூதி அரே­பி­யாவின் முடிக்­கு­ரிய இள­வ­ரசர் முகம்­மது பின் சல்மான், இராச்­சி­யத்­திற்­கான ஒரு பிர­கா­ச­மான எதிர்­கால வடி­வ­மைப்­பா­ள­ராகத் தன்னை அறி­மு­கப்­ப­டுத்­திக்­கொள்­வ­தற்­காக சர்ச்­சைக்­கு­ரிய பல நட­வ­டிக்­கை­களை எடுத்­துள்ளார்.

வெவ்­வேறு கோணங்­களில் ஆய்­வுக்­குட்­ப­டுத்த வேண்­டிய பல சமூக, பண்­பாட்டு, பொரு­ளா­தார மற்றும் அர­சியல் சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­களை பின் சல்மான் பர­வ­லான முறையில் நடை­மு­றைப்­ப­டுத்தி வரு­கிறார்.

பின் சல்மான் முடிக்­கு­ரிய இள­வ­ர­ச­ராக அறி­விக்­கப்­பட்ட நாள் முதல் சவுதி அரே­பி­யாவின் அர­சியல் மற்றும் கலா­சார அணு­கு­முறை மாற்­றங்­க­ளுக்­குள்­ளா­யின. அவ­ரது சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் வஹா­பிய மத­கு­ரு­மாரின் வலு­வான விமர்­ச­னங்­களை எதிர்­நோக்­கி­யது. ஆனால் நாட்டின் பிர­தான அர­சியல் விவ­கா­ரங்­களில் நாட்டு அர­சரின் முடிவே இறு­தி­யா­னது என்­பதால் அவர்கள் பின்­வாங்க நேர்ந்­தது.

சவுதி அரே­பியா பெண்­க­ளுக்கு வழங்­கி­யுள்ள சுதந்­தி­ரங்­களுள் வாகனம் ஓட்­டுதல், அரங்­கங்­களில் நுழைதல், கண­வ­னு­டைய அனு­ம­தி­யின்றி வெளி­நாட்டுப் பிர­யா­ணங்­களை மேற்­கொள்தல்; போன்­றவை சர்­வ­தேச சமூ­கத்தால் வெகு­வாக வர­வேற்­கப்­பட்­டது. 

இந்த சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­களைப் பொறுத்­த­வ­ரையில் இரண்டு அடிப்­படை பிரச்­சி­னைகள் உள்­ளன: முத­லா­வ­தாக, இவை உண்­மை­யான சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் அல்ல. யேம­னியப் படு­கொ­லைகள் மற்றும் பயங்­க­ர­வா­தத்­துக்குத் துணை­போதல் என்­ப­வற்­றினால் ஏற்­பட்­டுள்ள களங்­கத்­தையும் கருத்­து­வே­று­பா­டு­க­ளையும் கலைந்­தெ­றிந்து இராச்­சி­யத்தின் பிர­தி­மையை மீட்­டெ­டுப்­ப­தற்­கான ஒரு உபா­யமே, இந்த அதி­ரடி மாற்­றங்கள் என்றே கரு­தப்­ப­டு­கின்­றது.  இரண்­டா­வ­தாக, அடிப்­ப­டையில் அங்கு சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் தேவைப்­பட்­டாலும், அந்த சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள், ஏற்­க­னவே இல்­லா­தொ­ழிக்­கப்­பட்­டுள்ள மிக முக்­கி­ய­மான அடிப்­படை சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­களை அடிப்­ப­டை­யாகக் கொண்­டவை அல்ல.

பின் சல்மான், இந்த சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் மூலம் இராச்­சி­யத்தின் பழ­மை­வாதப் போக்கை மாற்­றி­ய­மைக்­கப்­போகும் ஒரு லட்­சிய புரு­ஷ­ராகத் தன்னைக் காட்­டிக்­கொள்­ளவே முற்­பட்­டுள்ளார்.

என்­றாலும், அவ­ரு­டைய சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் யதார்த்­தத்­துக்குப் பொருத்­த­மில்­லாத அவ­சர நட­வ­டிக்­கை­யா­கவே பார்க்­கப்­ப­டு­வ­தோடு, இவை சவுதி அரே­பி­யாவின் சமூக நிலைப்­பாட்­டுக்கு எவ்­வி­தத்­திலும் பொருத்­த­மற்­றவை என்றும் கரு­தப்­ப­டு­கின்­றது.

அதே­நேரம், இந்த சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­க­ளுக்­கான அர­சியல், சமூக மற்றும் பொரு­ளா­தார நிலை­மைகள் சரி­யாக வடி­வ­மைக்­கப்­ப­ட­வில்லை என்றும் தெரி­கி­றது.

இப்­போது, சவுதி அரே­பியா ஒரு பெரிய நிலை­மாற்­றத்தின் விளிம்பில் உள்­ளது. பின் சல்மான் தனது சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­க­ளுடன் முன்­னோக்கி செல்லும் சாத்­தியம் இருப்­ப­து­போல, கடும்­போக்­கா­ளர்கள் அவ­ரது நட­வ­டிக்­கை­களைத் தடுத்து நிறுத்தி அவரை வெளி­யேற்­றி­வி­டு­வ­தற்­கான சாத்­தி­யமும் இல்­லா­ம­லில்லை.

அங்கு சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­களை ஆத­ரிப்­பதில் அல்­லது எதிர்ப்­பதில் சாதா­ரண மக்கள் முக்­கிய பங்கை வகிக்க முடி­யாது. முதலில், சவூதி அரே­பி­யாவில் எந்­த­வொரு ஒத்­தி­சை­வான அர­சியல் கட்­சியும் இல்லை என்­பது ஒரு முக்­கிய காரணம். இரண்­டா­வ­தாக, நாட்டில் போது­மான சமூக மற்றும் கலா­சார அடிப்­ப­டைகள் இல்லை. ஆட்சி முறைமை, ஒவ்­வொரு குழு­வையும் அதன் நோக்­கங்­களை அடைந்­து­கொள்­வ­தற்­காக மற்­றொரு குழுவை அடக்கி ஒடுக்­கு­வ­தற்கு வழி சமைக்­கி­றது.

தவிர, சல்­மானின் சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் எண்ணெய் வருவாய் வீழ்ச்­சி­யி­லி­ருந்து உரு­வான சமூக இடை­வெ­ளிகள்;, குறிப்­பாக வேலை வாய்பை நாடும் இளை­ஞர்­க­ளி­டையே காணப்­படும் சமூக அதி­ருப்தி, ஆளும் முறைமை மற்றும் பின்­தங்­கிய பொரு­ளா­தார நிலை­மைகள் ஆகி­ய­வற்­றுக்­கி­டை­யி­லான பிரி­வி­னைகள் கார­ண­மாக ஒரு பின்­ன­டைவை எதிர்­நோக்­கலாம். 

 

முடிக்­கு­ரிய இள­வ­ர­சரின் சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­களின்

 விளை­வுகள்:

பின் சல்­மானின் சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் நேர­டி­யாக மேற்­கத்­திய நாடு­களின், குறிப்­பாக அமெ­ரிக்­காவின் செல்­வாக்கு படிந்­த­வை­யாகும். பல வரு­டங்­க­ளாக அவர் அமெ­ரிக்­காவில் வசித்து வந்­ததால், மத மற்றும் சமூக விவ­கா­ரங்கள் தொடர்­பான அவ­ரது கருத்­துக்­களில் அது தாக்­கத்தை செலுத்­தி­யுள்­ளது. அவ்­வாறே, அமெ­ரிக்­காவும்; மேற்கு நாடு­களால் செல்­வாக்கு செலுத்­தப்­பட்­டவை  என்­பதை எடுத்­துக்­காட்டும் அவ­ரு­டைய சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­களை முன்­னெ­டுக்க முடிக்­கு­ரிய இள­வ­ர­சரின் மீது அழுத்­தத்தைப் பிர­யோ­கித்து வரு­கின்­றது.

பின் சல்­மானின் சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் சவூதி அரே­பி­யா­விற்கு ஒரு நெருக்­க­டியை ஏற்­ப­டுத்­தலாம். மத்­திய கிழக்கில் ஆட்சி முறை­மை­களால்; உத்­த­ர­வி­டப்­பட்ட சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் பொது­மக்கள் எதிர்ப்பை எதிர்­நோக்­கின. இந்த சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் இறு­தியில் ஒரு கிளர்ச்­சிக்கே வழி­வ­குத்­தன.

 சவூதி அரே­பி­யாவில் சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்கள் மதச்­சார்­பின்­மைக்கு வழி­வ­குக்கும் என்­ப­தோடு மேற்­கத்­திய விழு­மி­யங்­களை மேம்­ப­டுத்தும் செயல்­பா­டுகள், பெரு­ம­ளவில்; பழ­மை­வா­தத்தில் ஊறித் திழைத்த சவூதி சமு­தா­யத்தில் அதிக வர­வேற்­பையும் பெறாது.

 கடந்த மாதங்­களில், சவுதி மக்கள், சீர்­தி­ருத்­தங்­க­ளுக்கு எதிர்ப்பு தெரி­வித்து வந்­தாலும் பின் சல்மான் தொடர்ந்தும் பல­வந்­தத்தின் மூலம் தனது நட­வ­டிக்­கையை செயல்­ப­டுத்தி வந்­துள்ளார்.

 முடிக்குரிய சவுதி இளவரசரின் சீர்திருத்தங்கள் பாலஸ்தீனிய மக்களின் நலன்களைக் குழிதோன்டிப் புதைத்துவரும்; இஸ்ரேலுடன் நெருக்கமான உறவுகளை நிறுவும் நோக்கினையும் கொண்டுள்ளது.

சுருக்கமாக சொல்வதானால், சவுதி அரேபிய சமுதாயத்தில் பல சவால்களை உருவாக்கிய, பின் சல்மான் முடிக்குரிய இளவரசராக  நியமனம் பெற்ற நாள் தொட்டு, பொருளாதார, சமூக மற்றும் கலாச்சார சீர்திருத்தங்களைச் செயல்படுத்த சவுதி அரேபியா தீவிர முயற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறது. சந்தேகத்திற்கு இடமின்றி, இது சவுதி அரேபியாவின் அரசியல் உறுதிப்பாட்டுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக அமைவதோடு, உள்நாட்டில் ஒரு குழப்பநிலையை உருவாக்கும் அபாயமும் உள்ளது.

-Vidivelli

IMAM KHOMEINI (QS): HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS

In the name of Allah who states "O soul that art rest! Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with him), well-pleasing (Him), So enter among My servants, And enter into My garden" Q89:27-30
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His chosen servant, our master Muhammad and his purified progeny.

The piece of this week is on the recent 29th commemoration of Imam Khomeini's demise, 3rd June, 1989. No doubt, he was a great man of Allah who demonstrated his love and obedience to Him. He exceptionally succeeded in the struggle against the enemies of Islam, their local and international stooges at the era of advancement in science and technology. But for his Islamic revolution, no one could tell the destiny of Islam and Muslims especially in the Middle-east! Looking at the life, struggle and success of his uncircumstancial revolution,  Allah says “….if ye turn back (from the path), He will substitute in your stead Another people; then they would not be like you” Q47:37. Abu Hurairah narrated as recorded by Imam al-Tabari, the companions asked the messenger; with whom should we be substituted if we turn back? He touched the shoulder of Salman saying this and his people! Imam Jaafar al-Saadiq (as recorded in volume two of Bihar al-Anwar, pages 445 and 446)  said “A great man of Qom will invite people towards truth and freedom, and they will accept his call resolutely and with an iron will gather round him. They are individuals who fear no calamities and unpleasant happenings and never tire of combat and endeavor. Their only hope and refuse is Allah. Ultimate victory and success belong to chaste and virtuous people and those who follow the way of Allah” Of all the social changes, revolution as a popular uprising for a complete change in political power and fundamental dominatory values is the most important.  Historically, only six such significant revolutions were successful; the French 1789, the Russian 1917, the Chinese 1949, the Cuban 1959 and Iranian and Nicaraguan 1979. The change occurs in stages with a lot of multifaceted implications but positive result.

Like the Arab world, we could evidently remember how Iran was completely subservient to America in the days of the deposed Shah killing all sectors of its economy, especially farming through the treacherous MoU  termed white revolution. With the success of Islamic revolution, the West is scared of the strategy, indefatigability and ever-developing trend of the Islamic republic. In remembrance of the blessed life of the Imam, a number of basic points should be highlighted.

In the light of a lengthy quote in the historic response to a London Times correspondent on what kind of Muslim was the Imam? The leader of Islamic revolution and founder of the Islamic republic stated "My belief and that of other Muslims are the same; issues that the Qur'an contains or those that have been uttered by the prophet of Islam (PBUH) and by the rightful authorities after him. The root and essence of all those beliefs which are our dearest and most valuable belief is MONOTHEISM. According to this principle, we believe that the creator of the world and of all beings in the universe, including mankind is the ONE AND ONLY EXALTED, Allah Who knows all and is capable of all things, and to Him belongs all things and objects. This principle teaches us to be submissive only before the power of Allah and to obey no man unless obeying him is tantamount to obeying Allah. On the basis of this principle, NO INDIVIDUAL HAS THE RIGHT TO FORCE ANY OTHER MAN TO SUBMIT TO HIM. Furthermore, this principle of faith teaches us the principle of human freedom, that is NO MAN HAS THE RIGHT TO DEPRIVE AN INDIVIDUAL OR COMMUNITY OF LIBERTY, to legislate for them, to regulate their conduct according to his own understanding of it, which is generally defective, or regulate the conduct of others according to his wishes or desires. Still more, from this principle, we came to believe that legislation for man's progress is with Allah alone, just as the laws of creation and being are willed by Him. Man's happiness and perfection and those of the communities are dependent on obedience to divine laws of which mankind is informed through the prophets (PBUT). Man's degradation and fall is due to deprivation of his rights and his submission to other human beings. Therefore, man must rise against these fetters and chains of bondage and to challenge those who invite us to servitude, and to liberate ourselves and the community so that we may all be servants of Allah and submit ourselves to Him. It is for this reason that our social rules and regulations begin with OPPOSITION TO DESPOTIC AND COLONIAL POWERS.

Also, from this principle of faith and belief in monotheism, we get the inspiration that ALL MEN ARE EQUAL BEFORE ALLAH, who created them all and all are His creatures and servants. This is the principle of equality of men and that man's only distinction and preference to one another rests in their VIRTUE AND FREEDOM FROM DISTORTION AND GUILT. Therefore, all the things that upset this equality and institute, vain and nonsense distinctions in the community must be fought against".  With firm and sincere faith in Allah and his messenger, Imam led the most successful revolution in history saying "the revolution owes nothing to any group, I have often declared that I have entered in no brotherhood pact with anyone, regardless of their position or status. The framework for my friendship lies in the honesty and veracity of each individual"

The woeful failure of the war imposed on Iran (1980-1988) by the Saddam's administration with full support of the West and Arab countries has beyond doubt demonstrated the help of Allah to the Imam. With the overwhelming support of America and petrodollars Arab nations, Saddam and his masters confidently miscalculated defeat of the overstretched Islamic republic within short period promising a global press conference at the capital Tehran. The Iranian armed forces was obviously incapacitated, lacking spare parts and necessary military equipments for combat along with highly scorned  revolutionary guards  instructed by religious authority with very little military experience that could in no way be compared with Saddam's multifaceted and sophisticated supported military buildup. The war immediately imposed after the success of Islamic revolution was meant to destroy it. However, Allah the omnipotent proved the enemies wrong with embarrassing defeat after eight years. Phebe Marr, a renowned analyst in the Middle-east stated "the war was more immediately the result of poor political judgment and miscalculation on the part of Saddam Husain," and "the decision to invade, taken at a moment of Iranian weakness". The presumed border dispute and ordinary rupture of diplomatic ties linked to the war were obviously baseless. It was intentionally created to destabilize the Islamic republic, leading to massacre of 1.5m estimated innocent souls!

With the fall of the Shah government under his stooge Baktiar, Imam said “Islam and the Islamic republic were a trust given to us by Allah, the Most Exalted and Most High” He ordered for the historic referendum of the 1st April, 1979 for the establishment of Islamic republic where more than 98% voted in support, hence, the republic was established after decades of struggle and sacrifice against injustice. Evidently, the Islamic system guaranteed freedom and justice in the country, and has encouraged other people to free themselves from Western domination and enslavement. After the success of the revolution, the enemies used counter revolutionary influences through the MKO, Saddam, CIA and SAVAK sufficiently funded to frustrate the efforts of the Imam but all proved abortive. Of the strategic lessons taught by the Imam were the unity week, the international Quds day, international women's day and the Muslim awakening campaigns among others in favour of the Muslim Ummah.. Most interestingly, the Imam led a very simple life setting good example not to his successors alone but all political and working classes in the republic. I shed tears during my visit to his Northern Tehran rented apartment over the simplest life he led despite all powers and influences at his disposal!

While the kingdoms, sheikhdoms and sultanates of the Arab that traditionally or partially comply with the Shari'ah, its application in Iran is total in the light of the concept of Wilayatul faqih which replaced the Shah’s monarchy with absolute Islamic system under a spiritual leader who is the custodian of Islamic rules and values. The tremendous development of the Islamic republic in all endeavors of human life no doubt owes its credit to the revolution in place.

As part of his farewell message, the Imam stated, "...with a heart that is calm and confident; with a joyous soul and a conscience hopeful of Allah's graces, I take my leave from brothers and sisters, and journey to the eternal abode, and I very much need your good prayers. I ask Allah, the Benevolent to accept my excuses for inadequate services, and I ask the nation to accept my excuses for my shortages and inadequacies and to move forward with force, determination and will"
To export or import the Islamic revolution is not the issue, most important fact is the revolutionary change for goodness “… verily, never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves with their own souls” Q13:11

While praying for Allah’s bountiful mercy on the great Imam, safety of the Islamic revolution, l reiterate the urgent need for Shaikh's el-Zakzaky's unconditional release.

Wassalamu alaikum.
Mal Yusuf Abdullah

Qods Day Rallies Mark Israel’s Fast Approaching End

Kayhan Int’l

 
Yesterday, the Last Friday of Blessed Ramadhan once again saw millions of Iranians take to the streets throughout the county on the day that was designated as "World Qods Day” by the Father of the Islamic Revolution in order to mobilize the Ummah for the cherished goal of the liberation of Islam’s former "Qibla” (focal point of the ritual prayer), the sacred al-Aqsa Mosque, in the Zionist occupied Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, which the West calls Jerusalem.

It is now 40 lunar years since Imam Khomeini’s dynamic move that not just revived the struggle of the Palestinian people for reclamation of their usurped rights but infused Islamic spirit into them at a time when secular, socialist, and so-called Arab nationalist outfits had reduced this purely Muslim issue to a mere theatrical protest that worked to the benefit of illegal Zionist entity and its backers.
The Founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran, whose famous statement "the cancerous tumour called Israel should be eradicated from the region”, removed any notion of despondency from the hearts of Palestinians and world Muslims, as is evident by the emergence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Zionist occupied land and similar resistance organizations in the neighbourhood, such as Lebanon’s legendry anti-terrorist movement, the Hezbollah, which have shattered the dreams of the Elders of Zionism for Greater Israel stretching from the River Nile in Egypt to the River Euphrates on the Iraq-Iran borders, indeed revolutionized the whole concept of struggle against oppression.

As a firm testimony to the foresight of that Sage of the Age, the annual World Qods Day rallies which Global Arrogance and its client states, especially the Arab reactionary regimes had sought to suppress, have now spread all over the world, and are being held in Europe and the Americas as well, thereby arousing conscientious minds toward the crimes against humanity of the terrorist child-killing Zionist entity.

It was exasperation at the approaching end of Israel that had made the Arab statelets of the Persian Gulf – themselves spurious British-created entities – embark on the multi-billion dollar destabilization of Syria, in the vain hope of ensuring security for the Zionist entity and in the process severing the bond between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Resistance Front.

The reactionary Arabs know that the end of Israel means their own end, when the awakened people begin to question the legitimacy of the Aal-e Saud, the Aal-e Khalifa and Aal-e Nahyan to rule lands that imperialism had created.

Thanks to the prudent political decision of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who three years ago had predicted the end of Israel in less than the next twenty-five years, the intricate plot of the West and its Arab surrogates to seize Syria and Iraq was foiled with the resounding defeat of the macabre head-chopping and liver-eating Tafkiri terrorists.

It was this frustration that made the quixotic US president, Donald Trump, to resort to the cowardly move of setting up the American embassy in the occupied Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, with the support of reactionary Arab regimes, in the hope of granting legitimacy to the illegal Zionist entity.

Trump followed it up with the unmanly US exit from the 7-nation international nuclear accord with Iran, as a desperate attempt to avert the invertible, that is, the growing popular appeal and defensive power of Islamic Iran.

It is now obvious that he has miserably failed, along with his Arab and Israelite comrades-in-crimes, as was evident by the World Qods Day Rallies that were held almost all over the world yesterday, including Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Yemeni capital Sana’a, where hundreds of thousands of people came out on the streets to denounce the Zionist entity and call for the liberation of Palestine.

The message is clear. If the 88-year usurpation of Palestine by the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem could be ended by a united Muslim force of Kurds, Turks, Arabs and Iranians in 1187, why not the current 70-year usurpation by the Zionist entity, for which the countdown had already begun?

Imam Khomeini offers a new definition of politics in ME

New Delhi, June 6, IRNA - A renowned Indian analyst of the international political affairs believes that the late Imam Khomeini as the founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran changed the whole political landscape in Middle-East through creating a new concept for the same.

In an exclusive interview with IRNA, Akhlaq Usmani who is also well known for his wide coverage of Syria news and also as a crisis journalist, commented on the impact of Imam Khomeini and the Iranian Islamic Revolution on the political scenario in the Middle-East.

He said that “Imam Khomeini’s role should be seen not only in Iran but also in the entire geopolitical perspective. It is important to note that the late Imam has created a new meaning for politics not only in Iran but also in the entire Middle East. It is amazing that he both managed to change the political system in Iran while he was in exile and simultaneously became a personality that shook the political ideology of the region. Not surprisingly, even today, 39 years later, there is no shortage of popularity for him.”

Usmani went on to note that “the late Imam Khomeini is also the first leader who established a democratic political system in the Middle East the roots of which are getting stronger every day. The expansionist forces are abusive in Saudi Arabia because they could not understand the true meaning of democracy and Imam Khomeini wanted to tell this only.'

'By establishing Iran as an ideal country, he proved that Muslims also can run democratic countries. His approach towards the Wahhabist and Zionist regimes gave his people the insight of the conspiracy of the two regimes. That is why Zionists are hand in glove with the Wahhabis against Iran,” he added.

Elaborating on the collaboration of the Saudi Arabia with the Zionist regime against Iran, Akhlaq Usmani said: “Ever since the young dictator came to power in Saudi Arabia, he has started accepting his relations with Israel. Following the defeat of the Ottomans and the British, Jewish and Saudis worked together, but they did not want people to become aware of this fact. Today, the whole world knows that Saudi Arabia and Israel are two sides of the same coin. Saudi Arabia provides training, arms and money to the terrorists to not only destroy Syria and Iraq but also the entire Islamic world.”

“Sadly, he is doing all these for Israel and America rather than for the wellbeing of his own people. Imam Khomeini had understood the nature of the friendship between the Saudi Arabia, Israel, and America long ago. So he wanted to create a non-Wahabi Islamic alliance. This coalition has had a lot of success recently. Now, not only the leftist and the socialist forces but also the Sunni are now supporting the Iranian and Islamic coalition. This is Iran's answer to the dirty collaboration between the Saudi Arabia and Israel,” he underlined.

Supporting Iran’s demand for ensuring the peace, security and stability in the Middle-East without the US involvement, he said: “Iran's demand for peace and stability in Middle-East minus America is the need of the time, region and mankind. Iran emphasizes on the Asian and Islamic unity. I think this effort of Iran is getting success.”

Forward March of the Immortal Legacy of Imam Khomeini (RA)

By: S. Nawabzadeh

"If every Muslim pours a bucket of water it would be enough to flush away the criminal state of Israel.”

These prophetic words, if not yet fully realized, portend the impending doom of the illegal Zionist entity, and stand as firm testimony to the foresight of that Sage who predicted the end of communism in his historical letter to Mikhail Gorbachev and had foretold the approaching collapse of the decadent western civilization.

As we commemorate the 29th passing away solar anniversary of the Man of the Millennium on the threshold of the 40th lunar anniversary of his dynamic decision to designate the Last Friday of the Blessed Month of Ramadhan as "World’s Qods Day” in order to mobilize the Ummah for the cherished goal of the liberation of Islam’s first Qibla (direction of prayer), we realize that Imam Khomeini (RA) was not merely an erudite scholar possessing political acumen, but an institution whose firm establishment of a truly Islamic system of government in Iran, has continued to rob the sleep of satanic powers, which in their desperation to undo what he did, are currently in the process of hammering the last nails in their own coffins.

The Father of the Islamic Revolution lived and breathed Islam, as is evident from his words, deeds and writings.

He endeavoured to give practical shape to the Shari’ah in state affairs and the ideal before him was the 11-year administration of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and the four-and-a-half year rule of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS) – the perfect form of rule headed by the most wisest of person, as visualized by philosophers from the Greek Plato to the Iranian Abu Nasr Farabi, or the Utopia of the medieval Europeans, which will be finally realized with the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (AS) and his global government of peace, prosperity and justice.

Thus, it was not without reason that Imam Khomeini spurned the suggestion to add the word ‘democratic’ to the Islamic Republic. He knew the havoc played in modern history by regimes ranging from dictatorial to anarchic, styling themselves as ‘democratic’. It was also his firm belief that the term ‘Islamic’ was far more comprehensive than the ancient Greek or modern Western concept, and it is only under the Islamic system that people’s rights are genuinely respected. In the Late Imam’s view the term ‘democratic’ was not only redundant and useless but carried a deceptive and disgraceful tone.

Islamic unity was always at the bottom of the Late Imam’s heart, and he said:     "If this (Islamic) brotherhood is materialized some day with the efforts of the governments and the people, and of course, with Divine Help, you will see that the Muslims will be the world’s greatest power.”

These brilliant views, coupled with his practical steps to bring the Ummah on the platform of solidarity by initiating the "Islamic Unity Week” on the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) in order to bridge the two dates of Rabi al-Awwal held as that auspicious day by Sunni and Shi’a Muslims, as well as his arousing of Islamic sentiments worldwide towards the issue of Bayt al-Moqaddas, changed the texture of the Palestinian struggle and gave birth to Islamic groups in Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere, fully dedicated to weeding out the cancerous tumour called Israel.

This was where the iconoclast came into open conflict with the hegemonic and materialistic West, especially with America the ‘Great Satan’ and its blinkered vision of life and culture; and this was where godless capitalism miserably floundered against Islamic resurgence.

For the past four decades the US, along with rootless regimes in the spurious states created by Britain in the Arab World, instead of coming to terms with facts and realities, has resorted to a series of intricate plots to try to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran or at least to contain its forward march, but to no avail.

Washington has bolstered, or more properly fleeced, the oil rich Arab states of their ill accumulated wealth by selling them weapons they cannot use and wasting their hundreds of billions of petro dollars in a vain bid to destabilize Syria, Iraq and other countries through the worst ever terrorists the world has seen, but has seen its plots miserably backfired.

The US even goaded the Zionist entity to launch a massive attack on Lebanon’s legendry anti-terrorist movement, the Hezbollah, in 2006, but the 33-day war saw the triumph of Iranian trained Islamic fighters over western weaponry.
The same scenario was repeated in Syria and Iraq recently, resulting in disastrous defeats for the western and Saudi backed terrorists.

At the same time, the ideals of Imam Khomeini have continued to steadily spread, not just in the Levant, where Israel is in its death throes, but throughout the Muslim world, where the Americans are viewed as the most despicable of devils.

To sum up, the latest threats and sanctions against Iran of the quixotic Donald Trump and his team of thugs, as well as his criminal move in setting up the American embassy in the occupied Islamic city of Bayt al-Moqaddas, are nothing but suicidal efforts that will only make the heirs of Imam Khomeini in Iran and the region more determined and more strong.