July 25, 2014
Attack inside a Jail in Bahrain
In an attack inside a prison, the guards insulted Shia practices. Shia inmates who had arrested during a peaceful, pro-democracy protest were searched in Hawdh al-Jaff prison for their prayer stones and holy books, which were demolished by guards upon finding. They were also beaten and punished by withholding their suhoor during the month of Ramadan.
According to the activists, the health condition of the prisoners is poor and they are not receiving medical assistance to recover. Bahraini authorities have violated the rights of the Shia population, and this ill treatment has only escalated since the Arab Spring.
Baghdad suicide bombing kills at least 26
26 were killed and 33 were wounded in a car bomb at a Kadhimiyah entrance checkpoint. A car exploded overnight in the Shia populated area of Kadhimiyah, the site of shrine of Imam Kazim. The car explosion was said to be carried out by one named Abu Abdul-Rahman al Tunisi at a police checkpoint on early hours of Wednesday, July 23.
Four Shia Killed in Karachi, Pakistan
More Shia Muslims killed as Shia targeted killings continue in Pakistan. On Wednesday, July 23rd, four Shia were killed in Karachi. Mubarak Raza Kazmi, a Shia lawyer, was shot and killed. Also Huma Hussain, a Shia woman, was killed. The attackers also injured her husband Bilal Hussain. According to some sources, their young children were also injured. Ghulam Sakhi, a tailor and shop owner, was shot in the Manghopir area of Karachi and Syed Akhtar Abbas Kazmi Shah was reported dead in this city.
Attack on a Mosque in Iran
A mosque was attacked by unknown assailants in Bandar-e-mahshahr, Iran. According to witnesses, two unidentified motorcyclists with covered faces, approached a mosque in Taleghani Town, and threw an object (likely a Molotov cocktail) into the mosque, causing a fire. Although no one was hurt, the mosque was partially damaged. Bandar-e-mahshahr is in Khuzestan Province, in Southwestern Iran.
Wahhabis Defend Israel against Shia
While Israelis and Palestinians have been fighting in Gaza since the Israeli occupation began in 1967 and Gaza has been under military siege since 2006, lack of interest from Wahabbi funded neighboring governments left Palestinians without active diplomatic and political support resulting in the deaths of thousands Gazan’s and hundreds of Israelis so far. Arab States, much to the chagrin of the people they supposedly represent, have formed an unspoken alliance with Israel. This has allowed Israel to intentionally create a humanitarian crisis and keep the Gaza situation unresolved.
After decades of conflict, Wahhabi clerics are coming out and freely stating their hidden beliefs. A Wahhabi Egyptian cleric, Tala’at Zahran, calls on Egyptians not to support Palestinians against Israel. He claims “most Gazans are Shias and communists.” Zahran, who is also the representative of Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), in response to the question “should we help the people of Gaza against Israeli military strikes or not?” said: They are Shia and using missiles against the innocent people of Israel, so Israel is forced to retaliate by bombing Gaza.
Although Zahran and others are factually incorrect about Palestinians being Shia and about who instigated the latest round of fighting in Gaza, he has made his point clear that Wahhabism prefers to defend Israel over Shia. Palestinians are Sunni Muslims, mostly Wahhabi favored, and there is some evidence that they were responsible for many Shia killings in Iraq. ShiaWave reported that Hamas is claimed to be sending fighters and weapons to ISIS in Iraq. Palestinians in general and Hamas in particular, are clearly not Shia and have no interest in Shiism.
Wahhabis imply that if Israel converted to Shiism, they would be defeated in no time, but for now, defending Israel is from Sunnis who they incomprehensively claim are Shias, is more beneficial than defeating it. This is just another example of how the spread of anti-Shiism by Wahhabis is claiming more lives.
Zakery: if ISIS established a government, would the world recognize it as lawful?
What would be world’s reaction to an Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) government? Although it would be very sad to imagine, what if ISIS actually established a stabile government? After all they have the motivation and support they need to accomplish their goal.
Some social media and news agencies published a map demonstrating ISIS’s 5 year plan. Although some experts such as Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, claim that this map is fake and only “an old image put out by fans of the group,” it is clear that this group does have a plan and a map for their actions, whether or not it has publicized.
Alarabiya has also published a picture of a passport designed by ISIS to be distributed to the many citizens living in cities bordering Iraq and Syria.
Furthermore, ISIS is known to be the wealthiest terrorist group in the world after they stole $450 million from Mosul’s central bank, took over oil-rich Deir Ezzor province’s oil fields in eastern Syria, and continue to sell Syrian oil to local Syrian and Iraqi businessmen, traffic in antiquities, and receive financial support from Saudi Arabia and some private donors.
Although many claim to condemn the acts of ISIS, the group has been able to attract youth, gain support of local Sunnis, at least in some parts of Iraq, and proudly take responsibility for its mass murders.
Now the question is, if ISIS actually establishes an official government, would the governments of the world establish diplomatic relationships with them? Would they buy oil from them after they take over most of Iraq and Syria’s oil production sites? Would they accept their ambassadors? Middle Eastern governments are already supporting ISIS but would American and European governments recognize an ISIS Sunni caliphate?
Surprisingly, lessons from how European and American governments have historically acted in the region seem to indicate that the answer is, YES.
When Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the leader of Wahhabism, the extreme sect of Islam ISIS practices, started spreading his hateful ideologies he was alone without the money or resources of ISIS. Most Islamic scholars and states rejected him because he advocated intolerance towards any non-Wahhabi, even other Islamic sects. He advocated the slaughter of Christians, Jews and Shia Muslims and the demolition of historical tombs, shrines and other religious sites. His hateful message resulted in the mass killing of 4000 Shia Muslims in Karbala alone in 1800. At first all condemned him, until he made an agreement with Al Saud and received Saudi military support. A book entitled “Hatred’s Kingdom” by Dore Gold is a very detailed source of how Wahhabism took over Islamic nations forcefully.
Soon after Saudi Arabia, the home of two of the most important Islamic cities, Mecca and Madina, adopted Wahhabism as their official religion and claimed to be the leader of Islamic nations. Saudi Arabia still practices this ideology based on hatred, and because of its oil wealth, it is a very good friend and ally of world’s most powerful nations such as Unites States. Also it is accepted by all Islamic countries as “the leader.”
ISIS is way more powerful than Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. They advocate the same message of hatred he advocated with a lot more support and money. Because history repeats its self, if ISIS actually stablishes a government, the chances are, the whole world will forget their slaughter, violence and hatred and start mutual relationships with them as if they never killed hundreds of thousands in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere. And here is when human ethics and values are under question. Unfortunately politicians are better at pragmatism than leadership.
