Latest news with #Elaph
Memri
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Following The Attacks On The Druze In Syria, Kurdish Columnist Writes On Saudi News Website: The Kurds Are Also In The Crosshairs Of The Terrorist Al-Sharaa Regime, Which Is Supported By Turkey; Askin
Following the violent clashes in the Druze stronghold of Al-Suwayda in southern Syria between Druze factions and Beduine tribes backed by the forces of the Al-Sharaa regime – clashes that included acts of massacre against the Druze – the Saudi news website Elaph posted two articles by Kurdish journalist Mahmoud Abbas that slammed the Al-Sharaa regime for its treatment of the minorities in Syria. In the first article, posted on July 18, 2025, Abbas wrote that Al-Sharaa's regime, backed by Turkey, is even worse than the Assad regime since it not only persecutes political opponents but also directs accusations of heresy and treason, as well as racist hatred, against various sectors of Syrian society, such as the Alawites, Druze, Kurds, Christians and Yazidis, and subjects them to a policy of political exclusion. Abbas warned that "yesterday's murderers," namely the militias backed by the Al-Sharaa regime that massacred the Alawites and Druze, are already preparing to confront their next target – the Kurds – and that Syria is rapidly sliding into a new civil war, more brutal than the previous one. The only solution, he argued, is to reshape Syria as a decentralized federation that will ensure the rights of all its citizens and stop the bloodshed. In another article posted the following day, Abbas expressed explicit support for Druze leader Hikmat Al-Hijri's appeal to Israel for help, and rejected the criticism he had incurred for this.[1] Asking Israel for assistance, Abbas said, is not treason but rather an expression of patriotism in its true sense, of defending human dignity. He noted that Assad's former opponents, who are today part of the Al-Sharaa regime, received aid from Turkey and Qatar and were not considered traitors, yet today they hypocritically direct this accusation at those who are hoping for Israeli help. Stating that Israel, despite its reputation, is better than all Middle East regimes in its treatment of minorities, he added that the most virulent hostility in the region is not directed at Israel but rather at 'anything that is not Arab or Muslim' and sometimes even at fellow Muslims. It should be noted that both these articles by Abbas were later removed from the Elaph website. This is despite the fact that the site was established in London in order to avoid the censorship imposed in Saudi Arabia and give voice to liberal views, especially those opposing religious extremism. The following are translated excerpts from Kurdish journalist Mahmoud Abbas's articles: Turkey, The Patron Of The Al-Sharaa Regime, Regards All Of Syria's Minorities As Terrorists; The Syrian Kurds Are Next In Line For Violent Attacks In his July 18, 2025 article, Abbas wrote: "…[Syria's] former regime scorned the concepts of society and homeland, and sold [its] values in exchange for mass graves. Now Al-Joulani's government has emerged from the womb of the same turgid swamp to peddle [the slogan of] 'the single homeland' while scorning [various] values and sectors and [wearing] an extremist Sunni-Umayyad guise. They have expanded the circle of takfir [accusing others of heresy], so that it is no longer limited to any [particular] political or national [sector] but now also includes [entire] streams and religions, and anyone who is different from them faces various accusations, [such as] 'traitor,' 'infidel' and 'agent'. "Now they are working to sew together the torn body of the homeland, after they severed the Alawite, Druze and Kurdish regions from the national fold, eliminated the Christian, Alawite and Druze elements from [Syria's] religious reality, and [removed] the Yazidis from the spiritual map and others from the mosaic of Syrian society. [These] elements are eliminated through explicit accusation of heresy, reprehensible racism or political exclusion. "Al-Joulani – a man of many faces – wears ties in the halls of diplomacy… and a turban in the extremist councils. He deals with organizations that harm Syria's territorial [integrity], knowing that it cannot withstand being torn apart in this manner. Al-Joulani is absent from the streets of the Syrian coast and is forgotten in the alleys of Al-Suwayda, but he is forced to be present, if only formally, in the halls of dialogue with the Kurdish movement and the [Democratic] Autonomous Administration [of North and East Syria].[2] "Syria cannot survive without the Druze and the Alawites, and it will collapse if the Kurdish people and national movement are denied representation. It will not be a state that serves its people by means of a central government that imposes itself by force and though accusations of heresy. The provinces have become [nothing but] meaningless names, and those who purport to represent the 'Syrian interim government' in them have [actually] been sent to destroy what remains of the homeland, including all of its areas and components. "They executed the Alawites and now they are starting to execute the Druze… and accuse them of treason and heresy, just as was previously done to the Yazidis and the Christians, whose women were abducted and men were arrested [on false charges]... Anyone who rejects the black [jihadi] flag and the banner of the false caliphate, has become a target for terror groups that continue to harm Syria under distorted slogans. "…Yesterday's murderers, who massacred Yazidis and abducted Christians, are now reinventing themselves and laying the groundwork for a struggle against the Kurds, using the same ugly pretexts they used to frame the Alawites and the Druze. And every time the truth is exposed, they deny involvement [in the violence] and blame 'criminal' groups that disobey the government. "What is now happening in Al-Suwayda is a blood-soaked message to the [Kurdish-led] Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], the Autonomous Administration and the Kurdish people in general, that the trust [they placed in the new Syrian government] was delusional… We charge the SDF to defend the communities east of the Euphrates [i.e., in northeastern Syria] and in the Kurdish region, from Afrin… to the sources of the Euphrates in Iraq – for they are all in danger: the Kurds, the Arab tribes, the Assyrians and the Yazidis. They are all accused of collaborating with America and with the forces of the [international] coalition. They are all terrorists in the eyes of Turkey, the patron of the [Syrian] interim government and its apparatuses, which feeds them ideas and inspires their projects of exclusion. The conflict is therefore not only with the Kurds, but with all that remains of a homeland that has not yet succumbed to the [forces of] evil. "From now on there is no more room for dialogue, because Syria, exhausted to begin with, is rapidly sliding into a new civil war, crueler and more horrific than everything that preceded it, [and will continue to slide] as long as this takfiri and terrorist regime remains in control of the country… What we see in the footage coming out of Al-Suwayda, and what happened before this in Latakia and Tartous, are but early signs of a black storm that has appeared on the horizon and threatens the slivers that still remain of the homeland. "The only way out of this hell is to fully recognize that Syria can only be rebuilt on a decentralized federative basis that will ensure [human] rights and stop the ever-recurring bloodshed. "It is almost impossible to imagine a homeland existing under the control of takfiri groups mired in terrorism, ignorance and crime. Such [forces] cannot build a homeland, but only cemeteries, a history written in blood and an ideology that negates the human in the name of Allah. "Syria, which gave birth to the greatest philosophers, poets and thinkers, is too pure and lofty to let these benighted and ignorant [forces], bereft of intelligence and values, contaminate its soil." Everyone Relies On Outside Help, Such As Turkey's And Qatar's; The Druze Leader's Appeal To Israel Is Not Treason In another article published one day later, on July 19, Abbas expressed support for Hikmat Al-Hijri's move of appealing to Israel for help and rejected the criticism that had been directed at him for this. He wrote: "When an honorable sheikh from the Druze Mountains – [the region] whose name has been changed to the Arab Mountains out of respect for Arabhood and the homeland – cries out and asks his fellow Druze in Israel to help him repel tribal attacks… he is not overstepping the boundaries of patriotism. [On the contrary], he is only restoring [patriotism] to its primary meaning: of defending honor before defending slogans, and of defending people before defending land. For the homeland is not a rag that is waved over the ruins of [our] values. It is a moral contract that has no meaning if honor is buried beneath it. "After all, what is the difference, or the moral discrepancy, between what the opposition government [in the time of the Assad regime] did when it solicited the help of Turkey, which is one of the most bitter enemies of the components of Syrian [society], or the help of Qatar or of [other] Arab countries…? The factions that made up the Syrian National Army, [comprising pro-Turkish groups] – were they not the product of Turkish and Qatari political capital? Is it not true that some of them were nurtured in the bosom of intelligence agencies and coalesced over the ruins [caused by] regional chaos, just as the militias of the criminal [Assad] regime emerged under Iranian sponsorship and with direct Russian support? "This is the skewered Syrian logic: everyone uses the help of external forces, and everyone accuses everyone of treason. The land is the one that bleeds and the people are the ones who pay the price as they die or are scattered [around the globe], in the complete absence of trust between the components [of society] and amid a rapid decline into division and the reemergence of tyranny with a new face. "How terrible it is that 'Israel' has become such a hangup in the crisis-ridden Arab-Islamic consciousness, which has lost its powers of discernment to the extent that it sees anything coming out of [Israel] as aggression – even [when Israel hands] a glass of water to a wounded child or comes to the defense of a sect that is being exterminated. The Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham movement has forgotten that wounded [fighters] of the Syrian opposition, including [members of the HTS] organization, which formed Syria's [current] interim government, received treatment in Israeli hospitals. "Who instilled this culture of blind hostility and violated the scriptures of the three monotheistic faiths, which [all] preach acceptance of the other? How did appeals for Israeli help become treason, while appeals for the help of the Turkish occupier or the Iranian militias, or [requests for] Gulf capital, are considered a blessed national partnership?... "And to remove any doubt, [let me say that], in terms of democratic structure and minority rights, Israel, despite everything that is said [about it], is better than all the Middle Eastern regimes when it comes to the treatment of the Druze, of its Palestinian citizens and of the Syrians living on its soil. Do the Kurds in Syria or Turkey enjoy [the rights] that the Druze and Arabs living in Israel enjoy? Does reality not merit some objectiveness, instead of canned curses? "The hostility that is really destroying the peoples of the region is not the hostility directed at Israel, as is commonly believed. It stems from a distorted culture that deeply permeates [our] collective consciousness and perpetuates hatred for anything that is not Arab or Muslim. Moreover, we find this burgeoning [hatred] even within Islam, between Sunnis and Shiites, and, worst of all, between different Sunni streams, whose hatred for each other is no less than [their hatred] towards Jews or Israel… "Those who accused Sheikh Al-Hijri of treason should look at their own treason. Perhaps they will see their true faces in the mirror. For treason is not asking your community members in Israel to help you repel the danger of tribal invasions led by [organizations] like ISIS with new names, [organizations] that are supported by the remnants of Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham, which forms the foundation of Syria's interim government. Treason is asking ten Arab countries, led by Turkey, to launch an offensive against a component of the Syrian nation whose battles and sacrifices prove its loyalty to the [Syrian] soil and people. Treason is not a desperate cry for help aimed at keeping your women from being abducted and your children from being massacred. It is when you sell out your national decision-making to advance an extremist takfiri component [of society] at the expense of Syria's national components, and when you raise the banners of sectarianism over the ruins of the state and reach out to those who have betrayed every revolution and committed every crime."
Memri
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Palestinian Journalist: Hamas's Systematic Use Of Hospitals For Military Purposes Is A War Crime And A Violation Of International Law
In a column published recently on the Saudi website Elaph and in the Emirati daily Al-Arab, Palestinian journalist Abd Al-Bari Fayyad castigated Hamas for systematically using hospitals and other civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip for military purposes, and for using Gazan civilians as human shields. The movement's familiar method of digging tunnels under hospitals in which its senior members hide, he said, places patients, medical staff and other innocent civilians in direct danger. As such, it constitutes a war crime and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, which requires the parties in armed conflict to distinguish between military targets and civilian facilities. "No one denies the right of peoples to resist occupation," he stressed, "but this right does not grant any faction the authority to use civilians as fuel for the war." It should be noted that Fayyad regularly publishes articles that harshly criticize Hamas for prioritizing its own interests and fighting to retain its control of the Gaza Strip at the expense of the Palestinian people and their needs.[1] Abd Al-Bari Fayyad (Image: The following are translated excerpts from Fayyad's recent article: [2] "In Gaza, which is groaning under the burden of the conflict, bitter facts are exposed that cast a heavy pall over the concept of humanity and redefine the principles of modern warfare. This is because, amid the untenable war that has befallen the region, details are being revealed that point to the systematic use of sensitive civilian facilities for military purposes, which casts a dark shadow over the future of the conflict and its humanitarian implications. "Intelligence revealed in the recent period indicates that senior Hamas leaders, form Muhammad Sinwar to Muhammad Shabana,[3] spent long periods in a tunnel that was excavated beneath the European Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. The presence of these leaders in this location was no coincidence, but clearly reflects a deliberate strategy of using an unmistakable civilian facility – a hospital – as cover for [Hamas's] military activity. A hospital, a sanctuary for the sick and the injured, which is supposed to be immune to the ravages of war, becomes a pivotal military site, thus placing innocent people, patients and medical staff in direct danger. "The decision to operate from within a densely-populated civilian area is not random; it is a calculated tactic designed to achieve a double objective. First, this location provides ideal cover for military movements and operations, while exploiting the immunity granted by international law to medical facilities. Second, [this tactic] forces civilians to serve as human shields, which complicates the military response of the other side [i.e., Israel], enrages international public opinion and generates intensive pressure on the warring sides. This tactic is not a new feature of Hamas's strategy; it has been documented in numerous reports and constitutes a flagrant violation of the most basic principles of international humanitarian law. "The humanitarian implications of using civilian areas for armed operations are innumerable. Hospitals, schools and homes all become potential targets, which leads to a vast number of innocent civilian casualties. The humanitarian crisis intensifies with the destruction of basic infrastructures, the displacement of the population and the increasing need for emergency aid. [In this situation] the lives of the civilians become a daily hell, for they live under incessant bombing and in permanent fear of death that pursues them everywhere. Trust in the institutions that are meant to provide them with protection evaporates and the fabric of society unravels, which lights the fuse of [further] hatred and violence, in a vicious circle. "This is where the role of international humanitarian law comes in, [namely,] the legal framework that is meant to constrain war and limit its damage. International humanitarian law stresses the principle of distinction, which requires the parties to an [armed] conflict to distinguish between combatants and civilians, and between military targets and civilian facilities. It especially stresses [the need to] protect medical facilities and their staff, and defines it as a crime to use them for military purposes. Positioning military leaders in tunnels beneath a hospital is a flagrant violation of these principles and constitutes a war crime by any standard. "Hamas will no doubt deny these allegations, or provide explanations to justify the presence of its leaders in such places. It is likely to claim that these tunnels are used for defensive purposes or that they are not part of the hospital itself. It may focus on the suffering of the Palestinian people and blame the other side for the destruction of the civilian infrastructures. However, regardless of all the excuses, the use of civilian facilities – and especially hospitals – as cover for military activities is an unforgivable breach of international law, [a breach] which causes the [Hamas] movement to lose much international sympathy. "No one denies the right of peoples to resist occupation, but this right does not grant any faction the authority to use civilians as fuel for the war. Using hospitals and residential areas for military activities is not 'tactical wisdom' but a blatant violation of military and legal ethics that transforms the conflict from a war against the occupation into a human tragedy whose price is paid by the Gazan families that [find themselves] trapped between the hammer of the occupation and the anvil of Hamas's decisions. "The more difficult question is this: When will the resistance [i.e., Hamas] move from the strategy of 'survival at the cost of human life' to resistance that respects the lives of those it purports to protect?"
Memri
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Jordanian MP Expresses Support For Iranian Opposition, Criticizes West For Letting Iranian Regime Oppress Its Own People
In an article published June 24, 2025 on the Saudi website Elaph, titled 'The Iranian People's Struggle for Freedom and Justice,' Jordanian MP Isma'il Al-Mashaqbeh voiced support for the Iranian people's struggle for democracy and against the oppression of the Iranian regime. Al-Mashaqbeh also criticized the West, accusing it of supporting and appeasing the Iranian regime and of curbing the people's resistance against it in order to ensure the regime's survival. It is this appeasement, he argued, that has enabled the Iranian regime to suppress its people and threaten regional stability. To support his claims, he cited statements by Maryam Rajavi, head of the Iranian opposition group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI),[1] who underscored the Iranian people's aspirations and the vital need for regime change in the country. This is not the first time a Jordanian politician has expressed support for the Iranian opposition. In June 2024, amid Iranian regime efforts to destabilize Jordan and the region at large,[2] Jordanian MP Aisha Al-Hasanat published an article on the Elaph website in which she called for supporting opposition groups in Iran to help them bring down the regime.[3] A few months prior to that, Jordanian diplomat and politician Bassam Al-Amoush – formerly Jordan's ambassador to Iran and minister of parliamentary affairs and administrative development – published an article on the Jordanian website Ammon News in which he criticized Iran's subversive activities in the region, particularly in Jordan. He called on the Jordanian government to establish ties with Iran's ethnic minorities and opposition groups, such as Mojahedin Khalq, in order to pressure the Iranian regime.[4] It should be noted that the Saudi website Elaph is a major platform for articles supporting the Iranian opposition, especially the NCRI, headed by Maryam Rajavi.[5] Isma'il Al-Mashaqbeh (Image: The following are translated excerpts from Al-Mashaqbeh's article.[6] "The Iranian people have suffered for decades under the yoke of tyrannical regimes, first the dictatorship of the Pahlavi dynasty [1925–1979], which was imposed [on Iran] by the West to protect its own interests, and later the mullah regime, which persists [to this day] with similar Western backing. These regimes, which ignored the will of the Iranian people, sparked popular discontent [within Iran] and caused the peoples of the region to feel aversion to a policy that is devoid of wisdom and justice and disregards human values. "Today, the Iranian people persists in its struggle for freedom and democracy, refuses to submit to oppression, and insists on its right to self-determination. This aspiration is manifested in the Iranian people's ongoing uprisings against the mullah regime with the aim of overthrowing it and establishing a democratic national regime that guarantees peace and a dignified existence. "In her June 18, 2025 speech in Strasbourg before the European Parliament, NCRI President Maryam Rajavi presented a clear vision for Iran's future, emphasizing that 'Iran is on the brink of historic change'… and noting that the Iranian people 'is now more committed to change than ever before.' Addressing demonstrators in Berlin and Stockholm, Rajavi stressed that 'our message is clear: the resistance of the Iranian people must be recognized as a liberating force. We say no to negotiations and to leaving the mullah regime [in place], and no to war. [There is] a third option: change led by the Iranian people and its resistance.' She added that 'the prerequisite for peace and security in the region is regime change [in Iran]...' "The Iranian resistance, led by Maryam Rajavi, aspires to establish a democratic republic anchored in the separation of religion and state, gender equality, respect for the rights of ethnic groups and minorities, an independent judiciary, the abolition of the death penalty, and political pluralism. This [vision] also includes a commitment to keeping Iran free of nuclear weapons. Rajavi stressed: 'No one can stop the change and the revolution. The Iranian people's democratic revolution will prevail'… "On the ground, the resistance units have carried out more than 3,000 protest actions over the past year, while the number of executions [carried out by the Iranian regime] since August 2024 exceeds 1,350, which is the highest rate in the world... "The mullah regime has drawn its strength from the support of the West, which not only adopted a conciliatory approach toward it but actively curbed the Iranian resistance in order to ensure this regime's continued survival. This support enabled the regime to suppress the Iranian people and to threaten regional stability. Referring to the war that broke out in the region on June 13, 2025, Rajavi said: 'It is the policy of appeasement that imposed the war. The real solution is regime change by the people and the organized resistance.' She called on the international community to recognize the resistance, comparing its struggle to the Europeans' fight against religious fascism."
Memri
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Saudi News Portal Posts Articles By Iranian Oppositionists Calling To Topple The Iranian Regime
In the recent months, the Saudi news portal Elaph posted many articles by Iranian opposition figures in exile that slammed the Iranian regime. The writers, some of them members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI),[1] decried this regime's oppression of and violence against the Iranian people, its pursuit of nuclear weapons, its support for terrorism and its actions to destabilize the region. They also criticized the international community's impotence in the face of the regime's conduct and argued that the futile negotiations with it will not lead to any change in its positions. According to the articles, the regime's pursuit of nuclear weapons and its export of terrorism are meant to guarantee its survival. Therefore, as long as this regime exists, it will not stop advancing these aims, although the Iranian people are unwilling to sacrifice themselves to this end. The authors of the articles stressed that Iranian people, which suffers the regime's tyranny, now feels it has a historic opportunity to achieve freedom and justice. Therefore, it will not cease its struggle until the regime is overthrown and Iran is established as a free and democratic state. "The time has come for the Iranian regime to collapse," said the writers, and called on the international community to support the people's struggle. Iranians in Europe protest against the regime (Image: April 25, 2025) The following are translated excerpts from these articles: Iranian Oppositionist: As Long as the Iranian Regime Exists, It Will Not Cease Its Repression, Terror And Pursuit Of Nuclear Weapons; The Solution Is For The People To Replace It In an article published on June 16, 2025, three days after Israel launched its offensive against Iran, Iranian oppositionist Nezam Mir Mohammadi stated that, as a result of this attack, the Iranian regime is now facing an existential threat. He urged the international community to take a firm stance against it, and to understand that it will never stop its terror and repression, so that the only choice is for the Iranian people to replace it. Mohammadi wrote: "The Iranian regime is at a dangerous turning point in light of escalating international and regional tensions. The resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors,[2] as well as Israel's military strike on the Natanz nuclear facility [and its elimination of] senior Iranian officials, have placed the regime in an embarrassing situation. Now it is trying to buy time and maneuver to avoid [further] confrontation, but it is facing unprecedented pressures that threaten its continued existence... "For over four decades the Iranian regime has relied on instigating wars by means of its proxies in the countries of the region, which turned it into a major source of chaos and instability. By politicizing [various] religious and Islamic-Arab causes, this regime managed to impose its influence on the region's countries and to embroil them in long-term conflicts… "The regime tries to use these tensions [in the region] to mobilize the Islamic countries and peoples to support it, but after 46 years of deception and concealment, the world now realizes the truth about it. This strategy, which was effective in the past, no longer works because the world [now] sees the regime turning against the interests of the region and of the Iranian people itself. "The Iranian regime currently faces two options: either succumb to the international demands by dismantling its nuclear program and [thus] lose one of its sources of strength, or continue the escalation, which will lead to a military confrontation that sources have called 'military suicide.' The Israeli attacks, as well as the exposure of the secret nuclear program by the [Iranian] opposition,[3] increased the regime's isolation in the international arena. Its insistence on continuing its policy of deception and of instigating crises left it at an impasse, for its mask has slipped, exposing its true face as a threat to the region's security… "The international community must reassess its policy toward Iran, with focus on [taking] a firm stance that will ensure the region's stability and security. Continuing its present policy could bring the [Iranian] regime to a disastrous confrontation, not only with the world but also with its [own] people. "The clerics who rule Iran have a rich record of deception and concealment, and were it not for the [information] exposed by the Iranian opposition over the past 34 years, they would have obtained nuclear weapons long ago. This regime has never met its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) or under UN Security Council Resolution 2231,[4] and has always used negotiations to buy time and [to try] to complete its nuclear program. "Obtaining a nuclear bomb, exporting terror and sparking foreign wars served this regime as a strategic [way to] guarantee its survival. Due to the great failures suffered by the regime and its proxies in the region over the past year, the nuclear program became even more vital to it. Experience proves that, as long as this regime exists, it will not cease its oppression, terror, export of extremism, instigation of wars and [advancement of] its nuclear program. The ultimate way to eliminate this terrorist tyranny, [that seeks to be] armed with a nuclear bomb, is for the Iranian people and opposition to replace this regime. And as thousands of lawmakers, leaders and senior political figures in various countries have declared, the international community must recognize the right of the Iranian people and the Iranian opposition to fight this regime and replace it."[5] Iranian Oppositionist: The Iranian People Will Continue Its Struggle Until The Regime Falls And A Free, Democratic Iran Is Established In an April 22, 2025 article, NCRI member Mehdi Oghbai noted that the renewal of nuclear negotiations between the Iranian regime and the West was frequently accompanied by a surge in the regime's execution of dissidents. He explained that this phenomenon stems from the regime's fear of a domestic uprising against it, and stressed that, despite the danger, the Iranian people will continue their struggle until they achieve their liberty. Oghbai wrote: "Amid the internal and external crises faced by the Iranian regime, there is a close and conspicuous connection between a rise in the number of executions and the start of new rounds of nuclear negotiations. This link is no coincidence. It is a calculated strategy [on the part of the regime] aimed at repressing the Iranian people and preventing the outbreak of a popular uprising as a result of the regime's weakness in these negotiations. In 2024 there was a significant surge in executions by the Iranian regime. By February there were 124 [executions], six times as many as in February 2023 (21 cases)… "The Iranian resistance renews its call for the UN, the EU countries and all the international organizations that defend human rights to condemn these barbaric executions and take immediate measures to save the lives of the prisoners sentenced to death, especially the political prisoners. "In his Eid Al-Fitr sermon, [Iran's Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei revealed his real fears, saying that the biggest threat [to Iran] was internal rather than external, namely, the possibility of popular revolutions and uprisings. This fear causes the regime to increase the rate of executions, especially of political prisoners, in order to intimidate the people and prevent any protest activity. The Iranian resistance, which represents the voice of the people yearning for liberty, underscores that these executions are a desperate attempt by the regime to survive amid the increasing pressures it is facing. "Khamenei himself described the nuclear negotiations as 'dishonorable,' which indicates that he realizes he will have to make concessions. These concessions, which reflect the regime's weakness and helplessness, are a clear message to the Iranian people, who are preparing to take this opportunity to rise up. This is why the regime resorts to executions as a means of repressing the public, in an attempt to stem the wave of protests it thinks may come… Suffering under the tyranny and oppression of this regime, the Iranian people see this moment as a historic opportunity to attain liberty and justice. "In sum, these developments reveal the distress of the Iranian regime, which is trying in vain to extinguish the embers of popular resistance. History teaches that no oppression, no matter how cruel, can stop a people determined to achieve its freedom. The Iranian resistance, which enjoys the support of the people, will keep struggling until this regime falls and a free and democratic Iran arises."[6] Iranian Oppositionist: The Time Has Come for the Iranian Regime to Collapse; The People Are Fed Up With It Just As They Were Fed Up With The Shah Following the attacks on Iran by Israel and the U.S., Iranian oppositionist Mahmoud Hakimian, a member of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the international community and the countries of the region to help the Iranian resistance topple the regime, which, he said, has spent four decades waging war in the region and deceiving the world at the negotiating table, and is now continuing on this destructive path. He wrote: "For the past four decades, the region has experienced wars and conflicts that have left a negative mark on the people who live there… The indisputable fact is that they all occurred following the establishment of the regime of the Islamic Republic, which is based on the extremist ideology of the Rule of the Jurisprudent. "The positive diplomatic efforts and the contacts held by the countries of the region and the international community with the Iranian regime did not prevent the outbreak of the wars [instigated by Iran]. Worse, with the passage of time these [wars] became much more bitter, destructive and dangerous to the peace and security of the region and the world… "Against the backdrop of the series of wars in the region, which ended with the fall of the Syrian regime and the curtailment of Hizbullah's military role in Lebanon, the most recent confrontation between Israel and the Iranian regime erupted in the context of Iran's nuclear program. This is a very grave confrontation that is likely to bring the region to the edge of an abyss. No matter what has been said or written about the circumstances of this confrontation, [it is clear that] the central and significant motivation for it is the policy of the Iranian regime and its [stubborn] adherence to its plans and its dubious path. Even if we assume that this confrontation will end, there is no guarantee that another war won't break out as long as this regime exists and adheres to its path. "No agreement with this regime, including a nuclear agreement, can influence its aggressive nature, now or in the future. When this regime rows weak, it keeps silent and presents itself as innocent; but if it senses that it has the upper hand and that the conditions are right, it will revert to its familiar pattern in the region and the world. [Then, the region and the world] will not be safe from its evil unless they support the legitimate struggle of the Iranian people for freedom, for a [new Iranian] regime that believes in human rights and coexistence, and for a non-nuclear Iran that maintains a separation between religion and state."[7] In an earlier article, Hakimian argued that today's popular resistance against the Iranian regime closely resembles the opposition against the Shah's regime in 1978, just before its collapse. He stated that the Iranian people, who have paid a heavy price for the regime's nuclear program, are tired of this and are no longer willing to do so, and that the time has come to overthrow the regime and to reforge Iran as a democracy. Hakimian wrote: "The rapid events and developments of the situation in Iran, especially the domestic developments, are reminiscent of 1978, the year preceding the fall of the Shah's regime, when everything was at an impasse. The regime [at that time] did everything in its power to ensure its survival, and even agreed to unprecedented concessions in order to stop the spread of the growing popular resistance. But [eventually], what happened, happened... and the regime had no choice but to face its bitter fate and collapse. "The similarity between 1978 and 2025 lies in the popular sense of rejection and hatred toward the regime, which have reached their peak… However, it is important to note that, in addition to the regime's acts of oppression [against its own people], which have crossed [every] line, the regime's foreign policy has also turned Iran into a source of terror that instigates wars and crises [abroad], thus harming Iran's reputation and standing in the international arena. This [too] has caused the people to be fed up with this regime and regard it as unfit to rule… "The main demand in Iran right now is for a regime change that will not allow the return of dictatorship. That is why the popular protests are increasing significantly, as well as the operations of the Resistance Units,[8] which the regime can no longer hide… The Iranian people, who became fed up with the previous regime [of the Shah] and saw no choice but to overthrow it, are now taking a similar stance toward [the current regime]… "What is clear is that the Iranian people, who suffered greatly because of the nuclear program and continue to suffer because of it, are not willing to sacrifice for a dubious program that has brought nothing but negative consequences for them and for Iran. This regime, which is heading for a disconnect with the world, is doing the same thing vis-à-vis its [own] people, who will apparently not allow it to remain. It is time for the Iranian regime to collapse. This is the moment to replace it, to support the Iranian people and resistance in overthrowing this terror-sponsoring regime, and to establish a democratic and popular government."[9]
Memri
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Arab Writers: Iran Is An Enemy Of The Arabs; By Attacking It, Israel Did The Job The Arabs Were Afraid Of
After Israeli launched its military operation against Iran and its nuclear facilities on June 13, 2025, all the Arab countries except for Syria rushed to condemn it and to express support for Iran, including countries whose relations with Iran are marked by tension and suspicion. For example, a statement from the Saudi foreign ministry condemned "the harsh Israeli attacks on the sister Iranian Islamic Republic," and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan hastened to phone his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to express his support.[1] The Emirati foreign ministry likewise issued a "stern" condemnation of "Israel's military attack" and expressed concern about further escalation and its impact on the security and stability of the region.[2] The Egyptian foreign ministry described the situation as "a very dangerous regional escalation, a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter and a direct threat to regional and international peace and security."[3] At a meeting of Jordan's National Security Council convened to discuss the implications of the Israeli attack, King Abdullah II described it as "a violation of international law… and of the sovereignty of the country," and declared that Jordan opposed anyone "turning it into an arena of war."[4] Conversely, liberal writers in these countries were outspoken in their support for Israel and for its attack on Iran, and expressed admiration of Israel's military capabilities, while noting that it is defending not only itself but the entire Middle East. The Israeli operation, they stressed, proved that the threats voiced by Iran against it over so many years were empty and hollow, and that Iran is merely "a paper tiger," as stated in the past by Saudi officials such as former foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal. Responding to Arabs who called to support Iran in its difficult hour because it is a protector of the Muslims and the Palestinians, these writers argued that, in actual fact, Iran has operated against Arab countries for years and massacred their citizens. Some also urged the Iranian people to seize the opportunity to rise up against the oppressive Iranian regime. This report reviews examples of this liberal discourse: Israel Has The Right To Attack Iran On June 12, one day before the Israeli attack on Iran, Emirati political analyst Salem Al-Ketbi wrote on the Saudi website Elaph: "Israel finds itself facing a blatant and unambiguous existential threat, given the verified intelligence about the progress of Iran's nuclear program and the development of its missile arsenal with direct support from China. In light of this escalation, a military strike appears to be a necessity rather than a strategic luxury. However, [a military strike by Israel] may not be sufficient to stop the Iranian project unless accompanied by large-scale American involvement and unprecedented international pressure. And so the major question remains: does the international community have the political will to bear the consequences of this confrontation, or will Western hesitation leave Israel and the entire region teetering on the edge of a nuclear storm that threatens everyone?"[5] Israel Dazzles The World With Amazing Campaigns, Makes Sacrifices For The Region And The World Many writers expressed admiration for the Israeli campaign, which began with a series of attacks on military targets across Iran. Saudi journalist Abdullah Al-Jadi' wrote: "Israel is dazzling the world in the full sense of the word: fronts are lighting up everywhere, [with] unprecedented infiltrations and high-quality operations unlike anything the world has known before. Yet despite this, some [supporters of the] Muslim Brotherhood keep repeating that [Israel] is drowning in the sands of Gaza."[6] Some writers thanked Israel for its operation against Iran, saying that this country has for years caused great harm in many Arab countries, but they did nothing to stop it. Hence, the Israeli attack benefits the Arabs and even humanity as a whole. Saudi journalist Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khames wrote on X that "Netanyahu has done what none of the Arabs have." He also shared an eight-minute video in which he said that Iran has harmed the Arabs for years, interfering in their countries' affairs and destroyed them, but despite this it was never punished and never suffered, but rather managed to expand, spread and increase its power in the region. This, he added, went on "until Allah brought the Arabs Netanyahu," who managed to attack the bases of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria, thus paving the way to the fall of the Assad regime, and also managed to attack Hizbullah in Lebanon. "Netanyahu is doing what the Arabs and all their leaders never managed to do in the past," he wrote. "He has managed to grant the Arabs many gifts and to weaken Iran."[7] Emirati activist Loay Alshareef posted in English: "Israel is not fighting on its behalf, Israel is fighting on behalf of humanity."[8] Brave Israel Is Liberating The Middle East From Terrorism; This Is A Gift To The Region And To Humanity As A Whole Some of the writers who praised Israel for its operation and expressed total support for it wrote that, while Israel attacks military facilities, Iran deliberately attacks Israeli civilians. Kuwaiti liberal Jasem Ak-Juraid shared pictures of devastation caused to residential neighborhoods in Israel, and commented: "I am Kuwaiti and I say that Israel attacks nuclear facilities and terrorists [while] the despicable Mullah regime kills innocent people of different races using imprecise ballistic missiles. Terror is clearly Khamenei's conduct and way of life, [whereas] Israel wants comprehensive peace in the region and sacrifices [greatly] to eliminate terrorism. [I feel nothing but] solidarity with Israel, its people and its army." Al-Juraid ended his post with an Israeli flag emoji. In another post, accompanied by the same emoji, he wrote: "Brave Israel is doing a humanitarian service to the Middle East by destroying the fascist nuclear facilities of the Supreme Leader of occupied Iran." Al-Juraid also posted in Hebrew, writing: "You [Israelis] are a great people that has suffered much at the hands of the fascist Iranian regime. You are the ones liberating the Middle East from terrorism. I wish the Israeli people security and victory. What you are doing is a gift to the Middle East and to humanity at large. As always, I feel solidarity with you and love you, [both the Israeli] people and [your] army." In another post he added: "Can a single operation lasting several hours completely destroy nuclear infrastructures? Nobody has ever achieved such a brilliant accomplishment… Israel dazzles the world and we wish it and its people security."[9] One of Jasem Al-Juraid's posts Bahraini liberal Amjad Taha wrote in English: "Iran is violating international law by entering the airspace of sovereign nations without permission to target and kill children. Right now, as babies and women in Israel stand on the frontlines of humanity, the Islamist regime in Iran unleashes terror, striking schools, hospitals, and homes in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. We condemn this wickedness…"[10] Iran Is A Paper Tiger Several writers stated that the success of the Israeli attacks in Iran prove that the latter's threats over the years to destroy Israel were hollow and show that it is merely a paper tiger – as senior Saudi officials have said in the past, among them former foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal and former intelligence chief and ambassador to the U.S. Turki Al-Faisal. Saudi writer Jihad Al-Obaid posted a picture of a paper tiger and wrote: "For more than 18 hours, Israel has been attacking sensitive targets and military bases [in Iran], eliminating military commanders and prominent scientists, and destroying radar, missile launchers and nuclear facilities, while Tehran has been watching helplessly, unable to do anything but make empty boasts. Those are the [true] capabilities of Iran, which has been threatening to wipe Israel off the map and liberate Jerusalem for over 40 years."[11] Jihad Al-Obaid's post Moroccan security expert Abd Al-Haq Al-Sanaibi wrote on X: "The Israeli attack in Iran will reveal that the Safavid entity [i.e., Iran] is a 'paper tiger,' as one of the Saudi princes called it. This is the end of the myth of [Iran's slogan] 'death to Israel and death to America'…"[12] Emirati political analyst Salem Al-Ketbi wrote: "History has no mercy and geography offers no protection. Whoever thinks the mountains will protect Iran from an Israeli attack should remember how regimes and countries stronger [than Iran] fell at decisive moments. As the confrontation continues, Iran becomes like a person digging his grave with his own hands. The sanctions are eroding its economy and the attacks are emptying its warehouses while its leaders hide in tunnels. The difference between Israel and Iran is that Israel takes the initiative and attacks whenever it wants, while Iran has nothing but cries and empty threats. This is exactly what happened during the recent night of missile attacks. Whoever counts on the strong position of the Mullah regime is like someone who bets on a losing horse in a race already run. Every passing day brings [the Mullahs] closer to the inescapable moment of truth [and to] a resounding collapse."[13] Iran Fights Against The Muslims And The Arabs, Not For Them Some of the writers rejected claims made by supporters of Iran, that it deserves assistance and support for the sacrifices it has made for the sake of the Palestinians and the Arabs. They retorted that Iran acts only in its own interests and has, in fact, harmed Arabs and Muslims. Saudi online activist Abd Al-Karim Al-Awad responded to a post by Algerian commentator Hafid Al-Derradji, who called to support Iran because it is a Muslim country. Al-Awad wrote: "Where were your conscience and manliness when Iran and its militias were killing Sunnis in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen[?] Where was your conscience when Iran was destroying [these] four Arab countries[?] Where was your conscience when Iran was displacing over ten million Syrians from their country[?] Where was your conscience when Iran was sowing corruption, killing, slaughtering and bombing… A dog is a dog even if covered in gold." [14] Saudi writer Saleh Al-Fahid wrote: "Iran is fighting just to defend its nuclear program, not for the sake of the Palestinians or Muslims. When Gaza was being pulverized, the Iranians did not fight for its people, tens of thousands of whom were killed. The attempt of some of Iran's supporters to paint [its] confrontation [with Israel] as anything but a struggle over nuclear power is an act of deception and misleading."[15] In another post he wrote: "The biggest lie being spread by [Iran's] proxies and tools is that it is fighting Israel today to advance the Palestinian cause and support Gaza. That is clearly untrue. The war has broken out because Israel bombed and attacked Iran and eliminated its military commanders and nuclear scientists in order to keep it from completing its nuclear program. Iran did not fire a single bullet until 12 hours later. This means that Iran is not fighting on anyone's behalf, but was forced to respond to a massive and extremely painful Israeli attack."[16] Egyptian liberal Amr Bakly wrote: "As far as I am concerned, no excuse is more despicable and crooked than citing international law and legitimacy to defend the legitimacy of the Iranian regime. For 45 years, [Iran has been responsible for] terror, crimes and assassinations on four continents, and for thousands of victims, and then some political novices come along and speak to us about international law and sovereignty. This regime, and its supporters who are defending it, can go to hell."[17] Egyptian liberal and author Amr Bakly rejected the claim that with its attack Israel was violating international law and wrote: "There is no more pathetic and warped logic than employing the law and international legitimacy to defend the legitimacy of the Iranian regime. For 45 years [Iran has orchestrated] terrorism, crime and assassinations on four continents, which claimed hundreds of thousands of victims and then a few political novices come along and talk about international law and sovereignty. If only this regime and its supporters would all go to hell."[18] Calls For The Iranian People to Rise Up Against The Regime Bahraini media figure Ahdeya Ahmed Al-Sayed urged the Iranians to take advantage of the weakness of the Iranian regime following the attacks and bring it down. In an English post on her X account she wrote: "Following Israeli airstrikes in Tehran that killed the IRGC commander, top officials, and nuclear scientists — and severely injured Khamenei's advisor and Iran's Chief of Staff – the Iranian people face a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise and end 46 years of terrorism and tyranny"[19] Criticism Of The Arabs: Their Hatred Of Israel Blinds Them To What Iran Has Done To Their Brethren Egyptian liberal Dalia Ziada criticized the Egyptian media for mobilizing in support of Iran, "the greatest enemy of the Arabs," just because Israel is the one fighting against it, and claimed that this media ignores Iran's crimes and the damages it has caused to Arab countries, among them to Egypt itself. She posted on X, in Arabic and in English: Egyptian liberal Dalia Ziada wrote in Arabic and English: "The animosity toward Israel has so thoroughly consumed the Egyptian perspective that it has obscured reason and clouded judgment. The Egyptian media, state-affiliated digital platforms, social media trolls, and much of the Egyptian public have expressed a strikingly disproportionate alignment with Iran! An alignment that defies logic when viewed against the backdrop of Iran's long-standing hostility toward Egypt. "It is worth recalling that Iran, since 1981, honored the assassin of the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by naming a major street in Tehran after him; a move that stood uncorrected for over four decades. Only two days before the recent conflict between Israel and Iran erupted, this affront was quietly reversed following the Iranian Foreign Minister's strange visit to Cairo last month, where he shared a symbolic meal of koshary downtown Cairo, and engaged with senior officials, including three former Egyptian foreign ministers among them was Amr Moussa, the most prominent Arab diplomat of his era (and the one guilty of originating the diplomatic hostile rhetoric against Israel that Egyptians and most Arabs still use until today)! "Equally troubling is the role of the Iran-backed #Houthi militia, whose repeated assaults on shipping in the Red Sea have inflicted substantial economic harm on Egypt. These disruptions have significantly diminished revenues from the Suez Canal, a critical artery of Egypt's economy and a vital source of dollars and national income. It is also worth remembering the death and displacement inflicted by Iran's militias and proxies upon your fellow Arabs across #Iraq, #Syria, #Lebanon, #Yemen, and beyond. You, the Egyptian people, rose in protest and grief for #Gaza. Yet, not once have you raised your voice against Iran's brutal actions in these other Arab lands. Why? Because it is Iran, not Israel, that is killing your Arab brothers and sisters. So, it is acceptable!! Hatred - hatred of Israel and the Jews - has blinded your eyes and hearts and closed your minds to the point that you have decided to stand in solidarity with the worst enemy of the Arabs (the Iranian regime) simply because the one fighting them is Israel! Shame on You! Wake up, Egyptians. "[20]
