Latest news with #ShiiteIslam
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
I'm a Christian pastor who was born in Egypt. Here are 3 facts I learned about Iran's nuclear obsession
I grew up in a Christian community in Egypt. Like many other families, we suffered firsthand under the oppressive rule of the Islamo-socialist regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser, chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council of Egypt. Later, Nasser's military dictatorship controlled every aspect of our lives. As a young man, I escaped the repression of Nasser's Egypt and made my way to freedom in America. Having lived under Islamo-socialism in Egypt, I have a deep compassion for the suffering people of Iran. They only want to live in peace. But the leaders of Iran are committed to a death-cult ideology—and to a nuclear showdown with Western civilization. Here are three key facts that show why Iran's radical clerics will never abandon their nuclear obsession: Fact No. 1: A nuclear-armed Iran cannot be deterred by Cold War nuclear doctrines. During the Cold War, the logic of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) kept nuclear superpowers in check. Every president, premier, and prime minister knew that launching a nuclear attack would invite annihilation. I've heard people say, "We're already living with a nuclear-armed North Korea and a nuclear-armed Pakistan. Would a nuclear-armed Iran be any worse?" In fact, a nuclear-armed Iran would be infinitely worse. The reason is that Shiite Islam—the ruling ideology in Iran—makes Cold War doctrines of deterrence obsolete. Here's why: Fact No. 2: Iran's leaders have a religious incentive to launch Armageddon. I've spent countless hours talking to Sunni and Shiite Muslims in the Middle East. I also studied cultural anthropology at Emory University, with a focus on radical Islamic movements. My research was published in a textbook, "Revolt against Modernity." I believe it's vitally important that we in the West understand Islamic history and Islamic beliefs. Islam is divided into several sects, most notably Sunnis and Shiites. In 1501, the Safavid rulers of the Persian Empire declared Twelver Shiite Islam the official state religion, distinguishing Persia from its Sunni neighbors. After Persia was renamed Iran in 1935, Twelver Shiism remained the official faith. Twelver Shiism is the largest branch of Shia Islam, and is defined by its belief in twelve divinely ordained Imams (rightful successors to Muhammad). The last Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, supposedly went into occultation (a miraculously hidden state) in the 9th century. Twelvers claim the Mahdi will one day reappear to establish global justice. Many of Iran's clerics fervently believe that, before the Mahdi can be revealed, an apocalyptic battle must be fought between faithful Muslims and the forces of evil. As a result, some Iranian leaders—and possibly the Ayatollah himself—are motivated to trigger a nuclear war to fulfill the ancient prophecies and force the appearance of the hidden Mahdi. Iran officially denies having a nuclear weapons program. In October 2003, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, issued a fatwa stating that nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islam. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), however, claims Iran has enough highly enriched uranium to build nine nuclear warheads. Shiite Islam invented a religious/judicial doctrine called Taqiyya, which necessitates deceiving your enemies until you have the upper hand. The recent attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran's nuclear facilities have dealt a serious setback to the clerics' nuclear ambitions—but don't be misled. Iran's Twelver Shiite clerics will never abandon their fanatical dream of launching a final war and revealing the long-hidden Mahdi. Fact No. 3: A nuclear-armed Iran threatens not only Israel, but all of Western civilization. Iran has shown that its missiles are capable of penetrating Israel's Iron Dome defense systems. Imagine if those missiles carried nuclear warheads! Even more troubling, Iran is aggressively developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) through its space launch vehicle (SLV) program. The director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, told Congress that Iran could use its SLV program to work "toward an ICBM capability." Whenever Iran tests a satellite launch vehicle, it's flexing its ability to threaten Europe and North America. The Iranian clerics have made their goal clear: "Death to Israel! Death to America!" But we in the West do not seek the death of Iran. We only want the Iranian people to be free from theocratic oppression. The people of Iran have repeatedly risen up against the Islamist regime—the 1999 Student Protests, the 2019 "Bloody November" protests, the 2022 women's rights protests, and many others. Each time the people rose up, the government brutally extinguished their cries for freedom. I trust and hope that another uprising comes soon, and that the people of Iran achieve their liberation. And I also hope that the leaders of the United States, Europe, and Israel do everything in their power to speed the arrival of that day.
Shafaq News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Syria denies restrictions at Sayyida Zainab shrine
Shafaq News - Damascus On Saturday, Syria's Ministry of Religious Endowments dismissed as unfounded reports claiming the Sayyida Zainab shrine was closed or that Ashura rituals had been banned. The ministry's media office clarified to Shafaq News that the shrine remains open and that religious ceremonies continue as scheduled, following unverified social media posts circulating at the start of Muharram, alleging state-imposed restrictions. Sayyida Zainab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad and sister of Imam Hussein, is a revered figure in Shiite Islam. Her shrine in southern Damascus draws large numbers of pilgrims during Muharram — the first month of the Islamic calendar — when Shiite Muslims commemorate the killing of Imam Hussein at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Ashura, observed on the tenth day of Muharram, is among the most significant dates in the Shiite religious calendar and attracts thousands of visitors to shrines like Sayyida Zainab's.
Kuwait Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
In a Pakistan valley, a small revolution among women
In a sawdust-filled workshop nestled in the Karakoram Mountains, a team of women carpenters chisel away at cabinets -- and forge an unlikely career for themselves in Pakistan. Women make up just a fraction of Pakistan's formal workforce. But in a collection of villages sprinkled along the old Silk Road between China and Afghanistan, a group of women-led businesses is defying expectations. "We have 22 employees and have trained around 100 women," said Bibi Amina, who launched her carpentry workshop in 2008 at the age of 30. Hunza Valley's population of around 50,000, spread across mountains abounding with apricot, cherry, walnut and mulberry orchards, follow the Ismaili branch of Shiite Islam. Ismailis are led by the Aga Khan, a hereditary position held by a family with Pakistani roots now living in Europe. The family opened a girls' school in Hunza in 1946, kickstarting an educational investment that pushed the valley's literacy rate to 97 percent for both men and women. That rate far outstrips the country average of around 68 percent for men and 52.8 percent for women. As a result, attitudes have shifted, and women like Amina are taking expanded roles. "People thought women were there to wash dishes and do laundry," Amina said of the generation before her. Trained by the Aga Khan Foundation to help renovate the ancient Altit Fort, Amina later used her skills to start her own business. Her carpenters are currently at work on a commission from a luxury hotel. Pioneers Only 23 percent of the women in Pakistan were officially part of the labour force as of 2024, according to data from the World Bank. In rural areas, women rarely take on formal employment but often toil in the fields to support the family's farming income. In a Gallup poll published last year, a third of women respondents said their father or husband forbade them from taking a job, while 43.5 percent said they had given up work to devote themselves to domestic tasks. Cafe owner Lal Shehzadi spearheaded women's restaurant entrepreneurship in Hunza. She opened her cafe at the top of a winding high street to supplement her husband's small army pension. Sixteen years later, her simple set-up overlooking the valley has become a popular night-time tourist attraction. She serves visitors traditional cuisine, including yak meat, apricot oil and rich mountain cheese. "At the start, I used to work alone," she said. "Now, 11 people work here and most of them are women. And my children are also working here." Following in Shehzadi's footsteps, Safina quit her job to start her own restaurant around a decade ago. "No one wanted to help me," she said. Eventually, she convinced family members to sell two cows and a few goats for the money she needed to launch her business. Now, she earns the equivalent of around $170 a month, more than 15 times her previous income. Farming to football The socio-economic progress of women in Hunza compared to other rural areas of Pakistan has been driven by three factors, according to Sultan Madan, the head of the Karakoram Area Development Organisation and a local historian. "The main reason is the very high literacy rate," he told AFP, largely crediting the Aga Khan Foundation for funding training programmes for women. "Secondly, agriculture was the backbone of the economy in the region, but in Hunza the landholding was meagre and that was why women had to work in other sectors." Women's increased economic participation has spilled into other areas of life, like sports fields. "Every village in the valley has a women's soccer team: Gojal, Gulmit, Passu, Khyber, Shimsal," said Nadia Shams, 17. On a synthetic pitch, she trains with her teammates in jogging pants or shorts, forbidden elsewhere by Pakistan's dress code. Here, one name is on everyone's lips: Malika-e-Noor, the former vice-captain of the national team who scored the winning penalty against the Maldives in the 2010 South Asian Women's Football Championship. Fahima Qayyum was six years old when she witnessed the killer kick. Today, after several international matches, she is recruiting the next generation. "As a girl, I stress to others the importance of playing, as sport is very good for health," she told AFP. "If they play well, they can also get scholarships."--AFP
The Star
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Pakistan shuts border with Iran as Tehran trades strikes with Israel
Pakistani security personnel check the documents of people who came from Iran at the Pakistan-Iran border in Taftan on June 16, 2025. Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with neighbouring Iran for an indefinite period, provincial officials said on June 16, as Israel and Iran trade intense strikes and threaten further attacks. - AFP QUETTA: Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with neighbouring Iran for an indefinite period, provincial officials said on Monday (June 15), as Israel and Iran trade intense strikes and threaten further attacks. "Border facilities in all five districts - Chaghi, Washuk, Panjgur, Kech and Gwadar - have been suspended," Qadir Bakhsh Pirkani, a senior official in Balochistan province, which borders Iran, told AFP. Crossing into Iran "has been suspended until further notice", said Atta ul Munim, an official at one of the crossings in Chaghi district. However, there was "no ban on trade" activities at the border and Pakistani nationals needing to return to their the country from Iran can cross, he added. "We're expecting around 200 Pakistani students coming today," Atta said. On Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said 450 Pakistani pilgrims were evacuated from Iran, with more to follow, as well as from Iraq - the two countries hosting the holiest sites in Shiite Islam. Pakistan, the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons, said on Friday it "stands in solidarity with the Government and the people of Iran" against strikes by Israel, which both Islamabad and Tehran do not recognise. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that the world "should be wary and apprehensive about Israel's nuclear prowess" and accused it of lacking "any international nuclear discipline". Israel is the Middle East's only nuclear power, although undeclared. Media reports have said Pakistan may support Tehran if the conflict was to widen, but officials in Islamabad have reiterated that their country is only showing "moral and diplomatic solidarity". Predominantly Sunni Pakistan shares a more than 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Shiite-majority Iran. The relationship between the two neighbours has been complex, with Pakistan often wary of US-led sanctions on Tehran and also mindful of its ties with Riyadh, which has repeatedly helped rescue its economy by rolling over overdue debts. Bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around US$3 billion and officials have vowed to boost it to US$10 billion in the coming years. - AFP
NDTV
16-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Pakistan Shuts Border With Iran As Tehran Trades Strikes With Israel
Islamabad: Pakistan has closed all its border crossings with neighbouring Iran for an indefinite period, provincial officials said on Monday, as Israel and Iran trade intense strikes and threaten further attacks. "Border facilities in all five districts -- Chaghi, Washuk, Panjgur, Kech and Gwadar -- have been suspended," Qadir Bakhsh Pirkani, a senior official in Balochistan province, which borders Iran, told AFP. Crossing into Iran "has been suspended until further notice", said Atta ul Munim, an official at one of the crossings in Chaghi district. However, there was "no ban on trade" activities at the border and Pakistani nationals needing to return to their the country from Iran can cross, he added. "We're expecting around 200 Pakistani students coming today," Atta said. On Sunday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said 450 Pakistani pilgrims were evacuated from Iran, with more to follow, as well as from Iraq -- the two countries hosting the holiest sites in Shiite Islam. Pakistan, the only Muslim-majority country with nuclear weapons, said on Friday it "stands in solidarity with the Government and the people of Iran" against strikes by Israel, which both Islamabad and Tehran do not recognise. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday warned that the world "should be wary and apprehensive about Israel's nuclear prowess" and accused it of lacking "any international nuclear discipline". Israel is the Middle East's only nuclear power, although undeclared. Media reports have said Pakistan may support Tehran if the conflict was to widen, but officials in Islamabad have reiterated that their country is only showing "moral and diplomatic solidarity". Predominantly Sunni Pakistan shares a more than 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Shiite-majority Iran. The relationship between the two neighbours has been complex, with Pakistan often wary of US-led sanctions on Tehran and also mindful of its ties with Riyadh, which has repeatedly helped rescue its economy by rolling over overdue debts. Bilateral trade between the two countries stands at around $3 billion and officials have vowed to boost it to $10 billion in the coming years.
