Despite ethnic, religious, and political differences, Islamic countries share a common fate. When an enemy targets a large group, the security of the members of that group is naturally tied to each other. If we look at the situation in the Islamic world today, we see that war, sanctions, economic pressure, media war, and insecurity in one country sooner or later affect other countries. A large part of the policy of Western powers towards the Islamic world is a policy of pressure and containment; sometimes with economic sanctions, sometimes with military threats, sometimes with media war, and sometimes by supporting extremist movements and creating divisions among Muslims.
Media War; Battle for Minds
One of the most important tools in this war is the media. Today, Persian-language networks outside Iran have a wide audience. According to a 2023 survey by the Gaman Institute, among Iranians who followed news about the protests, 57 percent followed Iran International, 30 percent followed Menuto, 26 percent followed BBC Persian, and 20 percent followed Voice of America Persian.
This statistic alone does not prove that all of these media outlets have a single policy, but it shows the significant influence that Persian-language media outlets outside the country have gained in the Iranian public opinion space. In the case of Iran International, the Associated Press has also introduced it as a Persian-language network based in London and strongly critical of the Iranian government, and reports have also been published about its ownership and financial connections.
Why has the pressure backfired?
But the important question is: with this amount of pressure, sanctions, and media war, why hasn’t Iran collapsed?
One of the important reasons for this is the will of the people, the spirit of resistance, and the faith that exists in a large part of Iranian society. A nation that has been under sanctions and pressure for years, but has still managed to maintain its political, economic and military structure, has shown that external pressure does not always have the desired results of its designers.
When some Islamic capitals choose Washington instead of Jerusalem
But on the other hand, the issue is more painful; instead of taking an independent stance against external pressure and the issue of Palestine and Gaza, some Muslim countries have in many cases moved towards close cooperation with the United States and the West.
For example, during Donald Trump’s visit to the UAE on May 15, 2025, he was welcomed at the Al Watan Palace in Abu Dhabi with a traditional Al Ayalah ceremony. In this ceremony, Emirati women participated by moving their hair in harmony alongside the traditional performance of men. This ceremony is an Emirati cultural tradition, the images of which received much attention in the media during Trump’s visit.
The issue is not with the cultural ceremony itself; The problem is that parts of the Muslim world are maintaining such close ties with American leaders at a time when Palestine and Gaza are under the pressure of war and destruction, and this is questionable for many Muslims.
The Kaaba Kiswa and the Unanswered Question
Another example is the Kaaba Kiswa and Jeffrey Epstein; a much more religiously sensitive issue.
According to documents released in the Jeffrey Epstein case, there were correspondences in 2017 about sending three pieces of fabric related to the Kaaba to Epstein. The documents identify these pieces as a piece of fabric related to the interior of the Kaaba, part of the outer Kaaba Kiswa, and another piece of the same material and manufacturer. Reports published based on the case documents say that these pieces were transferred to Epstein in the United States through connections related to the Emirates.
This point should be made precisely: we are talking about three pieces attributed to the Kiswa and fabrics related to the Kaaba, not that the “entire Kaaba curtain” was sent to Epstein.
But this also raises a big question: how did something that has a sacred and spiritual status for millions of Muslims around the world end up in the personal collection of someone like Jeffrey Epstein?
American Islam; a name that is silent in the face of oppression
This is where the discussion of “American Islam” comes into play; an Islam that may have the name Islam, but remains silent in the face of oppression and occupation and coordinates its policy with the great powers.
If Muslims become indifferent to each other in the face of oppression, the common enemy can take advantage of these differences. Today it is Palestine, tomorrow Lebanon, the day after tomorrow Iran or any other country. The security of no Islamic country is ensured in a vacuum.
Palestine; an issue that does not belong only to the Palestinians
For this reason, the issue of Palestine is not only the issue of the Palestinians; The Gaza issue is not just an issue for the people of Gaza; the security of Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Arab countries is also inseparable. The fate of Islamic nations is intertwined.
In such circumstances, figures like martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and martyr Ismail Haniyeh were not just figures of a movement or a country for millions of Muslims; they became symbols of resistance against occupation and foreign pressure. In the eyes of their supporters, their martyrdom was not just the loss of an individual, but the loss of part of the human and political capital of the Islamic world.
From natural differences to fabricated enmity
But today, more than ever, it is necessary to understand that the differences between Shiites and Sunnis, Arabs and non-Arabs, Iranians and Arabs, Afghans and Pakistanis, should not turn into enmity among Muslims themselves.
Differences of opinion are natural; but when Muslims turn on each other and ignore the enmity of foreign powers, the result will be nothing but the weakening of all Islamic nations.
Islamic unity does not mean that all Muslims have the same thought; Rather, it means that Muslims, despite their differences, stand for their common interests in the face of oppression, occupation, humiliation, and foreign interference.
last word
Today, the Islamic world needs awareness, honor, independence, rationality and will more than anything else. Our security is not separate from each other's security. The enemy gains more power when he can separate one nation from another; But when the Muslim nations realize that their fate is tied to each other, the equation will change.
Security is shared, destiny is shared, and the future of the Islamic world will not be built without the cooperation and awakening of Muslims.
