Putting aside my daily business reporting duties, I want to briefly rant about the second Iranian attack on the occupying state of Israel, this time using ballistic missiles. Criticism is welcome.
The last time they used drones, but this time it was a prominent attack that captured the imagination of the world. Iran was not afraid to attack Israel; the Iranians did not have any fear in their hearts. This is the profile of Iran, or Pakistan as it should have been.
We must applaud Iran for its Islamic revolution and for having achieved this level of technological advancement, to be able to manufacture hypersonic missiles flying at such tremendous speed that invalidated the Iron Dome’s so-called “David’s Sling”. This is a great achievement for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Significance of Having Russia As A Buddy
Russia also has these hypersonic missiles, so now there appears to be some measure of collaboration and cooperation between Iran and Russia. They are allies, and this is what should be the relationship of the entire world of Islam with Russia.
Russia is a natural ally for all Muslim countries. This remark may cause anger in the West and among the supporters of the Western world who are part of Pakistan’s state machinery, but it is not my purpose to please them. No, I have to speak in accordance with the truth. I am not a scholar of Islam, but also not a terrorist. I have procrastinated many nights to come up with this short analysis. If we don’t have the freedom to speak, then to those who want to silence us, I say shame on you. Shame on you for not allowing me to speak.
Power is Tricky Business
However, I am allowed to speak online. I have been part of the business reporting ecosystem of this country for many years, and the government has tried its best to place obstacles in my way to speak (internet outages, regulatory reforms, etc). But I cannot speak to a television in Pakistan, my own Pakistan, because those who control power in Pakistan would not allow me the freedom to speak openly. And so, here we part ways with our own people who prevent us from having the freedom to speak, whereas others, like in Iran and Lebanon, allow us this freedom.
Back to our subject, while we commend Iran for its courage in replying to Israeli terrorism in the assassination of the head of the Islamic resistance in Gaza, the assassination of the head of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, and the killing of almost 50,000 Muslims and Christians in Lebanon and Gaza, we commend Iran for having responded with such courage. We pray that Allah might protect them.
Will Israel Respond?
What is likely to come out of this now? What is Israel’s likely response? My view, and I hope I am wrong, is that Israel does not want war with Iran at this time. War with Iran now could bring about a collapse of the world economy because oil is the largest traded commodity in the world economy today; it moves the world economy. If there is a war with Iran, it will collapse the oil economy around the world, and there will be plenty of blame for Israel. The United States would also take a significant hit if such a thing were to happen, so they are likely to restrain Israel. The United States is now in a stage where it is begging Israel not to escalate because the consequences would be terrible for them.
Pakistan’s Role
If Israel does end up attacking Iran, it should be effortless for Pakistan to defend its neighbor. Iran is emerging as a long-term strategic sovereign in the region, in fact, the true leader of the Islamic world. However, it is tough to determine whether the US would allow it. After all, our ruling class doesn’t hide its subservience to the powers that hold Washington hostage.
So, I believe Israel will not respond with war against Iran at this moment, at least not directly. Maybe there will be acts of terrorism by the occupying entity, as seen in the past—assassinations and so on. The same old story continues, as it was in the past. May we triumph against such forces of anarchy.
This analysis has been derived from lectures of Trinidad-based Islamic scholar and commentator Sheikh Imran Hosein.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ProPakistani. The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice. ProPakistani does not endorse any products, services, or opinions mentioned in the article.