Dancing on the Rubble of Syria: The Price of Being Used as Pawns in a Global Game

By Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan, Tr. New Age Islam 20 December 2024 The Puppeteers of Power: How Global Agendas Use Religion for Geopolitical Gain “In Syria, Some People Are Repeatedly Shown On The Media Dancing With Joy Over The So-Called Revolution. We Had Heard Of Dancing On The Enemy's Corpses, But It Is Shocking To See People Dancing On The Bodies Of Their Own Country And The Erasure Of Their Identity. This Scene Also Demonstrates The Cunning Of Those Who Use Religion As A Weapon And The Power Of Propaganda Machinery. Your Country's Map Is Being Altered, Its Identity Is Being Erased, Basic Infrastructure And Amenities Are Being Taken From You, Your Nation Is Being Pushed Back To The Stone Age, The Ones Who Cut People's Throats Are Taking Control Of Your Land, And Yet, You Are Lost In Dance!” ----- New Age Islam is presenting an English translation of an Urdu article written by Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan. This article sheds light on the harsh reality of the ongoing crisis in Syria and urges people worldwide not to fall victim to becoming pawns for extremists who manipulate religion for their own agendas. The article lays bare the devastating impact of the Syrian conflict, highlighting the role of global powers in exploiting the situation, and how extremist organizations have risen, driven by a broader strategy of controlling resources and advancing political interests. It further acknowledges that while Islamic sources do discuss Jihad, these narratives were historically intended for situations of extreme oppression and self-preservation, not for political conquest. Sadly, these teachings have been hijacked by extremists, who are nothing more than pawns in the larger game of global power. Muslim scholars bear the responsibility not only to challenge these extremist interpretations but also to clarify that religious sources are being manipulated by those who are being used as mere tools in a geopolitical power struggle. This article serves as a stark reminder of the perils of being used by external forces and underscores the urgent need for a global order rooted in justice, not power. ---- The Fall of Syria, Civil War, and Possible Division By Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan Translated from Urdu by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam The modern state of Syria was established on September 28, 1941, following its independence from France. However, complete sovereignty was achieved on April 17, 1946, a day now celebrated as Syria’s Independence Day. The Alawite family, which came to power through Hafez al-Assad, has ruled Syria since 1970. Hafez al-Assad seized power through a military coup on November 13, 1970, and remained president until 2000. After him, his son Bashar al-Assad assumed power and remained in office until December 8, 2024. Once the most developed country in the Middle East, with a literacy rate of approximately 95%, Syria has been devastated since 2011 due to foreign interventions, financial and military support to extremist religious organizations, and ongoing civil war. After the fall of Damascus on December 8, 2024, a significant portion of Syria fell under the control of the extremist organization "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," led by Ahmad Hussein al-Sharieh, known by his military alias Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. The name "Jolani" refers to the Golan Heights, his ancestral homeland. Al-Jolani held senior positions in Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Al-Nusra, and the Islamic State (ISIS), often serving as the second-in-command in nearly all these organizations. He eventually broke away from Al-Qaeda, opting to operate as an independent entity, which led to open conflict between Al-Nusra and the Islamic State. In May 2013, the U.S. Department of State designated Al-Jolani as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" and announced a $10 million bounty for his capture. However, today, both Al-Jolani and his organization, "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," have been removed from the list of terrorist organizations, despite groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Al-Nusra continuing to be listed as global terrorist entities. These organizations are notorious for the mass killings of religious minorities and civilians, sectarian violence, rapes of women and girls, sexual enslavement, and their sale in open markets. Regular markets were set up in border areas between Turkey and Syria, where women and girls were traded like animals. The inhumane atrocities committed by these terrorists are infamous worldwide, yet the silence of the international community regarding these crimes remains astonishing. The unrest that was fueled in Syria in 2011 saw active participation from the United States, Western countries, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. These nations provided billions of dollars, weapons, and training to terrorist organizations to pursue their political and economic interests. The concept of the "Muslim Ummah" is often mentioned, and claims of unity within the Islamic world are frequently made, but the reality is quite the opposite. When impartial historians document the past, the role of these countries in Syria's destruction will not be overlooked. It is an acknowledged fact that Iraq, Libya, and Syria were secular nations, far ahead of other Islamic countries in terms of basic amenities, education, healthcare, medicine, and gender equality. However, today, these nations have fallen into the grip of religious extremists, leaving them devastated and reduced to ruins. After World War II, and particularly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States and its allies established dominance under the banner of the "New World Order." They dictate where democracy will prevail, where monarchy will be maintained, and where military rule will govern. These nations support various systems based on their own interests. Democracy is undoubtedly a better system than autocracy, monarchy, or dictatorship. Today, democracy stands as the best governance system, with no viable alternative. However, every nation’s people should have the right to bring about peaceful and democratic changes within their own country. The international community should support opposition parties wherever autocracy, monarchy, or military rule exists, to enable change through the ballot rather than the bullet. Change achieved through voting is not only enduring but also genuinely beneficial. Powerful nations use media houses and propaganda machinery to run campaigns for or against any country or ruler. These campaigns pave the way for military intervention and war. The destruction in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Syria follows the same pattern. The operation against Saddam Hussein resulted in the deaths of millions of Iraqis and displaced millions more. Later, it was admitted that the claims about Saddam possessing weapons of mass destruction were false. But who will bear the cost of these wars? The same story was repeated in Libya, Afghanistan, and Syria. The statements of former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry serve as proof of the support that Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS, and other such organizations received in their emergence. Today, Al-Jolani is being portrayed as a "hero," with interviews of him being aired on CNN, and extremist groups around the world celebrating in his support. The similarity between the Taliban's flag in Afghanistan and the flag placed on the table of Syria's interim Prime Minister Mohammad al-Bashir reflects that, in this entire game, he is nothing more than a pawn. In Syria, some people are repeatedly shown on the media dancing with joy over the so-called revolution. We had heard of dancing on the enemy's corpses, but it is shocking to see people dancing on the bodies of their own country and the erasure of their identity. This scene also demonstrates the cunning of those who use religion as a weapon and the power of propaganda machinery. Your country's map is being altered, its identity is being erased, basic infrastructure and amenities are being taken from you, your nation is being pushed back to the Stone Age, the ones who cut people's throats are taking control of your land, and yet, you are lost in dance! The media of most countries, including Pakistan, and other propaganda machinery, are outraged by the severe human rights violations committed by the Syrian government. However, they seem to forget the mass killings of innocent people, the beheadings, the rape of women and girls, and their sale in open markets like animals at the hands of terrorists. The terrorists of yesterday have now become the heroes of today. Few countries are without torture chambers and prisons. If we take a look at the annual reports of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which cover all countries, we find that nearly all of them are the same in this regard. The videos of Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib prisons are not from a distant past. In Pakistan, thousands of cases of enforced disappearances are in the courts, and for decades, people have been running from court to court seeking the recovery of their loved ones. Religious extremists have always been used as tools, they continue to be used, and will likely keep being used in the future. Bin Laden, Mullah Omar, al-Zawahiri, Baghdadi, al-Jolani, Halabi, Qutbi, Khorasani, Jalebi, Qulfi—these are all different names and faces that will continue to be employed to fulfill global agendas and the world order. Religious extremists are merely pawns who ultimately meet their logical end. Syria, once the most developed country in the Middle East, is now in the midst of a civil war and under the control of terrorists. This war is about the control of natural resources. Global powers are intent on dividing Syria into pieces, like a cake. When discussing Syria's destruction today, it is crucial to understand that this devastation is the result of the intervention of global powers pursuing their own interests. Terrorists, whether they belong to al-Qaeda or ISIS, who use religion as a weapon, are merely pawns. Through them, not only Syria but other secular and relatively developed Muslim countries have also been pushed to the brink of destruction. The current situation in Syria is the result of the double standards of global powers and the brutal policies of the New World Order, where a terrorist is a villain one day and a hero the next. This game will continue until the world establishes a global system based on justice rather than power. --- Urdu Article: The Fall of Syria, Civil War, and Possible Division سقوط دمشق، خانہ جنگی اور ممکنہ تقسیم URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/rubble-syria-pawns-global-game/d/134083 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism