Zionism’s Ugly Cousin

Zionism has a historical tie to various ideological distortions within the Islamic world whom are useful tools to fulfill the different agendas which benefit the survival of their illegitimate occupation of Palestine.

On 6 June 2018, the “IDF spokesperson for Arab Media,” Avichay Adraee, published a two-part video in Arabic (part one , part two ) on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by the following message in reference to the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, observing ‘International Quds Day’:

“What would the scholars of knowledge and Sharia scholars Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, Ibn Taymiyyah, and even Sheikh Al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of Hamas, say about its [Hamas’] decision to desecrate Friday with purely Shi’i names? The answer is in this video”

In the video, the IDF’s Arabic speaking propagandist not only accuses the Palestinian resistance group of “promoting the Iranian agenda for the region,” but also attempts to use narrations from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) to accuse the resistance movement of essentially converting to Shiism merely because they observed this annual show of support for Palestine and the Palestinian people, a tradition which was established by the late Imam Khomeini.

Additionally, he goes on to quote the likes of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and Ibn Taymiyyah who believed that “Shi’a Muslims are more damaging to Islam than Jews and Christians could ever be,” and that they are “innovators who invent falsehoods and lies to ruin and destroy Islam.”?

Now, if this type of anti-Shi’i, anti-Iranian, and sectarian rhetoric sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the very same rhetoric we’re accustomed to hearing from the anti-resistance crowd, as well as terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, rhetoric that has been used for decades to demonize the Islamic Republic of Iran, Shi’a Muslims in general and create the false image of a Shi’a bogeyman hellbent on destroying Islam and Arab nations.

So, is Adraee’s use of such language and statements by so-called “scholars” merely an attempt to try and sow sectarianism amongst Muslims and drive the masses away from the wider Axis of Resistance? Or is there something deeper worth examining here?

The British Connection

It is no mystery that the British not only played an instrumental role in the theft of the land of Palestine and the creation of the “Jewish State,” but also played an instrumental role in the creation of what is known today as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as many of the other Gulf States. In fact, the founder of the Saudi kingdom, Abdulaziz al Saud [commonly referred to as ‘Ibn Saud’], was a key ally of the British and signed multiple treaties with them, mainly the ‘Treaty of Darrin’ in 1915, and the ‘Treaty of Jeddah’ in 1927.

The ‘Treaty of Darrin’ saw the British give the fledging “Saudi State” its first taste of international recognition and acknowledged the right of Ibn Saud’s sons to rule, as well as provided him with loans, monthly stipends of cash (which increased over time), but more importantly, it provided Ibn Saud with arms shipments. As for the ‘Treaty of Jeddah,’ this mainly saw the British officially recognize the independence of what would eventually become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.

However, and what many people are not aware of is that Ibn Saud’s alliance with the British was not the only tool he used to rise to power, and the other tool was his use of religion to legitimize his brutal conquests and rule. This so-called “legitimacy” was provided to him thanks to a power-sharing arrangement made in the year 1744 between Muhammad bin Saud Al Muqrin (founder of the “First Saudi State”) and Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (founder of the Wahhabi movement). This unholy alliance between these two families gave birth to a brutal and barbaric militia, known as Al-Ikhwan (The Brethren), which can be best described as an ISIS-like militia which first emerged in 1902, and played a key role in assisting Ibn Saud’s brutal takeover.

The reason I refer to this alliance as an unholy one is because despite Wahhabism being described as an “Islamic reform movement,” the reality is far from it, and what many Muslims (and non-Muslims) are unaware of is that, while Wahhabi scholars are popular for being extremely critical of Shi’i beliefs and Shi’a Muslims in general, their extremism has never been solely targeted towards Shia Muslims, but at the majority of Muslims, regardless of school of thought (Sunni or Shiite).

For example, it is no secret that the founder of the Wahhabi movement was heavily influenced by, and promoted the work of, Ibn Taymiyyah, who is commonly referred to as “Sheikh al-Islam” (“The Sheikh of Islam”), an honorific title given to outstanding scholars of the Islamic sciences. Interestingly enough, Ibn Taymiyyah was given this title by his followers who were a fringe minority and not by the religious scholars or religious authorities of his time, who openly rejected many of his ideas and treatises, and instead, jailed him on multiple occasions in both Egypt and Damascus for being a heretic and deviant, specifically due to his writings related to anthropomorphism (attributing human characteristics to God) and his treatise on visits to the tomb of the Holy Prophet and Muslim Saints, which referred to such visits as an “innovation.” His final imprisonment along with his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziya, was due to his treatise on visiting tombs, which eventually saw him dying in prison.

In 1965, Saudi writer and dissident, Nasser al-Saeed, published his book Tarikh al Sa’ud or History of Al Saud. In the book, Al-Saeed not only detailed the deep relationship between the Al Saud family and the British and how they [the British] played an instrumental role in the creation of the Saudi Kingdom, but also provided much insight into the Al Saud and Abdul Wahhab families and their Jewish origins, the countless massacres they both committed in the name of religion and under the false guise of “uniting the kingdom,” as well as listing the names of the martyrs that had been killed by the horde of Wahhabi militias Ibn Saud unleashed upon the people he intended to conquer. In November of 1979, he [Al-Saeed] was kidnapped by Saudi agents in Lebanon while in Beirut’s Hamra district, and those familiar with the kidnapping and assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, should note that the kidnapping of Al-Saeed was the first reported instance of Saudi state-sponsored abductions.

“Wahhabism has Jewish roots.”– Martyr Hajj Qassem Soleimani (ra)

So, while there may be some people who think that such actions were somehow “justified” in order to “unify the kingdom,” or others that may claim that the brutality displayed by Ibn Saud and his Wahhabi militia should not be used to paint the Al Saud or Wahhabism in a negative light, the reality is that the more we examine the history of the ruling family or this so-called “Islamic reform movement,” the more crimes and acts of brutality we discover.

For example, in the year 1902, Abdulaziz bin Muhammad al Saud (son-in-law of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab) led a horde of approximately 12,000 Wahhabis as they sacked the holy city of Karbala, slaughtered 2,000 of its inhabitants (5,000 according to some sources), and plundered the shrine and tomb of Imam Hussain (as), the grandson of the Holy Prophet of Islam. Additionally, it is reported that the attack lasted approximately 8-hours and that amount of theft the Wahhabis engaged in, resulted in them requiring 4,000 camels to carry their plunder.

Naturally, the Al Saud’s blood-stained history, added to the extremist and supremacist ideology of Wahhabism and the absolute brutality displayed by its Wahhabi militias, were all something the British colonizer saw as a useful tool, a tool they could use to further their imperial agenda in the region, and in return, Ibn Saud was rewarded with all forms of support, as well as international recognition and legitimacy for his so-called “kingdom.” Years later, the British would implement the same process in Palestine with the Zionist movement, their militias and aid in the creation of a “Jewish State.”

Two Sides of the Same Coin

With this shared history and these shared origins in mind, it begins to become quite clear why members of what I refer to as the ‘Anti-Resistance Cult,’ sound exactly like the Zionists – or even ISIS & Co. – whenever they talk about Palestine, the Palestinian resistance, Iran, the Axis of Resistance and/or Shi’a Muslims in general. For those in positions of power and authority – especially religious authority – have spent decades indoctrinating the masses with this ideology of hate, which was revived by Ibn Abdul Wahhab, adopted by Ibn Saud and nurtured by the British.

For example, in the wake of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, several Saudi journalists, as well as Saudi publications went on an all-out offensive against the Palestinian resistance, Iran, and the Axis of Resistance. First, there was Saudi journalist Majid bin Nwaiser of the Makkah newspaper, who strongly condemned the Palestinian resistance, saying that:

“The Palestinian factions that are misled by the ambitions of Khamenei must assess the cost and benefit of these military operations and analyse their possible outcomes… As usual, Ismail Haniyeh issued a recorded message and declared victory, liberation and that the Jews were about to be pitched into the sea. How great is the sin of this corrupt gang, which is manipulating the fate and honour of pure Muslim women. The vengeful Israeli tanks will invade Gaza’s neighbourhoods, and like every time, the displaced and hungry families will be abandoned to their unknown fate…” – October 10, 2023

A second was Saudi journalist and author Abdo Khal of Okaz newspaper, who had the following to say:

“It is legitimate to condemn Hamas when it claims to have gained a victory, for what sort of victory is achieved over people’s dead bodies and the destruction of their homes and their livelihood? What sort of victory is this, if it destroys the normal lives of the residents, who will have to wait a long time before their lives go back to what they were before the latest war? Life was wretched even before this, and now it is much worse…” – October 12, 2023

Third, we have Saudi journalist Mishari al-Dhayidi of the Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, who in an article entitled “Iran Is Squeezing the Blood of the Cause”, makes the following claims:

“… Iran uses the blood of the wretched Palestinians to pad its political and strategic ‘savings account’… The Khomeini regime milks the issue more than anyone else, including in the current Gaza war.”

“Iran, by means of its Revolutionary Guard and the gangs subordinate to it in the Arab world, is the one that destroyed and is still destroying, on a daily basis, the efforts, the political solutions [whose principles] were approved by the Arabs over and over again, whose essence is [an Israeli] withdrawal to the ’67 borders and the establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine, the increase of pressure on Israel, and the mobilizing of international support in this direction.”

“Iran squeezes every last drop of Gazan blood from the sponge of the Palestinian cause. It is Iran that abandoned the Gazans and before them the people of South Lebanon to the talons and teeth of the terrible Israeli force and did nothing but add fuel to the fire until [it burned] the last Palestinian branch. Neither Israel nor Iran loses anything that cannot be replaced… The only losers are the people of Gaza and the rest of Palestine, as well as the Arab hope for a safe and prosperous future.” – October 13, 2023

Fourth, is Saudi journalist Abdullah Bin Bjad Al-Otaibi of the Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper, who strongly condemned the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, writing:

“The Hamas unprecedented storming of the Israeli settlements near Gaza, which were hit by gunmen, UAVs and rockets, will provoke an insane Israeli, which is currently being prepared. Every action has a reaction, and Hamas, with its own two hands, gave Israel the sword with which to kill it.

During this attack Hamas committed terrible atrocities and made a big mistake by photographing them and making videos that were then circulated by its members, the attackers, on the Internet… These events happened, were documented and were publicized, most of the Arab media did not show these Hamas videos or even blurred. That was a mistake, because if they had shown them, they would have enabled the viewers and readers to understand – not to condone – Israel’s unprecedented response and the rapid and effective Western support that it quickly managed to mobilize.

Hamas leaders, from their luxury hotels in the Gulf, continue to spread their discourse that incites the Arab peoples against their leaders and states, in the service of the external agendas that caused them to conduct this foolish action… With this operation Hamas aimed to promote its regional agenda which is hostile to the Arab states – that seeks to undermine the program of normalization and peace and then accuse the Arab states and their leaders of treason, call for chaos and bring the leaders of the terror into them…

In the subsequent decades, between 1993 and 2023, the regional enterprises and axes that are hostile to the Arabs recovered, and some of them occupied Arab states and took over the decision-making in them by force; international terror – Sunni and Shi’ite – was ignited in them, and organizations and militias proliferated. Hamas took the government hostage in Gaza by means of a coup and the use of force; Hezbollah hijacked Lebanon, and militias appeared, mainly in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and their various branches, appeared as well, and then came the disaster of the black and destructive ‘Arab Spring’…

“In conclusion, the discourse Hamas leaders direct at the Arab peoples is full of incitement to chaos, terror, rejection of peace and opposition to the states’ policy and their leaders. At this sensitive juncture, it is best to stick to the path of wisdom and prudence and avoid reckless escapades.” – October 15, 2023

Finally, we have Saudi journalist Abdullah Al-Judaie of the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper, wrote:

“All signs show that Yahya Sinwar and his close circle were the ones who decided on the October 7 without even consulting the other political leaders. He wanted to amaze the world with a large-scale operation, and probably thought that this would force the world to look at Gaza and notice him.

He thought that, by capturing as many Israeli hostages as possible, he would force the Israelis to negotiate and defend the movement from retaliation. His calculations were a dangerous adventure from the political perspective, almost tantamount to suicide, and they will lead to a humanitarian tragedy in Gaza whose outcomes are still shrouded in the fog of war.” – October 16, 2023

The words and writings of these so-called “Arab and Muslim journalists,” the amount of hatred they happily put on display, not only for Iran and the Axis of Resistance, but for Palestine, the Palestinian liberation movement, especially the Islamic resistance group Hamas, bring us right back to the words of Zionist (and Wahhabi) propagandist Avichay Adraee, who often regurgitates the words and teachings of Ibn Taymiyyah and ibn Abdul Wahhab, not only to sow sectarian discord in the Muslim world, but also because deep down, the Zionists share the exact same ideological beliefs. More importantly, while these handful of writings – which never could have been published without the approval and blessing of Saudi authorities – may seem like a small sample, the reality is that this anti-resistance is not limited to Saudi Arabian media, but has spread like a cancer to multiple newspapers and news outlets across the Arab and Muslim world (and even the non-Muslim world); many of which claim to be “pro-Palestine.”

Of course, all these words and statements fall flat on their face once they are compared to the words and statements of Palestinian resistance leaders, which show a strong sense of respect, brotherhood, solidarity, love, coordination, and cordiality towards various Shi’a groups within the resistance axis, and boldly disprove these cheap Adraee-like polemics intentionally designed to divide and conquer Muslims.

Therefore, it becomes impossible not to notice how similar the Anti-Resistance Cult’s rhetoric is to that of Zionism when referring to Palestine, Iran and/or the resistance movements across the region, for this shared ideology of hate for everything related to truth, freedom, and liberation only confirms one thing, that they are two sides of the same coin; a coin that’s been resting firmly in America’s back pocket for countless decades.

Final Thoughts

While many members of the Anti-Resistance Cult are without a doubt Western intelligence assets and/or assets of “Israel’s” infamous Unit 8200, the sad reality is that many others are members of this cult due to the hateful religious ideology they have been indoctrinated with over the years. Naturally, this hateful religious ideology has given birth to an equally hateful political ideology, one that has infected many Arab and Muslim nations as well as their people, with many tricked into believing the myth of the “Shi’a Bogeyman” that “wants destroy their countries, engulf the region and forcibly spread Shiism to the masses.”

The bottom line is, it is no longer a secret that the fundamental pillar of these religious and political ideologies is the blind hatred of Iran and Shi’a Muslims as well as anyone or anything associated with them, which in turn has resulted in the abandonment of Palestine and the Palestinian people, several Arab and Muslim countries normalizing relations with the Zionist regime, complete despise the Palestinian resistance movement and the honorable armed struggle to liberate Palestine.

More importantly, this ideology of hate which for decades has been supported and nurtured by Western imperial powers and which was exported to the region and the world by complicit Arab regimes, has not only given birth to terrorist organizations such as ISIS, but has also resulted in these very same Arab regimes igniting and funding countless sectarian wars in neighboring Arab and Muslim countries such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, etc., wars that have only served Western imperial powers and the illegitimate Zionist entity they planted in the heart of this region.

This article was first published by Basira Press: https://basirapress.org/2024/09/17/zionisms-ugly-cousin/