Dr Faisal Al Qassem
The one who wants to ignite a sectarian war in the region to burn everything and kill everybody is crazy and vile. It’s only enemies and predators who encourage sectarian wars in our country.
No sane patriotic person accepts igniting sedition and religious conflicts in this already volatile part of the world. However, since Iran is blatantly working on the formation of a Shia alliance on doctrinal basis, the other side shall also promptly assemble forces on the same basis, not to engage in a sectarian war with Iran and its allies, but to prevent the outbreak of a sectarian conflict.
As we know, the possession of nuclear weapons doesn’t mean the destruction of the world or of the opponent, but it creates a fear balance that, in fact, protects the world.
Talking about sectarian conflict in the region no longer incites sectarian wars. Never! It has become an obvious reality, especially since the Shia crescent became a full moon after Iran began to envelop its Persian Empire project with deliberate sectarianism.
It is noteworthy that a senior Arab media reporter visited Tehran in 2009, before the Arab spring outbreak and two years before the appearance of any signs of sectarianism, when a prominent Iranian official literally asked him: “Why don’t you show programmes about the sectarian conflict in the region?”
The reporter answered: “Where is the sectarian conflict in the region? There is no conflict to be covered by the media.” The Iranian official answered: “This is true, but I think in the near future you will address this topic in abundance.” As if Iran was paving the way for the outbreak of a sectarian conflict in
the region.
If we look at the latest developments, we will see how Iran began to intervene in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen on a debunked doctrinal basis. It supported Shias in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen in terms of clear sectarian grounds.
It is true that Iran’s ambition is to revive the Persian Empire, Baghdad being its capital as previously declared by Iranian Vice President, but it is clearly fighting using Arab Shias to accomplish its goal.
Therefore, exploiting the sectarian factor to achieve its imperial dream. Since this alliance or Crescent has become a reality, it can only be met with a rival alliance that will not fight a fierce sectarian war, but create the desired deterrent.
Some Arab countries have terribly erred in starting to fight some Sunni Islamic parties and groups and classified them as terrorist movements, while Iran has been gathering all sectarian factions in the region under its wing to use them for empowering its imperial project.
The result was that Iran has scored many points at the expense of others who looked to be shooting themselves in their feet. Wasn’t it wrong to fight firmly rooted Sunni Islamist movements and declare them “terrorists”, while it was possible to build an alliance with them and take advantage of their strength on the ground to confront the Iranian tide?
Iran has managed with the help of its flagrant sectarian plans to carve out a dominant striking power from Shias, while making the leaders of the Islamic countries of the Sunni majority a fugitive power. It is now time to correct errors.
No matter how extreme the Sunni movements , parties and groups become, they won’t be more dangerous than Iran’s sectarian project that is hostile toward countries of the region, especially after the United States lifted sanctions on Iran, and it will have a huge budget to continue its expansion.
If Iran was expanding under Western sanctions, what will it do when all the military and economic sanctions are removed? There is no doubt it will continue its expansion and will thoroughly strengthen its sectarian alliance.
Consequently, there must be convergence, even in creating alliance with the Islamic groups that Iran fears. It is well known now and according to the same Iranian leadership that the Islamic State (ISIS) has become the biggest threat to the Iranian project in the region.
That’s why Iran has entrusted the task of fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria to one of its most important military leaders, Qasem Soleimani, who now declares himself as the leader of the war
against ISIS.
No one asks moderate Arab states to share power with ISIS, but it is not a bad idea to take advantage of the danger of these militant groups and exploit them to stop the Iranian project.
In the eighties, America teamed up for its interests with Al Qaeda against the Russians in Afghanistan, despite the enormous difference in attitudes
between them.
Even the head of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, admitted that at one point of time, the American and Islamic organization’s interests fought at the same front against the Soviets.
The question now is if America teamed up for its interests with those it considered “terrorists”, why don’t Arab countries ally with the same groups that scare Iran in the region in order to face its threats, especially in
Iraq and Syria?
Some may wonder: Do you want the Arab countries to ally with ISIS and other terrorist groups to confront Iran? Others will reply: Doesn’t Iran ally with Shia terrorist groups such as the “bandanas of falsehood”, “treachery Corps” and Hezbollah and others, to exploit them for its project?
Isn’t politics originally a game of interests? Why is it lawful for Iran but unlawful for the Arab countries? Have Shia terrorist groups graduated from Harvard University and the Sorbonne, while Sunni groups passed out of Tora Bora?
To begin with, there are no morals or principles in politics which is basically unclean. If you wish to beat your opponent, you must play a dirtier game.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said: “If the devil has helped me in attacking the Nazi enemy, I will speak well of him in the House of Commons.”
Dear Arabs, learn from Churchill before it is too late.
Dr Faisal Al Qassem is a columnist and presenter at Al Jazeera TV channel.
