The event reflected true unity, as people from all racial backgrounds came together and enjoyed a delicious chicken breyani. Moulana Mohamed Tariq, High Priest of Aleemia Mosque, expressed his sincere gratitude to KFC Moral Foods for this meaningful gesture.

As Eid is a time of celebration, compassion, and giving, this initiative truly embodied the spirit of remembering and supporting the underprivileged. Such acts of kindness strengthen community bonds and remind us all of the importance of sharing during blessed occasions like Eid.

The post ADVERTORIAL: KFC Moral Foods Feeds Thousands in Phoenix appeared first on Al-Qalam.

Reports from various sources suggest that negotiating teams from the United States and Iran may return to Pakistan in the coming days to resume talks aimed at ending the war in the Gulf.

Though reference is made to the “war in the Gulf’’, it does not adequately describe the reality of the war against Iran, nor why it was launched and by whom it was launched. 

It is thus crucial to recall that Israel and the US launched Operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury on February 28, with the stated aim of collapsing the government of the Islamic Republic and imposing regime change.

Iran retaliated by firing missiles at Israel, across the Middle East at Gulf nations hosting US military bases in the region. The sustained ferocity of Iran’s response demonstrated its ability to defend itself from the combined air and naval attacks by the US and Israel.

Though Iran claims that hundreds of soldiers from the attacking forces have been killed, Israel has downplayed this. According to Zionist media, only twelve IDF soldiers and 23 civilians have been killed, and at least 7,693 more injured in ballistic missile attacks across Israel since February 28, while eleven US soldiers have been killed.

While uncertainty about the toll reigns, and a fragile truce hangs by a thread, the US has imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has threatened to sink any ship that dares to defy the blockade, adding that US forces will employ “the same system of kill” used against drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea.

Despite Trump’s bravado, we learn that four Iran-linked vessels have sneakily skirted around his blockade – with China blasting the siege as “dangerous and irresponsible”.

Netanyahu comes unstuck too, with global economic crisis brewing and the IMF now issuing warnings about negative growth rates. As the instigator of the unprovoked and illegal war, Netanyahu is aware that the likelihood of a global recession resulting from his criminal actions and having dragged Trump along, places his regime as the central cause of it.

The alarm that gripped Western economists points to a strain on supply chains. The unwise and foolish military blockade by Trump to ostensibly “punish” Iran for exercising its sovereignty over the Strait puts the international community at risk of a global food crisis, the chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned on Monday.

While Netanyahu exercises his manipulation of US policy against Iran, Saudi Arabia has publicly been pressing the United States to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations with Iran, according to a The Wall Street Journal report. 

The report said Riyadh fears the standoff could trigger a broader regional escalation, including threats to Red Sea shipping routes and Saudi oil exports.

In obedience to Netanyahu and fearing axing, which ultimately led to him being fired, Mossad Director David Barnea proclaimed at the Holocaust ceremony that his spy agency will not rest until it facilitates the “fall of the Islamic regime of Iran”.

“Our mission is not yet complete. We did not think that our mission would be completed immediately with the fading of the battles, but rather we planned, and [really] we planned to continue, and this will be manifested even after the time of attacks on Tehran,” said Barnea.

This was the first time that the Mossad chief publicly addressed his role and views about regime change in Iran.

After regime change in Iran had not transpired in the early weeks of the war, and even more since a ceasefire kicked in without regime change, various Israeli and American officials have sought to blame the Mossad and Barnea for the failure.

Unconvincingly pushing back, the Mossad desperately rejected allegations that it had failed or that it tried to “sucker” the US into believing in delusions of regime change.

Having failed miserably to attain any of his military and political goals, Netanyahu is in a fix – domestically as well as internationally.

With Trump desperate to end his malicious adventure that has resulted in a huge fallout of his prestige and power, he is set to cave in to Iran’s legitimate demands in the forthcoming second round of talks hosted by Pakistan.

*Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of the Media Review Network.

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The objective of the Mission is to open a humanitarian aid sea corridor to Gaza and challenge the conditions that allow for starvation and an almost two-decade-long siege of over 2 million people in a concentration camp.

The blockade on Gaza has resulted in one of the most devastating man-made famines in history. As per the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification data, between 16 October and 30 November 2025, around 1.6 million people (77 percent of the population analysed) faced high levels of acute food insecurity. This includes more than half a million people in Emergency, and over 100,000 people in Catastrophe. This wilful deprivation echoes centuries of colonial deployment of malnutrition as a tool of subjugation, settler colonialism, and submission.

Israel and its co-conspirators in genocide have expanded this violent policy of weaponising starvation despite censure from major human rights organisations. They have bolstered the blockade despite the provisional measures laid out in the 28 March 2024 order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel to ensure the unhindered provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza. This is also an obligation under international law that the international ‘community’ has failed to enforce.  

In this context, the South Africans set sail where States have failed to fulfil their compulsory legal and moral universal duties to Palestinians and to all humanity to punish and prevent genocide as set out in the Genocide Convention.

They sail against structural impunity for apartheid, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, aggressive war, and settler colonial genocide. They sail in the spirit of the long history of mutual solidarity between anti-apartheid South Africa and Palestine.

They sail against starvation and imperial climate catastrophe. They sail against the genocidal racist regime of Zionism. They sail against the ongoing Nakba.

A spokesman for the Global Sumud Flotilla said the participants will “set sail with the spirit of solidarity that the South African people have with our Palestinian comrades and siblings. They sail with total commitment to the cause of Palestinian self-determination.”

“They sail because complicit States continue to arm the genocidal Israeli State. Mining conglomerates like Glencore continue to power the Israeli grid, fuelling multiple genocides and wars across the globe while grossly exploiting labourers and plundering the environment. As the South Africans sail, they carry our redoubled commitments to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement.”

From Palestine to Venezuela, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cuba, from South Africa to Sudan, they sail knowing our struggles are connected. They sail in solidarity with oppressed and subjugated people in South Africa, Africa, and all over the continent in the face of the colonial racial capitalist machine.

They sail in the footsteps of thousands who resisted and continue to resist apartheid, fascism, and genocide in Southern Africa, Palestine, and across the world. They sail in the slipstream of millions in the Global Majority who have risen to resist colonial domination throughout history.  

They sail against the winds of war as the tide turns at the end of a dying empire.

They sail to bear witness as judgment day looms.

They sail with the knowledge that all colonisers fall eventually.

They sail, in the words of writer and delegation co-chair Zukiswa Wanner, towards “a world already in the making, in which the solidarity of those who stand on the side of justice is as global as the profits of the plunderers.”

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As we stand on the threshold of the lunar month of Dhul Qaʿidah, the second of the three sacred months of Hajj, we enter a season of deep spiritual longing. Following the month of Shawwal, which marks the beginning of the Hajj season, we now move closer to its culmination in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, now only a few weeks away.

This sacred season invites us to turn our hearts toward the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah, to form and cultivate the intention for pilgrimage, and to prepare, spiritually, materially, and morally, for one of the most profound acts of devotion in Islam. As Allah, the Most-High, reminds us in the Qur’an: “The Pilgrimage (Hajj) falls in well-known months” (Q2:197). From the Prophetic traditions (hadith), these “well-known months” are understood to include Shawwal, Dhul Qaʿidah, and the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. We are thus already within this sacred window, a time of sacred longing and return. Yet, as we approach this year’s Hajj, our anticipation is tempered by concern.

In recent weeks, even the journey of ʿUmrah has been disrupted for many. As a direct consequence of the US- and Israeli-led war on Iran, and its wider regional impact across the Middle East, flights have been cancelled, airspace closed, and thousands of pilgrims left stranded or unable to travel.  When these systems are destabilised, the pathways to the Sacred House become fragile.

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War Escalation and Its Consequences

It is within this context that the escalating war on Iran, and its wider impact across the Middle East region, demands our urgent attention. Should this deadly conflict intensify, its consequences will extend far beyond the battlefield. Millions of intending pilgrims, many of whom have spent years saving, planning, and preparing, may find their journeys delayed, disrupted, or even rendered impossible. Airspace insecurity, rising travel costs, and heightened geopolitical tensions all threaten to undermine the conditions necessary for safe and equitable access to Hajj. This moment calls for a deeper moral and spiritual reckoning.

A Moral and Spiritual Reckoning

In light of these unfolding realities, the potential disruption of Hajj calls us to a deeper moral consciousness. It reminds us that acts of worship are never isolated from the conditions of our world. Peace is not only a political aspiration; it is a spiritual necessity. When pathways to worship are obstructed by violence, it is not only physical infrastructure that is damaged, but the very rhythms of sacred life itself.

In this regard, the Prophetic guidance speaks with renewed urgency. ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Hasten to perform Hajj, for none of you knows what may arise to prevent him.” (Musnad Aḥmad; Sunan Ibn Majah). This teaching calls us to recognise both the unpredictability of life and the fragility of opportunity. Its ethical force is profound: it reminds us that spiritual opportunities, especially those connected to great acts of devotion such as Hajj, are never guaranteed. Life’s uncertainties, whether of health, wealth, or circumstance, may intervene without warning. The Prophet (pbuh) thus calls us to a posture of readiness: to respond without delay when the invitation to draw nearer to the Divine is placed before us.

If Hajj embodies unity, peace, and divine hospitality, then we must ask ourselves: are we living these values? Are we striving to remove the injustices and oppression that obstruct not only the pilgrimage itself, but also the dignity and flourishing of human life? As we approach the sacred days ahead, this question becomes a call to action, inviting us to align our lives with the moral vision of Hajj, and to embody, in both spirit and practice, the hope for a more just and peaceful world.

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A Call to Prayer
As we stand on the cusp of Dhul Qaʿidah, only weeks away from the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, we are called not only to prepare, but to respond with moral clarity. We must raise our voices, through prayer, advocacy, and ethical witness, against the forces that threaten both human life and the sanctity of our sacred obligations.

We turn to Allah in humble supplication: O Allah, bring an end to unjust aggression and protect the sanctity of life. Preserve the pathways to Your Sacred House, grant safety to all who intend the Hajj, and restore peace, dignity, and justice to our world.

For some, the path to Hajj this year may be uncertain or even closed, but the path to Allah remains open. Every act of justice, every gesture of compassion, and every moment of sincere remembrance is a step on that greater journey.

As we prepare for the sacred days ahead, let us hold fast to both hope and responsibility: to pray for peace, to protect the vulnerable, and to embody the ethical vision of Hajj, humility, equality, and surrender before the Divine. May the call of Hajj—Labbayk Allāhumma Labbayk—resound without obstruction, carried by hearts and bodies able to journey in peace.

The post Millions rely on faith to fulfill Hajj amidst war tensions appeared first on Al-Qalam.

For months, I’ve been painstakingly planning a 4000 km solo camping road trip into the arid Great Karoo region of South Africa, but after two failed attempts, the idea fell flat.

The first attempt failed when I came down with the flu. The second attempt had to be cancelled because an order for crucial camping equipment – an awning for my Suzuki 4×4 that would protect me from the wind, rain and sun – was not delivered on time. Then the blessed month of Ramadan came and the road trip had to be put on hold – indefinitely. 

Then last week, as I lay in bed contemplating the meaning of life, I could hear my late mother’s words: “Never give up, son!”

‘That’s it, I muttered. ‘I am going,’ – attempt number three!

A few days later, after fajr salah and lots of dua for protection, I hit the road with Bismillah on my lips. 

It was also the day when fuel prices went up, but it wasn’t going to stop me – not now.

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The moment I hit the freeway towards PMB, I felt a mixture of euphoria and liberation. My first stop was at the Glensheiling campsite, set in the lush green countryside of Nottingham Road, in the Midlands. But before that, I dropped in at the only halaal establishment called the Field House Café & Musallah, which serves the finest burgers, shawarmas and pizzas. Set on a sheep farm, the corrugated iron farmhouse-style café was a welcome sight after a monotonous drive from Durban. After Zohr Salah read at the onsite Salah quarters, I was ready for my first night of camping.

Back at the “Glensheiling” campsite, Julie, the owner, welcomed me warmly. I set up camp opposite the lake and climbed up to my rooftop tent and went to bed, lulled into sleep by the sounds of night birds and crickets. The campsite is set alongside a privately-owned indigenous forest where you could go on trails alongside a gurgling stream.

The next camping spot was about 40km away, close to Howick, called Bushwillow. The manager, John and his wife made sure I was comfortable. It was Easter weekend and the campsite was buzzing with people – including shrieking kids, but my campsite, set opposite a trout dam, looked stunning as the waters shimmered in the moonlight night.

By the time you read this, I would be camping at the spectacular Mahai campsite set beneath the foothills of a mountain in the Royal Natal National Park. 

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The Jimny is a little mountain goat eager to take on any mountain or river crossing. So many people ask me: “Aren’t you afraid to travel & camp solo? Don’t you get lonely on the road? What would you do in an emergency in the middle of nowhere? 

If I still have fuel in my tank, then I might still forge on to the Karoo National Park to camp amidst the nama-Karoo shrubs and hills to absorb the beauty of quiet Karoo nights – if Allah wills.

In January last year, I undertook a 5000km road trip – 40 days in all – camping all along the coast of the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, the Atlantic West Coast, Namaqua and almost to the border with Namibia. This trip is somewhat different. The route will take me into the vast semi-desert natural region located in the central and western interior of South Africa. It spans 400 000 square kilometres, making it one of the largest arid regions of the country.

The only advice my brother Yusuf gave me is: “Just DON’T break down in that part of the world, OK!”

*To check out Ismail’s adventures on his road trip, follow him on his Instagram channel: @jimny_go Afrika

The post Why I’m solo camping/travelling towards the heartland of the Great Karoo appeared first on Al-Qalam.

Taking a tour of the new space-age Cardiac and Endo-Vascular Cath Lab and Theatre that officially opened at Durban’s Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital recently felt like being at the command centre of a rocket launch.

The glitzy state-of-the-art equipment, lined with a bank of sophisticated computers and monitors, makes the Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital rank amongst the best in the world in terms of heart care.

Invited guests attended the launch of the new Cardiac and Endo-Vascular Cath Lab and Theatre, including the dedicated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU).

Invited guests, largely from the medical fraternity – and Al-Qalam – joined a guided tour of the new facilities, which was described as “a landmark development in our journey of clinical excellence”.

Suraiya Vaizie, the hospital’s public relations management spokesperson, said the advanced unit represents ‘more than state-of-the-art technology’. “It reflects our unwavering commitment to Patient Obsession Service Excellence, where every innovation is driven by better outcomes, safer care, and a deeply human approach to healing”.

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Ebrahim Asmal, CEO of Ahmed Al-Kadi Private Hospital, said: “This new Cardiac and Endo-Vascular Cath Lab, Theatre, and CICU marks a defining moment for AAK. It is an investment not only in advanced medical capability, but in our promise to our patients — that they will receive world-class cardiac care, delivered with compassion, dignity, and excellence. Everything we do is guided by our belief that patient comfort and outcomes come first.”

Guest speaker, Dr Ahmed Vachiat, a prominent specialist physician and cardiologist from Gauteng, said the opening of this cardiac Cath lab will change people’s lives.

“This hospital — and this Cath lab — came into existence because of visionaries pausing to reflect. Dr Ahmed Al Kadi, a cardiothoracic surgeon, asked himself a question that most people in his position never bother to ask: ‘What am I doing with what I have been given?’ That is the essence of reflection. 

“I invite each of us, on this day, to reflect. Not on our achievements — those are real, and they are worth acknowledging, but on the gap. On the distance between the full weight of what we know and can do, and what we are currently deploying in service of others…this gap is an invitation.

“We use the word ‘philanthropy’ often, and sometimes carelessly. It can conjure images of gala dinners and naming rights. But authentic philanthropy — the kind that actually changes the lives of strangers — looks very different.

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“It’s like a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, who could have spent his retirement in comfort, choosing instead to pour his energy, his resources, and his reputation into something that would outlive him — in a country he did not have to care about, for people who could not reciprocate the favour. Dr Ahmed Al Kadi is the inspiration behind this hospital. And yet the place his heart kept returning to was South Africa, this community. 

“There is a concept in Islamic tradition — Amal Jariyah — a continuous, flowing charity. It describes an act whose benefit does not end when the giver stops giving, but continues to flow outward, long after the initial act. A well dug. A school was built. A child is educated. A hospital opened. The reward for such an act is said to continue for as long as the act continues to benefit others. Dr Al Kadi has dug a well. And today we opened the channel through which the water will flow to people who are thirsty.

“That is Dr Al Kadi. And this hospital — this Cath lab— is the evidence. We do not simply honour him with words today. We honour him by committing to carry this work forward with the same spirit. By asking ourselves: ‘what we are building with the expertise and influence we have been given.’

The post ‘Ahmed Al-Kadi Hospital’s new cardiac theatre felt like being in a space lab’ appeared first on Al-Qalam.

When Durban entrepreneur and community leader and chef extraordinaire Nazir Malek gradually lost his sight in both eyes two years ago, he didn’t sit back – he was determined to live life as normally as possible.

He devised a culinary concept where anybody could enjoy a curry in a box. The product known as “The Spice Genie” has every spice ingredient, right down to the oil, onions and tomato paste to make mutton/chicken curry, karahi, kalya, fish curry, and many more – all within 30 minutes. All you have to do, he says, is to drop the oil in the pot, add the meat of your choice, empty the spices provided, add water and it’s done after a few stirs of the pot.

The concept has taken off with distributors selling the products in major centres across the country.

Malek, a well-known community leader, chef and travel agent, recently lost his sight in both eyes caused by retinal detachment, which led to partial blindness. He underwent 12 procedures to save his sight, but unfortunately, none were successful. In January last year, he went completely blind, however this has not deterred him from pursuing his business, and at the same time, his community projects and charitable work.

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During an interview at his home in Durban North, Al-Qalam asked him how he came up with the innovative concept. Malek, who operated a travel business specialising in hajj and umrah travel – and was also a chef for 40 years, cooking for mass events – said he had always provided meals for the hajees.

“So, cooking has always been a passion. I love cooking, I love feeding, so one night, by the Grace of Allah, the thought just came in, ‘why don’t I create something like The Spice Genie, which makes life easy for everyone, where you don’t have to be an expert in cooking. It is a perfect solution for the man or woman who wants to cook a tasty meal in no time. With this product, you’ll be able to feed between five and seven people. All you have to do is add 1kg of fish, mutton, beef, or chicken, then add the spices and tomato paste and let it cook on slow heat for about 30 minutes and you will have the perfect Durban-style meal for your family or guests. The recipe has been perfected, so there is no margin for error.

He said the motivation behind the idea was also meant to sustain his family.

“If you have The Spice Genie in your cupboard, you don’t need anything else, just add the contents and you will have the best original Durban style curry in a matter of less than 30 minutes”, he said.

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Malek says there are 21 dishes that are available on the market. He is now working to produce sweet dishes that would take 15 minutes to prepare.

Malek told Al-Qalam a full gift pack would make a perfect wedding gift for the new bride who is just starting off – it was bound to also make her mother-in-law proud. It could also work well for the bachelor who needed to make a delicious curry – even though his culinary expertise is boiling an egg, he said with a smile.

The post Blind chef Nazir Malek’s ‘The Spice Genie’ concept hits the spot appeared first on Al-Qalam.

The Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa (MYMSA) hosted its Ambassadors for Change training programme in Port Shepstone, equipping youth with both the understanding and the tools to engage meaningfully with the challenges they face.

The workshop covered a wide range of themes, including self-reflection, the root causes of conflict in Africa and globally, racism and discrimination, gender sensitisation, gender-based violence, human rights, as well as facilitation and organisational skills.

The programme was conducted at Port Shepstone Islamic School, delivered in three segments over the course of six days, concluding on April 1, 2026. It brought together a team of facilitators who guided participants through both theoretical and practical components of the training.

The session on human rights and responsibilities was facilitated by Advocate Neliswa Nota and the team from the Isibani Law and Therapy Centre, adding legal and social insight to the discussions.

One of the Facilitators, Arun Naicker, told Al-Qalam that at first, participants were very quiet and reserved. However, once they understood the participatory approach, they became fully engaged in the sessions.

This shift was intentional. “Young people often feel they are not listened to or are given roles that cannot be challenged. This programme creates a space for them to express their views and engage with issues they face daily,” said Naicker. The programme sought to challenge that dynamic by placing participants at the centre of the learning process.

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“Most of the group shared the need to become more confident public speakers. Each learner was given the opportunity to lead and present, and that made a significant difference,” she added.

Through debates, group work and structured discussions, participants were encouraged to grapple with difficult topics, not as distant concepts, but as lived realities.

For 16-year-old participant Sana Mulla, the experience was both confronting and empowering. “As a Matric student, I realised I have a very short window left to make a real impact at my school. I wanted to move away from just identifying problems and actually learn how to solve them,” said Mulla.

A session on human trafficking proved particularly impactful.

Sana told Al-Qalam that it completely stripped away the idea that these things only happen somewhere else. “It made me realise that our own communities and peers are vulnerable. It shifted my perspective from being a student to being a protector,” she said.

The teenager described this as a turning point in how she understands leadership: “Before the workshop, I thought being a leader meant carrying everything on your own shoulders. But I learned that leadership is about facilitation – creating a space where everyone feels they have a stake in the outcome.”

Beyond awareness, the programme placed a strong emphasis on leadership development. Participants were required to lead activities and present lesson plans, many for the first time, building both confidence and practical skills.

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“Most of the group shared the need to become more confident public speakers. Each learner was given the opportunity to lead and present, and that made a significant difference,” said Naicker.

All participants commended the supportive environment created by facilitators. “They were kind-hearted, patient and understanding. They empowered us to be the best versions of ourselves and made us feel like a unified family,” said one participant.

By the end of the programme, the transformation was visible. The same participants who began the training reserved and uncertain were now leading discussions, engaging confidently and taking ownership of their ideas.

The programme concluded with lesson plan presentations, debates and a closing ceremony organised by the participants themselves, which was a reflection of both their growth and their ability to take initiative.

The training also extended beyond the classroom. As part of the programme’s communication component, two participants took part in a radio interview on Radio Al-Ansaar. The experience reinforced the programme’s focus on building not only awareness, but the confidence to communicate and advocate on social issues.

As these young ambassadors return to their schools and communities, the focus will shift from training to action, applying what they learned to the realities they are already facing.

The post MYM workshop helps youth tackle life’s challenges appeared first on Al-Qalam.

The Muslim Ummah from around the world breathed a sigh of relief when the Zionist entity eventually opened the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque for Fajr salaat on Thursday morning after a painful 40-day closure.

This will be the first Jumuah after six weeks that thousands of Muslims will be allowed through the gates to pray, although for how long it will remain open is anyone’s guess in view of the fragile ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran.

Durban Islamic scholar Sheigh Rafeek Hassen told Al-Qalam that Muslims welcomed the opening of the Al-Aqsa Masjid after 40 days of oppressive closure by the Zionist regime. “The Zionists and their surrogate supporters USA and the rest,  keep reminding us  about  October 7^th, 2023, but Muslims forget that October 7^th started off as “Al Aqsa Flood”  Arabic: Tufan Al-Aqsa which was  the name given by Hamas to their October 7, 2023, attack against Israel. It refers to protecting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from alleged Israeli aggression and occupation, aiming to reverse the status quo, end the Gaza blockade, and boost Palestinian liberation efforts. 

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“When Al Aqsa Masjid – the third holiest place of worship in the Muslim world was closed even for the blessed Month of Ramadan – NOT A SINGLE Muslim country batted even an eyelid. Jordan, which was mandated by the UN to oversee the administering of Al Aqsa – just looked on. One of the conditions in that agreement was that ONLY Muslims are allowed to worship on the temple mount call Haram al Sharieff by the Muslims. This has been repeatedly violated by the Zionist regime that forcefully allowed right-wing Jewish zealots under the protection of the army to come and offer prayers.

“Once will argue that most of the Muslim countries in the region are “sell-outs” and lackeys of the illegal Zionist entity. However, the Palestinians are very aware of this fact and perhaps one of the motivations for giving the October 7th resistance the name “Al Aqsa flood” was to draw the attention of GLOBAL Muslim Ummah to get active and involved. Alas, apart from a few Muslim groups and activists who are not Muslims – this call fell on “deaf ears” A sign of an Ummah that yes felt the pain but did nothing. There is a Hadith of the Prophet to the effect that if we see a wrong we must stop with our hands [ physically] if we not strong enough to do that, then at least speak out against the wrong, and if we not able to that as well, then at least feel the pain of the wrong in your hear “BUT THAT IS THE WEAKEST FORM OF IMAAN” 

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“I think the Muslim ummah needs to critically look at themselves in the light of this Hadith and make an honest assessment of ourselves in the light of this Hadith. Allah says in the Quran in Chapter 11 Ayah 13, “Allah will not change the condition of a people, unless they first change themselves.”  

May Allah transform us from just “Feeling Muslims” to “Doing Muslims.”

The post Sigh of relief after first Jumuah in weeks to be performed in Al Aqsa appeared first on Al-Qalam.

Media Review Network welcomes Iran’s incredible resilience in defending the country and its revolution that has led to an amazing military victory. 

While analysts and strategists within the military industrial complex across the US, NATO and the Zionist-apartheid regime will be staring at their drawing boards to make sense of their humiliation, Iran’s steadfastness will ensure that its fingers remain on the trigger. 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been bitten more than once since its brave people overthrew the corrupt Pahlavi dynasty during the Islamic Revolution of 1979, led by Imam Khomeini (RA). 

The pattern of deception engraved in Western duplicity is a badge of dishonour which Iran is fully aware of and will be on guard against. 

It knows that the defeat inflicted on Israel has left the settler colonial regime in disarray, angry and extremely bitter. 

Zionist leaders such as Yair Lapid have sharply criticised the ceasefire. He lashed out against it by blaming Netanyahu and described it as a failure of political and strategic leadership, warning of long-term consequences for Israel’s security. “There has never been such a political disaster in all of our history,” Lapid said, arguing that “Israel wasn’t even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security.”

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That Netanyahu has been opposed to Trump’s inclination to seek an exit strategy by maliciously sabotaging offramps is well known. And that he apparently was sidelined and forced to eat humble pie has left him to account for the devastation caused by Iran’s missiles, without him achieving any of his military or political goals. 

Indeed, the irony of Netanyahu’s messianic zeal to obliterate Iran confronts him in the ashes of a synagogue in central Tehran, destroyed by him in a missile strike. Jewish representatives condemned the attack, saying Torah scrolls remained buried under the rubble.

“The Zionist regime showed no mercy towards this community during the Jewish holidays and attacked one of our ancient and holy synagogues,” Homayoun Sameh, Jewish representative in the Iranian parliament, was quoted as saying. “Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed”. 

Netanyahu’s failure to obliterate Iran stares him in the face as he grapples with the reality of defeat. 

It was after all his pressure on Trump based on a presentation designed to persuade the US that Iran’s regime could be toppled within 48 hours. 

He outlined a scenario in which the country’s “ballistic missile program could be destroyed in a few weeks, the regime would be so weakened that it could not choke off the Strait of Hormuz, and the likelihood that Iran would land blows against US interests in neighbouring countries was assessed as minimal.” Forty days of spirited retaliation by Iran, which undermined and defeated Netanyahu’s goals in addition to exposing Trump’s complicity in Israel’s genocidal war, and extracted a ceasefire on terms dictated by the IRGC, have reinforced Iran’s status and prestige among the oppressed masses of the world. 

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Israel’s genocidal regime has had to unwillingly, reluctantly, with resentment and annoyance, pay a price for the ceasefire. 

Despite Netanyahu’s efforts to sabotage the ceasefire, Trump was desperate to be relieved of his erratic demands and obligation to follow through on his threat to “open the gates of hell” on Iran. 

Now that the US has conceded defeat and Netanyahu is being forced to halt his war on Hezbollah, Iran has rightfully re-emerged as the leading edge of the global Islamic Movement and the axis of Resistance.

*Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of Media Review Network, Johannesburg

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