Headlines:
• Ferguson Riots Play Big in Russia
• Top US General Calls for Acton against ISIS in Syria
• Former Cricketer Imran Khan Slams US Interference in Pakistan’s Domestic Affairs
Ferguson Riots Play Big in Russia
In the United States, days of rioting in Ferguson, Mo. over the police shooting of African American teenager Michael Brown are a troubling reminder of how deeply racial tensions still divide the country. In Russia, they provide an opportunity, in this era of sanctions and new Cold War-style sentiments, to accuse America of being a giant hypocrite. In the United States, “which has positioned itself as a ‘bastion of human rights’ and is actively engaged in ‘export of democracy’ on a systematic basis, serious violations of basic human rights and barbaric practices thrive,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Friday, in a special commentary on the situation in Ferguson. “We would like to advise American partners to pay more attention to restoring order in their own country, before imposing their dubious experience on other states.” Such ministerial-level tongue-lashing might not seem out of place at the present moment, as the United States and Russia trade everything from vitriol to sanctions over their competing stances on Ukraine — and more generally, are experiencing the worst diplomatic unraveling since the breakup of the Soviet Union. But the riots and protests in Missouri aren’t just registering with diplomatic officials: They are also prime-time gold. Ferguson, Mo. is second only to eastern Ukraine among global hotspots commanding the attention of Russia’s influential state television broadcasters right now. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the “police murder of an African-American teenager in the city of Ferguson” had happened in the context of the United States’ generally “inhumane” treatment of black Americans, listing medicinal testing and forced sterilization of inmates who are “mostly black,” as well as police abuse of non-whites. “The low level of American participation in international treaties on human rights does not contribute to solving these often long-standing problems,” the ministry added. “Notwithstanding this, in Washington, they don’t hesitate to declare their own ‘exceptionalism’ and leadership in the fortunes of the world.” [Source: Washington Post].
The media is the tongue of the ruler. Both America and Russia frequently use the media to conceal the ugliness of their societies whilst exporting their fifth abroad. Insha’Allah the time is coming soon when the Khilafah will expose all the major powers for the criminals they are and the deviant ideologies they follow.
Top US General Calls for Acton against ISIS in Syria
Following the murder of American journalist James Foley by IS, General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was “an organization that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated”. He added: “Can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a non-existent border.” US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said air strikes had helped to stall the IS advance in Iraq, but admitted that Washington needed to take a “cold, steely, hard look” at other measures needed.” They are beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess, they are tremendously well-funded… this is beyond anything that we have seen,” he said. Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, said in tackling IS, the US and Britain would need to build bridges with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a leader both countries have said should be removed. “The Syrian dimension has got to be addressed. You cannot deal with half a problem,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “The old saying my ‘enemy’s enemy is my friend’ has begun to have some resonance with our relationship with Iran. I think it’s going to have to have some resonance with our relationship with Assad. “Lord Dannatt said if the US decided to carry out air strikes against IS in Syria, “it’s got to be with the Assad regime’s approval”. [Source: Channel 4]
So there you have it. The West has finally found an excuse to mend relations with Assad in order to fights a small miniscule group called ISIS. No doubt by using ‘fighting ISIS’ as a pretext the West plans to work with Assad, Hizbollah, Iran, Turkey, Iraq and the GCC to quash the Islamic revival in Syria.
Former Cricketer Imran Khan Slams US Interference in Pakistan’s Domestic Affairs
Former Pakistani cricketer and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has bashed the US for a statement, slamming any movement attempting to bring down the democratically elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. At a briefing in Washington, State Department Deputy Spokesperson, Marie Harf, said, “Nawaz Sharif was elected and is prime minister. There is a government that was elected and is in place. We support the constitutional and electoral process in Pakistan. “And we do not support any extra-constitutional changes to that democratic system or the people attempting to impose them.” In response, Khan has requested the United States not to interfere in his country’s domestic affairs. “The US State Department statement on the current political crisis constitutes interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs,” Khan said. [Source International Business Times]
All Pakistanis know that the US interferes in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. But what most Pakistanis would like to know is that apart from the rhetoric, what is Imran’s policy towards the US. Is Imran going to severe relations with America? Is Imran going to close down the American embassy and expel its staff? Is Imran going to dismantle Raymond Davis’s network and expel all US military personnel? Is Imran going to stop Pakistani incursions into the tribal areas, make peace with the Taliban and then turn their guns on American forces operating in Afghanistan?