Haviv Rettig Gur
Far from Western eyes, a rich and complex debate is underway about the Islamic theological and historical meaning of Israel’s recent military successes. To those for whom Israel’s destruction is everything - the measure of Islamic dignity and the precondition for Islam’s
Ammar Kazmi 🇵🇸
The token Sunni support for Palestine since 7th October has died with Syria, and full Sunni normalisation with Israel is incoming. That's the only thing that's happened here. The Shi'a of Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen have sacrificed through years of starvation sanctions, assassinations, bombings, and much more for Palestine... and it's not because of PR with Sunnis! There has been a dominant current in Shi'ism since at least 1979 that has, theologically and materially, made Palestine its cause – because that current understands that eliminating the Zionist cancer in West Asia is essential for all Muslims, wherever they are. The Shi'a have been effective in mobilising for Palestine because of their Karbala'i traditions and theological commitment to material action. Meanwhile, Sunni nations (and Sunnis in general) have done little to nothing, because they have long since lost the theological capital to do so. Sunnis are plagued by childish neo-Ottoman fantasies, identitarianism, and a dearth of true, courageous leadership. Their 'leaders' (if you can call them that) are the heads of a few nation-states, and they are subservient to the West. Their 'scholars' have no theological coherence and, often, little education. Sadly, today's Sunnism is a hollowed-out shell. Only elements of the Palestinian population have bucked this trend. However, globally (outside of Palestine), the most effective 'Sunni' fighters today are the Khawarij of ISIS and al-Qa'ida, and they don't fight for Palestine but rather for the US and Israel. The Shi'a who support Palestine do so because they genuinely believe it is the correct, Islamic thing to do. And they will continue to support Palestine, no matter how many Sunnis throw Palestine under the bus. In fact, the Shi'a will fight for Palestine even if no Sunnis outside of Palestine do so. The (majority of) Shi'a have long ignored, and even tolerated, the most egregious, hardline Sunni supremacism and sectarianism in the interest of the greater good. They have attempted to show goodwill and extended olive branches in order to persuade other Sunnis to join them in the fight against Zionism. But it looks like the Shi'a will have to fight the Zionists alone.