- 1 - Takfir & Sectarianism

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- 2 - Takfir & Sectarianism

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Takfir & Sectarianism Resurgence of an Old Hibernating Sidewinder!

“Sectarian differences, even clashes, are nothing new within the Muslim world. Before the fall of Ottoman Empire, some 100 years ago, this rift was confined within the scholarly circles and academics of the Muslim World. It never presented an existential threat to the stability of any Muslim land. But right after the fall of Ottoman Empire, the seeds of present crisis were spread when Muslim lands were divided based on Arab nationalism. With this artificial division, these sectarian differences turned into a complex transnational phenomenon, threatening the stability of the entire region. Historically, this is unprecedented. In modern geopolitics, this phenomenon has become a centrifugal force tearing apart multiple Muslim societies and the states. Geopolitical challenges in Middle East are much compounded than what meets the eye. Beneath this ostensibly single-faceted sectarian strife, hidden dynamics –ranging political history of the region to the geopolitical ambitions of global power players –are covertly shaping this entire conflict. Presenting this geopolitical contest as a mere sectarian conflict is part of a much larger scheme of things. This paper is a quest in putting the sectarian dimension of ensuing pandemonium in the entire Middle East into a larger perspective of global politics through retrospective analysis of various historic and contemporary political developments. This essay also examines the phenomenon of takfir within various sects of Shia and Sunni and suggests some steps which can provide the basis for a more inclusive social-political regional strategy to put this venomous sidewinder back in the hibernation which has been wreaking havoc in multiple Muslim states!”

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“I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying, “If someone accuses another of disbelief or calls him the enemy of Allah, such an

accusation will revert to him (the accuser) if the accused is innocent”.

Hazrat Abu Dharr Al Ghiffari (RA)

ایس یفخ را از یلج ایشہر ب اش

ن شن

اے ہک ن

اے رگاتفر اوبرکب و یلع ایشہر ب اش

العہم اابقل

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Before analyzing the atrocious ideology of Takfir and its physical manifestation i.e. sectarian violence as a tool of complex modern geopolitics, it is critical to understand one fundamental principle. The issue of Takfir and sectarianism cannot be seen in isolation as it is directly linked with an even bigger, older and more perplexing phenomenon of khawarijism. These Khawarij were the first “sect” in Islamic history, appeared during the rule of Prophet Muhemmed (sm) in Madina. Before their emergence, there were no sects in Islam and only a singular interpretation, given by Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet (sm), was considered the final verdict about all the matters, religious or otherwise. And this is the group who made the companions of Prophet of Islam (sm) to fight each other through their sheer propaganda and deception prowess. These were the people, who practically introduced the phenomenon of Takfir by declaring other Muslims infidels including Sahabah like Umer (R.A), Usman (R.A) and Ali (R.A). They were the people who assassinated the last three caliphs of Islam and proved to be a strategic tool against Islam. Finally, these Khawarij were responsible for the creation of Shia-Sunni divide among Muslim societies just to fulfill their own political agenda which had nothing to do with Islam whatsoever! Understanding this history of first sect in Islam along with its violent ideology remains a critical imperative as modern day sectarian strife, in the greater Middle East region, drives its ideological inspirations, narratives and rationale from that early age of Islam. This also dispels another general misconception, which has been prevalent among Muslims since centuries now, that Karbala was the starting point of present day sectarianism. Indeed, this was not the case!

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This phenomenon intensified once the great Muslim Empire of Ottoman Caliphate was divided on the nationalistic and sectarian basis. This changed the entire complexion of Muslim thought process. The debate over western concepts like nation state, democracy and liberalism further divided Muslim societies as latter were not prepared or educated for any of these alien concepts. It baffled the Islamic scholars as well and they failed to present any counter-narrative. Every sect, in order to further its political agenda, used sectarian card. Final goal was to get into the power! To understand this complex dimension, we will have to revisit the traditional debate over sectarianism. The debate over “sectarian dynamics of geopolitics” will have to be reached from reverse perspective. It is time to investigate the role of geopolitical forces in shaping this entire sectarian chaos. Takfir is not a goal in itself. Early history of Islam has proven this as a fact. It has always been deployed as a tool in a larger political strategy. With the nation state variable emplaced in the regional geopolitical equation, takfir became a transnational phenomenon recognizing no borders or limitations. Outcome was more deadly divisions with the Muslims states. Apart from crossing over the international borders, takfir became a centrifugal force even within the states dividing them further and at a third level almost all major sects today have divisions within. Amid all this ideological confusion, state of Israel was created in Muslim heartland right after World War II. It was not acceptable for any Muslim sect except those who were given the thrones after fall of Ottomans. Strong anti-Israel sentiments began to emerge in Arab world but after 1973 Arab-Israel war, all the major conflicts took place within the Arabs. Since 1979, these internal conflicts have become so severe that entire Muslim world has become irrelevant as far as threat of Israel is concerned. The impunity with which Israel carried out the genocide of Palestinians, in recent aggression in Gaza, is the most vivid testimony of this fact. Another interesting aspect of this entire sectarian axis which cannot be overlooked is the fact that the sectarian violence intensifies whenever Khawarij resurge in any Muslim society. They waged wars upon other Muslims by doing their takfir (i.e. declaring them kafir) which has often caused creation of new sects in Islam. This is how Muslim world has been divided into so many sects. Forces afraid of Islam as a political ideology use this internal sectarian divide to cause infighting among the Muslims to further the political chaos in Muslim heartland. It is nadir of Islamic history that due to the presence of sect-based governments in various Islamic countries, the entire region has been sucked into a strategic quagmire. Today, there is no unity of thought in any Muslim nation state or even within any sect of Islam. Result? A complete social, political and national breakdown!

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Below is a brief snapshot of prevailing political and national breakdown rampant in the entire Middle East and beyond.

Today, Shia militants are at war with Yemen's Sunni government while

Sunni Arabs has joined the US to attack the Shia regime of Syria.

In Iraq, Sunni insurgents have been waging war against a Shia government.

Shia-Sunni conflict, tearing apart Iraq

Saddam, despite being a secular Baathist, pretended to be a Sunni and occupied another Sunni state Kuwait which instigated the first Gulf War and Saddam’s own downfall.

Syria becomes the 7th Muslim country to be bombed by US since 2003 with ensuing crisis encircling countries as far afield as Turkey and Ukraine.

Saudi Salafis are ruthless against Shia Iranians. But not all of them as Salafis themselves are divided into multiple sub-sects based on their interpretations.i

In 2003, Iran joined hands with the US to overthrow Saddam regime and bring a Shia government. But, in 2010, Iraqi Shia political front refused to ally with Iran backed political groups.ii

First CIA/Mossad, Sunni Arabs created ISIS. Then they join hands "against" it, creating justification for invasion of Syria for expansion of Israel’s political and strategic influence and even its current borders.

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Mossad/CIA created a Frankenstein called ISIS and presented it as a Sunni militant outfit.iii A group of ruthless murderous thugs of Khawarij. Now US join hands with Iran against it.

Complete destruction and chaos, ultimate outcome of Sectarian wars

US backed Shia Arab Iraqi government is opposing the airstrikes by US backed Sunni Arab states but has no problem with bombing campaign by the US,UK and France in Iraq.iv

Iran fully cooperated with CIA in overthrowing Saddam in Iraq & Taliban in Afghanistan. Now Israeli ISIS killing Shias in Iraq as well.

Iran supported the US against Sunni Baathist Saddam, but is supporting another Shia Baathist regime in Syria against the US.

CIA created Sunni Jundullah against Shia Iran to launch insurgency and terrorism in Iran.v Saudi funded, Pakistani sectarian groups also joined this anti-Shia jihad which is creation of CIA.

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Jundullah – A CIA creation against Iran!

Saudia Arabia and UAE are the biggest financial suppliers of these sectarian militant factions. Still, the KSA and UAE are strategic partner of Israel and the US against Palestinian.

OIC Says it cannot stop a state as small as Israelvi but the entire Arab world has no concern fighting against much larger Syria.

The sectarian wars of the ME have reached Pakistan also. Sectarian killings and violence has increased during the recent years.vii If you praise Iran, you are branded as a Shia agent, else a Saudi Wahabi terrorist.

This is the insanity & complexity of the Middle East crisis. One can only be a NATO Sunni & a Russian Shia in Syria, a NATO Arab Shia in Iraq against Iranian Non-Arab Shia.

The Syria crisis has divided the Muslim resistance movements as well. Hizbullah supports Bashar but Hamas is against Bashar.

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Terrorism is a crime against humanity. Islam has made it categorically clear in Quran. But unfortunately, today even such crime is condemned from a sectarian perspective.

There is either Sunni killings or a Shia genocide – What about Muslims?

By looking at this complexity of political-sectarian anarchy in the entire Muslim world, one might wonder; how things went wrong to such an extent? Why nobody was able to see this all coming? To find the answers, we will have to untangle the role of political powers, both regional and global, in instigating sectarian violence as a policy tool to serve their strategic political interests in the region.

1979 remains the most important year in modern history of Middle East. The

events which took place during this year shaped the entire geopolitics of today.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, start of Iran-Iraq war and the Iranian

Revolution were major developments which took place during that time period.

Iranian revolution basically was a Shia revolution but was presented as Islamic

revolution. Iran-Iraq war was presented as a war between Shia-Sunnis. These

developments not only deepened the sectarian fault lines but also provided

impetus for the Israeli Zionists to widen the fault lines within the Arab world

using sectarianism as strategic tool. Internal political and nationalistic rifts

within the Islamic world also helped the Zionist agenda. Oppressive regimes in

Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Gulf states give rise to political centrifugal tendencies but

as the all these regimes were utterly non-democratic, cruel and un-Islamic, they

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tried to oppress these forces through state power. This was the manifestation of

Cold War era geopolitics. The US and USSR both were supporting their respective

client states in Middle East. CIA’s operation Cyclone in Afghanistan, along with

other similar schemes elsewhere in the world, enabled Langley to penetrate in

both Shia and Sunni militant groups using Arab agents. This has been pithily put

in words by Brig. (R) Samson Simon Sharaf

“CIA also got control of Takfiris to employ against the USSR. The scenario was

often played in CENTCOM War Games warranting US intervention. Lawrence of

Arabia lived a thousand lives in these scripts.”viii

Iranian Revolution was not Islamic but presented as one for political gains. Iran continued to receive Israeli weapons to fight against Iraq who were supplied weapons by

the US in ten years long Iran-Iraq war.

Till 1990's, there were three Socialist, pro-Soviet Baathist regimes in the Middle East. Iraq was ruled by Saddam, Syria by Hafiz ul Asad, father of Bashar and Libya was being ruled by Qaddafi. All 3 were secular governments, which hanged, killed, exiled hundreds of thousands of Muslims for demanding Islamic laws in their countries. Not only this, but they tortured and killed all those Mujahideen who returned home after Soviet Union was defeated in the gorges of Afghanistan. After 9/11, both Iran and Syria cooperated with the CIA in its torturous rendition programsix and now both are on top of American hit list. Only occasion when the entire Muslim World displayed some kind of unity was during early 1970’s and 1980’s when Pakistan persuaded the Arabs to use the oil exports to the West as a strategic weapon. Ironically, almost every noticeable leader who participated in 1974 OIC’s Lahore Summit met with a horrible end. Former President of Pakistan, General Zia ul Haq, undoubtedly, was the last leader in the entire Muslim world who tried to bring Muslim Ummah in a united

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political fold. Unfortunately, whatever remains of the Muslim world today, comprises only on political carpetbaggers and American touts.

Reaching out to both the Sunni and Shia regimes in Middle East - President Zia’s diplomatic overtures for the united Islamic block

At that time, Saddam was a friend of CIA, fighting against Iran in the entire 1980's but then became an enemy of CIA when Iraq invaded Kuwait and the first Gulf war started. CIA used Saddam to destroy Iran and then used him again to attack Middle East in first and second gulf wars and finally hanged him after 2004. Through this systematic intervention in the Middle East, the US got herself in a position to reshape the entire political map of the Middle East based on the Sectarian lines. This is why Arabs and Egypt suffered so heavily in 1973 war against Israel. The borders of Israel expanded while Afro-Arab states like Egypt, Jordon and Syria shrunk. Today, when the US intelligence apparatus in the Middle East has become too strong to be shaken, the entire Middle East political landscape has been divided based on what Council for Foreign Relation has called “Branches of Islam”, making it almost a child’s play for powerful international state and non-state organizations or groups to manipulate whoever they want in the region!

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“Branches of Islam” – A strategic tool in war of ideas and belief. Often employed to divide

and rule Muslims. (Source: Council on Foreign Relations)x

The historical analysis of sectarianism as a strategic tool, of the Zionists, dispels

the prevalent erroneous impression that the present Middle East chaos is a new

phenomenon. It may be new on the operational and tactical levels, but at the

strategic and grand-strategic levels of warfare, this is just the continuation of the

old wars. Means and Ways have changed only but the strategic goals remain the

same!

Seeds of division of Iraq were sown in the First Gulf War, during the early 1990s,

with the creation of an autonomous Kurd region. Next step was to remove a

strong leader like Saddam who somehow was able to keep the country united.

Actual target was never Saddam but the Iraqi Army. Once incapacitated through

few compromised generals, creation of Kurd autonomous region, for more

control over Iraqi oil, was used as a PsyOp to instigate Iraqi Sunni insurgency,

which erupted in 2006, to demand their own autonomous region – effectively

breaking the country. After the fall of Saddam Iraqi Army was turned into an

ineffective militia due to continued sectarian tensions, promotion on the basis of

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ethno-sectarian kinship ties rather than professionalism, corruption on a massive

and grotesque scale, poor command, control and communications systems

because of the politicians’ mistrust of the officer corps.xi

Various sectarian centrifugal forces tearing oil rich Muslim nation apart!

The Iranians cooperated in plans to instigate this insurgency by supporting the

oppressive regime of Nur Al Malaki. Iraqis realized this and reacted against it, in

2010, by rejecting the Iran backed Shia political alliance. But this didn’t change

much on ground as Baghdad government is still a predominately Shia regime.

Sunni militants rebel against Baghdad, in a desperate bid to remove Shia regime

and restore Sunni regime like Saddam, not realizing that he was not a Sunni but a

Baathist in the first place. To make the matters worse, ISIS has been killing both

Sunni and Shia further amplifying the crisis!

As a recruitment policy, Israel and the UK extensively used the idea of Takfir.

They brainwashed Muslim youth of Europe. A false notion that their version of

religion would ultimately prevail over other Muslim sects and all the other Arab

religions like Christians, Bah’ha’, Druz, Yazidi and Zoroastrians was instilled in

their minds. Even they are not aware why they are fighting and now after

realizing how they have been trapped, they are desperate to go back homexii but

to prevent this reverse flux of these brainwashed Muslim youths, the US has

launched a war against them after ignoring them for so long. This new war which

is being waged in the deserts of Iraq and Levant shall push the entire region

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further into strategic swirl. Turkey has already announced to become part of this

war. This decision is going to have long term strategic implications for the future

ties between Ankara and Damascus.

Zionists are the real masterminds behind sectarian wars in Islamic World –Even their own confess!

Turkey has been fighting against the PKK insurgency for years now. A peace deal was reached between Ankara and PKK. To make it a reality, special law was approved by the Turkish government.xiii Now when ISIS is advancing towards the Kurdish town of Kubane near the Turkish border in Syria, PKK is asking Erdogan to fight IS if Ankara wants to save that peace treaty.xiv ISIS creation has nothing to do with Turkey but due to this threat Turkey has been forced to change its policy of "Zero Problems with neighbors". Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu devised this policy when he was Turkish Foreign Minister. Turkey started to forge the regional alliances with the Middle Eastern states and tried to end the international isolation of states like Syria and Iran.xv But now Turkey has decided to intervene in Syria and due to this decision the entire strategic equation has become even more delicate. Today, Turkey stands at the same crossroad where Pakistan was after 9/11 when General Musharraf, as President, had to decide about its Afghan policy. The decision Turkey has taken is also similar to what Pakistan did back then and like Pakistan, Turkey also has her own reasons. The outcome of this decision remains an enigma for now which shall be unfolded in the coming weeks and months. The war in Syria is going to be protracted one. Israelis would do everything to push the ISIS brigades into Turkey turning 900 KM long Turkish-Syrian border in another geopolitical hotspot like Pakistan-Afghan border has become!

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Turkey prepares for an inevitable war with Israeli backed ISIS.

In this entire Shia-Sunni, Arab-Persian wars, the net beneficiary is Israel,

decimating the Muslim countries around it, expanding its political influence in

the region. It looks like that Jordan, Saudi Arabia and perhaps Lebanon sans

Hezbollah are onboard with this grand strategic plan. Israel has an intrinsic

vulnerability due to its thin geography and is in desperate need of some kind of

strategic depth.

Israel has already shown her intentions to punish Hezbollah for resisting this

Israeli expansionist plan.xvi Israel is preparing for another war in the region. On

the other hand, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naeem Kassem has

rightly pointed to the fact that these takfiri groups are actually benefiting “Israel”,

since they create sedition and internal fighting.xvii Not only this, he succinctly

analyzed that the differences between these groups and other groups are not

religious, but are rather political.xviii

This trend will continue in the future as well unless Muslim states perceive this

threat with the same sensitivities all over the world. And for that, it is imperative

to create some kind of union among Muslim states where scholars of policy and

strategy can deliberate on issues like Takfir and Khawarij as a tool of the western

strategy.

Despite all the internal chaos within the Muslim world, there is silver lining on

the horizon as well. The international reaction over Israel’s recent aggression in

Gaza has put Tel Aviv on the back foot. Now, Israeli troops are committing

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suicides and openly defying the policies of Israeli government. These

developments have put Israeli government in panic to such an extent that Israeli

defense minister Moshe Ya’alon had to declare the protest of 43 officers of elite

intelligence unit of Israel, Unit 8200, as “vile and reprehensible”xix while the

Intelligence and strategic affairs minister of Israel, Yuval Steinitz, had to declare

it “an act of subversion that deserves punishment.” xx

These dynamics of internal politics of Israel provide impetuses to the Muslim nations to initiate their own diplomatic overtures to build a cohesive narrative of geopolitical unity among the Muslim societies. This is a strategic imperative because the real target of the entire Middle East chaos is the social unity and political cohesion of the Muslim nations. If achieved, this unity of thought would be the first step towards the creation of a collective security and economic block within the Muslim world. Any such eventuality would be a security nightmare for Israel as Tel Aviv is well aware of the fact that once Muslims get united, overcoming their political differences, the security of state of Israel would be in complete jeopardy. After achieving this much needed political unity in the strategic thought process of Muslims, sectarian violence would also diminish inevitably. This would not be an easy task but time to act is now before it gets too late.

No Muslim sect has ever accepted the creation of Israel. This fact explains why it is critical for Israel and her allies to instigate infightings within the Muslim world using their political cronies and touts. This is what transpiring across the entire swathe of Muslim heartland. In reality, the war is political, not sectarian. Sooner we realize this, faster we will be able to rid of this menace of sectarianism.

Pakistan has a critical role to play to create a conducive strategic environment for the diplomatic overtures discussed above. A radical shift is required in Islamabad’s foreign policy to make these overtures and eventual rise of united state of Islam a reality.

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Pakistan’s first priority should be the ending of all the financial support to

military wings of sectarian outfits from the Middle Eastern states adopting

strict anti-money laundering laws and oversight practices.

Pakistan’s foreign policy vision must be completely non-sectarian. There must be complete balance in Pakistan’s diplomatic engagements with Riyadh and Tehran. Pakistan has already done that during in 1970’s and 1980’s.

Pakistan's interest lies in building the strongest regional block with Tehran, Riyadh and Ankara. The mutual distrust of Arabs, Iranians & Turks can only be pacified by Pakistan which historically has maintained cordial relations with all 3 nations.

The proposed regional block must be built upon the suggestions of a multilateral policy institution comprising on Foreign Ministers, defense ministers, security experts and most importantly experts of Islamic Sharia Laws and history. Inclusion of experts of Islamic Sharia and history would be a critical imperative to develop a broad based religious counter-narrative against Takfir and Khawarijism to comprehensively destroy the militant and violent ideological edifice which both Takfiris and Kharjis present and preach as Islamic. Once developed, this counter-narrative must be infused in academics, education and media by each country. Absence of such collective Islamic counter-narrative has only helped the hostile entities to further their agenda of dividing the Muslim world on violent sectarian lines instigating bloodshed.

Pakistan, Iran and Turkey need to revive the RCD in accordance with the

dynamically changing strategic milieu in the region. Pakistan has relied

upon the Arabs for too long now. Events transpiring around Pakistan

demand that Pakistan, Iran and Turkey to join hands to cope with these

security and political challenges if not for the security of hapless Muslims

in the Middle East, at least for their own.

Though Israeli enmity towards Arabs and non-Arab is similar but Pakistan,

being only ideological and nuclear Islamic state is prime target of Israeli

covert operations and in the world. Israel-India strategic partnership is a

vivid manifestation of Israel’s long term strategic planning against

Pakistan. After emergence of this dangerous nexus between Hindutva and

Zionism it is critical for Pakistan to carry out a fresh appraisal of national

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security threat matrix to build a response strategy against Israeli

overtures in the subcontinent.

Keeping the close bilateral security relations between Israel and India in

mind, Pakistan needs to revisit its India policy as well. Indian involvement

in the increased sectarian violence, particularly in Karachi, must be

investigated vigorously. Since the creation of Pakistan, Indians have been

using the same sectarian ruse against it which Israelis employed against

the Arabs to make them fight each other.

Russia and China have become crucial factors in the Eurasian geopolitics.

Recent developments in Ukraine, Balkan and Black Sea regions clearly

indicate that Russia is re-emerging in the region with China restoring

balance of global maritime power in the South China Sea and the Indian

Ocean. New Pakistani foreign policy must incorporate these facts as pivotal

points. Pakistan needs radical adjustments in its foreign policy towards

Moscow, Beijing and Washington.

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The entire sectarian chaos within the Muslim world actually is the manifestation

of collision of political interests of various governments in the region.

Unfortunately, most of these governments are working on the behest of Israel

and the West. The final strategic aim of these artificially created sectarian wars is

to protect the Israeli borders and whenever possible to expand these.

As new power centers are emerging on the grand chessboard of global politics,

new opportunities of strategic outreach for the Muslim nations are also

emerging. But to take advantage of these emerging opportunities, Muslim world

would need to get rid of Cold War era strategic thought process. For Pakistan too,

this is perhaps the only way forward to crawl out of this strategic pothole where

the state is struggling for survival on daily basis.

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i Dr. Yasir Qadhi,” On Salafī Islam”, Muslimmatters.org, 22nd April 2014,

http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/On-Salafi-Islam_Dr.-Yasir-Qadhi.pdf ii “Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had resisted Iranian efforts to form a united Shia bloc. He led his

own State of Law Coalition (SLC), a predominately Shia Islamist bloc with substantial secular

elements. It competed against both the Iranian-aligned Iraqi National Alliance (INA) and the

Iraqi National Movement, or Iraqiya coalition, a mixture of Sunnis and secular Shia nominally

headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.”

Kirk H. Sowell, “Iraq‟s Second Sunni Insurgency – Analysis”, Hudson Institute, 9th Aug 2014,

http://www.hudson.org/research/10505-iraq-s-second-sunni-insurgency

iii Kevin Barrett, “ISIS: a Frankenstein monster created by the US and Israel”, 25th Aug 2014,

http://www.darkmoon.me/2014/isis-frankenstein-monster-created-us-israel/ iv BBC, “Islamic State crisis: Abadi opposes Arab strikes in Iraq”, 1st Oct 2014,

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29447201

v ABC News, “ABC News Exclusive: The Secret War Against Iran”, 3rd April 2007,

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2007/04/abc_news_exclus

vi Ikram Junaidi, “Arab states cannot stop Israel: OIC secretary-general”, Daily Dawn, 5th

Aug, 2014, http://www.dawn.com/news/1123391

vii “Sectarian violence increased in 2013, says report”, Daily Dawn, 6th Jan, 2014,

http://www.dawn.com/news/1078664

viii Brigadier (Retired) Samson Simon Sharaf, “Takfiri: The Arab sidewinder”, Daily Nation, 9th

August 2014, http://www.nation.com.pk/columns/09-Aug-2014/takfiri-the-arab-sidewinder

ix Ian Cobain, “CIA rendition: more than a quarter of countries 'offered covert support'”, The

Guardian, 5th Feb 2013, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/05/cia-rendition-

countries-covert-support

x “The Sunni-Shia Divide”, Council on Foreign Relations, http://www.cfr.org/peace-conflict-

and-human-rights/sunni-shia-divide/p33176#!/?cid=soc-twitter-in-infoguide-sunni_shia_divide-

071514#!%2F

xi Ahmed S. Hashim, “Defeating IS: Will The Obama Strategy Succeed? – Analysis”, Eurasian

Review, 17th Sep 2014, http://www.eurasiareview.com/17092014-defeating-will-obama-

strategy-succeed-analysis

xii “British Jihadists Fighting In Syria 'Regret Their Decision To Leave UK And Want To Come

Home', The Huffington Post UK, 5th Sep 2014,

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/09/05/british-jihadists-islamic-state-

syria_n_5770400.html

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xiii “Turkey approves law allowing talks with PKK”, Aljazeera News, 15th Jul 2014,

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/07/turkey-approves-law-allowing-talks-with-

pkk-2014715182324519257.html xiv “Massacre in Kobane would end PKK's peace talks with Turkey: Öcalan”, Hurriyat Daily

News, 2nd Oct 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/massacre-in-kobane-would-end-

pkks-peace-talks-with-turkey-ocalan.aspx xv “Under “zero problems with neighbors,” the AKP government established economic and

political alliances in the Middle East, forged strategic relationships with regional actors, took

part in regional initiatives, and sought to play an active role in the resolution of regional

conflicts. Turkey’s mediating role in regional conflicts won it favorable notice in the Arab

world. For instance, Ankara’s efforts to break the isolation imposed on Syria and Iran by the

United States were well received, contributing to Turkey’s image as an independent actor

willing to defy Western powers if necessary.”

Dr. Gönül Tol, “Turkey‟s Search For „Zero Problem‟ Policy”, Middle East Institute ,25th Nov.

2013, http://www.mei.edu/content/turkey’s-search-“zero-problem”-policy

xvi “Israeli army chief: Hezbollah poses greater threat than Hamas”, Al Arabiya English

Website, 4th Oct 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/10/04/Israeli-military-chief-

says-Hezbollah-poses-greater-threat-than-Hamas.html xvii Mariam Saleh , “Muslim clerics speak against Takfiri ideology”, Press TV, 4th Jul 2014,

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/07/04/312146/muslim-clerics-speak-against-takfiri-ideology

xviii Ibid

xix Calev Ben-David, “Israel Slams Soldiers Who Say They Won't Be 'Tools to Persecute'

Palestinians”, Bloomberg News, 14th Sep 2014, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-

14/israeli-officials-condemn-protest-by-intelligence-unit-soldiers.html

xx Ibid