Ballon d’Or: Who Is The First Muslim Winner?

Recent years have been awesome for Muslims in

Netflix's Cuties: Islamophobia Gone Wrong

Cuties, which is called Mignonnes in French, is a 

2020 French coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré. For short, Cuties can be described as a French movie with scabrous content that was meant to malign Islam.

The description of the movie by the makers is as follows: “Amy, 11, becomes fascinating with a twerking dance crew. Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity defying her family’s tradition.”

After receiving a massive backlash from the public, Netflix tried to save face by unabashedly drafting another description which goes thus: “Eleven-year-old Amy starts to rebel against her conservative family’s tradition when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew”.

The film premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on 23rd January 2020. It was released in France on 19th August 2020 by BAC Films and internationally on 9th September 2020 on Netflix.

Movie lovers and activists have called out Netflix over what has been called ‘the sexualization of children’. Netflix is an American online movie streaming service provider which has also delved into movie making. It is headquartered in Los Gatos, California. America.

Westerners tag anyone who has sexual relations with anyone below the age of 18 a pedophile however; millions of girls below 18 joyfully engage in premarital sex and get pregnant every day.

‘Pedophilia’ is another ‘crime’ Islamophobes have dropped at the door step of Islam. Pedophilia or paedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Miraculously, the movie, Cuties, has exposed the fact that westerners very well fall in love with girls under 18.

Islamophobia

The demon, Islamophobia, has continued to rage across the globe. In extreme cases, Muslims have lost their lives. Islam-haters try to put a dampener on their bigotry by denying the existence of the words ‘Islamophobe’ and ‘islamophobia’; this will always be in vain.

A major narrative Islamophobes try to sell is the ‘Islam oppresses women’ cliché.

France has long been tagged the most Islamophobic country in the world. France was the first European country to announce a ban on the Islamic veil in public on 11th April 2011.

Though, movies with similar themes

(Islamophobia) have come from other countries, no movie has ever exposed the aim of Islamophobia like Cuties. Accuse others of that which you are guilty.

The makers of the movie tried to portray a Muslim girl oppressed into modesty in the character Amy.

With the number of individuals who have taken umbrage at Cuties and inveighed against Netflix, it is obvious western Islamophobic media overegged the pudding this time.

 Backlash

• On 10 September, #CancelNetflix started trending on Twitter in the United States.
• The Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council, requested Netflix to remove the film.
• The National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a religious organization, condemned Netflix for giving a film "that has permitted the sexual exploitation of children" a platform.
• Shortly after its release on Netflix, Cuties had an IMDb rating of 1.7/10.

Quite disgustingly, the writer and director of the movie, Maïmouna Doucouré, won the Directing Award – Dramatic at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Moral of the story; an attempt to paint Islam black has once again exposed the hypocrisy of Islam-haters.

Four 9/11 Questions With No Answers Yet

9/11 file photo

Tomorrow, 9/11/2020, will be the 19^th anniversary of one event that  has change the course of human history. 

An ‘attack’ in America that is said to have claimed over 3000 lives from different nationalities has continued to shape world politics.

The blame has been dropped at the door step of Islam and Muslims.

A closer look at anomalies in the official account of the American government made it obvious that as far as that even is concerned, there is more that meets the eye.

Here are some questions that have not been answered by pro America debaters as compiled by Mike Rudlin of the BBC in 2007.

1. Why was the hole in the Pentagon wall so small and why was there so little damage to the outer wall?
2. Why does it look like there is no plane at the crash site in Pennsylvania where flight United 93 came down?
3. Why did a building called World Trade Centre Building 7 collapse even though it was never hit by an aircraft?
4. And why was America so unprepared when terror attack warnings had been received?

Jim Fetzer, former US marine and retired university professor, who helped found a coalition of academics called Scholars for 9/11 Truth repeats the Sherlock Holmes quotation “when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

According to the publication when it was first released on 14^th February 2007, “the US State Department has a website to debunk conspiracy theories – not just about 9/11 but a whole range of stories circulating on the internet.

But we found that simple requests, such as asking to see the plane wreckage of flight United 93 at Shanksville, or flight American Airlines 77 at the Pentagon, were refused after months of delay by the authorities.

Yet if we had been able to film the wreckage from flight AA77 we would have had extremely strong evidence that a Boeing 757 hit the Pentagon.”

Through the internet and the media generally, allegations of complicity by the US government in the 9/11 attacks are intensifying.

A number of pro America debaters try to create the notion that only Muslims slap away 9/11 as an inside job. Happenings within America itself always burst their bubble. 

In 2004, John Buchanan ran for president on a 9/11 Truth platform. Jeff Boss ran in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 US presidential elections, and is currently running in the 2020 election on a 9/11 Truth platform.

A Truth Movement sticker

Several organizations have been create to push the American government into conducting a deep investigation of 9/11. Some of them are:

• Hispanic Victims Group
• 9/11 Citizens Watch formed in 2002
• 9/11 Truth  launched in June 2004
• Scholars for 9/11 Truth launched in December 2005
• Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice (STJ) formed in January 2007
• 9/11 Commission Campaign founded in 2011

Our hearts go out to all those who have innocently lost their lives to all the ensuing wars.

Ms Marvel: Muslims Must Reject these Superheroes

Ms Marvel and Dust

Marvel announced in 2014 that it was introducing a superhero who will belong to the Muslim faith. The character that is named Kamala Khan or Ms Marvel was created by Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona. 

Marvel studious has created characters belonging to the Christian faith most popular of them being Night Crawler from The X-Men. 

Some Muslims are applauding this development by Marvel studios sayi ng it is high time we saw a Muslim portrayed as a ‘good guy’.

But, in the case of this particular ‘superhero’, Ms Marvel, should Muslims be jubilant?

Background of Ms Marvel

Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) is a 16 year old ‘Muslim’ girl of Pakistani origin who happens to be an admirer of Captain Marvel (a female superhero). The title, Ms Marvel, has been born by three other superheroes: Carol Denvers (created in 1968), Sharon Ventura (created in 1985) and Karla Sofen (created in 2009). The character, Kamala Khan, is the fourth to bear the title, Ms Marvel.

Here are some reasons why it would not be wise for Muslims to celebrate this.

1. Is Ms Marvel a practicing Muslim?

Being a Muslim does not end at bearing a Muslim name otherwise, Amina Wadud would also be called a Muslim. What exactly will be Muslim about Ms Marvel? 

Ms Marvel

Will she be shown observing salah? 

Will she be wearing a Hijab? 

Will she say ‘subhanallah’ when something bad happens or will she say ‘S***’ or ‘F***’?

The protagonist in the Indonesian movie, The Raid, is a practicing Muslim. In the movie, he was shown observing salah, he was responsible, did not drink or commit adultery, fought against evils that exist in real life and sought the protection of Allah whenever he was about to fight. Now, this is a Muslim superhero.

Will we see the same in Ms Marvel? 

From the drawings and 3D images we have seen of Ms Marvel, she leaves her hair flying in the wind (no hijab) and she wears tight and revealing clothes. That is not ‘Muslim’. 

Superheroes as we know often have illicit sexual relationships among themselves. Kissing, cuddling, sex and even homosexuality have occurred among ‘superheroes’. 

Will Ms Marvel (a Muslim) be that kind of superhero?

2. Partnership with evil personalities

Islamically, all demi-gods are fabrications of the devil, from Vulcan (the god of fire), cupid (the god of love) to Thor (the god of thunder). Others such as Zeus, Odin, e.t.c also fall in this category. 

Marvel introduced Thor as a character for their comics in 1962 and made their first Thor movie in 2011. Lately, Marvel has been combining multiple superheroes in single movies. 

Will Ms Marvel be featured in the same movies as Thor? In other words, will a Muslim be fighting on the same side as a demi-god (the fabrication of satan)? 

The new video game, Marvel’s Avengers, has already featured scenes with Ms Marvel (a Muslim) showing very high regard for Thor (a pagan god). 

The Marvel superheroes also includes the character named Doctor Strange; a sorcerer. These combinations are blasphemous. Muslims don’t collaborate with devils and sorcerers.

3. Ms Marvel’s Ability

According to descriptions by Marvel, Ms Marvel will be a shape shifter i.e. she will have the ability to change her form into whatever she pleases, something like the character named ‘Mystic’ in The X-Men or Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat. 

Like has been said, a Muslim superhero has to be totally Muslim. Muslims do not believe a human being can have more than one form; it is scripturally impossible (heresy). Only Angels and Jinns have been given that ability. 

The makers of the story say Kamala got her abilities as a result of mutation after a nuclear/radioactive attack. This is just a move to push the evolution agenda which is considered grave heresy in Islam.

Another ‘Muslim’ superhero is Sooraya Qadir (Dust) who wears an Islamic garment with a niqab and has the ability to turn into sand. The character was developed by Grant Morrison and artist Ethan Van Sciver in December 2002 for the X-Men. She has been featured wearing very revealing clothes too.

It is apparent; the concept of a Muslim superhero with the descriptions given by Marvel studios is totally flawed.

Game developer, Square Enix, in October 2019 included Ms Marvel as a playable character in its game, Marvel’s Avengers. The game was released 15^th May 2020. The Ms. Marvel TV show will debut on Disney’s upcoming streaming service in 2021 or 2022. A date for a Ms Marvel movie has not been set yet.

Marvel should concentrate on making money from its fictional stories and refrain from making a mockery of the intellect of Muslims. Those Muslims who applaud this development should learn to look at the big picture. 

Do we really want to have our children taking up heroes who stand to represent ideologies that threaten the main essence of their faith?

Islamic thought is about to be manipulated to accommodate profanities and corruption. 

This is hereby a call to parents to really guard their children against this psychological attack. Muslim countries that care about the spiritual life of their people should also take caution. Countries have the right to block whatever poses a threat to the sanity of their people.

May Allah assist us.

A Ban on Begging Will Destroy Northern Nigeria

A beggar

Nigeria was declared the poverty capital of the world by World Data Lab in June 2018 taking over India. Nigeria ranks 152 out of 157 countries on the World Bank’s Human Capital Index. 

It has been a long time notion that poverty in Nigeria is largely a northern issue; this was confirmed in a publication by the World Bank in February 2020. The publication disclosed that 87% of Nigeria’s poverty load is in northern Nigeria.

Instability in the north resulting from the activities of Boko Haram and unknown gunmen has further bleakened the future of northern Nigeria. 

Businesses have been forced to close and there are hardly any foreign investors who will have the north in their books.

The welfare and livelihood of the populace is a major concern for every sane leadership, it does not look like Nigeria is in that ilk of countries. 

Government and the elite feel no urgency towards providing employment opportunities for the populace neither do they see the need to annihilate the phenomena fueling the hardship being faced by the masses.

Northern Nigeria, where most of the beggars and almajiris come from, has the lowest crime rate in the country. These crimes include armed robbery, human trafficking, prostitution, ritual killing, drug trafficking, internet fraud, counterfeiting and a host of others.

A major reason for this is that northern society does not frown at indigent people coming out in the open to seek help.

Those northerners calling for the criminalization of begging who also include members of the middle and plebian class are doing so majorly to avoid denigrating remarks from southerners and non Muslims. They never take time to consider the repercussions on the northern/Muslim community.

This is in no way an attempt to encourage begging as clarification on the issue can be gotten in the article MISCONCEPTION 4: Islam Encourages Begging

No doubt, the sight of children, the elderly and the disabled begging on the streets is never pleasant however; rapt attention should be paid to the manner with which it is eradicated. Do we fight poverty or do we fight the poor. 

Forcing poor people into hiding creates the perfect opportunity for crime to thrive. If northern states successfully force beggars off the streets (taking away their means of livelihood) then we should expect to see an astronomical surge in the activities that characterize communities where beggars are scorned. 

These activities include prostitution, armed robbery, drug trafficking and many other vices that are currently rare in northern Muslim communities.

The new and trending slogan ‘Government cannot do it alone’ has opened a portal through which Nigerian politicians are escaping their constitutional duties. 

If the building of schools, hospitals, roads, provision of electricity and other amenities are declared ‘everybody’s job’ then, the leadership will feel no urgency in providing them; underdevelopment and poverty will become companions of the people.

The issue is simple, what do you do with a community where 33.5% are unemployed and 60.9% are living in abject poverty?

How Secular Communities Eradicated Poverty

Europe was devastated after the Second World War. A great portion of the population depended on daily alms and charity to survive. European governments did not force beggars into hiding; they eradicated poverty by creating jobs and establishing robust welfare systems.

Muammar Ghaddafi became the leader of Libya in 1969 when it was one of the poorest countries in the world. With the development and standardization of the various sectors that make up the economy coupled with a robust welfare system, Libya was transformed from being one of the most beggared countries in the 20^th century to one of the richest countries in the 21^st century.

In several non Muslim nations with better economies than Nigeria, begging is legal.

• U. S. Courts have repeatedly ruled that begging is protected by the First Amendment's free speech provisions.
• In Finland, begging has been legal in Finland since 1987 when the poor law was invalidated. In 2003, the Public Order Act replaced local government rules and decriminalized begging.
• In Romania, Law 61 of 1991 forbids the persistent call for the mercy of the public, by a person who is able to work.
• In France, law against begging ended in 1994.
• In Poland it is illegal to beg under the Code of petty offences, if they are able to hold a job.

Other western nations where begging is permissible are: Italy, Luxembourg, Austria.

Like was said in the book, ‘The Richest Man In Babylon’ “Life is hard and there will always be some who cannot adjust themselves to it.”

How Islamic Communities Eradicated Poverty

Muslims are credited with establishing the first welfare state, the foundation was laid by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) but the full impact of the system was felt in the reign of the second caliph, Umar Ibn Khattab. 

Islam greatly emphasizes the payment of taxes, Muslims pay the Zakat and non Muslims pay the Jizya. The main essence of these taxes is to cater for the needs of the most vulnerable members of the community. 

The second caliph, Umar, would periodically request the names of the poorest people in the different provinces after which stipends were sent to them for financial upliftment. 

Caliph Umar was also in the habit of going on surveillance walks under the cover of night offering assistance to those he met in need. It is reported that on one of those nights, caliph Umar returned home with all the goodies he went out to distribute because he found no one in need. 

The lesson from this is that Islamic communities eradicated poverty not poor people.

Islamic authorities were known to defend the most vulnerable members of the community by challenging the leadership to uphold their duties to their followers, the current crop of Muslim clerics in Nigeria seems to have broken with precedent in that regard. 

It has become a norm in northern Nigeria to hear imams preaching against giving alms to beggars. They allege that some of the beggars are millionaires and do not deserve alms.

I once asked a prominent cleric in my city who peddled that assertion if he had ever seen a millionaire beggar; of course he hadn’t.

For those who ignorantly argue that Islam has no place for beggars.  

Qabisah ibn Mukhariq reported: I was under debt so I came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and I asked him about it. The Prophet said, “Wait until we receive charity, then we will order it to be given to you.” Then the Prophet said, 

"O! Qabisa, begging is not permissible but for one of the three (classes) of persons:

one who gives a guarantee to a large amount to settle the dispute of people, for him begging is permissible till he pays that off, after which he must stop it;

a man whose property has been destroyed by a calamity which has smitten him, for him begging is permissible till he gets what will support life, or will provide him reasonable subsistence; and

a person who has been smitten by poverty, the genuineness of which is confirmed by three members of his peoples, for him begging is permissible till he gets what will support him, or will provide him subsistence.

O! Qabisa, besides these three (every other reason) for begging is forbidden, and one who engages in such consumes what is forbidden".

Hadith No. 2404 (1044), Book of Zakat, Sahih Muslim, Vol. 3; Hadith No. 1640, Book of Zakat, Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol. 2.

Do we have these category of people in northern Nigeria? Yes, we do.

Was Muhammad (SAW) talking nonsense when he permitted this set of people to beg? Only an infidel will answer in the affirmative.

Why then are Muslims, the knowledgeable and the ignorant alike, turning their backs on the Prophet (SAW) to escape responsibility?

Northern Nigeria used to host one of the most Islamically alive communities in the world; it is not certain if that assumption still holds. 

The ever rising rate of poverty resulting from decades of government corruption has pushed many away from Islamic principles. This is chiefly due to the fact that virtually all the bad Muslim leaders have continued to draw strength from Muslim clerics. Nigeria Muslim clerics get rich whenever election campaigns kick-off, the burst of wealth comes from ’gifts’ they receive from politicians for positive portrayals from the pulpit. The poor northern masses are observing this very closely. 

If the beggars are forced back to their houses, it will expose the true magnitude of physical and spiritual poverty that has been napping in the north. 

The knowledge that this was done in league with the Islamic authorities who they trusted will make the masses develop a carapace against religious edicts coming from the clergy. The Islamic institutions will fade into insignificance, the populace will begin to chant ‘separation of mosque and state’ and we just might descend to the level of DR Congo.

Why A Saudi Owned Media Outfit Is Pro-Israel

MBC group

Middle East Broadcasting Center, MBC, is a cable media outfit  with multiple channels. MBC 1 for Arab TV dramas and shows, MBC 2 and MBC Max for movies, MBC Action for American TV series MBC Bollywood and a host of others. MBC 1 (or simply MBC) was the first to come on board; this was on 18th September 1991.

Headquartered in Dubai since 2002, Over 60% of MBC is owned by the Saudi government while the remaining 40% is owned by Saudi businessman, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim hence, it is classified a Saudi-owned media outfit. Research shows that half of the profits go to King Fahd's son, Abdulaziz bin Fahd.

On 26th April, pro Palestinian activists called out MBC for airing programs that seek to put Arabs and Muslims on the side of the Israeli occupation against Palestinians. The programs are titled ‘Umm Harun’ and ‘Exit 7’. The major theme of the programs is simply 'embrace Jews and ditch palestinians'.

Chairman of the Government Press Office in Gaza Salama Maarouf also expressed dismay at the programs. He stated that the call to normalize relations with Israel is a “moral and ethical downfall, especially since it came out of the countries and parties that should be primarily among the first advocates of Palestinian rights”.

Spokesperson of the Palestinian movement, Hamas, Hazem Qassem, strongly condemned the series, stating that certain Arab dramas produced in 2020 tend to “spread strange ideas that call for coexistence with the occupation, and dare to question the Palestinian cause.”

On 13th May, The Association of Religious Scholars in Palestine issued a fatwa (religious edict) that bans the watching of Saudi television programs which encourage and praise the normalizing of ties with Israel. 

The group’s lead official, Dr. Marwan Abu Ras, said in a statement, 

Umm Harun poster

"The Association looks with great doubt at the series which encourage and hail the normalization of ties with the Israeli occupation. We condemn the frenzied campaign of the TV channels run by Arabs and Muslims, and subsidized by Muslim money, against Islamic values and culture. Watching these series is haram (forbidden) and boycotting them is a religious duty because they oppose the real principles of the Muslims, Arabs and the Palestinians”.

On 14th May, Iran’s Foreign Ministry released a statement on the occasion of the Nakba Day, which marks the anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel, calling the Palestine cause the most important issue in the Muslim world.

Part of the statement read, “The Islamic Republic of Iran reannounces its support and unity for Palestinians and once against rejects the so-called 'Deal of Century'. It regards Palestine as the first and most significant issue in the Muslim World, it underlined”.

The selection of Mohammed bin Salman as the crown prince of Saudi Arabia has seen a drastic change in the Saudi governments approach to the Palestinian cause, it changed from hide and seek to outright declaration of Israel support. A number of Saudis have been used to further the ‘normalization’ agenda.

A public figure is Saudi Arabia, Abdelhamid al-Ghabin, sparked outrage on social media for promoting normalization.

A Saudi blogger, Mohamed Saud, has also been stirring anger through his videos in which he expresses love for Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. Palestinians kicked the blogger out of the Al Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem in July 2019.

The Saudi monarchy and its Sunni allies never fail to seize opportunities to point fingers at Iran and its allies on both contemporary and scriptural issues. Every good gesture by Iran and its allies is painted to have a demonic intent by Saudi Arabia and its allies. Iran’s defense of the Palestinian cause has been labeled hypocrisy by Saudi Arabia and her allies even though the Saudis themselves express insouciance to the plight of Palestinians and other oppressed Muslims.

As loyalists of the Saudi monarchy devise every means to stain Iran, they do their damndest to cover-up every filth made by the Saudi government. 

If MBC were to be an Iranian media outfit, it would have been a great weapon in the arsenal of the Saudi monarchy and her Sunni followers against Iran and Shiites in general.

MBC presenter Razan Moughrabi

The theme of MBC has always been entertainment. At the onset,  Islamic principles used to play some part in the structuring of MBC programs; this began to change with the coming of MBC 2 on 12th January 2003. MBC 2 was full blown secular entertainment from scabrous music to Hollywood movies. The utterance of vulgar language and display of perversion has become the anthem. What makes it more disturbing is the fact that indigenous Arabian programs are coming up and taking in the footsteps of Hollywood in all ramifications. Hijab or any form of head covering has been thrown to the winds and contact between people of opposite gender and nudity are fast growing trends.

On 5th May, some members of the Egyptian parliament called on the Egyptian Prime Minister, Moustafa Madbouly, to push for a ban on an MBC program titled ‘Ramez Magnon Rasmi, or Ramez Is Officially Crazy’, they opined that the program made sport out of violence against women and bullying.

Since the fall of the Ottoman caliphate on 3rd March 1924 and the formation of Saudi Arabia on 23rd September 1932, the Saudis have claimed leadership of the Muslim world. They have continued to do this by employing all forms of finagling against any Muslim nation or group of nations that tend to command respect among the world’s Muslims. A major victim of this illusion has been Iran.

It is high time members of the ‘Saudi Defense League’ began to search their souls, are they serving Islam and humanity or are the serving wealthy men.

Tanasha Donna Embraces Islam, Others Come Closer

Aisha Donna

On Friday (8^th May 2020), Kenyan singer, Tanasha Donna, posted a picture of herself on Instagram wearing a beautiful red hijab and wishing Muslims a blessed Jum’ah. Observers say she looked modest, religious and at peace with Islam and hoped it brought sanity to her life. 

The Kenyan musician has taken up the Islamic name ‘Aisha’ but it is not known if she intends to carry on with secular show biz. 

Aisha Donna in the past

Sister Aisha, who has one child for Tanzanian musician, Diamond Platnumz (Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack), had previously not fully addressed whether she converted to Islam months ago when rumours of her conversion made the rounds. 

According to Esma Issack, a sister to Diamond Platnumz, Aisha was not forced to switch religion; she embraced Islam willingly after reading and understanding the Qur'an.

The month of Ramadhan has brought a number of celebrities closer to Allah in recent weeks. 

On 23^rd April, Nigerian musician, Naira Marley (Azeez Fashola), posted on Twitter, “May Allah shower Ramadan’s blessing on all of us and accept our prayers and fasts. RamadanMubarak”. 

He has also told his fans that he was staying away from rough life to respect the sanctity of the month of Ramadhan. 

Naira Marley (Azeez Fashola)

He posted on Instagram and Twitter on 25^th April, “The Quran was revealed in this month. ‪It’s a month of Blessing, Mercy and forgiveness. ‪The doors of heaven are opened. ‪The doors of hell are closed. The shaytaan is chained up. ‪Rewards are multiplied from 10-700 times. ‪There’s one night (laylatul-qadr) that is better than 1000 months”.

He is rumoured to have had a very Islamic upbringing.

May Allah strengthen their feet on the straight path.

COVID-19: China Follows Islam to Fight Coronavirus

Coronavirus

The dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought people of the world (Muslims and non Muslims) closer to Allah in so many ways. 

COVID-19: Iran Is Being Victimized

Pro-Iran protester

The first case of corona virus in Iran was documented on  19^th February. Two elderly men in the city of Qom who were not known to have left the city recently were diagnosed with the deadly virus and died the same day. Ever since, cases and casualties have been on the rise. Cases currently stand at 67, 286 while deaths stand at 4, 003 sources say an Iranian citizen dies of corona virus every 10 minutes. Iran is currently the most affected Muslim country with over 9% of its government officials infected.

Impact on Iran

On Wednesday, Iran’s health ministry reported the number of people who had tested positive in the country had increased by 1,997 to 67, 286, and the death toll had risen by 121 and now stood at 4,003. According to official figures, at least six people die every hour in Iran from COVID-19. American sanctions on Iran are preventing the country from purchasing much needed medical supplies required to combat the pandemic.

Iran is currently the country with the most number of government officials infected with coronavirus. As of the month of March, victims included two vice-presidents, three cabinet officials, 9% of the members of parliament, the director of emergency medical services, the chief of the crisis-management organization, senior Revolutionary Guard officers, and prominent clerics are on a long list of officials infected. 

A doctor trained at Johns Hopkins University, Ali Akbar Velayati, who served as the Foreign Minister for sixteen years and is currently a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had to go into quarantine on 12^th March. At least 12 sitting or past Iranian politicians and government officials had died from the virus as at 17th March 2020.

American Collusion

The American government is reported to have made offers to provide assistance to the Iranian government to contain the disease; the Iranian authorities declined the offer.

Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, said in a televised speech on 22^nd March, “Several times Americans have offered to help us to fight the pandemic. That is strange because you face shortages in America. Also you are accused of creating this virus. I do not know whether it is true. But when there is such an allegation, can a wise man trust you and accept your help offer? ... You could be giving medicines to Iran that spread the virus or cause it to remain permanently. Our number one enemy is America. It is the most wicked, sinister enemy of Iran ... its leaders are terrorists ... Liars and charlatans. You might send people as doctors and therapists, maybe they would want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have produced in person. You might send people as doctors and therapists, maybe they would want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have produced in person. The Islamic Republic has the capability to overcome any kind of crisis and challenges, including the coronavirus outbreak”.

Last month, the Central Bank of Iran requested a $5 billion loan from the IMF’s Rapid Financing Initiative, an emergency programme set up to help countries faced with sudden shocks such as natural disasters to help fight the pandemic within its borders. On 8^th April, the Iranian government urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to which it is a member to approve the loan. America is standing in opposition to the loan saying Iran has enough resources to take care of itself.

Complicity of Western Media

Western and world media has also shown no sympathy for the people of Iran. An info graphic by the British publisher, The Guardian, has further shown the disdain for Iran in Western media in the midst of the ongoing crisis. Australia with a total of 6, 024 cases and 50 deaths, Japan with a total of 4, 257 cases and 81 deaths were both captured but Iran with 67, 286 cases and 4, 003 deaths did not even get the slightest recognition. Western media outfits are doing their damnedest not to mention Iran in news bulletins that involve coronavirus. Iran is currently the country with the 7^th highest number of cases and the 6^th highest number of deaths with now more deaths than China.

Why Iran?

The West, head by America, has tried to bring the Islamic government of Iran to its knees through economic sanctions and media propaganda for nearly two decades, the country has continued to grow in influence by leaps and bounds. The west has been trying to plant its roots deeper in the Middle East in recent years; the presence of Iran in the region has been an impediment to that goal.

Genesis of the Virus

Late Dr. Li Wenliang

The most prominent early person to alert the world of coronavirus was a 33 year old Chinese ophthalmologist, Dr Li Wenliang, through a video chat on 30th December. Four days later, Dr. Li was summoned to the Public Security Bureau (Police) where he was coerced into sign a letter in which he was accused of "making false comments" that had "severely disturbed the social order".

The letter read, "We solemnly warn you: If you keep being stubborn, with such impertinence, and continue this illegal activity, you will be brought to justice - is that understood?" Underneath that in Dr. Li's handwriting is written: "Yes, I do."

Dr. Li Wenliang was one of eight people who police said were being investigated for "spreading rumours".

The corona virus broke out in Wuhan province of China on 1^st December 2019. The disease spread to other parts of China and neighboring Asian countries. The first case of COVID-19 outside China was reported in Thailand on 13^th January. On 30^th January 2020, the world health Organization declared corona virus a pandemic. 

Corona virus has been nicknamed the elite disease because a lot of its victims have ranged from celebrities to the bourgeois up to government officials.

Global coronavirus casualty reports currently has documented 1, 504, 971 cases, 87, 983 deaths and 290, 729 recoveries.