Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Manufactured Revolutions and the Road to the New World Order.

By Salim Mohamed Badat

The political upheavals of the twentieth century in the Middle East are often portrayed as spontaneous uprisings, organic struggles of oppressed populations against authoritarian regimes. Mainstream narratives frame these revolutions as inevitable steps toward democracy and freedom.

Yet a closer examination of declassified documents, historical accounts, and geopolitical analysis reveals a far more complex reality. Many of the revolutions, insurgencies, and ideological movements that reshaped the Middle East were not purely indigenous developments.

They were cultivated, guided, and at times engineered by external powers pursuing strategic dominance over the region.

From the Cold War to the present era, Western intelligence agencies and geopolitical strategists repeatedly manipulated religious and political movements.

Within this framework, what became known as “Islamic fundamentalism” was not always a spontaneous religious revival; in several instances, it was cultivated, mobilized, and weaponized as a geopolitical tool.

Enlightenment, Secret Societies, and the Western Project.

The intellectual foundations of modern Western geopolitical expansion trace back to the Enlightenment and the revolutions that followed in America and France.

Secret societies, including the Illuminati, sought to dismantle traditional religious authority, separating church and state under the banner of reason and “liberation from superstition.”

This philosophical transformation laid the groundwork for secularism, humanism, and the global spread of democracy and capitalism. While framed as universal ideals, these concepts were also leveraged as tools of control, justifying imperial wars, economic exploitation, and cultural domination.

The broader strategic vision was clear: weaken traditional religious civilizations and construct a centralized global order governed through economic, military, and ideological supremacy.

British Engineering of Islamist Movements.

Britain, at the height of its imperial power, recognized that direct confrontation with Islamic societies risked unified resistance. Instead, it fostered revivalist movements such as Salafism and Wahhabism.

These movements were encouraged not to empower Muslim societies, but to fragment Islamic unity, create ideological divisions, and cultivate factions susceptible to external influence. Over time, these fractures became the foundation for the systematic manipulation of religion as a geopolitical instrument.

The Afghan Jihad: A CIA Experiment in “Islamic Fundamentalism”.

A clear example of this strategy emerged during the Soviet-Afghan War. Under the banner of resisting Soviet expansion, the United States launched Operation Cyclone, one of the largest covert programs in CIA history.

Billions of dollars flowed through Pakistan’s ISI and Saudi channels to arm, train, and indoctrinate militant groups under the banner of jihad.

Figures such as Osama bin Laden emerged from this environment, demonstrating that what appeared to be a religious struggle was deeply intertwined with global strategic calculations.

As Brzezinski later admitted:

“What was more important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire?”

ISI, Al‑Qaeda, and the Manufacture of Intra‑Muslim Conflict.

Pakistan’s ISI expanded the Afghan network into a transnational system of militant groups.

The Rise of ISIS and the Expansion of Controlled Chaos.

Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the collapse of state institutions allowed extremist networks to evolve. Out of the remnants of Al-Qaeda in Iraq emerged ISIS, which exploited the vacuum to expand transnationally.

Declassified intelligence warned that a “Salafist principality” in Syria could serve strategic objectives, weakening governments aligned with Iran and Russia.

Once again, extremist ideology was weaponized, turning Muslims against each other while avoiding direct confrontation with Israel.

The brutality of ISIS served dual purposes: demonizing Islam globally and justifying permanent Western military presence.

The Arab Spring and the Repeat Playbook.

The Arab Spring of 2011 appeared spontaneous, yet foreign governments and intelligence networks were involved. In Syria and Libya, opposition coalitions were supported, coordinated, and armed to ensure outcomes aligned with broader strategic objectives.

Rather than democratisation, the uprisings produced chaos, intensified sectarian divisions, and dismantled independent states, replicating patterns seen in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Economic Leverage and Oil Power.

Economic strategies reinforced ideological manipulation. Oil crises in the 1970s, alongside Islamic banking institutions linked to political movements, ensured that Middle Eastern economies remained integrated within Western, dominated financial systems. Economic dependency reinforced political influence, giving Western powers control even without direct colonial governance.

The Unraveling of the Web.

For more than a century, a vast geopolitical web was constructed across the Middle East. Intelligence operations, sectarian manipulation, economic dependency, and military alliances combined to ensure Western control. At its center stood Israel as the dominant military power, protected by American bases across the Gulf and surrounding territories.

This architecture relied on allied regimes whose security, economy, and political survival were tied to Washington’s objectives. For decades, it appeared unshakeable.

Yet the present moment has introduced an unprecedented rupture. Iran’s military responses against Israel and its strategic confrontation with U.S. forces have begun to fracture the very center of this structure.

Missile strikes, drone operations, and targeted assaults on American bases across the Gulf signal a direct challenge to the system that has controlled the region for generations.

Iran’s actions are not merely tactical. By striking Israel the center of the geopolitical web, Iran is challenging a centuries-long architecture of deception,pushing back against intelligence networks, proxy militias, and puppet regimes that once divided and weakened the Muslim world.

Its military posture has altered the strategic balance in ways few analysts anticipated.

History repeatedly demonstrates that systems built on manipulation and domination eventually face moments of crisis. When the center of power begins to fracture, the surrounding network can unravel with astonishing speed.

The Quran reminds us of this greater reality:

“They planned, and Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.”

(Quran 3:54)

“Indeed they are plotting a plot, but I am planning a plan.”

(Quran 86:15–16)

In this struggle, Iran emerges as the force directly striking at the core of the web. For generations, the network of intelligence operations, proxy forces, and allied regimes was spun to divide, control, and dominate the Muslim world.

Today, Iran has confronted the center, striking Israel, resisting U.S. military pressure, and challenging the architecture of empire itself. If the center continues to fracture, the strands of influence that once stretched across the region, from military bases to political alliances, may collapse like a web torn apart by a hammer’s blow.

If the twentieth century witnessed the weaving of this web, the twenty first century may witness its unraveling. And history teaches that when the center of a web is struck, the strands that once held it together fall away, until the structure itself disappears into history like the empires that built it.

Salim Mohamed Badat

Writer exploring the intersection of faith, politics and justice

Iranian students shine at RobotChallenge 2026

TEHRAN – Thirteen Iranian students aged below 12 have showcased their scientific, technical capabilities, and creativity ranking second and third in different leagues of the RobotChallenge 2026 which was held in Beijing, China.

Each year RobotChallenge, one of the world’s largest artificial intelligence robotic championships, brings together people from all over the world who compete with self-made, autonomous robots in various competitions.

Kicked off on August 8, the event brought together participants from some 48 countries including China, Russia, Romania, Iran, Japan, Germany, and South Korea, IRNA reported.

Iranian students ranked second in Technical Report league, third in Robot Rugby- senior, and Innovation.

The achievement demonstrates the capabilities andproficiency of Iranian students in constructing and operating robots, design process, problem-solving, and the effectiveness of technical presentations.

Recent achievements

At the Rayan 2025 international artificial intelligence and programming competition, known as the World Finals, Iranian students showcased strong performance in both the AI and programming sections. In the programming section, Ali Safari was placed first. China secured second and third place, followed by India, Vietnam, Armenia, Serbia, and Pakistan, respectively, ISNA reported.

In the AI section, Iranian teams, namely no Trust issues here, Pileh, AI Guardians of Trust, AIUoK, red-serotenin, Persistence, and GGWP were placed first to seventh.

The final round of the Rayan international artificial intelligence and programming contest was held on Friday at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, with participants from 25 countries.

Supported by the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, the event kicked off on November 25, attracting hundreds of contestants from the U.S., Russia, China, India, Italy, Chile, Australia, Armenia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Taiwan, Romania, Singapore, Poland, Slovakia, Vietnam, Serbia, Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Ethiopia, as well as the host, Iran.

The solo programming section was held with 60 Iranian and foreign participants who worked individually to solve nine complicated algorithmic problems within a duration of three to four hours.

The scientific competition aimed to promote knowledge, foster international networking, and establish scientific authority in AI and programming.

Enhancing algorithmic thinking, problem-solving skills, teamwork, developing innovative ideas, starting new businesses, and expanding AI engineering and programming were among the other objectives of the contest.

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When Truth Is Seen but Not Followed: The Tragedy of Remaining Veiled

By Salim Mohamed Badat

The Quranic verse (15:2) is often read at the surface: “Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims.”

Yet this rendering, while linguistically sound, risks narrowing a far deeper reality. It reduces the verse to identity, who is “in” and who is “out.” But the Quran resists such simplification. It is not a book of labels; it is a revelation of states of being.

To be “Muslim” in the Quranic sense is not merely to belong, it is to submit, to align, to yield to al-Haqq (the Real). And kufr is not simply disbelief, it is something far more deliberate: it is the covering of truth once it has already been recognized.

This is critical. Kufr is not always ignorance. It is often recognition followed by concealment. It is to see, and then to obscure what one has seen, whether from others or from oneself.

Thus, the verse is not about affiliation. It is about orientation. It is about what we do when truth stands before us, clear, undeniable, and we choose not to align with it.

Reality as Unveiling, Not Construction

The Quran consistently presents reality as something already established, not something brought into existence at the moment of judgment. What unfolds is not the creation of truth, but its disclosure.

“The Day when inner secrets are laid bare.” (86:9)

“There will appear to them from Allah what they never anticipated.” (39:47)

“You were heedless of this; now We have removed your veil.” (50:22)

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves” (41:53)

“Rather, the human being is evidence against himself.” (75:14)

These verses point to a single underlying reality: truth is present, but often hidden beneath layers of perception, habit, and self-deception.

When those layers are removed, what remains is not new, it is what always was.

Judgment, then, is not an imposed verdict. It is the natural consequence of seeing without obstruction.

History as the Theatre of Truth.

This unveiling is not reserved for the Hereafter. It is already taking place within the unfolding of history. “These are days We alternate among people” (3:140)

“So that He may establish truth and nullify falsehood.” (8:8)

Events, conflicts, and shifts in power are not merely random or purely political. Beneath them lies a deeper current, the gradual exposure of truth and the erosion of falsehood.

At times, injustice presents itself as order. Authority cloaks itself in moral language. Narratives are shaped in ways that invert what is real. In such moments, truth is not absent, it is actively covered.

In all these situations, kufr manifests not as a lack of awareness, but as a refusal to let truth stand uncovered.

The Capacity to Recognize Truth.

Recognizing truth is not simply a matter of acquiring information. It requires a cultivated clarity within the human being, an inner perception often described as basirah.

Imam Ali (RA) is reported to have said:

“Know the truth, and you will know its people.”

And he is also reported to have said:

“I never saw a thing except that I saw Allah before it, after it, and with it.”

These statements point toward a way of seeing that goes beyond surface appearances. They reflect a state in which the heart and intellect are aligned with what is real, allowing one to discern truth even when it is not immediately obvious.

This kind of perception does not emerge instantly. It develops through sincerity, reflection, and the steady alignment of one’s inner life with truth itself. Without it, a person may accumulate knowledge, yet remain unable to recognize truth when it manifests in lived experience.

The Inner Resistance to Truth.

The Quran draws attention to a deeper dimension of human nature, one in which truth is not merely unknown, but actively resisted.

“They denied them, while their souls were convinced of them” (27:14)

This reveals a tension within the human being. There are moments when truth is inwardly acknowledged, yet outwardly denied or concealed.

A person may recognize that a narrative they support is flawed, yet continue to defend it to preserve identity. One may sense that a stance they have taken is unjust, yet persist in it to avoid losing status or belonging.

Another may encounter clear signs that challenge long-held assumptions, yet reinterpret them in ways that protect what is familiar.

In each case, the issue is not absence of knowledge, it is the unwillingness to surrender to what that knowledge demands.

The Quran describes this through states such as heedlessness, arrogance, and the pull of desire. These are not abstract qualities, they are active forces that shape perception and decision-making.

The Moment of Regret.

Returning to the verse “Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims.” (15:2), its weight becomes more apparent. The regret described is not a simple matter of misplaced identity. It is the realization that truth was encountered, recognized, and yet deliberately set aside.

It is the moment in which one sees clearly that the signs were present, within the self, within the world, within unfolding events, but were covered, minimized, or explained away.

This applies broadly. It touches those who justify injustice despite knowing better, those who remain silent when clarity demands speech, and those who repeatedly encounter truth but choose the safety of denial.

Then comes the moment where all ambiguity dissolves: “There will appear to them from Allah what they never anticipated.” (39:47)

The Quranic Demand.

The Quran does not call for passive acceptance. It calls for engagement, an active process of reflection and recognition.

“Will they not reflect deeply?”

“Will they not see?”

These questions invite the human being to move beyond surface impressions, to confront what becomes evident, and to respond with honesty.

Truth, in this sense, is not only something to be heard. It is something that places a demand upon the one who recognizes it.

Conclusion: The Final Realisation

This verse is not a warning tied to group identity. It is a warning about the human condition.

Each person encounters moments where truth becomes visible,where the veil lifts, even if only slightly. In those moments, a choice is made: to align, or to cover.

And in our present time, this reality is not abstract. There are clear global tensions where claims of justice, freedom, and moral authority are asserted by powerful nations, while their actions are increasingly questioned and exposed.

At the same time, there are actors who position themselves in opposition to that dominance, and whose stance resonates with many as a form of resistance to oppression.

There are those who, in their hearts, recognize where justice is more closely aligned, who sense the imbalance between power and principle, yet hesitate to acknowledge it openly.

They temper their stance, remain silent, or distance themselves, not because the truth is unclear, but because aligning with it carries a cost.

In such moments, the dynamic of covering truth becomes real. It is no longer theoretical. It is a lived choice between what one inwardly recognizes and what one outwardly affirms.

The question is not what name one carries, nor which side one claims, but whether one is willing to stand with what is true when it becomes evident.

For when the veil is lifted completely, the realisation will not be:

“I should have belonged elsewhere.”

It will be: “I saw and I chose not to see.”

Salim Mohamed Badat

Writer exploring the intersection of faith, politics and justice