Podcasts about Ansar

Yemini-American Michigan State professor Shireen Al-Adeimi joins Bad Faith to explain how the July attack on Yemen's Sanaa international airport prompted a response from Ansar Allah that has resulted in Houthi control of Yemen's coastline including the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. How have Yeminis managed to be so successful despite the extreme poverty brought on by the years long blockade and constant bombing supported by four consecutive American administrations? Shireen provides broader historical context for the conflict, and opines on the inadequate support for Yeminis from the American elected left. Find Bad Faith on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts. Or subscribe to our RSS feed. Follow Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Subscribe at patreon.com/badfaithpodcast for an additional Monday episode every week. Watch all episodes at Bad Faith YouTube, and don't forget to like and subscribe. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands). Produced by (@armandaviram)

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S89) Talha and Zubayr pledged allegiance to Ali رضي الله عنهم. The Muhajireen and Ansar رضي الله عنهم also pledged. Aisha, Talha and Zubayr رضي الله عنهم told al-Ahnaf Ibn Qays (r.h) to pledge to Ali رضي الله عنه. The problems with trying to get Uthmaan's رضي الله عنه murderers was that there wasn't sufficient witnesses. Also, Ali رضي الله عنه at the time was not able to take the murderers to task. Talha, Zubayr and a group of other Companions رضي الله عنهم went to Ali رضي الله عنه and said revenge must be taken immediately.

Beth and Kelly are hoping the title alone will launch Strange Country into a culture war or at least get you to listen. In today's episode, Beth and Kelly are joined by in-house artist expert Terry to talk about an early culture war focused on government funding of the arts. In 1989, Andres Serrano's photograph of a crucifix immersed in a tank of his own urine ignited a culture war. And culture wars continue to rage to this day, leading some to ponder such enduring issues like whether woke made the girl M&M less sexy. Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands. Cite your sources: Ansar, Hibah. "Revisiting the NEA Four: Free Speech Battles in the Arts." ACLU, 8 September 2025, https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/revisiting-the-nea-four-free-speech-battles-in-the-arts. Accessed 18 August 2026.   Butler, Isaac. The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars. Bloomsbury USA, 2026.   Cantor, Matthew. "'A proxy for America's culture war': why Cracker Barrel's new logo sparked ire on the right." The Guardian, 28 August 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/28/cracker-barrel-logo-trump. Accessed 23 August 2026.   Hagan, Lisa, and Jeff Brady. "Gas stoves became part of the culture war in less than a week. Here's why." NPR, 21 January 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/1150397853/gas-stoves-became-part-of-the-culture-war-in-less-than-a-week-heres-why. Accessed 23 August 2026.   Hogan, Joseph, director. When Art Fuels Anger, Who Should Prevail? 2023. Retro Report, https://retroreport.org/video/when-art-fuels-anger-who-should-prevail/. Accessed 17 August 2026. Serrano, Andres. "2022 GIA Conference: Andres Serrano" Grantmakers in the Arts, Keynote address, YouTube, uploaded by Grantmakers in the Arts, 10 October 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P9rGvqa03M&t=30s Smith, David. "'People are picking the dumbest fights': the tortured history of America's culture wars." The Guardian, 15 July 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jul/15/culture-wars-isaac-butler-interview. Accessed 23 August 2026.   Walker, Michael Wingfield. "Artistic F tistic Freedom v eedom v. Censorship: The Aftermath of the NEA . Censorship: The Aftermath of the NEA's New Funding Restrictions." Washington University Law Review, vol. 71, no. 3, 1993, p. 21. Washington University Law Review, https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1800&context=law_lawreview. Accessed 18 August 2026.    

Hayaa and the Legacy of the Ansar Women:Mu'allimah Masoodah Jappie by Radio Islam

Ayden plays a conversation he had with Ansar Khan earlier in the day about the Detroit Red Wings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S81) Haafiz Zhahabi (r.h) said one of the greatest deeds of Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf رضي الله عنه was that he stepped down from the Khilafat. He said he preferred to be stabbed in the neck with a knife. Zubayr dropped out and voted for Ali. Talha dropped out and voted for Uthmaan. Sa'ad Ibn Abi Waqaas dropped out and voted for Abdul Rahman Ibn Awf رضي الله عنهم. The decision was difficult, it took Abdul Rahman رضي الله عنه the full 3 days to decide. He رضي الله عنه consulted with everyone, the Muhajireen and Ansar رضي الله عنهم, the wise people etc. Everyone agreed that Uthmaan رضي الله عنه was the best amongst them and he should be the Caliph.

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S70) Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه never forgot this sacrifice of the Ansar رضي الله عنهم. He once praised the Ansar during a sermon, saying the Muhajireen رضي الله عنهم had failings however the Ansar overlooked them and helped them, not getting frustrated, when even their own mothers may have gotten frustrated with them. The Messenger ﷺ said regarding the Ansar رضي الله عنهم: “Verily, I know they are righteous and patient”. There was 2 reasons for the Banu Hashims delay: 1). They were not consulted during the gathering at Sakeefa, and 2). Because of Ali's رضي الله عنه relation to the Messenger ﷺ (I.e same tribe, cousin etc).

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S69) During the khilafat of his father in law, Abu Bakr رضي الله عنهم: Because the Messenger ﷺ never appointed a successor, the Companions رضي الله عنهم differed regarding who should succeed. They رضي الله عنهم split into 3 groups. The difference wasn't to do with who was greatest, they all knew Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was senior, it was to do with who would be the best Caliph. The Muhajireen رضي الله عنهم rallied behind Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. The Ansar رضي الله عنهم rallied behind Sa'ad Ibn Ubadah رضي الله عنه initially, but later rallied behind Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. Banu Hashim rallied behind Ali رضي الله عنه initially. Zubayr رضي الله عنه rallied behind Ali رضي الله عنه initially also.

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In this presentation, Abdullah Ansar and Mohammad Al Mosawi trace a docetic Imamology within early Ghulāt literature — the idea that the Imām, as a timeless theophany, never truly dies, with death serving only as a veil over an enduring divine reality. Drawing parallels to early Christian Gnostic docetism, they show how these motifs were later reshaped into more familiar Twelver concepts, including the Hidden Imām.

MLive's longtime Detroit Red Wings beat writer Ansar Khan joins the program to break down the offseason and what is going on with Dylan Larkin and the general manager position. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

MLive's longtime Detroit Red Wings beat writer Ansar Khan joins the program to break down the offseason and what is going on with Dylan Larkin and the general manager position. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(0:00) Intro — The Most Important Covenant in Islamic History(0:46) The First and Second Pledges of Aqabah Explained(1:01) Who Were the Ansar?(1:44) The Meaning of “Kunu Ansar Allah”(3:04) Why the Second Pledge of Aqabah Is More Famous(3:40) The Prophet's ﷺ Promise to the Ansar(4:38) The Conquest of Makkah and Loyalty to the Ansar(5:33) How the Pledge of Aqabah Turned Islam Into a Complete System(6:13) How the Aws and Khazraj Welcomed the Prophet ﷺ to Madinah(6:31) Badr vs. Aqabah — Which Holds the Higher Rank?(7:22) Why the Sahaba of Aqabah Held Such a High Status(9:33) How Aqabah Laid the Foundation for Islamic Governance(10:04) The Ultimate Responsibility of Every Muslim(10:43) Why the Pledge of Aqabah Holds a Unique Place in Islam Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ansar Khan joins the show to talk the Detroit Red Wings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zubayr Ibn al-Awaam رضي الله عنه (S42) There was 3 holes on Zubayr's رضي الله عنه chest as big as eyes. 2 of those holes were from Badr and 1 was from Yarmook. The scars were from arrows and spears. To give credit to the Quraysh warriors, they managed to strike Zubayr رضي الله عنه twice, whereas the Romans only managed to strike him once. Zubayr's رضي الله عنه entire body was covered in sword wounds, he got this doing jihad with the Messenger ﷺ. Zubayr رضي الله عنه said even his private parts were injured from jihad. 76 of the Badris were Muhajireen, 237 were from the Ansar, making the total ~313 رضي الله عنهم. The battle took place on a Friday, on the 17th of Ramadan.

During Hour 3 Ansar Khan from MLive joined the show discussing the Detroit Red Wings' offseason and the potential trading of captain Dylan Larkin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Los Angeles has 223,000 streetlights, and the assessments that fund their upkeep haven't been updated since 1996. In this episode, we sit down with two leaders from the Bureau of Street Lighting to break down the ballot landing in property owners' mailboxes right now and what's at stake for neighborhoods like ours if it doesn't pass. The deadline is June 2nd. Listen up and pass it on.Guests:Ansar Mustafa is a lifelong Angeleno who has spent 20 years improving the city he calls home. As a licensed Civil Engineer and ENVISION Sustainability Professional, he currently leads the Community Impact Division for the Bureau of Street Lighting — overseeing everything from decorative neighborhood lighting and community banners to major council-funded infrastructure initiatives. Before joining BSL, Ansar managed complex, multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects at the Bureau of EngineeringRodney Fulton is a seasoned infrastructure professional with nearly three decades of hands-on experience in fiber optics, field leadership, and street lighting systems. He got his start in 1997 with PacBell and rose through the ranks to play a key role in the E-Rate initiative, helping bring fiber connectivity into classrooms across Los Angeles. A proud member of Local 11 for over 24 years, Rodney joined BSL in 2024, where he continues to lead complex fiber projects and mentor the next generation of skilled tradespeople.Resourceslalights.lacity.org/residents/prop_218.htmlFor questions or concerns, contact Bsl-assessment@lacity.org

In this episode of the Project Chatter podcast, Val and Dale welcome Atif Ansar, co-founder of Foresight, to discuss the rapidly evolving world of data centers. Atif shares insights on the explosive growth and increasing complexity of data centers, highlighting the challenges related to energy supply, skilled labor, and technology redundancy. The conversation explores the role of AI in enhancing data center design and construction, the impact of edge computing, and the skills needed for future project professionals in this dynamic field. Atif also touches on innovative concepts like space-based data centers, emphasizing the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. In this conversation, the speakers explore the intersection of creativity and AI, discussing how technology influences project management and the future of jobs. They emphasize the importance of human essence in a technology-driven world and the evolving nature of data centers amidst global competition. The discussion also touches on the necessity of adapting to technological advancements and the potential for superintelligence in the future.Takeaways

Abu Sufyaan Ibn Harb رضي الله عنه (S40) Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه saw the various tribes رضي الله عنهم entering Makkah and said: “What do they have to do with us?”. (I.e a tribal thing). Abaas رضي الله عنه elucidated the matter to Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه. The Messenger ﷺ walked past with the Muhajireen and the Ansar رضي الله عنهم. All that was visible of them was their eyes. Abaas رضي الله عنه recalled Abu Sufyaan's رضي الله عنه words all those years prior, about how he'd only accept Islam if he saw horses high on mount Qada. At this moment, Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه saw this very thing! He رضي الله عنه said: “All praise be to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وتَعَالَى Who Has guided me to Islam”. Abu Sufyaan رضي الله عنه thus embraced Islam in the blessed month of Ramadan.

During Hour 4 MLive's Ansar Khan joined the show discussing the Detroit Red Wings post-deadline and playoff push. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some people are so stingy, they'd breathe through one nostril if they could! Stinginess isn't just holding onto wealth; it's a mindset. Curious about its depths? We invite you to spend the next 10 minutes with QuranGarden as we discuss stories of the Ansar's generosity versus the peril of being tight-fisted. Grab a coffee, sit back, and listen.

Tonight is the night of Badr.On this night, 1,443 years ago, 313 Muslim men camped on the plains of Badr — underprepared, outnumbered more than three to one — on the eve of a battle that would determine whether Islam survived or was extinguished.There is no tafseer of Surah Al-A'raf tonight. Tonight belongs to Badr.How They Got ThereThe Muslims left Madinah on the 12th of Ramadan. The mission was straightforward: intercept Abu Sufyan's caravan returning from Syria — the largest trading caravan the Quraysh had ever assembled, loaded with profits from goods financed largely by wealth confiscated from the Muslims at the time of Hijrah. Not a battle. An interception.But Abu Sufyan's scouts were sharp. One of the Bedouin trackers found camel droppings along the route, opened them, and recognised the date pits inside as coming from the farms of Madinah. The Muslims were tracking them. Abu Sufyan immediately rerouted and sent the fastest rider in his group back to Makkah — the rider sliced the nose of his camel and smeared the blood on himself to arrive with maximum drama, ensuring the message landed with urgency.Abu Jahl raised 1,300 men. Not to protect the caravan — the caravan had already escaped. This was about something else now. We are going to crush Islam and the Muslims once and for all.By the time 300 of that army turned back — satisfied that their property was safe — 1,000 Quraysh warriors were marching toward Badr with that single purpose.The Muslims, meanwhile, had 313 men. Two horses. Seventy camels. And eight swords.They had not come prepared for battle. They had expected a small caravan escort — ten, twenty, thirty men at most. They found an army.And they did not turn back.The Leadership of the Prophet ﷺWhen the Prophet ﷺ chose a campsite on the plains of Badr, a companion — al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir — approached him and asked a remarkable question: Ya Rasulullah, is this position based on revelation from Allah, or is this your personal judgement?The Prophet ﷺ said: personal judgement.Al-Hubab said: in that case, may I suggest we move further forward — to the wells of Badr — so that we control the Quraysh's access to water?The Prophet ﷺ accepted. He moved the entire army.This is a man who could have said: I am the Prophet of Allah, my opinion is final. He said nothing of the sort. He distinguished clearly between what came from Allah and what came from his own thinking. And when a companion had a better idea, he took it.A leader who cannot be corrected is a leader who will eventually fail. The Prophet ﷺ modelled the opposite: you are not any stronger than me, and I am not any less in need of the reward from Allah. When they shared rides on the 160-kilometre journey — three men, including the Prophet ﷺ, rotating on one camel — his companions begged him to ride the whole way. He refused. He walked his share.The Night BeforeThat night, with a thousand armed men across the plain, Allah gave the Muslims a gift: sleep.Anyone who has had a major exam, a difficult interview, a high-stakes day ahead knows what that night feels like. You lie awake. The mind races. The Muslims knew what was coming — and they slept.Allah also sent light rain on the Muslim side. The ground compacted. The march in the morning would be firm underfoot. On the Quraysh side, Allah sent heavy rain. Sleepless. Muddy ground. No access to water. Before a single sword was raised, the advantage had already shifted.The Prophet ﷺ spent much of that night in dua — arms raised so intensely that his shawl fell to the ground. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, waking before Fajr, wrapped it back around his shoulders and stood listening. Among the duas the Prophet ﷺ made that night: Ya Allah, if You destroy this group, You will never be worshipped on this earth again. These were the best of the Muslim men. Most of them. If they fell here, there would be no rebuilding.The dhikr of Badr — the one the Prophet ﷺ repeated through that night and into the battle — was Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum. The Ever-Living. The Ever-Sustaining. The One who holds everything in existence. Repeat this in your own difficult nights.Islam Is a Salad BowlWhen the Prophet ﷺ organised his army on the morning of battle, he divided them into three groups: the Muhajirin on the right, led by Sayyidina Ali; the Ansar on the left, led by Sayyidina Sa'd ibn Mu'adh; and a mixed group at the centre, where the Prophet ﷺ stood himself, with the banner held by Mus'ab ibn Umayr — the first companion to migrate to Madinah, the man through whose teaching most of the Ansar had embraced Islam.Why keep them separate? Why not one unified mass?Because Islam does not erase identity. It never has. The Muhajirin were Meccan. The Ansar were Medinan. Different dialects, different traditions, different cultures — and at this point in history, genuinely different peoples. Islam acknowledged that difference and worked with it. Each group fought with the strength that came from who they were.Islam is not a melting pot. It is a salad bowl. A tomato remains a tomato. A cucumber remains a cucumber. Mixed together, each contributing what it is — they serve something greater than any one of them alone.Keep your cultural identity. Be proud of who Allah made you. Learn your mother tongue. And be equally proud to be Muslim — guided by Islamic principles, united by La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah, with Arabic as the thread that connects the entire ummah across every language and culture.Help Comes in Ways You Cannot SeeWhen the battle began, most of the Muslims did not know they were being assisted by angels. They raised their weapons and fought with everything they had. Some were injured. Some were martyred. They had to show up. They had to put in the effort. The help came — but it came to those who were already in the field.Jibreel came wearing a yellow turban, marked like Mus'ab ibn Umayr. A thousand angels — one for every Quraysh soldier — came wearing white, on white horses. The Quraysh saw them coming from across the plain. They did not know what they were seeing.And then Iblis — who had marched alongside the Quraysh in the guise of Suraqah ibn Malik, who had promised them safety, who had said I am with you, no one can defeat you today — Iblis was the first to see the angels. He turned and fled.I see what you do not see. I am afraid of Allah.The Quraysh: You were the one who convinced us to come! You were the one who promised us victory!Iblis said nothing more. He left.This is who Iblis is. He is there when things are going well. The moment the cost becomes real, he disappears. The friends you make in sin will not be there when the consequences arrive.Abdullah ibn Mas'ud — a man so small he stood barely above a metre — captured Sayyidina Abbas, the Prophet's uncle, a giant of a man with a voice that could carry across a battlefield. Abbas was humiliated. He told everyone who saw him: it wasn't this small man — there was someone bigger, someone else who took me down. When Abdullah ibn Mas'ud brought Abbas to the Prophet ﷺ, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed: it was not you, Abdullah. You were assisted by an angel.Do not be arrogant with your success. You put in the effort. But the victory was never yours alone to claim.The Secret of Badr — And of RamadanThe Quran tells us the secret of Badr in Surah Ali Imran in two words: sabr and taqwa.Sabr is steadfastness — continuing on the right path regardless of how difficult it becomes. Taqwa is your living connection with Allah.Ramadan trains both. Every day of fasting hones sabr — the steadfastness to stay on the right path regardless of hunger and exhaustion. Every night of prayer and Quran builds taqwa — the connection with Allah that carries you through what the day alone cannot prepare you for.The Prophet ﷺ won his greatest military victory in Ramadan — on the 17th, on the plains of Badr. His greatest political victory, the Conquest of Makkah, was also in Ramadan. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas defeated the Persian Sassanid Empire at the Battle of Qadisiyyah in Ramadan. Amr ibn al-As conquered Egypt in Ramadan.The pattern is not coincidence. It is a formula.Fast your days. Pray your nights. And trust that when you show up on the field with whatever weapons you have, Allah will send what you cannot seeBadr Wallpaper for smartphonesBadr Wallpaper for tablets.Badr wallpaper for computersAfter Witr tonight insha'Allah — Salawat Badriyya.Following along with the series? Consider a paid subscription to receive a free digital copy of the Surah Al-A'raf Study Guide and Workbook. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundeddaily.substack.com/subscribe

Retired Green Beret, Mark Grdovic shares the largely untold story of what came to be known as "Operation Viking Hammer", a 2003 U.S. Army Special Forces mission in northern Iraq that targeted the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam prior to the main invasion. Working alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, 10th Special Forces Group conducted a coordinated assault on entrenched enemy positions in mountainous terrain near Halabja, following Tomahawk strikes. The operation dismantled Ansar al-Islam's stronghold and secured the Kurdish region, enabling follow-on coalition operations deeper into Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Prophet ﷺ said: every child of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are those who make tawbah. We will slip. The question is never whether we fall — it's which path we take when we do.Last night we saw those two paths clearly: the path of Iblis, who blamed Allah and recruited others into his rebellion; and the prophetic path, demonstrated by Adam — take ownership, turn back, ask forgiveness.The Prophet ﷺ at Ta'ifNo one embodied the prophetic path more completely than the Prophet ﷺ himself. After his wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib both died, he travelled to Ta'if seeking support for his mission. The people there not only rejected him — they paid children and slaves to throw rocks at him, chasing him out of the city. He fled until he found refuge in a garden, bleeding, exhausted.The angels of Ta'if came to him with an offer: say the word, and we will bring the surrounding mountains down upon them.He said no. Perhaps from their descendants, someone will accept Islam.And then he made dua — one of the most moving supplications in the seerah. O Allah, I submit to You my weakness, my lack of planning, my low standing among the people. Not a single word blaming the people of Ta'if. He turned the lens entirely on himself. He asked: perhaps it was my weakness. Perhaps my planning was insufficient.This from the man who could not have done it better. Yet he took responsibility — because blame leads nowhere. The only path forward is to work on what is within our control.This is the lesson from Adam's dua and the Prophet's dua after Ta'if: focus on your circle of control. Protect yourself and your family. Spend your Ramadan nights on what you can actually change. The tariff rate is not within your control. How you spend this blessed month is.One Tree Among MillionsBefore we move forward in the surah, there is a gem worth sitting with from the story of Adam in Jannah.Jannah — by definition a lush garden of millions of trees — had exactly one prohibition. One tree. Everything else was open.This is a mirror of how Allah has designed this world. The halal is vast. The haram is specific and limited. When Allah speaks about what is halal in the Quran, He speaks in sweeping terms: “O mankind, eat from what is halal and good on earth.” No list — because the list would be endless. When He speaks about what is haram, He lists it out, one by one, because it is few enough to enumerate.There is a principle in Islamic jurisprudence: al-aslu fil ashya' al-ibaha — the original ruling on all things is that they are permissible. You need evidence to declare something haram, not the other way around. We sometimes become more restrictive than the Quran itself, treating everything as forbidden until proven otherwise. That is not Islam. Allah is merciful, and everything He has made haram is genuinely harmful to us — and there is not much of it.Shaitan's trick is to make us fixate on the haram, to make us feel hemmed in, to make the life of a Muslim feel like a series of closed doors. But the reality is the opposite. The doors are almost all open. He just wants us staring at the one that isn't.Animosity — and the Iblis AgendaAllah commanded Adam, Hawa, and Iblis to descend from Jannah, and said there would be animosity between them. This animosity runs in multiple directions — not just between humans and Shaitan, but between humans themselves. Between races. Between classes. Between genders.When we look at gender wars today, Islam has no difficulty affirming the rights and dignity of women. In fact, much of what has historically restricted women came through culture, not religion. The Prophet's masjid had no barrier between men and women. The Prophet ﷺ gave lessons to mixed gatherings. Women asked questions — including sensitive ones — directly. The Ansar women were specifically praised for their courage in seeking knowledge. When a separate door was created for women in the Prophet's time, it was at the suggestion of Sayyidina Umar, so that women wouldn't be pushed and jostled as the community grew — it was for their comfort, not their exclusion. Sayyidina Umar, despite being famously protective of his own wife, allowed her to attend the masjid because the Prophet ﷺ had explicitly said: do not stop the believing women from coming to the masjid.The problem with certain strands of modern feminism is not the defence of women's rights — it's the framing of everything as a gender war. Men and women, from an Islamic perspective, are equal in spiritual standing and in the eyes of Allah, but created with different natures, different inclinations, different responsibilities. Not one above the other. Different — the way a table and a chair are different. Both necessary. Together, complete. If every chair insists on being a table, everyone ends up sitting on the floor.The same principle applies to class. Islam does not vilify wealth — it channels it. Zakat. Waqf. The oldest universities in the world — Qarawiyyin, Zaytuna, Al-Azhar — were sustained for centuries through endowments from wealthy Muslims who had the akhirah in mind. Al-Azhar offered free education, boarding, and meals for over a thousand years, funded entirely by waqf. Harvard today operates on $53 billion in endowments — the same principle, different name. The Islamic economic vision is not to make everyone equal — it is to ensure that the rich carry the poor, and that no one goes without. When zakat is properly collected and distributed, the mathematics work out. The system is not a class war. It is a covenant of care.All of this division — gender wars, class wars, race wars — is part of the Iblis agenda. He said there would be animosity. He is working to deepen it. Our job is to see through it.Tomorrow insha'Allah — Part 3 of Surah Al-A'raf begins. Allah speaks directly to the children of Adam. Ya Bani Adam.Tonight's video is recorded by Perth Islamic Channel.Following along with the series? Consider a paid subscription to receive a free digital copy of the Surah Al-A'raf Study Guide and Workbook. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit groundeddaily.substack.com/subscribe

At DCD>Connect Virginia, JSA TV caught up with Dr. Atif Ansar, Foresight's Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, to discuss how data center CEOs are facing a new reality — where delivery speed and time-to-delivery have become their most valuable strategic assets. Dr. Ansar explains why the smartest leaders now treat time as capital, how this shift is reshaping project governance, and how improving delivery performance can result in millions of dollars saved across large-scale data center programs.#DataCenters #Leadership #Scheduling

During Hour 4 Ansar Khan from MLive.com joined the show discussing the Detroit Red Wings' start to the season and their Sunday game against Edmonton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hva skjer i oss når vi forsoner oss med det som har vært? Sammen med psykologspesialist Nadia Ansar utforsker vi forskjellen på tilgivelse, forsoning og å gi slipp – og hvorfor de ikke betyr det samme. Vi snakker om sinne og skam som naturlige deler av prosessen, hvorfor ikke alle skal tilgis, og hvordan tydelige grenser kan skape trygghet. Nadia viser hvordan forsoning kan gi lettere hverdager, bedre helse og sterkere relasjoner, fordi den største gevinsten ofte ligger hos den som velger å bære litt mindre.Vi går inn på:-Tilgivelse vs. forsoning vs. å gi slipp-Når sinne og skam faktisk hjelper deg videre-Grenser: Når er det riktig ikke å tilgi-Hva som skjer i kropp og nervesystem når du gir slipp-Praktiske steg: slik starter du forsoningsarbeidetFor mer fra Nadia:instagram.com/nadiaansar_psykologInstitutt for psykologisk rådgivningBoken: ForsoningerØnsker deg en nydelig uke!AnnetteFølg meg gjerne på:Instagram.com/dr.annettedraglandFacebook.com/drannettedraglandhttps://youtube.com/@drannetteDisclaimer: Innholdet i podcasten og på denne nettsiden er ikke ment å utgjøre eller være en erstatning for profesjonell medisinsk rådgivning, diagnose eller behandling. Søk alltid råd fra legen din eller annet kvalifisert helsepersonell hvis du har spørsmål angående en medisinsk tilstand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dagens gjest er psykolog Nadia Ansar. Hun er spesialist i emosjonsfokusert terapi og klinisk familiepsykologi og er forfatter av boken Min skam, som hun har mottatt både Formidlingsprisen for Kvinners Helse og Advokatforeningens Ærespris for.I denne episoden snakker vi om hva skam egentlig er, hvordan den merkes i kroppen, og hvorfor vi strekker oss langt for å unngå å kjenne på den. Vi utforsker skammens “kompass” – de ulike strategiene vi bruker for å beskytte oss mot skammen, og hvordan kultur, familie og kjønnsroller former hvordan vi bærer skam. Nadia deler også sin egen reise med skam, mental helse og hvordan skam både kan være beskyttende og ødeleggende.Og ikke minst så ser vi på hva som faktisk kan hjelpe oss ut av skam. Hvordan kan vi finne språk, grenser, frihet og hvordan kan vi unngå å sende skammen videre?For mer fra Nadia:Boken: Min skamipr.noinstagram.com/nadiaansar_psykologPodcasten: Skyld og skamTusen takk til ukens sponsor csoaps.com - i september får du 20 prosent rabatt ved å bruke koden legeromlivet20.Ønsker deg en nydelig uke!AnnetteFølg meg gjerne på:Instagram.com/dr.annettedraglandFacebook.com/drannettedraglandhttps://youtube.com/@drannetteDisclaimer: Innholdet i podcasten og på denne nettsiden er ikke ment å utgjøre eller være en erstatning for profesjonell medisinsk rådgivning, diagnose eller behandling. Søk alltid råd fra legen din eller annet kvalifisert helsepersonell hvis du har spørsmål angående en medisinsk tilstand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

பெண் பிள்ளை வளர்ப்பில் இஸ்லாம் காட்டும் வழிமுறைகள்மவ்லவி அன்ஸார் ஹுஸைன் ஃபிர்தௌஸி | Ansar Hussain Firdousi21-08-2025Al-Jubail Dawah Center, Jubail

In this gripping second part of Episode 254 of the Mike Drop podcast, host Mike Ritland sits down with former Green Beret Mark Gianconia to explore his extraordinary career in special operations. Unlike many post-9/11 operators, Mark's journey began in Kosovo, working alongside Russian forces in a vastly different operational landscape. Returning just before the 9/11 attacks, Mark shares his visceral reaction to the tragedy and how it propelled his unit into action. This episode takes you deep into his covert missions in Iraq, including the daring Advanced Force Operations (AFO) infil via rental cars from Turkey and the intense Operation Viking Hammer against terrorist strongholds like Ansar al-Islam. Expect raw, firsthand accounts of unconventional warfare, coordination with Kurdish allies, and the chaos of combat in the early days of the Iraq War. From dodging mortar fire to orchestrating airstrikes, Mark's stories offer a vivid window into the high-stakes world of special forces during a pivotal moment in history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful episode of The School of Divine Mysteries, Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq dismantles the media-driven cult accusations and presents the true divine mission of the Ansar of the Mahdi. He takes us on a profound journey through the covenants of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, revealing how each set of laws was a step toward humanity's perfection, not a contradiction. What is God's purpose for Earth and mankind? Why do divine laws change across generations? And how does the Mahdi complete this sacred chain? Whether you're a believer, seeker, or skeptic, this episode challenges everything you thought you knew about religion, law, and divine leadership in the modern age.

In the latest episode of the Nomad Futurist podcast, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence bridge three time zones to sit down with Dr. Atif Ansar, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Foresight, for a fascinating exploration of the real reasons ambitious infrastructure projects thrive — or fail. At the core of this conversation is Atif's powerful thesis: the biggest challenges in large-scale development aren't technical; they're human. “A lot of my work with colleagues is based around human biases — both psychological and political biases — that go into estimation and execution of these projects.” Moving beyond spreadsheets and blueprints, Atif highlights how hidden forces like optimism bias, cultural dynamics, and political agendas often shape billion-dollar decisions more than facts on paper. Listeners follow Atif's journey from academia to entrepreneurship, sparked by a candid conversation over coffee that led to the founding of Foresight: “In 2018, one of my executive education students... said ‘Look, I think there's a business idea here.' We [grabbed] coffee, then drinks... and Foresight was born.” Drawing on global comparisons, including China and his teams' work in Israel, Atif argues that national motivation and collective purpose often trump money or even technology when it comes to getting projects done: “What people in China have is deep purpose around building their own nation, and that belief propels tremendous action... My team is in Israel [and has a] tremendous desire to propel faster delivery because people are motivated, intentional, and purposeful to get things done.” This episode challenges conventional thinking, positioning infrastructure not as a technical problem to solve, but as a test of collective intent, societal values, and human behavior. With wisdom, humility, and clarity, Atif reminds us why curiosity, continued learning, and a willingness to face hard truths are essential traits for anyone shaping our physical and digital world: “Stretch your mind.” Listen now and connect with Dr. Atif Ansar on LinkedIn.

ஈதுல் அத்ஹா தரும் பாடம் என்ன? 1446 (2025) ஈதுல் அத்ஹா குத்பா பேருரை | Eid-ul-Adha Prayer Khutbahமவ்லவி அன்ஸார் ஹுஸைன் ஃபிர்தௌஸி | Ansar Hussain Firdousi06-06-2025Globe Port Masjid, Dammam

In this JSA TV interview from PTC '25, Foresight Co-Founder Dr. Atif Ansar discusses how AI-driven project management is transforming digital infrastructure delivery. Learn how Foresight helps businesses overcome complex construction scheduling and supply chain challenges to complete critical projects faster, more efficiently, and ahead of demand. Learn more at: https://www.foresight.works/.

(0:00) Intro(0:27) Ice Cream Refreshment for Audience (Farhan UK, Farooq US)(2:00) 28th Para, Ramadan 2025(2:30) Hazrat Khaula (RA) ka waqia – jin par zehar ki ayaat nazil hooin(5:44) Hazrat Umar (RA) par aitraaz(7:12) Molana Ehtesham Ilahi Zaheer podcast ka jawab(7:56) Adalati khula ke baray mein Ahl-e-Hadith ka ilm(9:34) Mufti Tariq Masood ki aurton ko adalati talaq par naseehat(11:03) Gunah vs Kufr(12:48) Mufti sahab ka dil(13:02) Aik Arabi ne Saudia mein is ayat se kya matlab liya?(15:13) Nabi ﷺ ki majlis mein 10 biwiyon wala ghair Muslim sardar jab Musalman hua(15:29) Char par brake(15:45) Ashkal vs aitraaz(16:45) Jab sood haram hua, mushrikeen ka aitraaz(18:37) Allah ke hukm ke samne “no” ka option nahi(19:28) Zuban par talaq(19:59) Aik shakhs ka mufti sahab ko jawab jisne doosri shadi par aitraaz kiya(22:15) Gunah ki sargoshiyan karna(22:57) Zakaat ke masarif – Sahaba (RA) ki fazilat(24:02) Swat operation mein Karachi ka haal(25:07) Karachi: Ghareeb ki maa(25:35) Ansar ki qurbanian(26:00) Waqia jiski khabar Nabi ﷺ ko wahi mein di gayi(27:22) Sahaba (RA) ki izzat na karne wale(28:48) Hadith 1812 – Irshad Bhatti podcast(29:10) Hazrat Muawiya (RA) ke mukhalif log kaise hain?(31:25) Sahaba (RA) / buzurgon ki ghalti samne aaye to?(32:16) Aakhirat ki planning(33:13) Neki – Qayamat ke din ki currency(33:33) Allah ko khush karne ka tareeqa(35:31) Lailatul Qadr ka program(36:01) Blessed nights(36:35) Taaq raaton mein karne wale kaam(37:33) Sadqay ke bakron par aitraaz(38:21) Mufti Rasheed Ahmed sahab (DB) ka farman(38:41) Janwar zibaah ke 3 moqay(40:05) 19 bachon wale Irshad Bhatti ko mufti sahab ka jawab(40:55) 20 saal pehle Japan ke baray mein Mufti sahab ki peshgoi sach sabit hui(41:40) Unan ka haal(42:38) UN report(42:57) Irshad Bhatti ka tanziya style(43:10) Shukrana vs jurmana(44:56) Fitrana – shukrana(45:54) Family planning vs Islam(47:04) Janwar katne par ghareeb ko bakra khilane ka sawab(48:02) Mufti sahab ka fishery experience(48:14) Khareed kar khilana vs katna(48:44) Sadqay ke bakron se 2 nuqsaan(49:56) Nafli rozon ki fazilat(50:50) Glory of Abdullah Bin Mubarak (RA)(51:15) Glory of Mufti Rasheed Ahmed sahab (DB)(51:58) Glory of recitation(53:04) Bewa behan ko sadqa + bachon ki tarbiyat(55:04) Waqia – betiyon ki parwarish par jannat ki zamanat(55:58) Betiyon ki pedaish par munh banane wale(56:14) Hospital mein saas ke sog ki wajah?(57:31) Kafirana soch(58:07) Mufti sahab ke jannati dost ki 9 betiyan(59:33) Betiyan – jannat ki safarshi(1:01:02) Beton se acha damad(1:01:32) Glory of Mufti sahab(1:02:06) Beti hona fazilat ki baat nahi(1:02:42) Abu Jahal se nasal milna(1:03:08) Muskura kar baat karna – sadqa(1:03:43) Mufti sahab ki naseehat Changaiz Khan jese shohar ke liye(1:04:42) Ghar walon ke sath akhlaq aur TV shows(1:06:26) Sakht mizaj beta(1:07:00) Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) ne Nabi ﷺ ke baray mein kya kaha?(1:08:04) Hazrat Nooh (AS) aur Hazrat Lut (AS) ki dozakhi biwiyan(1:09:08) Hazrat Asiya (RA) – Firaun ki biwi jannati(1:10:46) Aaj ki aurat(1:11:38) Hazrat Maryam (AS) ki paakdamni(1:12:22) Parda vs taleem(1:12:54) Home schooling in Los Angeles, US(1:13:50) University mein buri sohbat(1:14:40) Mufti sahab ka mashwara(1:15:40) Dua(1:15:45) Pakistan mein dehshatgardi ke masaail ka hal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During Hour 1 Ansar Khan from MLive.com joined the show discussing the Detroit Red Wings post-deadline and heading down the stretch of the season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal holds his second interview with Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a senior political officer and spokesman for Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi movement), asking him why his movement intervened in defense of Gaza despite devastating Israeli and US-UK attacks. Al-Bukhaiti explains why he believes Palestinian losses would have been worse without Ansar Allah's intervention, and discusses developments in Yemen's grueling civil war.

In Hour 1 we were joined by Ansar Khan who covers the Detroit Red Wings to tee up tonight's clash with the Oilers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did the Prophet ﷺ unite Madinah's tribes and the Muhajireen and the Ansar into one harmonious society?  In this episode, Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan reveals the making of the Constitution of Madinah—a pioneering document that established justice, mutual respect, and unity. This constitution wasn't just a set of laws; it was a divinely guided blueprint for a just society, demonstrating how the Prophet ﷺ balanced rights and responsibilities, securing peace for all. As the episode unfolds, discover the origins of the Adhān, the first call to prayer, which marked the dawn of Tawheed for the Muslim community. Learn about the companions chosen by the Prophet ﷺ to proclaim this sacred call—an act that has echoed through centuries, uniting Muslims worldwide. Join us on this journey into the Prophet's ﷺ unparalleled wisdom and vision, exploring timeless principles and transformative events that continue to inspire and guide us today. Don't miss it! Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #Islam #Dawah

After Prophet Muhammad declared Ali ibn Abi Talib's successorship, the angel Gabriel descended with an extension of the verse Quran 5:3, adding "today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed my blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion", showing that there's a version of Islam that's perfected and a version that's incomplete.After the kutba, the people were commanded to pledge allegiance to Imam Ali, and the prophet instructed them to greet him with the title Commander of the Faithful. The Prophet instructed Ali to sit in a tent across from his own tent and ordered the Muslims to enter in groups to congratulate him and refer to him with the new title. This process took three days, and included the Muajirun, Ansar, outling Arab tribes, and the prophet's wives.By requiring the Muslim community to personally greet Ali with the new title, the Prophet legitimized Imam Ali's position and left no room for doubt in the mind of anyone present.Many sources say the companions of the prophet came to Imam Ali and congratulated him on the leadership. The first to address him was Umar ibn Al-Khattab, saying "O Ali, you have become my master and the master of every momin and momina"After the three days had passed in Ghadir, a man from the tribe of Banu Makhzum (a staunch enemy of the prophet) arrived and said "O Muhammad, I wish to ask you about three matters..." and he asked if the shahadah, if the laws of islam, and if Ali's successorship was from the prophet or from Allah. When the prophet replied that they were all from Allah, the man became very angry and said "Oh Allah, if Muhammad is truthful then blast me with fire" and within minutes he was struck by lightning.Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=777.Subscribe at http://www.why-quran.org/subscribe to watch the lectures live and participate in the Q&A at the end of each class.Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9hESB_xSZA&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.

A few years after the construction of Masjid An-Nabawi, the Prophet ﷺ saw the growing needs of his expanding Ummah and initiated the first of many expansions of this sacred space—a Masjid he prophesied would be the last standing mosque on earth. In this episode of the Seerah series, Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan takes us through the historical accounts of Masjid An-Nabawi's expansion, shedding light on the trials faced by the Companions رضي الله عنهم after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ. He shares significant events that took place within the mosque during the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime, giving us a window into those golden days, including a touching story about the Prophet's ﷺ pulpit. Ustadh also reflects on the virtues of the Ansar, beloved by the Prophet ﷺ for their sacrifice and support, reminding us of his ﷺ love and care for them. Filled with heartfelt reminders and moving prophecies, this episode inspires a deeper love for the Prophet's ﷺ mosque and the early believers who first filled its walls. Tune in to connect with the legacy of Masjid An-Nabawi and the timeless virtues of the Prophet's ﷺ companions. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #Islam #Dawah

In this episode of Connecting the Dots, I dive into how U.S. foreign policy impacts major conflicts in Ukraine, China, and the Middle East. Rather than simply telling you what to think, my goal is to provide context and analysis so you can form your own conclusions about these complex issues. We'll look at the roots of the Ukraine conflict, the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, and how these events ripple across Europe. I also examine U.S. military aid to Israel and its implications for the Gaza conflict, touching on questions of international law and diplomacy. Additionally, I explore the effects of significant events, like the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah and Qasem Soleimani, and what they mean for long-term stability in the region. Join me as I connect the dots and invite you to critically assess how U.S. policy shapes the global landscape today.   Find me and the show on social media. Click the following links or search @DrWilmerLeon on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Patreon and YouTube!   Hey everyone, Dr. Wilmer here! If you've been enjoying my deep dives into the real stories behind the headlines and appreciate the balanced perspective I bring, I'd love your support on my Patreon channel. Your contribution helps me keep "Connecting the Dots" alive, revealing the truth behind the news. Join our community, and together, let's keep uncovering the hidden truths and making sense of the world. Thank you for being a part of this journey!   Wilmer Leon (00:01): Hey folks. Look, when you understand what's happening in Ukraine, when you understand what's happening in China as it relates to the United States trying to start a war with China over Taiwan, when you look at the latest developments the Middle East, you have to ask yourself this. And has President Biden become a victim of his own rhetoric? Has he fallen into his own trap? Let's talk about this, Announcer (00:41): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Wilmer Leon (00:49): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon and I am Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they happen in a vacuum, failing to understand the broader historic context in which they take place. So today, looking at Ukraine, looking at China, looking what's happening in the Middle East, I decided that I would just take a few minutes and just give you some extemporaneous just off the top of the head kind of stuff. No guests on this segment. Y'all are just stuck with me. So let's start here. In his last address to the United Nations as President Joe Biden said, I recognize the challenges from Ukraine and Gaza to Sudan and beyond. War, hunger, terrorism brutality, record displacement of people, a climate crisis, democracy at risk, strains within our societies, the promise of artificial intelligence and its significant risks. The list goes on. (02:00): Well, when you start to unpack that knapsack, when you really pay attention to the list of things, the litany of conflicts and tensions that Joe Biden just articulated, you have to ask yourself this. He mentions Ukraine, who started the conflict in Ukraine? Why did it start? Well, it started in 2014, during the Obama administration went with what was known as the Maidan Coup. The United States went in. In 2014, Victoria Newland led the effort overthrew the democratically elected government of Victor Jankovich, and installed a Nazi based Ukrainian nationalist government led by the current President, Volodymyr Zelensky. It escalated during the Biden administration and it has become a full-blown military conflict that President Biden refuses to settle. In fact, one of the most recent speeches given by Vice President Harris talking about the Ukraine, she said, the Russian proposal is not a peace deal. It is not a settlement. (03:30): She said, it is a surrender. Well, if you look at the data, it is a surrender because the Ukraine has lost, they hardly have any artillery shells left. Just about all of their tanks have been blown to smithereens. The F-16's that they've just received, some of them were blown up before they even made it off the runway. And you have US generals saying that the F sixteens that the United States and NATO sent are no match for the Russian Air Force. Their army is totally depleted. They've had to go to their prisons, empty their prisons, and send prisoners to the front. They have what are called press gangs that are scouring the Ukrainian countryside kidnapping men of age, sending them to the front. (04:35): It's over, it's over. The fat lady just ain't sung yet. That's really what you're looking at in Ukraine. It's over, but they just haven't blown the whistle. So yeah, it's going to be a surrender. You might as well, you might as well fire up the USS Missouri resurrect Emperor Hirohito from World War II and have Ukraine surrender the same way Japan had to because that's the way this has gone. September 26th, 2022, a series of underwater explosions and consequent gas leaks occurred on three or four pipelines of the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea. This occurred during and based upon the Sy Hersh reporting tells us that this was conducted during the Biden administration. The Biden administration blew up three of the four pipelines of the Nord Stream pipeline, which provided natural gas from Russia to Germany and Germany was the distribution point for low cost natural gas throughout Europe. (05:59): And since 2022, what has happened to the economy of Germany and what has happened to other economies of European countries? They've been decimated because they now are forced to buy natural gas from the United States because the United States blew up their pipeline cutting off their access to Russian natural gas. Why? Because if you remember, when the Ukraine conflict started, president Biden told us what we're going to turn the rubble into rubble. Y'all remember that We're going to turn the ruble into rubble. Has that happened? Not at all. In fact, the rubble, the rubble, the ruble, which is the currency in Russia, is now one of the most stable currencies in the world. The Russian economy is in the top five economies in the world. Why? Because the United States was not able to bring about regime change in Russia through the Ukraine conflict. The United States was not able through its sanctions regime to bring about crippling sanctions on the Russian economy. (07:18): They have been able to find workarounds, and they have been able to continue to engage in international business all around the world. Look at the BRIC's meeting that's about to take place in Russia. You've got China. Well, the BRIC's, the acronym for what? For Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. And now you have a number of other countries that are joining this economic cooperative, and they are finding workarounds around the sanctions that the United States is imposing on all of these countries. In terms of Gaza, who's funding the genocide in Gaza, the Biden administration, of course, president Biden in May of 2024 said, he said what he would halt some of the shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged had been used to kill civilians in Gaza. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major invasion in the city of Rafa, well, Netanyahu did it. Biden did not honor his word. He still sent those weapons to Israel. And what do we find now? (08:47): $8.7 billion on their way of weapons and military aid are now on their way to Israel. Citizens have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of the bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. Biden said this on CNN to Aaron Burnett back in May of 2024, civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they Israel go after population centers. He said that to CNN, and he still sends weapons to Gaza. He said, I made it clear that if they go into Rafa, and they haven't gone into Rafa yet, if they go into Rafa, this was May of 2024. I'm not supplying the weapons. They've been used historically to deal with Rafa to deal with the cities that deal with that problem. Where are we now? Four months later, Israel said in September, it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the United States to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region. (10:20): Folks for the United States to send military weapons into Israel violates international law. It violates American law. It violates the Arms Export Control Act. It violates American law for the United States government to send weapons to countries that are in the midst of oppressing their own people. Look up the arms. Export Control Act. $8.7 billion of your hard earned tax dollars are being sent to Israel to support genocide. This package includes three and a half billion dollars for essential wartime procurement, what they call essential wartime procurement, which has already been received and earmarked for critical military purchases. What does that mean? Well, in common parlance, we'd call that a money laundering scheme. So the United States sends $8.7 billion or earmarks or tags or identifies $8.7 billion for Israel for military weaponry. And what then happens? Well, that money goes to Lockheed Martin, that money goes to Boeing, that money goes to Raytheon. (11:52): That money goes to what Dwight Eisenhower told us in his 1959 farewell address to the American people, the military industrial complex. So the United States Funds genocide is backing the extermination, the elimination, the removal of innocent Palestinian people while American arms manufacturers make billions and billions of dollars. Oh, and by the bye, president Biden also said he's sending another $8 billion to Ukraine. So that's 8 billion to Ukraine. That's 8.7 to Israel. That's $16.7 billion, and they're sending almost 600 million to Taiwan. That's $17 billion in just one month that the United States is sending for militarism and the United States isn't being attacked. We're not under threat. (13:17): 8 billion to Ukraine. Ukraine is the proxy of the United States. The Ukraine is the proxy of NATO. Volodymyr Zelinsky, the president of Ukraine, he tried to negotiate a settlement with Vladimir Putin in April of 2022, right after two months after the damn thing started. And right as they were reaching an agreement, the United States had the former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, go to Ukraine and tell Zelensky, under no circumstances is the West going to accept a peace deal with Russia. Go figure. And now Kamala Harris says, oh, we won't tolerate this proposed peace plan because the peace plan is surrender. You had the opportunity in 2022 to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict that you started, but you ignored it. You ignored it. Your hubris got in the way. Your ego got in the way. You were blinded by your ego to the realities that were right before you on the ground, and you ignored the opportunity. And now what has Russia done? They just keep saying, y'all want to drag this out? We'll keep fighting. When we keep fighting, we keep taking territory, and when we take territory, we don't give it back. (15:08): So yeah, it's going to be surrender. It's going to be surrender. The question simply becomes, how much of an ass whooping do you want to take? So now back to the Middle East. According to Middle East Eye on September 27th, Israeli fighters, they carried out a series of massive airstrikes on Beirut southern suburbs in what appeared to be the most intense bombardment of the Lebanese capitol. Since the 2006 war, at least 10 explosions rocked the capitol's southern suburbs, a densely populated area, colloquially known as Dahiyeh, with large clouds of blacksmith rising over the city. The result of that attack, Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nala, was assassinated. (16:08): Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, was assassinated by the way, in violation of international law. Aaron Mate wrote one week after Israel began its US back campaign in a rampage in Gaza last October, Biden was asked by CBS news if fueling a Middle East conflict on top of the proxy war in Ukraine was more than the United States could take on at the same time. Basically, Hey, you're fighting wars on multiple fronts, and anybody that understands military history will tell you the more fronts you open up. This is my commentary, not mate, the more fronts you open up, the bigger problems you're going to have. What was Biden's answer to that question about is the United States taking on more than it can manage at the same time? No, Biden said, and he was incredibly indignant when he said it, we're the United States of America, for God's sake, the most powerful nation in the history, not in the world, in the history of the world. Not only does the US have the capacity to do this, Biden said, we have an obligation. We are the essential nation. And if we don't, who does? (17:38): Joe, you're reading your own press clippings, Joe, you're caught up in your own rhetoric, Joe. You've fallen victim of your own trap. It had overlooked comment. Biden gave his blessing not only to an Israel scorched earth campaign in Gaza, but Lebanon as well for Israel. Biden said, going in and taking out the extremists in Hezbollah up north along with Hamas down south is a necessary requirement. But what you got to understand, when you look at Hamas in the South, when you look at Hezbollah in the North, when you look at Ansar, Allah in Yemen, when you look at Iran, these are the forces of resistance. (18:43): They are resisting the occupation of historic Palestine. This isn't anti-Semitic rhetoric, it's fact. There's a reason why that area is referred to as the occupied territories. They don't use that language a lot in today's parlance because the West has now clearly come to understand that that narrative, that language contradicts the narrative that they're trying to present. But there's a reason why in the international criminal court, in the international Court of justice, in all kind of parliaments, in all kind of countries all over the world, they're referred to as the occupied territories. Who is the occupier? The Zionist government of Israel? Who is the occupied the Palestinians international law tells us? So when Vice President Harris steps to the podium at the DNC convention and says, Israel has the right to defend itself, nay, that's not true. When Joe Biden steps to the podium and says, at the un, Israel has the right to defend itself. That's not true. When Netanyahu steps to the podium and says, Israel has the right to defend itself, that's not true because international law is very clear. The UN is very clear. (20:53): The occupier, in this case, the Zionist government of Israel, does not have the right to defend itself against the interaction or the response by the occupied. In this instance, the Palestinians international law is, here's a very simple analogy. I can't walk into your house armed or unarmed, but I can't walk into your house armed, threaten you and your family, have you resist my aggression? And then I claim self-defense. I can't do it. It won't pass the laugh test. It won't pass the giggle test. It won't pass the smell test. I can't do that. I cannot walk into your home, take over your home, have you resist my aggression, shoot you in the process, and then claim I was defending myself. It's the same thing that's going on right now in the occupied territories. (22:25): So this isn't me being pouring haterade on Vice President Harris or Joe Biden. No, this is just the facts. So getting back to the recent assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the IDF, the Israeli Defense Forces, they reportedly used 2000 pound bunker busting bombs supplied by the United States in the attack that in the assassination of Hassan Raah, they leveled several apartment buildings. They killed dozens of people. I mean scores with others still being believed, trapped in a rubble, which means you're going to have, they leveled a whole damn neighborhood. They leveled a neighborhood to kill one guy. (23:27): And here is an incredibly interesting revelation to all of this. The Lebanese foreign minister now says that Hassanah Raah agreed to a ceasefire, a 21 day ceasefire right before the IDF assassinated him. Abdullah Habib, the Lebanese foreign minister says, Naah agreed to the US and French proposal for a 21 day ceasefire. He said that to on CNN to Christian Yama aur. They told us that Mr. Netanyahu agreed to this. And so we also got the agreement of Hezbollah on that. And you know what happened after that? They assassinated the man. So let's trace this back. If the reporting is true, and I believe that it is Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah was ready to accept the proposed ceasefire, which by the way, the US via Vice President Kamala Harris and a number of others, president Biden claim that they're desperately working on a ceasefire. You've heard him say this, we are desperately working on a ceasefire. We are desperately working on a ceasefire. We're doing everything in our power to come up with a ceasefire. So the US and France propose to Hezbollah a 21 day ceasefire. (25:38): Nasra says, okay, not only will there be a ceasefire in Lebanon, as in between Lebanon and the Zionist colony of it, settler colony of Israel, that ceasefire also has to apply to Gaza as well. There will be a cessation of violence across the landscape because after all, why is Hezbollah fighting the IDF in defense of Hamas, in defense of the Palestinians? Why is Ansara Allah in Yemen sending missiles into Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel? Why is Ansara Allah, why have they shut down the Red Sea and not allowing Israeli flagged or ships that are delivering goods or receiving goods from Israel from the Zionist colony to transit the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians? So you can't have a ceasefire with Lebanon and not with Palestine. That wouldn't make any sense. (27:07): So the story is Hassan Nasrallah was told Netanyahu has agreed the United States and France, everybody's in sync. We can now work towards the ceasefire 21 day ceasefire. And what happens? They assassinate it. And this is what Netanyahu said at the un, his words last week, knowing he said this, knowing that they were going to assassinate the man to speak for my country to speak for the truth. And here's the truth. Israel seeks peace. Israel yearns for peace. Israel has made peace and will make peace again. Yet we face savage enemies who seek our annihilation, and we must defend ourselves against them. (28:17): That's what he said last week at the un. Israel seeks peace. Israel yearns for peace. If that is true, then why did you assassinate the guy you were negotiating with for peace after you had received the message that he agreed to your proposal? Yet we face savage enemies. So you are negotiating for a peace deal. You're on the verge of accomplishing a ceasefire, which can then get you to a peace deal, and you assassinate the guy you're negotiating with, who's the savage Bebe, you or them, and you claim that these savages seek your annihilation. Oh, show me evidence where they have been the aggressor. And please don't give me this noxious BS about October 7th because this conflict did not start on the 7th of October of 2023. That's just revisionist history. This conflict started damn near 80 years ago. October 7th was just the latest iteration of the Palestinians saying enough. October 7th was just the latest iteration of the Palestinians defending themselves. (30:22): And I go back to international law. The oppressed have the right to resist oppression and the oppressor through any means at their disposal. So please, Kamala Harris, don't tell me that this started October 7th. Please, governor Waltz, don't say at the vice presidential debate that this started on October 7th. Spare me of that bs. Spare me of that revisionist history because you're lying. And I say you're lying because you're wrong. You know you're wrong, and you are intentionally perpetrating a lie. So I ask Netanyahu again, who, by the way, his real name, his family name, his grandfather's name before his grandfather immigrated from Poland to Palestine was Milikowsky His family name is not Netanyahu. The family name is Milikowski. (31:40): They're Polish. They're European. They're not Arab. Remember, Jesus was a Palestinian Jew with skin of burnt bronze and hair of lambs wool, kind of like this. They weren't Polish, they weren't French, they weren't Russian. They're Palestinian. That's why it's called the occupied territory. Again, I digress. Nasrallah was ready to accept the proposed ceasefire and the US and Israel assassinated him. Go back to this past July. Hamas' top political leader, Ishmael Heah, was assassinated in Tehran. He was attending the installation of the Iranian president who was Ishmael Haniyeh. He was not a terrorist. He was not a military leader. He was the head of the political wing of Hamas. Understand Hamas has basically two factions. They have a military faction and they have a political faction. They started as a political group, but only when they were compelled to develop a military response to the genocide and oppression that the Zionist government of Israel was imposing upon them in the West Bank. And in that concentration camp called Gaza, did they develop a military response. But Ishmael was not part of the, he was a negotiator. (33:43): He was in the process of negotiating a ceasefire slash peace deal with Israel and the United States. And what did they do? Assassinated him. They assassinated the man. But Netanyahu stands before the world at the United Nations and says, he's speaking for truth. Israel seeks peace. Israel yearns for peace. That's what he said. Who's the savage? Joe Biden, who's the savage? BB Netanyahu. BB Milowski. Nasrallah was ready to accept a ceasefire. You assassinated him. Haniyeh was negotiating a ceasefire. You assassinated him. Let's switch gears. January 3rd, 2020. Remember General Soleimani, Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian major general who was assassinated by an American drone strike near Baghdad international airport in Iraq. Donald Trump pushed the button on Soleimani. (35:14): Why was Qassem Soleimani in Iraq? He had been lured there under the false pretense of a peace negotiation. The Saudis trying to make peace with the Iranians. You've got Sunni Muslims in Saudi Arabia. You've got Shia Muslims in Iran trying to find peace between the two. He General Soleimani was brought to Iraq under the pretext of bringing letters of negotiation between the two governments. False pretense. It was a lie. He was there on a peace mission and was assassinated. I'm connecting some dots here, folks. Are you starting to see the picture? I'm connecting some dots here, folks. Are you starting to see the picture? (36:39): Why is this going on? Oh, by the way, so Soleimani goes to Iraq. They assassinate him under the pretense of a peace deal. China steps in. And what does China do? China brokers a peace deal between who? The Saudis and Iran. So months later, the deal does get done. Even though Soleimani was assassinated, Donald Trump pushed the button on him at the behest of the Zionist government of Israel. But Netanyahu Millikowski wants to stand before you stand before the world and say, Israel yearns for peace, but these savages seek our annihilation. I ask again, Bebe, who's the savage? Joe Biden, who's the savage? Y'all tell me. (37:55): So what do we have? Well, at least in terms of the Middle East, we have Iran responds to the assassination of Haniyeh and a number of other incursions aggressions that they have been incredibly measured and incredibly calculating. And so they send some missiles into Israel, but they were very, very careful. They selected military targets, and most of the military targets that they selected were the targets that were either a, well, primarily, I won't even go to a, and let me just say they were responsible for the assassination of keeping these names in my head is a bit challenging of Hassan Nasrallah. So they decimated some F-35's at an Air Force base in near Tel Aviv. (39:23): They didn't strike any civilian centers, even though Israel has strategically placed a lot of its military, its intelligence operations and whatnot in densely populated civilian spaces. See, they're not like Israel. Israel blows up a whole damn neighborhood with 2000 pound bunker busting bombs. Israel didn't do that. They could have done that. They didn't. And they were very clear in explaining why, because they said, we aren't going to attack civilians. Also, the Holy Quran guides them in their tactics for war. They are guided as Muslims. They are guided by the Quran in terms of what is allowable in war and what is not. That is why, for example, they haven't developed a nuclear program because in their mind, by their belief, too many innocent people will be affected by the action. And when they get into a it kind of eye for an eye kind of deal, when they get into a conflict, they deal with those involved in the conflict. They don't have this idea of collateral damage. They don't sit back and calculate, well, our enemy is here, our target is here, and there are so many civilians in on the periphery, and we have an acceptable number of those that we can exterminate and still call it fair. They don't operate like that. (41:22): Their guide, the Holy Quran dictates how conflict will be managed. So that's why, for example, they sent a message to Iran and said, we are about to strike. They let 'em know they didn't have to do that. They let 'em know. See, people are making a huge mistake by confusing restraint with fear, whether it's Russia, whether it's China, whether it is Iran, because they have been so measured in their responses. They haven't just gone all out blast because that's not their tactic, that's not their way. They have a different understanding of time and what Dr. King called the moral arc of history, because their cultures are thousands of years old, unlike the United States. That's the new kid on the block. (42:30): So they have a totally different concept of time. So the adage, you have the watches, but we have the time. So they're not going to be baited into a knee jerk reaction to an attack. They're going to sit back, step back, evaluate the landscape, and then they retaliate on their terms, on their timeline through their methods. And that's why, for example, when I think it was when Hania was assassinated, the United States went to Iran and said, don't retaliate, don't respond. And Iran told Joe Biden, no, no, no, no, no, no, Joe, we got to respond to this. But understand, here's what we will do. And this is what they said. Here's what we will do. We will strike military targets. We won't strike civilian targets. And the military targets that we select will be those targets that we're responsible for engaging and planning the action that we are responding to. And here's the key that you all need to understand. They also said, Joe, once we respond, we will consider the matter settled. (44:04): Once we respond, once we retaliate, we will consider the matter settled unless you or them engage in further action. If you do that, then we are going to have to handle that business. We're going to have to do what we got to do. So they are, and I'm I'm speaking about the resistance in general. They are incredibly measured because not only do they have tactics, they have strategy. See what you see playing out from the Israeli side. There's no strategy here. There's no strategy, there's no plan. There's no long-term methodological. I think that's proper pronunciation plan. (45:08): They're just out there shooting first and asking questions later. They have tactics, but no strategy. So that takes you to the adage, if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there. I mean, they know Annihilation, they know genocide is what they're after. But in terms of a planned, calculated strategy doesn't exist. That's why it's so hard for people to make sense out of what's happening. People keep going, what the hell are they doing? Why are they doing this? You don't know. They don't know. You don't know. They don't know. So look, that's kind of where we are now. (46:11): Israel is talking about, oh, the response is going to be horrific. Oh, the response is we are going to have a ground invasion into Lebanon. Well, they tried that and they're getting their butts kicked. They got their butts kicked. Israel got their butts kicked the last time they tried it in 2006. Israel tried to go into Lebanon in 2006, got their asses handed to 'em, and Hezbollah has only gotten stronger and smarter and even more determined if that is possible. I remember when George W. was getting ready to go into Iraq and Minister Farrakhan, and I guess I'll end with this. And Minister Farrakhan was trying to convince America that this was going to be a fool's errand. In fact, he called it the precipitant of greater tragedies to come. And one thing that he said to George W. in an open speech and letter, he said, you can't win this with your technology. (47:45): He said, the first week you got this, he says, your technology and your missiles. He said, the first week you got it, he said, but eventually you're going to have to bring your soldiers in here. And when you do that, they got something for you. He said, because you've never fought a soldier with the heart of a Muslim. He said, you're fighting God in a man. And so when you look at what the resistance is all about, when you look at what Hamas is all about, when you look at what Hezbollah is all about, when you look at what Ansar Allah is all about, do you know what anah means? (48:45): Servants of God. Would did Minister Farrakhan say you're fighting God in a man? That's not rhetoric. That's not rhetoric. My very rough limited understanding Ansar Allah means, and these are the folks in Yemen. You all know him as the Houthis servants of God. And where did that come from? When the prophet Muhammad may peace be upon him was in that region in what is now Yemen. There were a group of people that assisted him and protected him during his travels in, what were they called? Ansar Allah. So they have a history, long history of being anah servants of God. So when you have a people that have taken on that identity, this is who we are, this is what we do, you put them up against a group of 18, 19, 20-year-old Israelis that have been conscripted into military service because they are obligated by law to serve three or four years in the military. And so really all they're trying to do is get the hell out of town alive so that they can check that mark off of the list and say, okay, I did what I was supposed to do. I served my country. You put them kids up against these folks. (50:42): Sad day in Mudville, boys and girls. So I can tell you, when Casey came to bat, it was a sad day in Mudville. So hey folks, look, I thank you all for listening to my rant. Take some time, research what I've said, because what you'll find, I'm telling you all the truth. Thank you all for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wilmer Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Please follow and subscribe, leave a review, share the show, follow me on social media. You can find all the links below in the show description. And remember, this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge because talk without analysis is just chatter, and we don't chatter here on connecting the dots. I'll tell you this. I ain't joking. I ain't playing. I'm just saying, Hey, see you allall again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Woman Leon. Have a great one. Peace. I'm out Announcer (51:53): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.  

n this hard-hitting episode of Connecting the Dots, I reveal the shocking truth behind Israel's Mossad planting deadly devices in pagers ordered by Hezbollah. Joined by lawyer and journalist Dimitry Lascaris, we expose the dangerous global implications—this isn't just espionage, it's terrorism and a war crime, all ignored by Western media. We uncover the sinister connections between Zionist ideology, Christian nationalism, and neoliberal politics, showing how civilians are left to suffer while world powers look the other way. Our political system is failing, and bold, principled leadership is more urgent than ever. Don't miss this eye-opening truth they don't want you to know.   Find me and the show on social media. Click the following links or search @DrWilmerLeon on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Patreon and YouTube!   Hey everyone, Dr. Wilmer here! If you've been enjoying my deep dives into the real stories behind the headlines and appreciate the balanced perspective I bring, I'd love your support on my Patreon channel. Your contribution helps me keep "Connecting the Dots" alive, revealing the truth behind the news. Join our community, and together, let's keep uncovering the hidden truths and making sense of the world. Thank you for being a part of this journey!   Wilmer Leon (00:00): Reuters reports. Israel's Mossad spy agency planted a small amount of explosives inside as many as 5,000. Taiwan made pagers ordered by the Lebanese group Hezbollah months before they were detonated. Is anyone safe? Let's talk. Announcer (00:27): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Wilmer Leon (00:34): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon and I am Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they happen in a vacuum, failing to understand the broader historic context in which most of these events take place. During each episode, my guests and I have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between these events in the broader historic context in which they occur. This enables you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live on today's episode. The issue before us is, as I said earlier, is anyone safe? Israel's consumer tech terrorism across Lebanon signals a terrifying new threat raising urgent concerns about the security of international supply chains and the growing insecurity of civilians worldwide. For insight into this, let's turn to my guest. He's a lawyer and journalist. He's based in Montreal, Canada and Kalama Greece. In fact, he joins us from Ada Greece. Dimitry Lascaris, Dmitri, welcome to the show. Dimitry Lascaris  (01:48): Thank you, Wilmer. It's a pleasure to be here. Wilmer Leon (01:51): So I thought that this most recent act of terrorism in a spate of acts of terrorism would be a great place to start the conversation. The cradle reports that this brutal attack should serve as a dire warning to the world. A stark reminder that the occupation states criminal actions, no, no limits indiscriminately targeting those who challenge its interest or those of its Western allies. Dmitri, your thoughts? Dimitry Lascaris  (02:24): Well, for really decades, but particularly the last 11 months, the West and particularly the major Western powers, the governments of the United States, Britain, Germany, and France, have sent an unequivocal message to Israel. And that message is you can do whatever you want. There's no red line From our perspective, we will continue to shovel weapons your way, even if that involves the depletion of our own weapon stocks. We will continue to exercise vetoes or abstentions at United Nations. We will continue to repeat your lies and support you rhetorically and from a propagandistic perspective. We'll continue to give you trade benefits under free trade agreements. So-called free trade agreements between our countries and yours. We will not impose any sanctions on you, even though we've imposed sanctions on states that were far less violative of international law and human rights than you. That's the message. They got the message very loudly and clearly, and I fear, I hope I'm wrong, Wilmer, I really do. (03:31): But I fear that this pager, walkie talkie terrorist attack is just a harbinger of things to come. Who knows what dirty, nasty, terroristic tricks Israel has up its sleeve, and it is not used up until this point in time because frankly before the genocide began in Gaza, there was some restraint being imposed upon Israel. It wasn't much, but there was some, so occasionally you would get leaders of the United States or other western countries signaling to Israel that their appetite for the depravity of this genocidal regime was not unlimited, but that's gone away now. And so everything that Israel is capable of doing from the perspective of violence, terror, oppression, we are now going to see it's all going to come out. And I think that this is just an indication of what is coming. What we saw in Lebanon last week, and it was as the former head of the CIA Leon Panetta said to a national audience on CBS last week, it was unquestionably a form of terrorism. Wilmer Leon (04:38): When someone in the position and former positions such as Leon Panetta makes a statement like that, what does that signal to you? Former head of the CIA, he's from the Clinton camp and advisors advisor Conti to the biggest and the best, and I put that in quotes. What does that signal to you? He definitely went off script on that one. Dimitry Lascaris  (05:16): Yeah, I don't think that Leon Panetta has had a come to Jesus moment. I think he's still the self-interested war monger, (05:27): Neoliberal that he always was. So when I saw this statement, which was startling, it was quite something to see the former head of the CIA. And by the way, this was not surprisingly, I guess picked up by the Israeli press. The Times of Israel had an article yesterday which was expressing its chagrin that Leon Panetta said this. So what's going on here? I can only hazard a guess Wilmer because I'm not in the man's mind and nor do I have any desire to be. But the first thing that popped into my head was this guy has some connection to a major technology company, and he's doing this because his boss or his benefactors in the technology industry are alarmed. They're alarmed about the fact that their business model is being threatened by Israel's latest technological terrorist gimmick. And sure enough, I didn't know this before I learned of the Panetta statement to CBS, but I discovered that he is on the board of Oracle, one of the most important, significant, powerful and influential technology companies in the world based in the United States. (06:30): Of course, whether this is influencing him, I can't say for sure, but the best guess that I can hazard based on the limited information available to me is that his colleagues in the technology industry are very upset about this and so should they be. If they're not, they aren't nearly the wizards and geniuses that they claim to be. If I were in their position, I'd be saying already the public has serious doubts. Thanks, for example, to the heroic revelations from Edward Snowden about the devices we sell to them, the technologies we sell to them, they already suspecting that this is a means whereby we can engage in mass surveillance, destroy their privacy, but never before have they thought that these devices that we sell to them are potentially bombs that could blind them, dismember them, kill them, or their children. Now everybody, any rational human being out there who knows about this terrorist attack has that thought in their mind, and that is a serious threat to the profitability of the Western technology industry. Wilmer Leon (07:40): One of the things that really, I use the word surprise, but I use it guardedly, is how little follow up there has been with Western media in terms of how horrific these actions by Israel have been. I remember reading a story, I think the young girl's name was Fatima, she was maybe five or six years old. Her father's pager was on the kitchen table. The pager goes off, she picks up the pager to take it to her father, and before she can get to him, the pager explodes. And I think the story said blowing off half of her face. And this happened all over Lebanon and it was reported on, but the context in which it was reported on was solely, solely lacking. Dimitry Lascaris  (08:38): I am going to plug two outlets right now, and I want be clear before I do that, that I have absolutely no connection to them. None whatsoever. And they are two telegram channels. One of them is called the Military Media Channel and the other is called the Resistance News Network. These were brought to my attention a few months ago by people in Lebanon who are sympathetic to the resistance. And every single day Wilmer, I spend, I devote an hour to two hours to reviewing what they put out, not because I believe everything that they say they're engaged in a war and information is part of warfare. So I'm cognizant of that, but they're giving us, they offer to us another perspective. So one of the things that I've learned by following the military media channel and the Rise News Network is that an extraordinary number of people, and they've offered gruesome video evidence and photographic evidence to back this up in Lebanon, were blinded by these devices. (09:42): People lost their hands. There are people with holes in their pelvises, in their abdomens, and I'm talking about children, women, elderly men, and of course military aged men. A cross section of Lebanese society was basically maimed, wounded and killed massed by these attacks. You're not going to find this information in the Western media, nor would you find information in the western media about the retaliation that Hezbollah has engaged in since then. It's amazing the disparity of the information you see from them and what you're seeing from the Western media. All of these sources I counsel, everybody who's listening to our conversation should be approached with a healthy degree of skepticism. You should believe nothing on its face, always exercise your own independent thinking, your capacity for critical thought, but do not confine yourselves to Western media because if you do that, you're going to end up supporting a diabolical, genocidal regime. That's what's going to happen to you. You need to have access to all sources of information and think critically. Wilmer Leon (10:48): Another source that I go to is Laith maros free Palestine tv. For me, that's another invaluable source for getting an alternative perspective. I'm glad that you framed it in the manner in which you did, because one of the elements of the so-called analysis is October 7th. It says, though this conflict started on October 7th, ignoring the decades of oppression that Palestinians have been subjected to. When I listen to whether it's Kamala Harris, when I listen to former President Donald Trump, if they make reference to the conflict at some point in their dialogue, it's going to be October 7th. Look what Hamas did on October 7th, totally ignoring 70 years of oppression. And so how this gets framed is very, very important. Dimitry Lascaris  (12:01): Oh, 100% Wilmer. And I think that the answer that Kamala Harris gave in the debate with Trump to the question of how to deal with the human tragedy as they call it, it's not really a human tragedy, it's much more than that. It is a genocide. In Gaza, the way she responded, Wilmer Leon (12:21): The earthquake in Haiti was a human tragedy. Correct. Dimitry Lascaris  (12:28): Humans did not cause the earthquake. You're right. Absolutely. Wilmer Leon (12:31): Exactly. And so I made that point again because how these things get framed is incredibly, famine is a human tragedy. Floods are human. So go ahead. Dimitry Lascaris  (12:45): So the first thing out of her mouth, and I'm sure you know this Wilmer, probably many of the people listening us know this. Kamala Harris went into that debate with extensive training from public relations professionals. And she was told, when you get the question about Israel, because she knew there, they all knew a question about Israel was coming. This is how you start your answer. Wilmer Leon (13:09): Wait a minute, wait minute, wait minute, wait a minute, minute, wait a minute. Lemme see if I can channel my inner Dmitri Karus. Israel has a right to defend itself. Dimitry Lascaris  (13:20): That was actually the second thing mouth, the first thing out of her mouth. There was no question. You're absolutely right. That was going to be front and center in her answer to any question about Israel and Gaza. But the first thing out of her mouth was, let's remember when this all began. October 7th, right? A colossal lie, A stupendous lie. And of course, the moderators who in my opinion were extraordinarily biased in favor of Kamala Harris, they didn't do any fact checking of her. They said nothing at this point. It might've been the most audacious lie during the entire debate, the one that certainly has the most impact on actual human lives. This did not start on October 7th. This started decades ago when the Palestinian people were dispossessed of their land forcibly by Zionist militias in the nakba. And even before then, (14:16): And it has continued year after year after year, you can go and consult the casualty figures from any independent reputable source like the United Nations. And you will find that year after year after year for decades, the Palestinian people have suffered far more civilian casualties than Israelis every year. And it's a multiple. We're talking about a ratio 10 to one, 15 to 1...21. How the hell can you say in good conscience that all of this began what we're seeing today in Gaza and now in the West Bank, that this began on October 7th. It takes a colossal act of self-deception and mendacity to say such a thing. And she was prepared to say exactly that, and it was the first thing that came out of her mouth. This is the peculiar expertise that sort of the propaganda system part excellence that we have in the West is they always start history on the date that is most advantageous to their narrative always. And we always fall for this like suckers, like chumps, like as Malcolm X said many times, you're a sucker, you're a chump. That's exactly what we are when we believe this crap, that history starts on the date that's most advantageous to our government's narrative. So Wilmer Leon (15:33): Article 51 of additional protocol one to the Geneva Convention from 1949, it prohibits the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and Article 85 lists attacks on civilians as grave breaches, that amount to war crimes, still talking about these pagers in these walkie talkies, you have to identify who qualifies as a combatant under international humanitarian law when analyzing the pager detonations, and this is from the cradle, when analyzing the pager detonations from a legal standpoint, it becomes clear that Israel's killing spree in Lebanon lies somewhere between a war crime and an act of terrorism. And they say the classification depends on the current state of affairs. Your thoughts, because one of the things to your point about, we have to look at this in the context of October 7th, a lot of this depends on how it gets classified. But as a former prosecutor, if she does not realize when she makes the statement about October 7th, when she makes the statement about Israel has the right to defend itself based upon international law, that's just flat out wrong. Dimitry Lascaris  (17:10): Yeah, I need to address this whole thing about a former prosecutor. Okay? And I know you're entirely right to bring this up, that that's what she is, Kamala Harris, and that's what people constantly point out about her. Let's just start by acknowledging that the US justice system is rigged. It's rigged against people of color, the poor, minorities, workers. It always has been, and it arguably is worse now that it has been at any time in the post World War II history. And so Kamala Harris, the fact that she was a prosecutor, nobody should think that that for one moment has conferred upon her any expertise in of the rule of law. Prosecutors in the United States are basically instruments of oppression, and that's what she was when she was a prosecutor. In any event, it's important to know that something can be a war crime in an act of terrorism. (18:05): At the same time, these concepts are not mutually exclusive and in my opinion, as a capacity as a lawyer, these fall squarely within the definition of a war crime. And within the classical conventional definition of terrorism in the West, which is the use of violence or threats of violence against civilians or civilian infrastructure in order to achieve a political objective. Clearly the political objective here is to terrorize the Lebanese population into either turning against Hezbollah or if you're already a supportive of Hezbollah, to demanding that Hezbollah stand down and allow Israel to complete the genocide without any armed resistance from outside of occupied Palestine. That's the political objective. And clearly this was going to have a massive and unknowable impact on the civilian population because nobody can know where a pager is going to be at any time. If you just think about, I don't know if you've used a pager before or some other electronic, Wilmer Leon (19:09): I'm old enough, I'm pre-cell phone. You can tell by the gray. Dimitry Lascaris  (19:12): I'm pre too. In days bygone, I too used a pager. So I used many different, I used a Blackberry, I used a Motorola phone back in the nineties. And think about what you did with that device when it was in your possession. Oftentimes you put it down in the kitchen. Sometimes your children would play with it, sometimes you would leave it in your car, you'd forget it in your car, or sometimes you'd have it on you while you're driving your car. Or you might just be a civilian who is or is not sympathetic to Hezbollah like a doctor and you use this device. There is absolutely no way Wilmer, absolutely no way that the Israeli military could have made a confident assessment of who was going to be killed and maimed directly and indirectly by the explosion of these devices, by the detonation of these devices that is both a war crime and an act of terrorism. Wilmer Leon (20:13): A minute there's, there's another element to this as well. I believe there's a cultural element in the West, the cell phone, the pager is a very personal item. I don't give my cell phone, I don't even give my cell phone to my son. He has his own phone. I don't give my cell phone to my wife. She has her own phone. In many African countries and middle Eastern countries, there may be one cell phone in a family, and so it gets or pager, it gets distributed and used, I'll say indiscriminately within a family. It could be within a neighborhood. So you don't even really know at any given time who's going to be to your point. But I also wanted to add the cultural aspect of this. You have no idea whether the person whose name is on the contract is going to be the sole user of that device. Dimitry Lascaris  (21:24): I think that's an excellent point. The only modification I would add to it is that I wouldn't say it's so much cultural as it is socioeconomic. Wilmer Leon (21:34): Okay, I got it. Dimitry Lascaris  (21:35): But at the end of the day, it's a distinction without difference Wil. But I think what, from my perspective, why your point is so powerful is because people living in West Asia generally don't have ordinary citizens. The economic means that we have. Wilmer Leon (21:51): Correct, correct. Good point. Dimitry Lascaris  (21:52): You can't have multiple devices in a family. Absolutely. That is a very important consideration. But also another consideration is that a pager, one of the reasons why we want to have our own cell phones is because there's a lot of stuff in there that's personal to us. Emails, there's text messages and so forth. The page is different. A pager just makes a noise when somebody wants to draw your attention to something. (22:17): So people are much more, I think, willing to share pagers with others, leave them in the possession of others. Then they might be with a cell phone, for example, or a tablet. So this is a particularly dangerous device. And if you're going to use it as an explosive for all of the reasons that you and I have been discussing, there is a very high potential that you are going to maim or kill innocent bystanders. And you have no way, no way of accurately assessing what the damage is going to be to the people in those categories. Wilmer Leon (22:52): And that is considered by international standards, collective punishment of civilians. And that is illegal. And I understand your point about being a prosecutor, but she was a prosecutor. And I go back to that because that's a point that her campaign and that she loves to make, that is a point of validation of her and for her. So since they want to use that point, then I'll use the point. Dimitry Lascaris  (23:24): Totally, totally. You're absolutely right. Absolutely. Wilmer Leon (23:28): It's just wrong. The world isn't flat, the sun doesn't revolve around the earth, and one plus one does not equal 17. I want to go back to something else that Joe Biden has said on more than one occasion that he is a Zionist. In fact, the last maybe it wasn't the, yeah, I think it was the last time Netanyahu was at the White House, sitting next to Joe Biden, he turned to Joe Biden and said, you are a Zionist. In fact, he said, you are a Irish Zionist. That spoke volumes to me. It took me back to the Secretary of State saying, when he first got to the region in October, I'm not only here as the American secretary, Tony Blink said, I'm not only here as a Secretary of state, I'm here as a Jew. What does that say to you about the mindset and how do statements like that resonate within the region when the United States continues to try to hold itself out as some unbiased arbiter of this conflict? Is that a valid question to ask? Dimitry Lascaris  (25:01): Well, first of all, let me say that in defense of our brothers and sisters in Ireland, most of them are not Zionists. In fact, in Europe, the Irish people, I'm not talking about the political elite Ireland, the Irish people are amongst the most principled and courageous and sympathetic when it comes to the Palestinian cause, number one. Number two, I think what Anthony Blinken said was antisemitic because he was implying that if you're a Jew, you support this genocidal regime and all of the crimes that's committed over decades. But you and I both know that all around the world, there are conscientious members of the Jewish community, people who identify as Jews and who have always identified as Jews, who are adamantly opposed to Israel with every fiber of their being. So when Anthony Blinken goes to Israel and he says, I come to you as a Jew, he's implying that if you're a Jew, you support this monstrosity. (26:03): That's antisemitic fundamentally, in my opinion. But at the end of the day, and I'll tell you on a personal level, Wilmer, I've had to deal with this issue in a painful way. And the painful way in which I had to deal with it was about six years ago, there were two members of the Liberal Party caucus, the governing party in Canada who are Zionist and who happened to be Jewish as well. And I'll tell you their names. Their names are Anthony HouseFather and Michael Levitt. And at the time, Michael Levitt was the chairman of the Canada Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group. And Anthony Housefather was the vice chair, and they were the two most outspoken, aggressive defenders of Israel in the governing party's caucus. And just to give you an example of how aggressive they were in supporting Israel in 2018, a friend of mine who's a Palestinian Canadian doctor, his name is Ek Banani, he was shot by an Israeli sniper in Gaza while he was wearing medical garb. (27:10): And he was out in the field during the great march of return tending to civilians who were being shot by Israeli snipers. He himself took a bullet to each leg. And the liberal government, Justin Trudeau, on a rare occasion, condemned Israel for this. And these two characters, Michael Levitt and Anthony Housefather put out their own statement, even though they came from the same party as Justin Trudeau, and even though their boss was Justin Trudeau and defended what Israel did, and I pointed out, in my opinion, they were showing more devotion to Israel's apartheid regime than they were to Canada, which they took an oath to defend as parliamentarians. And for this, I was accused by the Prime Minister of antisemitism. I didn't say what I said because they were Jewish. I said, what I said, because they're radical Zionists. It's as simple as that. So we have to recognize, I think today that there are people in Western politics, some of whom are Jewish, but not all of whom are Jewish by any means, who place Zionist ideology over the interests of their own country. (28:23): And by the way, I saw this myself when I was a child of Greek immigrants growing up in Canada. My parents told me when I was a kid, they came from Greece. They had a nationalistic orientation, and they said, you are a Greek first and a Canadian second. They told me that when I was a little boy, they were putting the homeland where their country of origin, ahead of the country, where I, myself, their child was born. So this is not a phenomenon that's peculiar to the Jewish community. It's one that you see in all kinds of the Asdas, including my own, the Greek, the Aspera. We need to be honest and say there are people in this community and other communities who put the interests of a foreign state ahead of the country that they have sworn to represent. This is absolutely the case. And Anthony Blinken is a classic example of this. I mean, my God, he's basically telling people, he telegraphed from the outset that I'm going to prioritize the agenda of the Israeli government over that of the United States. And that's exactly what he has done every single day of this conflict. That man is unfit to be the Secretary of state of the United States. He is not serving the national interest. He is undermining the national interest. People need to be honest about that. Wilmer Leon (29:41): When you have, I think people, because of how events have unfolded, whether it be with the Ukraine, Russia conflict, whether it be with the United States trying to pick a fight with China over Taiwan, folks need to remember that the Department of State, the Secretary of State, is supposed to be the chief diplomat in the United States. When I say chief diplomat, that means using diplomacy, not militarism to solve conflict. But you have people in the Pentagon, which used to be known as the Department of War. You have people in the Pentagon looking at Tony Blink and saying, no, no, no, no, sir, no man, no, you're you. You're traversing down the wrong road here in a number of instances saying, we don't have the capability to engage in the level of militarism that you are invoking or trying to get us into. People need to understand this man is not doing his job, even though he's following in the steps of Hillary Clinton, even though he's following in the steps of Madeline Albright, he's not doing his job. Dimitry Lascaris  (31:05): Wilmer, I'm going to make a strong statement, and I'm going to go on a limb here. I think that pretty much every leader of every western country, every foreign minister of every Western country day, certainly the major ones, they're traitors, in my opinion, they're traitors. They are all betraying the interests of the people they have sworn to represent. This is true in Canada, the United States, Greece, where I'm currently situated, I believe this government as a moral matter. I don't know whether it's true from a legal perspective. I'm not offering a legal opinion here. I'm talking about ethics, morality, the moral matter. The Greek government is a traitor. They have sold us out to Brussels and Washington. They're looking out for the agenda of a narrow elite based in Brussels in Washington to the detriment of the Greek people. The same is happening in Canada. It's happening in France. (31:56): It's happening in Britain. And we as people need to rise up and put into power those who actually represent our interests right across the west. We are governed by vassals. Even the United States is governed by vassals. They're vassals of a US-based oligarchy and the military industrial complex. I cannot stress enough that incredible speech that Dwight d Eisenhower gave at the very end of his presidency. We don't talk about that enough. When he warned of the dangers of the military industrial complex, he was very clear. It was a very, very ominous warning that it was going to destroy American democracy. What happened within the next 10 years? JFK is assassinated. Malcolm X is assassinated, MLK is assassinated. Bobby Kennedy is assassinated. And from then, it's been downhill ever since, (32:47): Downhill, ever since. And we've moved gradually, incrementally towards fascism, an oligarchic led fascism. That's where we find ourselves today. People need to rise up. I'm not suggesting that people engage in violence. We can do this in a way that is nonviolent against the elites who claim to represent us and remove them from power as quickly as possible before we are all taken down by their depravity. Whatever you may think of the Palestinian cause, whatever you may think about Israel, this may not be something. This entire region may not be something that matters to you, but the implications of this go, they're global. They're global. If this stays out of control, we are all going to be devastated and impacted by it in a profoundly negative way. And ultimately, we may find ourselves in a nuclear Armageddon. Wilmer Leon (33:35): In fact, that right there, and you went down this litany of domestic assassinations, you didn't even go down the litany of African assassinations. That's a whole nother show. I just wanted to make that point. And this could also be, excuse me, a whole nother show. But I want you just to quickly, you mentioned you're in Greece. You mentioned the traitorous action of leadership. Greece has been subjected to an incredible amount of neoliberal policy and privatization, which has not, through machinations by the World Bank and the IMF and Greece has been suffering with this, I want to say it's one of the first European countries to find itself. If my memory serves me correctly involved in these practices, am I right to make that assessment? And I bring that up in validation of your point of how leadership has sold out the Greek people to oligarchs. Dimitry Lascaris  (34:47): Oh, it's so true of this country. Wilmer starting in 2010, a financial crisis that was precipitated not by the ordinary Greek workers. It was precipitated by the fraudsters, the liars, the cheats in the banking industry in Greece and beyond Greece. And so in order to bail out the banking industry, the Greek people were made to pay ordinary workers, citizens the most vulnerable. They imposed upon Greece starting in about 2010, a neoliberal austerity program, the likes of which no country in Europe had ever seen in the post World War II period. And the country suffered an economic contraction in excess of 25%, which is I think the height of the economic contraction in the United States during the Great Depression. That's how severe it was. And it was totally engineered by Washington, Brussels and Mario Draghi, who at that time was the president of UCB, was entirely avoidable. And the unemployment rate soared to something like 27, 28%. The youth unemployment rate was nexus of 50%. The suicide rate soared, the poverty rate soared, the lifespan of Greeks fell. This was all engineered by Neoliberals and in Washington and Brussels, and I think in many ways it was an experiment and they (36:10): Found out that they could get away with it. And now we're seeing this transported exported to the rest of Europe. We're seeing this done in Germany. We're seeing this done in Britain, and they just elected Keir Starmer, who's supposed to be a Labor party leader, who's supposed to be prioritizing the interests of workers. And one of the first things Keir Starmer government does, it comes out and says, oh, we're going to have to deliver some very tough medicine to you. We have some real budgetary difficulties, Wilmer Leon (36:38): Austerity measures. Dimitry Lascaris  (36:40): Absolutely. Absolutely. They don't represent us. This goes back to the question of treason. They do not represent us. They represent a neoliberal oligarchic elite whose appetite for wealth is insatiable. It's never enough. Wilmer, I got $500 billion. Ain't enough. I got a trillion dollars. Ain't enough. There's never enough money for these people. The Elon Musks of the world, the Jeff Bezos of the world, Larry Ellison, Warren Buffett. These people have an insatiable appetite for money, and they are ruling us. They are the true rulers of our societies. I'm sorry to say, this is not a conspiracy theory. This is just reality by now. We should be able to recognize this. Wilmer Leon (37:23): It started in Greece in two. Who would've thought they were talking about privatizing the Parthenon. They were talking about privatizing Greek antiquity. I said, what? They were going to sell the coliseum to private interests, to raise money to pay the debt. And so you've seen it in Greece, you've seen it in Italy. You've we're seeing it now play itself out in Germany. It's playing all over Europe. It's playing itself out in France. I just wanted to quickly hit on that point. So now getting back to the conversation that all of this is inextricably linked, but wanted to get back to the point of the expansion of the conflict. You now have Hezbollah sending missiles into Israel. You have Israel increasing its attack on Southern Lebanon. Talk about how dangerous it is becoming even more dangerous if that's even imaginable, that this conflict is escalating. And what I think a lot of people are mistaking, they are mistaking restraint on behalf of the resistance for weakness. Dimitry Lascaris  (38:48): Absolutely. And when the contrary is true, restraint is a sign of strength. When you were able to control your emotions in situations where most people would feel their passions being inflamed and would act in ways that are contrary to their own interests, that's strength. That's an inner strength that we should commend and admire, and whatever we may think of, the politics of these resistance organizations in the government that we're in that particular aspect of their conduct deserves to be commended. They have shown a tremendous amount of restraint, but that doesn't mean they aren't escalating the Islamic resistance in Lebanon. The armed wing of Hezbollah has now expanded the zone of attack well beyond the 20 kilometers or so to which they can find themselves during the first 11 months. They are now attacking areas outside of Haifa. I think they've quite consciously said, we aren't going to attack the center of Haifa, yet. (39:45): We are going to attack the outline areas to give the Israelis an opportunity to retreat from the precipice to which they have brought us. There are reports that they fired, that they hit areas outside of Tel Aviv. Again, not inside the heart of Tel Aviv, but outside, I think this is a message. We can hit Tel Aviv, we can hit Haifa, draw back from the precipice to which you have brought us. They have hit the Ramat David Airbase for the first time. They hit Raphael facilities, which this is a major military contractor in Israel, which produces their obviously inadequate air defense systems in its facilities. I think it's the largest production facility they have in Israel is just outside of Haifa. So they're sending a message in a very disciplined manner despite the suffering that they have incurred over the last 10 days, and really the last 11 months that civilian casualties on the Lebanese side have been much higher from day one of this war. (40:46): The destruction to civilian infrastructure has been much higher on the Lebanese side from day one of this war. And now the disparity between what the Israelis are suffering and what the Lebanese are suffering is growing even wider. And yet we are seeing this very calculated, measured response and let us hope that there are some adults in the room somewhere in the west who will get the message. So far, there is nobody, I mean, the speech that Biden gave, I didn't have the opportunity to watch it, but I read reports about it and I saw a couple of excerpts from it suggest to me that there is no one getting the message in Washington. No one. These people are as arrogant as ever. They're as determined as ever to support this regime until it takes down the entirety of West Asia with it. Wilmer Leon (41:32): Two quick points I want to get to before we get to Biden's speech, and we'll wrap up with that. One is I think when we talk about restraint, there are some practical elements of this restraint, because Iran has been very, very clear. They don't want a war. Hezbollah has been very clear. They don't want a war. The only ones that seem to be encouraging this are Ansar, Allah in Yemen. They're saying, oh, United States wants to attack us. Please, please do that. They're the only ones that really seem to be saying, Dimitry Lascaris  (42:13): Someone's got to be the Bad cop. Wilmer. Ansar Allah is the bad cop. Wilmer Leon (42:18): And folks need to understand that's a fight you don't want. I don't know if you ever saw the story about Mike Tyson on the airplane coming across the top of his seat to beat up the guy that was kicking his seat behind him, but imagine Mike Tyson coming across the top of his seat in an airplane. You don't want that smoke quickly, though I think this is another very important aspect of this that doesn't get a whole lot of articulation or explanation. The impact that Christian nationalism is a lot of people are just attributing this to mistakenly Judaism, Zionism. They're trying to conflate the two. They are not anywhere near being the same, but Christian nationalism gets left out of this analysis. Dimitry Lascaris  (43:09): Oh, that's so true, and it's so important. The first time I went to Israel or occupied Palestine, as I prefer to call it, was when I was 21 years old. So this would've been back in the eighties. And at that point, I was basically incapable of seeing through the propaganda narrative about Israel, I believed it was assigning island of democracy in the sea of barbarism, and we had shared values, and the Israelis were just trying to live their lives in peace. But there were people in the region who were determined to destroy them for antisemitic reasons. I believed all of that. I went to Jerusalem, and I don't even remember how I found out about it, but there was this huge gathering of evangelical Christians from the United States in an outdoor stadium to which Shiman Perez, who I think at the time he was the prime minister of Israel, I think delivered the most really, it was a tremendously racist, anti-Arab racist propagandistic speech about the Zionist agenda, and they were wildly supportive of him. I saw a level of fanaticism I'd never experienced in my life sitting that Audience. Wilmer Leon (44:32): Wow, okay. Dimitry Lascaris  (44:32): These were American evangelical Christians, thousands upon thousands of them. It only was later in life that I realized as I came to study this conflict more closely that there are lots of reasons to believe that the most fanatical Zionists in the world are, in fact, Christian. Some of them are not even Christian or Jewish. They're secular. They described to this ideology for reasons that are completely non-religious. Wilmer Leon (44:58): Wasn't Theodore Herzl an atheist. Dimitry Lascaris  (45:00): I believe he was. That's my understanding. Absolutely. Yeah. (45:04): So this is a non religious ideology. It is an ideology of imperialism and colonialism and racism, and we shouldn't be shy about saying that, and never ever conflate that ideology with any particular religion or ethnic group, whether it be Judaism or Christianity, or of course there are many wonderful Christians who are adamantly opposed to what Israel is doing to the Palestinian people. There's a segment of self-professed Christians. I dispute whether they're Christians at all, just as I dispute whether Jewish Zionists are actually Jews. I have serious doubts about that. But they call themselves Jews. They call themselves Christians. They do not represent the Christian community. They do not represent the Jewish community. They represent an ideology that is racist and colonial. Wilmer Leon (45:50): In fact, to that point, Benjamin Netanyahu, his last name, his family last name isn't really Netanyahu. It's like WojaKowski, Mil Mil Milakowski, Milakowski. His grandfather immigrated from Poland to the region in 1920 and Arabis the family last. And there are a number of those who now are proclaiming their rights to that land, when in fact they are European immigrants. That that's hence the whole thing in terms of it's a settler colonial project. And people and settler colonial projects don't go nicely. They don't go quietly when you invade somebody else's land. The people that are there, the indigenous population usually wants to resist. But I make the point that so many of these people that are proclaiming a heritage to the space are actually parts of a settler colonial project. Dimitry Lascaris  (47:13): Absolutely, and you reminded me. So it's something I got. It's a be on my mind. And I got to say, does everybody notice when Netanyahu speaks? He sounds like he comes from the streets of New York because Wilmer Leon (47:23): He does, or Philly. Dimitry Lascaris  (47:25): Philly, yeah. Or Philly. Sure. I lived in New York for six years, and if I ran into that dude in the street and didn't know who he was, I'd say he was in New York or he is a Philly. He's from the northeast of the United States. Why does he speak that way? Because fundamentally, he is an American and he's speaking to an American audience. He's not from the region, he's not indigenous the region. I mean, come on, man. Benjamin Netanyahu, that man is indigenous to the region of West Asia. He's an alien in the region of West Asia, and he's treating people in the region like he's an alien. And why does he speak that way? He speaks that way because ultimately the very existence of Israel depends upon the sport of the United States people, the Society of the United States. Without that support, Israel would not exist in its current form. Impossible. Wilmer Leon (48:15): Final point here, and you mentioned Joe Biden's speech at the un. I want to read two short excerpts, which I think speak volumes from a couple of perspectives. The Washington Post reported Biden points to the relative success of his administration's efforts to rally western support for Ukraine, coordinating a robust response with European partners to the Russian invasion and reinvigorating the transatlantic alliance. He stressed, he didn't want to see a full scale war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He called for the war to end. Innocent civilians in Gaza are also going through hell. Thousands and thousands killed including aid workers. Too many families dislocated crowding into tents facing a dire humanitarian situation. They didn't ask for this war. Hamas started. (49:16): So a couple of things. One, I'm looking at what he said, and I'm looking at how the Washington Post has reported. I go back to the question we talked about earlier. When we hear Vice President Harris, secretary of State, Blinken Biden and others say that Israel has the right to defend itself, then you hear Biden say, this war has to stop. Well, the conflict in Ukraine started under his administration, and the United States started the conflict again, talking about restraint being mistaken for weakness. And in terms of what he sees in Gaza, if he truly wants it to stop, all he has to do is pick up the phone. Tell Netanyahu you don't get another artillery shell. You don't get another tank, you don't get another dime, and the war stops in two days. Is that too simplistic, Dmitri Karus? Dimitry Lascaris  (50:23): No, there's absolutely not. It is absolutely the reality, and I'm as hostile to the Israel lobby as anybody, so please don't mistake me as an apologist for the Israel lobby. But I think that people like John Meir shier, for example, all my respect a lot are grossly overestimating the power of the Israel lobby. I don't think that, sure, the Israel lobby can take out people who don't have a lot of power. (50:56): They can take out like Val Bowman, they can take out Cori Bush, and maybe people are somewhat more powerful, but the president of the United States states, the sitting president of the United States, what are they going to remove him from office? No, they're not going to be able to remove him from office. If he wanted to actually stop the war in Gaza, he could stop the war in Gaza with a phone call. It is that simple. He doesn't do it because as he told us, he's a Zionist. I mean, he told us, and he's also said repeatedly, Wilmer, as I'm sure you know, if Israel didn't exist, we would have to invent it in order to protect America's, what he calls, not really, but what he calls America's strategic interest in the region. What that really means is the interest of the US oligarchy, not the American. (51:39): The unsinkable aircraft carrier in the region. (51:44): A hundred percent. A hundred percent. So all of this is Kabuki theater. Joe Biden wants Israel to achieve the agenda that Netanyahu is set for it, which is to destroy by any and all means necessary any resistance to Western slash Israeli hegemony in West Asia. He wants them to achieve that objective. That should be our operating assumption. And just because from time to time, he or Blinken or anonymous sources go to the press and say, oh, we're frustrated with Benjamin Netanyahu and we really want to cease fire, and man, we feel so terrible about what's happening to those civilians, too many are dying. Nobody should buy any of this crap. Watch what they do. Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. And what they're doing is enabling a genocide that is unequivocal. Wilmer Leon (52:37): And you mentioned the power of APAC, and we will wrap up with this. And folks, those of you that are listening to this, that are rolling your eyes and saying, oh, this is propaganda. Look it up. I mean, there's hardly anything that's been said here that you can't research and find to be true. APAC boasted back, I want to say it was in April in the New York Times, you mentioned Jamal Bowman and Cori Bush. They touted, they bragged in the New York Times and the Washington Post that they were going to spend $100 million in the US election to unseat Democrats that they deemed to be anti Zionist. And Jamal Bowman and Cori Bush were victims of that. And I put that in quotes because at the time that that story was released, I didn't hear anybody in the Democratic Party come out and challenge APAC for making that statement. (53:46): It was only after Cori Bush lost that. She then came out and said, APAC, I'm coming after your village. Well, if you'd have said that on the front end, you'd probably still be in office because that could have been used as a rallying point. If they're going to spend a hundred million dollars, we need a hundred million votes. That to me, would've been the line that would've made the difference. And Kamala Harris finds herself in the same position. When you look at the data, over 70% of Americans want this thing ended and they want it ended. Now, she would gain votes outside of the money she would lose from APAC funding. If she were truly looking at this from an electoral politics perspective, she would gain votes. The race wouldn't even be close if she erred on the side of Wright. And on the right side of history with that, Dimitri Lascaris, I'll let you take us home, what you got, Dimitry Lascaris  (55:02): You can get elected in the United States, despite all the obstacles by running as a principled candidate committed to the wishes and the priorities of the people, you can absolutely get elected. The problem Wilmer is that the system is constructed in such a way as to squash anybody who actually has a commitment to justice and to representing the wishes of the people. There are a series of filters that have been set up. So for example, you're seeing now, I'm actually working on Jill Stein's campaign. (55:33): They're waging, and I don't think any candidate is perfect, and I don't have an expectation that Jill is going to win. I certainly would love for that to happen. But the Democratic Party is waging war against the Green Party candidacy in every single state, a legal warfare. And they have enormous resources at their disposal to do that because the oligarchy is funneling massive amounts of money to them, to squash candidates like Jill Stein. If we had a system where it was a level playing field, so people who were truly committed to the wishes of the people and were able to, they were given an equal amount of airtime to other candidates who favored the wealthy, for example, you would see principled, honorable, decent people being elected to public office over and over and over again. But we have a political system throughout the west. This is not peculiar to the us, although I think the US is a bit of an extreme case. It's also true in Canada, it's also true in Western European countries, a series of filters that have been established to squash candidates before they get an opportunity to present their case to the people. If we could get them before the people on an equal playing field, the best candidates would win time and again, the problem is the system is designed to defeat them before they even get out of the gate. Wilmer Leon (56:55): And to that, I say, dare to be moral, dare to stand on the side of right. Dare to be on the right side of history. With that, let me say Dimitri Lascaris, I want to thank you so much for giving me the time that you've given me today. I greatly, greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining the show. Dimitry Lascaris  (57:16): Great pleasure, Wilmer. As always. We've had opportunity to speak before and it's the first time we had to meet today, and I love what you do and keep doing it. Wilmer Leon (57:25): Well, thank you. Thank you. Without guests like you, I'd just be sitting here talking to myself. Folks, thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wilmer Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share the show, follow on social media. You can find all the links below in the show description. Remember, this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge because talk without analysis is just chatter, and we don't chatter here on connecting the dots. See you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Have a great one. Peace and blessings. I'm out Announcer (58:10): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.  

Danny and Derek are just the messengers. This week: in Gaza, ceasefire talks may be heating up again, America assesses the UNRWA allegations, and more (0:42); Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) militants potentially sink a cargo ship, damage another ship, and attack Eilat (12:11); a potential governing coalition is formed in Pakistan (14:31); tensions between Taiwan and China over the Kinmen Islands (17:13); in Senegal, Macky Sall agrees to reschedule the election, but hasn't offered a new date yet (19:07); Somalia cuts new military deals with Turkey and the U.S. (21:19); Alexei Navalny dies in Russia (25:44); in Ukraine, the Russians take Avdiivka as we approach the second anniversary of the invasion (28:52); Hungary schedules a NATO ratification vote for Sweden (34:10); the ELN suspends peace talks in Colombia (35:06); the government of Ecuador backs out of a deal to send arms to Ukraine (38:35); and a New Cold War update featuring the restoration of panda relations between China and the U.S. (40:16).Note: the U.S. announced that it is imminently imposing new sanctions on Russia after the time of recording. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.americanprestigepod.com/subscribe

This week, on American Prestige: Danny and Derek are just the messengers. This week: in Gaza, ceasefire talks may be heating up again, America assesses the UNRWA allegations, and more (0:42); Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) militants potentially sink a cargo ship, damage another ship, and attack Eilat (12:11); a potential governing coalition is formed in Pakistan (14:31); tensions between Taiwan and China over the Kinmen Islands (17:13); in Senegal, Macky Sall agrees to reschedule the election, but hasn't offered a new date yet (19:07); Somalia cuts new military deals with Turkey and the U.S. (21:19); Alexei Navalny dies in Russia (25:44); in Ukraine, the Russians take Avdiivka as we approach the second anniversary of the invasion (28:52); Hungary schedules a NATO ratification vote for Sweden (34:10); the ELN suspends peace talks in Colombia (35:06); the government of Ecuador backs out of a deal to send arms to Ukraine (38:35); and a New Cold War update featuring the restoration of panda relations between China and the U.S. (40:16).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Maruf Yusuf is an award winning Muslim serial entrepreneur, investor-author, digital strategy and marketing advisor to a few startups. He is a founder, co-founder or partner in Ummaland, Ali Huda, Quran Era, Musaffa, Sakeenah, Ansar. He his the author of the book "12 Steps to Success in Deen and Dunya"