Salman ibn Abd al Aziz, wasted little time taking the broom to almost all the appointees of his deceased predecessor Abdullah. In their place, he appointed his own sons and favourite nephews. How long will Bani Saud remain in power is an interesting question.

Imperialism uses a large number of tools to maintain its hegemony over the rest of the world. None is more powerful than language and the mind of the colonized people. Freedom cannot be achieved without decolonizing the mind.

The Muslim world is beset by numerous problems and some countries may even undergo further disintegration but the silver lining is the Islamic Republic of Iran. The resistance front is getting stronger. This should give hope to oppressed Muslims everywhere.

If capitalism is such a great system why is there such widespread poverty in the world? Capitalism is run by vultures that prey on the innocent and the weak creating gross inequalities between and within societies.

There were two conferences back-to-back on combating terrorism last month. The first was in Washington DC, the second in Makkah. The irony is that the host countries are the biggest supporters of terrorism.

The Nigerian regime postponed presidential elections scheduled for February 14 because the challenger Muhammad Buhari was set to win. It revived memories of a similar disruption in June 1993 when Moshood Abiola was deprived of his victory. In the earlier case, voting had taken place but the result was not announced.

The rising tide of Islamophobia, promoted by the likes of Fox News and other neo-cons in America, has led directly to the murder of three promising young Muslim students in White Chapel, North Carolina. The movie, American Sniper, has also contributed to the climate of hate.

Of all institutions, Google has raised the alarm over US plans to hack into any computer or mobile device anywhere in the world. America is not only acting as Big Brother but wants the world to know that it is Big Brother!

America lectures others about ensuring religious freedoms for minorities yet in its own capital city Washington DC, committed Muslims have been denied this right for 32 years. Imam Muhammad al Asi and a dedicated group of Muslims are forced to pray outside in the snow because the Islamic Center of DC has been occupied by thugs.

The Harper government’s Bill C-51 is a massive assault on the civil and political rights of all Canadians. He is rushing it through parliament without much debate. Leading Canadians including former prime ministers, justices, solicitors general and law professors have decried its draconian measures that will turn Canada into a police state.

Despite propaganda, the ISIS-takfiris are being supported, trained and armed by the US and its regional puppets. Washington just signed an agreement with Turkey to train “moderate” rebels to fight in Syria. Isn’t this what the US has been doing in Jordan for more than two year?

Returning to Iran after three years of absence, our Correspondent finds a vibrant society that is building itself through its own effort from the ground up. Far from stymieing its growth, US sanctions have helped spur development.

The West Asia region is beset my many problems but the solution to these crises lies not in imitating the West or its prescribed policies but in adhering to Islamic principles as shown by Islamic Iran. The writer, Alireza Komaili, is a member and researcher at the International Union of Unified Ummah.

Having seen the total failure of its sanctions regime on Islamic Iran, Washington is now opting for a soft-power approach. It hopes to penetrate and undermine Iran through a charm offensive. Islamic Iran, beware!

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has entered into an electoral alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. This gives the Hindu fascist outfit, the BJP a foothold in the disputed state. Many Kashmiris are horrified by this development.

People in Arabia continue to suffer one family rule. When one old man dies, he is replaced by another old man. The people are denied their basic rights.

How does Washington reconcile its alleged enmity for the takfiri head-choppers but maintain close friendship with the Saudi head-choppers? Washington has a dilemma on its hands.

The people of Afghanistan have suffered much but there appear few prospects of their overcoming these problems.

The Rahbar’s message to the youth of Europe and North America was enlightening and full of wisdom.

Muslims in North America and Europe face increased racism and officially sanctioned Islamophobia putting their lives at risk.