Onus on Iran, Turkey & Pakistan to knit ranks against US plots

Till now, Iran was the lone voice in the region vis-à-vis the enmity of successive US administrations against independent Muslim countries, which are beginning to realize the roguish nature of Washington, as Turkey is experiencing with sanctions on its economy, and as Pakistan has begun to suffer with cuts in the hundreds of millions of dollars it used to receive as aid for the so-called campaign against terrorism.

It means the Muslim countries ought to adopt a collective stand in this regard.

Now we have a viewpoint column that appeared in Iran’s English language daily titled: “Onus on Iran, Turkey & Pakistan to knit ranks against US plots”.

Kayhan International wrote: “It is time for the three most powerful countries of the Muslim World to work towards closer cooperation in order to safeguard the security and stability of the region as well as the honour and dignity of the Ummah in the face of US plots to destabilize Islamic states and turn them into Washington’s pet poodles, as is the case with almost all the Arab regimes.

“Without the least doubt Iran, Turkey and Pakistan, in addition to their solid Islamic grounding and cultural legacy as modern heirs of the last three great empires of the Muslim World – the Safavids, the Ottomans, and the Moghuls respectively – possess the administrative apparatus, the academic proficiency, the scientific knowhow, the technological talents, the skilled manpower, the industrial infrastructure, the agricultural substructure, the commercial expertise, the military backbone, and above all political awareness of the masses.

“These and many other qualities, along with a deep sense of resentment towards the exploitative West and the neo-colonialist and anti-Islamic policies of the US, warrant Tehran, Ankara and Islamabad to knit their ranks more firmly, especially at this crucial juncture when Washington is trying to destroy the economies of these three independent Muslim countries.

“Iran, which serves as the land bridge between Turkey and Pakistan – the three countries which in 1984 established the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) that now includes ten member states – in view of its abundant hydrocarbon resources can meet the oil and natural gas requirements of its regional partners, away from dollar-based trade dealings, while benefitting at the same time from the necessary imports from its neighbours.

 “Such ties will undoubtedly reduce, if not completely negate the effect of the illegal US economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as American pressures on Turkey and the cutting of Washington’s monetary aid to Pakistan.”

Kayhan International said: “There is no other choice, except to reach self-sufficiency in order to ensure complete independence from Washington’s hegemonic policies, and to support the Afghan people from getting rid of US occupation.

“As Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif found out during his recent visits to Ankara and Islamabad, the three countries share almost identical views on national development, the crises fueled in the region by the US through proxy regimes, the chronic question of Palestine, international issues of concern, and Washington’s illegal breach of the 7-nation nuclear agreement –JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)

“Zarif, in his meeting with President Rajab Tayyeb Erdoghan of Turkey invited him to attend the tripartite summit in Iran with host President Hassan Rouhani and Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“The three presidents, in addition to discussing ways of resolving the crisis in Syria where the unwanted Americans and the Zionists are trying to fish in troubled waters, will discuss trade and related ties as part of the Eurasian Integration Plan.

“The Iranian Foreign Minister after cordial meetings in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart, Mevloud Chavushoghlu, and other high-ranking officials, flew to Islamabad for friendly and fraternal talks with Pakistan’s newly elected government.

“He delivered President Rouhani’s invitation to Prime Minister Imran Khan for the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit, scheduled for October in Tehran.:

Kayhan International took note: “Imran Khan hailed what he called “inseparable bonds” linking Pakistan and Iran together, saying his government will make all efforts “to cement these relations in various areas to the benefit of both countries”. He again expressed support for Iran’s position against the illegal US sanctions.

“Zarif’s Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmoud Qureshi, also voiced support for Iran’s principled stance, and drawing attention to IAEA’s repeated verification that Iran has strictly adhered to the terms of JCPOA, said Islamabad will further upgrade ties with Tehran.

“Another important topic discussed in Islamabad by Zarif, who also met Pakistani army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, was Holland’s cancellation of the blasphemous caricature contest against the Prophet of Islam, following mass protests in Pakistan and strong condemnation by the new government of Pakistan.

“The message for Holland, the West, and the US is loud and clear. No true Muslim, whether Iranian, Pakistani, or Turkish, or for that matter Arab, African, Indian, Indonesian, Central Asian, European and American Muslim, will ever remain indifferent to Islamophobia. The love and respect of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) is the fundamental principle of the Islamic faith and no one will be allowed to disrespect it.”

AS/ME