A reckless top-order collapse, poor match awareness, and senior batters failing to anchor the chase handed India control without a fight. Was it pressure, poor planning, or the noise around the game that distracted Pakistan yet again? Rupha Ramani breaks down how a team that looked settled before the toss ended up crumbling when it mattered most and why India simply walked through a door Pakistan left wide open.

Lent

Jesus instructs believers not to look gloomy or "disfigure their faces" like hypocrites seeking recognition, but to wash, appear normal, and keep their sacrifice secret. Key Principles of Lenten Fasting (Non-Hypocritical)

Keep it Private: Focus on God as the audience, not others. Heart-Motivation: The goal is spiritual, not to impress (Isaiah 58:3-7). Inner Disposition: Avoid a "sad countenance" or "gloomy" appearance that signals fasting to others. Internal Focus: Use the sacrifice to build a deeper relationship with God.

The Warning against "Hypocrites"

Performative Piety: Hypocrites in Jesus' time purposefully looked disheveled to appear holy. The Reward: Seeking public praise means receiving the reward in full from people, rather than God. Avoid Ostentation: True fasting is not about bragging or showing off spiritual discipline.

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. When fasting, the focus should be on repentance and seeking God, rather than on the external show of discomfort.

Pakistan at a crossroads. Pakistan lurches from one crisis to another...Pakistan Army and terrorism — An unholy alliance. Remember the Bombay Blasts case in which the Congress Accused it on Hindus ? This is what is called... Karma.. Karma never leaves anyone.. Sins committed by Pakistan.. Karma that is haunting.

Kerajaan Selangor has betrayed the people. Melati Ehsan, the heartless developer, has betrayed the people. Whoever did this will never be in peace but live a sinful life. People with home shouldn't be made homeless, what a terrible government?whoever is responsible must immediately compensate them. This is sickening.

These families had lived in the Kampung for so many years and called it home. To aggressively remove their homes and displace them without proper resettlement is truly merciless and unforgivable. Where is the MP for this community ? 

What a let down to his/her constituency. Better yet, contact YB Nga Kor Ming, the Minister for Housing and Local government for immediate assistance. He has proven to be a very effective and responsible Minister.

Dalam siaran langsung yang dibuat di l0kasi, beliau mend4kwa kebanyakan l0ri yang membawa muatan air mineral dikendalikan oleh warga P4kistan. Katanya, isu berkenaan menimbulkan pers0alan sama ada pemandu terbabit memiliki lesen memandu kenderaan barangan (GDL) yang sah serta d0kumen kerja yang diben4rkan. 

JPJ n Imigresen tido ...main telo dekat rumah.. Terbaik Dato' teruskan membela nasib driver2 lori di Malaysia yg di anak tirikan oleh kerajaan sendiri.kami driver sudah lama tau apa yg berlaku tetapi tk boleh bersuara sbb bila kn tahan semua di lepaskan setelah urus niaga selesai cash is king penguatkuasa di Malaysia zaman skrg ni

I'm freaking hoping people will not just roll over!!! Come on England, USA and Australia!!!! We need to make the example!!! Me too Harris! These people are not the equals of us. The trouble is the politicians we have. They’re all corrupt. 

What I see people objecting to is Halal meat being pushed onto supermarket shelves and into school meals without public notice or labeling, which people might well feel is the very definition of undemocratic and underhanded. If we had a tv/press worth spit they would speak up, but we don't, so they remain silent.

California Gov. Gavin Newscum was the first to charge Fine with “racism.” Like virtually all leftists, Newscum doggedly pretends that Islam is a race or Muslims are all of one race. In reality, there are Muslims, and Islamic jihadis, of all races.

Over 80% of Muslims believe this, which is against the constitution of the USA

And what everyone who is charging Fine with “Islamophobia” and “bigotry” is ignoring is the fact that Islamic law, Sharia, is political, supremacist, expansionary, and violent. If we continue to ignore this fact, we will be subsumed under its hegemony, and our new overlords will not hesitate to engage in acts against us that leftists term “bigotry” today, but won’t be doing so then.

Also, there are the obvious rejoinders to all the faux outrage over Fine’s statement: dogs never flew any planes into buildings, women don’t have to fear rape by dogs when they go out at night, dogs aren’t declaring their imminent takeover and the subjugation of the natives, and on and on. No leftist, of course, will acknowledge any of that. 

In raging at Fine, they’re busy pretending that Islam is no more dangerous than Methodism, and that it’s all about disliking “brown people.” This strategy will backfire on them, and it will do so, paradoxically, right at its moment of victory, when leftists discover, to their horror, that the “Islamophobes” were right, and the leftists themselves are the next jihadi target.  “Republican congressman’s anti-Muslim remark prompts calls for his resignation,” by Ben Kamisar, NBC News, February 16.

Thinker1 says : Yes, an easy choice. My dog didn’t threaten to kill me if I didn’t become a dog.

The founding fathers knew little about Islam and did not fathom it coming to America. This is not religion. They are wanting to take over the country. It is written in the Quran. If they tell us that they want to kill us if we don’t agree in no uncertain terms We ‘D BETTER BELIEVE THEM. It means changing our CURRENT LAWS that have protected us these 250 years.

– Terence Gomez, political economy professor

COMMENT | The allegations of the plutocrat or criminal class colluding with the MACC for mutual benefit are as real as it gets here in Malaysia.

Mind you, I really would not call this a corporate mafia, but more accurately a disparate “criminal adjacent cabal” allegedly colluding with an institution that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim places much faith in.

For a Better World : The country has descended into some level of crisis, that could lead to serious problems. Hopefully wise political leadership will prevail and prevent us sinking into the abyss. Just examine these issues confronting us for last couple of weeks: 

1.Illegal hindu temples issue has been resurrected. 

2.Selangor facing a ban on pig farming 

3.Bersatu breaking up ,with the two top leaders in conflict and dividing it . 

4.MACC' s top man embroiled in questionable share dealings repeatedly. 

5.MACC , being accused by Bloomberg business media group of being the " Industrial Mafia", Their explosive and shocking revelation is rattling the business community and investors, similar to the 1MDB saga expose by WSJ 

6. And more significantly some MPs and leaders of DAP and PKR , participating in yesterday's Rally organized by Rafizi , a tough and constant critic and firebrand against the PM -Anwar Ibrahim and his present policies and handling of the recent.MACC debacle. 

Even the ardent supporters of Anwar from the early days in the 2020s ie Ambiga and Surendran are now turning their guns against him . Well me , a lawyer in semi- retirement in the late seventies, and a strong supporter of AI in those early days of his struggle and black eye episode, too is gradually turning against him due to his handling of the above listed issues. 

I hope better political leadership and good sense with smart moves prevails to overcome these issues facing all Malaysians at the moment

“In no circumstances can temple management be labelled trespassers, and police action taken against them. "Neither does the argument hold water, that if it's on private land, vigilantism or self-help is allowed," they said in a joint statement today. 

Anwar gave the "clean up" directive on Tuesday, saying that the government could not allow unauthorised temples to keep being built. Two days later, vigilantes damaged a temple in Rawang.

Anwar had repeatedly spoken out against vigilante behaviour and stressed that no one can take the law into their own hands.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari had also said that for places of worship built on private land, the process requires the landowner to appoint a lawyer and obtain a court order before any eviction or demolition can take place.

Against Madani values

Veteran 1972: The first religion of Malaya was Hinduism, the rest came later. Bujang Valley was buried, along with Gangga Nagara and Kota Gelangai to keep the narrative that Islam was here first by the bureaucrats.

Remember Naipaul. V.S. Naipaul argued that for non-Arab nations, conversion to Islam requires a negation of their own history, culture, and identity, forcing them to become part of an "Arab story". He contended that this process leads to a "destructive disengagement" from the past, where indigenous traditions are often replaced by a focus on Arab history. 

In his books Among the Believers and Beyond Belief, include: Destruction of Personal History: Naipaul believed that becoming a Muslim for a non-Arab meant converting to an "Arab religion" and having to destroy one's own past and history. 

Selective History in Education: In Among the Believers, he noted that school textbooks in Pakistan, for example, often begin history with Arabia and Islam, treating the pre-Islamic past as a "blackness" or a time of ignorance (Jahiliya). 

Cultural Erasure: He observed that in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, this shift sometimes resulted in the marginalization or destruction of Hindu, Buddhist, and animist remnants of the past, which were viewed as impure. 

"Wounded" Civilizations: Regarding India, Naipaul argued that the Islamic conquests and subsequent conversions caused immense damage to the existing civilization, creating a "wound" and a form of "historical amnesia". Imperial Demand of Faith: He claimed that Islam makes "imperial demands" that compel converts to reject their ancestral culture. That sums up Islam's negation of history to be relevant.

Bangladesh Genocide Carried Out By The Pakis

Lee Rigby’s murder

1971 Pakistanis raped over 200 000 women and killed 3 million Bengalis....Pakistan/Bangladesh war. 

Young girls are having to defend themselves with knives and axes in broad daylight, with cars driving by and not stopping. We have failed our kids. The West has to be cleansed of this plague. At least make a start by not using their shops/restaurants, don't do any business with them, don't buy a car from them, they only want to rip you off, don't feed Islam. 

Public Statement By The Family Of Lee Rigby

Plateau State stretches to the horizon. Rich black soil that once grew cassava and sugar cane is now ash. Trees are encrusted with soot. Fields of maize that shone gold in the sun are grey and lifeless, stalk after stalk standing in formation like an army frozen in defeat.

Bricks lie scattered in the scrub. Concrete blocks jut from the earth like jagged teeth. Roofs have collapsed inward.

Firstly, when you see at the the geographic background and history at that time, they don't have so much other than Judaism and Christianity. All right. We can see the the religion of Persia at that time. Yeah. uh it is not heavily influenced the people of Mecca and Medina at that time but this principle goes to every single different religion other than Islam. 

So you cannot just simply uh to to ask them or to to force them to embrace Islam or you cannot make any move that happen to be injustice against those. It is similar whether it is Abrahamic or we call it as alulab or even other than this these two religions of Judaism and Christianity. For more go to the transcripts.

I am an American combat veteran. When I watch this I see a people that are as proud to serve their nation as I have been to serve mine! India your men and women are so very Proud to serve their people. I'm so proud to call you a Friend and an Ally!!!!! I would like to see one or two of these units come to Brisbane Australia for our ANZAC Day parade on April 25 each year. I love to watch this.

But how did they end up fighting for the British and when did they emerge as an elite unit? That’s the story we are telling today. 

My Gurkha annecdeote comes from my grandad, WW2 had just finished and he was visiting a botanical garden in london full of tropical plants....all of a sudden he got a tap on the shoulder, he looks round to see a smiling Gurkha "You didn't see me, did you?" 

The way he told it was like Gurkhas had supernatural powers of stealth. In the late sixties, I was in the bar at Marylebone Station when a Gurkha came in and ordered a beer. No one in the bar would allow him to pay for it himself, such was the respect.they are held in.

He said such pressure was inappropriate against those raising corruption concerns.

PurpleDragon0476 : I still remember Najib throwing a hysterical tantrum when Mary Ann Jolley interviewed him on ABC about his corruption. “You’re not being fair to me!” he cried, clutching his pearls and moaning. Anwar is essentially doing the exact same thing.

Gabriel, a survivor of the Lebanese Civil War, shares her firsthand experience of growing up in a bomb shelter and explains why she believes Western Europe, especially Britain under Keir Starmer’s Labour government, is facing a crisis of free speech, immigration policy, and political Islam. 

The author admits she is 'heartbroken' to reveal she has turned down speaking engagements in Britain this year due to fear she will be persecuted by police for her views in a similar manner to Graham Linehan. 

She discusses: Two-tier policing in the UK The Muslim Brotherhood’s long-term strategy Mass immigration and assimilation The decline of debate in Britain Free speech and “anti-Muslim hostility” laws Donald Trump’s leadership in the US Whether Britain risks becoming “the next Lebanon”

India Pakistan War 1965: The Battle of Asal Uttar

In 1965, the Centurion was essentially and arguably at its prime. These were Centurion Mk.5, which cannot be compared with the original Mk1 or even Korea era Mk3. The extensive use of the HESH grenades by the Indian Army worked very well against the Patton's armour, to the intense discomfort of the Pakistani invaders. 

Great description of the battle. Indian western army commander Harbaksh Singh was one of the critical leaders who led in this effort and his role needs to be mentioned. The Centurion and the Pattons were fairly close in age The main-Production Centurion Mk3 dated from 1948 while the Pattons 1950-52. 

But a huge difference in deaign philosophy. Assal Uttar was also called Patton Naggar or Patton Graveyard and the tank responsuble for the destruction was the Centurion Tanks used by the Indian Army. The Centurion was a far superior tank to the M-47 and M-48 used by Pakistan. The 20 Pounder APDS would go clean trough a Patton at 2,000 meters it was faster firing and much easier to aim and fire.

Last Wednesday’s part demolition of a temple in Rawang was criminal damage under cover of grievance.Four men allegedly used a backhoe to tear down a section of a Hindu temple without informing local authorities or engaging temple management.

Police arrested them and seized the machinery, opening investigations for mischief, trespass, damage to a place of worship and acts likely to breach the peace. That should have been the end of it, a criminal case handled by the courts.

Instead, the incident lands in a climate already thick with rhetoric about “illegal” houses of worship, planned rallies and loud declarations of moral outrage. In such a toxic environment, a backhoe becomes more than a machine. It becomes a signal.

And the signal is dangerous. This is not about one structure in Rawang. It is about a growing temptation in our politics: the belief that if you feel strongly enough, you may enforce your own version of the law. That belief will ruin us.

When grievance turns into force

Malaysia has disputes over land use, over planning approval and over religious sites. These are not new. What is new is the willingness of some to bypass due process and act first. That is vigilantism. Strip away the slogans and that is what remains.

The rule of law does not bend to emotion and it does not answer to crowds. It requires evidence, procedure and restraint. When citizens take enforcement into their own hands, they do not strengthen the law. They weaken it, they swap courts with impulse, and they replace institutions with intimidation.

History offers a warning. In 1978, violence in Kerling over the alleged desecration of a temple spiralled into killings. Young men believed they were defending what was sacred. Five people died, others went to prison. The scars lasted far longer than the headlines.

No one set out that day planning to create a national wound. But once private defence turned into lethal force, events outran intentions. That is how escalation works. It rarely announces itself. Rawang did not descend into violence. It could have.

When emotions run high and communities feel cornered, retaliation does not require much imagination. A single act can trigger another. Soon the argument shifts from permits and land titles to pride and revenge. We would then face consequences far beyond a disputed structure.

Leadership is the firewall

Police have urged the public not to speculate and not to inflame tensions. That call for restraint matters. Calm enforcement sends a message that institutions still function. But law enforcement alone cannot carry the burden.

Political and civic leaders must speak with rationality. Not selective clarity. Not partisan reason. Clear condemnation of unlawful acts — full stop. Silence, equivocation or applause disguised as “understanding the frustration” only feeds the belief that some forms of lawlessness deserve sympathy.

They do not. If a house of worship violates planning laws, there are legal remedies. If land status remains disputed, there are courts. If relocation becomes necessary, there are structured negotiations. These processes may frustrate activists. They may move slowly but they exist for a reason: they prevent chaos.

We face a deeper problem than zoning disputes. We face a shortage of steady leadership at a time when steady leadership matters most. Loose statements, careless rhetoric and performative outrage push a tense society closer to the edge. Nations do not collapse overnight. They erode when citizens lose faith that institutions will act fairly.

They erode when mobs believe they can act faster than judges. They erode when anger replaces patience. Malaysia has worked too hard to present itself as stable, progressive and plural to flirt with that erosion.

This moment demands discipline. Investigate the Rawang demolition thoroughly. Charge those responsible if evidence supports it and let the courts decide.

At the same time, create transparent mechanisms to address disputes over places of worship before frustration festers. Above all, reject the idea that force equals resolve. A backhoe against a temple wall may look decisive. In truth, it signals something weaker — a loss of faith in lawful process.

If we normalise that loss of faith, we invite something far worse than damaged bricks.We invite a cycle in which every group feels justified in acting first and answering later. That path has no winners.

Malaysia stands at a simple crossroads. Either we defend the rule of law when it feels inconvenient, or we surrender it when emotions run high.

Malaysiakini : The wanton destruction of Hindu temples by local councils in several states must now stop as it could fan religious and racial animosity among Malaysians, Gerakan Youth warned today.

Have never seen this movie before. Had 2 uncles who fought in Vietnam in the early 70s. When they returned back home. They were traumatized in silence, for years. 1 uncle moved to Aussie and ended up homeless, drug addiction and nobody knows where he is. 

My other uncle came back to NZ, and lived his life quietly. We dare not speak about Vietnam because we saw how traumatized he was for years. Always silent and always loved by all there, nieces and nephews. Love you plenty Uncles. Respect to all who fought in all wars including in themselves.

Well acted and a authentic feel with the Greek's independence. Some scenes were very hard to watch and with such brave people meeting their deaths. Absolute brilliant family movie. In fact , Greece become first autonomous and then an independent state thanks to Russian empire. 

And its victorious wars against the Ottoman empire. As well as Serbia, Monte Negro, Bulgaria and all Balkan countries. Bulgarians share the same fate and history, as the Greeks..for a better future need respect and good relations with our neighbors .. no wars.

The only intellectual person in entire Congress. Salute to Mr. Tharoor. "Even God couldn't trust the English in the dark" You read my mind. Even as a Pakistani, this feels so good to hear. Hats off to a man like him!!! 

As a German-born I know how important it is to accept and deal with the entire national history. We can't pick and choose the good parts of our histories and for the rest claim - "oh, I wasn't even born then". That would be ridiculously wrong. It makes us feel better if we become aware of and accept all that really happened before we were born.

He just won the debate with single sentence saying" you can't shame the state which has no shame " he ate it and left no crumbs. "Pakistan is the epicenter of terrorism"----- Dr S Jaishankar. "We are not war with Pakistan but with terroristan " - Dr S jaishankar. When you are sharpening your argument they are sharpening their swords. 

Dialogue is not their strength but bloodshed is. Our gen z is more interested in foreign policies, diplomacy,national security and nationalism. It's heartening to know that there's an Indian student at the Oxford who feels like a true Indian. We need young and competent voices like him to talk about the brutality of our neighbours.

Swiss scholar Prof. Ingo Strauch and French expert Prof. Charlotte Schmid spotlight "Cikai Korran" (possibly "Tufted Leader") scrawled eight times, with one declaring "Cikai Korran vara kanta" or "Cikai Korran came and saw," mimicking Greek graffiti styles from the era. People are unable to digest and recognise the ancientness of Tamil language, Tamil culture and their achievements.

What does this say about India's military calculations? Why is India doubling down on the French Rafale? Excellent deal. The Rafale jets are proven and reliable and furthermore value for money. This is purchase comes as no surprise. 

India already had plans to aquire those 114 Rafales all the way back since the first 36 to replace it's Mirages and Jaguars. It will give a massive boost India's air power and capabilities and it doesn't mean that India can't get the Su-57, that deal can still happen...or it will. 

I think this is somewhat misleading. India had already planned to aquire the 114 Rafales later on after the first batch of 36 many years ago, mainly to replace some of their older jets which would be phased out anyways (the Mig-29K, a carrier based Mig-29, Mirage 2000s and Jaguars) with a far superior one.

Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar, the presidents of the various local councils and district officers attended the meeting. “The incident in Rawang has caused unease and concern among the public. “This must be addressed immediately to prevent any incident that could undermine the state’s harmony along racial and religious lines,” said Amirudin in a statement.

The menteri besar stressed that for places of worship built on privately owned land, the existing process requires the landowner to appoint a lawyer and obtain a court order before any eviction or demolition can take place. “No party may take action on their own without going through the court process. This is in accordance with the National Land Code and related land laws,” he added.

Veteran 1972 : ISIS beliefs at work here. Your heads must be buried so far up that you cannot see, same beliefs, Whaddaya expect? Voting for radical extremists like PKR is the same as voting for PAS. Wake up and smell the coffee.

FairMind : PMX should take the larger part of the blame for encouraging vigilantes and hate preachers to demolish indian temples without regard to the laws and cause the disharmony in the country. 

He opened his big mouth but its the presidents of the various local councils and district officers who are scrambling to contain the damages and chaos.

MarioT : Change must occur to this state government who have forgotten who gave them the mandate to manage the state. They forget that forty percent of the state population are non Malays and their needs and welfare are also important as they contribute the majority of the state's revenue. I wonder who runs the state under a constitutional monarchy?

Outlier : PKR can now say goodbye to 100% of the Indian votes. Chinese already said goodbye long time ago. Let’s see how much the apologist DAP will suffer next.

Anonymous_3f4b : Wipe both PKR and DAP out from Selangor. They have abused their powers, acted arrogantly and breach their many promises to their nons supporters after only 18 years as the state government. Time to show them who is Boss and people's power.

VP Biden : What about illegal tahfiz schools ? Why are they being legalised under the "whitewashing policy" ie not demolished but allowed to be legalised?

What about allocating land and funds for new non muslim house of worships proportional to the population of Selangor which is about 40%? Why no allocations? 

What about existing house of worships pre 2008 which the Pakatan government said will be assessed case by case ie to remain as they are or allocated new locations? What about vigilantes taking law onto own hands? 

What about hate preachers and mongers who continue to disregard the law and incite their followers? Are you waiting for someone to be killed before action is taken?

Kerling : Malaysiakini : Remember the ‘Kerling incident’ “We hereby issue a stern warning to all local councils to stop demolishing temples and to avoid the repeat of another 'Kerling incident' because of their (local governments) insensitivities of the right of minority groups,” added Paranjothy. 

In 1977, five Muslim Malays, accused of being involved in a series of temple desecration, were killed after being ambushed near the vicinity of a Hindu temple by several Indian Hindus in Kerling, near Kuala Selangor. The incident drew a storm of controversy and the assailants were all given jail sentences. 

They were then represented by former MIC secretary-general DP Vijandran. Paranjothy argued that most of such temples have been long in existence and the local authorities should show sensitivity by relocating them to appropriate places.

Isn't this data flawed when 99% Hindus live in India? Which is developing compared to developed world most of which got developed on colonial wealth? Example- India got looted $65 trillion worth of wealth by BR!T!SH. The British museum is a crime scene, look at all the loot in it. Even the crown is with a diamond stolen by the British. The kohinoor diamond. I don't hate brits but facts are facts.

In downtown Johor Bahru, within just 1.3 kilometres, stand 9 historic houses of worship representing 6 different religions — all within walking distance of one another. 

Join us on a walking journey through JB’s historic core, starting at the Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple and continuing past churches, mosques, a Sikh gurdwara, and Chinese temples — each shaped by the communities that built the city in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Discover how Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Arab, and Malay communities lived side by side, establishing sacred spaces near their homes and workplaces. Many sites were built on land granted by the Johor Sultans, quietly shaping the city’s multicultural identity. This is not just a story about religion — it is a story about coexistence, trust, and shared space, preserved within a small stretch of Johor Bahru.

There is no distortion of Islam...just the distortion of the reality of Islam and those who lie about it and try to cover it up. For example..."Islam is a religion of peace". This is exactly what David Wood and some others said many years ago. This is one of the reasons they hate us. 

Islam never abrogated the reasoning for slavery, it entrenched it but Christianity did and it was Western Christians and white people who did that and isn't it strange that despite doing that all you ever hear is how white people are responsible for the whole of slavery. It's like somehow by doing this we have taken the hatred of this world upon us for doing that.

During a Feb. 10 hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution,” the U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution will examine evidence about the potential threat that Sharia poses to the basic freedoms underpinning our constitutional republic.

Sharia is derived from Islam’s most important foundational texts, the Quran and hadith (the canonical collections of the Muslim prophet Muhammad’s deeds and pronouncements), and their interpretation and codification by Islam’s greatest classical legists. 

Not merely holistic, in the general sense of all-encompassing, it is totalitarian, regulating everything from the ritual aspects of religion to personal hygiene to the governance of a Muslim-minority community or an Islamic state, bloc of states or global Islamic order.

At its core, it demonstrates the yawning gap between Western and Islamic conceptions of freedom, hurriyya in Arabic. Indeed, following Sharia slavishly throughout one’s life was paramount to hurriyya, whose essence was pronounced by the 11th-century Sufi scholar al-Qushayri as “the perfection of slavery to Allah, and [his] religious law.”

Clearly, Sharia-based governance is the most troubling contemporary aspect of this Muslim conception of organizing society, being an ancient antecedent of more familiar modern totalitarian systems.

The partition of British India in 1947 divided the subcontinent into India and Pakistan along religious lines, resulting in mass violence and the splitting of the Indus River Basin. India gained control of the headwaters of the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej), while Pakistan inherited most of the downstream flow of the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), creating immediate disputes over water allocation.  

The Indus Waters Treaty was signed on September 19, 1960, in Karachi by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan, with World Bank President Eugene Black as a witness.

After nine years of negotiations following the partition, the treaty resolved the bitter water dispute by dividing the six main rivers of the Indus Basin. India received unrestricted use of the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej), while Pakistan was allocated the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab), securing roughly 80% of the total annual flow for Pakistan.

The agreement required Pakistan to build a vast replacement infrastructure system to compensate for losing control over the eastern rivers, which had long irrigated large parts of Punjab and Sindh. This included constructing link canals to transfer water from the western rivers eastward, storage reservoirs, and major dams. The World Bank provided substantial financial support and mediation, making the treaty one of the most expensive water-sharing deals in world history at the time.

A couple of years ago, in my book, A Heretic’s Manifesto, I envisioned a situation where Iran’s female warriors against theocracy might one day come to the West only to find themselves branded ‘Islamophobic’. In my dystopic foretelling, these valiant hijab-burners would be accused by the pious pricks of the woke of such blasphemous sins as ‘hijabophobia’ – a real word, meaning ‘hostility to the hijab’. They might look to the West for refuge and wind up not being celebrated but being shouted down, charged with the thoughtcrime of Islamophobia.

Well, now it’s happened. Iranian icon Masih Alinejad has been damned as an Islamophobe. One of the theocratic regime’s most dreaded heretics, for her fearless defence of secular values and women’s rights, Alinejad has been living in exile in the United States since 2014. 

And last week she was marked with that shaming slur of ‘phobe’. Her crime? Daring to diss the hijab. Her accuser? None other than Mehdi Hasan – motormouth hack, darling of America’s coastal bourgeoisie, and someone who will never suffer the indignity of being told what to wear by preening, arrogant men who think they can talk to God.

I don’t think I have ever been as much ‘team’ someone as I was Team Masih in her digital clash with Hasan. It kicked off on Thursday when Alinejad had the temerity to criticise New York’s sainted faux-Marxian mayor, Zohran Mamdani. 

His office put out a tweet celebrating World Hijab Day. This garment is a ‘powerful symbol of devotion and celebration of Muslim heritage’, it gushed. It’s also a powerful symbol of sexist suppression under the boot of theocracy, as anyone who can be arsed to watch the news from Iran will know. Alinejad wasn’t happy. She let rip.

‘Really? Right now?’, she tweeted in reply to City Hall’s clueless hijab-cheering. You fawn over this hair-shaming cloak while women in ‘my wounded country’ are being jailed, shot and killed for refusing [it]’, she thundered. 

She then mused on Mamdani’s yellow-bellied silence on the massacres in Iran. ‘Not a single word of sympathy from you’, she wrote. ‘No expression of solidarity.’ She wondered – searingly – what kind of supposed progressive is less interested in ‘standing with women’ than ‘standing with our jailers’.

It was a blistering pushback. And she’s dead right: there is something seriously off about the fact that as women in Iran risk their lives by casting off the hijab, we in the West bow down to that regressive covering. There are even World Hijab Day events in British schools, where non-Muslim girls are encouraged to put one on to see what life is like for a Muslim. As one observer quipped, how about encouraging Muslim girls to take theirs off so that they might taste that hair-flowing freedom their non-Muslim peers enjoy?