The following are selections from the MEMRI Daily Brief series and the MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis series from 2024. They are authored by senior MEMRI scholars and researchers specializing in different countries, regions, and languages – from the Gulf, Arabian Peninsula, Iran, South Asia, and Turkey to Africa, Russia/Ukraine, China, and the West – who are regular contributors to MEMRI projects. These projects include the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM), the South Asia Studies Project (SASP), the Russian Media Studies Project (RMSP), the Chinese Media Studies Project (CMSP), and the Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor (DTTM).
The Qatar Monitor (TQM) – A New MEMRI Project In Defense Of The U.S. And Western World
By: Y. Carmon
Qatar is a big winner in the Syrian revolution, having supported the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and its leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani (formerly ISIS and Al-Qaeda and now Muslim Brotherhood) who has a $10 million bounty on his head.[1] This is Qatar's classic game: support the Islamist terrorists and then present itself as a mediator, liaison, and even peacemaker – the arsonist playing firefighter. As in Afghanistan, as in Egypt in 2010, and as in every Muslim country.
In every Muslim country where there is a battle between the Islamists and the secularists, Qatar supports the Islamists, as in Gaza supporting Hamas for years, building its military might and enabling October 7. And now, guess what – they are back in the saddle as mediators.
Who brought them back to the negotiations after the secular pro-U.S. president of Egypt threw them away? The U.S. – the country that has suffered more than any country from Qatar's duplicity and hidden subversive, anti-U.S. activities, including the 9/11 attacks.
While the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks were mainly Saudis, recruited to Al-Qaeda as individuals, the mastermind of the attacks, Khaled Sheik Mohammad (KSM), was a former Qatari government employee at the Ministry of Electricity and Water in the capital Doha, who frequently was allowed to embark on terrorist missions in the world (see below). And when, in 1996, the FBI came to arrest him and told only the Emir, KSM disappeared within hours.
All of this has been substantiated in American intelligence and judicial documents, including KSM's confession.
Syria After The Revolution, Now Comes The Hard Part
By: Amb. Alberto M. Fernandez
He will likely never have a sweeter moment in his life. Here was the victorious conqueror in one of the greatest temples in the lands of Islam, on ground once trod by Caliphs like Muawiya and Sultans like Saladin. Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani – real name Ahmed Al-Shar'a – spoke on December 8 at the glorious eighth-century Umayyad Mosque in Damascus in humble gratitude to God at the fall of the tyrant Assad and the restoration of Sunni Muslim rule to Syria after almost 60 years. Syria was ruled since 1966 by Alawite strongmen, first Salah Jadid, and then the Assads, father and son.
The Profound Differences Between The Egyptian Proposal For An Israel-Hamas Agreement And The Proposal Submitted By Hamas
By: Y. Yehoshua, H. Varulkar, and S. Schneidmann
On May 6, 2024, Hamas announced that it had accepted the Egyptian ceasefire proposal, on the backdrop of the negotiations for the release of the 132 Israeli hostages held in Gaza. However, an examination of the version of the agreement accepted by Hamas reveals that the movement made fundamental changes to the agreement's goals and to its content, modifying the conditions of the deal in favor of Hamas and against Israel.
Dearborn, Michigan – Hizbullah's Stronghold In The U.S.: Commemorations At Mosques And Islamic Centers, Rallies, And Vigils For Hizbullah's Leader, Designated Terrorist Hassan Nasrallah, And For Other Top Commanders And Fighters
By: Steven Stalinsky, Ph.D., Emmanuel Cadieux
The local community in Dearborn, Michigan shows visible support for the U.S. government-designated terrorist Iranian proxy in Lebanon, Hizbullah, regularly mourning its slain fighters and referring to them as "martyrs." Memorials and commemorations for slain Hizbullah fighters, and other Hizbullah-related events, are often held locally, including at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in the city, named for the Bint Jbeil area, one of Hizbullah's strongholds in Southern Lebanon where members of the community have family ties. These very public memorials and commemorations are regularly covered by a local news outlet which publishes articles photos, graphics, and videos about funerals for these "martyrs" in southern Lebanon and about memorial services that are held for them in Dearborn. Other Hizbullah fighters' funerals are extensively covered by local news outlets unaffiliated with major media, with videos and photos, while others' deaths are announced, accompanied by photos.
Afghan Taliban Leaders Silent After Reports Of Secret Visit To North Korea By Official Taliban Delegation Seeking Nuclear Weapons
By: Tufail Ahmad
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) is caught in an international controversy after it has come to light that an eight-member official Taliban delegation secretly visited North Korea to discuss cooperation on nuclear weapons technology.
The Hadith Of The Stones And The Trees – About The Muslims Killing The Jews Ahead Of The End of Days – In The Hamas Charter And In A Publication Of The Hamas-Affiliated Palestine Scholars Association
By: Dr. Eliyahu Stern
There is currently much discussion of the murderous methods used by Hamas in its October 7, 2023 attack on localities in southern Israel, methods that resemble those of the Islamic State (ISIS) organization in their cruelty and brutality. This article questions whether the religious philosophy of ISIS, especially its perception of its struggle against the infidels as a war that heralds the End of Days, helped radicalize the religious outlook of the Palestine Scholars Association, whose heads are members of Hamas.
The Emirati Woman: A Tradition Keeper And A Change Agent
By: Anna Mahjar-Barducci
Emirati women are teaching the right balance between tradition and modernity. In fact, the future is an extension of history, and this is the most important lesson that we can learn while being in the UAE.
The Iranian Regime Looks Westward To Achieve Its Goals; In A Tactical Move, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Prepares The Ground For Dialogue With U.S. And Europe
By: A. Savyon
It appears that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Iranian leadership are headed towards tactical dialogue with the West, with the aim of accomplishing the regime's strategic goals. These goals include: a) improving Iran's economy by getting the Western sanctions lifted and advancing massive investment in the Iranian economy; b) upgrading Iran's status (to that of a nuclear-armed state); and c) obtaining international recognition for Iran's resistance axis (see MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 1848, In Advance Of Revival Of U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks, Iranian Calls For Iran To Possess Nuclear Weapons Are Again Heard, September 5, 2024).
The PLO Covenant Was Never Abolished
By: Ze'ev B. Begin
It is widely believed that, in April 1996, the PLO abolished its notorious Covenant calling for the liquidation of the State of Israel. This belief is based on PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat's statement in his September 9, 1993 letter to Israel's then prime minister Yitzhak Rabin: "The PLO affirms that those articles of the Palestinian Covenant which deny Israel's right to exist […] are now inoperative and no longer valid. Consequently, the PLO undertakes to submit to the Palestinian National Council for formal approval the necessary changes in regard to the Palestinian Covenant." However, the fact is that this crucial commitment was never fulfilled. In order to understand the gap between the false impression and the facts on the ground we must look back to those days and see exactly what transpired.
Challenging The Dominant Radical Narrative Preached In Mosques Across The U.S. Regarding The Israel-Hamas War
By: Mansour Al-Hadj
In the aftermath of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and hundreds were abducted, I have reviewed and analyzed hundreds of Friday sermons delivered by imams and preachers in mosques and Islamic institutions across the United States. By doing so, I was hoping to understand how these religious leaders framed the attack, Israel's response, and the subsequent U.S. reaction. I also sought to understand the narratives they have adopted, promoted and amplified, along with their proposals for resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Inverted Red Triangle Symbol, Identified With Hamas And Seen In U.S. Student Protests, Is An Open Call For Attacks On Israeli Targets
By: L. Alon
Pro-Hamas expressions, slogans, and symbols are part of the widespread pro-Palestine protests currently taking place at universities across the United States. Among these symbols is the inverted red triangle, which first appeared in Hamas videos of the fighting in Gaza, where it is used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked. This red triangle now appears on posters and signs at the protests, and a photo published a few days ago even shows a protester making a triangle hand sign at a group of Jewish students.
Tensions Between Hamas And Palestinian Authority, And Between Hamas And Gaza Elements That Are Challenging It
By: S. Schneidmann
The Hamas-Fatah tension against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war intensified recently following Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas's appointment of Muhammad Mustafa as the new Palestinian prime minister. Another factor in the escalation of this tension was efforts by the PA, and especially by its General Intelligence Service (GIS), headed by Majed Faraj, to form a local governing authority in Gaza as an alternative to Hamas, in cooperation with Israel and with the help of armed tribal elements in the Gaza Strip.
The Chinese And Russian Economies Cannot Thrive Without The West
By: Dr. Daniel Lacalle
Recently, anti-liberal Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin told the Chinese media outlet Global Times that Russia had lost West but discovered "the rest." He then stressed: "Putin, when he came to power, he started to restore this sovereignty of Russia step by step. Sovereignty was put at the center of his politics. And when we were cut from the globalist Western economy, we did not lose anything. But we gained because we were obliged to the will of our own, even this will possibly make us lose some interests. And at the same time, we were not isolated and rediscovered that we are not lonely in this world."
A Snapshot Of The Islamic State's Persecution Of African Christians: 698 Christians In The DRC, Mozambique, Nigeria, Cameroon, And Mali Killed In First Half Of 2024
By: By Matt Schierer
One harrowing consequence of the Islamic State's (ISIS) territorial expansion in Africa is the indiscriminate slaughter, displacement, and harassment of the continent's Christians. Indeed, in countries such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Cameroon, and Mali, Christians are suffering from unprecedented levels of persecution, often with little or no global attention.
MEMRI JTTM has previously spotlighted the plight of Africa's Christians, documenting in-depth the Islamic State's campaign of targeted violence against them on the continent.[2] Now, we endeavor to further elucidate the stunning scale of violence by tracking ISIS attacks on African Christians in real-time.
This report thus summarizes all attacks on Christians which were claimed by ISIS in the first half of the year, From January 1 to June 30, 2024. Countries which are mentioned in this report include Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Cameroon, and Mali. Four of the Islamic State's sub-Saharan provinces – Central Africa, Mozambique, West Africa, and Sahel – are responsible for these crimes.
Hizbullah Arresting Foreign Nationals In Beirut, Tightening Its Control In The Area
By: N. Mozes
In late February 2024, three unusual incidents occurred in the Dahiya, the Hizbullah stronghold in southern Beirut, in which the organization detained and interrogated foreign nationals who had entered that area. All the people detained were foreigners who were in the country with the official approval and consent of the Lebanese state authorities. On February 28, Hizbullah apprehended a group of Dutch nationals that later turned out to be a security team sent to Lebanon to prepare for the possible evacuation of Dutch diplomats and nationals from the country in the event of an escalation in the war between Hizbullah and Israel. One day later Hizbullah stopped a UNIFIL vehicle that was passing through the Dahiya and detained its passengers. In the third incident, which occurred several days prior to the other two, Hizbullah arrested a Spanish diplomat who entered the Dahiya and was allegedly taking pictures there.
Iranization And Shi'ization In Syria: Iran Tightens Its Grip On The Country And Deepens Its Influence There
By: O. Peri
Since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have avoided taking a clear stance on the conflict and endorsing the position of the U.S., their major ally, as they might have been expected to do. The official statements issued by the two countries were diplomatically worded and called on both sides in the conflict to resolve their differences through dialogue. This reserved position was also apparent in editorials of these countries' state dailies, which refrained from denouncing Russia and its actions. As the days passed, it became clearer and clearer that the two countries refused to condemn Russia, due to their growing political, military and economic ties with it, and also due to their assessment that Russia is likely to become a prominent power in the new world order that is currently taking shape. Saudi Arabia and the UAE did vote in favor of condemning Russia at the UN General Assembly on March 2, 2022, but the UAE abstained from a similar vote on February 25 at the Security Council, which was seen as an act of refusing to side with the U.S.
Jordan Increasingly Concerned About Iran Amid Activity Of Iran-Backed Militias On Its Northern Border
By: Z. Harel and H. Varulkar
On January 28, 2024, three U.S. troops were killed and dozens were wounded in a drone attack carried out by Iran-backed militias in Iraq against Tower 22, a logistics support base in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. In response, on February 2, U.S. forces attacked a series of targets of the Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq.
Galvanized By Anti-West Rhetoric, Standing Grievances: Jihadis Online Echo Threats To Paris Summer Olympics
By: K. Choukry
As the world's attention turns to France for the much-anticipated Paris Olympic Games, slated to launch in a few hours, Salafi jihadis, in pursuit of religious and political goals, appear to be eyeing the event as an opportunity to further their ideology of violence.
Knowing that such a world event would generate significant global media coverage, jihadi groups, including Al-Qaeda, see the Olympics as an opening to resurrect themselves, after serious setbacks as a result of international counterterrorism campaigns. The jihadi groups have lost not only territory and popular support in areas they controlled, but also high-ranking leaders, funding, and social media presence.
Arab Media Figures Slam Hamas: It Is The Real Enemy Of The Gazans, A Subcontractor For Iran
By: C. Meital and H. Varulkar
Against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Gaza, liberal Arab journalists and media figures have intensified their criticism of Hamas and its leadership on social media. In numerous posts on their personal accounts, they argued that Hamas is a terrorist organization that serves the interests of Iran while taking Gaza back to the Stone Age and bringing a catastrophe and a second Nakba upon the Palestinian people. The writers directed sharp criticism at the movement's leaders, who live in luxury hotels outside Gaza while showing indifference to the suffering of the Gazans and using them as human shields for Hamas' operatives. The writers also expressed outrage at the execution of Israeli hostages in Hamas tunnels and called on Hamas to agree to a prisoner exchange deal in order to end the war. Some of them also called on Arab countries to act against Hamas to put an end to the destruction and the tragedy in Gaza.
In Afghanistan And Pakistan, Politicians, Islamic Leaders, And Jihadi Groups Condemn Assassination Of Ismail Haniyeh: The Flag Of Islam Will Fly Over Jerusalem, Jews Must Understand Such Martyrdoms Herald The Liberation Of Al-Aqsa
By: Mantasha Ansari
Islamic religious leaders, politicians, and jihadi organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan have reacted strongly to the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, offering condolences, calling it a terrorist act, and accusing Israel and America of violating international law and eliminating their opponents.
Defying Power By Remembering The Victims Of Repression
By: Elvira Vikhareva
Now, I have to say a lot of obvious and well-known things. But there is no way around it – this introduction demands them.
Political prisoners have existed throughout Russian history. In the Tsarist era, they were exiled, sent to penal colonies, or executed. The Soviet regime did the same but called the penal colonies the Gulag, escalating the scale of repression by hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Modern Russia is following the same path. Exile has not yet made a comeback, but everything else is in place – hundreds of political prisoners, and even their deaths. The list of those who have died goes far beyond Sergei Magnitsky and Alexei Navalny. Tragically, it includes many more.
Dr. Aref Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer Of The Ahwaz: I Have A Dream – I Dream Of An Independent Ahwaz, Free Of Iranian Control
By: Dr. Aref Al Kaabi
MEMRI is honored to present the article by the Chief Executive Officer of The Ahwaz, Dr. Aref Al Kaabi, about his dream of a free Al-Ahwaz.
Today, the Arab region of Al-Ahwaz (see Appendix) is under the dictatorship of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which, like the previous Pahlavi regime, is repressing, marginalizing and discriminating against non-Persian ethnic groups.
Regime Change In Iran Is Possible Only By Supporting Its Ethnic Minorities
By: Himdad Mustafa
The following article was written by Kurdish scholar Himdad Mustafa for the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). It expresses the hope that the international community can come to an understanding that a regime change in Iran can only come by creating a coalition of Iran's ethnic "minorities."
All Eyes On Balochistan – Two Years Since The Islamic Republic Of Iran Killed Khudanoor Lajai
By: Rudam Azad
Khudanoor Lajai, a brilliant young Baloch man killed by the Iranian regime, is one of the symbols of the uprising against the Islamic Republic of Iran. On September 30, 2022, Lajai joined the Zahedan protests against the Islamic regime that resulted in the "Bloody Friday."[1] A day later he quarreled with IRGC personnel and was shot at close range. Family members rushed him to the nearby hospital, the Zahedan Social Security Hospital, which is known to be under IRGC control. His relatives said that he was shot near the spinal cord and could not move properly. IRGC instructed the doctors in the hospital not to conduct a timely operation so that he would die in "slow motion," as his open wounds grew more severe. He was born on October 2, 1995 (other sources say that he was born on September 23, 1995) and died on October 2, 2022.
Renowned Baloch Leader Hyrbyair Marri: The Baloch Are Not A Minority In Iran, But Rather A Nation Under Iranian Occupation; Chinese And Pakistani Policies Are Catastrophic To The Baloch Nation
By: Hyrbyair Marri
MEMRI presents an in-depth analysis by renowned Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri, the head of the Free Balochistan Movement political platform and one of the most popular leaders among Baloch youth. Mr. Marri was born in Quetta, in the Balochistan region under the rule of the Pakistani government, in 1968, and he currently resides in London. He is the son of the renowned Baloch nationalist leader Khair Bakhsh Marri, who was the chief of the Marri Baloch tribe and head of the National Awami Party (NAP). NAP, comprising Baloch and Pashtun leadership, won elections in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtonkhwa and formed a Baloch-Pashtun coalition government in 1970s.
Forty Years After Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Withdrew From Lebanon, Hamas Working To Build Military Infrastructure There With Hizbullah's Encouragement
By: N. Mozes and Y. Yehoshua
Since the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian factions in Gaza, Israel has also been facing attacks from South Lebanon. In addition to attacks by Hizbullah (whose presence in South Lebanon violates UN Security Council Resolution 1701, banning the presence of armed militias south of the Litani river), and by other Lebanese organizations, Palestinian factions like Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have been active as well. Their attacks, which include attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory and the firing of long-range missiles, indicate the existence of a Palestinian military infrastructure in Lebanon.
The United States Should Stop Empowering China
By: Andrew J. Masigan
On November 15, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping took the stage to address a welcome dinner with business executives at a summit of Indo-Pacific leaders in San Francisco, California.[1] On that occasion, corporate America gave the Chinese dictator a standing ovation – not once, but three times. The overzealous welcome was simultaneously appalling and worrying. After all, this is the man, who conspires to steal technologies from Western companies, engages in corporate and military espionage, and is preparing to go to war against the U.S.
With Chinese Economy On The Brink Of Crisis, President Xi May Open Up Economically, But Become More Totalitarian
By: Chris King
On June 24, 2024, China's Ministry of Finance released national fiscal revenue and expenditure data for the first five months of this year.
Data is the most telling, even if it is data released by the CCP authorities themselves, which is often falsified. But if we compare this set of data with that of 2023, and especially with that of 2019, pre-COVID, it still shows the bleak outlook and serious problems of China's macro economy, which cannot make anyone feel optimistic.
Jihadi Trends: What Is On The Horizon In 2024?
By: Y. Kerman, Z. Emile, K. Choukry, and Matt Schierer
The Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, has reinvigorated jihadi groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda, which are reprioritizing the cause of "Palestine" and the fight against the "Jews" and their "Crusader" allies as a key foundation of their messaging campaigns which aims at expanding their global threat landscape.