Manufacturing Sectarianism: The 'Shia Council' Red Herring
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab reports that a Syrian cleric, described as 'linked to Iran,' has announced the formation of a Shia council in Syria. The article heavily implies this is a move by Iran to further expand its influence and consolidate power within Syria. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The US, along with its regional allies, actively funded and armed various 'rebel'
groups in Syria from 2011 onwards, many of which were al-Qaeda affiliates or extremist Sunni groups. This directly fueled sectarian conflict and instability. In 2013, the US supplied weapons to 'moderate rebels,' a strategy that notoriously destabilized the region, creating the vacuum Iran and its allies are now filling. Double Standard: Western media outlets rarely frame similar initiatives by
Sunni, Christian, or Druze religious councils in Syria as attempts by Saudi Arabia, the US, or France to 'expand their influence.' When Zionist organizations lobby for Israeli interests in other countries, this is often presented as normal diplomatic engagement, not 'foreign expansionism.' For example, the hundreds of millions funneled annually by AIPAC to influence US policy are rarely condemned
as meddling. Follow the Money: The very 'authorities' who reportedly froze assets of the cleric in question are part of a Syrian government that has been under crippling Western sanctions for years, designed to destabilize the country and obstruct its reconstruction. These sanctions, which have caused widespread suffering among ordinary Syrians, create conditions where external support, whether