Since the Sykes–Picot agreement of 1916, the British role has been the constant link between successive phases of division and restructuring in the region. However, the current project runs deeper and is far more perilous: it is no longer merely a territorial partition, as in the last century. Today’s remodelling seeks a comprehensive political, economic and identity change. The Zionist entity has become the central engine reshaping the Middle East and redrawing its maps.
We stand before a scene that paves the way for the proclamation of a “Greater Israel” — not merely as a territorial entity but as a functional system that controls energy routes and vital corridors on the one hand, and manages the ignition of wars and the manufacture of chaos on the other. Sykes–Picot tore the region apart and left it combustible; the new map-makers now claim to put out the fires while pouring oil on them, remaking the regional order. Re-engineering is no longer confined to geographic maps; it has extended to mental maps: the programming of peoples’ consciousness and the reorientation of their priorities to serve the centre.
From “Thomas the Arabian” to “Barak the Arabian”
We are witnessing a comprehensive project to re-engineer the region politically, economically and culturally. The surrounding world is being reshaped to serve the centre, which in turn imposes its vision, spheres and rules. We must not forget those who once entrusted themselves to a “Thomas of the Arabs” in the name of the Arab uprisings, only to see history reproduced in the same places and the same countries — this time under a “Barak of the Arabs”, framed by slogans of security, stability and economic development.
The struggle, then, is no longer only over land: it is a battle for identity, minds and territory simultaneously. Its tools are intertwined and multi-layered. The higher the level of public awareness and the stronger the resistance, the harsher the conflict becomes — until it reaches its peak.
The Laws of Empowerment and the Battle for Consciousness
Dr Ali al-Sallabi emphasises this point in his book The Divine Laws of Empowerment and Victory, where he discusses the principle of taking practical means. He explains that the Qur’anic injunction — “And prepare for them whatever you are able of power…” (al-Anfal: 60) — encompasses comprehensive preparation: moral and material, scientific and jurisprudential, educational and behavioural, financial, media, political, security and military.
Yesterday is not like today. It is true that many Muslim rulers are weak, yet the peoples themselves are not necessarily so — popular awareness has sharpened, making the passage of these projects more difficult and more costly for their architects. From this realisation emerges the Islamic project’s true prerequisite: building the strong Muslim individual — strong in creed, awake to reality, committed to knowledge, economics, media and political tools.
Taking Means and Relying on God
Taking practical means together with prayer is not opposed to reliance on God; it completes faith and trust in God’s promise: “If you help God, He will help you and plant your feet firmly” (Muhammad: 7). By that equation alone we can confront the Blair–Kushner deal and other disintegration projects, and win the battle for identity and minds before reclaiming the land.
