Divided Islamic nations risk extinction one by one.
Tariq Khattak
ISLAMABAD:Renowned business leader and former president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt has said that Iran has decisively shattered the myth of Israel’s military supremacy, its celebrated bravery, technological sophistication, and so-called invincible defense systems. Despite facing a heavily armed, well-funded, and globally backed adversary, Iran has instilled fear into Israeli ranks, proving that psychological dominance can be broken.
He stated that the United States, after suffering monumental human losses and burning trillions of dollars in the Afghan war, eventually escaped Afghanistan humiliated and battered. That experience must serve as a stark warning. Washington should not make the catastrophic mistake of becoming entangled in a new Middle Eastern quagmire, which could prove costlier and even more humiliating. The Iranian terrain, unlike Afghanistan, brings in the real risk of igniting a much wider geopolitical firestorm.
Addressing an emergency meeting of traders and industrialists, Dr. Butt warned that if the flames of this conflict spread, they will not remain confined to the Gulf. China and Russia, already assertive in the evolving global order, will not remain passive observers. Their involvement could trigger either a full-scale global war or a prolonged new cold war; both of which will accelerate the decline of American hegemony.
He lamented the absence of meaningful global response to Israel’s brutalities and military aggression, calling it alarming. The indifference of certain Western powers in the face of Israeli brutality is disgraceful. At the same time, the inaction of many Muslim rulers has become a stain on the forehead of the Ummah, turning them into symbols of shame rather than protectors of their people.
Dr. Butt said that for decades, Israel maintained a psychological grip over the Muslim world through fear and coercion. That spell is now broken. The long-standing illusion of Israel being militarily unbeatable no longer holds ground. It is time for Muslim nations to break free from fear and act with collective resolve, or risk being erased, one after another.
He said that the United States has already seen its credibility damaged and its dominance questioned after its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Any misadventure in Iran will only deepen that trajectory, multiplying its global humiliation.
Dr. Butt stressed that Pakistan cannot isolate itself from these developments. A full-scale conflict between Iran and Israel will shake global markets and inflict serious damage on developing countries like Pakistan. The resulting rise in oil and gas prices, disruption in export markets, investment flight, and mounting political instability could seriously endanger national economic security.
He urged the Government of Pakistan to immediately recalibrate its foreign policy in light of emerging regional realities. He emphasized the need for a dignified, wise, and proactive diplomatic posture. Pakistan must assert itself on the world stage as a principled, stable, and committed nation; one that neither bows to pressure nor ignores the threats gathering on the horizon.
Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt concluded by warning that silence and indecision are no longer viable options. In a world inching toward chaos, survival will belong to those who lead with vision, stand on principles, and act before it is too late.
