Scenes from FIFA CWC 2025 : Handala and Ultras Ahlaway are here to stay

If you're looking for a brief escape from the region's heavy news cycle, especially if you're a football fan, this one's for you.

Two weeks ago, the FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) kicked off in the United States — the country that famously refers to the world’s most popular sport as "soccer."

As expected — mashallah — Egypt’s Al-Ahly SC proudly qualified for the tournament once again. This marks the club’s ninth appearance in the CWC, making Al-Ahly the most qualified team in the tournament’s history outside of Europe and South America. 

Cairo’s Red Castle continues to make its mark on the global stage.

Sadly, Al-Ahly’s 2025 campaign came to an end after a dramatic draw with Portugal’s FC Porto at New Jersey’s iconic MetLife Stadium. Despite the electric atmosphere and a performance that fans will remember for years, the draw wasn’t enough to push them through to the next round. 

As Egyptians and Al-Ahly fans, we’ve exited the tournament — but some images and scenes from this edition of the FIFA Club World Cup will stay with me forever.

One of them is Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, making history in a way that transcends sport. In the unforgettable match against FC Porto, Abou Ali scored three goals — a true football “hat trick.” It was his night, and his name is now etched in the record books.

He became the first Palestinian player ever to score a hat-trick in a global tournament of this scale — a milestone not just for himself, but for Palestinian football. And to mark this powerful moment, Abou Ali celebrated in the spirit of Handala, the symbol of Palestinian resilience.

He was rightly named Man of the Match. It was well earned.

FIFA typically highlights and celebrates players who score historic firsts — especially hat tricks — in their official social media channels. But strangely, Wessam Abou Ali has received no such recognition from FIFA, and no official explanation has been offered.

Happy Hijri Year 1447: Many Muslims are still refugees

Happy and blessed New Hijri Year 1446 to all Muslims in the world, especially to the Muslim refugees.

Today marks Muharram 1, 1447 AH.

Today is the start of the new Islamic Hijri Year 1447.

Our Islamic calendar started from 14 centuries when Prophet Mohamed “PBUH” and his companions, the early Muslims seek refuge and safety in Yathrib that became Islam’s first capital and state.

Midjourney imagining how the Muslims in Yatharb receving Prophet Muhammed "PBUH" 
and his companions in the style of American concept artist Mary Blair 

It was not the first time that early and first Muslims had to seek refuge in other city. Yes , early Muslims seek refuge in the Kingdom of Aksum in modern day Ethiopia under the rule of Nagashi/Nagasi/King Ashama in what known in the Islamic history the first Hijra.

Ahl al-Bayt, the Prophet’s own family, had to be refugees as they were persecuted, hunted, displaced, and martyred

Most of the major Abrahamic prophets — in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — experienced exile, forced migration, or were refugees at some point in their lives.

So I do not know how some people who call themselves as people of faith following Judaism , Christianity and Islam and yet are anti-refugees.

It kills me actually.

In some sad reality , today the largest refugee groups globally are still Muslim-majority populations.We are speaking about Palestinians, Syrians, Afghans, Sudanese , Yemenis, Rohingya and Uighurs.

From Cairo to Tehran: Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam Breaks the Silence, Slams Israeli War on Iran

Al-Azhar Mosque held its first Friday prayer on 7 Ramadan 361 AH, corresponding to 21 June 972 CE, marking its effective inauguration as a mosque of public worship.

There is no better moment than this anniversary to share an important message from Al-Azhar’s current Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, delivered in Arabic, Farsi, and English.

On Friday, El-Tayeb issued a trilingual statement condemning Israel’s ongoing war against Iran and denouncing the international community’s silence, which he described as complicity.

I strongly condemn the ongoing aggression by the occupying entity against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the systematic attacks and continued recklessness committed by this usurping aggressor and its backers, acts that risk dragging the region to the brink of explosion and…

— أحمد الطيب (@alimamaltayeb) June 20, 2025

Watch This : Tucker Carlson wipes the floor with Ted Cruz

I never imagined I’d write this headline.

From the episode, Tucker Carlson Vs Ted Cruz

Not in my wildest thoughts did I ever expect to consider Tucker Carlson one of the saner voices in the United States today. However, if you have time, I recommend watching his two-hour interview with Senator Ted Cruz.

Senator Ted Cruz demands regime change in Iran. He’s not interested in the details.

(0:00) Why Does Cruz Want Regime Change in Iran?
(6:28) Is the US Currently Acting in Its Own Best Interest?
(7:49) Was Regime Change in Syria Beneficial to the US?
(12:31) Was the Iraq War a… pic.twitter.com/iIdENogQ2T

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025

The very fact that Tucker Carlson is now among the few outspoken, sane voices opposing the war on Iran says a lot about the dire state of the U.S. mainstream media.

That Carlson is doing the work western liberal media should be doing—asking the hard questions—only underscores how badly that media has failed.

Between Two Lions: Watching the Middle East Burn in the Name of God

It feels like the invasion of Iraq all over again.
Donald Trump is pushing the United States toward a confrontation—this time with Iran—following nearly a week of Israel’s failure to compel Tehran into submission to Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands.

 In just a few days, the narrative has shifted from halting Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program to escalating tensions on a much broader scale.
It’s worth noting, just as in the lead-up to the Iraq War, that the IAEA has no evidence of a systematic Iranian effort to develop nuclear weapons.

It’s déjà vu—once again, God’s foreign policy is being invoked in the Middle East.

  This post was originally planned to focus on how Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu uses religious rhetoric to influence both Israeli society and the broader Jewish community—an approach amplified when U.S. President Donald Trump shared a message he received from the U.S. ambassador to Israel, former pastor Mike Huckabee.

That SMS is like something from G.W. Bush Jr's divine orders to invade Iraq. For the second time in less than 50 years, the Middle East is being dragged into the hell of neo-crusades.

It is Friday 13th : War Erupts Between Israel and Iran; Egypt First to Be Affected “Updated”

Friday, 13th June 2025 will be another unforgettable date in the Middle East.

In an unprecedented escalation, Israel launched a massive, coordinated operation under the name “Rising Lion” to strike deep into Iranian territory, targeting nuclear facilities and assassinating high-ranking military officials, mostly inside civilian areas.

The attacks caused widespread destruction in Tehran and other cities, reportedly killing over 400 people, mostly civilians, including children.

The operation, seemingly aimed at weakening the regime and sparking internal dissent, backfired as angry protests erupted not against the government, but in support of retaliation and accelerating Iran's nuclear ambitions, aka build nuclear bombs ASAP.

Friday evening, Iran launched a massive retaliatory strike—firing around 100–150 ballistic missiles (plus drones)—across at least two waves toward central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Despite Israel’s air defenses that include US air defenses, the Iranian missiles breached and struck urban and military sites; one reportedly hit the IDF’s headquarters area in Tel Aviv, causing structural damage and injuring dozens—reports estimate 22–40 people hurt, with one civilian confirmed dead.

The barrage, code-named “True Promise” by the Iranian government, marked the first direct ballistic retaliation against Israel.

The scale and intensity of the strike mark a dangerous turning point. What the Iranians feared for 30 years has happened.

In other words, war broke out directly between Israel and Iran.

In some historical coincidence, it is Friday the 13^th, and it is June.

Malcolm X at 100 : Malcolm X Goes to Mecca

It is the Hajj season of 2025 — and it also marks the 100th anniversary of Malcolm X’s birth.

In these difficult times filled with despair, anger, and growing racism in the Arab Muslim world — and beyond — I find myself unable to ignore the profound spiritual experience Malcolm X had during his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in April 1964.

That journey was a turning point in his life. It marked his transformation from a former member of the Nation of Islam — which he had recently left — to someone who truly embraced being a brother within the global Muslim ummah.

Hajj expanded Malcolm X’s worldview. After years of advocating the separatist, Afrocentric ideology of the Nation of Islam, the pilgrimage introduced him to a vision of Islam rooted in unity, equality, and racial harmony among Muslims of all backgrounds.

The experience moved him deeply — so much so that he wrote a letter during the pilgrimage to a friend. That letter, written in Mecca on April 26, 1964, would later be included in the final chapters of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley.

What follows is the full text of that letter, written by Malcolm X — who by then was calling himself El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz.

Letter from Mecca

I have just completed my pilgrimage (Hajj) here to the Holy City of Mecca, the hollyiest City on earth, which is absolutely forbidden for non-Muslims to even rest their eyes upon. This pilgrimage is the most important event in the life of all Muslims, and there are over 226,000 who are here right now from outside of Arabia. From Turkey came the largest contagion, around 50,000 in over 600 buses. This refutes Westerner propaganda that Turkey is turning away from Islam.

I know of only 2 others who have made the actual Hajj to Mecca from America, and both of them are West Indians who also converts to Islam. Mr. Elijah Muhammad, 2 of his sons, and a couple of his followers visited Mecca outside the Hajj season, and their visit is known as the “Omra”, or Lesser Pilgrimage. It is con-

(Page 2) -sidered a blessing in the Muslim World even to make the “Omra”. I very much doubt that 10 American citizens have ever visited Mecca, and I do believe that I might be the first American born Negro to make the actual Hajj itself. I’m not saying this to boast but only to point out what a wonderful accomplishment and blessing it is, and also to enable you to be in a better position intellectually to evaluate it in its proper light, and then your own intelligence can place it in its proper place.

The Odyssey of the Madleen: The Fragility of Power and the Bravery of Twelve

The Madleen, a ship carrying 12 aid workers on a mission to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, has become an odyssey of both hope and defiance.

Early Monday, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese reported that she was in live contact with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Madleen crew when the ship was approached by five Israeli speedboats circling the vessel in international waters.

The ship’s captain instructed the team to remain calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets readily available. Albanese, who was simultaneously tweeting updates, heard the crew informing Israeli soldiers that they were carrying humanitarian aid and intended to reach Gaza peacefully. At that point, the Israeli boats were circling but had not yet intervened.

Albanese, an Italian lawyer and human rights advocate, confirmed that she was still online with the team and recording events in real-time.

Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila also spoke out about the escalating situation while on board the vessel on his Instagram account.

According to military observers, the Madleen was then reportedly attacked by Shayetet 13—Israel’s elite naval commandos, the same unit responsible for the deadly raid on the Gaza flotilla in 2010.

Moments later, the speedboats briefly withdrew. Then came the drones.

At 12:40 a.m. UK time, Albanese reported that Israeli drones were releasing white paint onto the deck of the Madleen, marking a chilling new phase of the confrontation.

By 12:51 a.m. UK time, the crew of the Madleen remained in good spirits, though they had taken cover due to two Israeli quadcopters hovering overhead.

Happy Eid al-Adha 2025

Happy Eid al-Adha from Egyptian Chronicles to all Muslims around the world who are celebrating, despite many of our fellow Muslims, especially in Gaza and Sudan, being unable to do so this year.

A son of sheep vendors in Egypt hugging a lamb 
Amr Abdullah for Reuters

Many share a deep frustration during this Eid due to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Countless voices echo the poignant verses of the renowned poet Abu Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi.

عيدٌ بأيِّ حالٍ عدتَ يا عيدُ
O Eid, with what condition have you returned?

بمثلِ هذا الحالِ، هل تعودُ عيدُ؟
With such a state, can you really be Eid?

Al-Mutanabbi composed this 30-verse poem just one day before leaving Egypt, on the Day of Arafah in the year 350 AH (around Eid al-Adha). The poem expresses his profound sadness and longing as he awaited Eid to bring good news and reunion with loved ones after a year of separation during his stay in Egypt. At the same time, the poem carries a sharp tone of satire and criticism towards the ruler of Egypt, then-Kafur al-Ikhshidi, as Al-Mutanabbi’s ambitions for power and prestige there remained unfulfilled.

The poem has become famous for its first line, “O Eid, with what condition have you returned?”

 Here are the Takbeerat of Eid with the sounds of artillery shelling east of Gaza City earlier today.

تكبيرات العيد مع أصوات القصف المدفعي شرق مدينة غزة pic.twitter.com/ggfFSIWPWR

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) June 5, 2025

Happy Eid from Gaza

Nevertheless, it is Eid al-Adha, a time when we, as Muslims, remember how the pilgrimage in the Holy Land is a living reenactment of the moment when Lady Hagar and baby Prophet Ismail were stranded in the desert—what would later become Mecca. Although the situation seemed desperate, Lady Hagar’s faith and patience led to the miraculous emergence of the Zamzam well, which saved them and eventually brought life to Mecca, according to Islamic tradition.

Lady Hagar never abandoned her faith in God, despite the hopelessness of her circumstances.

Personally, this is my first Eid without someone very close to my heart—my aunt, who was like a second mother and an older sister to me—after what can only be described as a short yet bitter battle with illness. May Allah bless her soul and grant patience to me and all those facing similar losses.

I’m not yet ready to fully speak about this, but the past weeks have been difficult, and I am still trying to come to terms with this new reality. This is why I haven’t blogged regularly since mid-Ramadan. Nevertheless, I am beginning to catch up.

Nevertheless, it is Happy Eid.

Happy Eid al-Adha to all, and hopefully, insha’Allah, an Eid miracle will happen for both Palestinians and Sudanese.