Kodak Agfa presents: Al-Sayeda Zainab’s Moulid Al-Nabi Bazaar 2026 in Photos and Video

It is one of those times of the year.

Here we are celebrating the anniversary of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH).

Moulid El-Nabi, which commemorates the birth of Prophet Muhammad, is observed annually on 12 Rabi Al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

This year, it falls on Tuesday, 25 August, in the Gregorian calendar.

Nevertheless, Thursday, August 27, will be an official paid public holiday in Egypt to mark Moulid El-Nabi, Prophet Muhammad's birthday, according to a buzzkill decree by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

The date has been shifted to Thursday in line with the government's practice of moving weekday public holidays to the end of the working week.

Anyhow, once again, Kodak Agfa pays a quick visit to Al-Sayida Zeinab's Moulid Al-Nabi annual bazaar.

Before you say, "oh no, not again" or "you can go to a different place," believe me, there is always something new and cheerful there.

This is the first time I have seen these light decorations hung in Cairo, if not all of Egypt. 

The lion and the palm tree light decorations are here

I can't remember seeing them before.

Interestingly, the lion symbolizes Imam Ali in Shia Islamic iconography.

First time seeing this LED light decoration with its unique design

I'm wondering if we got this from Iraq, or if it's imported from China without anyone knowing the meaning behind it.

Other than that, it's the usual simple lighting at the makeshift bazaar stands, alongside the authentic Egyptian khayamiya red-and-blue fabrics.

Happy Hijri Year 1448: Al-Aqsa is in a huge danger and Many Muslims are still refugees

Happy and blessed New Hijri Year 1448 to all Muslims in the world, especially to the Muslim refugees.

Today marks Muharram 1, 1448 AH.

Today is the start of the new Islamic Hijri Year 1448.

Once again, I have to remind people that our Islamic calendar began more than fourteen centuries ago when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, the first Muslims, sought refuge and safety in Yathrib, which later became Medina, the first capital of the Islamic state.

The early Muslims were refugees. In fact, almost all the prophets of the Abrahamic faiths and their earliest followers experienced displacement, exile, or persecution. It seems to be a recurring chapter in the story of faith.

As of 2026, the Muslim world is once again home to some of the largest displaced populations on Earth. Approximately 6 million Palestinian refugees remain registered with UNRWA, while about 4.9 million Syrian refugees continue to live outside their homeland, primarily in neighboring countries and across Europe.

Mo Salah ends Liverpool chapter: All Hail to the Egyptian King

In his final moment, in his final game as a forward for Liverpool at Anfield, Mohamed Salah — commonly known as the Egyptian King — prostrated himself, performing a Sujood to thank Allah, the Almighty, the King of Kings, before thousands inside the stadium and millions watching via television and platforms around the globe.

Sujood is the closest a Muslim can be to his Creator.

Prostrating to thank God at the peak of your success is a sign of extreme humility and gratitude — a declaration that you have not forgotten who helped you get there.

For me and other Egyptians  — we understood exactly what Salah felt in that moment: teary-eyed, with Anfield rocking around him.

It was a truly epic moment, a fitting close to a great chapter in Egyptian, British, and world football by any measure.

Needless to say, there were other unforgettable moments in a match that was, frankly, a welcome escape for me and many others from Trump's ongoing mad show in the Middle East.

The Land of Abraham and Sons: Why Ramesses II can not be and can be “the pharaoh of exodus”- Islamic Edition

On Wednesday, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that an Egyptian archaeological mission had uncovered a massive ancient statue at the Tell El-Faraoun site in El-Husseiniya, Sharqia Governorate.

The statue is believed to depict King Ramesses II of Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom.

Carved from pink granite, it was found missing its lower half, including the legs and base.

Despite its incomplete state, archaeologists say the surviving features clearly point to royal iconography associated with Ramesses II.

The remains of the statue found at the location 
"SCA"

According to the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the discovery offers new insight into royal and religious life in the eastern Nile Delta. 

Initial studies suggest that the statue may not have originally stood at Tell El-Faraoun. Instead, it was likely transported in antiquity from Per-Ramesses—the royal capital during Ramesses II’s reign—to the site, known in ancient times as Imet, where it may have been reused within a religious complex.

The excavation site at Tell El-Faraoun in Sharkia governorate
 "SCA"

I hesitate to say it, but such archaeological announcements have become almost routine in Egypt these days, appearing every few days. 

What I did not expect, however, was for this particular discovery to attract widespread attention and go viral—until a report by the Daily Mail the following day reframed the narrative.

Happy Easter 2026 from Egypt and Palestine too

Happy Easter to all those celebrating today—especially Egyptian and Sudanese Coptic Orthodox Christians, as well as Palestinian and Lebanese Orthodox communities.

On this occasion, I’m sharing a photo of the Church of the Martyr St. Philopater Mercurius in Mohandessin, Giza—commonly known as “Abu Sefein,” or “the man of two swords.”

Western Palm Sunday 2026 in Jerusalem: When the City was closed for prayer

The gates of our city will never be sealed—
For I am going there to pray.

I will knock on every door—
And the doors will open, one by one.

And you, O River Jordan, will wash my face
With waters holy and pure.

And you, O River Jordan, will wipe away
The footprints of the savage passing through.

 When I saw the photos of Cardinal Pizzaballa standing in prayer outside the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City—barred from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to mark Western Palm Sunday—I was reminded of the words of the Rahbani Brothers, immortalized in 1967 by Fairuz, the Lady of Lebanon, in “Zahrat al-Mada’en” (زهرة المدائن), meaning “The Flower of Cities.”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa holding the Palm Sunday Mass outside the walls of
old Jerusalem "AFP"

Jerusalem’s doors were, indeed, closed to worshippers on Palm Sunday 2026—for the first time in centuries—under the Israeli occupation of the Old City.

 The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land said in a joint statement that, on the morning of Palm Sunday, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo —also the official guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—were prevented from entering the church as they headed to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King al-Nu’man “Blood Debt Ep.13”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Tonight, we will learn what happened to King al-Nu’man and how he ultimately met his fate. But first, it is time for our little chit-chat.

 Our chit-chat tonight will focus on two things: what happened to the real historical inspiration behind our tale—Al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir—and how his dramatic end marked the beginning of another ending: the fall of the Lakhmid kingdom and, not long after, the decline of the Sasanian Empire. 

It also helped inspire one of the most famous pre-Islamic Arabian epics.

 According to Arab historians, even though King al-Nu’man once gave refuge to the Sasanian King Khosrow II, son of Sasanian King Hormizd, during his flight from the usurper Bahram Chobin in 590, and even fought alongside him to help restore him to the throne, the two rulers eventually fell out.

According to legend, their falling-out happened after al-Nu’man rejected Khosrow’s proposal to marry his daughter, Princess Hind. Some historical accounts, however, suggest that the proposal may actually have come from one of Khosrow’s relatives rather than from the king himself.

But that was not the only reason for the rift. Al-Nu’man also fell out with his former tutor and the powerful Sasanian court official and Arab envoy Adi ibn Zayd. Accusing him of plotting against him, al-Nu’man ordered his execution. Adi’s son—who had the ear of Khosrow—then managed to turn the Persian ruler against al-Nu’man in what feels like a real-life Game of Thrones scenario.

No wonder that show was such a hit in the Middle East.
Several historical traditions describe what happened once al-Nu’man realized that Khosrow intended to remove him from power.
One famous Arabian account says that al-Nu’man fled his capital and sought refuge among the powerful Banu Bakr of Arabia. He was eventually forced to surrender and, according to the story, executed by being trampled by elephants.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2026: The Tale of King Sajur and sons “Amira’s Choice EP.7”

Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.

Before we continue our tale and discover how King Sajur's sons will save Princess Amira's life — and whom she will ultimately choose — it's time for our little chit-chat.

Tonight, we will speak about yet another recurring element in the tales of Taher Abu Fasha: the Magic Carpet.

The idea of magical flying carpets is much older than the One Thousand and One Nights. One of the earliest references appears in legends surrounding King Solomon (dating from the 3rd to 6th centuries CE).

In later Jewish and Islamic traditions—though notably not in the Hebrew Bible itself—Solomon is said to have possessed a green silken carpet (or throne) carried by the wind, capable of transporting him and his entire army across vast distances in a single day.

While the Qur’an (21:81 and 38:36) speaks of Solomon commanding the wind to blow at his order, it does not explicitly mention a carpet.

The "flying carpet" detail is a later narrative expansion found in Isra’iliyyat (narratives derived from earlier Judeo-Christian traditions) and Persian storytelling layers.

The concept reappeared in the Persian epic tradition, most famously in the Shahnameh (c. 1000 CE). In this epic, King Kay Kavus builds a flying throne powered by eagles.

While these weren't always literal carpets, the imagery of airborne royal platforms became a staple of medieval Persian romance literature.

When it comes to the One Thousand and One Nights, there is a major surprise for modern audiences: the 'flying carpet' most people imagine is largely a later European association.

The famous Prince Hussain's Carpet does appear in the story of 'Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Pari-Banu,' but this story (like Aladdin) was one of the 'orphan tales' added to the collection in the 18th century by the French translator Antoine Galland.

Now, without further delay, I present the seventh and the last episode of our story—The Tale of Sajur and his sons, or the 201st night of One Thousand and One Nights, as broadcast by the Egyptian State Radio.

Kodak Agfa presents: Cairo’s Al-Sayeda Zeinab Ramadan Bazaar 2026

It is the time for annual posts celebrating Ramadan bazaars in Cairo.

This year, I went to Al-Sayeda Zeinab’s annual Ramadan bazaar, and it was great and amazing as usual.

Ramadan Kareem, as always, from Al-Sayeda Zeinab

I didn’t go to Al-Sayeda Zeinab Bazaar last year — I only passed by quickly in the car.

Last year, I went to the Taht el-Rab’a Ramadan Bazaar, and I actually went again this year.

Inshallah, wait for more photos and more stories from Tahat el-Rab’a and beyond.

Back to Al-Sayeda Zeinab’s bazaar, it was buzzing this year.

Port Said Street in Al-Sayeda Zeinab was crowded with people 

You feel the spirit of Ramadan as soon as you set foot in Port Said Street, right in front of Al-Sayeda Zeinab Mosque and Shrine.

Al-Sayeda Zeinab Mosque and Shrine after renovations 

By the way, these photos were taken this time with a Sony a6500 and a wide-angle E 20mm lens, as a change from the usual kit lens.

Watch This : Seasons & Streets “Christmas from Korba to Shubra 25”

It seems that 19 January is becoming the day I release my Christmas video every year!

This time, I’m releasing the video on Epiphany, as observed in the Eastern Orthodox Church calendar, rather than on its eve as I did last year.

Watch the new episode of Seasons & Streets, “Christmas from Korba to Shubra 25,” to explore the history of Baghdad Street in Heliopolis, as well as the long and fascinating story of Al-Tarea Al-Bolakia (the Bolakia Canal)—with additional background, photos, and even rare video footage from Cairo in the 19th century and early 20th century.

Once again, it’s worth noting that Epiphany is celebrated on 19 January by most Eastern Orthodox Churches (6 January in the Julian calendar, which corresponds to 19 January in the Gregorian calendar), including the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church.

Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

Back to the video—Inshallah, next time I will upload the video at the same time as the photos, whether on 25 December or 7 January.

Kodak Agfa presents in Photos: A Cairo Christmas 2026 “7 January Shubra edition”

It’s time for the second edition of our annual Egyptian Chronicles series: Christmas in Cairo, Vol. 2.

As always, this post features photos and videos of Cairo’s Christmas decorations as the city celebrates 7 January — Orthodox Christmas, observed by Orthodox Christian communities.

Merry Christmas to all those celebrating it.

The nativity scene at Saint Ibram shop 

Okay, a brief social and historical note: most Christian Egyptians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, one of the oldest Christian churches in the world.

You might wonder why Christmas in Egypt is celebrated on 25 December and 7 January.

The difference comes down to the calendar. Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar, which places Christmas on 25 December.

The Coptic Orthodox Church, however, follows the Julian calendar, which is currently 13 days behind — hence Coptic Christmas falling on 7 January.

Interestingly, in the early centuries of Christianity, the Eastern Church—in regions such as Egypt and Syria—celebrated Theophany on 6 January.

This was a single, “double feast” commemorating both the birth of Jesus and his baptism.

It was only later that Western Christianity separated the two events, assigning Jesus’ birth to 25 December, while the Eastern churches maintained their traditions in line with the Julian calendar.

#6Oct73: Those Quran verses at Dawn Prayer

This post is marked at 4:25 a.m. Cairo local time, the time of Al-Fajr (dawn) prayer on 6 October 1973.

It was the 10th of Ramadan, 1393 AH, and, as usual during the holy month, many people were awake to attend the dawn prayer.

A group of Egyptian soldiers praying on the front in October 1973 during the war 
with their boots on. Enhanced and colored by Google Gemini

Most of them tuned their radios to the Holy Qur’an Radio Station to follow the live broadcast of the prayer.

Those listeners, as well as those people in the mosque, became, unknowingly, the lucky few in the world who heard the renowned Qur’an reciter Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Shabib lead the Fajr prayer from Al-Hussein Mosque.

That early morning before the prayer itself, Sheikh Shabib recited verses from Surah Al-Imran, the third chapter of the Holy Qur’an — a chapter that tells of the family of Imran (Joachim), which includes Imran, Saint Anne (wife of Imran), Mary, and Jesus.

It also contains references to the Battles of Badr and Uhud, two pivotal moments in early Islamic history.

What made this recitation unforgettable was that Sheikh Shabib chose — and repeated three times the first verse from the collection known as the martyrdom verses in that Surah. 

Christian Palestinians Hit Back at Netanyahu’s Lies at UNGA80

This is the third consecutive year I’ve dedicated a post to Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly aka UNGA80 aka UNGA2025

This year’s address was one to remember—not for its content, but for its audience. Netanyahu found himself speaking to rows of empty chairs, as most UN member state delegations walked out in protest rather than listen to a leader wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

Bibi addressing the world or rather mostly empty seats

Over a hundred diplomats from more than 70 countries, including Egypt, staged the mass walkout, crowding the aisles to exit the hall as the Israeli prime minister entered. Unfortunately, representatives from the UAE and Bahrain chose to remain.

Just as he did in 2023 and 2024, “Bibi” returned with his trademark Middle East map. This time, he singled out the familiar “bad actors”—Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran—while delivering yet another long list of falsehoods.

There is a curse for real carrying a map in this photo

The difference this year was striking; Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly not only with an arrest warrant hanging over him, but also to an audience largely reduced to empty seats.

Now, as usual and as expected, Bibi shared a whole string of lies about Palestine and the Palestinians. This post was going to be dedicated to his general lies.

Yet it is better to leave it to the Palestinians themselves to refute Netanyahu’s lies—especially the Christian Palestinians he cynically invoked in an attempt to win the support of the Christian world.

I am sharing this because, as usual, the mainstream media has chosen not to.

The Higher Presidential Committee of Churches Affairs in Palestine issued a statement in English and Arabic, directly rebutting the Israeli Prime Minister’s claims.

The statement reaffirmed that it is Israel’s colonial policies of ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and genocide that have devastated the Christian presence in Palestine.

The committee noted that before the 1948 Nakba, Palestinian Christians made up 12.5% of the population of historic Palestine.

Today, that number has fallen to just 1.2% in historic Palestine, and only 1% in the territories occupied since 1967. This decline is the direct result of Israel’s policies of forcible displacement, land confiscation, and systematic oppression.

Days at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo : The Canopus Decree Stela “Happy Egyptian New Year 6267, Happy Coptic New Year 1741”

Happy Egyptian New Year 6267, Happy Coptic New Year 1742

Today, 11 September, marks “1 Tut,” the first day of the Ancient Egyptian Year 6267, according to the ancient Egyptian calendar.

It is also the first day of the Coptic Year 1742 AM.

Tut refers to Thoth, in case you do not know "Thoth by Midjourney"

As I do every year, I’ll repeat the reminder that the Ancient Egyptian/Coptic New Year begins on 1 Tut, which usually falls on 11 or 12 September in the Gregorian calendar. This calendar continues to be used in Egypt today to determine the dates of religious feasts—particularly in the Coptic Church—and to mark the agricultural seasons.

On this occasion, I’d like to share a unique and monumental piece at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo: the great limestone stela of the Canopus Decree in honor of Ptolemy III.

The Canopus Decree in honor of Ptolemy III at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo

The Canopus Decree is a trilingual inscription—carved in hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Greek—and stands as the second-earliest example of such trilingual decrees.

The most famous of these, of course, is the Rosetta Stone (which, needless to say, should return to Rosetta, Egypt).

The decree commemorates a grand assembly of priests held at the city of Canopus, on the outskirts of modern Alexandria, to honor Ptolemy III Euergetes of the Ptolemaic dynasty, along with his wife Queen Berenice and Princess Berenice.

Here is the Grand Imam’s Deleted Urgent Global Action Call to Save Gaza "Updated"

On Tuesday, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb issued a global call on social media to save Gaza from what he described as a genocidal famine imposed by Israel.

Just a few hours after its release, the statement was deleted from both social media and Egyptian news websites—sparking public outrage and fueling speculation as to why Al-Azhar would retract such a powerful declaration. Rumours have been circulating ever since.

By Wednesday, Al-Azhar issued a follow-up statement explaining that the original call was withdrawn out of concern it might be used as a pretext to stall or obstruct the progress of ongoing truce negotiations.

According to Mada Masr, the decision to pull the statement came at the request of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty, who is currently touring West Africa.

I honestly don’t know whether it was Al-Azhar, the Grand Imam himself, the Foreign Minister, or someone else who made the final decision—but I do know there was no need to delete it. If anything, the retraction caused more damage. Now, social media is flooded with rumours that Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb has been placed under arrest.

I think that’s not true. I expect he’ll appear within hours—either at an Al-Azhar event, in a meeting with visiting VIP, or leading the presidential Friday prayers in New Alamein.

Honestly, I wish they had left it up. At this point, removing it didn’t change anything—except making things worse.

Now, here’s the statement translated into English. I was among the very few who managed to save a copy before it disappeared.

The Land of Abraham and Sons: Damascus Did Not Cease Being After All

This post was revised by both Chat-GPT and Deepseek for correction, as language models, both AI models checked the theories in their own language, which is English.

This post is actually a pilot of a series of posts dedicated to the prophecies of the Middle East in the Bible, which Christian Zionists use to mess up the Middle East every couple of years.

“Damascus will cease from being a city.”
— Book of Isaiah, Chapter 17

This verse from the Book of Isaiah went viral online on Wednesday, shortly after the Israeli airstrike on Damascus, the Syrian capital.

It was shared by a wide range of people—from devout American evangelicals to some inexplicably cheerful Assad supporters.

This well-known prophecy from Isaiah 17:1 (KJV) reads:

"The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap."

The verse is part of a prophetic oracle, a biblical term referring to a divine message delivered by a prophet—typically announcing judgment, destruction, or doom upon a particular nation or city.

Damascus is one of several ancient cities mentioned in Isaiah’s oracles of judgment. At the time, it was the capital of the Aramean Kingdom, a political rival to both Judah and Israel (Samaria).

The prophecy foretells that Damascus will cease to exist as a city and will become a “ruinous heap.”

But here’s the problem: Damascus has been destroyed more times than San Francisco in a Hollywood disaster film—and it never actually ceased to be.

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.