By Qamar Bashir

The Israel-Iran conflict has revealed a truth the Muslim world can no longer afford to ignore: Israel is not invincible. Without the shield of the United States, it is not the iron fortress it pretends to be—it is fragile, overstretched, and deeply dependent. But once wrapped in the diplomatic, military, and political embrace of Washington, Israel becomes a force few dare to challenge. It is not superior military strategy or moral high ground that sustains Israeli power—it is American sponsorship, bought and secured through decades of strategic manipulation.

No amount of resistance in Gaza, no fiery speech at the United Nations, no emotional outcry from the Muslim world will dismantle Israel’s machinery of oppression. Because that machine doesn’t run on Israeli fuel—it runs on Washington’s power grid: congressional endorsements, media narratives, think tanks, and corporate lobbying.

And Israel’s greatest tool to harness that power is AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—a political juggernaut that does not merely influence U.S. policy, it engineers it. With over $100 million spent in the 2024 elections alone, AIPAC and its Super PACs didn’t just promote pro-Israel candidates—they systematically crushed dissent, targeting Muslims, progressives, and even Jewish critics of Israeli apartheid. Through campaign donations, policy drafting, media alignment, and think tank funding, AIPAC ensures that support for Israel is not just bipartisan—it’s mandatory.

The irony is staggering. The U.S. sends Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually. Israel uses that money to fund lobbying infrastructure that then cycles back into American politics, shaping public opinion and buying silence. This is not foreign policy—it is political laundering.

And yet, there is an even darker undercurrent to this influence—one rooted not just in money, but blackmail and coercion. That shadowy underside came dangerously close to exposure with the saga of Jeffrey Epstein.

Though widely branded as a disgraced financier and sex offender, Epstein’s real role was far more sinister. Backed by vast, unexplained wealth and cloaked in luxury, Epstein constructed an elite trap—an opulent web of yachts, villas, and underage girls designed not for personal pleasure alone, but for surveillance and leverage. Powerful politicians, industrialists, scientists, and media figures were lured in, indulged, and secretly recorded. His guest list included former presidents, royalty, billionaires, and lawmakers—many now suspiciously silent.

According to multiple intelligence reports and leaked sources, Epstein was an operative tied to Mossad, Israel’s elite spy agency. The data gathered—videos, images, confidential conversations—formed a cache of blackmail so extensive and so damning that it could paralyze the upper echelons of American power. Epstein’s mysterious death in custody—whether suicide or assassination—is widely believed to have been an effort to prevent those secrets from ever seeing daylight. What remains is a chilling reality: those files still exist—and they’re being weaponized by Mossad to control, blackmail, and compromise the very people entrusted with U.S. policymaking.

This is why every resolution at the UN demanding accountability for Israel is vetoed. Why every bomb dropped on a school in Gaza is whitewashed. Why every massacre is met with the same script: “Israel has a right to defend itself,” “Hamas uses human shields,” “It’s complicated.” These aren’t diplomatic statements—they are the product of manipulated consensus created by fear, funding, and in some cases, deep compromise.

The Muslim world’s response to this has been, at best, symbolic. Protests erupt. Speeches are delivered. Hashtags trend. But the facts on the ground remain unchanged. Gaza still burns. Settlements still grow. Aid convoys are still bombed into oblivion. Because the real battlefield is not Gaza—it’s Washington, D.C. And unless Muslims engage there—with the same precision, professionalism, and persistence as Israel—nothing will change.

This is not a call for violence. This is a call for strategy.

Muslims have failed to build a lobbying apparatus to challenge AIPAC’s grip on American power. Yet the resources are not lacking. The Gulf States alone manage over $2 trillion in sovereign wealth. Even a fraction—just $1 billion annually—could fund an American-staffed, data-driven, secular Muslim PAC, built not on sermons, but on strategy. Former lawmakers, PR experts, constitutional lawyers, media consultants, and think tanks could be mobilized to reshape the American narrative from within.

This would not be “interference.” It would be participation in democracy—the very kind Israel has perfected. It would fund candidates who support justice, oppose apartheid, and understand that human rights cannot be selective. It would challenge biased media through ownership and oversight. It would publish studies, mobilize communities, organize town halls, and train the next generation of Muslim American leaders to speak in the language Washington understands—policy and power.

Some will recoil at the idea of using money and lobbying to influence governance. But this is how the American system works. Corporate America lobbies. The gun industry lobbies. Big Pharma lobbies. Christians, Jews, Armenians, Cubans, Taiwanese—all have professional lobbying infrastructure. The only group that continues to shout from the outside is Muslims—and that isolation is costing innocent lives.

Now, cracks are forming in Israel’s carefully choreographed illusion. Western academics like Judith Butler and Pankaj Mishra are labeling Israeli policies as genocidal. Editorials in CNN, BBC, and even the New York Times have begun questioning Israel’s brutality. European parliaments are debating sanctions. Youth protests across American campuses are echoing the cries of “Free Palestine.” Even Jewish activists are joining the calls. And yet, despite all this growing unrest, nothing changes—because Israel still owns the power centers of the United States.

More disturbingly, Israeli thinkers now justify conquest with colonial analogies—likening the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians to the U.S. treatment of Native Americans or the British colonization of Africa. This isn’t just immoral—it’s legally and philosophically bankrupt. If colonial conquest is acceptable, so too is resistance—as enshrined in international law, the UN Charter, and the Geneva Conventions.

Palestinians, like Afghans before them, have the right to resist occupation. But until the machine enabling that occupation is dismantled, resistance alone will not prevail.

That machine is AIPAC. It is Epstein’s tapes. It is Mossad’s silent hand. And it is America’s refusal to confront its own corruption.

So here lies the choice for the Muslim world: keep protesting, or start investing. Stop reacting—and start shaping. Replace symbolic outrage with strategic influence. Build a Muslim AIPAC. Fund campaigns. Draft bills. Support honest media. Train candidates. Influence education. Enter the boardroom. Make standing for Palestine profitable and political suicide to oppose it.

Only when the cost of supporting Israel outweighs the benefits will the tide turn. And only then will the Palestinians find what they’ve long deserved—not pity, but power. Not charity, but justice. Not slogans, but sovereignty.

Because the war for Palestine will never be won with rockets from Rafah—but with policies from Capitol Hill. And the blueprint for victory does not lie in ancient grievances—it lies in Washington, D.C.

By Qamar Bashir

 Press Secretary to the President (Rtd)

 Former Press Minister, Embassy of Pakistan to France

 Former MD, SRBC | Macomb, Michigan, USA

Amina A Ghafoor

I recently attended a professional development event that brought together a diverse group of attendeesmen and women from various industries and backgrounds. At first glance, the gathering appeared to reflect progress: inclusion, diversity, and collaboration. However, what unfolded during the session left me disheartened and frustrated. It served as a reminder that while there is a visible respect for women in professional spaces, true inclusivity especially in practice still has a long way to go.

Unfortunately, the session was poorly planned. Although women were present in the audience, every activity, example, and interaction seemed designed exclusively with men in mind. From the outset, it was clear that no consideration had been given to creating an inclusive environment. As a woman in attendance, I felt not only excluded but deeply uncomfortable. The discomfort did not stem from being in the minority a familiar experience for many women in male-dominated fields like engineering but from the blatant disregard for gender sensitivity.

Throughout the session, patriarchal jokes were made, often at the expense of women. These were neither harmless nor humorous; they were offensive, tone-deaf, and entirely inappropriate for a professional setting. Even more disturbing was the casual manner in which they were delivered—and the laughter that followed from most of the male participants. The few women present—accomplished, experienced professionalswere visibly uneasy, their confidence evidently shaken. Some made efforts to engage, but gradually withdrew as the environment failed to foster equal participation. A handful of men noticed the imbalance and attempted to advocate for fairness and respect, but the dominant group, which appeared unwilling to examine its own behavior, quickly dismissed them directly or indirectly.

This experience was a powerful and painful reminder of why gender equity remains such a critical and urgent issue in our society, particularly in professional environments. In sectors like engineering and technology, where women remain significantly underrepresented, such experiences can be especially disheartening. They echo the early challenges many women face in their careers: often being the only woman in the room, constantly needing to prove their capabilities, working twice as hard for recognition, and confronting biases rooted not in merit, but in gender.

There is often hope that things are moving in the right direction that professional spaces are becoming more inclusive and equitable. Many individuals do actively foster such environments by mentoring young women, advocating for diversity, and ensuring all voices are heard and respected, regardless of gender. Yet, experiences like this serve as sobering reminders that progress is not as widespread as it may appear. The attitudes encountered are not isolated; they remain deeply embedded in professional culture.

What is most disheartening is realizing that many young women entering the workforce today continue to face the same challenges that previous generations encountered. Despite some areas of progress, the underlying structures of bias and inequality remain largely intact. This persistent reality is not only disappointing it is deeply discouraging.

We must understand that the gender gap cannot be closed through token gestures or one-time diversity initiatives. It requires sustained, systemic change. The first step toward that change is acknowledging the problem. Too often, concerns about gender bias are dismissed as exaggerated or irrelevant. But those of us who experience it know the reality all too well.

In societies like ours, where patriarchal norms are deeply entrenched, the burden of change cannot fall solely on women’s shoulders. Men especially those in leadership positions must become active participants in the movement toward gender equity. They must be willing to listen, to learn, and to challenge the behaviors and mindsets that perpetuate inequality.

Achieving gender equity is not just a matter of social justice it is an economic imperative. In a country grappling with economic instability, the exclusion of women from key industries and leadership roles is not only unjust but also inefficient. We cannot afford to overlook the contributions of half our population. When women are empowered to participate fully in the economy, societies thrive. Yet with the current slow pace of gender awareness and inclusivity, we are hindering our own development.

It is time to move beyond surface-level solutions and commit to deep, meaningful change. Gender awareness and sensitivity must be integrated across all sectors especially education, industry, and policy. Gender studies should be made a compulsory subject from school through university, just like religious studies. Early education plays a crucial role in shaping mindsets. Teaching children to value all genders equally helps lay the foundation for a society that not only upholds equality in principle but actively practices inclusivity and equity in everyday and professional life.

Beyond awareness, professional environments must turn intention into action by creating spaces where women are not only present but are genuinely included and supported. In fields like engineering and IT where gender disparities remain stark proactive measures are essential. Creating safe, inclusive, and equitable work environments, where all voices are heard and respected, should not be a mere policy statement it must become a cultural standard embedded in daily practice.

Of course, it is important to recognize that progress is being made. There are individuals and organizations actively working to close the gender gap, sometimes at great personal and professional cost. These trailblazers both women and men are our hope. Their efforts, though they may seem small in the grand scheme, matter. They create ripples that can eventually lead to waves of transformative change.And so, while this recent experience was disappointing, it also strengthened my resolve. I am reminded of why we must continue to speak up, even when it is uncomfortable. Why we must challenge the status quo, even when it resists. And why we must support one anotherespecially women just beginning their professional journeys.

One can hope for a future where no woman walks into a room and feels invisible, unheard, or out of place. A future where no young professional is made to question her abilities, diminish her presence, or conform to a space never designed to include her. A future where workplaces are not only diverse in numbers but inclusive in culture where leadership reflects the richness of different perspectives, and where policies are not performative but truly transformative. A future where respect, opportunity, and equity are not demands, but values inherently upheld.Those days are coming but only if we continue working toward them. Change doesn’t just happen. We build it together.

Amina A Ghafoor

Manager Sales Technical & Commercial-BEE, MSPM