by MUSA OZUGURLU

With Damascus fallen and Sanaa under bombardment, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seizing a renewed opportunity to reassert Muslim Brotherhood influence across the Arab world – from Syria and Lebanon to Jordan and Yemen.

During the so-called Arab Spring, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan envisioned reviving Neo-Ottoman ambitions through ideological alignment with the Muslim Brotherhood. But as Brotherhood-linked movements faltered, especially after Egypt’s 2013 coup, those plans were shelved. 

Now, 14 years later, with Damascus fallen and regional dynamics shifting, Erdogan sees an opening to rekindle the Brotherhood’s influence.

That influence now extends far beyond Syria and Egypt, with Brotherhood-affiliated movements resurging across Lebanon, Jordan, and Yemen – regions where Erdogan has maintained deep, often unofficial, networks of support.

Turkiye’s Islamist turn and Brotherhood networks

Erdogan never truly abandoned his broader regional agenda. Over the years, he gradually shifted Turkiye’s secular foreign policy to a more aggressive, Islamist-aligned approach – reaching out not only to states but also to ideologically aligned organizations and individuals. 

That included offering state support to controversial figures like Tariq al-Hashimi, the former Iraqi vice president sentenced to death in Iraq, who received both a vehicle and driver from Istanbul’s municipal government under Erdogan’s rule.

Most notably, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood found refuge in Istanbul after being designated a terrorist organization by Cairo. Some members even aired broadcasts calling for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s assassination – beaming their message from Turkish soil. Erdogan’s strategic alliance with Qatar further solidified his patronage of the Brotherhood, creating friction with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

A legacy of Brotherhood ties

Erdogan’s ideological affinity with the Brotherhood is rooted in decades of Turkish-Islamist history. As noted by Professor Behlul Ozkan of Ozyegin University, Brotherhood figures such as Said Ramadan – the son-in-law of founder Hassan al-Banna – were forging ties with Turkish Islamists as early as the 1950s. In this context, Erdogan became both a product of and a model for Brotherhood-aligned movements.

His open backing of Egypt’s late former President Mohamed Morsi included dispatching the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) chief propagandist, Erol Olcok, to assist in Morsi’s campaign. Yet the Brotherhood’s defeats – from Cairo to Tunisia – necessitated a tactical recalibration. 

When Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt blockaded Qatar, Erdogan firmly sided with Doha, triggering years of strained ties with the Arab trio.

Eventually, rapprochements with these regional powers forced Erdogan to tone down overt Brotherhood ties. But behind the scenes, the groundwork for renewed cooperation persisted – especially through Syria, where Erdogan has actively supported groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the successor to Al-Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front, which now forms the backbone of the new Syrian government. 

The Cradle for more

by B. R. GOWANI

Bernie Sanders is back in the field for the 3rd time

this time he’s joined y AOC or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

1st time was in 2016 when lost again Hillary Clinton

Bernie had a very strong support at that time

he could have formed a third party and would have defeated Donald Trump

he didn’t do — it’s Sander’s tragedy — more correctly his supporters’

2nd time in 2020 Sanders ran against Biden and was in a strong position

but Obama and others supported Biden and Sanders had to quit

in 2025, Sanders is “Fighting Oligarchy,” as usual

Sanders denies that he’s in the race, probably true

he presents AOC as the face of future

AOC is raising certain progressive issues

the question is, is she going to maintain the consistency

the doubt arises because she is in the Democratic “camp“

why don’t Sanders & AOC invite Kshama Sawant of Workers Strike Back

she’s great fighter, organizer, a dedicated socialist & could be a great asset

now to the heading of this piece

where are the powerful top leaders of the Democratic Party?

James Carville says Democrats should “roll over and play dead”

this will force people to invite Democrats to fight Trump‘s excesses

political strategist James Carville is an establishment Democrat

he’s not in favor of either Sanders or AOC

the real reason top Democrats are invisible at this time is …

they’re waiting for the right time to strike back

when is that right time?

well, when victory of AOC/Sanders seems quite imminent

that is the time the Democratic brass will appear on the scene

unless …

they’re able to dilute AOC’s & Sanders’ progressiveness enough

that is, progressive ideas digestible to the rich Democratic donors

B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com

Here are the Roman women who made their mark on the ancient empire.

Women in ancient Rome held very few rights and by law were not considered equal to men, according to a 2018 article on The Great Courses Daily. Roman women rarely held any public office or positions of power, and instead their role was expected to be caring for children and looking after the home. 

Most women in Roman society were controlled by either their father or husband. Especially among richer families, women and young girls were married off in order to form political or financial relationships, and rarely could choose their partner. 

Despite this lack of rights, there is evidence of a few exceptional women who managed to attain great power and influence in ancient Rome. While some controlled events from the sidelines, others took matters into their own hands, forming conspiracies and even assassination plots to seize control of the Roman empire.

Live Science for more

Youtube for more

Maleesha Kharwa is an Indian model, social media influencer, and internet personality recognized for her journey from Mumbai’s slums to the fashion industry. Known for her striking looks and inspiring journey, she has since worked with various brands and advocates for underprivileged communities, using her platform to raise awareness about social issues.^[1][2][3]

Wikipedia for more

by PATRYK TADEUSZ

“By nominating Trump as the defender of its interests, the world – and not just the American – bourgeoisie has chosen a path similar to that of 100 years ago”

“We in India connected well with President Trump and with the words of candidate Trump, “Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar”, rang loud and clear” – these words were spoken by the right-wing Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in August 2019, openly supporting the re-election campaign of Donald Trump in the 2020 US presidential election. And I recall this for a reason, because we are currently observing the widespread joy of far-right forces around the world due to Donald Trump’s return to power in Washington.

1. The Hopes of Multipolarists

In recent years, a number of commentators in left-wing circles – or what some call the “extreme left” – to which I belong and proudly identify myself – have been living in a certain belief. A trend had emerged in most of the global communist and anti-imperialist movements in recent years to believe in the emergence and permanent constitution of a multipolar world. I must admit with shame that I myself fell for this naive bait a few years ago (as evidenced by my articles from late 2022 and early 2023).

The illusion of this “multipolar world” was not entirely naive, however. First, this term (which was once part of academic Marxism only) began to appear in official documents and statements by heads of state. Russia, in particular, began to use “multipolarism” as a diplomatic figure after the launch of a special military operation in Ukraine. Media and politicians sympathetic to BRICS also began to talk about the formation of a multipolar world.

The second aspect of this not being just rhetoric was the steady weakening of the US global position in the international arena. Let’s be clear: we have been living for almost 40 years in a unipolar world completely subordinated to the US. Or rather, not the US but the global bourgeoisie that was concentrated mainly in the US and its interests.

Joe Biden’s presidency has been a series of diplomatic disasters for the US position. And of course, that’s good for the world, because the fall of the US will liberate – temporarily, until another capitalist hegemon takes its place – the nations of the world from the yoke of this one-sided imperialism.

The supporters of the multipolarity theory are convinced that this period, when the US unipolar hegemony will fall, will allow for the birth of many independent players on the arena of world capitalism, who will not be so strong as to destroy – as the US is currently doing – all revolutionary movements in the world. This, they argue, will allow for:

1. local communist-led revolutions in certain countries of the world (although I am not sure that they themselves believe in this outcome);
2. even if it does not lead to a single socialist revolution anywhere, at least the countries of the Global South, not being under the yoke of American imperialism, will be able to develop their own national bourgeoisie and go through an industrial revolution.

The Friday Times for more

by MAIRA ASIF

WLUML for more

THE WIRE ANALYSIS

The NYT has noted that “the direct language” Modi has used against Muslims contrasts with the image he presents globally.

In recent years, the Hindutva Right and BJP leaders have often used “puncturewalla”, a colloquial term for someone who repairs tyre punctures, as a slur against working-class Muslims in India.

On Monday (April 14), Prime Minister Narendra Modi ostensibly criticised the Congress party’s policies regarding the Waqf Board and said, “If it had been used as per its purpose, then today, my Muslim youth would not have had to spend their lives fixing punctures on bicycles.”

While pretending that he was merely implying that the Congress’s policies had left Muslims economically disadvantaged, he referenced the occupation in a way that perpetuates stereotypes about the community in line with the more direct slurs used by his supporters.

Since his days as Gujarat’s chief minister, Modi has made a series of controversial statements about Muslims that have drawn widespread criticism for furthering anti-Muslim hatred and deepening communal divides in the country. His most notorious Islamophobic remarks include calling Muslims “infiltrators”, mocking their family size, referring to relief camps as “baby-producing centres” and repeatedly using dog whistles to vilify the community.

Modi often uses coded language, but the intent and target are widely recognised by his supporters, analysts and even victims.

As the New York Times noted in April 2024, “the direct language used against the country’s largest minority was a contrast to the image Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents on the world stage.”

Modi has often used indirect language and dog whistles, such as references to “appeasement”, “vote bank politics”, “Mughals” (historical Muslim rulers) and “outsiders”, to suggest Muslims are disloyal or a threat to the Hindu majority.

His anti-Muslim rhetoric has been most explicit during election campaigns, especially when seeking to polarise Hindu voters.

According to a Human Rights Watch report, Modi made anti-Muslim remarks in at least 110 out of 173 speeches during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, wrongly accusing the opposition of favouring Muslims and fostering fear among Hindus through disinformation.

His speeches included untrue claims that the opposition ‘only promoted Muslim rights’ and that Muslims would be given priority access to resources, furthering the narrative of Muslims as outsiders or threats.

The BJP, under Modi’s leadership, has released campaign videos depicting Muslims as threats, such as one showing opposition leader Rahul Gandhi placing an egg marked ‘Muslims’ into a nest, and another accusing the Congress of planning to redistribute resources to Muslims.

Here is a list of some of the past instances where Modi has used anti-Muslim slurs in his public speeches that have been reported by the media.

‘Baby-producing centres’/‘Baby factories’

After the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modi was reported to have referred to relief camps for Muslim riot victims as “baby-producing centres” or “baby factories”, perpetuating the stereotype of Muslims as hyper-fertile and a demographic threat. “What should we do? Run relief camps? Should we open child-producing centres?”

At a campaign rally, he insinuated that relief camps for riot-affected Muslims might turn into “baby factories”, implying Muslims have large families and do not deserve relief from the government.

The Wire for more

by TARIQ ALI

To the victors, the spoils. A hundred years ago, after the conclusion of the First World War, the British Empire and its French ally broke up the old Ottoman-dominated Arab world and created new countries (Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia), principalities and outposts (the Gulf States, southern Yemen) and puppet states (Egypt, Iran), as well as laying the foundations on which Israel would be built, after the Second World War.

To the victors, the spoils. A hundred or so years later, after the collapse of the Communist world, the triumphant United States moved rapidly to balkanize the Arab world and remove all real and imagined threats to its hegemony. A tally of the 21st-century wars that have wrecked the Middle East provides a horrific balance sheet, by any standard. How is the situation they created viewed by the imperial strategists in Washington? ‘Freedom’ and ‘democracy’ are even more remote than they were under the authoritarian-nationalist Arab dictatorships. Even the most cynical occupants of the White House and the Pentagon find it difficult to justify in public the mess they have created.

Over the past year alone, the occupied Palestinian segment of the Arab world has been subjected to the most savage assault by the West, acting through its ever-loyal relay, Israel. The medieval Crusades were brutal, but the lack of technical superiority in weapons on either side gave the Arabs, fighting on their own lands, an advantage. This time Israel and its Western allies have been starving and killing Palestinians. Images of infant bodies being devoured by dogs wandering through deserted streets are a chilling symbol of the full-spectrum nature of this destruction. The British Prime Minister now wants to convince Trump to change the definition of genocide, to avoid future legal embarrassment. Western civilization/barbarism at play. Curiously enough, Trump, judging by his own remarks, may be less keen on killing than the leader of the British Labour Party.

On the face of it, American hegemony in the region is virtually complete. The us embarked on a global policy of divide, occupy, buy and rule. What started in earnest with the Yugoslav civil war has now become a regular feature of us strategy supported by Britain and most of the eu. The gains made by the West in the world’s richest energy zone since the defeat of the Axis powers in 1945 have been breathtaking. A brief survey of the region can help to highlight what has been lost and signal the direction in which it is heading.

Saudi Arabia

The first foreign call made by Trump after his 2025 inauguration was to the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (mbs). Few were surprised. True, mbs had ordered the execution and dismemberment of a critic, Jamal Khashoggi, who backed another faction in the royal family and wrote regularly for the us press, criticizing mbs for ultra-liberalism and involvement in the Yemen war. Khashoggi’s family had been lampooned in Cities of Salt, the celebrated tetralogy by the exiled Saudi novelist, Abdurrahman Munif.footnote¹ Khashoggi’s uncle was the personal doctor of the founding monarch, Ibn Saud, and became a rich and influential businessman. This proximity to Saudi and Jordanian royals led Jamal to imagine that he was untouchable, an error of judgement that cost him his life. He traipsed along happily to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to collect an official document. Captured by an mbs assassination team, or firqat el-nemr (‘leopard squad’), he was shot dead and dismembered, his body parts packed neatly in separate parcels. The Turkish secret police filmed the whole business, since the Consulate was naturally under surveillance. They prevented Khashoggi’s remains from leaving the country and Erdo?an exposed the Leopard Prince to global scrutiny. American colleagues professed themselves shocked and Khashoggi was granted a Time cover and matching obituary; but mbs was secure. The fuss soon died down. With the Israelis killing over two hundred Palestinian journalists in Gaza, a solitary Saudi, despite the victim’s high-society contacts in Riyadh and Washington, seems a bagatelle.

New Left Review for more

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The chimpanzee and bonobo are humans’ closest living relatives.

These three species look alike in many ways, both in body and behavior. But for a clear understanding of how closely they are related, scientists compare their DNA, an essential molecule that’s the instruction manual for building each species. Humans and chimps share a surprising 98.8 percent of their DNA. How can we be so similar–and yet so different?

So Much Alike…

Human and chimp DNA is so similar because the two species are so closely related. Humans, chimps and bonobos descended from a single ancestor species that lived six or seven million years ago. As humans and chimps gradually evolved from a common ancestor, their DNA, passed from generation to generation, changed too. In fact, many of these DNA changes led to differences between human and chimp appearance and behavior.

Examine the Evidence

Matching DNA? Human and chimp DNA is nearly identical when you compare the bands on chromosomes, the bundles of DNA inside nearly every cell. Which two chromosomes are more alike?

Banding Patterns

The light and dark bands on these chromosomes, created by a laboratory dye, reveal similarities and differences among human, chimp and mouse DNA.

Human and chimp X chromosomes both contain about 1,100 different genes, or sets of instructions. Each gene affects a particular trait in the body.

American Museum of Natural History for more