Since the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February
28, the narrative surrounding Iran has intensified. For decades, Western
policymakers and media outlets have repeatedly presented Iran as a greater
threat to the region than Israel. The question is whether this narrative is now
being expanded to create a direct confrontation between Iran and the Arab Gulf
states.
There is another important distinction that deserves
attention. The United States maintains military facilities and assets in
several GCC countries. When Iran retaliates against American military targets,
reports can easily create the impression that Iran is attacking the territory
of the Gulf state hosting those facilities. The distinction between an attack
on a US military asset and an attack on the host country should not be lost.
When attempts to pressure or destabilize Iran failed to
produce the expected outcome, the familiar sectarian card also appeared.
Reports involving the alleged killing of a Sunni cleric were circulated with
the potential to inflame Shia-Sunni tensions, although subsequent developments
did not substantiate the dramatic interpretation initially suggested.
Now comes an even more sensitive issue, reports that the
Houthis targeted Mecca.
Saudi authorities say a Houthi drone was intercepted south
of Mecca, while the Houthis deny targeting the holy city. Such a serious
allegation demands independent verification, not sensational headlines.
The danger is obvious. Mecca and Medina are not
Saudi-Iranian, Shia-Sunni or Arab-Persian issues. They belong to the entire
Muslim Ummah.
The Iraq WMD narrative demonstrated how devastating a
questionable intelligence narrative can become when it is converted into
political justification for war. The consequences were measured not merely in
headlines but in human lives and regional instability.
Muslims should therefore reject attempts to exploit the
sanctity of the holy cities for geopolitical or sectarian purposes. If the
Houthis actually targeted Mecca or Medina, the evidence should be established
transparently. If they did not, the allegation must not be allowed to become
the spark for a much larger conflict.
The Muslim world cannot afford another war manufactured
through narratives, rumours and sectarian emotions. The first responsibility
should be to verify—not to mobilize.
