So there was an article from Wired by journalist Taylor Lorenz about Democratic Influencers being funded by dark money on the 27th of August 20251 that has caused a mess online that doesn't seem to be going away. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then please skip this, you do not need to know, trust me.
ContraPoints is a very successful creator of YouTube video essays that are critical of American politics and discourse from a progressive perspective. She has been silent on the genocide of the Palestinian people until about two weeks ago and while there are plenty of other commentators that have raked her comments over the coals. I want to pen my own thoughts down.
Also a Zio defended the concepts of ethno-states and I need to clarify my own thoughts there as well.
Finally AOC disappoints yet again.
Zohran Mamdani, Democratic Nominee for Mayor of New York City, has faced constant attacks targeting him for his faith since his campaign for Mayor started to see success.1
On the 2nd of July 2025, one day after Canada Day, a Muslim woman was swarmed in the city of Osahwa, her hijab pulled off of her as she was stomped in the head.2
Three Palestinian men were shot in Burlington Vermont for the sin of speaking Arabic and wearing keffiyehs, one of them will never walk again. 3
Six year old Wadea al-Fayoume was stabbed to death by his landlord in Plainfield Township, who yelled "You Muslims must die." 4
Happy Canada Day everyone. Let's take the opportunity to talk about something our Prime Minister, Mark Carney said on CNN in late June 2025. He said, and I am paraphrasing slightly that we cannot have peace in the Middle East unless we have a 'Zionist, if you will, Palestinian state' that recognizes the right of Israel to 'not live in fear'.
This is so incredibly insane that I am left wondering what Canadian values even are anymore. Let's quickly analyze this.
Us Shia people are in the news a lot lately. What with the groups and countries that are directly resisting Israel outside of Palestine being Shia, and Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City being Shia as well. And since it's the start of the Islamic Month of Muharram, which is an incredibly important time for us. It's a good time to talk about what that means.
The three month countdown to the book launch officially began two days ago and I wish I had more in the hours in the day to do the novel justice in my marketing efforts. Still it is what it is and Alhamdulillah there is so much that I was able to do in this month.
I was in Saudi Arabia in 1990 when the First Gulf War erupted. While I was never in real danger, I vividly remember, as a 9 year old, crowding into my parent's bedroom and putting on gas masks to ward off any chemical weapons Saddam might have lobbed at Saudi Arabia in retaliation for hosting American bases and troops.
Then, at least, there was a clear justification for the war, Iraq had invaded Kuwait, and the entire world, under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 678, was united in authorizing the use of force to liberate Kuwait.
In the 35 years since however, the pretexts for wars in West Asia, by the West, have grown increasingly flimsy, and yet the war drums never fail.
The reason why seems obvious to me.
I think it is safe to say that most people who grow up in the West have a negative bias towards Iran. This is neither a good thing or a bad thing. Being biased is just a core part of being human.
The problem comes when we treat our biases as conclusions instead of the first reaction that they actually are