Scott Ritter: We are witnessing the bittersweet birth of a new Russia | VT Foreign Policy March 10, 2024 VT Condemns the ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINIANS by USA/Israel $ 280 BILLION US TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVESTED since 1948 in US/Israeli Ethnic Cleansing and Occupation Operation; $ 150B direct "aid" and $ 130B in "Offense" contracts Source: Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C. and US Department of State. Tucker Carlson’s confused exasperation over Russian President Vladmir Putin’s extemporaneous history lesson at the start of their landmark February interview (which has been watched more than a billion times), underscored one realty. For a Western audience, the question of the historical bona fides of Russia’s claim of sovereign interest in territories located on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnieper River, currently claimed by Ukraine, is confusing to the point of incomprehension. Vladimir Putin, however, did not manufacture his history lesson from thin air. Anyone who has followed the speeches and writings of the Russian president over the years would have found his comments to Carlson quite familiar, echoing both in tone and content previous statements made concerning both the viability of the Ukrainian state from an historic perspective, and the historical ties between what Putin has called Novorossiya (New Russia) and the Russian nation. For example, on March 18, 2014, during his announcement regarding the annexation of Crimea, the president observed that “after the [Russian] Revolution [of 1917], for a number of reasons the Bolsheviks – let God judge them – added historical sections of the south of Russia to the Republic of Ukraine. This was done with no consideration for the ethnic composition of the population, and these regions today form the south-east of Ukraine.” Later during a televised question-and-answer session, Putin declared that “what was called Novorossiya back in tsarist days – Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Nikolayev and Odessa – were not part of Ukraine then. These territories were given to Ukraine in the 1920s by the Soviet Government. Why? Who knows? They were won by Potemkin and Catherine the Great in a series of well-known wars. The center of that territory was Novorossiysk, so the region is called Novorossiya. Russia lost these territories for various reasons, but the people remained.” Novorossiya isn’t just a construct of Vladimir Putin’s imagination, but rather a notion drawn from historic fact that resonated with the people who populated the territories it encompassed. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was an abortive effort by pro-Russia citizens of the new Ukrainian state to restore Novorossiya as an independent region. Scott Ritter: Helping Crimea recover from decades of Ukrainian misrule is a tough but necessary challenge Read more Scott Ritter: Helping Crimea recover from decades of Ukrainian misrule is a tough but necessary challenge While this effort failed, the concept of a greater Novorossiya confederation was revived in May 2014 by the newly proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. But this effort, too, was short-lived, being put on ice in 2015. This, however, did not mean the death of the idea of Novorossiya. On February 21, 2022, Putin delivered a lengthy address to the Russian nation on the eve of his decision to send Russian troops into Ukraine as part of what he termed a Special Military Operation. Those who watched Tucker Carlson’s February 9, 2024, interview with Putin would have been struck by the similarity between the two presentations. While he did not make a direct reference to Novorossiya, the president did outline fundamental historic and cultural linkages which serve as the foundation for any discussion about the viability and legitimacy of Novorossiya in the context of Russian-Ukrainian relations. “I would like to emphasize,” Putin said, “once again that Ukraine is not just a neighboring country for us. It is an integral part of our own history, culture, and spiritual space. It is our friends, our relatives, not only colleagues, friends, and former work colleagues, but also our relatives and close family members. Since the oldest times,” Putin continued, “the inhabitants of the south-western historical territories of ancient Russia have called themselves Russians and Orthodox Christians. It was the same in the 17th century, when a part of these territories [i.e., Novorossiya] was reunited with the Russian state, and even after that.” The Russian president set forth his contention that the modern state of Ukraine was an invention of Vladimir Lenin, the founding father of the Soviet Union. “Soviet Ukraine is the result of the Bolsheviks’ policy,” Putin stated, “and can be rightfully called ‘Vladimir Lenin’s Ukraine’. He was its creator and architect. This is fully and comprehensively corroborated by archival documents.” Putin went on to issue a threat which, when seen in the context of the present, proved ominously prescient. “And today the ’grateful progeny’ has overturned monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. They call it decommunization. You want decommunization? Very well, this suits us just fine. But why stop halfway? We are ready to show what real decommunizations would mean for Ukraine.” In September 2022 Putin followed through on this, ordering referendums in four territories (Kherson and Zaporozhye, and the newly independent Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics) to determine whether the populations residing there wished to join the Russian Federation. All four did so. Putin has since then referred to these new Russian territories as Novorossiya, perhaps nowhere more poignantly that in June 2023, when he praised the Russian soldiers “who fought and gave their lives to Novorossiya and for the unity of the Russian world.” The story of those who fought and gave their lives to Novorossiya is one that I have wanted to tell for some time now. I have borne witness here in the United States to the extremely one-sided coverage of the military aspects of Russia’s military operation. Like many of my fellow analysts, I had to undertake the extremely difficult task of trying to parse out fact from an overwhelmingly fictional narrative. Nor was I helped in any way in this regard by the Russian side, which was parsimonious in the release of information that reflected its side of reality. In preparing for my December 2023 visit to Russia, I had hoped to be able to visit the four new Russian territories to see for myself what the truth was when it came to the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. I also wanted to interview the Russian military and civilian leadership to get a broader perspective of the conflict. I had reached out to the Russian Foreign and Defense ministries through the Russian Embassy in the US, bending the ear of both the Ambassador, Anatoly Antonov, and the Defense Attache, Major-General Evgeny Bobkin, about my plans. While both men supported my project and wrote recommendations back to their respective ministries in this regard, the Russian Defense Ministry, which had the final say over what happened in the four new territories, vetoed the idea. This veto was not because they didn’t like the idea of me writing an in-depth analysis of the conflict from the Russian perspective, but rather that the project as I outlined it, which would have required sustained access to frontline units and personnel, was deemed too dangerous. In short, the Russian Defense Ministry did not relish the idea of me being killed on its watch. Under normal circumstances, I would have backed off. I had no desire to create any difficulty with the Russian government, and I was always cognizant of the reality that I was a guest in the country. Western ‘expertise’ on the Ukraine conflict could lead the world to a nuclear disaster Read more Western ‘expertise’ on the Ukraine conflict could lead the world to a nuclear disaster The last thing I wanted to be was a “war tourist,” where I put myself and others at risk for purely personal reasons. But I also felt strongly that if I were going to continue to provide so-called “expert analysis” about the military operation and the geopolitical realities of Novorossiya and Crimea, then I needed to see these places firsthand. I strongly believed that I had a professional obligation to see the new territories. Fortunately for me, Aleksandr Zyryanov, a Crimea native and director general of the Novosibirsk Region Development Corporation, agreed. It wasn’t going to be easy. We first tried to enter the new territories via Donetsk, driving west out of Rostov-on-Don. However, when we arrived at the checkpoint, we were told that the Ministry of Defense had not cleared us for entry. Not willing to take no for an answer, Aleksandr drove south, towards Krasnodar, and then – after making some phone calls – across the Crimean Bridge into Crimea. Once it became clear that we were planning on entering the new territories from Crimea, the Ministry of Defense yielded, granting permission for me to visit the four new Russian territories under one non-negotiable condition – I was not to go anywhere near the frontlines. We left Feodosia early on the morning of January 15, 2024. At Dzhankoy, in northern Crimea, we took highway 18 north toward the Tup-Dzhankoy Peninsula and the Chongar Strait, which separates the Sivash lagoon system that forms the border between Crimea and the mainland into eastern and western portions. It was here that Red Army forces, on the night of November 12, 1920, broke through the defenses of the White Army of General Wrangel, leading to the capture of the Crimean Peninsula by Soviet forces. And it was also here that the Russian Army, on February 24, 2022, crossed into the Kherson Region from Crimea. The Chongar Bridge is one of three highway crossings that connect Crimea with Kherson. It has been struck twice by Ukrainian forces seeking to disrupt Russian supply lines, once, in June 2023, when it was hit by British-made Storm Shadow missiles, and once again that August when it was hit by French-made SCALP missiles (a variant of the Storm Shadow.) In both instances, the bridge was temporarily shut down for repairs, evidence of which was clearly visible as we made our way across, and on to the Chongar checkpoint, where we were cleared by Russian soldiers for entry into the Kherson Region. At the checkpoint we picked up a vehicle carrying a bodyguard detachment from the reconnaissance company of the Sparta Battalion, a veteran military formation whose roots date back to the very beginning of the Donbass revolt against the Ukrainian nationalists who seized power in Kiev during the February 2014 Maidan coup. They would be our escort through the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions – even though we were going to give the frontlines a wide berth, Ukrainian “deep reconnaissance groups”, or DRGs, were known to target traffic along the M18 highway. Aleksandr was driving an armored Chevrolet Suburban, and the Sparta detachment had their own armored SUV. If we were to come under attack, our response would be to try and drive through the ambush. If that failed, then the Sparta boys would have to go to work. Our first destination was the city of Genichesk, a port city along the Sea of Azov. Genichesk is the capital of the Genichesk District of the Kherson Region and, since November 9, 2022, when Russian forces withdrew from the city of Kherson, it has served as the temporary capital of the region. Aleksandr had been on his phone since morning, and his efforts had paid off – I was scheduled to meet with Vladimir Saldo, the local Governor. RT Genichesk is – literally – off the beaten path. When we reached the town of Novoalekseyevka, we got off the M18 highway and headed east along a two-lane road that took us toward the Sea of Azov. There were armed checkpoints all along the route, but the Sparta bodyguards were able to get us waved through without any issues. But the effect of these checkpoints was chilling – there was no doubt that one was in a region at war. To call Genichesk a ghost town would be misleading – it is populated, and the evidence of civilian life is everywhere you look. The problem was, there didn’t seem to be enough people present. The city, like the region, is in a general state of decay, a holdover from the neglect it had suffered at the hands of a Ukrainian government that largely ignored territories that had, since 2004, voted in favor of the Party of Regions, the party of former President Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted in the February 2014 Maidan coup. Nearly two years of war had likewise contributed to the atmosphere of societal neglect, an impression which was magnified by the weather – overcast, cold, with a light sleet blowing in off the water. As we made our way into the building where the government of the Kherson Region had established its temporary offices, I couldn’t help but notice a statue of Lenin in the courtyard. Ukrainian nationalists had taken it down in July 2015, but the citizens of Genichesk had reinstalled it in April 2022, once the Russians had taken control of the city. Given Putin’s feeling about the role Lenin played in creating Ukraine, I found both the presence of this monument, and the role of the Russian citizens of Genichesk in restoring it, curiously ironic. Vladimir Saldo is a man imbued with enthusiasm for his work. A civil engineer by profession, with a PhD in economics, Saldo had served in senior management positions in the “Khersonbud” Project and Construction Company before moving on into politics, serving on the Kherson City Council, the Kherson Regional Administration, and two terms as the mayor of the city of Kherson. Saldo, as a member of the Party of Regions, moved to the opposition and was effectively subjected to political ostracism in 2014, when the Ukrainian nationalists who had seized power all but forced it out of politics. Aleksandr and I had the pleasure of meeting with Saldo in his office in the government building in downtown Genichesk. We talked about a wide range of issues, including his own path from a Ukrainian construction specialist to his current position as the governor of Kherson Oblast. We talked about the war. But Saldo’s passion was the economy, and how he could help revive the civilian economy of Kherson in a manner that best served the interests of its diminished population. On the eve of the military operation, back in early 2022, the population of the Kherson Region stood at just over a million, of which some 280,000 were residing in the city of Kherson. By November 2022, following the withdrawal of Russian forces from the right bank of the Dnieper River – including the city of Kherson – the population of the region had fallen below 400,000 and, with dismal economic prospects, the numbers kept falling. Many of those who left were Ukrainians who did not want to live under Russian rule. But others were Russians and Ukrainians who felt that they had no future in the war-torn region, and as such sought their fortunes elsewhere in Russia. Fyodor Lukyanov: How does the Russia-Ukraine conflict end? Read more Fyodor Lukyanov: How does the Russia-Ukraine conflict end? “My job is to give the people of Kherson hope for a better future,” Saldo told me. “And the time for this to happen is now, not when the war ends.” Restoration of Kherson’s once vibrant agricultural sector is a top priority, and Saldo has personally taken the lead in signing agreements for the provision of Kherson produce to Moscow supermarkets. Saldo has also turned the region into a special economic zone, where potential investors and entrepreneurs can receive preferential loans and financial support, as well as organizational and legal assistance for businesses willing to open shop there. The man responsible for making this vision a reality is Mikhail Panchenko, the Director of the Kherson Region Industry Development Fund. I met Mikhail in a restaurant located across the street from the governmental building which Saldo called home. Mikhail had come to Kherson in the summer of 2022, leaving a prominent position in Moscow in the process. “The Russian government was interested in rebuilding Kherson,” Mikhail told me, “and established the Industry Development Fund as a way of attracting businesses to the region.” Mikhail, who was born in 1968, was too old to enlist in the military. “When the opportunity came to direct the Industry Development Fund, I jumped at it as a way to do my patriotic duty.” The first year of the fund’s operation saw Mikhail hand out 300 million rubles (almost $3.3 million at the current rate) in loans and grants (some of which was used to open the very restaurant where we were meeting.) The second year saw the allotment grow to some 700 million rubles. One of the biggest projects was the opening of a concrete production line capable of producing 60 cubic meters of concrete per hour. Mikhail took Alexander and me on a tour of the plant, which had grown to three production lines generating some 180 cubic meters of concrete an hour. Mikhail had just approved funding for an additional four production lines, for a total concrete production rate of 420 cubic meters per hour. “That’s a lot of concrete,” I remarked to Mikhail. “We are making good use of it,” he replied. “We are rebuilding schools, hospitals, and government buildings that had been neglected over the years. Revitalizing the basic infrastructure a society needs if it is to nurture a growing population.” The problem Mikhail faces, however, is that most of the population growth being experienced in Kherson today comes from the military. The war can’t last forever, Mikhail noted. “Someday the army will leave, and we will need civilians. Right now, the people who left are not returning, and we’re having a hard time attracting newcomers. But we will keep building in anticipation of a time when the population of the Kherson region will grow from an impetus other than war. And for that,” he said, a twinkle in his eye, “we need concrete!” I thought long and hard about the words of Vladimir Saldo and Panchenko as Aleksandr drove back onto the M18 highway, heading northeast, toward Donetsk. The reconstruction efforts being undertaken are impressive. But the number that kept coming to mind was the precipitous decline in the population – more than 60% of the pre-war population has left the Kherson region since the Russian military operation began. According to statistics provided by the Russian Central Election Commission, some 571,000 voters took part in the referendum on joining Russia that was held in late September 2022. A little over 497,000, or some 87%, voted in favor, while slightly more than 68,800, or 12%, voted against. The turnout was almost 77%. Sergey Poletaev: As the second anniversary of the Russia–Ukraine conflict approaches, who has the upper hand? Read more Sergey Poletaev: As the second anniversary of the Russia–Ukraine conflict approaches, who has the upper hand? These numbers, if accurate, implied that there was a population of over 740,000 eligible voters at the time of the election. While the loss of the city of Kherson in November 2022 could account for a significant source of the population drop that took place between September 2022 and the time of my visit in January 2024, it could not account for all of it. The Russian population of Kherson in 2022 stood at approximately 20%, or around 200,000. One can safely say that the number of Russians who fled west to Kiev following the start of the military operation amounts to a negligible figure. If one assumes that the Russian population of the Kherson Region remained relatively stable, then most of the population decline came from the Ukrainian population. While Saldo did not admit to such, the Governor of the neighboring Zaporozhya Region, Yevgeny Balitsky, has acknowledged that many Ukrainian families deemed by the authorities to be anti-Russian were deported following the initiation of the military operation (Russians accounted for a little more than 25% of the pre-conflict Zaporozhye population.) Many others fled to Russia to escape the deprivations of war. Evidence of the war was everywhere to be seen. While the conflict in Kherson has stabilized along a line defined by the Dnieper River, Zaporozhye is very much a frontline region. Indeed, the main direction of attack of the summer 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive was from the Zaporozhye region village of Rabotino, toward the town of Tokmak, and on towards the temporary regional capital of Melitopol (the city of Zaporozhye has remained under Ukrainian control throughout the conflict to date.) I had petitioned to visit the frontlines near Rabotino but had been denied by the Russian Ministry of Defense. So, too, was my request to visit units deployed in the vicinity of Tokmak – too close to the front. The closest I would get would be the city of Melitopol, the ultimate objective of the Ukrainian counterattack. We drove past fields filled with the concrete “dragon’s teeth” and antitank ditches that marked the final layer of defenses that constituted the “Surovikin Line,” named after the Russian General, Sergey Surovikin, who had commanded the forces when the defenses were put in place. The Ukrainians had hoped to reach the city of Melitopol in a matter of days once their attack began; they never breached the first line of defense situated to the southeast of Rabotino. Melitopol, however, is not immune to the horrors of war, with Ukrainian artillery and rockets targeting it often to disrupt Russian military logistics. I kept this in mind as we drove through the streets of the city, past military checkpoints, and roving patrols. I was struck by the fact that the civilians I saw were going about their business, seemingly oblivious to the everyday reality of war that existed around them. As was the case in Kherson, the entirety of the Zaporozhye Region seemed strangely depopulated, as if one were driving through the French capital of Paris in August, when half the city is away on vacation. I had hoped to be able to talk with Balitsky about the reduced population and other questions I had about life in the region during wartime, but this time Aleksandr’s phone could not produce the desired result – Balitsky was away from the region and unavailable. If he had been available, I would have asked him the same question I had put to Saldo earlier in the day: given that Putin was apparently willing to return the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to Ukraine as part of the peace deal negotiated in March 2022, how does the population of his region feel about being part of Russia today? Are they convinced that Russia is, in fact, there to stay? Do they feel like they are a genuine part of the Novorossiya that Putin speaks about? Saldo had talked in depth about the transition from being occupied by Russian forces, which lasted until April-May 2022 (about the time that Ukraine backed out of the ceasefire agreement), to being administered by Moscow. “There never was a doubt in my mind, or anyone else’s, that Kherson was historically a part of Russia,” Saldo said, “or that, once Russian troops arrived, that we would forever be Russian again.” But the declining population, and the admission of forced deportations on the part of Balitsky, suggests that there was a significant part of the population that had, in fact, taken umbrage at such a future. I would have liked to hear what Balitsky had to say about this question. Reality, however, doesn’t deal with hypotheticals, and the present reality is that both Kherson and Zaporozhye are today part of the Russian Federation, and that both regions are populated by people who had made the decision to remain there as citizens of Russia. We will never know what the fate of these two territories would have been had the Ukrainian government honored the ceasefire agreement negotiated in March 2022. What we do know is that today both Kherson and Zaporozhye are part of the “New Territories” – Novorossiya. Russia will for some time find its acquisition of the “new territories” challenged by nations who question the legitimacy of Russia’s military occupation and subsequent absorption of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions into the Russian Federation. The reticence of foreigners to recognize these regions as being part of Russia, however, is the least of Russia’s problems. As was the case with Crimea, the Russian government will proceed irrespective of any international opposition. The real challenge facing Russia is to convince Russians that the new territories are as integral to the Russian motherland as Crimea, a region reabsorbed by Russia in 2014 which has seen its economic fortunes and its population grow over the past decade. The diminished demographics of Kherson and Zaporozhye represent a litmus test of sorts for the Russian government, and for the governments of both Kherson and Zaporozhye. If the populations of these regions cannot regenerate, then these regions will wither on the vine. If, however, these new Russian lands can be transformed into places where Russians can envision themselves raising families in an environment free from want and fear, then Novorossiya will flourish. Novorossiya is a reality, and the people who live there are citizens by choice more than circumstances. They are well served by men like Saldo and Balitsky, who are dedicated to the giant task of making these regions part of the Russian Motherland in actuality, not just in name. Behind Saldo and Balitsky are men like Panchenko, people who left an easy life in Moscow or some other Russian city to come to the “New Territories” not for the purpose of seeking their fortunes, but rather to improve the lives of the new Russian citizens of Novorossiya. For this to happen, Russia must emerge victorious in its struggle against the Ukrainian nationalists ensconced in Kiev, and their Western allies. Thanks to the sacrifices of the Russian military, this victory is in the process of being accomplished. Then the real test begins – turning Novorossiya into a place Russians will want to call home. ATTENTION READERS We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion. About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT. https://www.vtforeignpolicy.com/2024/03/scott-ritter-we-are-witnessing-the-bittersweet-birth-of-a-new-russia/ https://telegra.ph/Scott-Ritter-We-are-witnessing-the-bittersweet-birth-of-a-new-Russia--VT-Foreign-Policy-03-11

Trusting Allah in Difficult Times For Muslims, the Quran and Sunnah provide solace and guidance during difficult times. Islam teaches that life is a temporary test, where hardships strengthen faith, expiate sins, and help individuals become their best selves. Trusting Allah in Difficult Times In this journey of life, we often encounter trying times that test our strength, patience, and faith. When faced with adversity, finding strength and solace is something that many of us seek, and for us Muslims, the Quran and Sunnah serve as sources of comfort and guidance. Islam presents us with a perspective that views this world as a temporal abode, where Allah tests His servants only to raise one’s level of faith when it wavers, to expiate their sins and to bring out the best version of themselves. It is important that Muslims draw on these resources within the rich tapestry of Islamic teachings in the face of adversity. 1. Remember That Allah Does Not Burden a Soul Beyond Its Capacity Allah s.w.t. says in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 286: لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ “Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss.” This verse highlights the belief that Allah does not inflict nor impose a burden on a soul beyond its capacity and serves as a poignant reminder that His wisdom surpasses our comprehension and that the trials and obstacles we encounter are indefinitely tailored to our capabilities. 2. Keep in Mind that Allah Alone is Sufficient for Us, and He is the Best Protector There is another profound Quranic verse that encapsulates and captures the essence of faith, dependence, and submission to God’s divine will. Muslims facing the trials and tribulations of life can turn to this potent verse nestled in Surah Ali-’Imran as a source of comfort and wise counsel. Allah s.w.t. mentions in the Quran: ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًا وَقَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ “Those who were warned, “Your enemies have mobilised their forces against you, so fear them: the warning only made them grow stronger in faith, and they replied, “Allah (alone) is sufficient (as an aid) for us and (He) is the best Protector.” (Surah Ali-’Imran, 3:173) It was recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari that Ibn ‘Abbas explains that the verse refers to the early Muslims who faced immense opposition from their opponent. Despite being warned that a massive army had gathered against them, their faith and trust in Allah s.w.t. only grew stronger. This rooted faith stemmed from their deep understanding of Allah’s power and omniscience. Ibn Kathir also emphasised this concept of reliance on Allah s.w.t. and explained that the verse highlights the inherent strength and resilience that faith can bestow upon individuals. When faced with intimidation and threats, the true believers’ faith remains unshakable, and their trust in Allah s.w.t. is unwavering. Our Prophet Ibrahim a.s. also uttered the same words, “Allah (alone) is sufficient (as an aid) for us and (He) is the best Protector” and placed complete reliance on Allah s.w.t. when he was about to be thrown into a fire pit. As a result, he found coolness and tranquillity amidst the blazing fire. Thus, these faith-inspiring words signify a deep acknowledgement that placing trust in Allah s.w.t. is the key to enduring and overcoming challenges and uncertainties, and it serves as a reminder to the believers that no matter the circumstances one is in, Allah’s care and provision are boundless. He is The Bestower and The Withholder of Mercy, and He, alone, is The Remover of harm and affliction. The recurring utterance of “حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ” reflects not only a verbal expression of trust in Allah but also serves as a profound embodiment of Islamic teachings. The phrase adds a layer of spiritual resilience as it invites one to maintain a positive outlook, trusting that Allah’s plan is ultimately for the best, even if the immediate circumstances may seem otherwise. what does Allah say about hard times Palestinians search a house after an Israeli air strike, in the city of Rafah, southern of the Gaza Strip, on October 15 2023. This is evident in various media coverage of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, where their reliance on Allah s.w.t. (Tawakkal) and admirable patience (Sabr) serve as noteworthy and compelling examples for Muslims around the world. From those who had to pull their own family members out of the rubbles themselves, to the grandfather who forcefully opened the eyes of his granddaughter to take one final look at her face and to the thousands of innocent children whose childhoods are being robbed from them – all of them echoed with a little to no hesitation: Hasbunallah Wa Ni’mal-Wakil. Their resilience becomes a source of inspiration, urging us to introspect and embody similar outlooks and coping mechanisms in our own lives. Read: Navigating The Crisis In Gaza: A Guide by the Asatizah Youth Network 3. Be Patient Another virtue within the teachings of Islam is the virtue of patience (Sabr), and it is held in high regard, constituting an integral element of faith. To be patient is not merely about tolerating adversity and equating it to complacency and resignation but rather about embracing it as an opportunity for advancement and strengthening one’s connection with Allah s.w.t. Patience in Islam is a dynamic and active principle that involves having to endure challenges in life with resilience and complete reliance on Allah s.w.t. while simultaneously engaging in constructive efforts to overcome them. Allah s.w.t. says in the Quran: وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ "O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:153) Read: Quranic Verses About Patience 4. Understand that Everything that Happens to a Believer is Good The Prophet s.a.w. also said in a hadith: مَا يُصِيبُ الْمُسْلِمَ مِنْ نَصَبٍ وَلاَ وَصَبٍ وَلاَ هَمٍّ وَلاَ حُزْنٍ وَلاَ أَذًى وَلاَ غَمٍّ حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا، إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness nor hurt nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that." (Sahih Bukhari) Every event in a believer’s life, even if it seems unfavourable, is ultimately considered good. Thus, as a true believer in times of prosperity, gratitude should blossom, and during periods of hardship, patience should take root. Such steadfast resilience, akin to ‘beautiful patience,’ was exemplified by our Prophets, who faced numerous challenges throughout their lives. The Treaty Of Hudaybiyah is a key example; when faced with resistance to perform pilgrimage in Makkah, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. chose patience and proceeded to engage in negotiations. The resulting treaty may have seemed unfavourable at the time. However, it exemplified patience and trust in Allah’s will and decree, which eventually led to long-term peace and success for the Muslims. Read: 4 Things to Know about The Story of Hudaibiyah 5. Comprehend Allah’s Attributes how to trust Allah That said, it is almost impossible to trust and rely entirely on Allah s.w.t. without knowledge of who He is. To truly know Allah is to delve into an understanding and acknowledgement of His Divine names and attributes, such as Al-Hafiz (The Guardian), Al-’Azim (The Most Great) and Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful). Comprehending these attributes fosters a more rooted sense of trust in Allah s.w.t. and His plans and distinguishes anxiety and worries about the unknown. Therefore, the deeper our awareness of The Almighty, the stronger our certainty in Him, our love towards Him and consequently, the greater our reliance on Him – this is the essence of Tawakkul. In return, it will help us put everything, whether good or bad, into the proper perspective. References: Al-Quran Ibn Kathir Tafsir| Alim.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.alim.org/quran/tafsir/ibn-kathir/surah/3/169/ Bonab, B. G., & Koohsar, A. A. H. (2011, January 1). Reliance on God as a Core Construct of Islamic Psychology. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.043 Parrott, J. (2020, March 23). When Our Worlds Are Shaken: Finding Strength in ‘Beautiful Patience.’ Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://nyuscholars.nyu.edu/en/publications/when-our-worlds-are-shaken-finding-strength-in-beautiful-patience Riyad as-Salihin 76 - The Book of Miscellany - كتاب المقدمات - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:76 Tahir. (2020, April 2). In Hardship and in Ease: How to Rely on God | Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Retrieved December 3, 2023, from https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/in-hardship-and-in-ease-how-to-rely-on-god What Does Tawakkul Mean? (2020, June 3). Retrieved from https://muslim.sg/articles/tawakkul-meaning Listen to our Podcasts! https://muslim.sg/articles/trusting-allah-in-difficult-times

Image Source #history #titanic #someeofficial #cent #archon #hive #ecency It was a cold September morning in 1985 when a team of scientists, led by Dr. Robert Ballard, set sail on a groundbreaking expedition. Their mission was to locate and document the final resting place of the RMS Titanic, the legendary ocean liner that had tragically sunk on its maiden voyage in 1912. The Titanic had long captured the imagination of the world, and finding its wreckage would be a significant feat of underwater exploration. Equipped with advanced sonar technology and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the team embarked on an arduous journey to the North Atlantic Ocean. Their search area spanned hundreds of square miles, where the Titanic was believed to have sunk after striking an iceberg. The challenge was immense, as they were faced with vast depths, treacherous conditions, and the unknown. Days turned into weeks as the team tirelessly scanned the ocean floor, mapping the seabed and meticulously examining sonar readings. It was a painstaking process of elimination, ruling out false targets and navigating through the darkness of the deep sea. The team faced setbacks, battling rough weather and technical difficulties, but their determination to unravel history's greatest maritime tragedy never wavered. Then, on September 1, 1985, a breakthrough occurred. As the sonar scan swept across the seabed, a promising image materialized on the screens. It was a large object, distinct and recognizable. The excitement on board was palpable, and the team knew they were on the brink of a historic discovery. With cautious anticipation, the ROVs were deployed to descend into the depths and investigate the mysterious object. Cameras mounted on the ROVs transmitted live footage back to the research vessel, and as the screens flickered to life, an astonishing sight unfolded before their eyes. The Titanic, or what remained of it, emerged from the darkness—an eerie silhouette resting on the ocean floor. The scene was both haunting and awe-inspiring. The once grand vessel now lay in fragments, its steel hull rusted and decaying. The ship's iconic bow and stern sections, separated by over a third of a mile, revealed the magnitude of the Titanic's catastrophic demise. Debris scattered across the seabed—lifeboats, furniture, and personal belongings—offered a haunting glimpse into the lives of those aboard. Over subsequent weeks and months, the team meticulously documented the wreckage, capturing detailed photographs and video footage of the Titanic's remains. The discoveries were not limited to the ship's exterior; they also explored the interior spaces, revealing the remnants of luxurious cabins, grand staircases, and other poignant reminders of the lives lost. The findings from this groundbreaking expedition provided valuable insights into the Titanic's final moments and shed light on the circumstances surrounding its sinking. The discoveries also fueled public fascination, leading to renewed interest in the story of the Titanic and the lives forever changed by the tragedy. The search for the Titanic was not just an expedition to locate a ship; it was a quest to unravel a piece of history. The dedication and perseverance of the team led to one of the most remarkable discoveries of the 20th century, immortalizing the Titanic in our collective memory and providing a deeper understanding of this iconic shipwreck. Today, the legacy of the Titanic lives on, reminding us of the fragility of human endeavors and the profound impact of tragic events. The discovery of the Titanic stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of exploration, the relentless pursuit of knowledge, and the ability of humanity to uncover and preserve the stories of the past.

ART BY Pieta – Michelangelo Michelangelo’s Pieta – The magnificent depiction of Mother Mary holding her crucified son, Jesus Christ. Beauty, elegance – restrained yet intense emotion. It is a poignant, beautiful and awe inspiring. It is both symbolic of divinity’s sacrifice for humanity, and also the epitome of a mother’s love for her beloved son. #SME #AweSME #ART #someeofficial #crypto #trending

..., saw that cemetery my first time #impressive #poignant #compassionate