After Iran’s despotic regime and its proxies have been defeated militarily and politically, the next war has already begun. That war will be fought not only with swords, but with words and speech. It is against a virulent ideology masquerading as a theology: Islamism, the belief that Muslims must dominate the world and eliminate, or convert, all non-Muslims.
There is also a side war, against Palestinianism, a movement led by the Muslim Brotherhood and its offspring, Hamas, to kill Jews and destroy Israel. Its war-cry is “Globalize the Intifada;” its theme-song is “End the Occupation;” its dream is martyrdom. For those who support it, it’s a raison d’etre.
For both, the source of their hostility is in the Quran and Islamic teaching about infidels (non-Muslims). The fundamental problem, therefore, is deciding what Islam means as a religion and a way of life, what it stands for, and who determines it.
The battle is not only between Muslims and non-Muslims, but is for ‘the soul of Islam.’ The next war is for the hearts and minds of those who follow Jihadism and a religious-based totalitarianism.
As David Hersch wrote at Israel National News on March 11, 2026, “Wahhabism and the Muslim Brotherhood both teach that Dar al-Islam (the House of Islam) must eventually cover the entire globe. This is taught in countless mosques and madrasas funded by Saudi Arabia.”
Similarly, Anna Mahjar-Barducci wrote at Gatestone: “Sudan’s ongoing civil war is not just a clash between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It is a calculated power grab by the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT)” that is backed by Saudi Arabia.
Although Islam is considered to be one of the three monotheistic religions, many Muslims reject any acceptance of Judaism and Christianity and refuse to acknowledge a common source of divinity, along with its ethics and values.
Opposition to radical Islamic regimes remains silent
Sadly, most Muslim scholars who oppose ‘radical’ Islamic regimes have remained silent. They are well aware of the threat to their lives. As scholars dedicated to a spiritual perspective, however, they are also essential in providing a humanitarian alternative.
Millions of lives are at risk. Muslims, as well, suffer disproportionately from terrorism; we all must work together to heal and make a better world. Like it or not, therefore, they have a moral obligation to speak up in defense of the human spirit and the fulfillment of a higher consciousness as a celebration of life.
The problem is that Islamists and Muslim countries that support terrorist organizations represent an ideology and a theology that influences the identity and beliefs of most Muslims. Changing the way people think is difficult, but not impossible; it can be done in the aftermath of defeat and a more realistic perspective, as happened after World War II.
There are Muslim leaders, teachers, and scholars who are opposed to what radical Islamists, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and the Iranian Ayatollahs, preach. They must be supported and protected.
Without an alternative to Islamism and Palestinianism, we will drown in what Hamas calls “The Al-Aqsa Flood,” the Islamification of the West, and the end of Western Civilization. The threat is real, and therefore, it is existential.
For those of us who seek tikkun olam (repairing the world), we ask, “How can I help?” We live for the answer.
The writer is a PhD historian, writer, and journalist.