Venezuela has never been far from America’s orbit, but under Nicolás Maduro, it transformed from a country orbiting in its sphere of influence, into a geopolitical thorn in its side. Since then, the conflict has been less about human rights, or the integrity of elections, and more about who holds the reins of power, who controls the wealth, and who draws the maps of influence.

On Friday, (02/01/2026), a protest was held at the Seven Wells roundabout in Idlib by relatives of detained mujahideen who supported the state during the events on the coast in March of last year. The protesters demanded the release of their sons, who have been detained for many months on charges related to violating “civil peace” in the country.

At the peak of its stages of weakness, the Islamic Ummah was subjected to a fierce Western attack that ended with the entry of the hateful French colonialism into the Ottoman province in Tunisia in the year 1881. This occupation was the result of a silent European consensus or an exchange of colonies following the Berlin Conference in 1878,

For many Muslims today, the word “Khilafah” (Caliphate) feels distant. Some associate it with history books, others see it as something abstract or unfamiliar. This is understandable, especially for a generation that has only ever lived within the modern nation-state system.