Posts

Azerbaijan's Plundering Government

Image
The Republic of Azerbaijan: Behind the Facade of Stability The  Republic of Azerbaijan is a country blessed with abundant natural resources, a strategically important geographical location, and a government that claims to represent Islamic values. Yet, when one looks beneath the surface of everyday life, a very different reality emerges—a reality that few dare to speak about openly. The Azerbaijani government presents itself as Islamic, but in practice it neither has deep religious roots nor allows people to experience a genuine relationship with religion. Instead, religion has become a political instrument—a facade used to conceal a harsh and oppressive system that appropriates the wealth and rights of its own people. A government that channels the people's wealth into its own pockets resembles a game. Yes, the Azerbaijani government is much like the game  Monopoly : attractive and polished on the outside, but beneath the surface it functions like a system of plunder, taking ...

When Passports Determine a Person’s Fate

Image
When Passports D etermine a Person’s Fate How strange it is: someone born in Germany, Canada,  Japan, or Switzerland can use their passport to travel to many parts of the world; while someone born in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, or one of the many countries in the Middle East and Asia may have to wait months for a visa, provide numerous documents, and repeatedly prove that they are not a criminal, that they do not intend to remain illegally in the country, and that they pose no threat to any country. What crime have these people committed? Of course, none. They were simply born in a different geography; a geography they did not choose. In today’s world, a passport is no longer merely an identification document; it has become a measure of human freedom. The color of a passport cover can determine whether someone can travel freely around the world or must wait for months, sometimes even years, behind embassy doors. But the fundamental question is this: Should a person’s wor...

The Last Home; The Cemetery Where Everyone Eventually Ends

Image
The Last Home; The Cemetery Where Everyone Eventually Ends Up Every morning when we open our eyes, we return from a temporary death. We have passed through a night whose ending was never guaranteed. Thousands of people began the same night that we did, but they never saw the sunrise. We woke up not because of our own power, but because God granted us another opportunity. And yet, how quickly we forget this gift. Once again, we lose ourselves in the noise of life. We run after having more, strive for progress, sometimes break hearts, sometimes carry resentment, and often live as if death was written only for others. How strange it is. Every day we awaken from a sleep that resembles death, yet we still refuse to believe that one day another sleep will arrive — a sleep after which there will be no awakening in this world. A day will come when we embrace our loved ones for the last time, look at the sky for the last time, and take our final breath. On that day, no wealth will buy us even o...

Friendship Is More Than a Smile

Image
Friendship Is More Than a Smile Friendship is more than a smile or the exchange of a few kind words. Friendship means solidarity; when everyone else abandons you, you stand beside the person you call your friend. If friendship is stripped of this meaning, it becomes nothing more than a shallow and selfish acquaintance. Of course, some people consider loyalty and friendship outdated concepts—values that no longer have a place in today's world. In a world where profit has replaced honor and smiles have become obligatory, many are willing to sacrifice even their closest friends for a position, a business deal, or a brief moment of fame. Unfortunately, this is also common in politics. I believe friendship has its boundaries. Someone who is an enemy of my friend may never have harmed me personally. But if a person deliberately hurts someone who is close to me, I cannot pretend that nothing has happened. Sometimes silence is a form of betrayal. Sometimes a smile hurts more than an insult...

Erdoğan; A Dictatorship Through the Ballot Box Author: Gouya Roshan

Image
Erdoğan; A Dictatorship Through the Ballot Box Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is no longer just a president; he has become a symbol of the concentration of power in Turkey. Many Turkish citizens, especially a large part of the political opposition, journalists, academics, civil rights activists, and artists, consider him a figure with authoritarian tendencies, even a dictator. On the other hand, there is still a small group of Turks who see him as a successful statesman. However, what matters is not only his actions, but also his slogans. Dictatorship does not only mean the absence of elections; it begins when elections can no longer control power. When critical media outlets are silenced, journalists are imprisoned, opposition figures are put on trial, and the judiciary loses its independence, one can no longer speak of democracy simply because elections are held. Years ago, Erdoğan came to power with promises of freedom, reform, and justice, but gradually concentrated power in his own hands. T...

Saudi Arabia: Between the Name of God and the Politics of Power (Part Two) Author: Gouya Roshan

Image
Saudi Arabia: Between the Name of God and the Politics of Power  (Part Two) Saudi Arabia presents itself as the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques, and its national flag bears sacred words. But when a state identifies itself in the name of religion and the sacred, people naturally expect more from it than from an ordinary government. Such a state is judged not only by its economy, military strength, or foreign policy, but also by its moral principles and humanitarian conduct. My question is this:  How can a government that places the name of God at the highest symbolic position allow its policies to contribute to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of innocent people? The war in Yemen has been one of the greatest moral tests of Saudi Arabia's policies. Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition's military intervention in Yemen—a poor and vulnerable country—has resulted in the deaths of thousands and has pushed millions into hunger, disease, and displacement. The children who died in...

Saudi Arabia: Between the Name of God and the Politics of Power(Part 1) Author: Gouya Roshan

Image
Saudi Arabia: Between the Name of God and the Politics of Power (Part 1) Saudi Arabia, a country whose historical legitimacy has been built upon the unity of religion and the state, is currently experiencing one of the most complex phases of its modern history. While it presents itself as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, it is simultaneously redefining its role within the international system, the global economy, and regional relations. This duality raises a fundamental question for observers: Is politics in Saudi Arabia still serving religion, or has religion become an instrument for preserving political power? Over recent decades, religion has been not only a part of Saudi Arabia’s national identity but also a cornerstone of the state's legitimacy. However, the broad social and economic reforms of recent years—from expanding the tourism and entertainment sectors to limiting the influence of religious institutions—suggest that the government's priorities are changing. Th...