Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Mob sets fire to Swedish embassy in Baghdad

Published 21 July 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Swedish embassy in Baghdad attacked by Muslim mob. Muqtada Al-Sadr - fierce and influential Shiite figurehead.
2 minute read

A large mob of Muslim protesters has stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and set the building on fire. The storming of the embassy is said to have been prompted by a planned Koran burning in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, which had been approved by Swedish police.

Hundreds of angry protesters flocked to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday morning after influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to demonstrate there.

Footage of the scene has circulated online, with several videos showing rioters storming the embassy building and setting it on fire.

The violent demonstration was reportedly prompted by the Swedish government’s approval of an upcoming Koran burning in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. A similar event was held at the same location in June, sparking a violent protest in Baghdad. Again, an angry crowd attacked the Swedish embassy.

The governments of several Muslim countries lodged formal protests against the earlier Koran burnings – including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco, and Turkey. Muqtada Al-Sadr, meanwhile, called for the expulsion of Sweden’s ambassador to Iraq, saying he represented a nation “hostile to Islam”.

Russia and the US have also condemned the incident in Stockholm, although Washington argued that allowing it to take place was in line with Swedes’ right to freedom of expression.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry’s press office said in a statement that all staff at the embassy in Baghdad were safe. The statement stressed the need for the Iraqi authorities to protect diplomatic missions and condemned the attack. Foreign Minister Tobias Billström commented on the incident.

The Iraqi foreign ministry condemned the incident and said in a statement that the Iraqi government had instructed security forces to investigate the matter quickly and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

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Iran’s president: “We have never wanted nuclear weapons”

The escalation in the Middle East

Published yesterday 20:32
– By Editorial Staff
4 minute read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denies that the country is developing nuclear weapons and claims that Israel has tried to kill him, in a new interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson. The 70-year-old heart surgeon who leads the country says he is ready to resume diplomacy with the US, but accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having destroyed the peace process.

The interview, which was published on Tucker Carlson’s X channel, was conducted through an interpreter following recent weeks of escalation between the US and Iran. Carlson explains the reason for the interview by saying that American citizens have the right to all information that affects them, especially when their country is involved in conflicts.

We did this interview because we were at war with Iran 10 days ago and maybe will be again, Carlson explains in his introduction. He emphasizes that the goal is not to reach “absolute truth” but to — contribute to the knowledge base from which Americans can form their own opinion.

Denies nuclear weapons ambitions

President Pezeshkian categorically denies that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and refers to religious prescriptions that prohibit this.

The truth is that we have never sought to develop a nuclear bomb, not before, not now, or in the future, because this is wrong and goes against the religious decree or fatwa that has been issued by his excellency, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, says Pezeshkian.

He accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of having created “this false mentality that Iran is seeking a nuclear bomb” since 1984 and of having instilled this perception in every American president since then.

Criticizes IAEA after bombings

Regarding the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Pezeshkian explains that Iran was “somewhat pessimistically inclined” because they realized that Israel could obtain information from IAEA inspections. Despite this, Iran allowed full access for monitoring.

As a result of the US’s illegal attacks on our nuclear centers and installations, much of the equipment and facilities there have been seriously damaged. Therefore, we have no access to them. We cannot see, and if this access does not come back again, we must wait, says the president.

Claims Israel tried to kill him

When asked if Israel has tried to kill him, Pezeshkian responds affirmatively:

They tried, yes. And they acted accordingly, but they failed. As a true believer, I believe that it is in God the Almighty’s hands to decide when a person should die or not die.

He describes how he was at a meeting when Israel tried to bomb the area, but explains that he is not afraid to sacrifice his life for his country:

I am willing to give my life, to bleed for it. No one here, I mean, none of the government officials are afraid to lose their lives in the line of defense.

“Death to America” – explains the meaning

Regarding the expression “death to America” heard from Iranians, Pezeshkian explains that this is misunderstood:

When they say death to the US, it doesn’t mean death to – they don’t mean death to the people of the US or even to the officials of the US – they mean death to crime, death to killing and bloodshed, death to supporting the killing of others, death to insecurity and instability, he says.

The president emphasizes that Iran has never invaded another country in 200 years and asks rhetorically:

Have you ever heard of an Iranian killing an American? Have you ever heard that? Or a terrorist who was Iranian and he carried out a terrorist attack against Americans?

Ready for new negotiations – with conditions

Pezeshkian expresses that Iran is open to resuming negotiations with the US, but sets conditions following recent attacks:

We see no problems with resuming negotiations. But before that, I must remind you that due to the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime, by Israel, not only against my country but throughout the region, we now face a crisis.

He describes how Iranian commanders were killed when they were off duty at home with their families, which he claims are war crimes under international law. The president also poses the question of how Iran can trust the US again:

How can we trust the US again? We resume negotiations. How can we then know for sure that right in the middle of the talks, the Israeli regime won’t get permission again to attack us?

Economic cooperation possible

Despite tensions, Pezeshkian says there are no restrictions on American investments in Iran from Iran’s side:

His excellency emphasized that there is no limitation and there is nothing preventing American investors from coming to Iran and making investments in Iran even currently, he says, referring to the country’s supreme leader.

He adds that any restrictions are caused by American sanctions, not by Iran.

Sees Trump as key figure

Pezeshkian expresses hope that President Donald Trump can lead the region toward peace:

I believe that the US president can very well lead the region and the world to peace and calm or, on the other hand, lead it to eternal wars, he says.

He urges Trump not to let himself be drawn into “Netanyahu’s war” and describes the Israeli prime minister as someone with “an inhuman agenda” who wants “eternal wars, wars that continue and continue and continue”.

The interview concludes with Pezeshkian’s emphasis that Iran relies on itself:

We have always put our trust in God and on God we rely. And we are capable of defending ourselves and standing on our own feet to defend our country, our territorial integrity to the last drop of our blood.

Swedish doctor in Gaza: “A haze of blood”

The situation in Gaza

Published yesterday 12:02
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

Foreign journalists are not allowed to enter Gaza, but continued reports are coming from healthcare workers about a catastrophic humanitarian situation. Swedish doctor Märit Halmin is one of 300 reportedly working at a field hospital and entered with a UN convoy.

It becomes like a haze of blood, gunshot wounds, explosion injuries, amputations, she says.

I don’t really have words to describe it, I had followed the news reporting before I came here and thought I would be prepared but it’s so terrible, she tells Swedish public radio P1.

When I entered Gaza and was driven here it was almost like a moonscape, there are no buildings. There are just piles of rubble and debris, dust and sand from destroyed concrete. Everything is destroyed, she recounts.

“Bizarre and brutal injuries”

Halmin has previously been deployed in Yemen and Syria, but says the proportions in Gaza are completely different with masses of injured civilians streaming in with very severe injuries.

I can’t even distinguish the individual patients because there are so many coming in with such bizarre and brutal injuries. It becomes like a haze of blood, gunshot wounds, explosion injuries, amputations, she says.

Help exists – but doesn’t get in

The doctor reports that there is a shortage of all types of resources, where the field hospitals have to improvise extensively and assist each other with the equipment they have, and she states that even her healthcare colleagues are severely malnourished.

I think the main problem right now is perhaps not that too little help is being sent but that somehow there’s a silent acceptance that the help doesn’t get in because of the blockade that exists against Gaza.

Elon Musk establishes new political party in the United States

Published 6 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
2 minute read

Tesla billionaire announces formation of “America Party” after social media poll and aims to challenge the two-party system that has long dominated American politics.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he has formed a new political party in the US, which he has named the “America Party.” The decision comes after a poll on platform X, where over 65 percent of the 1.25 million voters expressed support for the idea.

“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” Musk wrote on X. He justified the party formation by stating that the US, according to him, lives under “a one-party system, not a democracy” when it comes to leading the country toward economic ruin through waste and corruption.

Conflict with Trump behind the decision

The formation of the America Party marks a deeper rift between Musk and President Donald Trump, who were previously close political allies. The conflict arose around Trump’s major tax and spending bill, which Musk criticized for increasing the national debt by five trillion dollars.

“Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country,” Musk explained on X when asked what made him turn against Trump.

Trump, for his part, has threatened to withdraw the billions in subsidies that Musk’s companies Tesla and SpaceX receive from the federal government.

Strategy for political influence

Musk has previously suggested that the party would focus on winning a limited number of seats rather than challenging for the presidency. According to his strategy, two to three Senate seats and eight to ten House seats would be enough to gain decisive influence.

“Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people,” Musk has previously written.

Challenges for third party

Political experts point to the significant structural obstacles to establishing a successful third party in the US. The Republican-Democratic two-party system has dominated American politics for over 160 years, and complicated state laws and ballot access requirements pose major challenges.

Despite Musk’s enormous financial resources – he is the world’s richest person – it will require significant time and effort to build a political organization with real impact.

At the same time, opinion polls show there is latent support for alternatives to the established two-party system. A survey from Quantus Insights showed that 40 percent of voters could support Musk’s party, with particularly strong support among male Republicans and independent voters.

Whether the America Party will evolve from a social media announcement to a full-scale political movement remains to be seen.

Owens: Trump asked me to stop saying Macron’s wife is a man

Published 3 July 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The biological sex of French First Lady Brigitte Macron has long been the subject of speculation and debate.
3 minute read

American right-wing commentator Candace Owens claims she received a personal call from Donald Trump – at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron – pleading with her to stop discussing theories that France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron is biologically male.

The background stems from several episodes of Owens’ YouTube show “Candace”, where she repeatedly questioned whether Brigitte Macron is actually a woman. According to Owens, Trump called her in February, just days after she concluded the series.

– This phone call is coming from Florida. Pick up the phone and lo and behold… It is President Donald J. Trump! He is calling me and in true President Trump fashion, he jumps right into the narrative. He’s not ‘Hey, how you do?’ Owens explains in her program.

– He just like jumps right into the narrative of exactly how this went down. I am literally… it is hard to catch my breath to comprehend that four days ago I am literally ending a series about Brigitte Macron, and now I’m speaking to the President of the United States and the topic of conversation is about Macron’s wife’s penis.

According to Owens, Trump described how during a White House meeting, Emmanuel Macron, surrounded by Secret Service and escort vehicles, approached him. The French President allegedly asked Trump to contact Owens and get her to stop talking about Brigitte.

– She’s old and this is really, really impacting her, Trump reportedly said.

Refused to “stop telling the truth”

The former president further claimed that he had seen Brigitte Macron up close during a dinner at the Eiffel Tower in Paris and assured that “she looked like a woman”.

Owens states that she questioned Trump’s request and countered by saying that Brigitte Macron, in her opinion, “has had this amazing doctor who specializes in transgenderism surgeries or feminization”. She continued:

– Like you are requesting that I really, and despite your reasoning, which is very sound, that I stop telling the truth.

Owens says she finally responded to Trump jokingly:

– You know, respectfully, Mr. President, it’s not my fault that he married someone with a penis.

A personal favor

According to Owens, Trump tried to convince her by saying that Macron had been “very good” to him and that this was “something he wanted to get out of the way”. He also added a personal compliment in classic Trump style:

– Melania loves you… she says you’re beautiful.

Owens says she agreed to a temporary pause on the topic, concerned it might affect Trump’s ongoing efforts to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine war. However, she emphasized the decision wasn’t permanent:

– This is not long term for me.

Toward the end of the conversation, Trump allegedly tried to win Owens over by suggesting he could appear on her podcast – something he said would generate high viewership numbers, to which Owens responded by returning the compliment:

– Respectfully, Mr. President, I’m apparently good for ratings too, because you’ve got a leader of a country, the president of the country, asking you to ask me to do you a favor.

Foreign policy concern

Owens suggests that while Trump never explicitly stated it, she got the impression that her comments about Brigitte Macron had become a foreign policy concern.

She references information from a third party in Washington, interpreting Trump’s plea as indicating that the French presidential couple believed her statements could affect Macron’s willingness to support an American proposal for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Neither Donald Trump nor Emmanuel Macron has publicly commented on these claims.

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