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Iraqi political analyst Ali Al-Shammari asked in a March 6, 2022 interview on Channel 9 (Turkey) how Iran could support the Russians in the Russia-Ukraine war, while Russia attacked Muslims in Syria. He said that Crimea and "large swaths" of Ukraine are "basically Islamic lands" because they had been part of the Ottoman Empire. Al-Shammari said that according to shari’a law, Muslims should strive to regain these lands "by any means possible." He further said that it is none of the Muslims’ business who is right in the Ukrain-Russia conflict, and that the only criterion that should guide Muslims’ support of a country is their regard towards the Muslims. Al-Shammari elaborated that in this case, America and Russia are "just as bad." Al-Shammari has previously expressed support for ISIS (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 6069).
Ali Al-Shammari: "How can [Iran] support such a criminal country [Russia] that attacks Muslims and has humiliated the Muslims in Syria? [Russia] has killed Muslims in Syria, but [Iran] is still saying that they are closer to the Russian position than to the Western position.
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"Crimea and southern Ukraine - and even large swaths of Ukraine as a whole - are basically Islamic lands. Until the Ottoman Caliphate, these were part of the Islamic state. According to the shari'a, we should strive to regain them by any means possible.
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"It is none of our business whether Russia is right or Ukraine is right. It is not that the Ukrainians are angels and the Russians are devils. These countries' position towards the Muslims is the criterion that should influence our position towards Russia or America. America is not an angel guarding justice in the world, but Russia is just as bad as America."
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