Global Muslim Unity and Division in the Shadow of the US-Iran Conflict {know the main enemy of the USA}

Islamicity ^ | May 8, 2026 | Siraj Islam Mufti

[Cronos]

According to a new analysis of data published in The Daily Guardian on April 5, 2017, by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre, the number of babies born to Muslims is expected to overtake those born to Christians within two decades, making Islam the world's largest religion by 2075.

The Analysis pointed to modest but significant demographic shifts in religious affiliation over the coming decades, as populations in the global south continue to grow rapidly and Christian populations in Europe age and die.

Between 2010 and 2015, an estimated 31% of babies in the world were to Muslim parents, far exceeding the 24% share of the world's population held by Muslims. In the same period, 33% of the world's babies were born to Christians, only slightly higher than their share of 31% of the global population.

That is going to change owing to the relatively young age profile of Muslims and their higher fertility rates. Between 2030 and 2035, slightly more babies, or about 225 million, will be born to Muslims than to Christian, about 224 million. Between 2055 and 2060, the gap is expected to widen to 6 million - 232m births to Muslims, and 226m to Christians.

Meanwhile, deaths among Christians in Europe are far outstripping births. This pattern was expected to continue across much of Europe in the decades ahead. And despite being young, Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have accounted for a disproportionate proportion of the world population.

A Research Review article by Pierre Rostan and Alexandra Rostanto estimate the years the European Muslim population will be majority among 30 European countries with zero population migration scenario, the most likely identified 13 countries where the Muslim population will be majority between 2085 and 2215 are Cyprus in year 2085, Sweden in 2125, France in 2135, Greece in 2135, Begium in 2140 Bulgaria in 2140, Italy in 2175, Luxemburg in 2174, the UK in in 2180, Slovania in 2190, Switzerland in 2195, Ireland in 220, and Lithuania in 2215.

The 17 remaining countries will never reach a majority of Muslim population in the next 200 years. The growing Muslim population will change the face of Europe socially, politically and economically. The paper provided an insight and understanding of Muslim population dynamics to European governments, policymakers, and social and economic planners.

Another somewhat detailed report published on January 27, 2011 entitled the future of Global Muslim population reported the world's Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35% in the next 20 years, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030.

Globally, the Muslim population is forecast to grow at about twice the rate of the non-Muslim population over the next two decades - an average annual growth rate of 1.5% for Muslims, compared with 0.7% for non-Muslims. If current trends continue, Muslims will make up 26.4% of the world's total projected population of 8.3 billion in 2030 up from 23.4% of the estimated 2010 world population of 6.9 billion.

However, the rate of growth among Muslims has been slowing in recent decades and is likely to continue to decline over the next 20 years, at 1.4% from 2020 to 2030 or 1.5% annually over the 20 year period from 2010 to 2030. The declining growth is due primarily to falling fertility rates in many Muslim majority countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh. Fertility is dropping as women in these countries obtain a secondary education, living standards rise and people move from rural areas to cities and towns.

Today, people under 30 make up about 60% of population of Muslim-majority countries, by 2030 they are projected to fall to about 50%. At the same time, in many Muslim-majority countries, the share of aging people age 60 and older is expected to double from 7% to 12%. But the population of entire globe is aging, and the global population of Muslims will remain relatively young for decades to come.

A survey on The World's Muslims Unity and Diversity reported on August 9, 2012 on the sectarian differences among Muslims that involved more than 38,000 face-to-face interviews in over 80 countries found that in addition to the widespread conviction that there is only one God and that Muhammad is His Prophet, large percentages of Muslims around the world share other articles of faith, including belief in angels, heaven, hell and fate (or predestination). While there is a broad agreement on the core tenets of Islam, however, Muslims across the 39 countries and territories surveyed differed significantly in their level of commitment, openness to multiple interpretations of their faith and acceptance of various sects and movements.

At least eight-in-ten Muslims in every country surveyed sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South Asia say that religion is very important in their lives, Across the Middle East and North Africa , nearly seven-in-ten Muslims (69%) roughly six-in-ten or more say the same. In the U.S., a 2011 Pew Research Center survey found that nearly seven-in-ten Muslims (69%^) say religion is very important to them.

Generational differences are also apparent. Across the Middle East and North and North Africa , for example, Muslims 35 and older tend to place greater emphasis on religion and exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than do Muslims between the ages of 18 and 34. In all seven countries surveyed in the region, older Muslims are more likely to report that they attend mosque, read the Qur'an on a daily basis and pray multiple times each day. Outside the Middle East and North Africa, the generational differences are not as sharp. And the survey finds that in one country -Russia - the general pattern is reversed and younger Muslims are significantly more observant than their elders.

There are also differences in how male and female Muslims practice their faith. In most of the 39 countries surveyed, men are more likely than women to attend mosque. This is especially true in Central Asia and South Asia, where majorities of women in most of the countries surveyed say they never attend mosque.

However, this disparity appears to result from cultural norms or local customs that constrain women from attending mosque, rather than from differences in the importance that Muslim women and men place on religion. In most countries, for example, women are as likely as men to read (or listen to reading from )the Qur'an on a daily basis. And there are no consistent differences between men and women when it comes to the frequency of prayer or participation in annual rites, such as almsgiving and fasting during Ramadan.

Sectarian Differences. The survey asked Muslims to identify with various branches of Islam and about their attitudes towards other branches or subgroups. While these sectarian are important in some countries, the survey suggests that many Muslims around the world either do not know or do not care about them. In the Middle East and North Africa, most Muslims are keenly aware of the distinction between the two main branches of Islam, and identify themselves either Sunni or Shia. Only in Lebanon and Iraq, where sizable populations of Sunnis and Shias live side by side, do large majorities of Sunnis recognize Shias as fellow Muslims and accept their distinctive practices as part of Islam.

Outside of the Middle East and North Africa, the distinction between Sunni and Shia appears to be of lesser consequence. In most of the countries surveyed in Central Asia, for instance, most Muslims do not identify with either branch of Islam, saying instead they are "just a Muslim." Even countries with a communist legacy, such as Indonesia, which is the country with largest Muslim population in the world, 26% of Muslims describe themselves as Sunnis compared with 56% who say they are "just a Muslim" and 13% who do not give a definite response.

Iran has a population of 68-70 million and about 95% of its population is Shia. Iran is also a nuclear threshold state. Although it is not known to possess nuclear weapons, it possesses the technologies to build nuclear warheads, and has accumulated stockpile of highly enriched uranium large enough to make nuclear weapons. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is benign, and it signed nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) to show it. However, Iran has undertaken decades of nuclear work in secret in violation of NPT, and imported key equipment from Pakistan and China.

Iran has not been fully transparent with Atomic Energy Agency. And beginning in 2002, revelations related to these projects resulted in sanctions at curbing the nuclear program while Iran openly accumulated stockpiles of enriched uranium. These diplomatic efforts culminated in 2015 when Iran and six world powers concluded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Between 2013 and 2015, US president Barack Obama began high level talks with Iran, and in 2015, Iran agreed to the nuclear JCPA deal known that limited Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for easing sanctions. However under Trump's first term and after the Iran's Islamic revolution, the US unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and slapped back sanctions on Iran.

In March 2025, Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and proposed a new nuclear deal. Talks started in Oman and after several rounds of talks, both Oman and Trump claimed they were very close to a deal.

Meanwhile, Trump intensified buildup of its military assets in the Middle East and ordered the world's largest aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Earlier in February, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote a letter to the UN Security Council saying that Iran did not "seek tension or war and will not initiate a war' but any aggression will be responded " decisively and proportionately.." And a possible deal was close despite the threat from Washington.

US-Israel War on Iran. Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack on June 13, 2025 in a twelve day war that lasted till June 24, 2025. The attack assassinating prominent military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians, and killing civilians, and damaging or destroying air defenses. Iran retaliated with over 550 ballistic missiles and over 1,000 drones, hitting civilian population centers and at least twelve military, energy and government sites. The United States joined in intercepting Iranian attacks, and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, 2025. Iran retaliated by firing missiles at US base in Qatar. Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire under US pressure .

On February 28, 2026 Al Jazeera correspondent in western Tehran heard two explosions , and smoke rising in several parts of the city. Israel announced that it had launched missile strikes on targets inside Iran. And a US official told Al Jazeera that the strikes were carried out as part of a joint military operation with Israel. Iranian retaliatory explosions were hitting northern Israel and multiple Gulf states.

Several news agencies reported that Iran's supreme leader, the 80-years old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint American-Israeli operation on Saturday, February 28, 2026. Israel military said that top Iranian security officials were among those killed including the country's defense minister, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Secretary of the Iranian Security Council. The Iranian Red Crescent Society Relief said more than 200 people were killed in strikes across across Iran. Iranian state media reported the airstrikes hit a girls primary school in southern Iran, killing at least 85 children, according to a local prosecutors office.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes of its own, spreading the conflict to the wider region.

Joe Kent, the Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center appointed by President Donald Trump abruptly announced on March 17, 2026 that he was stepping down from his position. He posted his resignation letter on X contradicting the administration basis for launching war on Iran and implored Trump to end it. "I cannot in good conscience support the the ongoing war in Iran", Kent wrote in the letter. "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." The resignation is the highest-profile rebuke yet of the war effort from a Trump administration insider and staunch supporter of the MAGA movement, albeit one who instantly drew criticism from alleged antisemitism. It reflected how the conflict is roiling some of the most high-profile MAGA supporters , like Tucker Carlson and Megan Kelly, even though rank-and-file Republicans largely backed the president.

Pakistan's efforts to mediate ending US war on Iran. Axion news reported on March 23, 2026 Senior officials from Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt separately spoke with the United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreigh Minister Abbas Araghchi in an effort to de-escalate the conflict between the two countries. "The mediation is ongoing and making progress. The discussion was about ending the war and resolving all outstanding issues. We hope to have answers soon "an unnamed source was quoted as saying.

US President Donald Trump had announced he postponed strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure and power plants for five days, adding that the two countries engaged in "good and productive" conversation to end the war.

On April 10, 2026 the AP reported that Pakistan established itself as a key player in bringing Iran and the United States to the negotiating table, and was waiting representatives from both countries to meet in Islamabad, as the world watched to see whether the talks could lead toward an end to the war.

Washington and Tehran had agreed to an initial 14-day ceasefire, and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had been sharing messages about conversations with world leaders, highlighting their role as meditators.

Islamabad stepped into this role for a number of reasons. It has relatively good ties with both Washington and Tehran and it has a lot at stake in seeing this war resolved. Pakistan's role in US-Iran negotiations surfaced a few weeks following media reports when officials in Islamabad acknowledged that a U.S. proposal had been conveyed to Iran. But days passed with no indication of progress. Trump escalated his threats and issued what seemed to be like a final deadline to Iran, saying if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday "the entire country can be taken out." The same day he also said that "a whole civilization will die tonight" adding "I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."

Pakistan and other countries were already working behind the scenes to reach an agreement and avoid escalation. Then, before the deadline, Sharif tweeted, "With the greatest humility, I am pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire." And the U.S. and Iran also confirmed it.

After a month and half of spiraling conflict, on April 8, 2026 the United States and Iran agreed to a to a two-week ceasefire, less than two hours before US President Donald Trump's deadline, after which he promised "to wipe out a whole civilization" which the critics warned could be a war crime if carried out. Trump announced the ceasefire in a Truth social media. The ceasefire had been mediated by Pakistan's prime minister and its military chief. Iran had put a 10-point proposal which US viewed as a "workable basis on which to negotiate," Trump added. The next two weeks will allow a final agreement to be drawn up, Trump said. Iran's foreign minister said if attacks against Iran stop, Iranian operations will cease as well. The country's military will coordinate safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, he added in a post on X.

However, news agencies reported on April 12, 2026 that the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal after 12 hours of marathon talks in Islamabad. The US Vice President JD Vance said Tehran refused to accept the Washington terms. "We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," said Vance.

However, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that no one expected the talks with the US to reach an agreement in one day, and Tehran expected contacts to continue. Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the leader of Tehran's delegation in Islamabad said, it raised "forward -looking " initiatives but the US failed to gain the trust of his delegations in the talks.

When JD Vance emerged, his assessment was direct. "We have been at it for 21 hours," he said. "The good news is that we've had substantive discussions. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement." He framed the outcome in strategic terms. The United States had made its position clear, particularly on Iran's nuclear program.

For Pakistan, the public posture remained cautious. "We thank both sides for participating," finance minister Dar said. "We hope they maintain a positive spirit. Pakistan will continue to facilitate."

U.S. and Iran agreed to hold a new round of talks, and a new round of talks could be held this week, two persons familiar with the ongoing negotiations told NBC news.

On April 14, 2026 Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters reported that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he will visit Saudi Arabia and Turkey during the week in his bid to moderate a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran, as it appeared to gain momentum.

On April 17, 2016 Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open to all commercial vessels and the world leaders reacted positively to the news. Trump affirmed on social media that the Strait was open. However, he also posted that the US naval blockade on Iranian would "remain in full force."`

On April 18, 2026 Al Jazeea, AFP and AP reported that Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again over the the US blockade of its ports calling the decision a response to a continued blockade of its ports by the United States.

On April 23, 2026 Al Jazeera staff published several Iranian officials have stressed that their country is united , rejecting President Trump's claims of a rift in the leadership o f Tehran Iran's President Masoud Pezeshian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Parliament Spreaker Mohammad Baghar Ghalibaf all issued statements rejecting the United States President's assertion.

A somewhat detailed article in the American Progress by Anthony Damian et al on April 8, 2026 on Why America has lost I the War with Iran said on April 7, 2026 President Donald Trump and the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, the fist reprieve in hostilities since the United States and Israel began attacks on Iran nearly six weeks ago.

As part of the agreement, Iran is to lift its effective blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic checkpoint through which 20 percent of the world's daily oil and gas shipments move, for the duration of the ceasefire. The United and Iran will now enter a two-week period of negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive peace.

To say the ceasefire is tenuous is understatement: Iran has already launched strikes on Israel and several Arab Gulf countries while Israel has taken the position that the pause in hostilities does not apply to Lebanon, where Israel Defense Forces responded to the ceasefire by conducting its largest bombardment of the war. It is unclear whether Iran has, or whether intends to, open the Strait of Hormuz, to traffic, conditioning passage on prior "coordination" with Iranian Military and "technical limitations." While the United States and Iran both claim the talks will be based on a 10point Iranian proposal, each is disputing the contents of the plan in question.

Whether or not the ceasefire represents an end to the war, the result of the six-week campaign is incontestable. The United States is in a weaker position than before the war. The US Air strikes have killed experienced Iranian leaders, taken out Iranian military assets, and destroyed critical infrastructure and manufacturing capacity.

However the Islamic Republic can replace the leaders, rebuilt its factories, and produce new equipment. In other words, the US success in war is reversible, and leaving the United States without any long-term strategic gains vis-à-vis Iran. Whether or not the ceasefire represents an enduring end to the war, the result of the six-week campaign is uncontestable. The United States is in a weaker position than before the war.

The costs of the war are obvious. American, Iranians, and other innocent civilians, across the region have needlessly lost their lives, President Trump has caused indelible damage to America's moral reputation, the global economy remains in crisis and at best will take months to recover, and the United States has lost or depleted some of its most important military equipment and millions needed for its most dangerous adversaries.

The moral Costs. President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched the campaign in Iran with no clearly articulated aims, no clear exit plan, and without legally required consent of Congress. Throughout the conflict, each made public statements that could only be interpreted as calls to violate the laws of war.

Trump suggested, he would destroy the Iranian "civilization" and threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure, while secretary Hegseth enjoined the U.S. military to give "no quarter" to its Iranian adversaries. Trump and Hegseth have sullied the reputation of the U.S. armed services and demonstrated that the president and secretary of dense are unfit for positions of high command.

Worse yet, U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed more than 1700 Iranian civilians, including 254 children. Added to these casualties are the millions of Iranian and Arabs who have been displaced from their homes across the region. With attacks on health care facilities and other civilian infrastructure by both sides a humanitarian crisis is certain to persist despite the ceasefire.

And, the ceasefire is also unlikely to ease the suffering of the 13 American families who have lost a loved one in the profoundly unnecessary war. Far from making the United States, Trump and Hegseth have left the world with the impression of a volatile, unreliable and malevolent military superpower, playing directly into the hands of China's efforts to cast itself a responsible world actor.

The economic costs. The war has been incredibly costly for all parties involved, including the United States. Iran succeeded in shutting down the Strait of Hormuz and damaged Gulf Arab oil and gas infrastructure thereby removing 10 percent of the world's oil supply from the market. This created, according to the head of the International Energy Agency, a global energy energy crisis "more serious than the one in 1973, 1979 and 2022 together." The spike in energy prices has translated into higher costs for consumers, especially among U.S. allies in Europe and Asia. And despite America's much-hyped "energy independence", American consumers saw dramatic price increase at the pump, surging at its peak by 39 percent from $2.98 to $4.14 per gallon.

While energy prices have started to decline with the announcement of ceasefire, the extent and speed of the descent will depend on how long it takes to repair key infrastructure and Iran's willingness to allow freedom of navigation through the Strait. That Trump has effectively given Iran the keys to the Strait of Hormuz augurs poorly for the future energy prices.

Iran's role, in and of itself, will perpetuate volatility in energy markets and increase costs for Americans. In a deeply troubling development, the Islamic Republic is currently charging a $2 million "transit fee" for ships passing through the strait, which will exert upward pressure on global energy prices.

Optimistic assessments assume that it will take months to bring all suspended oil streams back online. More importantly, economists project that prices are unlikely to return to prewar levels even after supplies are fully restored due to increased political risk in the Persian Gulf. All of that is to say that consumers should expect to face high prices for some time to come, and with high energy costs, the risks of inflation will grow.

From a budgetary perspective, Operation Epic Fury was enormously expensive. In just 39 days of war, the U.S. Department of Defense likely to have spent more than $33 billion. President Trump seeking an unprecedented $1.5 trillion defense budget for Fiscal Year 2027, and his administration leveraging these expenses to pursue even more funding for the DOD .

In a tight budgetary environment. he was looking to cut vital social spending. Trump entered a costly and needless war and may now present the costs of this as necessary defense requirement - a pretext for further cuts to social programs under the guise of fiscal responsibility.

The Strategic costs. The first days of war took out Iranian leadership, significantly the Supreme Leader Ayatolla Ali Khamenei, but his killing passed on the leadership that was more dependent on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has the primary driver of anti-American actions for the past five decades. Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei has taken up the fathers's mantle, elected over more moderate leaders who were more predictable, he is expected to adopt a more defiant posture. U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iranian critical systems, but the scale of destruction is unknown.

Now, the Trump administration will enter into negotiations over the next two weeks to reach a comprehensive agreement, in the absence of which this war could resume at any time. Unfortunately, this means that Iran held the upper hand in negotiations, and any agreement likely to favor their terms .

In short, simply by surviving the war and inflicting damage on U.S. partners, Iran has emerged stronger than it was before the war, while the United States achieved none of is objectives , suffered costly losses and weakened its position.

On April 25, 2026 Trump cancelled US envoys' trip after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan, despite Trumps earlier claims that Iran was "making an offer "aimed at resolving the conflict.

According to Al Jazeera on April 27 2026 Iran discussed with regional interlocutors a proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz but differing talks on nuclear program for later during a 72-hour diplomatic sprint across Islamabad, Oman and St. Petersburg. Following the cancellation of visit by US diplomats, the US navy began escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but the day after stopped the operation. President Trump announced the reversal on his Truth Social citing the " request of Pakistan and other countries" and "great progress " towards a "complete and final agreement" with Iran. And US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Operation Epic Fury, the air and naval campaign was "concluded.."What Washington now sought", he said, was " a memorandum of understanding for further negotiations. That is precisely what Iran was demanding in proposals passed on to the US through Pakistan. Iran Sought in multistage negotiations, with preliminary deal aimed at endimg the war on Iran.

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[Cronos]

Key points

1. They are crowing that mohammedans have higher fertility rates and relatively younger age profile

2. They are crowing that deaths among Christians in europe outstrips births

3. At least eight-in-ten Muslims in every country surveyed sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and South Asia say that religion is very important in their lives

4. Mohammedans younger than 35 have weaker religious commitment everywhere except Russia

5. They believe that "the US success in war is reversible, and leaving the United States without any long-term strategic gains vis-à-vis Iran."

6. They say "In short, simply by surviving the war and inflicting damage on U.S. partners, Iran has emerged stronger than it was before the war, while the United States achieved none of is objectives , suffered costly losses and weakened its position. "

[PGalt]

HOORAY President Trump! Civilizations UNITE!

[high info voter]

WELL DUH!!! Do you understand we're in spiritual warfare???

HISTORY - 1400 years / over 700 MILLION innocent people murdered by Muslims!

“Muslims” A mass of people who carry a "holy" book that says to murder all Jews and Christians who won't bow to their prophet.
And now we're flooding them into our country and even putting them into our government.

Can American voters be more stupid or are we trying to destroy ourselves, our kids and grand-kids AND our future???

[Netz]

Goodbye Sir Galahad, hello Salahadin!

Expel the beasts before we are swamped!

Spiritually. the West is losing as many are Atheists and have no backbone to fall back on. If you believe in nothing you have no reason to fight for...nothing.

Islam is not a religion, it is a war plan.