Since the 1990s, the Muslim world has been kept on the anvil under the Western hammer, with short shrift given by the UNO and other international and regional organisations to date. In fact, the UNO has proved no better than the defunct League of Nations; hence, the Third World War appears to be around the corner with doomsday potential.

The last 80 years (roughly 1945–2025) have seen significant instability, conflict and structural destruction within several Muslim-majority countries. This period, often marked by the legacies of colonialism, the Cold War, and, more recently, the “War on Terror” and the Arab Spring, has resulted in massive population displacement, infrastructural ruin, and political fragmentation. Some key countries and regions affected include:

Afghanistan (1979–Present): Following the 1979 Soviet invasion, the country entered a continuous state of war. The subsequent civil war, the Taliban regime, the US-led invasion in 2001, and the return of the Taliban in 2021 have left the country largely destroyed economically and infrastructurally.

Iraq (1980–Present): The Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), the Gulf War (1990–1991), the 2003 US-led invasion, and the rise of ISIS (2014–2017) destroyed the nation’s infrastructure, sectarian fabric, and cultural heritage, particularly in cities such as Mosul.

Syria (2011–2024): The civil war beginning in 2011 resulted in the widespread destruction of major cities (Aleppo, Raqqa), a massive refugee crisis, and the collapse of the Ba’athist regime by late 2024.

Libya (2011–Present): Following the 2011 NATO-backed intervention and the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi, Libya fell into a sustained civil war, leaving it fractured with devastated infrastructure.

Yemen (2015–Present): A violent civil war and foreign military interventions have created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, destroying essential services, food security, and historical sites.

Palestine (1948–Present): Ongoing conflict, blockade, and military operations by Israel, supported by Western sponsors, particularly genocide in the completely annihilated Gaza, have resulted in consistent and severe destruction of civilian infrastructure and loss of life. At present, despite the controversial creation of ‘Trump’s Board of Peace’, Israel’s onslaught continues not only in Gaza but has spread to the annexation of the West Bank, with coerced and fragile signatories of the Board of Peace finding it even harder to save face at home.

Somalia (1991–Present): Decades of civil war, terrorism, and famine have led to a long-term collapse of state institutions.

In my last three columns published recently in a series, titled “Not if, But When”, “New World Disorder”, and “Western Imperialism”, the subject of US-led Western obduracy and the plight of the rest of the world, especially Muslim-majority countries, was analysed. Some of the major causes of destruction are again tabulated here:

Demise of the Bipolar World: The break-up of the former USSR led the USA to emerge as the single most powerful superpower in the world, with largely unrestrained hegemony and unrelenting expansion of political, economic, technological, informational, and military control.

Foreign Military Interventions: The Cold War competition, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the 2011 intervention in Libya.

Internal Conflicts and Civil Wars: Often exacerbated by internal fault lines, i.e. sectarian and ethnic divisions, military takeovers, regime changes, political divisions, economic vulnerabilities, covert warfare, and a propensity to act as hired guns (e.g. Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria, Türkiye and the Central Asian republics).

Extremist Violence: Such as the well-known creation of the Afghan Taliban and, subsequently, the creation, funding, training, mind-boggling frequent relocation and unending rise of groups such as ISIS, ISIL, DAESH, Al-Qaeda, AQIS, ISKP, BLA/BRA, TTA/TTP and many foreign- or locally funded sectarian outfits wearing political masks, which have caused massive destruction within Muslim-majority nations.

Cultural Heritage Destruction: Intentional destruction of historical sites by extremist groups, such as the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan or sites in Timbuktu, Mali.

Data indicate that a vast majority of victims of Islamist terrorism (over 90 per cent) are Muslims. Furthermore, the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924 set the stage for the fragmentation of the Middle East into modern nation-states, which have often struggled with stability.

It is upsetting and highly demoralising to witness individually and collectively strong Muslim countries and their leadership, despite their all-powerful internal display, behaving so meekly in front of POTUS Trump and his emissaries, doing nothing to stop the above-mentioned destruction, especially in Gaza/Palestine, until its complete annihilation, and now joining hands in the realisation of Greater Israel by signing Trump’s Board of Peace. This is bound to go down in history as the biggest blunder committed by some Muslim countries and their leadership under false pretences.

I had concluded in my column “Gaza Peace Paradox”: “The role played by the USA/allies, Israel, the UNO and now a few hypocritically jubilant and fallaciously proud Muslim countries and their leadership reminds me of a 1970 American war film, ‘Too Late the Hero’; well, that is the paradox faced by Muslim countries. Prudence demands that, instead of blindly falling victim to the mercurial Mr Trump’s momentary praises, reciprocated with hyperbolic statements and ‘more loyal than the king’ behaviour, and faced with multi-front threats, Pakistan’s decision-makers should act farsightedly and stand firmly on the longstanding moral high ground on Palestine and IIOJ&K.”

Saleem Qamar ButtThe writer is a retired senior army officer with experience in international relations, military diplomacy and analysis of geo-political and strategic security issues.

© The Nation