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Indian Muslim intellectuals struggling to make sense of Iran crisis. Ummah isn’t the answer

Many Muslim communities, Shia and Sunni alike, often respond through a religious lens. That lens slips into a tribal thinking, shaped by ideas like the ummah.

War between the US–Israel and Iran is not just an international affair unfolding far from home. It crosses borders not through soldiers, but through ideas, emotions, and narratives—shaping conversations and political imagination in societies far removed from the battlefield.

Much has already been written about how sections of the Indian Right-wing support Israel, often linked to their own views on Islam. I have also written earlier that Indian Shia Muslims have the right to mourn Ayatollah Khamenei peacefully, even if he remains a deeply controversial figure. I’ve also criticised the Indian Right-wing for villainising the entire community.

But what we rarely examine with the same honesty is the other side—why sections of Indian Muslims, including some intellectual voices, express support for Iran. What shapes that response? Is it purely religious solidarity, political positioning, or something deeper tied to identity and a sense of global belonging?

Many Muslim communities, Shia and Sunni alike, often respond through a religious lens. And to be honest, that lens slips into a tribal thinking, shaped by ideas like the ummah, or by the messaging of religious leaders.

In the case of Iran, especially among Shia Muslims, there is a layer of sympathy rooted in history. Khamenei is........

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