Axis of Resistance

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The term axis of resistance was first employed by the Libyan daily newspaper Al-Zahf Al-Akhdar in response to American president George W. Bush's claim that Iran, Iraq and North Korea formed an "Axis of evil." In an article titled "Axis of evil or axis of resistance," the paper wrote in 2002 that ""the only common denominator among Iran, Iraq and North Korea is their resistance to US hegemony."[1] The Iranian newspaper Jomhuri-ye Eslami subsequently adopted the language in reference to the Shia insurgency in Iraq, writing in 2004 that "if the line of Iraq's Shi'is needs to be linked, united and consolidated, this unity should be realized on the axis of resistance and struggle against the occupiers."[2]

In 2006 the Palestinian minister of the interior, Said Saim, used the term during an interview an Al-Alam television to refer to common political goals among Arabs in opposition to those of Israel or the United States. Noting the large number of Palestinian refugees in Syria, Saim stated, "Syria is also an Islamic Arab country and is also targeted by the Americans and the Zionists. Hence we see in Syria, Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas an axis of resistance in front of these pressures."[3] The term now commonly refers to a Shi'i anti-Israel and anti-Western[4] alliance between Iran, Syria, and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.[5][6] The current ruling majority of Syria is primarily made up of Alawi Muslims, who are a sect of Shi'i Islam (the majority religion of Iran).[7] Their shared background has made them strategic allies on various issues including those of defense.[8] The Sunni Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas has also at times been considered part of the axis due to its anti-Israeli and anti-western views. However, as of March 2012, the group has since pulled its headquarters out of Damascus and thrown its support behind the anti-Assad Syrian opposition.[9][10]

The term "axis of resistance" was used as early as August 2010,[11] and was confirmed again August 2012 during a meeting between Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili regarding the ongoing conflict in Syria. The Syrian state-run news agency, SANA, has stated that the two governments discussed their "strategic cooperation relationship" and "attempts by some Western countries and their allies to strike at the axis of resistance by targeting Syria and supporting terrorism there."[12]

See also

Shia Crescent - as of 2012, the "axis of resistance" corresponded with the string of shia controlled governments in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

References

  1. ↑ "Collapse of US-Libyan Talks Highlighted by Revived Anti-US Rhetoric from Tripoli". Defense & Foreign Affairs Daily. February 12, 2002. 
  2. ↑ "BBC Monitoring quotes from Iranian press 18 May 04". BBC. May 18, 2004. 
  3. ↑ "Interview with Said Saim, Palestinian Minister of the Interior, discussing the security chaos in the Palestinian territories, the Palestinian national dialogue and relations with other Arab countries". Federal News Service. May 29, 2006. 
  4. ↑ "Syria: Iran vows it will not allow Assad to fall". The Daily Telegraph. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012. 
  5. ↑ "Iran backs Assad as Syrian forces choke off Aleppo". Reuters. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
  6. ↑ "Iran: Syria part of 'axis of resistance'". CNN. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
  7. ↑ The Alawi capture of power in Syria, Middle Eastern Studies, 1989
  8. ↑ "Syrian DM Stresses Tehran-Damascus Joint Confrontation against Attacks". Fars News Agency. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
  9. ↑ "Syria crisis causes Iran-led 'axis of resistance' to fray". CS Monitor. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012. 
  10. ↑ "Hamas rattles the Resistance Axis". Al Alarabiya News. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Calm on Israel-Lebanon front belied by talk of war". Reuters. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
  12. ↑ "Iran: We're in 'axis of resistance' with Syria". CBS News. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012. 
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