Irshad Akhtar

Prepared by: Centre for Strategic Global Studies, Muslim Perspective This comprehensive report presents an expanded strategic profile of a hypothetical Muslim World Union (MWU), comprising all Muslim-majority countries. Utilizing CIA World Factbook-style data, the report benchmarks the MWU against the United States (USA) across demographics, resources, economic indicators, strategic capabilities, Continue Reading

Like Britain earlier, America has “wet” its pants – but unlike Brexit, the world will also feel it “Liberation Day” or Isolation Day? On April 2nd, 2025, President Donald Trump stood at a podium in front of cheering supporters and declared a new economic era: a universal tariff on all Continue Reading

Under the guise of reform, the government’s latest move targets Muslim institutions with suspicion, politicises religious trusts, and deepens India’s communal fault lines. On April 3, 2025, India’s Lok Sabha passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill—another ominous milestone in the BJP’s increasingly unapologetic agenda of communal authoritarianism. Ostensibly framed as a Continue Reading

A forgotten figure of Indian history, Jai Singh I was not only a loyal Hindu commander of Aurangzeb — he was the strategist who humbled Shivaji and helped sustain one of the greatest empires the subcontinent has ever seen. Introduction In the grand narratives of Indian history, the spotlight often Continue Reading

By Irshad Akhtar 1. A Worldwide Wake-Up Call Imagine waking up to discover that a mere three or four people in your country own as much wealth as half of its entire population. This isn’t the plot of a dystopian movie—it’s the startling reality in several of the world’s largest Continue Reading

A Tale of Two Wars The UK’s foreign policy has often claimed the high ground of morality and international law, championing human rights, territorial integrity, and the global order. Yet these professed values appear inconsistent, especially when comparing London’s ardent support for Ukraine against Russian aggression with its reticent stance Continue Reading

India, the world’s largest democracy, has long stood as a testament to pluralism. Yet today, that pluralistic foundation is being systematically undermined. A toxic mix of historical revisionism, political opportunism, and media complicity is fueling an increasingly volatile Hindu-Muslim divide. What’s unfolding isn’t the product of ancient hatred—it’s a modern Continue Reading

Reflecting on the Passing of George Foreman By Irshad Akhtar George Foreman’s recent passing has stirred profound reflections on one of boxing’s most captivating stories—the intertwined lives of two larger-than-life icons: Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. One was a devout Muslim who championed social justice and used his fame to Continue Reading

–A Lamentation and a Light Do you still sleep while Gaza dies,Beneath unyielding, weeping skies?While orphans dig with bloodied hands,And hope lies crushed in shattered lands? While Syria mourns what time forgot,And Yemen feeds on crumbs of rot?The Qur’an weeps in Xinjiang’s night,Where truth is caged and veiled from sight. Continue Reading

Introduction: Challenging Misconceptions In his influential book, The Fate of Abraham: Why the West is Wrong about Islam, Peter Oborne exposes the deep-rooted misconceptions about Muslims that have been ingrained in Western thought. These prejudices, which date back centuries, were deliberately constructed to justify military conquests, economic expansion, and political Continue Reading