I spoke with Yahoo Sports about the painful dilemma many Iranians face during the World Cup: whether to support Iran as the homeland we love, or reject anything the Islamic Republic may try to exploit for propaganda. As I told Yahoo Sports: “The Iranian diaspora wants to support Iran as a symbol of their home and the land that they lost, but they have to make a distinction. They are not supporting the regime or anyone who stands with the regime. They're using this World Cup as a platform to be able to express their resentment toward the regime.” For many Iranians, this is not about turning against Iran. It is because we love Iran that this issue is so painful. The regime has hijacked our country, our symbols, our athletes, and even our national pride. The Islamic Republic uses football the same way it uses diplomacy, culture, and national symbols: to appear normal on the world stage while brutalizing Iranians at home. Iran belongs to the Iranian people, not to the Islamic Republic. Thank you to @jeffeisenberg and Yahoo Sports for covering this important conversation. Cc: @iVOLinstitute @Najibnaik @samkermanian @Dr_Amir_Hamidi sports.yahoo.com/soccer/arti…

Just got a call from a leading Pakistani-British Member of Parliament, fervent supporter of Pakistan’s Kashmir policy, expressing serious concern/anxiety over developments in Azad Kashmir; made 3 key points: a) this self-inflicted wound based on impulsive decision-making is alienating Kashmiri Diaspora, b) creating unrest in AJK which is base camp for liberation struggle in Indian Occupied Kashmir, c) handing India propaganda points at a time when Pakistani Diplomacy reached highest level of success, while India’s image is at lowest ebb! Urgent need to reverse wrongs & give a healing touch to people of AJK, discarding ham-handed approach that’s proven totally counter-productive! Let’s not give our foes opportunities to exploit!

Freedom of Expression Index 2025 1. Denmark🇩🇰 2. Ireland🇮🇪 3. Belgium🇧🇪 4. Estonia🇪🇪 5. Switzerland🇨🇭 6. France🇫🇷 7. Luxembourg🇱🇺 8. Norway🇳🇴 9. Czechia🇨🇿 10. Finland🇫🇮 11. Sweden🇸🇪 12. Korea🇰🇷 13. Canada🇨🇦 14. Latvia🇱🇻 15. Uruguay🇺🇾 16. New Zealand🇳🇿 17. Chile🇨🇱 18. Jamaica🇯🇲 19. Austria🇦🇹 20. Poland🇵🇱 21. Lithuania🇱🇹 22. Australia🇦🇺 23. Costa Rica🇨🇷 24. Germany🇩🇪 25. Barbados🇧🇧 26. Brazil🇧🇷 27. Netherlands🇳🇱 28. Dominican Republic🇩🇴 29. Kenya🇰🇪 30. Portugal🇵🇹 31. Ghana🇬🇭 34. Mauritius🇲🇺 36. Sri Lanka🇱🇰 37. Honduras🇭🇳 38. Namibia🇳🇦 40. Montenegro🇲🇪 41. Nigeria🇳🇬 43. Japan🇯🇵 44. Iceland🇮🇸 45. Spain🇪🇸 47. Guatemala🇬🇹 49. Taiwan🇹🇼 51. South Africa🇿🇦 53. UK🇬🇧 54. Malta🇲🇹 56. Israel🇮🇱 57. Senegal🇸🇳 58. Gambia🇬🇲 59. Nepal🇳🇵 60. Cyprus🇨🇾 61. Panama🇵🇦 62. Colombia🇨🇴 63. Greece🇬🇷 65. Botswana🇧🇼 68. Romania🇷🇴 70. Mongolia🇲🇳 71. Kosovo🇽🇰 72. Slovakia🇸🇰 73. Peru🇵🇪 74. Italy🇮🇹 76. Bulgaria🇧🇬 78. Paraguay🇵🇾 79. Gabon🇬🇦 80. Lebanon🇱🇧 81. Croatia🇭🇷 82. Argentina🇦🇷 83. Armenia🇦🇲 84. USA🇺🇸 86. Fiji🇫🇯 87. Ecuador🇪🇨 89. Slovenia🇸🇮 90. Indonesia🇮🇩 91. Tunisia🇹🇳 92. Georgia🇬🇪 95. Bolivia🇧🇴 97. Philippines🇵🇭 98. Albania🇦🇱 99. North Macedonia🇲🇰 100. Bosnia and Herzegovina🇧🇦 102. Moldova🇲🇩 104. Mauritania🇲🇷 105. Mexico🇲🇽 106. Somalia🇸🇴 109. Thailand🇹🇭 110. Malaysia🇲🇾 111. Morocco🇲🇦 113. Iraq🇮🇶 115. Pakistan🇵🇰 118. Tanzania🇹🇿 121. Kuwait🇰🇼 123. Bangladesh🇧🇩 126. Angola🇦🇴 127. Hungary🇭🇺 130. India🇮🇳 133. Serbia🇷🇸 134. Ukraine🇺🇦 135. Zimbabwe🇿🇼 136. Singapore🇸🇬 138. Algeria🇩🇿 140. El Salvador🇸🇻 143. Kazakhstan🇰🇿 145. Ethiopia🇪🇹 149. Hong Kong🇭🇰 151. Egypt🇪🇬 152. Türkiye🇹🇷 153. Bahrain🇧🇭 154. Rwanda🇷🇼 155. Iran🇮🇷 158. Cambodia🇰🇭 160. Venezuela🇻🇪 163. Vietnam🇻🇳 164. Saudi Arabia🇸🇦 165. Azerbaijan🇦🇿 166. Russia🇷🇺 167. Cuba🇨🇺 168. UAE🇦🇪 169. Qatar🇶🇦 170. China🇨🇳 171. Tajikistan🇹🇯 172. Turkmenistan🇹🇲 173. Laos🇱🇦 174. Myanmar🇲🇲 175. Belarus🇧🇾 176. Eritrea🇪🇷 177. Afghanistan🇦🇫 178. Nicaragua🇳🇮 179. North Korea🇰🇵 @OurWorldInData

Arewa Twitter will never disappoint, as we always say. But honestly, this attitude is not limited to Arewa Twitter alone, it reflects Arewa people across almost all social media platforms. Instagram is often the headquarters of gossip, and many of these conversations and controversies usually start from there. So it is unfair to blame only X (Twitter) when bloggers and celebrities are actively promoting the same things on other platforms. The painful truth is that this attitude is deeply rooted in us. we really need prayers. It is not normal to always ignore important issues and focus our energy on things that add little or no value. We pay more attention to distractions than to matters that directly affect our lives and communities. Until we change our priorities, we will continue giving relevance to what does not matter while neglecting what truly does.