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The West Is Still Failing the Advocates of Freedom in Iran

Since the massive popular protests in Iran in 2019 against the reactionary ruling junta in Tehran, the scene has not changed much in relation to the Western position. The Western reaction to the current mass women’s demonstrations has not changed from that shown during the 2019 and 2020 protests.
Since then, the Western reaction has been divided into two parts: empty and meaningless verbal condemnation and new packages of sanctions that are officially against the mullahs' regime in Tehran, but in practice it is the middle and poor classes of the Iranian people who pay the heavy price for these sanctions.
The West, especially the US, has previously failed the advocates of freedom in more than one country ruled by a tyrannical regime. In Hong Kong, millions of protesters took to the streets in 2019-2020 demanding their civil rights from the tyrannical regime in Beijing, also known as the Anti-Extradition Bill Amendment Movement. Finally, the demonstrations were brutally suppressed, and the West did not care about the protesters, who were left to their dark fate.
In Belarus in 2020, the country witnessed enormous strikes as part of the Belarusian democracy movement in the run-up to the Belarus 2020 presidential election, to prevent a sixth term in office. Also, in the case of the Belarus demonstrations, the West did nothing but denunciation and imposing new and useless sanctions against Lukashenko's regime.
The West adopted the same policy in Syria, Iraq, and several other Arab countries during the events of what became known as the Arab Spring. In all of these cases, the West, especially the US, has systematically let down the voices of the protesters, who have been subjected to various forms of retaliation and abuse from their repressive regimes, at a time when the West was satisfied with condemnation sometimes and sanctions at other times.
The shameful Western position reflects several facts: The West's indifference to spreading democracy, which contradicts what it claims, and focus only on Western interests, even if achieving this is, as it has always been, at the expense of the suffering of other nations. The inability to intervene in the issue of Hong Kong and Belarus to not provoke China and Russia.
But the situation is somewhat different in the case of Iran. The West, particularly the US, can support the protests and enable the protesters to make gains on the ground, but for Western and American unique accounts, this is not permissible.
History testifies that the US, France, and Britain were the ones who installed the Wilayat al-Faqih gang in Iran in 1979 after they overthrew the regime of their ally, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. The West did not install extremist political Islam in Iran to remove it only after several decades.
The presence of the current Iranian regime serves the agendas of the West more than it threatens them. The most important of these services is the blatant Iranian interference in the affairs of countries in the region and the resulting instability and increased regional tension. This, in turn, serves the policies of the West, increases the sale of arms, and provides the West with pretexts to interfere in the matters of the region.
Former US President Ronald Reagan said: "Our wrong policy is what led to the downfall of the Shah's regime in Iran, a black point in the history of the United States of America, and as a result of this policy a crazy fanatic was able to take control of matters in Iran, sending thousands of Iranians into the regiments of fire."
However, it seems that the story was not, as former President Reagan explained, that it was just a mistake. It was a purposeful and methodical mistake in order for political Islam in the Middle East to be able to take power in an Islamic country. This raised the morale of all extremist political movements in the region, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots such as Al-Qaeda, Jihad, ISIS, and others.
How can the US and the West help the young women and men of Iran get rid of the Shiite political Islam regime at a time when America has handed over power to the extremist Taliban movement in Afghanistan and at a time when it is providing financial and intelligence support to most of the extremist political Islam movements in the Middle East and North Africa, especially, the Muslim Brotherhood.
The young women and men of Iran are now aware of these bitter facts, and therefore, they are demonstrating against the nastiest and most despicable regime in the world, relying only on themselves and on the moral support of all the free people in the world, especially in tyrannical countries.
BY: Jwan Dibo
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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