Islamic Group Suspends Syria

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation agreed on Wednesday to suspend Syria, in a demonstration of support for Syria’s opposition.

“The leaders have agreed upon the need to preserve Syrian unity and the immediate cessation of violence with the suspension of Syria’s membership,” said Nizar bin Obaid Madani, Saudi Arabia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Although Syria lacks Libya’s wealth or Egypt’s population, it is a critically important Middle Eastern player because of its location and its crucial relationship with Iran. The decision by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is comprised of 57 member nations, represents a milestone in the inevitable realignment of Syria—away from Iran.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad comes from Syria’s Alawite minority, a branch of Shia Islam that includes 6 to 10 percent of Syria’s population. That leaves over 90 percent of Syria’s predominantly Sunni population unrepresented by Assad’s government. The uprisings besieging Syria come from these unrepresented factions. Despite Assad’s attempts at portraying himself as an ally of the West and as a force of suppression against radical Islamist elements in Syria, his true allegiance lies with his fellow Shiites in Tehran.

On surface level, Syria and Iran seem like unlikely bedfellows. Syria is Arab, and its government is secular. Iran is a non-Arab state, and is an Islamic Republic. Syria is comprised mostly of Sunni Muslims. Iran is overwhelmingly Shiite. The Iranian-Syrian partnership is a marriage of convenience, but it’s an alliance that has proven resilient over the decades largely because of common enemies like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the nation of Israel.

Washington supports Syria’s rebels because, under Assad, the nation is heavily influenced by Iran, America’s adversary. Syria has long been a gateway through which Tehran extends its reach into the Middle East, so regime change in Syria would equate to a noteworthy reduction of that Iranian influence.

Iran will not sit idly by as Assad is overthrown. Recognizing what it stands to lose from a regime change in Syria, Tehran has labored to arm and assist Assad in suppressing Syria’s anti-government forces. Iran wants to hold on to its strategic ally, and will go to great measures to support Assad. But Tehran won’t be able to maintain its hold on Syria forever, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s move on Wednesday represents another blow to the Iran-Syria alliance.

The sure word of Bible prophecy makes plain that, despite Tehran’s efforts, Sunni Syria will sever ties with Shiite Iran and instead align with Saudi Arabia, other more moderate Sunni-majority Arab states and a European juggernaut. To understand the details of this inevitable shift in Syria’s alignment, read Gerald Flurry’s feature article from the Trumpet’s September issue, “How the Syrian Crisis Will End.”