By Jawed Anwar

AT the NATO Summit in The Hague on June 24-25, 2025, NATO leaders agreed to invest 5% of their countries’ GDP in defense and pledged strong support for Ukraine against Russia.

The summit’s declaration called terrorism and Russia major threats to Europe and North America’s security. U.S. President Donald Trump attended, despite his tough talk and trade disputes with Europe. Some even called him the “daddy” of NATO.

Why is NATO, along with North America and Europe, against Russia and what they call “terrorism”?

Here, “terrorism” often means Islamic political and military power, not other forms of global terrorism. The world believes the real threat to world peace is Israeli state terrorism, backed by the U.S. and Europe, but NATO avoids discussing this.

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Ukraine is fighting to defend Western civilization. Other NATO countries share this view. If Ukraine is defending Western civilization, NATO sees Russia as opposing it, which is why they’re boosting defense spending to counter Russia.

So, what is Western civilization, and what values does it protect?

• Imperialism: Past colonial rule, now economic and cultural control over other nations.
• Capitalism: Wealth concentrated in a few hands, exploiting workers and weakening family values.
• Secularism: A godless society.
• Liberalism: Promoting personal desires over traditional values.
• Nationalism: Causing conflicts like the World Wars.
• Democracy: Majorities overpowering minorities.
• Freedom: Allowing harmful behaviors while restricting religious values.
• Modernism, Feminism, and Transgenderism: Undermining traditional family roles, promoting women in advertising, and supporting LGBTQ+ culture.
• Zionism: Backing Israel’s actions.

NATO uses the UN and other groups to push these ideas, claiming to follow international law and promote gender equality and women’s rights. They see “terrorism,” including actions by Russia and Islamic powers, as a major challenge and focus on prevention and defense.

The Western world order faces threats from two fronts: Russian power (tied to Orthodox Christianity) and Islamic power (Islam as a political force).

Russian Actions Labeled as “Terrorism” by the West:

• Promoting Christianity: Under Vladimir Putin, Russia has made the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) a key part of its identity, reviving Christian values after Soviet atheism. Putin often appears with Patriarch Kirill, and since 1991, about 30,000 Orthodox churches have been built, often with government money.
• Education: Since 2008, Russian schools teach “Foundations of Orthodox Culture,” emphasizing Orthodoxy’s role in history and culture.
• Russkiy Mir Ideology: Russia promotes the “Russian World” idea, portraying itself as a defender against Western moral decline. Putin’s speeches, like his May 7, 2024, address, use this to justify actions, including the Ukraine invasion.
• Symbolic Projects: The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces (opened 2020) blends Orthodoxy and patriotism, showing Russia’s commitment to Christian values.
• Family Values: To address a low birth rate (1.41 children per woman in 2023), Russia promotes traditional families through:
  • Payments like $6,000 for a first child and regional bonuses, such as $3,700 in Novgorod.
  • A 2024 law fining “child-free” ideas that discourage having kids.
  • Declaring 2024 the “Year of the Family,” promoting large families.
  • Restricting abortions with rules like mandatory counseling and spousal consent.
• LGBTQ+ Policies: Russia bans LGBTQ+ expression, calling it a Western threat:
  • A 2013 law, expanded in 2022, bans promoting “non-traditional” relationships, with fines and jail time.
  • In 2023, the Supreme Court labeled the “LGBT movement” as extremist, leading to arrests and censorship.
  • Putin calls LGBTQ+ rights a Western attack on traditional values.
• Men-Women Roles: Russia pushes traditional gender roles:
  • Women are celebrated as mothers, men as providers or soldiers.
  • A 2017 law softened penalties for domestic violence, seen as protecting “family discipline.”
  • The ROC and media call feminism a Western threat.
• Protecting Religion: Russia’s 2013 anti-blasphemy law punishes disrespect to religious beliefs, including Islam, with up to three years in prison. It’s been used to silence critics of the ROC.
• Against Israel: Russia has:
  • Condemned Israeli airstrikes on Iran in June 2025 as attacks on a sovereign nation.
  • Criticized Israel’s Gaza operations, supporting a 2024 UN resolution for Israel to leave occupied territories.
  • Hosted a Hamas delegation in 2023, angering Israel, and called Israel an “occupying state” with no right to self-defense.

Russia as an Ally to Islamic Powers:

Russia opposes Western civilization and aligns with Islamic powers like Iran and Afghanistan. It buys oil from Iran despite sanctions and was the first to recognize the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

In my next article, I’ll discuss Western civilization versus Islamic power.

jawed@seerahwest.com

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