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Exiled Muslim scholar warns far-left–Islamist alliance behind anti-Israel protests echoes Iran’s rise
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A Muslim scholar who was forced to flee Egypt after criticizing Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks is warning America’s far left that its alliance with Islamist extremism could end the same way Iran’s did in 1979 — with an Islamic regime seizing power after partnering with leftist factions.
Dalia Ziada, a Middle East scholar and Washington, D.C.-based coordinator at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, later relocated to the United States and said she is now seeing similar and troubling dynamics take shape here.
Her warning comes as a global network of anti-Israel activist groups is mobilizing coordinated «Nakba 78» protests across the United States and around the world this weekend, with organizers using the anniversary of Israel’s founding to stage demonstrations that critics say challenge the Jewish state’s legitimacy, and, in some cases, call for its dismantling
«For five or seven years now, we have been seeing some kind of a ‘sinful marriage’ between the radical left and the radical Islamism, the groups that hate Western liberal democracies and desire to destroy them,» she told Fox News Digital.
SCATHING REPORT CALLS ON US TO LABEL ISLAMIST GROUP INFILTRATING ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE AS TERRORIST ORG
Left: Protesters gather in Tehran in February 1979 during the Iranian Revolution, carrying banners calling for an Islamic Republic. Right: Dalia Ziada, a Middle East scholar and Washington, D.C.-based coordinator at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, speaks during an interview. (Gabriel Duval/AFP via Getty Images; Provided by Dalia Ziada)
Ziada said Islamist movements, including groups tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, have for years sought to use the Palestinian cause as a way to mobilize support and build alliances with other activist movements in the West, a phenomenon some analysts have described as a «red–green alliance.
She also argued that Islamist movements have increasingly targeted Jewish communities in the West, which she described as a «pillar» supporting liberal democratic systems.
«They agree on one thing, that they need to destroy the West as we know it today and replace it with something else. For the radicalists, they want to replace it with the Marxist system. For the Islamists, they want to replace it with an Islamist system, which they think is the ideal system,» she said.
Global protest network
A Fox News Digital investigation found that approximately 425 organizations — including communist groups, Muslim advocacy organizations and anti-Israel activist coalitions — are operating within a coordinated transnational protest network with a combined funding footprint of roughly $1 billion in annual revenues.
The groups have organized an estimated 736 events across 39 countries this weekend.
Ziada said the alliance reflects what she described as a shared hostility toward Western liberal democracies and has intensified in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
She argued the war in Gaza has provided what she described as a «moral umbrella» for the movement.
«They used that to give themselves some moral legitimacy to go on and accelerate the process of destroying the West,» she said.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside Columbia University in New York City on Feb. 2, 2024. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/VIEWpress)
Lessons from Iran
Ziada pointed to the 1979 Iranian Revolution as a cautionary example.
«We saw this exactly happening in Iran in the 1970s. The Islamists used the left because the legitimacy of the left is stronger, because they don’t come from a religious background,» she said. «They allied the communists there, made them believe that we all are going to change Iran and make it a better place. And how it ended in 1979, the Islamic Revolution happened. The Islamists took over the country and the first group they sacrificed … was the communists, the leftists in Iran.»
Ziada warned that similar dynamics could emerge in the United States if ideological alliances continue to deepen, arguing that movements built around shared opposition can fracture once power shifts.
She said that while the groups involved may appear aligned in the short term, their long-term goals are fundamentally incompatible — a pattern she said has played out repeatedly in the Middle East.
She said such alliances are often temporary, warning that once power is secured, more extreme factions tend to dominate.

A split image shows Americans held hostage during the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran alongside modern-day protests in Iran. (Bettmann/Getty Images; Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
ASRA NOMANI: I WATCHED HATE CONSUME DEMOCRATS’ ‘NON-VIOLENT’ #NOKINGS RALLIES
She said the protests themselves are expected to follow a familiar pattern of anti-Israel demonstrations that she described as «very well organized worldwide.»
«I don’t think this time it would be any different in the general sense of demonizing Israel, trying to blame Israel for everything,» she said.
Ziada said protesters are likely to frame Israel using terms such as «apartheid» and «genocide,» language she argued points to a broader, coordinated alignment of groups operating with similar messaging and goals.
Ziada said the term «Nakba,» meaning «catastrophe,» has been reframed over time, arguing it was originally used in part to criticize Arab leaders for rejecting a proposed Palestinian state — a context she said is largely absent from modern protests.
«I wouldn’t say it’s kind of a bureau… but they all agree on one thing, which is destroying the United States or weakening the Western world,» she said.

A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in Tehran on June 14, 2025, showing solidarity with the government against Israel’s attacks and marking Eid al-Ghadir. (Atta Kenare/AFP)
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Ziada said she has already seen the consequences of such alliances firsthand in the Middle East.
«I have seen my native Egypt being destroyed by these groups, by these people, and I’ve seen the entire Middle East actually falling under this. And I don’t want to see the United States, the country that has given me my education, has given my career, has given me a refuge when these radicals tried to kill me — I don’t want to see being destroyed by the same bad guys.»
iran, middle east, anti semitism, islam, israel, hamas, us protests, wars
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Thousands of migrants remain in Spanish territory after border rush, death toll hits about 100: Ceuta official
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Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta after hordes of mostly military-aged men rushed into the Spanish enclave from Morocco late last month, Ceuta’s president said Thursday.
While speaking from a video call during an extraordinary session of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas also revealed around 100 people died during the surge.
Authorities estimate roughly 80,000 migrants rushed into the territory within a 48-hour period in late July.
Vivas called the border crisis an «invasion» and «one of the most difficult moments in the recent history of our city.»
«According to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, an ‘invasion’ should be understood in its second definition as the abnormal or irregular occupation of a specific place,» Vivas said, according to a Fox News Digital translation of his remarks, which he gave in Spanish.
AT LEAST 72 DEAD AMID MASS MIGRANT RUSH TO STORM SPANISH ENCLAVE OF CEUTA SPARKING BORDER CRISIS
Migrants run and cheer as they cross on foot into the North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco, after swimming over from the Moroccan side and overwhelming police at the city’s breakwater, according to Spain’s Guardia Civil, in Ceuta, Spain, July 30, 2026. (FARO TV via Reuters)
«That is precisely what occurred on July 30 and 31, when approximately 80,000 people — equivalent to the entire population of Ceuta — stormed into our city. This characterization, moreover, aligns with the statement made by the President of the Government of Spain, who on Friday the 31st, during his visit to Ceuta, stated that we were facing an attack, a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity,» Vivas continued.
Echoing previous claims from Spain’s leftist President Pedro Sánchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vivas acknowledged roughly 75,000 of the migrants had returned to Morocco but added «under no circumstances does it allow us to claim that our city has returned to normal.»
«Ceuta has not returned to normal because between 3,000 and 5,000 people who entered during those fateful days of July 30 and 31 still remain,» Vivas said. «The reception centers for adult and minor migrants are in a state of collapse, turning the influx into a major humanitarian emergency.»
«Added to this are disruptions to public order and a high risk to public safety,» he continued. «Furthermore, the morale of Ceuta’s residents is severely affected. Our population feels sad, helpless, uneasy, fearful, and worried — and with good reason. It is inevitable to wonder whether this will happen again, and if that next time will be the definitive plunge into the abyss, causing us to cease being what we are: Spain and Europe. It has been exposed to the world that we are extraordinarily vulnerable, and that our security and integrity are in the hands of a third country, Morocco, which does not recognize our sovereignty.»

Migrants wait outside Ceuta’s temporary migrant center (CETI), which is currently at full capacity, following mass crossings of migrants on foot and by sea from Morocco into Spanish territory, in Ceuta, Spain, Aug. 3, 2026. (Pedro Nunes/Reuters)
He then proposed a set of actions authorities should take to return the city to normal. The proposals included expelling the remaining Moroccan migrants, provisioning more resources for the city’s migrant facilities, and the implementation of a new economic model which he called on to be «More Spain and More Europe.»
CEUTA MIGRANT SURGE EXPOSES SPAIN-MOROCCO TENSIONS AS ISLAMIST GROUPS REPORTEDLY SEEK TO EXPLOIT BORDER CRISIS
«We serve a society that has forged its character through courage to endure and the ability to overcome adversity. We are confident it will do so again, though I emphasize that the requested support from European authorities remains indispensable. Thank you very much,» Vivas concluded.

Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas seen during a meeting at the Consolat de Mar on Aug. 6, 2026, in Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain. The meeting takes place just one week after the unprecedented migration crisis at the border between Ceuta and Morocco. (Javier Fernandez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Following the border rush between July 30-31, Sánchez called the incident «an attack, a violation of the territorial integrity of Spain.»
Fox News Digital contacted the governments of Spain and Ceuta for additional comment.
illegal immigrants, europe, border security, spain, world
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House GOP launches probe into 5 major labor unions over Dem spending despite MAGA membership base
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FIRST ON FOX: The Republican-led House Committee on Education and Workforce is demanding financial records from five of the nation’s largest labor unions over allegations that union leaders used funds to support Democratic candidates and progressive causes while spending millions on lavish perks.
In letters obtained by Fox News Digital and sent Thursday, the lawmakers on the committee requested financial records dating back to January 2023 from the United Auto Workers (UAW), United Steelworkers (USW), SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD), Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), and Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED).
«Unions are supposed to be representing workers for their best interests on the job site, for their future goals that they have, and to work together in a commonality that speaks for, I think, in general, all of the workers combined and not just select portions of it,» Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., who also serves as the chairman of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, told Fox News Digital.
«When we see funds that have been used by multiple unions for highly political purposes, and you begin to see that the rank and file aren’t following along with the same political funding purposes of union leadership, common sense says you ought to take a look at it.»
EXPLOSIVE REPORT UNEARTHS PROMINENT UNION MONEY TRAIL LABELED A ‘STUNNING BETRAYAL’ OF MAGA MEMBERS
President Donald Trump takes questions from the media during a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Multiple reports cited in the letters, including previous Fox News Digital reporting on BMWED’s political spending, allege union leaders spent millions supporting Democratic candidates and progressive causes while also spending heavily on conferences, travel, entertainment and other expenses.
The UAW had the highest reported totals, with nearly $95 million in political spending and nearly $146 million spent on travel and entertainment.
The requests also seek records on lobbying, executive pay, travel, entertainment and conference expenses, along with member complaints, ethics and audit policies, transfers to larger labor organizations, and the use of union funds to cover expenses for spouses, family members, guests or political allies.
The lawmakers argue there is a growing disconnect between union leadership and members, saying many rank-and-file workers have «increasingly supported President Trump and other Republican candidates in recent election cycles.»
«I think it comes down to the leader’s own self-interest,» Walberg said. «That could be political interest, or that could be self-aggrandizement, or in certain cases looks like for monetary purposes, for their own personal benefit.»
In the letters, the lawmakers said that workers «deserve transparency regarding how their dues are spent, the extent to which union leadership consults members before endorsing candidates or engaging in political activities, and whether differing viewpoints within the union are being respected.»
FRUSTRATED BLUE-COLLAR UNION BOSSES RIP SOCIALIST POLITICIANS, WARN OF LABOR EXODUS FROM DEM PARTY

Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan speaks during a House Workforce and Education Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 5, 2025. (OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Walberg said the committee is examining how some unions spend dues collected under «mandatory membership policies.»
«We have responsibility in our committee for oversight on what goes on in the workplace, what goes in those that represent workers in the work place on both sides of the equation, whether it’s the employer or the union,» he said.
But Walberg said union leaders still face questions about serving workers’ best interests.
«There have been union leaders who have gone to jail and certainly been prosecuted over misuse of funds,» he said. «There seems to be indication that that still is going on in certain major unions.»
Insisting «this is not to be a partisan political motivated effort,» Walberg said the committee’s role is oversight and that evidence uncovered during the investigation could still be referred to the Justice Department.
«We do not have prosecutorial powers,» he said. «We can’t put anybody in jail. We can call for information, and ultimately call for union leadership to come before our committee and answer questions.»
SOURCES CORROBORATE WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS OF CORRUPTION, QUID PRO QUO CULTURE INSIDE POWERFUL NYC UNION

Supporters hold up signs during a campaign event for U.S. President Donald Trump at Xtreme Manufacturing on Sept. 13, 2020, in Henderson, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The unions were asked to respond by Aug. 17, with the UAW receiving a separate Aug. 18 deadline.
«The committee will continue examining whether current labor law adequately protects workers from political coercion and whether additional transparency requirements are warranted,» according to the letters.
The letters added that the unions’ responses will assist «in determining whether any legislative changes are warranted,» arguing unions have a legal duty to fairly represent members and that workers «should not be compelled to subsidize political advocacy fundamentally at odds with their beliefs or interests.»
Walberg said the investigation is «for a purpose,» one he hopes will hold union leaders accountable.
«I hope that will be very apparent and transparent that we are concerned about the rank-and-file union member who in most cases had no choice about their contributions but should have a clear understanding and the ability to react to that understanding about how their funds are being used for political, cultural, you name it, purposes and have their union leadership brought to light,» he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the UAW, USW, SMART-TD, BLET and BMWED for comment. BMWED declined to comment, while the other unions did not respond by publication.
politics, lobbying, congress, democratic party, labor unions
INTERNACIONAL
Nicaragüenses son víctimas de emboscadas y ataques violentos en distintas zonas de Costa Rica
Una preocupante racha de violencia ha golpeado a la comunidad de migrantes nicaragüenses en Costa Rica durante los primeros días de agosto de 2026. Diversos ataques armados y agresiones con armas blancas ocurridos en distintas regiones del país centroamericano han dejado un saldo trágico de varios ciudadanos de origen nicaragüense muertos y gravemente heridos, hechos que se encuentran bajo una intensa investigación por parte del Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ).
Uno de los sucesos más sangrientos se registró durante la madrugada del pasado domingo (2 de agosto), en la localidad turística de Tamarindo, en el cantón de Santa Cruz, provincia de Guanacaste.
Dos hombres de nacionalidad nicaragüense, identificados por las autoridades con los apellidos Espinoza, de 32 años, y Contreras, de 33, viajaban a bordo de un vehículo cuando fueron emboscados. De acuerdo con los informes preliminares brindados por el OIJ, otro automóvil interceptó a las víctimas y desde su interior desconocidos dispararon en múltiples ocasiones. La ráfaga de proyectiles causó la muerte instantánea de ambos ocupantes, mientras que los perpetradores se dieron a la fuga y continúan sin ser localizados por los cuerpos policiales.
Ese misma noche, en la provincia de Alajuela, un joven de nacionalidad nicaragüense, identificado como Yerling Antonio Hernández Martínez, de 24 años, perdió la vida tras ser atacado con un arma blanca en las afueras de un establecimiento nocturno en Santa Fe de Guatuso.
Informes judiciales detallan que el incidente se desencadenó a partir de una acalorada discusión dentro de un bar, en la que participaron tres hombres. La riña derivó en que dos de los sujetos atacaran a Hernández Martínez con un puñal, propinándole heridas mortales. Pese a la pronta llegada de la Cruz Roja, los socorristas determinaron que el joven ya no contaba con signos vitales. En un rápido operativo, la Fuerza Pública logró la detención de dos sospechosos de participar en el crimen, quienes quedaron a disposición de la Fiscalía.
Apenas unos días después, la violencia volvió a golpear la zona guanacasteca. En la madrugada de ayer, miércoles 5 de agosto, alrededor de la 1:00 a. m., se reportó un grave atentado directo en la comunidad de Corralillo de Filadelfia, en el cantón de Carrillo. Un hombre nicaragüense de apellido Ruiz resultó gravemente herido tras ser acribillado.
Según la reconstrucción de los hechos, el afectado se encontraba dentro de su vivienda cuando escuchó que alguien lo llamaba desde la parte exterior. Al salir a atender la llamada, fue atacado a balazos a quemarropa.
Ruiz sufrió cuatro impactos de bala distribuidos en el tórax, la clavícula y la mano izquierda. Socorristas de la Cruz Roja Costarricense se desplazarán para brindarle los primeros auxilios y trasladarlo de urgencia hacia un centro médico de la localidad, y posteriormente al hospital regional de Liberia debido a la gravedad de sus lesiones.
Esta preocupante seguidilla de hechos violentos pone de manifiesto la vulnerabilidad de una población que ha crecido exponencialmente en territorio costarricense durante los últimos años. El continuo deterioro socioeconómico, la represión política y la sistemática persecución de la disidencia impuesta por el régimen autoritario de Daniel Ortega y Rosario Murillo en Nicaragua han provocado uno de los éxodos migratorios más grandes en la historia reciente de Centroamérica.

Miles de ciudadanos nicaragüenses se ven forzados a abandonar su tierra natal ante el acoso estatal, la falta de libertades fundamentales y la escasez de oportunidades laborales. Costa Rica, por su proximidad geográfica y su histórica tradición de acogida, se ha convertido en el principal destino de refugio para las familias nicaragüenses que buscan salvaguardar sus vidas y construir un futuro digno.
Sin embargo, al llegar al país tico, los migrantes nicaragüenses no solo se enfrentan al reto de la integración laboral y social, sino que también quedan expuestos al alarmante incremento en los índices de criminalidad e inseguridad que enfrenta el país vecino.
Costa Rica,Nicaragua,automóvil,armas,detención,acuarela
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