Shockwaves ripped through the Muslim world after the United States attacked Venezuela, culminating in the extrajudicial capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Islamic political leaders have responded unevenly, with condemnation, caution, and striking silence. Here is a breakdown of their mixed reactions.
The United States confirmed it carried out what it described as a large scale military operation in Venezuela on Saturday, targeting civilian and military installations and capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before flying them out of the country.
The raid has sparked a wave of condemnation across the globe as Venezuela’s allies and opponents both condemn and support the aggressive action by Donald Trump.
Similarly, reactions have been mixed in the Islamic world as Muslim leaders digest the shocking development.
Muslim condemnation
Iran, a longstanding ally of Venezuela, was the first to comment on the attack, slamming the U.S.’ actions as “military aggression”, accusing Washington of violating international law and “the country’s national sovereignty.”
“The U.S. military attack on Venezuela constitutes a clear violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and the basic rules of international law, particularly Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the Charter, which prohibits the use of force. It is a textbook example of an “act of aggression” that must be explicitly condemned immediately by the United Nations and by all states concerned with upholding the rule of law, peace, and international security,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
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In Yemen, the de-facto government headed by the Houthi AnsarAllah movement in Sanaa also condemned the U.S. as “terrorists.”
AnsarAllah’s Political Office said in a statement: “What America is doing to Venezuela proves once again that America is the head of evil and the mother of terrorism. Yemen affirms solidarity with Venezuela and its President Nicolás Maduro, who has refused to submit to American hegemony. Yemen supports Venezuela’s right to defend its sovereignty, its people, and its resources in the face of the brutal American aggression.”
Palestinian groups also spoke out against the attack, including Gaza’s ruling armed group Hamas, which is a proscribed group in the UK and U.S. but not so in Venezuela.
“This aggression represents a continuation of America’s unjust policies and interferences, which are driven by its imperial ambitions,” the Gaza-based group said in a statement on Saturday.
Hamas added that such U.S. policies “have plunged several nations into turmoil, and are posing a direct threat to international peace and security.”
Qatar was the highest profile Arabian Gulf state to react, releasing an official statement hours after the incident, expressing concern over the development and offering to help to mediate political talks.
“The State of Qatar expresses its deep concern over the current developments in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, calling in this context for restraint, de-escalation, and the adoption of dialogue as the appropriate means to address all outstanding issues.
“The Ministry further renews the State of Qatar’s full readiness to contribute to any international effort aimed at achieving an immediate peaceful solution, and underscores its commitment to keeping channels of communication open with all concerned parties.”
Further east, Malaysia led the way issuing one of the strongest responses among Muslim majority countries. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had followed developments in Venezuela “with grave concern,” demanding that Maduro and his wife be released.
“President Maduro and his wife must be released without any undue delay,” Anwar said, adding that the operation “constitute a clear violation of international law and amount to an unlawful use of force against a sovereign state.” He argued that the forcible removal of a sitting head of government through external action erodes restraints on the use of power between states.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry also released a separate statement reiterating that, as a matter of principle, Malaysia opposes all forms of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of other states, as well as the threat or use of force.
Venezuela has received a mix of strong support and indifference from the African continent too but several Muslim-majority countries have spoken up, most notably Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
The Foreign Ministers of Burkina Faso, Jean Marie Karamoko Traoré, and Abdoulaye Diop of Mali lambasted the U.S. airstrikes on Venezuela and expressed support for the country’s authorities.
The comments were revealed by Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Iván Gil Pinto following telephone conversations.
“I received a call from Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Jean Marie Karamoko Traoré, who expressed his firm support and solidarity with Venezuela, its people, and its government in response to the violation of our sovereignty. The minister expressed his complete rejection of this act, which violates the fundamental principles of the UN Charter,” Pinto said.
The Malian Foreign Minister, in turn, expressed support for President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
“Abdoulaye Diop also conveyed the Malian authorities’ strong condemnation of the illegal military attacks on civilian and military targets on Venezuelan territory.”
Nigeria has also come out in support of Venezuela. An important African country which boasts a sizeable Muslim community.
Silence or indifference
Indonesia said it was closely monitoring developments in Venezuela to ensure the safety of its citizens. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said Indonesia was following the situation as it continued to evolve.
“Indonesia also calls on all relevant parties to prioritise peaceful resolution through de-escalation and dialogue, while prioritising the protection of civilians,” the ministry said. It further stated that “Indonesia emphasises the importance of respecting international law and the principles of the UN Charter.”
The Indonesian position reflected a broader emphasis on international norms rather than taking sides in the conflict.
Jakarta did not comment directly on the legality of the U.S. operation beyond its reference to international law and civilian protection, focusing instead on diplomatic solutions.
Similarly Türkiye did comment much on the outrage over what has been described as a “kidnapping.” Opted instead for a calmer reaction.
In a statement, Türkiye said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela after the U.S. strikes. The Turkish Foreign Ministry called on all parties to act with restraint to avoid negative consequences for regional and international security.
In the Arab world, high profile nations which have kept silent on the matter include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, who did not issue any official statements at the time of writing.
Other Arab states in north Africa have also decided to remain silent. Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria have all failed to respond.
Syria is also another country currently headed by a religious Muslim government which has so far not released any official statements. Some local Persian language media has claimed that a statement condemning U.S. actions has been released by officials in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan but to date there seems to be no high profile statement on the matter.
Although Pakistan has issued calls for calm and restraint prior to Trump’s attack, there has been no fresh Islamabad foreign ministry communiqué specifically condemning or endorsing the U.S. operation as of now.
