Interesting piece. It should be pointed out though, that the Iraqi invasion in 1990 wasn’t based on religion.
A Muslim country attacked another Muslim country, throwing the idea of Muslim — especially Arab — “unity” out the window. The point being: Muslim “unity,” which is perceived by the weak hand in the West as something tangible, does not exist in any shape or form. So the idea of Islam being “besieged” is a complete fabrication. Which Islam?