During the 1967 Six-Day War, Pakistan did not just pray, and it didn't just issue shallow political statements, but it did what only a decent country would do. It sent its pilots to the frontline and to fly in the Arab skies and while some countries were watching from afar and talking about "neutrality" like what they are doing now with Iran, Pakistan, despite the distance, was closer to the heart of the battle.
Who is Captain Saifuldeen Azam?
According to Wikipedia, Saifuldeen Azam was born on 11 September 1941 in what later became Bangladesh. He first served as a fighter pilot for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and later the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). During his career as a PAF pilot, he shot down one Indian Air Force aircraft in the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War and four Israeli aircraft during the Six-Day War where he served as a military advisor and pilot for the air forces of Jordan and Iraq.
For his actions, he received various gallantry awards from Pakistan, Jordan, and Iraq.[2] He also took part in 12 ground-attack missions against the Indian armed forces. After the independence of Bangladesh, he joined the newly formed Bangladesh Air Force.
In 1980, Azam retired as a unit captain from the Bangladesh Air Force. After retiring from the military, he continued government service on a contract basis and started his own private trading firm. Azam was a one-term parliament member (1991-1996) representing his hometown seat of Pabna from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He died on June 14, 2020 at a Military hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Saiful Azam was married to a lawyer named Nishat Azam.
In late 1966, Azam was dispatched to Amman as a technical advisor to the Royal Jordanian Air Force. After only a few months in the region, he suddenly found himself at war as Israeli jets mounted a string of pre-emptive surprise attacks on Syria, Egypt, and Jordan on June 5, 1967. The raids were part of the opening moves of the Six Day War.
He fought real air battles and shot down four Israeli aircraft while in the air with unshakable steadfastness and indescribable courage. Azam’s four kills during the Six-Day War give him the distinction of downing more Israeli aircraft than any other fighter pilot in history.
This image you see... is not just a picture of a pilot, but a picture of a man who wrote his name in Arab history... and he was not an Arab.
Few days ago, after the Israeli unprovoked attack in Iran, both Pakistan and North Korea stated publicly that if Israeli troops enter Iran, they are both in the battle and Pakistan added, if Israel nukes Iran, Pakistan will drop a nuclear bomb on Israel. Pakistan also said it intends to supply Iran with "Shaheen-III" medium-range ballistic missiles if the Iran-Israel conflict escalates, according to top intelligence sources who have told CNN-News18. The Shaheen-III missiles have a range of 2,750 km over 1,700 miles.
Breaking news: The United States bombed Iran n
As I am writing this article, the news broke out that the US has bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran as well as the bunker of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei by using B-52 bombers. Obviously, Iran is going to be retaliating against US forces stationed in Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Syria, UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain. The blood of any Americans killed in the Middle East will be in the hands of the Liar-in-Chief Donald J. Trump who ordered the unprovoked attack on Iran for the love of Israel, even though he told Iran yesterday that it has two weeks to sign a peace deal.
It should be noted that the United States Air Force recognized Saifuldeen Azam in 2000 as being one of the world’s 20 greatest living flying aces. That being said, Arab and Muslim nations should teach his story and act of heroism ins school and colleges for generations to come. I have to confess that this was the first time I heard his story. For that reason, I chose to shine a light on his contributions.
Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelancer and Ret. USAF veteran: He could be reached at elyousseph6@yahoo.com
Group Captain Saiful Azam wearing the Iraq medal "Nawt-Al-Shuja". (Supplied: family of Saiful Azam)