January 7th, 2011
Salman Taseer was a leading member of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He was reportedly killed by one of his own guards because of his strong campaigning against Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which make insulting the Prophet (saw) a criminal offence.
There has been a reaction of incredulity in the west. Politicians have condemned the killing and the media have portrayed Taseer as a martyr for liberalism. Pakistan has been described as ‘divided’ over the killing, and once again the issue of ‘extremism’ has emerged.
There are many questions and lessons to be learned from this incident, that relate to inaccurate views and comparisons being made in the western media about Islam, extremism, and the mix of religion and politics. We explore some of them here.
1. The condemnation of Taseer is hardly surprising. The people of Pakistan are Muslims who love the Prophet (saw). The secular PPP government’s attempt, supported by the western backers as part of their ‘War on Terror’, to enforce a system that would permit the wanton ridicule and insult of our beloved has pushed the situation to a fault line. This killing has to be seen in this context. The fact that Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri has been charged with murder and ‘terrorism’ illustrates the ideological nature of the ‘War on Terror’.
2. Pakistan is inherently unstable. People despise the rulers and there is little respect for the system. The respect for Islam and its adherence to the rule of law and the system doesn’t sit well with vigilantism. Islam places a strong emphasis on the method and process by which its rules are implemented. It doesn’t encourage people to take the law into their own hands and become – judge, jury and executioner. But such is the conflict between the Islamic values of the people and the secular system imposed on them, that such incidents will occur.
3. The western reaction will seem strange to onlookers. In this week’s news it emerged that approximately nine hundred people were assassinated in 2010 by unmanned US drones. Yet, there is little condemnation and few words that eulogise the victims who are overwhelmingly innocent civilians. Only last week President Obama’s sick humour was overlooked with little comment. It is then hardly surprising if people view the condemnation of Taseer’s death with cynicism.
4. The people of Pakistan are said to be divided over this death. In reality the overwhelming majority are indifferent or approve of his killing, whilst the ‘slither’ of the secular elite, backed by PPP die-hards, are the only ones who will find the death shocking.
To illustrate this the so-called hard liners who condemned Taseer included the ‘Brelwi’ school of thought, which is the school from which the western ‘moderate’ favourite Tahir ul Qadri hails.
5. The matter of blasphemy confuses people in the secular west. The respect and love for the Prophet is a non-negotiable for Muslims. The idea that Muslims should accept insulting the Holy Prophet Muhammad as Europe has learned to tolerate insults towards the Holy Prophet Esa (Jesus) – may Allah’s Peace be on both of them – is abhorrent. There is no comparison between Europe’s experience between the hegemony of the Catholic church and its use of ‘religion’ and ‘blasphemy’ to endorse its power. The Muslim world sits under the hegemony of secular regimes who are colonial agents – who use ‘democracy’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘extremism’ to enforce their power.
Islam has no clergy, and commands the individual, groups and the masses to account political authority – which is why so many Islamic lawyers in Pakistan opposed Musharraf but support the Prophet (saw). Moreover Islam encourages debate and intellectual discourse and has a historical record to prove it. It is the absence of Islam under the Khilafah that has led to sectarianism in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq and elsewhere.
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Enough with the intimidation tactics
Monday, 03 January 2011 08:43
This past year we have seen an alarming amount of events that have put the Muslim community under intense scrutiny and pressure. Some of them include Faisal Shahzad’s attempted attack in Times Square, the attempts by Farooque Ahmed in Virginia, and most recently the incident in Portland by Mohammed Mohamud, amongst others. In the midst of these scares, the entire world is waiting, and in fact urging the Muslims for an answer. In the wake of the "Burn a Quran Day" and the Ground Zero mosque fiasco, Muslims are backed into a corner, having to either apologize for acts that they did not commit, or feel like they have to hide their Deen and make excuses for it. Some are even confused and scared, not knowing how to explain these events to their non-Muslims neighbors and co-workers and the society at large.
In fact, many non-Muslims have questions also. Do Muslims really believe in killing innocent civilians? Is it true that Muslims want to destroy America? Should they be afraid of Islam? In fact, many Americans suspect that the Muslims’ silence implies approval of these actions.
To answer these questions it’s important to keep a few points in mind:
1) The Facts Are Unknown: The facts for all of these events are completely unknown. The "War on Terror" relies on misinformation, deception, and slander. Like any counter-insurgency operation, the West is engaging the "hearts and minds" of Muslims, hoping that Muslims who are concerned with the colonization of Iraq and Afghanistan will turn their anger to so-called militants who attack women and children in schools, markets, and mosques. The alleged plots that were foiled in the United States are another example of this. The Western governments have a proven track record of lying to hide their unsavory actions such as the bombing of innocent women and children, and even their own soldiers in friendly-fire incidents as was seen in the case of retired football star Emmitt Hill.
The reality is that the real facts are unattainable and Muslims should view the reports in the media with skepticism. Even the general American public is losing trust in the official reports. The widely known documentary "Loose Change" is one example of ordinary American citizens questioning the official government stance of the events of September 11th. Furthermore, the use of private military contractors and mercenaries makes it hard to know who’s telling the truth. In fact, the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai a well-known American puppet commented on the bombings against innocent civilians in his own country saying, "In fact we don’t yet know how many of these blasts are by Taliban and how many are carried out by them (US security companies)."
2) Hype & Hysteria: The issue of terrorism is over-hyped and is a media obsession, fueling the anxiety average Americans have, famously including former NPR commentator, Juan Williams, over their safety. Politicians and pundits warn of the "Islamic threat" to Western civilization, causing even more hysteria. In fact, the West’s crusade against terror has been utterly unproductive, creating anger and resentment by launching colonial missions in Iraq and Afghanistan under the name of freedom, all the while supporting governments whose very existence is based on squashing political freedom like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt.
The truth is that former US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair recently testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee stating that the greatest threat facing the US is not terrorism, it’s the current economic crisis. His exact statement:"The primary near-term security concern of the United States is the global economic crisis and its geopolitical implications…" and how it could lead to "the instability, and high levels of violent extremism."
To support this point, Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Christopher Bond on the other hand said the economic crisis is now"the primary focus of the intelligence community", fearing that they may use "military force against hostile groups inside the United States" in the event of "a multi-state or nationwide civil conflict or disturbance."
3) Entrapment: It’s easy to see that many of the so- called "terrorist acts" that have occurred have been encouraged or orchestrated by law enforcement and intelligence agencies as was the case in Virginia with Farooque Ahmed and Portland with Mohammed Mohamud recently. The terror hysteria is largely hype, and many have concluded that it is not nearly as big a concern as it is made out to be. In fact, the government finds people who do not have the ways or means to carry out anything significant, and then like a theatrical play, the government comes in with promises of materials that the person themselves could never acquire, or often the promise of large sums of money in return for carrying out specific acts. Then when the plot is foiled, they are able to convince the American people that everything is under control. It guarantees a "successful" outcome and many people might believe that a terrorist act was prevented. The government even targets mosques and Islamic centers and uses informants and spies to incite problems and then claims victory after they "catch" someone.
In fact, an article from the British newspaper, The Guardian in 2005 said, "Of the 701 people arrested under the Terrorism Act since the September 11 attacks, half have been released without charge and only 17 convicted under the act. Only three of those cases relate to allegations of Islamist extremism."
Despite this fact we are regularly bombarded with screaming headlines about mass terror sweeps, and it goes unmentioned that in nearly every case every so-called 'terrorist' is released with no evidence against them. The arrests are at the top of the evening news for days but there is no clarification or retraction when the suspects are set free. This leaves the viewer with the impression that terrorists are everywhere and that only a draconian police state can protect them against the threat.
4) Creating Doubt & Suspicion: These issues are used to divide the Muslims and break them against each other. The RAND Corporation published a report discussing how to deal with the Muslims, and it was a classic example of "divide and conquer". It’s a classic colonial strategy and is being used worldwide against the Muslims to distract them. The goal is to discredit anyone that talks about Islam as a complete way of life.
5) Justifications: These events, in addition to putting more pressure on Muslims in the West are used to justify foreign interventions as well. By connecting these recent plots to cells in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, the government is building a case to launch more incursions into these Muslim countries. The recently discovered plot by so-called Islamic militants against European cities was traced back to Pakistan, and will likely serve as evidence to launch unilateral ground offensive in that country in the near future.
In light of this evidence, the Muslims should understand the following:
• Islam has forbidden the harming of innocent civilians at any time. Not only is it haram to attack innocent civilians, but Islam does not even allow Muslims to cut down trees, destroy infrastructure like bridges, roads, and hospitals.
• Muslims should not feel intimidated by the increasing pressure by the government because these are vain attempts to catch "terrorists" that don’t really exist.
• The Muslims should continue to defend their rights and show that Islam and Muslims are not really the problem; rather it is colonialism and oppression that is the real problem.
The real issue is that the Muslims are faced with is the absence of Islam as a way of life. The Islamic rituals and worships are still observed, but Islam is not implemented in its totality as it should be. This is the vital issue for the Muslims. The occupation of the Muslim lands of Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Palestine, the corruption of puppet Muslim rulers, the poverty and declined state of affairs, and hardships that the Muslims are suffering from are the consequences of not living under Islam.
The issue is not a lack of resources, but a lack of Islamic leadership. What we lack is the shield that RasulAllah (saw) prescribed for us to use in order to protect ourselves. This shield is described in the following hadith:
"Indeed, the Imam (Khaleefah) is a shield, from behind whom you fight and by whom you are protected." [Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Verily, the knots of Islam will be undone one by one. Whenever one knot is lost then the people grabbed onto the one which came after it. The first of these knots will be the ruling and the last will be the salah." [At-Tabaraani]
So the Muslims are obliged to work for the return of the Khilafah and not be distracted by intimidation and accusations from the non-Muslims. Similarly, the Muslims should not be deluded into thinking that violent actions will ever solve the problem. The issue of re-establishing the Khilafah is a political one and requires political work to accomplish this goal. This was the work of the Prophet (saw) and we are obliged to follow his footsteps.
So if Muslims want to make a change, they should focus their efforts on re-establishing the Khilafah which will rule them by Islam and solve their problems with the Deen of Allah. At the same time, the Muslims should not be confused or intimidated by events that are engineered and manipulated to intimidate them. We should be bold and clearly demonstrate the contradictions and problems that arise as a result of Capitalism like the global economic crisis. We should highlight the fragmented and decaying social system in non-Islamic societies. Above all, we should show that Islam is a mercy from Allah and that when implemented comprehensively as a system, the entire creation, Muslim and non-Muslim, will taste the sweet fruits of Islam.
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Christians and Muslims in Egypt need the return of the Khilafah
Monday, 3rd January 2011
Religious minorities are being targeted in the secular west and east, only Islam and Khilafah offer hope.
People have been shocked by the bomb blast outside a Coptic Christian Church in Alexandria, Egypt on Saturday 1st January 2011, which killed 21 people. The blast comes in the aftermath of accounts that Christians in Iraq have faced hostility since the US-led occupation.
Similar reports have recently come about the mistreatment of Christians in the West Bank and in Pakistan. Commentators condemn these examples of attacks on Christians in majority Muslim countries as signs of tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims. They are presented as examples of ‘extremism' and intolerance of non-Muslims by Muslims.
The blame is rarely placed on the secular system administered by autocratic regimes - like that of Hosni Mubarak, Mahmood Abbas, Asif Ali Zardari or Noori al Maliki (nor on their western backers) - under whose watch the security of both Muslims and non-Muslims alike has worsened over the years.
The fact is these regimes care little about ANY of their citizens. They have spent years securing their own interests, the interests of their backers amongst the elites in Muslim countries and western multinational corporations. If the price has been bombs and mayhem for their citizens - Muslim, Christian or otherwise - they could not care less.
Unlike secular states, Islam has a very different approach to non-Muslim citizens. Non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic state (the Caliphate or Khilafah) are called Ahl al Dhimma - people of the contract - which means they enjoy the full rights of citizenship. They are citizens whose life, honour, property and religion are all to be protected under the law of the Shariah, like any other citizen. They pay a tax called jizya but are exempt from paying zakat or from compulsory military service.
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "He who abuses a dhimmi [non-Muslim citizen] then I will be his rival and dispute him on the Day of Judgment."
He (saw) also said: "The one who kills a Mu'ahid (people with whom the State has treaties) without right he will not smell the fragrance of jannah (heaven) even if its smell was forty years travelling distance."[Ahmed]
History is a testament to the Muslims implementing these commands under the Khilafah for over hundreds of years.
Sir Thomas Arnold in his book ‘The Call to Islam' states: "We have never heard about any attempt to compel Non-Muslim parties to adopt Islam or about any organised persecution aiming at exterminating Christianity. He went further to say "If the Caliphs had chosen one of these plans, they would have wiped out Christianity as easily as what happened to Islam during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain; by the same method which Louis XIV followed to make Protestantism a creed whose followers were to be sentenced to death; or with the same ease of keeping the Jews away from Britain for a period of three hundred fifty years."
The Caliphate during its reign allowed non-Muslims to have their own courts and judges to settle family law disputes and other matters related to their personal lives and religion.
Imam Qarafi (Classical Islamic Scholar) summed up the responsibility of the Caliphate to the dhimmi when he said: "It is the responsibility of the Muslims to the People of the Dhimma to care for their weak, fulfil the needs of the poor, feed the hungry, provide clothes, address them politely, and even tolerate their harm even if it was from a neighbour, even though the Muslim would have an upper hand. The Muslims must also advise them sincerely on their affairs and protect them against anyone who tries to hurt them or their family, steal their wealth, or violates their rights."
The Egyptian regime has for decades locked away hundreds of Islamic scholars and thousands of so-called Islamists for nothing more than opposing the regime though little about this is reported in the western press or reported with the gusto as today's attacks apparently targeting Christians.
Whether it's the secular intolerance from the democratic systems in the West (note the banning in Europe of Hijabs, Niqabs and minarets) or autocratic regimes in the Middle East, religion and religious peoples are being persecuted today. In contrast, Islam and the Khilafah (Caliphate) system guarantees the rights and protection of minorities, religious or otherwise, as shown by the Islamic texts and proven by Islamic history.
OD
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