Massacre in Hama (Syria)
On the eve of Ramadhan, 31st July, Syrian tanks stormed Hama killing over 140 people including women and children, for calling for an end to the corrupt Syrian government. On the first day of Ramadhan tanks continued to attack Hama. President Assad directed his security forces on these brutal attacks, claiming ‘it is a duty of the state which must defend security and protect the lives of civilians’. We can clearly see Assad is not protecting his people as he has claimed to, as 16,000 people have been killed in the uprisings and thousands have already been arrested. Is this the type of security that the Muslims need? Being attacked for commanding the good (mahruf) and forbidding the evil (munkar)? The absence of Islam in places such as Syria has allowed corrupt rulers like President Assad to massacre innocent Muslims in an attempt to quash the call for an Islamic system.
The Ummah does not have a shield (Khaleefah) to protect itself. Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “Behold, the Imam is but a shield from behind which the people fight and by which they protect themselves” (Muslim)
The Ummah needs a Khaleefah who will implement justice and take care of the affairs of the ummah. Khaleef ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul Aziz was once found by his wife weeping after his prayers; asked if anything had happened to cause him grief, he replied,
“O Fatimah, I have been made the ruler over the Muslims and the strangers and I was thinking of the poor that are starving, and the sick that are destitute, and the naked that are in distress, and the oppressed that are stricken, and the stranger that is in prison, and the vulnerable elder, and he that has a large family and small means, and those of them in the countries of the earth and the distant provinces, and I felt that my Lord would ask an account of them at my hands on the day of resurrection, and I feared that no defence would avail me and I wept”
The corrupt Muslim rulers do not take responsibility for their people and have no fear of accountability for their actions. We need to replace these rulers with a Khaleef who will take responsibility for the people and deal with the Ummah with care and concern, as he will fear the day when Allah SWT will account him for his actions. An Islamic system will ensure the accountability of the rulers by the means of the Court of Unjust Acts (Mahkamatul Madhalim). As one of the principles of the ruling system, sovereignty belongs to the Shariah, and the authority belongs to the ummah; therefore dictators cannot rule nor can the brutality of man-made laws exist since the Shariah forbids massacres and killing of women and children.
A Call to implement Shariah (Egypt)
On Friday 29th July 2011 people demonstrated in Tahrir Square Cairo in their millions, calling for the implementation of Shariah law in Egypt. Protesters arrived from different areas in buses. The crowd delivered its message through signs, flags and chants: "Egypt will return to Islamic Shariah law! Liberals and secularists are the enemies of Allah! The solution is Islam!"
It is now clear the ummah not only knows what it doesn’t want, it clearly knows what it wants, ‘return to Islamic Shariah law’.
Poverty due to drought (Somalia)
As the drought continues, over 1,000 Somali refugees are arriving in refugee camps in Kenya every day. The famine is forcing many people to walk 15 to 20 days in dry, dusty weather to reach the camps. Many Muslims will struggle during Ramadhan, living in over cramped refugee camps due to severe lack of food and water shortage.
We witness our brother and sisters in Somalia dying of starvation, while the West usurps the wealth of the third world countries. This is only the product of Capitalism. The implementation of an Islamic State (Khilafah) will ensure every individual has the right of shelter, food and clothing.
The Prophet (SAW) said; "The Son of Adam has no better right than that he would have a house wherein he may live, a piece of clothing whereby he may hide his nakedness and a piece of bread and some water." [Tirmidhi]
Therefore, the state will be responsible to meet the basic requirements for all citizens, regardless of where they reside. These are among the provisions the Islamic Khilafah system considers to be not only basic needs but human rights.
Nationalism leaves many homeless and disunited (Sudan)
On 9th July 2011, in the name of freedom, South Sudan became an independent state from Sudan. This has led many Sudanese citizens to move to the new state leaving their previous homes behind, however, others struggle to find their place of residence as they are not welcome in either province. The national assembly has agreed on a draft law that removes Sudanese nationality from anyone the authorities consider South Sudanese, and all southerners living in the north will not have a right to northern nationality. Many are homeless, without money and nothing to eat, not knowing where to go and what to do. The Sudanese officials have already made it clear dual nationality will not be an option. It seems likely that South Sudanese will be able to acquire some sort of residency, but the current situation is very unclear.
Nationalism is haram in Islam. It promotes disunity and pride. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) said “He is not one us who calls for ‘Asabiyah, (nationalism/tribalism) or who fights for ‘Asabiyah or who dies for ‘Asabiyah.”
[Narrated Abu Dawood]
[Narrated Abu Dawood]
As Muslims we must eradicate our Ummah from this disease, and we must stay far away from this as the Messenger of Allah (SAW) referring to nationalism, racism, and patriotism said: "Leave it, it is rotten." [Muslim and Bukhari]. The divide and rule policy has tricked the ummah into disunity for decades now. We must now wake up to expose colonialist and imperialist policies.
US ‘War on Terror’ continues
On 10th August 2011, a US drone attack has killed at least 21 in north-western Pakistan. North and South Waziristan are regularly targeted by drone missiles. The US says the region provides sanctuary to al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents who are involved in attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan. Last month, drone strikes killed at least 30 people in less than 24 hours in the area.
On Wednesday 10th August an air strike by NATO-led forces in Afghanistan has reportedly killed Taliban fighters, including Taliban leader Mullah Mohibullah who was associated with shooting at a US helicopter. As an excuse to combat the ‘War on Terror’, the US persist exploiting Afghanistan and Pakistan with frequent attacks, providing no solutions, yet further destruction. The absence of Islam has clearly allowed such catastrophes to continue for endless years. Only the Khaleef who will be a shield for this Ummah will truly be able to put an end on the ‘War on Terror’ synonymous to the war on Islam.
Niqab ban in Europe
On 2nd August 2011, an Italian parliamentary commission has approved a draft law that would ban women from wearing veils that cover their faces in public, if passed by parliament in September. Women who violate the ban would face fines of $140 to $400, while third parties who force women to cover their faces in public would be fined $42,000 and face up to 12 months in jail.
The Italian law was sponsored by Souad Sbai, a Moroccan-born member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's conservative Freedom People party, who said she wanted to help Muslim women better integrate into Italian society. "Five years ago, no one wore the burqa [in Italy]. Today, there is always more. We have to help women get out of this segregation ... to get out of this submission.”
The hypocrisy of secularism is exposed further in Europe, as the banning of niqab is in reality the banning of a piece of cloth. These so called tolerant societies are resorting to desperate measures to force Muslims to leave their values, since Muslims at large are yet to be won over by the hypocrisy of western liberal values.
Three Muslim Men killed in riots (England)
As the riots and lootings continued in England, three Muslim men, Haroon Jahan, 21, Shahzad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, were killed whilst protecting their property in Birmingham. Members of the Muslim community gathered together to offer prayer in congregation for those lost.
The behaviour of looters is indicative of the fact that broken Britain has left generations of people lacking social and moral values. Criminality is rampant and opportunities for looting in these days reflect the greed and irresponsibility money making capitalism brings. Under Capitalism the individuals are nurtured to live without a sense of responsibility to the community.
The Khilafah will be based on the Islamic Aqeedah, where the society will be fostered with Taqwa (God consciousness). The communities interest is taken care of to protect the society from degenerative values of individualism and freedom that results in a broken society. Islam promotes goodness as Allah SWT says in the Qur’an, “Help each other in al-Birr and at-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help each other in sin and transgression” [al-Maa’idah 5:2]
Conclusions
It is evident that since the absence of Islam, the plight of our Ummah has escalated and the implementation of secular liberal democracies has only lead to further turmoil. Islam tends to the needs of human beings and is capable of governing the affairs of the whole of mankind as Allah SWT said,
"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." [Al-Maida 5:3]
The Ummah desperately needs the implementation of Islamic values to eradicate the distress the world is facing, from the East to the West.
Muslims need to work together to improve the situation of our Ummah by a call for the Islamic system. Allah SWT sent His Qur’an as a guidance and furqan (criteria for right and wrong), and not just a book to be recited during the month of Ramadhan. We need to wake up and take responsibility to unite the Ummah under one leader, one land, one Islamic system Insha’Allah. The ummah has taken great steps with the Arab uprising, and since the wall of fear has broken we must make head way by advocating the khilafah system globally. A united message to uproot western liberal democracies and dictatorships and to replace it with an Islamic khilafah system will no doubt shake the thrones of the tyrants but also pave way for true change. We know what we don’t want but can we advocate what we want?
On the authority of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
"The Faithful are to one another like [parts of] a building - each part strengthening the others" and "Every Muslim is a brother to a Muslim, neither wronging him nor allowing him to be wronged. And if anyone helps his brother in need, Allah will help him in his own need; and if anyone removes a calamity from [another] Muslim, Allah will remove from him some of the calamities of the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone shields [another] Muslim from disgrace, Allah will shield him from the disgrace on the Day of Resurrection." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Afsana Hye, UK
