The Arab Reaction – Words are not enough

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ
The Arab Reaction – Words are not enough

Where is the uproar? Where is the overflow of emotion draining? Should there not have been a revolution by now? Should not the armies of Islam be pouring into Iraq in their millions to protect their brothers and sisters from the humiliation that they face at the hands of the occupying forces? How can it be that such catastrophes continue yet the people remain subdued?

It has now been two weeks since the first pictures of torture and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in American custody hit the international headlines. Anger and outrage have poured from Arab and Muslim populations around the world ever since then. The abuses that have been publicised are shocking, yet notoriously, Donald Rumsfeld the American foreign secretary has admitted that much more horrific pictures and videos are in his possession and are known to the American civilian and military administrations. Hundreds of thousands of words have been written. Voices have been raised in their condemnation. The prayers of the Muslims have been prolonged and the supplication has increased.

Yet nothing has changed. Are the US forces being driven out of the land of the Muslims? Have the occupiers abandoned their efforts to impose unislamic ideals and values upon the Muslims? Have those who committed or ordered these atrocities been brought to true justice? The answer is no!

The American and British occupiers remain in control of the land. They continue to attack the Islamic ideology and propagate their own ideology, even as they massacre innocent civilians, destroy Islam’s holy sites and torture their prisoners.

A pattern has emerged over the last century that belies the abilities and potential of the Muslims and Arabs. While Palestine has been a perpetual humiliation that has persisted throughout the last 50 years, in truth, the Muslim people have been subject to repeated attack, humiliation and abuse in every corner that they reside. Yet the response to this harassment has been tempered to say the least. What can clearly be seen on every one of these occasions, is disarray.

In some parts of the world, the Muslims march through the streets and burn foreign flags. In others, they allow a private anger to boil, only known by close family and friends. Some of the Muslim governments openly condemn such aggressions while others may even participate in them. Hundreds of newspaper columns are written and intellectuals debate upon the reasons such things befall the people. In places such as Palestine, the people try to fight back, although they are poorly equipped to do so. Finally, after an initial burst of emotion and resentment, everyone settles back into their normal daily lives and the calamity is reasoned to have passed.

This has now happened so many times that there need not be any concern of retaliation for those perpetrating these crimes. While they accuse the Muslims of extremism and terrorism, they also have a quiet confidence that their transgressions will be free from repercussions.

Every time these events occur, the resentment and negative emotions increase amongst the Muslims, but their resulting response is qualitatively the same, inaction. Since this scenario has befallen the ummah, her enemies and those who wish to exploit her find it very easy to do so and their crimes become worse and worse.

Indeed, so many words have now been spoken about this topic now that it leads some people to believe that the time for words has ended and that action, any action, is preferable to continued inaction.

This is not entirely true. Inaction is certainly the option of defeat, the option of failure. But the choice of “any action” is equivalently false if not more so. Words still need to be spoken but it is the correct words that are now needed as these are the words which will lead on to the correct actions insha Allah.

The correct words are those which teach the people how to live their lives in a just manner, how to unify with the other believers from around the world, and how to mount an organised, powerful response to the onslaughts from which they suffer. The correct words have been spoken, indeed every Muslim has these words with him or her at home, and recites them frequently. The correct words that now need to be spoken and need to be followed are the ones that will lead to the correct actions. These words are the revelation that was sent to mankind with the Prophet (salAllahu alaihi wasallam), the Qur’an, and those things that the Qur’an legitimised.

Allah (subhanahu wa ta'aala) says in His book;

وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاء فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىَ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided. [TMQ ale Imran:103]

The unification commanded extends far beyond the requirements of our common Aqeeda. The establishment of our political unity behind one Khaleefah, and the subsequent unification of our lands behind this leadership must be paramount in our actions. And it can only be with these words that the Muslims can unify, implement Islam and establish a strong political and military entity, which will enable them to react appropriately to the attacks they endure. Enough is enough. It seems that every word is spoken today except the ones that matter most… the words of this worlds Creator.

Khilafah.com Journal
04 Rabi al-Thani 1425 Hijri
23 May 2004

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