A letter from Bangladesh on the Egyptian protests: America and the west can't deceive us again
Saturday, 05 February 2011 10:53 Jafar Muhammad Abu Abdullah .
Let me begin by praising Allah سبحانه وتعالى, who has control over all the affairs.
The story of Tunis and subsequently Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Jordan and the increasing domino effect in the ummah in the greater Arab world is unprecedented for decades. There are many who say that the people in Tunisia have shown and reinstalled a new hope and dignity in the masses across the Middle East to go on the street and protest, put pressure and then topple their regime. There are many who are saying that the fear factor amongst the general people has wiped out and now they are ready to take the matter in their own hands. However, most of us agree that the Middle East we have seen for the last 60 or 70 years has changed once and for all. Just months ago who could have imagined such a reality in the street of Tunis, Egypt, Yemen, and other parts of the middle east. Indeed it is the beginning of the end of tyrants and the servants of America and the western world insha'Allah.
Realities in Tunisia
Once Ben Ali left the country, his loyal friend Mohamed Ghannouchi, formed the government with the same old faces along with bringing certain cosmetic changes in the so called unity government. The government of Ghannouchi has appointed ministers loyal to Ben Ali in key ministries including interior, foreign, finance and information. Thus in reality the cronies of Ben Ali have maintained the "continuity" of his rule and the rule of his party after him, even after he was sacked and became a fugitive! But the people continued with the demand. Still they are on the street, looking forward to Ghannouchi leaving and establishing a radical new system of governance. Interestingly America during this whole part of Jasmine Revolution has remained silent. Ben Ali was a pro-western man, working as an obedient slave to repress the people. His government was very much in the forefront of the American war on Islam. In June 2010 Gen. William E. Ward, Commander, U.S. AFRICOM was in Tunisia to discuss how to deepen their crusade against Islam.
After remaining silent for about a week, America has now come up with dubious tactics. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi on 23rd January to express continued support for the people of Tunisia and hijacked the people movements calling it a desire for a more democratic society. To be honest the US does not have any loyal puppets to project as a new face in Tunisia. That's why even though every single person in a county which is almost 100% Muslim wants Ghannouchi to leave, America is saying that they support the effort of the so called government of unity, perhaps America can find or create a puppet for her within the new formed government of unity. Moreover Hilary has reiterated that America stands ready to assist the Tunisian people to meet the challenges ahead, and assured the Prime Minister that the United States will stand with them as they chart a new course for their country. Thus America truly presented the hypocrisy on its part.
Realities in Egypt
The realities in Egypt are quite extraordinary. Just months back there was an election, which had been completely rigged. The government of Egypt led by Hosni Mubarak (considered as man of stability by Obama and America for the region) has been running this country for more than three decades with emergency rules and suppressing people's rights to voice concerns about things like food, clothing, shelter, employment, education and health. Being one of the richest countries in the Arab region, the Egyptian ruler is simply an iconic Pharaoh from every angle. The Tunisian inspired mass protest for the last few days has found a new dimension last Friday where thousands of demonstrators took to the streets with only one demand i.e. down with this regime'. More than a thousand have been arrested and already 100 plus have been killed. The ruling party headquarters has been set ablaze. Mubarak after two days of silence has disbanded the government without stepping down. He is expected to announce a new government. This is something he has done so many times before. But the demand of the people is oneGo Mubarak go!'
In these extraordinary circumstances there comes America calling Mubarak to listen to people's demands. However they still maintained that Hosni Mubarak's government is stable. Hilary Clinton said that, violence is not the answer for Egypt's grievances while Obama just after the nationwide address of Mubarak said that, `United States will continue to stand up for the rights of the Egyptian people and work with their government in pursuit of a future that is more just, more free, and more hopeful'. Honestly this is similar to what has been America's response to Tunisia.
Some Uncertain Questions
While the ummah in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and elsewhere in the region are calling for radical change, the western world is trying to hijack the fruits of these movements by misdirecting the discussion through their media and other means at their disposal.
First of all they are labeling these extraordinary demonstrations as evidence of democratic aspiration in the Middle East, while they are the ones who caused and inflicted these tyrants upon the ummah in the greater Middle East and elsewhere in the Muslim world.
Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak, Ali Abdullah Saleh and the rest of the rulers in the Muslims word all are tyrants with whom Washington and Europe have been conducting business and looting the wealth of the ummah. These rulers are the ones who supported America and her allies in their crusade against Islam and suppression of political Islam, the natural aspiration of the ummah. The ummah is fed up with the democratization of Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 10 years of occupation. The Muslim ummah knows the crimes of democratic Israel where it clearly exposed the true intention of the western democratic call.
Therefore, the people in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and elsewhere in the region are not calling for democracy rather for a system of governance where the ruler will be accountable to them, not to America and the western powers. The people are looking for their abundant resources to be used for their economic opportunities rather than increasing the bank balances of the rulers and western multinationals. The people are calling for a system that does not protect the interests of Israel in the form of a so-called peace treaty with this Zionist regime, rather the ummah wants to see the Egyptian army go forward into Gaza and end the seize and liberate Palestine once and for all. They want the marriage between leaders of their lands and western colonial powers to be completely cut off. That is their demands. Thus the demand of the ummah is the return of Islam. America knows it very well. In fact in a number of surveys including the Pew Corporation for `world public opinion' showed that more than 85% have voiced their demand for the return of Islam in their practical life. They want colonial politics to end once for all.
Moreover, the Muslims in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen know how democracy brings about the same old faces in more legitimate ways to serve America and the west. It is not just that, the ummah understands that democracy is a factory that produces paid and non-paid agents for the west on a continuous basis.
Let's take the example of Bangladesh, the third largest Muslim country in the world, popularly leveled as a moderate Muslim democracy'. In 1990 a popular uprising toppled a US backed military ruler General Ershad. However, the promise of reforms, political and economic opportunities and other deceiving words of democracy have in the process of the last 20 years produced rulers who sell the country to polytheist and crusader India-USA-UK for their political survival, while the ummah lives in dire poverty, unemployment and chaos. Moreover with democracy America and western powers were successful in dividing the ummah of Bangladesh into two camps one led by Shiekh Hasina and the other led by Khaleda Zia. Both of these criminals compete against each other to gain power and thus naturally ending up by giving up the resources to the crusaders. The democratic transition has allowed America and other western powers to play with people by bringing one for five years and another for five years. Thus the aspiration for radical and comprehensive change is becoming more difficult. Once people voice opposition for the current Prime Minister America and the west quickly present the opposition as the credible alternative and reshape public memory with their mass media. Thus the Ummah of the Middle East understands why America was quick to label these developments asdemocratic aspiration' and surely they will not fall into the American trap to go through the process for another 20-30 years to understand democracy is hypocrisy. Indeed the ummah understands that `democracy is the system by which politicians ‘rape the public'.
Today America and the western powers understand that they have no servant left in Tunisia, Egypt or in Yemen. They understand the ramification of the change and the desire of the ummah. Had there been any option at their hands 10% of the protests and demonstrations compared to the current level would have been enough to topple the government of Ben Ali, Mubarak and Saleh. The world has seen so many of those architected by America in the past across the world. However with no opposition except the Islamic political parties like An-Nahda, Muslim Brotherhood, and most importantly transnational pan Islamic Hizb ut Tahrir i.e. the liberation party on the ground and capable to rule the country, the western world understands the stakes.
The second uncertain question is that, who will rule the country? Who is the man to replace Ben Ali, Mubarak or Saleh? With this question the western media wants to create frustration and a vacuum in the public mindset so that at the end they don't fail by themselves. This is exactly what one American policy maker said a few days ago in Al-Jazeera `let them fail by themselves'. The West thinks that, the Islamic ummah does not have anyone better than these rotten traitors. However, the objective of this question is to distance the ummah from its real political stake holdings and rights. With this question they find an opportunity to bring somebody like El-Baradi for instance in Egypt to take the discussion away from real issues.
Indeed the ummah of Al-Maghreb and the Arab world today realizes that each of them is capable to run the government. Each one of them in the street understands and believes that, they are far better as rulers than these traitors, the paid agents of America, Europe and Israel. Thus the real issue is not who will rule rather with what they will be ruled. Whether they will be ruled by a different man with the same old policies drafted from Washington with cosmetic changes or they will be ruled by the Quran and Sunnah which not just gives political rights back to people but makes its mandatory on the part of the people to exercise their political rights and account the rulers.
The issue is not whether Mubarak makes some reforms to answer to legitimate grievances by allowing some economic opportunities; rather they will be ruled by Quran and Sunnah which not just gives economic opportunities so that people can meet their food, bread, clothing, shelter, employment and medical care, rather makes it compulsory on the part of the ruler to fulfill these basic needs rather than calling them as economic opportunities.
The issue is whether we will be ruled by a democratic system that considers angering the west especially America and the EU as never an option, rather we will be ruled by an Islamic political system where its compulsory on the part of the rulers to anger and constantly weaken the resolve of the western powers to weaken them so that the ummah gets back to its glory and dignity with which they are now on the street.
The issue is whether America will be successful to inspire and hijack these aspirations of the ummah to bring colonial policies to deceive the ummah or the ummah will remain steadfast to call for a radical comprehensive change in the system and install the Islamic Khilafah system to govern themselves so that the property and resources of the ummah does not fall in to the hands of multinationals or western governments and rulers, rather than fall in to the hands of the ummah to create employment through massive industrialization. The issue is whether the ummah will allow America the opportunities for another time to deceive them whereby the so called friendship treaty between the occupying state of Israel and Egypt continuous to save the split son of the west i.e. Israel or the ummah will have the system that will send the Egyptian army for a morning walk to dismantle the state of Israel and lift the seize of Gaza once and for all. Thus the issue is not the person rather the issue is of principles.
What should we do?
The ummah of Tunisia has shown what it means if the people express their khair (goodness) of accounting the tyrants. They have already shown the highest level of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil. Alhamdulillah the domino effect has rocked the capitals of the Arab world. However, for the ummah of the Arab world to again position themselves to lead not just the Muslim world rather the entire world the following things will be of paramount importance.
1. Make one demand i.e. `Islam and Khilafah is our demand'.
2. Stay in the streets and pray to Allah like you have shown in Cairo and other parts of Egypt at the time of prayer in jamah to soften the heart and minds of the security forces.
3. While you are on the street the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir is having contact with the army to win their support for you. The party has a clear Islamic understanding of the system of Khilafah and they have more than 50 years of experience. Support the party. Call Tahrir from Tahrir square. Understand that indeed the army will play a crucial role in shaping your destiny. Therefore help Hizb ut-Tahrir to win over the support of your army around your side.
4. Use the mosques across the country to deliver common messages to the public that they want radical change only possible by establishing the Islamic Khilafah system that will fulfill all your dreams like ending the ties and dependencies on America and other colonial countries to empowering your economic and political opportunities.
5. Never fall into the trap of America and other western foreign powers or their surrogates. Remembers the call for democracy is simply giving America the spider web that slowly but surely will grab you in future like it did in Bangladesh, Indonesia or elsewhere in the Muslim world. Understand that America has no power to militarily intervene in your course. Neither have they had any political tools. Thus now they are crying for human rights and freedom to deceive you.
6. Never give up by simply listening that there is a credible election announced by the government or interim government or unity government of any kind. Rather make sure that you disconnect all the means of western colonial interferences and install Islam in power. Islam itself has the power to bring about new leaderships.
7. Prepare the ummah mentally to be tough to lead the ummah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Surely this is a blessed responsibility.
8. Pray to Allah as we pray for you from a land far distant from you.
May Allah grant the ummah the victory that pleases Him سبحانه وتعالى. And may Cairo, Tunis, Sana' or Al-Maghreb be the start of the return of Khilafah ala minhajun Nobuwah.
Remember what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said from Al-Nu'man b. Bashir, who said: "We were sitting in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and Bashir was a man who did not speak much, so Abu Tha'labah Al-Khashnee came and said: ‘Oh, Bashir bin Sa'ad, have you memorised the words of the Messenger of Allah (saw) regarding the rulers?' Huthayfah replied, ‘I have memorised his words'. So Abu Tha'labah sat down and Huthayfah said, ‘The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said ‘Prophethood will be amongst you whatever Allah wishes it to be, then He will lift it up if He wished to lift it up. Then there will be a Khilafah on the way of the Prophet, and it will be whatever Allah wishes it to be, then He will lift it up if Allah wished to lift it up. Then there will be an inheritance rule, and it will be whatever Allah wishes it to be, then He will lift it up if He wished to lift it up. Then there will be a coercive rule, and it will be whatever Allah wishes it to be, then He will lift it up if He wished to lift it up. Then there will be a Khilafah on the way of Prophethood.' Then he was silent."
Jafar Muhammad Abu Abdullah
Dhaka, Bangladesh (29th January, 2011).
