The Breakup of Sudan - universal-islam.com dhul-qedah - dhul-hijjah 1431ah. ··· november 2010 ··· issue: 13 hajj reflections - letter to the french embassy - the colonial push

The Breakupof Sudan

O you who believe, respond to the call of Allah and His Messenger when He calls you to that which would give you life...

DHUL-QEDAH - DHUL-HIJJAH 1431AH. ··· NOVEMBER 2010 ··· ISSUE: 13

HAJJ REFLECTIONS - LETTER TO THE FRENCH EMBASSY - THE COLONIALPUSH TO SEPARATE SOUTHERN SUDAN - UPDATE: GLOBAL ECONOMICCRISIS THE QUEST FOR GROWTH - CURRENCY CRISIS BETRAYSCAPITALIST RIVALRIES - THE SACRED MONTHS AND GEO-POLITICSBOOK REVIEW: THE GRAND DESIGN BY STEPHEN HAWKING - NIGERIA:50 YEARS OF COLONIAL LEGACY (PART I) - INTERVIEW: NAVEED BUTT

NEWSBITES

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US LEADERSHIP GAINS APPROVAL INSOME PARTS OF ASIAAccording to a recent Gallup Poll, the USleadership in 2010 has become veryunpopular in India and Pakistan, with only18% approval of US foreign policy.However, the same survey reveals that theUS has gained approval in other Asiancountries such as Singapore and thePhilippines.

It is not surprising that the majority ofAfghans and Pakistanis do not approve.Why would they? Obama’s failed ‘Af-Pak’strategy has subjected the regions’ peopleto a brutal occupation, with innocentcivilians killed daily and witnessing theUS’s empty promises of ‘freedom’ and‘human rights’ when detained andtortured in Bagram and Islamabad.

The ‘War on Terror’ has seen millions ofpeople displaced from their homes whileboth the Karzai and Zardari regime,thoroughly discredited by corruption,continue to be propped up byWashington. Only recently, IMF structuraladjustments have slaughtered an alreadycrippled economy in Pakistan byintroducing callous tax rises on basic fooditems and fuel, just as the people struggleto rebuild their lives after the worstflooding disaster in their history.

OKLAHOMA STRIKES OUT AGAINSTSHARIA LAWIn a pique of populist paranoia theOklahoma state Senate and House ofrepresentatives have strongly voted toallow referendum Question 755, known as“Save our State” to ban any reference to orefforts to impose Sharia law in any court.The move is seen as a rallying call toconservatives state-wide to stop Sharialaw becoming widespread as itsupposedly has in Europe. Opponents ofthe ballot called it a preemptive strikeagainst a non-threat, citing the fact thateven the amendments sponsors couldn’t

cite any case in which Oklahoma courtshave applied Sharia law. Yet supporters ofthe amendment, borrowing George W.Bush's “with us or against us” doctrine,argued that those who don’t support theamendment must be for Sharia law.

Perhaps the last laugh is on them –innocence until proven guilty, nodetention without trial, the right topresent to a competent judge, rights ofprisoners, womens vote, womens right toown and inherit wealth – and many otherprinciples adopted in the US have theirantecedents in Sharia law. Although in aGuantanomo Bay, Bagram and Abu Ghraibworld many of these rights have beenbadly eroded.

PAKISTAN PLANS TO TARGET MILITANTSIN NORTH WAZIRISTAN US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral MikeMullen said the Pakistani military haspledged to go after militants that the USwants targeted in the North Waziristantribal region. Mullen said Chief of ArmyStaff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani hasgiven assurances that he will mount anoffensive in the tribal region along theAfghan border. “He has committed to meto go into North Waziristan and to rootout these terrorists as well”, Mullenreportedly said in an interview onBloomberg Television. “He clearly knowswhat our priorities are… North Waziristanis the epicentre of terrorism,” Mullen said.

Pakistani PM Gilani admitted in midOctober that former President Musharrafwas the first to give the US authority touse un-manned drones in surveillanceflights throughout Pakistan. These flightshave since initiated hundreds of attacks(89 in 2010 alone, killing over 750people].

42 MILLION AMERICAN DEPENDENT ONFOOD STAMPSDespite protestations that the worse ofthe recession is over, the US departmentof agriculture reports that close to 15% of

all Americans are in dire poverty, relianton government handouts for their mostbasic food provision. The bad news doesnot stop there. As the US deficit growsgreater than $12 Trillion (>80% of USGDP) the Federal reserve is planning onprinting more dollars as the world islosing interest in lending more tohistory’s greatest deadbeat.

Despite a massive stimulus packageunemployment continues to climb, houseprices continue to slump and houserepossessions continue to escalate.

And as the politicians jockey for positionfor the November mid-term elections,poverty numbers rise and resentmentgrows. Hardly the model for globaleconomic leadership.

NATO FACILITATING TALIBANCONTACTS WITH AFGHANGOVERNMENTNato-led forces in Afghanistan arefacilitating contacts between seniorTaliban officials and the Afghangovernment, including allowing them safepassage for talks in Kabul, a senior Natoofficial said in mid October. Thedisclosure reveals a greater Western rolethan previously acknowledged in Kabul’spreliminary attempts to seek a politicalresolution to the 9-year-old war. Theofficial, who spoke to reporters inBrussels on condition of anonymity,cautioned that contacts were in their veryearly stages and could not be described asnegotiations. Nato allies including theUnited States have previously voiced theirsupport for reconciliation efforts byPresident Karzai’s government. The extentof any Western involvement in thosecontacts had been unclear. “We haveindeed facilitated to various degrees thecontacts between these senior Talibanmembers and the highest levels of theAfghan government,” the official said.

Asalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi waBarakatuh,

We are fast approaching the days ofHajj where Muslims seek the pleasureand forgiveness of Allah (swt). It is theanniversary that reminds us of thesacrifices and obedience of Ibrahim(as).

When Ibrahim (as) was sent with hismission, the world was a very darkplace – tyrant rulers like Nimroodwalked the earth. People worshippedfalse gods and oppressed the believerswho challenged this established, yetfalse, order. Fashiha and immorality wasprevalent. The worship of Allah (swt)was absent from the world, except forIbrahim (as) and those who followedhim.

Following the command of Allah (swt),he took his family to live in the barren,uninhabited valley of Makkah. He builtthe Kaabah along with his son Ismail(as) and was ready to show hisobedience to Allah (swt) by sacrificinghis son at Allah’s (swt) command. Hespoke the truth to the tyrant ruler andcalled people away from the worship ofidols, asking them to ponder overAllah’s creation, so they would realisewho their Lord really was. Allah (swt)elevated Ibrahim (as) to the status ofKhaleel – or Friend – of Allah (swt).

Our world has many parallels with theworld of Ibrahim (as) where thecommand of Allah (swt) did notdominate. It too is a dark place, full of

war, poverty and oppression. Tyrantsand criminals dominate the politics ofthe Muslim world – one only has toread about the situation in Sudan at themoment in the plans to divide thecountry.

People in today’s world worship adifferent set of false gods, the biggest ofwhich are money and wealth. Just asthe idols in Ibrahim’s (as) time weredestroyed – just look back at the globalfinancial crisis, which one year on hasmutated into an international currencycrisis. This new phase has the potentialto be every bit as devastating as thefirst.

In today’s worship of money, theyproclaim new pilgrimages. Not to Hajj,but capitalist pilgrimages to theCommonwealth Games, where Indiawas exposed for frivolously spendingbillions of rupees on twelve days ofgames, money not spend on improvingthe welfare of its poverty strickenmasses.

And the hope of justifying this ‘religion’of capitalism, they look for falseprophets. Our book review smashes thehopes of the western media, whohoped that Professor StephenHawking’s latest book would be a newrevelation for mankind.

The parallel between today’s world andthe jahiliyyah of the past is apparent.

But there is hope in today’s world.Those who read the Q&A on Pakistan

by Naveed Butt will see that daw‘ahcarriers across the Muslim world carrythe torch for this Deen. They struggleand sacrifice to establish the Khilafahsystem, in obedience to Allah (swt) andseeking nothing but the pleasure ofAllah (swt). The shabab of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain accounted Musharraf,the former dictator and now pretenderto the presidency of Pakistan souringhis attempts to re-launch his politicalcareer.

As Muslims we need to take all thelessons we can from the examples ofthe Prophet’s of Allah (swt). Theymarched forth either alone or with asmall following; sincerely obeyingAllah’s command; persevering untilAllah (swt) made them victorious. So, inthe same way the Muslims mustproceed along by the command of Allah– struggling and striving to establish His(swt) Deen. We must persevere even ifthere were hardships. We shouldsacrifice where it pleases Allah (swt).And we should trust that Allah (swt)will bring His Victory soon.

‘And Allah has full power and controlover His affairs; but most amongmankind know it not.’ [TMQ Yusuf:21]�

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EditorialDr Abdul Wahid

‘Pilgrimage to the house of Allah isincumbent upon men for the sake ofAllah, upon everyone who is able toundertake the journey to it’ [TMQ Aal-Imran:96]

As one of the pillars of Islam, Hajj sitswithin the heart and sentiment of everyMuslim. And every year as the blessedmonth of Dhul-Hijjah draws closer,preparations begin in earnest for thosewho will commence their traveltowards Makkah in order to fulfil theirlifetime obligation.

For the rest of the Muslims theimportance and value of Hajj and thefirst 10 days of Dhul-Hijjah has neverbeen lost. Mimbars around the worldfor the past 1,300 years have enjoinedand reminded the faithful of:

• The rewards associated with Hajjand Dhul-Hijjah; for example, AbuQatadah reported that the Messenger ofAllah (saw) said, “Fasting the Day ofArafah will be credited with Allah byforgiving one’s sins of the previous yearand the following year.” [Muslim]

• The principle ahkam (rules) inperforming Hajj; for example, therequirements for the Day of ‘Arafah(Yaum ul-‘Arafah).

• The etiquettes that should beobserved; for example, the bonds ofbrotherhood and reconciling the heartsof those that have severed the ties ofkinship.

• The hardships of Hajj and thesacrifice of Ibrahim (as), and

• The final sermon of our belovedprophet, Muhammad (saw).

And whilst the Muslims learn of thesematters, it is often that the link to theprevailing issues that confront theMuslims globally and specific ahkam areleft untouched or unspoken. Therefore,the reflections and connections that theMuslims need to make with Hajj areoften lost. Given this, it is important toshed light on some of theseassociations, in order to cultivatereflections amongst ourselves that,insha’Allah, will rouse our sentiments,thinking and actions towards changingthe current situation of our Ummah.

REFLECTION 1During Hajj, Muslims visit Makkah andMadinah. We visit the places and followthe footsteps of the life of the

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HAJJ Reflections

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Messenger of Allah (saw), where helived, roamed, laughed, cried, struggled,fought and died. We are neverconnected to the fact that the struggleof Muhammad (saw) was to establishtawheed upon the people via a politicalsystem i.e. the Islamic State. Makkahand Madinah were also the placeswhere he (saw) ruled over the peoplewith Islam and justice, prohibitingdivision or the squandering of thewealth of the people and barringassistance to those who fought againstIslam and the Muslims. Compare that tothe rulers of today. For example, theobscene commitment from Saudi Arabiato spend $60 billion in weaponsprocurement deal with the US –assisting them financially andstrategically whilst giving a meagreamount to the Muslims of Pakistandevastated by the recent floods.

REFLECTION 2The awe and emotion that swells insidethe Muslim when he comes to view theHouse of Allah, not by satellite ortelevision, but by his naked eye as hestands in front of it. How the Muslimswould leap to its defence if anyonecame to violate its sanctity or worsesought to destroy it. Yet Muhammad(saw) proclaimed, whilst walkingaround the Kaabah: “How great andnoble you are...but the blood of aMuslim is greater than you and all yoursurroundings”. Compare this to thedevastation wrought on Iraq, Gaza,Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

REFLECTION 3We witness the coming together of theMuslims, irrespective of colour, tongue,race, background, madhab, geographyand celebrate this as a true recognitionof our bond and unity as an Ummah. Yetthe Hajj administration reminds us ofour forced division by the disease ofnationalism, our lands are separatedfrom each other by illegal borders andpolitical leaderships; and our strengthunder unity is dissipated and exploitedby our political division. After theefforts to divide Iraq, one needs to lookhow the attention has turned toPakistan and now the Sudan with itsimpending division being

ceremoniously pushed through byforeign powers with the complicity ofthe Sudanese government.

REFLECTION 4We lament and recite connecting thisto the recitation that the hujjaj makeupon entering the state of ihram andcrossing the miqaat. However, ‘Labayk’was also the response of MuatasimBillah when the cry of the woman whowas caught by Romans was narrated tohim; and he despatched an army to freeher and liberate Amoriyyah to Islam.Compare this to the hideous crimescommitted against Dr. Aafia Siddiqui andher children, by the treachery ofsuccessive political leaderships inPakistan. Who is proclaiming ‘Labayk’ inresponse to the demands of the USgovernment?

REFLECTION 5We learn the many ahkam of Hajj, theirperformance, timing and sequence. Butwhy is no attention given to the rulesof Hajj which inform the Muslims thatthe Imam or his delegate should leadthe Hujjaj from Mina to Arafah, lead theprayer on arrival to Arafah and deliverthe khutbah?

Which Imam will lead the Muslims overwhich issue? Is the Imam only for thisjourney from Mina to ‘Arafah? No, ratherthe Imam should be the legitimate rulerover all the Muslims i.e. the Khaleefahor his delegate. Likewise he should leadus in all affairs, not merely the Hajj. TheMessenger of Allah (saw) said, “Verilythe Imam is a shield..”. Look how weare denied this shield in all of our lifeand not merely Hajj.

Ironically, even the rulers of today donot attempt to lead the Hujjaj – it couldbe out of fear of slippers, of whichthere are plenty, that will be thrown intheir direction. This is an action whichhas become an expression of thepeople’s animosity towards thesetyrants as we saw with Mahmoud Abbasand more recently Pervaiz Musharraf.

REFLECTION 6Snippets of the Prophet’s (saw) lastsermon are delivered and explained to

the Muslims. This includes maintainingthe life and property of every Muslim asa sacred trust; reminding the Muslimsthat it is taqwa that differentiatesbetween two Muslims not race orcolour and that the Muslims constituteone single brotherhood.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:, “Ileave behind me two things, the Qur’anand my example, the Sunnah, and if youfollow these you will never go astray.”But what Sunnah do the rulers deliverto the people today? Abu Bakr (ra)when he became Khaleefah over theMuslims, dealt immediately with threekey matters: the abandonment of theSunnah, the fitnah becomingwidespread and the emergence ofbidah. He (ra) tackled them all promptlyand effectively ensured the continuedconsolidation and spread of Islam in thecoming generations.

Hajj is one of the great pillars of Islamfor which we all look forward to andthose that have performed Hajj aregreatly affected. As we reflect thismonth we consider the greatresponsibility of not only worshippingAllah (swt) via the Hajj to his house butalso to liberate his house from thosethat have neglected Islam in all of life’saffairs.�


Letter to theFrench Embassy

Hizb ut-Tahrir BritainThe Liberation Party

French Embassy58, KnightsbridgeLondonSW1X 7JT

25th September 2010

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Re: French Ban of Islamic Face Veils fromPublic Spaces

Dear Ambassador Maurice Gourdault-Montagne,

We write in opposition to the recentvote by the French parliament andsenate to ban Islamic face veils from allpublic places. The French politicalestablishment may want Muslim womento expose their faces but through thisdivisive, discriminatory, and franklyxenophobic piece of legislation, the trueface of French ‘laicité’ has been madeclear. France has shown it has anintolerant ideology where women aresecluded from society simply forexpressing modesty; a hypocriticalideology where freedom and equality areexclusive to only those who tow thesecular line; and a fragile ideology thatfeels threatened by a few centimetres ofcloth and a handful of harmless women.The denial of medical treatment, accessto education, limitation of freedom ofmovement, refusing child benefitpayments, and consequently renderingto second class status women who holdan alternative view to secularphilosophy, reflects the religious

apartheid and fascist nature of thisextremist ideology.

Many have questioned why in the midstof major economic, political and socialcrises, Western governments shouldchoose to wage war on a piece of clothworn by a few hundred women (if that)within their borders, other than to divertpublic anger away from political andeconomic incompetency. Howconvenient that at a time when theSarkozy government is embroiled incorruption charges and pushing throughunpopular pension reforms andeconomic cuts, national attention shouldbe focussed on Muslim women and theirclothing. Are secular liberal states soinept in solving their own majorproblems that they need to use Muslimwomen as human shields to hide theirfaults, inadequacies and failure in dealingwith the real issues of the day?Furthermore, it has not gone unnoticedthat the ‘veil debate’ has simultaneouslyexploited and fuelled an increasinglyhostile climate to Muslims in the Westfor cheap political ends. Many havecommented that Western politicianshave used attacks on the face veil to gainthe oxygen of media publicity and curry

favour amongst the rising xenophobicand anti-immigrant sectors of theirelectorate. They have unscrupulouslyexploited xenophobia to secure politicalambitions. It demonstrates the cut-throatnature of secular politics wherepoliticians have no qualms in whippingup hysteria about its religious minorities,competing in anti-Islamic rhetoric, andplaying politics with their communitiesin order to bag a few racist votes.

Veiled Muslim women who may beforced to attend French citizenshiplessons under the new law will thereforepresumably be educated about a way oflife that breeds contempt for religion,and where instigating prejudice againstminorities and playing communitiesagainst one another is an acceptableelectioneering tool. They would alsoseemingly be taught that the Frenchview of the woman’s dignity is tocriminalise her for her religious dress,and that freedom extends to the right toexploit women through pornographyand prostitution but not to the right fora woman to follow her religiousconvictions free from harassment. The ‘veil debate’ has exposed the failureof secular states to create harmonious

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cohesive societies where all feel equallyrespected. Secularism’s aversion toreligious pluralism has nurtured anenvironment where racial hatred hasthrived. Cheap attacks on the dress byopportunistic politicians have provideda veneer of acceptability for racistexpression and anti-immigrant rants,fanning the flames of fascism andstoking tensions between communities.Xenophobic vitriol was given a platform,entertained, and tolerated under theumbrella of strengthening nationalidentity. It has been the bigotry that hascharacterized this obsession with theveil, the antagonism of religious dresscode bans, and the constantdemonization of Islam that have fuelledprejudice and divided communities –not women’s clothing. Via hijab, minaret, and now niqab bans,European states have exposed the failureof secular liberalism to accommodatethe rights of its religious minorities.While secularism espouses freedom andclaims to liberate Muslim women fromlives of oppression, in reality it hastreated them in true authoritarianfashion, forcing them to relinquish theirreligious convictions in exchange foraccess to basic human rights. It speaksvolumes about any ideology that needsto subjugate the rights of its minoritiesand legalize religious discrimination inorder to protect its values. No longer canit be acceptable for advocates of secularliberalism to lay claim to its universalityand neutrality in securing rights for all.Dress code bans have been sold as ameasure to protect, liberate, andempower Muslim women. However,where is the justification in criminalisingthe Muslim woman to set her free;stripping her of her rights in order toguarantee her choice; expelling younggirls from school and cutting women offfrom employment, in the path ofliberation; dismissing a woman’s right todetermine her own convictions in life, tosafeguard equality; and increasing theprejudice, discrimination, andvictimization she faces within society bystigmatising her dress, to protect her?Advocates of outlawing the veil haveargued that it cuts women off frompublic life – the irony is that it isprejudice and bans that have achieved

just that. They have argued that it is a‘symbol of oppression’ – is coercingwomen to leave their deeply heldreligious convictions through the arm ofthe law not a source of oppression itself?Furthermore it is not without irony thatvarious ‘male dominated’ Europeanparliaments, who have described theburqa as a symbol of the subjugation ofwomen by men, see it fit to exert theirmale patriarchy to dictate to womenhow they should and should not dress.If the French government wished to be atorch-bearer for women’s wellbeing,then why not appoint commissionstackling the causes of domestic violence,rape, and the sex industry in France – allof which affect the dignity of tens ofthousands of women within the countryrather than a few hundred? In addition,while accusing religious dress codes thatreflect modes of modesty as outdatedand oppressive, these same politiciansignore the objectification andsexualisation of women’s bodies inpornography, lap-dancing clubs,advertising, and the entertainmentindustry, all permitted under the premiseof freedom of expression and driven bythe pursuit of profit in Western societies.It is these actions resulting fromcapitalist liberal values that havedehumanized, devalued, and degradedwomen. Surely, for those who have asincere concern for women’s rights,rising for debate, these forms ofdenigrating women should surely bemore pressing than a handful of Muslimwomen covering their faces out ofreligious devotion within their societies.In contrast, Islam views the woman’sdignity as sacrosanct and has prohibitedexploitation of her looks and herobjectification within society. TheIslamic dress code is one means bywhich to ensure that society valueswomen according to their thinking,abilities, and behaviour rather than theirphysical appearance. The Islamic beliefthat a woman’s body is her own privateconcern and not open for public display,discussion, scrutiny, or monitoring – isclearly not a mark of liberationaccording to the Western liberalnarrative of women’s dignity.Ultimately, the outlawing of religiousdress codes by Western governments

symbolizes a failure to convince Muslimwomen, many Western born, bred, andeducated to embrace secular liberalism.It is a desperate attempt at ‘forcedsecular conversion’. It is reflection of aweak ideology that resorts to state forcerather than force of argument toconvince and that is unable to protectits own values other than by strippingwomen of basic rights. The idea ofincreasing numbers of women whohaving tasted the fruits of liberalism andlived the Western dream beingunconvinced by its ideals, and nowadopting Islam as an alternative socialand political path, appears to be aconcept too indigestible for Westernpoliticians to accept. While debate has focussed on Islamicdress and whether it is appropriate forWestern secular societies, the real debateto be had is whether secularism that isfailing on so many fronts is appropriateto be idealised as the best system bywhich to organise society. The capitalistsecular liberal system has caused chaosin the economy, meltdown of family life,and disrespect for women in society.Islamic laws and values offer societydignity for the woman, strong familyunits, and ensure healthy cooperation ofmen and women in public life. So in theend, dress code bans simply illustratethat when it comes to a battle of ideaswith Islam, secular liberalism isincapable of rising to the challenge.

Dr. Nazreen NawazWomen’s Media RepresentativeHizb ut-Tahrir Britain

In September 2010, on the sidelines ofthe meeting of the UN General AssemblyPresident Obama gave an ultimatum tothe people of Sudan. “What happens inSudan in the days ahead may decidewhether a people who have enduredtoo much war move forward towardspeace or slip backwards intobloodshed”. He spoke in reference to theplanned referendum for theindependence of southern Sudan, andthe division of Sudan, scheduled for 9thJanuary 2011. He promised thatWashington would normalise relationsshould the referendum be carried offcalmly; that if the government of OmarBashir fulfils its obligations in settlingthe conflicts, then the United States willsupport agricultural development,expand trade and investment, exchangeambassadors and eventually liftsanctions. Failure to do so, would lead toa hardening of attitudes.

There is a bitter irony that the United

States fought its own civil war to keepthe unity of its state, yet seeks tolegitimise a so-called “civil war” whichwould lead to division in the Muslimworld.

Yet, the drive for the division of theSudan is not new – though it hasaccelerated dramatically in recent times.Indeed, Sudan and Egypt were once one.What is called the problem of ‘southSudan’ started after the Britishoccupation in late 19th Century. TheBritish High commissioner in Cairo, LordCromer, presented plans in 1883. TheBritish encouraged the Masaleet tribe in1916, to self-determination. A similardeclaration was made by US PresidentWoodrow Wilson in 1918 and again byJames Robertson the administrativesecretary of the British Government inSudan in 1946. It is the same as the so-called manifesto of the SPLA rebelmovement in 1983. Presently, the US isspearheading the effort to enforce this

long-planned division, with the supportof the current regime under PresidentOmar Bashir.

When Bashir became President, thegovernment abandoned its previousuncompromising refusal to grant self-determination to the people of thesouth, after the IGAD declaration in1994. After this, the main steps towardsdivision over 15 years can besummarised as follows:

1995 – Acceptance by the so-calledopposition forces in the Asmaraconference ‘’of the fate determiningissues’’ of the right to self-determination(i.e. separation) of south Sudan.

1997 – The Khartoum peace agreementsigned between the current Governmentand some rebel factions, which statedthe right of self-determination.

1997 – The Government signed the

The Colonial Push toSeparate Southern Sudan

Burhan Hanif


declaration of the principles of the IGADstating the right of separation for thesouth.

2005 – Codification of the interimSudanese constitution for the right ofthe separation of the south.

2005 and 2007 – The Governmentsigned the Mishacos protocol and laterthe Nifasha agreement which stated theright for separation of the south.2009 – The Juba declaration signed bythe SPLA and opposition, which securedthe right of self-determination.

2010 – Elections scheduled for January2011 in order to provide democratic‘legitimacy’ needed for the separation ofthe south.

IS SEPARATION A SOLUTION TO THECONFLICT? Some have argued separation of thesouth is the only solution. Scott Gration,Obama’s special envoy to Sudan said on26/4/2010: ‘’We know that the electionsare fake and faced many difficulties, butwe will acknowledge it in order to reachthe independence of the south of Sudanand avoid going back to war’’.

President Bashir argued as long ago asthe 1990’s, on Al-Jazeera TV, that hepreferred peace with the separation ofthe south over unity with war; and thatseparation would achieve stability.

But the idea of separation as a solutionto the problem is simply running awayfrom the real solution to the problems ofneglect towards the people of the south.By following colonial powers successiveleaders from north and south haveneglected the people of the Sudan. Justas the government neglected the people,the rebel movements also neglected thepeople they were supposedly fightingfor. None of the people – north or southhad their rights and affairs looked afterby Islam and its justice.Far from being a solution separation

adds to complexity of problems.

Moreover a dangerous nationalism andtribalism has emerged in the north,calling for a separate south – even sayingthat the people of the south do not‘resemble us’ and other similar base andignorant remarks.

THE REAL DANGERS OF SEPARATIONThe idea of separation has always beenbrought by colonialists under the guiseof ‘independence’ for an occupiedpower.

But separation will not stop the warring.It may precipitate endless wars overterritory, between tribes and over thestrategic Nile basin.

LAND DISPUTES: Some have described this area as set tobecome the Kashmir of Africa, asdivision provokes irresolvable territorialdisputes. To illustrate this, it is worthlooking at one or two problems that arewell known.

The shepherd herding tribes in westSudan own half of Sudan’s cattle(estimated 15 million according to

1994/95 statistics). The natural grazingand watering areas for them is themiddle of the south: the area of Bahr al-Gazal, Bahr al-Lol and Bahr al-Arab.Separation would mean that these tribeswould be restricted to the borders ofBahr al-Arab only, which would last themfor about only one month. Hence, thepotential conflict provoked would beone of survival for these tribes.

Another dilemma is in the Abyei regioninhabited by the Denka tribe (who wantit to be part of the south). Their claim isdisputed by the Maseeriyah tribe whobelieve that the Denka are living in theirarea and have refused to accept theoutcome of the Nifasha treaty. Thesekinds of disputes can be avoided whenthe tribes live under a common

authority, but are incendiary whenseparation occurs.

STRATEGIC DANGERS:What is taking place in Sudan, whetherin the Darfur region or the south, cannotbe isolated from the wider politics ofthe Middle East. In particular the UnitedStates would seek to dominate the southand north of Sudan – leading toenormous regional influence affectingboth Sudan and Egypt due to influenceover the Nile basin.

Moreover, Israel has sought its ownstrategic influence in the region. Thereis a historical relationship between therebel movement SPLA in the south andthe state of Israel as part of a wideralliance of countries encircling the Arabworld. Israel has interfered in the southof Sudan and established close ties withthe rebel movement whether byproviding training or by sending expertsor reinforcing with heavy machinery.During the time of Former EthiopianPresident Mengistu in most of thetreaties that were signed betweenEthiopia and Israel, Ethiopia had to givea fraction of the arms sent to it by Israelto the SPLA in the south of Sudan.Furthermore Israel used to providesatellite pictures to the rebel movement.John Garang (then the leader of SPLA)signed a treaty with Israel that includedthe reinforcement of his army withmany Israeli military experts. In 1990more than 15 Israeli experts arrived inthe south.

The south of Sudan is an oil rich area.China has interests in this region, andwhoever controls this area, controlsresources vital to manufacturingeconomies across the world.

INFLUENCE IN THE SOUTH OF SUDANMEANS INFLUENCE OVER THE NILEBASIN Influence in the south means influenceover the Nile basin and so directlythreatens Egypt’s and Sudan’s security.

It has been reported that the UnitedStates and Israel have pressured Egypt toaccept one of the following two options:Either to accept providing Israel with

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The south of Sudan is an oil rich area. China has interests inthis region, and whoever controls this area, controlsresources vital to manufacturing economies across the world.

what is sufficient for it from the Nilewater or to build huge dams in Ethiopia[which has a special relationship withIsrael] in order to reduce the waterfalling into Sudan and Egypt to its lowestlevel.

In the past, Israel had asked Egypt tochange the route of the Nile from theMediterranean Sea to the desert of Al-Naqab (in Israel). Egypt’s foreignministry revealed in October 2009 thatIsrael accepted to fund five dams tostore water in Tanzania and Rwanda,Tanzania had four dams and one inRwanda. The agreement by Israel cameafter the visits by its ‘foreign minister’Lieberman to three of the Nile Basincountries in September 2009.

The establishment of a new state in thesouth of Sudan would be an ideal timeto review the allotment of Nile water -since there would be a new country andits share would have to be defined.

On 31 May, news agencies that theEgyptian water expert, Ahmed Mughawrisaid that Washington and Tel Aviv wantto drag Egypt and Sudan into an eternalwar over the Nile water.

The implementation of the NifashaTreaty has shown without doubt thelaxity of security in the south for tribalminorities. There have been individualand collective tribal massacres. The Al-Sahafa newspaper [issue 6035 on30/4/2010] reported that minoritiessuch as the Moorly, Anwak, Dedenga andBarya in the south and west areendangered, because they are attackedby the biggest tribe of the south, theDeenka, who do so either to control thelands of the minority or as revenge fortheft of their herds.

The Deenka are also poor as they haveonly a small representation in thegovernment of the region.

SETTING THE PRECEDENT FOR SELF-DETERMINATIONAfter the south of Sudan, the events inDarfur are the next on the table. Voicesof rebel leaders rose there asking for theright to self-determination and a

settlement upon the lines of the Nifashasettlement. A meeting held by the SPLAin Al Kurmuk city in February 2010 hasrecommended self-autonomy or co-federal rule to the Blue Nile province. According to Akhir Lahza newspaper,sources revealed that a meeting tookplace between the SPLA, Darfur militarymovements, and officials of France,Israel, America, and Uganda in earlyJanuary 2010.

The fall of Sudan – through theseparation of the south first – and then acycle of division, would be nothing shortof devastating for this Ummah.

THE HUKM SHAR’I ON SEPARATION:

Islam views separation as forbidden.

Dividing Muslim countries is one of thegravest crimes, to have more than oneauthority is forbidden, as there must beone ruler for Muslim countries (howeverlarge the area).

On authority of Abi Sa’eed al-Khudri said,that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘Ifa pledge of allegiance is given to twoKhaleefahs, then kill the latter’. Onauthority of Arfaja he said: I heard theMessenger of Allah (saw) say: ‘Whoevercame to you while you are united byone man (ruler) and he wants to divideyou, then kill him’

SUDAN WAS UNIFIED SUCCESSFULLYFOR CENTURIES UNDER ISLAMSudan is an Islamic land, and was underIslamic authority for long years prior toand after the British colonialism. Theland of south Sudan including its threeprovinces was opened by Muslims andwas under the Sultan of Islam in thetime of the ‘Uthmani Khilafah and afterthat under the Mahdiya. Many Historianshave documented the historical order ofthe south of Sudan under the Sultan ofthe Muslims. Dr. Muhammad Sa’eed Al-Qadal in his book ‘The History ofmodern Sudan’ includes a map showingthe borders of Sudan during theEgyptian state. That map shows thatparts of Uganda were considered part ofSudan – up to Lake Albert.

Dr Yusuf Fadl Hasn mentioned in hisbook: “Studies in History of Sudan andAfrica and Arab countries” [Volume 21989 the first print on p.81 and 82] “Thesouthern part of Sudan faced dangerousthreats from some European states. Thestate had weak control over that regionfrom Congo, and Belgium, and washeading towards directorates of Bahr alGhazal and A’ali Al Neel. In 1884 theyfought with the leader Arabi Dafa’Allahand as a result of a French Belgiumtreaty. A French campaign started by theleadership of Captain Marshand andheaded by Bahr Al Ghazal and A’ali AlNeel, while the British controlledUganda and were watchful over theMahdiya state from the south.”

CONCLUSIONSeparation of the south would be haram,and a political disaster. It would be arecipe for endless conflict andsubjugation. It would set a precedent notonly for other regions within Sudan butfor the formal division of Iraq, Pakistanand Nigeria. A success for the UnitedStates in Sudan would only furtherembolden it to divide and rule theMuslim world for longer.

No referendum could legitimise such anaction as the division of Muslim land –not even under the label of self-determination, because it is giving whatyou don’t own to someone who doesnot deserve it. Rather, Muslims mustwork to unify the whole Ummah underthe Islamic Khilafah and so end the eraof colonialism, instability, internalconflict and subjugation. �


The IMF’s annual gathering in Washingtonhad one message, that the worldseconomies need to work together toachieve sustainable economic growth. “Themost important policy question weconfront together is how to strengthen thepace of growth and repair” US TreasurySecretary Timothy Geithner reiterated thesame remarks at a Brookings Institutespeech.

At the G-20 summit in June, world leaderspledged to coordinate their economicpolicies, putting particular emphasis on theneed to refrain from currency actions thatcould endanger global economic health.But a sluggish global economic recovery issetting the stage for fractious talks oncurrencies and growth-rebalancing asfinancial leaders from the world’s largesteconomies gathered for the IMF annualmeeting and the G-20 conference in SouthKorea. Charles Dallara, head of the Institutefor International Finance, which representsmany of the world’s largest private banks,said the lack of collaboration threatening

the recovery extends beyond currencyissues. “Sustaining growth and restoringconfidence will require not only astutedomestic policymaking, but anunprecedented level of multilateralcoordination,” Dallara said. “It will alsorequire action that transcends purelydomestic short-term concerns.”

Economic Growth: Mission ImpossibleOver the past year, world output and tradehave expanded and financial conditionshave improved, but policymakers have stillhad to deal with the strains of sovereigndebt crises and the start of public sectorausterity. Ben Bernanke, chairman of theFederal Reserve, summed up the globaleconomy in 2010 at the annual get-together of central bankers in JacksonHole, Wyoming in October 2010:“Notwithstanding some important stepsforward ... I think we would all agree that,for much of the world, the task ofeconomic recovery and repair remains farfrom complete.”

The global economy in 2010 has beenunable to achieve sustainable economicgrowth. In some ways the global economytoday is in the same position it was at thebeginning of 2009. Whilst the world’slargest economies attempted to kick startgrowth with stimulus plans, any stimuluswas always a high-octane boost and atemporary measure. They are designed tokick-start stalled economies, not to fuelsustained economic growth. The growthfigures achieved in 2010 are the inflatedresults of stimulus measures achievingtheir intended effect to be temporary.Brian Bethune, economist at IHS GlobalInsight highlighted this: “It's good to havethe economy growing again, but we don’tthink that rate of growth is sustainablebecause it is distorted by all thegovernment stimulus. The challenge here isto get organic growth – growth that isn’thelped by fiscal steroids.” This is why over15 million people remain unemployed inthe US.

The stimulus packages have driven

Khilafah Magazine :: November 2010 :: 11

UPDATE: Global Economic Crisis –The Quest for Growth

Adnan Khan

www.khilafah.eu

artificial growth, whilst Western nationshave not provided such a leg up for theireconomies, for some time the free markethas been unable to grow on its own in anysustainable way and has brought thespectre of a double dip recession evercloser.

THE US ECONOMY ANDUNEMPLOYMENTThe US economy, the largest in the world,has seen its recovery stalled. USpolicymakers in October were consideringhow much ammunition they had left tothrow at the economy as global economic

co-operation, so strong at the start of theglobal financial crisis descended intoquarrels over currencies and economicnationalism. The global financial crisis hasleft an unprecedented degree ofunemployed in the US and underusedfactories in its wake. The possibility of therecovery faltering has pressured theFederal Reserve, America’s central bank, topossibly unleash new measures tostrengthen the recovery. The variousstimulus measures may have preventedeconomic collapse, but the spendingprograms that were financed by them arewinding down, and cash-strapped localgovernments, have resorted to layoffs andother cost-cutting measures.

ECONOMIC NATIONALISM The consensus driven response to thefinancial crisis started to crumble. This wasmost apparent at the G20 summit in June2010. Whilst the US called for acontinuation of stimulus which wouldencourage consumer spending andstimulate the economy with new jobs andallow the recovery to take hold. Europehowever was calling for austerity, as thevarious fiscal stimulus plans and‘quantitative easing’ was creating evenmore debt in Europe – the Greek debtcrisis also caused Europe to focus onindividual strategies for economic recoveryrather than a global approach. Thesedifferences have sharpened over the yeardue to the different effects the globalfinancial crisis has had on the premiereconomies of the world. Mohamed El-Erian,chief executive of Pimco, the world’s

largest bond investor, said: “A oncepromising global response has now beenreplaced by inadequately co-ordinatednational economic policies and growingfrictions among countries.”

US-CHINA CURRENCY WAR The weak recovery has led to manynations to resort to protective measures fortheir own economies which have led tocurrency wars. The sharpened differencesbetween China and the US recently has ledto some senators to consider the supportChina provides to its currency a subsidywhich has an adverse impact on the US

economy. Various senators attempted inSeptember 2010 to mark up the ‘Currencyand Reform Fair Trade Act,’ the new billwould force the US Department ofCommerce to treat China’s undervaluedcurrency as a subsidy for its exports andretaliate accordingly.

The value of the Yuan plays an importantrole in China’s rapid economicdevelopment. China is an export driveneconomy, its economy is built to producegoods which are exported around theworld. This is why most consumer goodshave a ‘made in China’ label. To makeChinese goods more attractive thanJapanese and German goods, the Chinesegovernment controls the value of theexchange rate of its currency, rather thanlet it float freely. This is in order to achievecertainty – certainty in a number of areas.China keeps the value if its currency low,which makes it cheaper to purchaseconsumer goods – far cheaper for theworld than anyone else. By Chinaundercutting the world, aside fromkeeping Chinese factories open, this alsomeans most Chinese citizens have a job.When Chinese citizens have jobs this dealswith domestic social unrest which haslong plagued China. Chinese factoriesmake little profits on the goods theyexport, as due to the low exchange ratethe potential profit is lost. However forChina – profit is not the real concern butterritorial cohesion is what drives itscurrency policy.

The impact this has on the wider world –

especially the US is that its companies areunable to compete with Chinesecraftsmanship as China is undercutting themarket. This has led most of the world toturn to China for consumer goods ratherthan domestic suppliers. This causesunemployment across the world as suchindustries lose business to China. It isthose senators who have seen manybusinesses collapse in their states, due toChina, that have led the campaign to havethe US pass legislation to counter it.

As China is an export driven economy, ithas to ensure it can sell goods globallycheaper than anyone else, its currencypolicy is central to this. This has the impactof those industries closing in the West –where most of Chinese exports go, as theyare unable to compete with China on sucha low price. It results in China selling moregoods to the world than what China buysfrom the world. This is why China has atrade surplus, whilst the world has a tradedeficit with China. Commerce MinisterChen Deming told the BBC in 2009 thatwhen economic growth slowed ‘thechances of possible social unrest increaseas well.’ I don’t worry a lot about the GDPgrowth, however the biggest challenge toChina is unemployment.’ We need to createsufficient jobs for university graduates andthe redundant workforce from thecountryside.’

CONCLUSIONSAs the West struggles in its quest foreconomic growth, unemployment is nowat the top of the agenda. The breakdown inthe multilateral approach thatcharacterised the early response to thefinancial crisis will lead to more and moreeconomic protection by the world’seconomies which will compound therecovery. The currency war is just thebeginning. The conditions in the worldeconomy have stopped worsening,however unemployment remains high andconsumer spending is still too low tosustain any economic recovery. At best thecurrent growth rates seen in some of theworld’s major economies is premature, theunderlying economic fundamentals remainabsent.

The spectre of a double dip recession hasnot subsided and as the US contemplatesanother round of stimulus, the economiccrisis that engulfed the world in 2008 is farfrom over. �

The spectre of a double dip recession has not subsided and asthe US contemplates another round of stimulus, the economiccrisis that engulfed the world in 2008 is far from over.


“When you lose your job, your health islikely to be worse. When you lose yourjob, the education of your children islikely to be worse. When you lose yourjob, social stability is likely to be worse –which threatens democracy and evenpeace. So we shouldn’t fool ourselves. Weare not out of the woods yet. And for theman in the street, a recovery without jobsdoesn't mean much.”

These aren’t the words of socialist leaderslike Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro. These arethe very revealing words of DominiqueStrauss-Kahn the head of the InternationalMonetary Fund – capitalism internationaladvocate, sponsor, financier.

His stark warning came at a recent IMFmeeting and reflected Western fears of thelong term consequences of the recentrecession - one of the worst since theGreat Depression in the 1930s.http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/10/imf-us-jobs-currency

The western world is still reeling from therecession though now technically over. TheUS is seeing a jobless recovery with nearly1 in 10 adults still unemployed. In the UScapitalist model, healthcare is invariablylinked to employment, so when peoplelose their jobs they not only lose theirhome but their health also suffers. Familiesand communities lie in ruin and the basicfabric of society crumbles - as is visiblyevident now in many American cities.

The European economy is no better. Nearbankrupt governments are facing civil

strife, strikes, and unrest, as swingeing cutsin public services, higher taxes, lowerbenefits and reduced pensions togetherwith postponed retirement ages are beingimplemented in order to reduce deficits.

FAILING RECOVERY PROMPTS A RUSH TODEVALUATION

This is the context in which westerninstitutions - principally the US FederalReserve and the European Central banks –are waging a currency war. In spite of twoyears of near zero interest rates, severalmassive fiscal stimulus packages andquantitative easing, American andEuropean economies are on the brink ofanother major recession. Therefore withunrest at home, American and Europeanpolicymakers are resorting to their lastthrow of the dice – currency devaluationto resuscitate their ailing economies.

Like a bad alcoholic who blames drink andnot his indiscretion, America today blamesChina for its economic ills. The Chinese areaccused of stealing American jobs bymaintaining a competitive Yuan exchangerate to promote their exports. Yet beforethe recession, cheap Chinese imports intothe USA (and Europe) were seen as asignificant deflationary influence enablingthe west to achieve a prolonged period ofhigh growth with low inflation, whilefulfilling its insatiable appetite forconsumer goods.

DEVALUATION ARTIFICIALLY BOOSTS ANUNCOMPETITIVE ECONOMY

America is threatening import tariffs onChinese goods potentially risking a tradewar on top of a currency war and isplanning another round of printing USdollars (quantitative easing) in order toartificially gain competitive advantage ininternational markets – blatantlycontradicting its age old mantra to freetrade and open markets. Import tariffs willraise the price of Chinese goods in the

USA (making American goods morecompetitive at home) while many billionsof freely printed dollars on internationalmarkets will directly lower the dollarexchange rate (making American goodsmore competitive abroad).

THE ABSURDITY OF FIAT CURRENCY

The fact that a country can deliberatelyinstigate a devaluation of its currency togain competitive advantage overnight, overthose countries with genuinely lowerlabour costs, cheaper raw materials orbetter quality products acquired overdecades of sweat, tears and hard work isabsurd and a travesty of justice.

Such devaluations are possible, indeed,very probable because Fiat currencies haveno intrinsic value or are not backed bygold or silver. Without such solid anchors,countries have a tendency to print moneyin crises for unashamed self-interest – withthe US and Europe leading the way todaywith their modern day equivalent toprinting money called quantitative easing.

ISLAM ANCHORS ITS CURRENCY ONGOLD AND SILVER

The Shari’ah has legislated that currency inIslam must be fully convertible in goldand/or silver. That at a stroke rules outprinting money, quantitative easing,devaluation, etc. A solid anchor on thecurrency will provide the economy withstability and low inflation in line with thenatural tendency for the economy to growproductively. This will not only benefit thecitizens of the Islamic state but also itstrading nations who, in the state’s currency,will have a solid means of exchange, storeof wealth and a responsible trading partnernot aiming to destabilise their economiespurely for self-interest.�


Currency Crisis BetraysCapitalist Rivalries

Arif Samad

“Indeed the number of months beforeAllah is twelve – in the Book of Allah -since the day He created the heavens andthe earth, of which four are sacred; thisthe straight religion; so do not wrongyourselves in those months; andconstantly fight against the mushrikeenas they constantly fight against you; andknow well that Allah is with the pious.”[TMQ Taubah:36]

According to Imam Ahmad, in his farewellKhutbah the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:“The division of time has turned to itsoriginal form, which was current whenAllah created the heavens and the earth.The year is of twelve months, out of whichfour months are sacred: Three are insuccession Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah andMuharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of (thetribe of) Mudar which comes betweenJumada (Ath-Thaniyah) and Sha’ban.”

There are huge virtues in these monthsand also there is a great need for caution,for any sin committed in these months isworse than sin in other months.

Ibn Kathir mentions in his tafsir of theayah from Surah Taubah:“The four Sacred Months were made four,three in succession and one alone, so thatthe Hajj and ‘Umrah are performed withease. Dhul-Qa’dah, the month before theHajj month, was made sacred because they

refrained from fighting during that month.Dhul-Hijjah, the next month, was madesacred because it is the month of Hajj,during which they performed Hajj rituals.Muharram, which comes next, was madesacred so that they are able to go back totheir areas in safety after performing Hajj.”

The pagan Arabs in the era of jahiliyyahbefore Islam also looked upon thesemonths as sacred and their custom was notto fight in these months. Indeed, fightingwas considered a violation of a diplomaticestablished norm.

The quoted tafsir implies the sacredness ofthese months commentary is in some waylinked to the military, trade and politicalenvironment of the Arabian Peninsula. TheArab tribes before Islam relied on Makkahnot only as a place of worship, but as aregional centre of trade. The acceptance ofthese norms was based in part upon this.

After the migration of the Messenger ofAllah (saw) to Madinah, he used to sendpeople to spy on the trade caravans ofQuraysh. One such mission was led byAbdullah ibn Jahsh (ra). However, themission resulted in a fight, leaving one ofthe mushrikeen dead. The Quraysh raisedmajor propaganda against the Muslims, theMessenger and the fledging Islamic state,saying they had violated what wasconsidered international law at the time.

At this time Allah (swt) revealed the ayahin Surah Baqarah: “They ask you about theSacred Month and fighting in it. Say:“Fighting in it is a grave sin”; but barringpeople from the way of Allah, disbelief inHim, denying entry into the SacredMosque, and expelling its inmates fromit, are far graver and more sinful in thesight of Allah; disorder (rooted inrebellion to Allah and recognising nolaws) is even far graver and more sinful

than killing.” [TMQ Baqarah:217]

Allah (swt) affirmed the sanctity of thesemonths but stressed more than this thatthe actions of Quraysh had been far worse.

The incident which led to the revelation ofthis ayah is but a single evidence of howthe Islamic State of the Messenger of Allah(saw) accepted International norms ofdiplomacy and war, but did not acceptthese norms or traditions as a binding law.And they certainly didn’t accept to be keptin subjugation by these norms being usedagainst them by the powerful tribes of thattime.

Such an example is contrary to whatdeveloped years later. Western powersestablished International Laws, which theythen sought to implement by force uponthe whole world. Moreover, these lawswere used to establish their hegemony.

In recent years a clear contradiction hasemerged in International law. TheWestphalian model, where states wouldnot interfere in the internal affairs of otherstates was considered to be incorporatedinto law after World War II. However, inrecent years – with the NATO missions inKosovo and Iraq, as well as Britain’sengagement in Sierra Leone – thisprinciple has altered. This clearly illustratesthat Western powers do not really view theprinciple as a binding law.

A future Islamic state would need toclearly recognise what is legally bindingupon it, in terms of bilateral treaties; whatis an established norm it will follow due toits moral weight – such as the etiquettes ofthe positive recognition of ambassadors;and what is a clear attempt to enforce alaw to maintain the hegemony of powerfulstates.�

The Sacred Monthsand Geo-Politics


Abu Ibrahim Ansari

Media reports of Stephen Hawking’s newbook “The Grand Design” makeinaccurate bold claims…that are utterlyirrational.

This article was not written. It was notspoken, nor inspired, nor created in anyfashion. This article, according to thetheory of some, has “popped” intoexistence of its own accord. They believethat, coincidentally, the article has emergedin the English language, and independentlyfound its way into a relevant publication,containing a discussion of a topical subjectmatter.

Of course, this opening paragraph soundsnonsense. Indeed, the absurdity ofspontaneous creation hasn’t been lost onthe world’s most famous physicist,Professor Stephen Hawking. Yet, thewestern media have misquoted from hisnew book “The Grand Design” so as to

leave the casual reader with theimpression that science has finally proventhe non-existence of a Creator of theUniverse. This fits rather nicely into theirsecular worldview, hostile to religion. AsHawking notes in his book, people have amodel through which they see the world.

No one should be surprised to find thisbook serialised in national newspapers byan aggressively secular humanist mediathat so clearly has an agenda againstreligion. While this book is reported assupporting an atheist or agnosticviewpoint, to the contrary, Hawking quiteexpertly describes the absolute need for aCreator, and for miracles.

The first matter that should be clarified isterminology. Muslims are quite used to theidea of words taking on specific meanings.For example, in pre-Islamic Arabia, theword “zakat” simply meant “to purify”,whereas we now understand it to be a taxsubject to a litany of rules. In a similar vein,Hawking defines the words “Universe”,“nothing”, “create” and “God” in a veryspecial way. Ordinarily, if you read that“the Universe can create itself out ofnothing and does not require God for itscreation”, you’d be forgiven for thinkingthat you could just understand thestatement as one that is in line withatheism. Instead, through Hawking’s carefuland deliberate redefinition of each of thekey words in this sentence, the meaning isactually quite the opposite.The Grand Design – the entire book – is infact about the expansion of an alreadyexisting Universe, and quite pointedly notabout its origin or creation from nothing.

Hawking writes:“…although one can think of the big bangpicture as a valid description of early times,it is wrong to take the big bang literally,that is, to think of Einstein’s theory as

providing a true picture of the origin ofthe universe. That is because generalrelativity predicts there to be a point intime at which the temperature, density andcurvature of the universe are all infinite; asituation mathematicians call a singularity.To a physicist this means that Einstein’stheory breaks down at that point andtherefore cannot be used to predict howthe universe began, only how it evolvedafterwards. So although we can employthe equations of general relativity and ourobservations of the heavens to learn aboutthe universe at a very young age, it is notcorrect to carry the big bang picture allthe way back to the beginning.” [“TheGrand Design”. Hawking, Stephen, Chapter6: Choosing our Universe, pp 128-129]

Despite the clarity of the above statements,popular media reports have systemicallymisrepresented the warped conclusionwithout clarifying Hawking’s specialredefinitions.

This same theme continues throughout thebook. Hawking states that the only thingthat can spontaneously come intoexistence from ‘nothing’ is a Universe, butthat it can only pop into existence when atiny quantum particle is pulled apart. Notethe special use of “nothing” in this instance.But it should be clear that the presence of“a quantum particle” is not “nothing” – butsomething. This critical information –present in the book – is editorialised bythe media. The natural question we shouldbe left with is: If the Universe can onlycome into existence when preceded by aquantum particle, upon what does thatquantum particle depend for its verypresence?

The origin they are talking about is relativeorigin. This is akin to theorising whetherthe plant bearing fruits originated as a seedin a nutrient laden pot.


Book Review: The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking

Majed Islam

Hawking, having already recognized thatthe Big Bang was not the start of theuniverse, albeit proposing it as the meansfor its expansion, then proposes ‘M-theory’as a more accurate theoretical model forexpansion. M-theory is an attempt by theoreticalphysicists to solve physics’ ‘holy grail’.Physics’ ultimate quest is to discover aunified theory that accounts for allphysical phenomena taking place in theuniverse, a theory dubbed the ‘Theory ofEverything’. Since the early 20th century,physical phenomena in the universe havebeen explained by either of two distincttheories: Firstly, quantum physics thatexplains the world of the very small, suchas the behaviour of electrons, neutrons andphotons. Secondly, Einstein’s theory ofgeneral relativity is used to explainphenomena at very large scales such as thebehaviour of stars and galaxies. These twotheories are considered resoundingsuccesses for modern physics: and togetherthey can explain the vast majority ofphysical phenomena occurring in Nature.The next logical step is to discover a singletheory that accounts for all physicalphenomena.

Yet, M-theory – a theory that as yet has noproofs to validate it – does not address theabsolute origin of the universe but simplyseeks to addresses how the currentuniverse behaves.

A fundamental fallacy is to think thatempirical scientific methods, which are

very helpful in understanding the physicalworld and has led to real advances forhumanity, can be used to explain how theUniverse (or ‘multiverse’ in Hawking’sview) came into existence. Although thistheory which explains of how the universebehaves and expands is useful, it is hardlythe “Ultimate Question of Life” as the frontcover of the book may suggest. Theultimate question is also not whether Godis needed to get the universe running ornot. The ultimate questions are whether ornot the universe needs a Creator to existand whether this Creator has sent downguidance for how we should live our lives,govern our countries, and solve all of theproblems humans face.

We can know that a Creator of theUniverse exists by a process of rationaldeduction. Indeed, Hawking comesremarkably close to this conclusion in hisbook: “Time, however, seemed to be like amodel railway track. If it had a beginning,there would have to have been someone(i.e. God) to set the trains going. AlthoughEinstein’s general theory of relativityunified time and space as space-time andinvolved a certain mixing of space andtime, time was still different from space,and either had a beginning and an end orelse went on forever.”

Hawking concludes that the process bywhich the Universe exists is only becauseof the expansion of a quantum particle.However, he chooses not to even discussthe origin of this singularity since he

admits that this true origin would not besubject to the same rules and laws of theuniverse, not even subject to time. Heagrees that this origin would have to beexternal to the universe, outside ourperception and understanding, andsomething of a mystery. On this point, wecan completely agree; and it is not for us toassign attributes to something outside ofour reality. However, it is clear that thisUniverse depends on this outside factor forits existence; without it, the Universesimply could not be.

This process of rational deduction is notspecific to the start of the Universe; weapply this in every day of our life.Everything that we see around us needssomething else for it to exist. There isn’t asingle object that we could point to andsay that it came into existence of its ownaccord without relying on something otherthan itself for its existence.

The only rational explanation is thateverything we perceive depends upon aCreator, and that Creator must bear thequality of being unlimited. This is sobecause by its very definition, the Creatorwould need to be eternal and timeless sothat the universe can rely on it for itsorigin.

This simple and perfectly rational truthdeals directly with the issue of the trueorigin of the universe. Whereas, M-theoryand all of the other theories presented inProfessor Hawking’s book only proposethe processes of how the universe worksand how it has reached its current state.

The obsession in post-enlightenmentEurope to keep people uncertain aboutthese questions – as can be seen by mediacoverage of this debate – is a distraction.There is a robust rational approach whichcan answer these questions. Such anapproach can answer the questions usingsensed realities such as footprints in thedesert for the Bedouin – or whether thesensed realities are distant nebulae for theastrophysicist. This is the Islamic approach– and indeed this is the only belief thatanswers this issue in a rigorous way –compelling humanity to examine thisuniverse, think and conclude withconviction that a Creator has created thisuniverse and not without a grand designand purpose.�


Nigeria celebrated 50 years ofindependence on 1st Oct 2010. 50 yearsis sufficient time for a nation toformulate and execute far-reachingdevelopment programs and achievemany strategic goals. With the correctoutlook, Nigeria’s 900,000 sq km offertile real estate coupled with itsteeming population of 130 million andvast natural resources should havepropelled it on an ascending trajectoryof sound development and sustainablegrowth. Regrettably, the reality is farfrom this. In five decades of self-determination it has little to show that isproportional to the bounties Allah (swt)has blessed it with.

From the outset, the formation of pre-independence Nigeria implanted seeds

of decline, chief among them tribaldivision. In 1939 the British colonialistscarved out 3 regions dominated by themajor tribes of the Igbo from the East,the Yoruba of the West and the Hausa-Fulani of the north resulting in anuneasy coexistence lasting beyondindependence. Instead of creating socialcohesion, the colonial constructintroduced national identity confusionconcerning what it means to be Nigerianthat is inadequately defined to this day(as attempted by the “federal characterprinciple”, formulated in 1975). Theabsence of a comprehensive and distinctunifying factor amplified the ethnicdisparity of over 250 ethno-linguisticgroups. The situation remainedunresolved till the departure of theBritish in 1960. Ethnic enmity, vying for

political supremacy and military coupsand counter coups, became the definingfactor of the post independencerelationship. The Igbo’s attempt tosecede from this unstable arrangementignited the flames of the Biafra Civil War,which lasted from July 1967 to January1970, claiming nearly 2 million lives tothe war and famine.

The Federal system of governingimposed by the colonial mastersaccentuated the divisions of societycontributing to Nigeria’sdefragmentation. This is most clearlydisplayed at the Local Government Area(LGA) level which has multiplied six-foldsince 1963, from 131 to 774. In theabsence of viable options, this weakman-made system drives the


Nigeria:50 Years of Colonial Legacy (Part I)

Abu Abdallah

disheartened to identify with alternativestructures based on faith, ethnicity orregion. This exacerbates the issue as itcontributes to further breakdown ofsocial cohesion in society, spirallingdangerously into decline. Inter-communal tensions (like the recurringcrises in Plateau State) that have causedmore than 14,000 deaths since 1999 anddisplaced more than 3 million are directoutcomes of this. Creeping State failureis a widespread consequence of thiscycle.

Systemic failure has also causedshrinkage of citizen loyalty and gradualdisconnection between the public andthe State. Consequently, Nigeria’s citizenshave ceased to expect reliable socialservices, functioning public utilities,infrastructure, security and corruption-

free administration from theirgovernment. It is a deplorable, yetcommon feature in this resource richcountry to discover householdsgenerating electricity for personalconsumption from generator units,sinking boreholes or wells for watersupply and employing private securityfirms for their safety requirements.

Nigeria’s misfortunes were immediatelyblamed on military dictators that ruledthe country for 29 out of the 50 years ofits post-independence. Six successfulmilitary coups contributed to thecrystallization of this opinion.Consequently, tremendous publicexpectations accompanied the 20 May1999 transfer of power from GeneralAbubakar’s military government tocivilian rule of General OlusegunObasanjo (rtd). Nonetheless, the transferto democracy did little to improve thelot of the majority of the population.High hopes were completely dashed ascontinuing political malpractice;economic banditry and social frustrationwere the only ‘dividends of democracy’.Nigerians deplored the new situationobserving that corruption was as high as

under military rule or even higher.Muted calls to revert to military rulestarted to surface in some quarters.

A majority of the population do not seean exit strategy from the ills and socialupheavals bedevilling Nigerian society. Asense of hopelessness and despairprevails causing large swathes of themasses to retreat into the comfort ofprayer, pursuing religious deliverancefrom temporal adversity. Religiousestablishments and networks havesprouted everywhere catering to, orcashing in on, this new spiritualcommodity.

The despair of the population is onlymatched by its extreme level of poverty.The scale of economic decrepitude ismost apparent in the oil sector. It is

remarkable that a nation, which is theworld’s seventh largest crude oilproducer, has 70 percent of itspopulation eking out a living on lessthan N150 ($1) a day. Nigeria has earnedmore than $400 billion in oil revenuesince the early 1970s yet it has nottransformed into a better standard ofliving for the masses. Overdependenceon oil has skewed the economyrendering once productive areas likeagriculture and solid minerals into non-performing sectors. Despite the massiveexports of 2.1 million barrels of oil perday Nigeria fails to refine sufficientpetroleum products for its owndomestic consumption forcing it toresort to importation. An industrializedbase to support national developmentnever materialised from the richesgushing from the ground either.Industrialisation projects were liable toexperience slow and gradual deaths. Anambitious steel industrialisation projectat Ajaokuta Steel Mills was started in1979. 31 years later the complex is yetto roll off a single steel sheet, havingsuccumbed to Nigeria’s unwritten ruleof non-sustainability.

The nation began to unravel fromIndependence and the subsequentdescent into chaos of the first Republicset an unfortunate tone for the future ofthe country. Nigeria appears doomed tooscillate between the twin disasters ofmilitary rule and ‘the democraticexperiment’. It is in freefall as thepolitical-elite class scurry to plunder itswealth. Racially based secessionistgroups like O’Odua People’s Congress(OPC) from the Yoruba and theMovement for the Actualisation of theSovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) ofthe Igbos emerged, indicating persistentfrailty in the governing system of thecountry.

Nigeria’s chronic problems transcendproposed remedial solutions likeconstitutional reform, administrativetransparency and institution building ormere policy recommendations. What isrequired is a complete alternativeoutlook that will transform thefoundation of society and change thecurrent systems. This is a practicalpossibility with historical precedence.

This alternative is Islam, which has aunique propensity to initiate quantumchanges in society. This derives from itsuniversal viewpoint that providessolutions to human problems in life. Theuniversal viewpoint, which is the‘Aqeedah, maintains that Allah (swt)created the universe and all that itcontains, organizing and sustaining it.Messengers were sent to direct mankindto the recognition of their Creator and

Nigeria’s chronic problems transcend proposed remedialsolutions like constitutional reform, administrative transparencyand institution building or mere policy recommendations.


subsequent submission to the Organiserof life. Man’s devotion and servitude isexpressed by his adherence to thesystems that resolve the numerouschallenges he faces in life. These systemscame codified in general principles, rulesand regulations best known as theShari’ah. The widespread misconceptionthat Islam is a limited set of personalbeliefs and rituals is a secularised viewthat truncates its real scope andpurpose.

When the Khilafah State applied theIslamic ideology, it completely eradicatedtribal discrimination, a source of socialfriction and division in Nigeria today. Itreplaced it with the Islamic bond,forming a stable foundation for acohesive society. History bears witnessto this unparalleled success. Ittransformed peoples, like the Arabswallowing in the abyss of darkness andbloody tribal feuds, to the elevation ofthe ideological bond. Consequently, themajority of the peoples which Islamruled left their religions and entered theDeen of Islam willingly and not by force.He (swt) says: “There is no compulsionin religion.” [TMQ Baqarah:256]

Non-Muslims of Nigeria will not beforced to abandon their religion toembrace the ‘Aqeedah of Islam; theirlives, rituals, wealth, customs and placesof worship are protected. The Messengerof Allah (saw) said: “He who hurts adhimmi hurts me, and he who hurts meannoys Allah.” [Tabarani]

“He who kills a dhimmi enjoying theoath of Allah and the oath of HisMessenger, then he has betrayed theoath of Allah so he shall not smell thescent of Jannah; its scent is found thedistance of a seventy year march.”[Tirmidhi]

Yet the Shari’ah of Islam is applied uponthem to solve their societal problems.Islam views man in his capacity as ahuman being who requires solutions tohis problems in life. Non-Muslims inNigeria taste the bitter pills of insecurity,corruption, resource mismanagementand theft of public wealth byofficeholders, similar to Muslims. The

Shari’ah of Islam addresses these typesof numerous societal problems andsolves them comprehensively.

To cite an example, wealth in theKhilafah state is divided into threecategories: private property, publicproperty and state property. It is thestate that maintains and protects thesein accordance with the laws of theShari’ah.

Focusing on Public property theMessenger of Allah (saw) said: “Peopleare partners in three; Water, Pastures andFire.” [Abu Daud, Ibn Maajah]

The term ‘fire’ here includes all forms ofenergy used as fuel in industry. Thecategory of Public ownership includesall minerals whether they are solids likecopper, iron or gold, liquid like oil orgaseous like natural gas. The stateensures that every citizen gets hisrightful share of public property.Oilfields and the mineral mines in theKhilafah state are not owned by thestate where it exercises its will oversuch resources similar to the Communistsystem. Nor do individuals own it, as isthe case in the Capitalist system.

In Nigeria all oil production is by meansof joint ventures with foreign oilcompanies like between Shell Oil andthe government known as ShellPetroleum Development Company ofNigeria Limited (SPDC). Shell Nigeriaaccounts for fifty percent of Nigerian’stotal oil production. The company hasmore than 100 producing oil fields, anda network of more than 6,000km ofpipelines, running through 87 flowstations. Mixing up the categories ofproperty by permitting ownership ofpublic property by private individualsand enterprises on grounds of freemarket economy, privatisation andglobalisation invariably results in fraudand institutionalised looting of publicresources. The primary focus of privatebusiness is profit-making, public interestsand environmental matters are notaccounting measurements on balancesheets. This encourages corruption ofofficeholders as private companiesresort to illegal practices like bribery to

obtain favourable contracts or licensingrights. Officeholders collude withprivate enterprise, using political powerto misappropriate valuable resource forpersonal gain. The Halliburton BonnyLiquefied Natural Gas Project briberyscandal that started in 1994 is anexample.

Inadequate oil wealth distribution alsoillustrates the dangerous outcomesassociated with improper classificationof property in the current capitalistframework. The ‘derivation principle’designed to address oil revenueallocation since 1960 through to 2004failed to quell disgruntled elementswithin the oil producing areas. Thiscontributed to the rise of militant groupslike Movement for the Survival of theOgoni People (MOSOP), Niger DeltaPeople’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF) andMovement for the Emancipation of theNiger Delta (MEND) who seek economicredress through violent means.

The problem is not confined to theeconomic sphere alone, it manifests inruling as well. Drawbacks associatedwith military rule like election rigging,national resource mismanagement andstrong-arm politics were found toequally exist in civilian rule also.Between 2000 and 2007 Obasanjo’sgovernment spent $16 billion fixing theendless power problems with no resultsafter 7 years except a huge gap in thenational reserves. Close scrutiny of thesebitter experiences reveals the underlyingfactor hindering the revival of Nigeria isthe continued application of the man-made system ruining the lives of thepeople.

Islam is the only ideology capable ofbuilding society on a sound footing,securing the lives of the people andguaranteeing the rights of citizen’s,whether Muslim or not. It is the onlyalternative left for Nigeria today, the exitstrategy from British colonial legacy.Nigeria should not spend another 50years to learn this fact.�


1. How are the people coping withthe situation in Pakistan following thedevastating floods?The situation is still very bleak. Thereare areas in Sindh where water is stillstanding and the only way to providefood is either by air or through boats.The people of Pakistan has once againdonated more than what their pocketscould bear as have Muslims livingoutside Pakistan. May Allah accept theirSadaqat insha’allah. Millions of peoplehave lost their homes as well as theirstanding crops. The winter is around thecorner and we do not know how thepeople will cope as the army has shiftedits focus back to the so-called war-on-terror. Locally, NGOs are still trying tofeed the people but the question is, forhow long?

2. What is your view on the talk aboutthe Zardari regime failing?This is very typical of Pakistan; eachregime takes only two to two and halfyears to completely discredit itself. TheZardari regime managed to do that evenquicker. But the US keeps it going aslong as possible as they have limitedoptions. The people are so fed-up withthe current system that it has becomeimperative for the US to bring some sortof face change before things completely

get out of hand, though the modality ofchange is still not obvious. But what isclear so far is that this setup cannotcontinue for long. One option is changein the cabinet including the PrimeMinster. The other option is getting ridof Zardari since he is the most hatedindividual. But this will produce apower vacuum in PPP, which right nowwill not suit US who has finally gottenhold of this party after Benazir’s murder.The other option is a Bangladesh modeli.e. army supported technocrats or cleanpoliticians who have not ruled yet. Andthe last option is an army coup. Ipersonally believe that the last option isnot going to be feasible as people havejust gotten rid of a dictator thereforethey are not ready for another militaryrule. If there is only change of Gillani orcabinet reshuffle this will not be enoughto vent out public anger and frustration.So I think if US were smart she shouldgo for a Bangladesh model and bringtechnocrats or clean politicians with thesupport of the Army. This is the bestoption they have. Having said thisoption is also not going to be long-lasting because without changing thesystem these clean politicians will failvery sooner than Zardari.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has launched a campaignto make the Ummah aware that this typeof farcical changes will never bring realchange in Pakistan. The real change isthe change in system, which will onlyoccur with the establishment of theKhilafat and the eradication of capitalistsystem. At the end of this campaign,Hizb ut-Tahrir plans to do nationwiderallies on 5th of November, insha’allah.

3. What is your view on the feelings inthe military, especially since the recentkilling of soldiers from the Pakistan Armywithin Pakistan’s borders by NATO

security?The feelings within the army areexplosive and consider it as an attack ontheir honour and dignity. Though theyshould have felt the same way when USwas conducting drone attacks but killingof the security personal was too muchfor them to digest. The media alsojumped on the issue and the whole ofPakistan was up in arms. Everybodyknew that this was an escalation fromthe American side and if not resistedwould provide US the license to killanyone, anywhere.

This resentment and anger in themilitary forced the government to takethis unprecedented measure.

But quite cunningly the governmentused this “supply-line-drama” as a smokescreen as well and restarted militaryoperations in the FATA region whichwere otherwise stopped for the last fewmonths due to military’s involvement inflood rescue operations. Hence, whenthe media was focused on suspendedsupply to the NATO Pak army hadstarted operations on various parts ofFATA. As a result nobody noticed thisimportant development and thegovernment didn’t face any resistance.

Political analysts have also noticed thatduring flood relief work when militaryand the whole administration was busyand Pakistan was a soft target there wasno significant activity on the part of themilitants. The number of bomb blastsactually went down instead of increasingto an extent that there was not even asingle blast during the month of August.Similarly, when the Pakistan military waspressurising the US and had cutting theNATO supply line, hundreds of NATO oiltankers were set on fire allegedly byTehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan (TTP) who


Interview: Naveed ButtSpokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir, Wilayah Pakistan

later claimed responsibility. On thecontrary during the past six years TTPnever conducted such systematic attackson oil tankers even when they wereunder attack in Waziristan, Swat andOrakzai.

Pakistan could have linked cutting of thesupply line with stopping drone attackbut they didn’t this shows that thegovernment is in complete cohorts withthe US in the unlawful murder of itsown citizens.

4. What’s your analysis about thebombings in Pakistan’s city centres?Right after 9/11, under the dictates ofAmerica, Musharraf sent thousands oftroops to FATA. They started militaryoperations in South Waziristan but sincethere was no valid excuse the sincerepeople within the Army and mediastrongly resisted these operations. Somuch so that over 200 soldiers includingofficers surrendered without firing asingle shot. Many officers even to therank of Lt. Colonels refused to fight andwere court marshalled.

America was forced to change itsstrategy. She stopped operationtemporarily to build public opinion inher favour. She carefully orchestratedseries of “suicide bombings” in majorcities of Pakistan. Some of the “suicidebombs” were later exposed by the mediato be planted bombs such as the bombblast on a Shia procession in Karachi,which was caught on CCTV to beplanted in a box along the road. Hence,the plan was to kill civilians to buildpublic opinion for US’s war of Terror anddemonise the tribal’s. A video of a manlashing a girl was heavily publicised onthe local electronic media just beforestarting Swat operation. After the brutalSwat operation it was reported in thepress that the video was concocted andfake but obviously it was too late.

Initially, this US strategy worked to someextent and the public opinion shifted infavour of operations in the Tribal belt.But Hizb ut-Tahrir and some sincerepeople in the media exposed this USplan and Blackwater officials (sometimesdisguised as Pashtuns) were routinely

caught with weapons and then releasedon the instructions of interior ministry,people were able to see-through thisheinous and wicked US plan. Peoplestarted to question that why it is thatMosques and Islamic universities aretargeted while Blackwater offices areuntouched? No US official has everbeen targeted whilst markets and shrinesare raised to the ground! The Ummahhas realised now that the real peoplewho are behind bombing in Mosquesand Islamic schools are none other thanUS security agencies and privatemercenaries such as the Blackwater.

Alhamdulillah, America’s options aregetting fewer and fewer each day.Common people on the street andsincere amongst the media have startedto call for ejection of US from the region.It is part of the public opinion now thatPakistan can only have peace if US leavesthe region something, which Hizb ut-Tahrir has been calling for quite sometime.

5. What is Hizb ut-Tahrir’s positionregarding the violence in the NWFP?How will you end the violence inPakistan?US fuelled this war to stop the Jihadi’sfrom the Tribal belt as well as fromvarious parts of Pakistan from going toAfghanistan. The plan was to engagethese sincere people inside Pakistan andthat too using Muslim blood i.e. Pakistaniarmy. Using a ‘sledge-hammer’ approach,as seen in Lal Masjid and Bajauroperations, the government inflictedmaximum damage to life and propertyof a common Tribesman. Millions weredisplaced during Bajaur, Swat andWaziristan operation and markets andhouses were erased to the ground. Thisproduced hatred within the Tribalpopulation towards the militants and allthose who were calling for theimplementation of Islam as they wereportrayed as the cause of this conflict,not the US. The operation was to teachthe Islam loving tribesmen a lesson thatif they are going to support anybodywho calls for Islam this is the price theyshould be willing to pay. Theseoperations were nothing but a type ofcollective punishment.

As far as our position on the currentviolence is concerned we believe this isa war of Fitnah which was fuelled by theUS. In our leaflets and press releases wehave demanded both from the PakistanArmy as well as the tribal people forceasefire and as this infighting only suitsAmerica who wants to consolidate herhegemony over the region by makingMuslims fight Muslims. This is the samepolicy, which she adopted in Iraq byfuelling sectarian strife.

The cause of violence is the presence ofUS in the region. US forces Pakistanimilitary to conduct brutal operationswhilst US’s security services and privatearmy, Blackwater, conducts bomb blastsin mosques and market places to buildthe public opinion for operations.Hence, when the Khilafat is establishedUS will be ejected from the region as aresult there would be no excuse for theso-called militants to continue fightingthe state apparatus. And the violence willdie its own death.

6. You call for a Khilafat in Pakistan;will not the US and her allies launch adevastating attack on Pakistan if Islamicgovernment is established?First of all we have to understand thatPakistan is not a ‘banana state’. It is anuclear power and has the seventhlargest and a very professional army.Pakistan possesses a reasonablyadvanced missile programme and aconsiderably strong Air Force. Hence, allstrategic US locations in the regionincluding Bagram Base and CENTCOM inDoha Qatar are within striking range.Also the major supply route for fuel andammunition passes through Pakistan,closure of which in itself will be no lessthan a fatal blow.

We have to remember that US is not in aposition to start a third war and that toowith a nuclear Khilafat. The USeconomy is passing through hugeeconomic problems. The US publicopinion for war is just not there. USarmy is stretched thin and above all themoral of the US is all time low. After theIraq War, the US has lost its global moralhigh ground and now is seen as animperialist power throughout the world.


US soldiers have failed to reign in theMujahedeen in Afghanistan how canthey fight a professional army which is7th largest in the world. Presence ofover a hundred thousand troops in FATAcan come as a blessing in disguise sincewe will not require a lot of time tomobilise them to annex Afghanistan.

Furthermore, Pakistan is situated right atthe gates of Persian Gulf through whichmajority of world’s total oil passesthrough. The West knows that if supplyto newly established Khilafat is cut thenKhilafat will not allow any tanker to passthrough the Persian Gulf, something thatthe world cannot afford. Hence, theKhaleefah will have a lot of options ifKhilafat is established in Pakistan.

7. What immediate steps could theKhilafat take to deal with the US on theWestern frontier?The Khilafat will immediately cut theNATO supply line and allow Mujahedeento go to Afghanistan to help theirbrothers. Troops already stationed onthe Pak-Afghan border will be mobilisedas well. Without fuel and food USgovernment will be more interested inair lifting its remaining soldiers ratherthan paying for coffins and freight.

8. All the analysis shows that Pakistanis heading towards bankruptcy. What isyour economic plan for Pakistan?Pakistan’s economic vows are notbecause Pakistan is a poor countryrather it is because of the corrupt andexploitative capitalist system whichallows the West to loot and plunder ourwealth. WB, IMF and the US shovecorrupt policies down Pakistan’s throatin order to rape its resources and keeppeople of Pakistan poor andeconomically dependent. The corruptand agent rulers connive with the Westto implement these policies. A glimpseof Pakistan’s resources, tell us acompletely different story. Pakistan has600 tons of gold, 600 million tons of ironore, seventh largest copper reserves, andfourth largest coal reserves in the world.It also has sixth largest reserves ofnatural gas in Asia. Potential of hydroelectricity is more than 50,000 MW(Pakistan’s current requirement is only

20,000 MW). Similarly, Pakistan has thepotential of 50,000 MW of wind energy.Pakistan’s cultivable land is fourth largestin the world. Pakistan’s wheatproduction is more than Africa and equalto South American continent. Pakistan issecond in Buffalo milk production,second in indigenous Buffalo Meat,second in indigenous Goat Meat and ithas tenth largest labour force in theworld. Pakistan also has 5011 PhDs,which can help Pakistan to an industrialand agricultural revolution.

The current regime has privatised ourgold and copper reserves at a throwaway price. According to Islamiceconomic system the natural resourcesand energy resources cannot beprivatised and must be provided topeople around cost price since Islamconsiders them as public properties.This means oil, gas, electricity and otherminerals will be dirt cheap which willplay a significant role in alleviatingpoverty. Cheap raw material and fuelwill help the ailing industry to recoverand compete in the world. TheseIslamic laws will also put an end to theexploitation of our resources by themultinational companies.

In Pakistan 40% of the cultivable land isnot being used. According to Islamanybody who revives a dead land alsobecomes the owner of the land. Thisincentive would encourage 70% of thepopulation to migrate and revive thedead lands and become their owners.This will not only eradicate

unemployment but also increase theagricultural production. Consequentlythe revenues will also increase in theshape of Kharaj and Ushr.

The currency in the Khilafat will bebased on gold and silver standard ratherthan the dollar and thus will break theeconomic hegemony of US in the world.

The pyramid of taxation in Islam is alsoreverse as compared to the capitalisttaxation model. There is only directtaxation in Islam and indirect taxation isharam. Indirect taxes such as sales tax,GST, VAT etc applies on both rich andpoor, which Islam does not allow.Hence, the sources of revenue in aKhilafat include, Kharaj, Ushr, Zakat, Fai,Hima, Khums, and Jizyah etc. Hence, inIslam money is taken from the rich andspent on the poor. This will reduce thehuge gulf between the rich and the poorof Pakistan.

Pakistan has enough scientists whomade Pakistan a nuclear state. We justneed a sincere leadership in the form ofKhilafat, which will provide allopportunities to these scientists whocan make this newly established Khilafatinto an industrial giant.

Hence Pakistan only needs the divinesystem of Islam and a sincere leadership,which would harness its resources andprovide economic prosperity to itspeople.


9. How could you reassure the peopleof Pakistan that you will not be ascorrupt as the current politicians onceyou are in power?It is well known that “power corruptsand absolute power corrupts absolutely”.Islam gives us a system, which takesaway the absolute source of power fromman, which is the ability to legislate ormake laws. Hence, the Khaleefah, Waliand Aamil don’t have the right tolegislate so they cannot make laws toprotect their interests or legalise theircorruption. Hence, in the Khilafat thereal rule of law prevails whereeverybody is accountable before the law.It is not like democracy where the mostcorrupt promulgates NRO (NationalReconciliation Ordinance) and isabsolved of all crimes. According to thecurrent Pakistani constitution (Article248) the President enjoys indemnitytherefore he cannot be brought beforeany court for his crimes. All this cannothappen in the Khilafat. Therefore theimportant thing for people tounderstand is that the system, which weare calling for, cuts almost all avenues,which provide protection to corruptrulers.

Secondly, the Ummah is well aware ofthe steadfastness and sacrifices of ourshabab for the past half a century. Theyknow the sincerity of our members andleadership. The Ummah knows thatmost of us are all well educatedprofessionals and are struggling in thiscause not just to get money as weAlhamdulillah already have goodsustenance from Allah. Rather our mainaim is to strive for the pleasure of Allahby implementing His Deen on earth byestablishing the Khilafat.

10. You address the sincere elements inthe armed forces in your leaflets andpress releases. Are you calling for amilitary take over again?No we are not calling the Army to rulesince we know they are neither trainedfor ruling nor they have clearunderstanding of the Khilafat systemwith which people of Pakistan must beruled by. We are only asking them tostop supporting the corrupt rulers whoare implementing Kufr and instead

support us so that we could implementthe system of Islam. Hence, we arereminding them that they should not bein the camp of those who have declareda revolt against Allah (swt) and HisMessenger (saw) rather they should beworking with the sincere sons of thisUmmah who are working day and nightto uproot these rulers and implementIslam.

11. What is your policy towards thetwo big powers in the region, India andChina?This is outside of my remit to comment,it is something that the Amir and futureKhaleefah will decide Insha’Allah. But ingeneral terms, it is the responsibility ofthe state to convey Islam to the entireworld and ensure that Islam isimplemented throughout. The state willbuild its foreign policy to this end, usingall available means to achieve them.

12. Do you have a policy towards theKashmir conflict?Kashmir is a Muslim land and must beliberated from Indian occupation. Thiscannot be done through negotiations oreven by sending few ill-equippedmujahedeen. Rather it can only beliberated through an organized Jihad bymobilising troops. One cannot expectthis from any of the current puppetregimes of the Muslim world. Sopractically we have to first establish theKhilafat in any of the strong Muslimsstate such as Pakistan, Turkey, Syria,Egypt etc and then mobilise the armiesalong with the sincere mujahedeen toliberate our brothers and sisters inKashmir.

13. What would you say is the singlereason that Pakistani’s should put Hizbut-Tahrir in power?Hizb ut-Tahrir is the only political partythat has the recipe for real and correctchange. Only Hizb ut-Tahrir has thesincere leadership and a clean system inthe shape of the Khilafat system, whichcan liberate us from the Western slaveryand bring prosperity and unity to thewhole Ummah. People are fed up withthe current secular system and slavery tothe West. People have experienced bothdictatorship and democracy but since

under both ruling systems the sameCapitalist system is implementedtherefore all rulers have failed to bringany prosperity to Pakistan. No otherparty has detailed solutions to Pakistan’sproblems except Hizb ut-Tahrir rather allof them are trying to look for solutionsfrom the same Capitalist frameworkwhich has failed time and again. Theonly hope of Pakistan is under Islam andHizb ut-Tahrir is the party who has doneits homework in terms of giving a detailblue print of the systems of Islam.

14. What are the 5 November Khilafatrallies about? How can the Muslimsoutside Pakistan help?Hizb ut-Tahrir, Wilayah Pakistan haslaunched a campaign to make themasses aware that real change can onlyoccur with the establishment of theKhilafat. In this regard, on 5thNovember, Hizb ut-Tahrir’s plans ralliesin major cities of Pakistan in order todemand from the sincere within thearmed forces to give nusrah to Hizb ut-Tahrir for the establishment of theKhilafat. We ask Muslims outside ofPakistan to encourage their relativeshere in Pakistan to be part of thisstruggle. They can also hold ralliesoutside Pakistani embassies in theirrespective countries on the same day.They should try calling in to populartalk-shows and remind them that theonly way to get Pakistan out of this messis through establishing the Khilafat.They can also write letters to Pakistaninewspapers. They should contact theirrelatives in the armed forces to urgethem to support Hizb ut-Tahrir in itsestablishment of the Khilafat. The recentactivities done by 000 and the sincereMuslims of UK have made strong ripplesin the Pakistani press especially Hizb ut-Tahrir’s demos against Zardari andMusharraf.

Naveed ButtSpokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir,Wilayah Pakistan�


Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, Suite 301, 28 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3SSTel: 07074 192 400 - www.hizb.org.uk - [email protected]

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