By Ibn Ismail al-Afriki
The reaction of Europe and the rest of the Western world to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has revealed their shameless hypocrisy and duplicity. Muslims are justifiably outraged, having witnessed the open arms with which Europe has welcomed civilians fleeing Ukraine to escape the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, whilst shamelessly preventing tens of thousands of Muslims from across North Africa and the Middle East from obtaining refuge and safe passage in Europe.
Ukrainians do not have to endure the indignity, and humiliation of harassment, herding and brutality that Muslim refugees have endured for years at the hands of immigration officials. There are no calls for tighter border controls, stringent immigration processes, and protection of local jobs… nay…for Ukrainians, there is empathy, compassion, love, care and understanding. As for the country identified as the aggressor, Russia, there are immediate consequences… sanctions, isolation and condemnation.
“O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves [i.e., believers], for they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will use reAson.”
(3-118 The Qur’an)
THIS IS LIFE IMITATING FARCE
Why does it surprise us though? Should it surprise us?
What did we expect?
Did we seriously buy into the lie that liberal democracies, and secular states are beacons of justice in which Islam will be welcomed, in which Muslims will be allowed to practice their deen freely, and in which justice will prevail?
Has the combined and concerted and continued efforts by the Jews and Christians to destroy and suppress the khilafa been forgotten?
“They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it.”
(61-8 The Qur’an)
Does the gratuitous spilling of Muslim blood by European and North American counties not jolt our consciousness into realising who they are and what they represent?
Or is it that we deliberately suppress these glaring truths to avoid having to confront our own inaction, our own desire to be accepted in and be part of these lands of excess and disbelief?
Perhaps it’s easier for us to buy into the lie that the ‘free world’ and democratic countries are neutral zones, in which Islam is allowed to flourish and Muslims are allowed to practice their deen completely and fully. To acknowledge the truth- to admit to the active war on Islam, whether it is the form of physical assaults on the ummah or the relentless campaign to re-invent, and redefine Islam to resemble the values of disbelief –does not allow us to be spectators- we must choose a side.
We are either in the party of Allah, or the party of Shaytaan. If we seek assimilation, integration and co-existence with our oppressors and the enemies of Allah, we betray both our path and purpose. It helps naught to simply point out their hypocrisy. We must oppose them with our wealth and our lives. That is the divine injunction.
THE REAL WAR
The actions of the nations of disbelief against Muslims is not the result of racism. Yes, racism is sadly alive, well, even flourishing in Europe and elsewhere. Bosnia, however, is evidence that the dhulm (oppression) and aggression against Muslims cannot be explained by focusing on race.
Muslims with blonde hair and blue eyes were massacred and their white neighbours were silent. The criteria has, and always will be, truth versus falsehood. Islam versus kufr.
IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY
It is unacceptable that the Muslim world has abdicated its responsibility of caring for the ummah to the nations of disbelief. How dare we condemn our Muslim brothers and sisters to the ignominy of begging the nations of disbelief for assistance? How dare we remain inactive as Muslims are slaughtered?
The Muslim world has sufficient resources to accommodate Muslims seeking refuge and to fight the forces of Kufr that invade Muslim lands and kill Muslims. Corrupt, illegitimate ,and thuggish rulers in many parts of the Muslim world have destroyed the notion of ummah. Their nationalism, racism, greed and anti Islamic ethos has heaped untold humiliation and suffering on this ummah. Such rulers are our enemies and the enemies of Allah. Sadly, the level of oppression by these puppet leaders upon their own people has resulted in Muslims escaping to the lands of the kuffaar. Can we not see that the first obligation for the Muslim refugees fell upon the surrounding Muslim lands? Syria, as an example is surrounded by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Yet these puppet regimes offered no relief to the believers.
The ummah cries for a return of true brotherhood. A brotherhood that would see the Turks not only opening their borders but readying their armies. A brotherhood that would see Afghanistan’s newly liberated territory offering sanctuary to Muslims oppressed by the Shia in Iran, to Muslim Uighurs in China and to Muslims in India. A brotherhood that would see the Taliban oiling their weapons as they prepare to meet the hateful hindutva oppressors. This is our deen and our brotherhood. That’s what it should look like.
“The believers are but one brotherhood”
(49-10 The Qur’an)
VICTORY BECKONS
The justice and dignity of the Islamic society is a long forgotten ideal.
But it will return!
This is the promise of Allah. The day is coming and we must be part of it. Long journeys are started with one step.
The first rule of war is to realise that you are at war.
Muslims must return to the fundamentals of deen. Return to the words of Allah-the Creator of all of creation. The Master of the universe. The All Mighty and All Powerful.
The problem is not with the snake that strikes, doing what it is designed to do, it is with the victim that continues placing his hand into the snake hole expecting a different result every time.
“And whoever takes Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed, as a Wali- indeed, the party of Allah will be the predominant (victorious).”
(5-56 The Qur’an)
