hambaAllah
Junior Member
:salam2: bros n sisters
WADUD: The Fall Of Western Democracy And The Rise Of Islam
Dec 31, 2006
Omar Abdul Wadud | JUSone News
Man’s quest for a social and economic system that would guarantee everlasting happiness began with his existence on the face of the earth. Many civilizations and nations have come and gone from the stage of history with their own legacies good or bad. However, they were never left alone in their quest for a viable system of government: Allah Almighty provided His servants with clear guidance and code of conduct by way of His messengers, beginning with Adam. To the extent that humanity conformed to the divine code, they flourished and thrived. And yet, Satan also had a mission: he would make sure that the sons of Adam, his arch-enemy, would lose their way and join him in hell. Whenever humanity turned away from the guidance of Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Earth, calamities and disasters were the inevitable consequence. And that’s what’s happening now.
Today the nations and tribes across the world are governing themselves with a wide spectrum of man-made, corrupt systems. Democracy is the choice of the people living in the West, while tyrannical despots rule across the “stans” of the Caucasus; warlords call the shots in most of Africa, while puppets run the show in much of the Middle East. The recent world history witnessed the birth and demise of communism, invented by people hoping to get an equal distribution of labor and goods amongst the comrades of the society. Like every other human invention, the system had its fatal design flaws and therefore did not take long to succumb to corruption that entailed, leading to its ultimate departure from the stage. The greed, upon which capitalism is based on, had temporarily won over the false illusion of equality.
Prior to democracy, the church was in power. The church imposed a ruthless tyranny guised in divinity: it prosecuted the dissidents hanging them on the cross or excommunicated those who went against its teachings of the time. Science had no place in the church; therefore Galileo was prosecuted by the Inquisition for claiming that the earth was round, not a flat piece of tray being carried on the horns of an ox. During the dark medieval ages when Europe was being afflicted by a corrupt church and the plague, Muslims were making advances in the field of science, economy, medicine, and education under the banner of Islam extending from central Asia, across Africa and Spain to the borders of France. Disillusioned and unhappy, people in the west turned to an alternative. It had to be a system that would prevent the church from intervening in their day-to-day lives, and guarantee them liberty. Thus was born Magna Carta, curtailing the power of the church and giving the liberty to the people in a secular order.
Next came the French Revolution that dealt the final blow to the church and the monarchy, consolidated by Renaissance and Reform movements taking root in Italy, and Protestants uprising in Germany. Industrial revolution followed with inventions and explorations around the world. America had been explored; new trade routes had been drawn around the horn of Africa. For a time, it appeared that the quest for the perfect system had finally come to an end: Democracy was the brave-new-world wonder drug that would cure the problems of the world.
Or so it seemed. Like in all other man-made systems, we are witnessing huge cracks in the walls of democracy today. People are increasingly getting disappointed by the hypocrisy, injustice, and double standards manifested in the name of democracy around the world. The biggest flaw that bugs the system stems from the fact that it rests on the brute power mentality of might-makes-right rather than divine principle of justice for all; and when confronted with a challenge or when push comes to shove, it either breaks down or resorts to violence undermining everything it stands for. Politicians get elected not based on moral integrity, skill, and aptitude to the task; rather, they get elected with the financial backing of the corporations and the brainwashing fanfare blared by the media.
Full promises quickly turn to empty ones as soon as the elected get their seats in the parliament. The public opinion is easily manipulated by lies, threats, and flamboyant rhetoric. Often, to the disillusionment of the electorate, what democracy promises and what it delivers are complete opposites. On one hand freedom of thought and speech is regarded as an indispensable tenet, on the other hand gags are put on the mouths of those articulating criticism and indignation on injustice being inflicted.
Just dare attempt to question the holocaust, for instance, not with regards to whether it did happen but to the number of victims, you will be branded with committing hate crime. A recent French ban on denying the so-called Armenian genocide claimed to have been committed by the late Ottoman Turks in northeastern Turkey stands in sharp contrast to the awarding of Nobel Prize in Literature to Turkish author Orhan Pamuk for verifying that claim. While in one conference hall the champions of freedom of expression were awarding a prize to someone for courageously voicing his opinion, in the next chamber the same champions of democracy were unanimously passing a bill banning people to voice a valid counter argument that historically these claims don’t hold true.
The same legislation was adopted in Switzerland and Holland, all countries boasting of democracy at its best. American democracy, which is increasingly sounding like an oxymoron, is not free from the same disease its European version is suffering from: while people are told that “enemies” of America were attacking their love of freedom and their way of life, those very same values are being undermined not by the “enemies” or America as claimed but by the American administration itself in the form of wiretapping phones and emails, denial of basic right of habeas corpus to detainees, and undermining the civil liberties people are entitled to. Financial freedom is a thing of the past: American dream is getting harder and harder to realize owing to a ruthless system of mortgage based on heavy interest imposed upon the “owner.” Statistics show that increasing number of Americans are being born in dept, live their entire lives in debt, and die in dept than ever before in this system of “right to ownership.” Racial, religious, and ethnic discrimination is endemic in almost all Western democracies. The poor, who make up the vast majority of the society at the bottom of the wealth pyramid, have to fend for themselves without care and respect. The system, while encouraging women to undress freely, denies them the same right to dress up decently. The old saying that “crime doesn’t pay” has been reversed: now the criminals have taken on the role of the protected, while the innocent have to look for justice somewhere else.
The downward spiral of democratic system is so fast that little distinction remains with “rogue” governments as illustrated in the following comparison between the Bush-land of the West and Saddam-istan of the East. Although George Bush and Saddam Hussein look opposites in physical properties at first glance, such as one dresses a military uniform while the other a suit, one speaks Arabic while the other English, one is about to be re-elected while the other is awaiting to be hanged, etc, here I will prove to you that in essence they are intimately related. Let’s take a look:
• Saddam puts an outright ban on the freedom of speech; Bush says it’s free, yet wiretaps phones and suppresses the free voice of the media.
• Saddam carries out broad daylight summary executions; Bush does the same covertly by legitimizing torturing of the detainees in secret dungeons, and dropping uranium depleted bombs on innocent people.
• Saddam invades or declares war on neighboring countries; Bush sees it his right to invade or preemptively strike any country he deems a threat in defiance of international laws.
• Saddam stays in power by brute force; Bush does the same with the power of the media, corporations, and business tycoons, not with popular support.
Essentially, the means employed are different but the ends are the same, which makes them both “Ike and Mike, they think alike.” And yet, Mr. Bush will call people struggling to defend themselves with pebbles and stones “Islamo-fascists.” Does he really know the definition of the word “fascist” at all? He should look it up in the dictionary and then take a good, hard look at himself in the mirror. Little wonder that there is a growing dissatisfaction with the system of democracy and the humanity is desperately searching for an alternative that will put an end to all the diseases plaguing today’s world.
Islam Is The Answer
Statistics show that increasing number of people in the West are converting to Islam today in spite of all the negative publicity in the media. A simple web search on the topic will yield millions of cases of people embracing the religion of Islam across the world. In all these cases, the underlying factor is the basic human search for peace and security. Not surprisingly so, because that’s what Islam means, stands for, and delivers when implemented. The history is a living witness to the fact that the fundamentals of happiness like security, freedom, prosperity, justice, and peace prevailed in the muslim lands of Endulus and Ottomans where Islam ruled for six centuries, at a time when the Medieval Europe was in its darkest era. Jews, Christians, Atheists, and all kinds of ethnic minorities had their golden times under the banner of Islam owing to its basic principle of tolerance and equality without discrimination on the basis of color, race, and social rank.
The Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, said: “No Arab is superior to non-Arab except for his piety.” All man-made systems prevailed for a time, and then collapsed because of their imperfections and shortcomings. Islam, however, is a perfect system designed by Allah Almighty, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, to last not only during a specific period of time, but all throughout the ages till the end of time with its universality.
Allah the Exalted says in the opening verse of the Holy Koran:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
[2.1] Alif Lam Mim.
[2.2] This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil).
This is the book, in which there is no doubt. Who but Allah alone could claim such a challenging perfection? The second part of the verse says it all: and this is the guide, the instruction manual, the recipe for success and happiness both in this life and in the life hereafter for those who will follow it. It is a book that not only regulates our lives to insure our eternal well-being in the life after death; it also offers us a system of personal and social order that will guarantee happiness in our worldly life as well.
Take for example, the social welfare system that Islam orders: The Haves will look after the Have-nots by allocating 2.5% of their annual income for charity. A Muslim is obliged to find and care for the nearest person in need, which has such a strong emphasis in Koran that every command for Salat (prayer) is immediately followed by Zakat (giving of alms to the needy.) The implementation of this commandment alone would effectively eradicate the problem of poverty from the face of the earth. In fact once the system of Zakat was so successfully implemented across the dominion of Ottoman Empire that no needy Muslim could be found to receive charity; consequently the alms collected were distributed to non-Muslims.
The giving of alms should be done in a fashion that would not hurt the feeling of the receiving person:
[2.273] (Alms are) for the poor who are confined in the way of Allah-- they cannot go about in the land; the ignorant man thinks them to be rich on account of (their) abstaining (from begging); you can recognize them by their mark; they do not beg from men importunately; and whatever good thing you spend, surely Allah knows it.
Nor should scrap second quality goods should be offered as charity:
[2.267] O you who believe! spend (benevolently) of the good things that you earn and or what We have brought forth for you out of the earth, and do not aim at what is bad that you may spend (in alms) of it, while you would not take it yourselves unless you have its price lowered, and know that Allah is Self-sufficient, Praiseworthy.
Social justice is of another important cornerstone of Islam, for without it, no system would stand a chance of survival. Let us hear what our Lord has to say on justice:
[5.8] O you who believe! Be upright for Allah, bearers of witness with justice, and let not hatred of a people incite you not to act equitably; act equitably, that is nearer to piety, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do.
And isn’t it injustice or “discriminate justice” that is causing much of the social unrest in the world today? White men’s law apply double standards to whites and blacks on the same crime; one will be acquitted and walk out of the courtroom free, while the one with dark skin will get solitary confinement. The white are allocated the front seats while the black sit in the back. The Koran, the genuine word of God Almighty, is the perfect road map to success in all aspects of life. Whoever holds on to the teachings of the Holy Koran will find ultimate peace.
Just look at what Allah The Most Merciful advises for members of society:
[16.90] Surely Allah enjoins the doing of justice and the doing of good (to others) and the giving to the kindred, and He forbids indecency and evil and rebellion; He admonishes you that you may be mindful.
Islam is a perfect recipe for true peace and harmony - the ultimate relief to all the ills hurting the social fabric of a society.
In Islam, the economic system is based on interest-free trade where goods and services are exchanged between members of society and wealth flows horizontally among people as opposed to the interest based capitalist system where the wealth ascends from the bottom to the top vertically, whereby the poor gets poorer and the rich gets richer. Credit card bankruptcy is skyrocketing in the West because the system traps people in a vicious circle of dept for the rest of their lives with no light at the end of the tunnel. Because of the cruelty it inflicts on people, interest is strictly forbidden in the Koran:
[2.275] Those who swallow down usury cannot arise except as one whom Shaitan has prostrated by (his) touch does rise. That is because they say, trading is only like usury; and Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury. To whomsoever then the admonition has come from his Lord, then he desists, he shall have what has already passed, and his affair is in the hands of Allah; and whoever returns (to it)-- these arc the inmates of the fire; they shall abide in it.
[2.276] Allah does not bless usury, and He causes charitable deeds to prosper, and Allah does not love any ungrateful sinner.
[2.278] O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and relinquish what remains (due) from usury, if you are believers.
Our Lord encourages the lenders to show mercy toward the borrowers by easing the terms of repayment, or even be so compassionate as to write it off altogether:
[2.280] And if (the debtor) is in straitened circumstances, then let there be postponement until (he is in) ease; and that you remit (it) as alms is better for you, if you knew.
In Conclusion:
Allah Almighty calls on the human beings to strongly attach themselves to His teachings revealed in the Holy Koran by maintaining good conduct in good faith:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
[103.1] I swear by the time,
[103.2] Most surely man is in loss,
[103.3] Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience.
We all are seeking happiness in our day-to-day lives in different ways. Some try to find it in relationships, some in drugs, sex, and alcohol; some have hobbies and indulgences. We all are forgetting one fact; we will never find peace unless we find God Almighty and keep Him in our hearts and minds:
[13.28] Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah's remembrance are the hearts set at rest.
Today, the humanity is in deep crisis and is seeking a way out of the darkness that engulfs them. The ship we are sailing on is quickly sinking and little time is left to act fast. Come aboard the ship of Islam; just like the passengers who found salvation aboard the Arch of Noah when the floods were drowning those who refused to hear the invitation of Noah, peace be upon him. Forget about all the lies you hear on Fox TV and CNN that holds Islam in contempt by branding it with terrorism. Approach Islam with an open mind and make your own decision.
I would like to conclude by quoting a universal invitation to Islam made by a twelfth century Sufi philosopher-poet, Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, for its eloquence and powerful beauty:
Come, come, whoever you are...
Come and come yet again...
Come even if you have broken your vows a thousand times;
Wanderer, idolater, and worshipper of fire...
Ours is not a caravan of despair,
Come, come yet again, come.
Assalamualeikum Wa Rahmatulahi Wa Barakatu, Peace be upon you, and the mercy and the blessing of God. (JUS)
Copyright © JUSone News
