Event:

On Sunday 7th of July, the former Prime Minister of Britain waded into the debate about whether or not the Egyptian coup was legitimate. He was quick to take the side of the military and said, "The events that led to the Egyptian army's removal of President Mohamed Morsi confronted the military with a simple choice: intervention or chaos. Seventeen million people on the streets are not the same as an election. But it as an awesome manifestation of power." Blair's remarks come as Egypt faces prolonged civil conflict after the removal from power of Morsi, who came to office with 51% of the popular vote at the country's first democratic presidential election, held last year.

Blair is now openly advocating that Western democratic principles should be sacrificed in an effort to maintain the West's hegemony in the region. He said, "I am a strong supporter of democracy. But democratic government doesn't on its own mean effective government. Today efficacy is the challenge." So according to this premise will Mr. Blair support the ousting of deeply unpopular governments in the UK and the Europe? Definitely not!

Comment:

This is not the first time Tony Blair has commented on Muslim affairs. Just last month, Blair singled out Islam as the main problem in the aftermath of the killing of Rigby. In his view the main problem is that Islam is a political force which has to be secularized. He said, "But there is a problem within Islam - from the adherents of an ideology that is a strain within Islam. And we have to put it on the table and be honest about it." He also stressed that an ideological war had to be fought with Islam. Mr. Blair said: "We resisted revolutionary communism by being resolute on security; but we defeated it by a better idea: Freedom.  "We can do the same with this. The better idea is a modern view of religion and its place in society and politics. There has to be respect and equality between people of different faiths. Religion must have a voice in the political system but not govern it."

Given Blair's open enmity towards Islam, it is only natural to find him siding with the Egyptian army as opposed to Morsi the overt symbolism of the Muslim brotherhood. This is despite the fact that Morsi did not implement Islam during his rule and was viewed by many as being no different to Mubarak's rule-or to put in other words Morsi was seen by some Egyptians as Mubarak with a beard.

Tony Blair's strong views against Islam and his preference for secular autocrats over legitimate democratic rulers sends a resounding message amongst Muslims that the West is only worried about safeguarding its own interests at all costs. In Egypt's case, it is peace with Israel and the free flow of oil via the Suez Canal that trumps democracy.

Yet despite such disparaging views about Islam and Muslims, Blair is welcomed across the Muslim world as a peace envoy and as a friend of the rulers of the Muslim world. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

"Oh you who have Iman! Take not into your intimacy those outside your ranks: They will not fail to corrupt you. They only desire your ruin: Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths: What their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if ye have wisdom." [TMQ: Al-Imran: 118]

Muslims must distance themselves from the West, its ruling systems and its political culture, and put whole-heartedly their trust in Allah (swt) to liberate themselves from the shackles of colonialism. This can only be achieved by working to re-establish the rightly guided Khilafah "Caliphate". Allah says:

((يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ))

"Oh you who have Iman. If you help Allah, Allah will help you; and establish your feet firmly." [TMQ: Mohammed: 7]

Abu Hashim