No Cause for Celebration

News:

New York: Zohran Mamdani’s win signifies hope and a political voice for Muslim Americans (The Guardian)

Comment:

In light of Mamdani’s electoral win, it is essential to clarify that a Muslim mayor—or any Muslim within a secular political system—does not inherently represent Islam. Islam is not an ethnicity; it is a complete Deen (way of life), with its own divinely revealed political, legal, and social framework. Holding office in a system that derives its laws from human legislation, rather than the Revelation of Allah (swt), does not equate to Islamic governance. True representation of Islam requires a polity founded upon Islamic principles and governed by the Shari’ah—not token participation in a system that fundamentally opposes divine authority.

Secular democratic systems are built on the premise that sovereignty rests with the people and their elected representatives. This directly contradicts the Islamic belief that sovereignty belongs solely to Allah (swt). Participation in such systems—whether through holding office, voting, or endorsing political platforms—means accepting and legitimizing this framework. Muslim candidates within these structures compromise Islamic principles and reduce Islam to a private matter rather than a comprehensive way of life.

True Islamic representation cannot emerge from systems that reject the foundational Islamic belief that Allah (swt) alone legislates. Celebrating symbolic positions within these structures distracts from the real objective of resuming the Islamic way of life. The path forward lies in grassroots Islamic activism—untainted by compromise, assimilation, or integration—that challenges falsehood and offers Islam as a complete alternative.

The only voice Muslims should uphold is one that echoes Islam alone—restricted entirely to the commands of Allah (swt) and unwavering in obedience to His guidance. Support among Muslims should be based not on lineage, or background, but on sincere commitment to Islam and the ability to carry this Deen as a living alternative to the diseased secular order.

[يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ادْخُلُواْ فِي السِّلْمِ كَآفَّةً وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ]

“O believers! Enter into Islam wholeheartedly and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. Surely he is your sworn enemy.” [TMQ 2:208]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Haitham Ibn Thbait
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in America