News:
"Thousands of people have been killed since March 2013. At least 420,000 people have been displaced internally and more than 400,000 have fled to neighbouring countries. At least 470 Muslims from the Peuhl ethnic minority, trapped for several months in the Central African Republic town of Yaloke, around 200km from capital Bangui, need to be relocated as a matter of urgency, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has said. "It is quite simple: it is now about life or death. Are we going to watch them die, or are we going to take heed to what they are saying and try to save them," Dalia al-Achi, public information officer for the UNHCR in Bangui said." (Source: aljazeera.com)
Comment:
Against the backdrop of the world's events, plunging oil prices, ISIS attacks, Guantanamo release of a few prisoners...in the small part of the African continent in the Central Africa Republic, thousands of murders and attacks still occur. Muslims are under constant assault from the Christian anti-Balaka fighters in the region. Many try unsuccessfully to escape the horrendous injustices committed for simply being Muslim. With Christian vigilantes on the prowl, Muslim residents are left to fend for themselves with no weapons or authorities to protect them. It has been a while since any measures have been taken against the government's gross neglect of the situation.
"If the UN peacekeeping mission is to have any credibility, it must take stronger steps to effectively protect civilians from the raft of abuses they are facing," stated Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), deployed on 15 September 2014, has not yet been able to stop or prevent most of these abuses, according to Amnesty.
The process of ethnic cleansing throughout various regions still continues undoubtedly whether it is reported on news agencies or not. While the media shines the light on more "pressing" issues does not mean that persecution of the Muslims has simply been remedied. The close proximity of the slaughter and torching of the Muslims to the capital of CAR is alarming.
UN councils attempts and French security presence have not made a difference in curbing the violence. Since March 2013, numbers are increasing while they look wayward. Without the Muslim armies nearby especially the Egyptian army to squash the anti-Balaka thugs, they will keep terrorizing the women and children of their sub-human acts. The so-called African councils do not bring up CAR's dilemma in to the limelight in order to counteract them or more importantly to rescue the Muslims of some who luckily escaped with their bodies intact, ensure their human right to security and safety in their homelands.
When will these artificial lines be erased for the Muslims to serve to reach them, to aid and shelter the weak and oppressed? When will these foreign agencies be exposed for what they really are? It is high time that these decrepit aging rulers of the MENA countries go back to their oxygen tanks and hospital beds and for the sincere capable ones with a true sense of leadership and governance take their rightful place as leaders according to the creed that will rescue and salvage the remaining calamities, ruling by the comprehensive ideology of Islam as the Messenger (saw) ruled and protected his people. How many more thousands of our Ummah must die for the sincere ones from the people of power to be jolted to their sense of duty?
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Um Muhanad
In the past few months, I have attended more janaza prayers than in any comparable time in my life. A reminder that life is short and death is certain. They have been janazas of the fathers of my friends, acquaintances and some converts to Islam. The converts included a Chinese sister named Ayeesha and another brother whose janaza prayers were in Mosques near me. As their friends and family spoke about their journey to Islam, the amazing changes in their character after Islam and their commitment and steadfastness in worshipping Allah (swt), you found yourself amazed at the power of Islam to transform these converts in such a profound way.
Many of us who are born into Muslim families sometimes look upon such transformation and think it unimaginable in our own lives. This transformation and continuous improvement of the Muslim to being a better and better worshipper of Allah (swt) should be a constant in the life of a Muslim. From year to year, day to day, Ramadhan to Ramadhan, our knowledge and practice of Islam should be forever improving in some way or the other. In other aspects of life such as our work or business, we seek improvement. What about in seeking to live this life in a way that pleases Allah (swt) knowing that our actions here are all we take to the next Life?
Like these converts of today, Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) was one of the converts in whose life we see the power of Emaan in transforming an individual. Before Islam, he was a man who buried his daughter and ate his own idol. After Islam, he was the opposite, and abhorred such practices becoming one of the strongest worshippers of Allah (swt). Of his mercy, kindness and fear of Allah, many stories abound; his kindness and generosity to Muslims and non-Muslims, to man and beast is well known. He even worried that Allah would account him if he did not make proper pathways for the mule.
سبحان الله الذي يغير القلوب وظروف الرجال
Glorified be Allah Who changes the hearts and conditions of men.
After the Sahaba, we witness many individuals through the ages and even recently who were transformed by the power of Emaan. With little resources but the strength of Emaan driving him Omar Al-Mukhtar fought the might of the Italian army in Libya. And around us, we witness many who are transformed by the power of Emaan and Islam such that they become of outstanding character and became activists working to serve their Ummah.
What enables this transformation in any of us? What enables us to witness the power of Emaan in our lives? Three things come to mind: learning, reflecting and action.
1. Learning. Constantly learning, deepening and expanding our knowledge of different aspects of Islam, Tafsir of Qur'an, Seerah, lives of the Sahaba and all sorts of other areas. These will inspire, motivate and build in us a better understanding and yearning for Allah's Pleasure and how to worship Him (swt).
2. Reflecting upon what we learn. Comparing and seeing how close or far our understanding, character and actions are from this ideal Muslim character that we are hearing and learning about.
3. Action. Having reflected and seen our shortcomings, we are able to identify how to be a better husband, father, son, carrier of dawah etc. Now, we need to undertake specific actions to change our character and actions.
In this way, insha'Allah, we are all able to be that character which exemplifies the power of Emaan to transform, and keep transforming us to being better and better worshippers of Allah (swt) till the day we return to Him.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Taji Mustafa
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain
Scandinavia is witness to another serious attack on the Muslims' places of worship and gathering. Thursday the 25/12/2014, a mosque in Eskilstuna, Sweden was exposed to an arson attack, in the middle of the day. A window was broken by a thrown object, and a fire developed quickly. Five had to be transferred to the hospital, and Swedish police are investigating the case as "gross arson". The following day, a nearby mosque was the subject of vandalism, which brings us to a total of 12 attacks in 2014. It is still too early to say who is behind the violent arson attack, but several sources point towards it being fueled by racist and Islamophobic motives.
Regardless of the motives, the reactions regarding the attack have revealed a deep hatred towards Islam and Muslims among quite a few people in Scandinavia. In both Danish and Swedish papers, you could read comments on the social media, which encourage burning more mosques and even killing Muslims.
This is not new in Scandinavia, where there has been a leaning towards the right for a long time. In Denmark most election campaigns are about who can be harshest in their rhetoric towards Muslims, and according to opinion polls, the most hostile party of them is about to becoming the second largest in Denmark in the upcoming elections. In Sweden, who normally tries to portray themselves as tolerant, the xenophobic party "Sverigedemokraterne" became the third largest party in the latest elections, after a progress by over 100% since the election in 2010.
The development is not unique for Scandinavia, but is unfortunately in line with the general European development of mass hysteria and irrational hatred towards Islam and Muslims. We have seen similar attacks in Holland and lately we have seen large demonstrations in Germany, where thousands of people gathered to show their hatred to Islam, and the same tendency can be seen all over Europe.
Such an irrational and deep hatred does not come by itself, but has for a long time been driven by politicians and media, who exploit every chance to attack Islam and Muslims. They talk about terror and tightening the laws, while at the same time manipulating and creating panic portrayals, which leads to divided societies dominated by verbal and physical aggressions against the Muslim population. However even when these politically motivated aggressions lead to loss of life, or are direct murder attempts, they are "strangely enough" not characterized as terror.
In this connection, we have two general calls.
The first goes to our Muslim brothers and sisters: Hold fast to your Islam. Islam is perfect and does not need to be adapted. This sad development is a desperate attempt to suppress you through pressure and violence, by people who can no longer argue for their beliefs. Be proud and present Islam as it is, with a good tone, then you can dismantle many presumptions and misunderstandings.
The second goes to our non-Muslim neighbors, work colleagues and schoolmates: Do not let the politicized, manipulated and hateful portrayal be the basis for your understanding of Islam. Put prejudgments aside and talk to a Muslim. Islam has no problem with intellectual challenges, and everything can be discussed, as long as the discussion is factual and the tone is sober.
Junes Kock
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Scandinavia
