Developing an independent Muslim Community
By: Dr Abdul Wahid

Political Engagement: Challenging discrimination in Rochdale
By: Mohammad Waseem

News

For the past several weeks, media have been reporting shocking news of xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Several people were killed and 5,000 left homeless since the attacks erupted several weeks ago against other Africans and Asians. The Government of South Africa deployed its army to volatile areas to prevent attacks on foreigners. More than 10,000 people took into the streets of Durban to protest against the violence. Local media reports said the attack started after Zulu King Goodwill Zwelethini said in one of the recent gatherings that the foreigners ‘should pack their bags and go' because they are taking jobs from the citizens. In his response, President Jacob Zuma said his Government is addressing the social and economic concerns.

Comment

This is not the first time that xenophobic violence is witnessed in a country portraying itself as a diverse rainbow-nation. The term coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and elaborated by Nelson Mandela was intended to encapsulate the unity of multi-cultures and the coming together of many different nations in a country that was in a strict division of white and black. This is the latest in a series of attacks that dates back years. In 2008, Johannesburg was the epicenter of more anti-immigrant tensions that left dozens dead in similar attacks that spread to Cape Town. Most of the victims were Zimbabweans. In those attacks more than 200 people were arrested on various charges including murder, robbery and looting.

It is not a surprise to see a country that adopts a Capitalist economic system plunging into such violence as a result to its bounding into corrupt economic policies which does not focus on the distribution of the wealth to the common man but only to the few elites. Sadly, despite the country's abundance of minerals and resources such as diamonds and gold, over 12 million people are languishing in poverty. This is an indication that the explosion of violence is to send a message not only to the Secular Government which has failed in taking care of the affairs of its citizens, but to the whole imperial capitalist system that has ruined the lives of South Africans.

As for the violence to take a stream of attacking the ‘foreigners', this problem is not only found in South Africa but in the whole world including the super power. In August of last year, a white Ferguson Police officer shot dead Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black young man, an incident that erupted in protests in Fergusson and New York.

It is worth to ponder how this problem has become a malignancy in South Africa. Scrutiny shows that the seeds of xenophobia were first sowed during the apartheid era enforced by Dutch and the British settlers through legislation of a National Party formed in 1915. As a governing party in 1948, the NP members reintroduced their evil racism policy and as result, black South Africans were alienated and marginalized in all spheres of life. This situation gave rise to the formation of several ‘revolutionary' movements led by Nelson Mandela, portrayed as hero, who also led the anti-apartheid campaign and eventually became President in 1994. Worse still, 21 years of the ‘Independence and Freedom', South Africa saw itself suffering the same problem that has now taken a new twist of Xenophobia... The reason being the post-colonial ruling class was only but agents of the colonial masters carrying the same poisonous policies of discriminations and segregation.

It is crucial to comprehend that patriotism, nationalism and tribalism are all backward shallow ideas that cannot bind people together and make them a strong nation. These divisive and segregated ideas make people identify themselves on a nationalistic basis where some consider themselves more superior than the other thus making them prone to tribal and regional clashes. Even within a country, tribal clashes can emerge in the struggle for power among the tribes. It is worth mentioning that the West through their agents creates chaos between one country against the other or between a tribe against the other as a means to continue their political and economic colonialism in Africa.

On its part, Islam has long declared a war on these fatal diseases. In Arabian Peninsula, which was highly dominated by these rotten ties, therefore tribal rivalries and wars over trivial issues were witnessed. Islam commanded loyalty to the Islamic creed inviting all people to believe in the Almighty Allah Creator of all mankind. Ties in Islam were therefore based on the Aqeedah of Laa ilaha Ila Allah and not on race, color or region. This creed is the one that South Africa and the entire world need to take as a basis of their ties. The creed that commands loyalty to the Deen rather than region, race and tribe.

((يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ))

"O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." [TMQ 49:13]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in East Africa

Headlines

• Survey: Islam Will Become World's Largest Religion in 2070

• French School Kicks Muslim Girl Out of Class Because Her Skirt's too Long and Provocative

• Saudi Prince Sees Power Grow in Oil Restructuring

• Pakistanis See Double Standard in American Drone Strikes

Details

Survey: Islam Will Become World's Largest Religion in 2070

At a youthful 1,400 years, Islam is the youngest of the world's major religions - and it's on track to be the largest sometime this century. That's the prediction from demographers at the Pew Research Center who say high fertility rates among Muslim women and a youth bulge in the faith are fueling its growth. A Pew survey released this month, "The Future of World Religions," says that if current trends continue, Islam will surpass Christianity in 2070 to become the world's largest faith. A panel of demographers discussed the findings of the report recently during a seminar at the headquarters of Pew's Religion & Public Life project. Conrad Hackett, the lead researcher on the report, said that while fertility rates around the world are slipping toward the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman, Muslim women are having on average more than three children each. At the same time, around a third of all Muslims are under age 15. "What this means is that the Muslim population has more people who are going to grow into their childbearing years in the years to come than any other religious group," he said. In fact, Islam is the only major religion expected to grow faster than the global population. In the United States, Muslims will edge upward from around 1 percent of the population to a little more than 2 percent. In Europe, the increase will be from around 6 percent to 10 percent. [Source: Voice of America],

Allah (swt) says:

((هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ))

"It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although they who associate others with Allah dislike it." [TMQ: at-Taubah: 33]

French School Kicks Muslim Girl Out of Class Because Her Skirt's too Long and Provocative

According to French media reports, a 15-year-old French Muslim girl was banned from her class twice for wearing a skirt that was too long, and therefore supposedly a conspicuous display of religion. France's state secularism has led to very strict laws prohibiting students from wearing overtly religious symbols in institutions of education. The student, identified as Sarah, already apparently removed her headscarf before entering the school, in accordance with French law. But her long skirt was deemed a "provocation," and potential act of protest. "The girl was not excluded, she was asked to come back with a neutral outfit," a local official in the northeastern French town of Charleville-Mezieres, near the border with Belgium, told the AFP. The news sparked an outcry on social media, with commentators remarking on the hypocrisy and bigotry lurking beneath Sarah's treatment. On Twitter, the hashtag #JePorteMaJuppeCommeJeVeux ("I wear my skirt as I like") trended. Critics of France's secularist laws in schools say they often thinly conceal a widespread bias against Muslims and immigrants in French society. Studies have revealed how Muslims face systematic discrimination on the basis of their race, creed and culture. Speaking to local newspaper L'Ardennais, Sarah said that her skirt was "nothing special, it's very simple, there's nothing conspicuous. There is no religious sign whatsoever." [Source: The Independent]

There are still may Muslims in France who see nothing wrong in the way the French Republic and its states institutions hound Muslims. Instead of openly criticizing the French government over draconian measures against Islam, many choose to seek closer ties. Allah (swt) says:

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ بِطَانَةً مِّن دُونِكُمْ لاَ يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالاً وَدُّواْ مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاء مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ﴾

"Oh you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, 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." [TMQ:Al-Imran:118]

Saudi Prince Sees Power Grow in Oil Restructuring

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has restructured its hydrocarbon sector by splitting the state oil company from the oil ministry in a move that consolidates the power of the king's son over the economy. King Salman formed a 10-member Supreme Council for Saudi Aramco, headed by his son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, to oversee Saudi Aramco, the state oil company. The council will include the ministers of oil, finance, economy and the central bank governor, among others. It is the latest measure to concentrate power in the hands of the young prince, who earlier this week was named as second in line to the throne. In January, his father appointed him defence minister and head of the council on economic and development affairs, which has the job of coordinating economic reforms as the kingdom grapples with lower oil prices. Saudi Aramco is the world's largest oil-producing company, pumping more than 10m barrels a day, or almost one in every nine barrels consumed globally. The governance change breaks the long-standing link between the company and the oil ministry, with some analysts describing the move as a positive boost to oversight. Others, however, see increasing royal interference in a body that has developed a reputation for efficiency. Mohammad al-Sabban, a senior adviser to the Saudi oil minister from 1996 until 2013, said the decision to separate Saudi Aramco from the oil ministry was primarily to create a transparent, more efficient commercial operation. "The separation, alongside the decision to create a supreme council solely for Aramco, will mean the company is better monitored, audited and governed. It falls in line with a bunch of decisions taken of late to foster economic reform," said Mr Sabban. Others say the new oversight body will increase royal influence over Saudi Aramco, which has operated independently from other government departments since its nationalisation in the 1980s and gained a reputation as one of the world's best-run state oil companies. Oil experts, including Mr Sabban, say the move could be the precursor to a new "super" energy ministry that will be responsible for gas, nuclear and renewables, as well as oil. [Source: Financial Times]

Usurping and concentrating power is the hallmark of Saudi Kings-so much so that they have plundered the oil wealth for themselves and even named Arabia after their family name. Can anyone expect any good from the House of Saud towards the Muslims worldwide?

Pakistanis See Double Standard in American Drone Strikes

People in Pakistan who live under the threat of US drone strikes see a double standard at work in Washington. Last week, President Barack Obama took the unusual step of acknowledging and apologizing for a highly secret US drone strike that accidentally killed an American and an Italian aid worker held captive by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan. The US government said their families would be compensated. Drone-strike survivors and family members of innocent Pakistani victims, lawyers and government officials in Pakistan asked why those victims don't also warrant an apology and compensation from the United States. They wonder why it takes the deaths of Westerners to bring the controversial drone program back to the public debate in the US. The US is generally secretive about drone strikes, but Obama last week took full responsibility for the January CIA strikes and expressed regret for the deaths of hostages Warren Weinstein, an American, and Giovanni Lo Porto, an Italian. He cast the deaths as a tragic consequence of the special difficulties inherent to fight against terrorism. Naureen Shah, Director of Amnesty International USA's Security and Human Rights program, welcomed Obama's rare public announcement Friday, but said "apology and redress should be available for all civilians killed in US drone strikes, not just US citizens and Europeans." Asked about apologies or compensation for Pakistani civilians killed by drones, National Security Council spokesman Edward Price said that "in several years of operations, there have been very few cases of civilian casualties, each of which we deeply regret. "In a statement to Associated Press, Price said, "We believe it is incumbent on us to acknowledge" the deaths of US citizens in overseas counterterrorism operations. The statement did not address acknowledging the deaths of Pakistani civilians or compensating their families, though it said, "the death of innocent civilians, regardless of their citizenship, is something that the US government seeks to avoid if at all possible." [Source: Arab News]

America's response is predictable and unsurprising. If the rulers of Pakistan do not lift a finger to protect their citizens from the drone strikes or demand an apology from Obama followed by compensation then what hope do ordinary citizens have. The time has come for Muslims in Pakistan to redouble their efforts to establish the rightly guided Khilafah "Caliphate" state. Only under the Khilafah "Caliphate" will Muslims find solace in Islam and enjoy unrivalled security and protection.

News:

French soldiers working as peacekeepers for the UN in the Central African Republic have been accused of raping and abusing desperately poor young children in exchange for food.

According to an alleged internal report seen by The Guardian entitled "Sexual Abuse on Children by International Armed Forces", children told human rights investigators they were sexually exploited, including rape and sodomy, in the capital Bangui in early 2014.

One nine-year-old boy reportedly described how French soldiers at a camp for internally displaced people forced him and his friend to perform a sex act when they went to look for food.

The leaking of the alleged report via the advocacy group Aids Free World comes as the UN Security Council approved maintaining the international force in the Central African Republic for another year. In March it approved measures to provide an additional 1,000 personnel to the 12,000-strong peacekeeping force, which has been tasked with protecting the most vulnerable since it was set up in late 2013 following an unprecedented surge in violence between Christians and Muslims.

But besides the potential implications in the country for the report on abused children, it also threatens to cause a diplomatic row in Europe after a senior UN aid worker was suspended for allegedly passing it on to the French authorities.

Anders Kompass, a Swedish international, has been told, "It was his duty to know and comply" with UN protocols that meant the report should have remained confidential, the Guardian reported.

An investigation by the French into allegations "of a very serious nature" is reportedly under way in the Central African Republic, while a spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed to The Guardian that a probe into "the leaking of confidential information by a staff member" was ongoing.

Comment:

The very notion of UN troops as ‘peacekeepers' is an oxymoron. It's similar to saying a ‘bad angel' or ‘Islamic Democracy'.  The UN has been a tool of western interference since its inception, where, under the guise of codifying rules of warfare and replacing oppression with security. It has entered almost every nation on earth and established the presence of its member states, instigating an unconditional drive for secularism, capitalism and liberal democracy, whilst simultaneously launching unabated attacks upon any remnants of the Islamic political Aqeedah.

Incidents as that of the French troops in the CAR are not unusual at all. In fact sexual misconduct by UN personnel has proven to be endemic, and is an accepted problem in every mission around the world. Internal investigations by refugee support agencies have documented cases of rape, pedophilia and prostitution by UN troops in over thirty countries, including, Burundi, Liberia, Congo, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia and Cambodia.

Such behavior is accepted as normal for those of low morality, and is conveniently upheld by the inferior value of secular liberalism; assigning the freedom to indulge in any form of sensual gratification one chooses, despite its consequences.

It's also worth noting the suspension of the Swiss aid worker for leaking the confidential information. The UN would rather waste valuable time and resources filing an investigation into Anders Kompass, than address and finally end these major crimes against innocent civilians, already suffering from injustices, poverty, little or no access to healthcare and all manner of hardship. The UN true to its usual stance enjoins batil (falsehood) in a subversive manner, whilst seeking to overlook its own evils, and continues to police the world with its greedy and corrupt agenda.

This is yet another proof if any was even needed, of the inability of western nations to produce any form of cohesion and security in our lands. They lack the ideological will to actually improve the nations they occupy, let alone establish justice; and seek to serve their own interests of establishing a military presence, and securing oil, gas and mineral wealth contracts, under the pretexts of returns for their assistance.

So O Muslims, there is no future for us without the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate", it is the only system of justice based on Allah's (swt) Sovereign Word. Under the Khilafah "Caliphate", nations were not robbed by leaders who left them impoverished; the State divided funds amongst the people as equal owners and heirs to the natural wealth. Nor did people fear oppression from Muslims as the state spanned the African and Asian continents; rather they willingly accepted the political and spiritual Aqeeda of Islam as a superior way of life.

((وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا))

"Allah will never allow the non-believers to have a way (sabil) over the believers" [An-Nisaa: 141]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tarrir by

Maleeha Hasan