It is exactly 3 years since the peaceful yet powerful call against the regime of Bashar al Assad was met with a violent and merciless response from the regime. Now, the British government has started criminalising those who oppose Bashar's regime. Has something changed? Are they now on Bashar's side?

In fact the stance of global powers like Britain has remained unchanged. From the outset they have done little to hasten Bashar's departure. Politicians like Hillary Clinton and William Hague were measured in their criticisms saying he was a reformer. As his horrific crimes escalated, they simply suggested he should step aside. The missions of Lakhtar Brahimi and Kofi Annan stalled for time. They made lip service against the Bashar's use of chemical weapons.

The truth is they fear losing control of a region that has been under their influence since the settlement of the Sykes-Picot Agreement in World War One - a region that strategically important for its closeness to Iraq, Turkey and the Zionist occupation of Palestine.

For all this time, they have searched for an alternative to Bashar who will secure their interests as well as retaining credibility with the people. Yet all their plotting and planning in Geneva, Qatar and elsewhere has not succeeded in fabricating an opposition that has any credibility with the people.

This stance by the West in the face of mass murder has meant Muslims in Syria came to rely upon Allah alone - and have become very sceptical of any western-linked politicians and suspicious of their political moves. From the earliest days their chants have been Islamic. Their protests carried Islamic titles and brigades were given Islamic names. Even their declared aims for a post-Assad Syria have been overtly Islamic.

Yet, only now Bashar's opponents are labelled as ‘extremists' and ‘Islamists' and their shortcomings are exaggerated in comparison to those of the regime. They have now started arrested Muslims in Britain who have travelled to Syria to help on suspicion of ‘terrorism'. Muslim charities have been investigated for sending sadaqah.

This criminalising of Islam and attacking of the opposition is a message: A message to those in Syria to bow down to Western interests or suffer under Bashar - and a message to those in Britain that they are expected to be more concerned about British foreign policy interests than the Ummah in Syria.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam! Our community must take the correct stand in supporting the Muslims in Syria.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says

((كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ))

"You are the best Ummah produced for mankind. You enjoin ma'roof (what is right) and forbid munkar (what is wrong) and believe in Allah." [Ali-Imran: 110]

1. Being part of this ‘best Ummah' means we are privileged and obliged to care for what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Syria. So, we must continue to support them with our prayers, our sadaqah and our voices.

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said

«المُسْلِمُ أَخُو المُسْلِمِ، لَا يَخُونُهُ وَلَا يَكْذِبُهُ وَلَا يَخْذُلُهُ»

A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim. He should neither deceive him nor lie to him, nor leave him without assistance. [At- Tirmidhi].

So we should not abandon the families in the UK who are being punished for their support for Muslims in Syria - whether individuals or charities. In particular, even if some people in the community might consider that it is unwise for Muslims in Britain to go, or that their help is best given other ways; we should never condemn those who go there for an Islamic motivation as ‘criminal' or ‘terrorists'.

They are being called ‘extremists' - just as Muslim women who wear Niqab are called ‘extremists', or Muslim men and women who sit separately in public events. This is all part of the ‘Prevent' policy - a policy of compulsion to their ‘deen' of secular beliefs, liberal values and a Capitalist world of nation states.

2. Enjoining ma'roof and forbidding munkar means being vocal in speaking for what is correct and against what is wrong - even if the Home Office and Foreign Office detest what we are saying, and they use lies, smears and bullying to try to silence us.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says:

*يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا
يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

"Believers! Fear Allah and speak words straight to the point. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great achievement." [al Ahzab: 70-71]

So, we should ask the politicians what business they have in criminalising Islam and Muslims? Does a serious government spend its efforts chasing people who never intended any harm to people in Britain - or should they catch thieves and rapists? Does a serious government chase after Muslim charities that gave sadaqah for Bashar's victims - or clean up the corrupt world of finance that almost wrecked the global economy?

Also, we should vocally oppose and expose today's regional power games by global powers that interfere in the region, in particular their efforts to manufacture an opposition e.g. in Geneva summit. Those who created the structural problems in the region have no credibility in fixing them.

Furthermore, we should vocally support the desires of Muslims in Syria to replace the current oppression with an Islamic system; by redressing the propaganda that such a system would worsen the sectarianism unleashed by Assad or oppresses minorities. Indeed, it is only the Islamic system - the Khilafah "Caliphate" - that unified all people in the region for centuries - before it was fractured by Sykes-Picot, Balfour and a host of other regional power games by global powers. It is because of this system that Christian and Jewish communities were protected and maintained in Bilad al Shaam.

3. Most importantly, we should trust in Allah alone and recall at all times:

((إِنْ يَنْصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَنْصُرُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ))

"If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you after Him? In Allah let believers put their trust." [Ali-Imran:160].

On 13/3/2014, media outlets reported the news of the surprise visit of the tyrant Bashar to the displaced people sheltering in the Dwair centre in Adra in the province of Damascus. The images showed the tyrant surrounded by a number of his bodyguards, as he spoke to the women and children in the Dwair centre; embracing a number of the children, and shaking hands with an elderly woman wearing a black Khimar.

News

On the 8th of March, 2014, Malaysia Airlines confirmed and issued a press statement about the loss of a Boeing 777-200 aircraft from Kuala Lumpur heading to China. Concurrent with this announcement, various media around the world also covered this news regarding the lost plane carrying 239 passengers including the crew. Experts around the world too gave their insights and helped in the investigation of the loss of the aircraft. Search and rescue efforts continued to find the Malaysia Airlines aircraft. Searching efforts have been enhanced with cooperation from several countries, including Vietnam, China, Singapore, United States and Australia. However, after entering the fourth day, all parties still have not found any sign or indication of the loss of the aircraft. This event also has brought various speculations regarding the disappearance of the aircraft.

Comment

The loss of the MH 370 aircraft carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members shocked the entire world. We, the women section of Hizb ut Tahrir are sympathetic to the plight of the families involved and feel for their grief. We pray that the families can remain patient, that Allah gives strength to any of our brothers and sisters affected by this situation and that they are able to accept the scene as a Qada (destiny) from Allah. Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur'an,

((يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ‌ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِ‌ينَ))

"O you who have believed, seek help (to Allah) through patience and (performing) prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient." [Al-Baqarah: 153]

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 is a sophisticated aircraft in which it is said to be able to fly long distances although it functions using only one engine. The loss of this aircraft has brought together experts from a wide range of expertise whether in terms of engineering, searching and investigation. However, the puzzle regarding the disappearance of this aircraft remains unresolved and investigations are still unable to find any clue even though it has entered the sixth day. This proves that the human mind and technology are unable to compete the power of God. Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur'an,

((سَنُرِ‌يهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَ‌بِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ))

"We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness?" [Surah Fussilat: 53]

The above verse is a warning from God to advise us not to be too arrogant with intelligence of the human mind and sophistication of technology that has been created by man. Without the permission of Allah swt, surely no human being would be able to create and produce something.

Indeed, the creation of man will never be comparable to the creation of Allah. Lack of information and clues has slowed down the search for the aircraft proving limitations of the mind and vulnerability and fragility of life. This should remind us of our dependence on Allah - that our life lies in His Hands alone and how He alone should decide the laws by which mankind should live by for He has All the knowledge in the universe and awareness. He alone is enough to decide how our lives, society and state should be organised.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Sumayyah Amar
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir