David Cameron took Education Secretary, Michael Gove's, comments on Britishness to another level this weekend when he suggested it was time to get ‘muscular' about promoting British values.
He stated that adoption of these values was no longer ‘optional', and that the British had to stop being ‘squeamish' about promoting them forthrightly.
Coming in the aftermath of Ofsted's inspection into the alleged Trojan Horse affair in Birmingham, his intended subjects were clear: Muslims hadn't done enough to become British and had to be taught a lesson or two about the country whose values they were now required to adopt as their own.
Whilst a national debate ensued over the need to impose British values, it quickly became clear that no-one could put their finger on what these values were, or define which were inherently British.
The list of values has become comical, as politicians, media outlets and patriots desperately claimed all things to be British. But, democracy began in ancient Greece, not Britain. Tolerance existed well before the Roman conquest of the British Isles. The rule of law predates the Magna Carta by at least six centuries. Freedom, whether of speech, assembly or economic rights, was grudgingly introduced in a piecemeal fashion into Britain and was, in fact, largely an import from Europe.
It is no wonder that British values are so hard to define. Many aspects of culture that politicians claim ownership of, are in fact neither inherently nor indigenously British. But then how could they be? How can a practice or value be linked to a piece of land or a tribe? Rather, the values that people adopt are part of a common tradition adopted by the people over time, wherever they came from. If they are a hotchpotch of values borrowed from the immigrants, as is the case with Britain, then they are ever bound to change. They will remain for a while until superseded by something more useful. This is the problem with defining British values; freedom, tolerance and the rule of law are all appearing little out-dated, as Muslim citizens in Britain have expected them to apply to them too.
Such hypocrisy, however, will be recognised as truly British. Along with colonialism, arrogant superiority, and social and economic decadence, these are the British values the world is more familiar with.
Despite Cameron's claim that Britain holds impeccable democratic credentials by virtue of housing the mother of all parliaments, it has been compromised by corporate interests, lobbyists, wealthy donors, and financial abuse by its own MPs. Britain pioneered aggressive global colonisation and has a track record of supporting brutal, tyrannical dictatorships [not democracy] across the world, in a continuing colonial campaign to subjugate the world to British interests. Only last week Maj. General Tim Cross, Britain's most senior officer in planning the Iraq invasion in 2003, told BBC Radio 4 "we pushed Assad into a corner too soon... the lesser of two evils in that region is a strong dictator!" Britain is very happy to create and work with brutal murdering dictators, if they serve British economic interests; i.e. the interests of a few large British corporations.
Despite claiming to uphold the rule of law and celebrating the Magna Carta, Britain is a surveillance society, supports secret trials and readily strips people of their citizenship. But any claim of tolerance is laughable when the British government is highly intolerant of basic orthodox Islamic beliefs and values, and initiates a ‘muscular' campaign to forcibly convert those it deems insufficiently British, despite claiming to uphold the principle of ‘choice'.
Cameron had the audacity to argue British values should be promoted because of their economic and social strength. Did he mean the casino capitalism that unleashed global financial suffering? Or the liberalism and individualism which has caused social chaos in Britain, having promoted selfish and immoral lives, family break-down, youth delinquency, the dissolution of community values and disrespect for the law?
If these are the poster-boys for British values, then it is no wonder many Muslims and non-Muslims have turned their backs on such a ‘British' identity.
((وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ* أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَكِنْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ))
"When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,' they say, ‘We are only putting things right.' No indeed! They are the corrupters, but they are not aware of it." [Al-Baqara: 11-12]
In light of this recent intensification of efforts to force Muslims to abandon their Islamic values, forcibly assimilate them and secularise Islam, we take this opportunity to remind the Muslim community in Britain of the following:
Islamic values stand in contrast to liberal secular values, which lie at the heart of modern social, economic and political chaos. Islam does not promote the ideas of personal freedom to behave as you like, to dress as you like, to mix with whomsoever you like, and to get rich in any way that you like. Islam promotes the idea of basing one's behaviour on the shariah rules and reminds people that Allah (swt) does not like debauchery, exploitation and oppression.
The liberal secular values establish a foundation where personal benefit is the ultimate criteria for right and wrong. When "What's in it for me?" is all that matters do not be surprised to see more and more TV celebrities exposed for the exploitation of children. Furthermore, material wealth is the only wealth recognised by a liberal society, so the suffering and oppression of others becomes justifiable, as material progress must not be restricted.
((وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى))
"But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one and on the Day of Rising We will gather him blind.'" [Taa-Haa: 124]
Britain will protect liberal secular, not Islamic values. Some Muslims have reacted with alarm at the British government's actions. To the aware Muslim however, this course of action is not so peculiar. The foundations of British life are liberal, secular and capitalist and so the British state protects, fosters and promotes these values at home and abroad, with only the utilitarian value of self interest as a matter of concern.
Islamic values will only be tolerated where they happen to coincide with British values, and even then only if they fit British interests at the time, not because they are Islamic. We cannot therefore expect the British state to protect our Islamic values on raising children, views on sexuality, dress-code, men-women relations, and speaking out against tyranny, amongst others. What we can expect is that where these come into conflict with British interests, pressure is directed at Muslims to abandon their Islamic values which we have seen re a number of issues recently. We can expect there to be "red lines" for Muslims that are not red lines for British society, and we can equally expect that the state will try to enforce its red lines, not ours.
The only state that will actively encourage and promote Islamic values and allow them to preside over society is likewise one that is based upon Islam, not secular liberal capitalism. That is the Islamic State that Allah's Messenger (saw) told us would return after these oppressive times: the Khilafah "Caliphate". He (saw) said «ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ» "and then there will be Khilafah "Caliphate" upon the Prophetic method." Muslims all over the world are today working for and looking forward to the return of the Khilafah "Caliphate" in the Muslim lands. The recent trials placed at the door of the Muslim community serve only to remind us that Khilafah "Caliphate" is the only state in which our prayer, charity, children, families, transactions and political life are truly protected according the Islamic principles we hold so dear, and which allow us to live according to them without hesitation or fear; to truly live an Islamic way of life.
The British government is reacting to the growing strength of Islam. Rather than become more secular and liberal, Muslims in Britain are strengthening their adherence to Islam, showing a greater desire to learn about its shariah and fulfil its responsibilities.
Furthermore, Muslims have continued to support Muslims in conflict zones such Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Burma and beyond with their tongue and with their money, due to their continued belief that Muslims represent one body - an Ummah - whose suffering is shared regardless of geography, ethnicity or language. This is in response to the statement of Rasool Allah (saw) «مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا أَلِمَ بَعْضُهُ تَدَاعَى سَائِرُهُ»
"The example of the believers is like the body, if part of it hurts the rest of it falters." This poses a challenge to Britain's colonial interests and disrupts its desire to continue its tyrannical agenda in the Muslim world. Therefore, it serves British and Western colonial interests for Muslims to take Islam less seriously and more readily serve British interests.
Europe's Catholic Inquisition discovered that the only way to keep people ‘faithful' was to use force rather than solid proof. In Spain they were able to forcibly prevent Islamic beliefs from having any space in the public or private discourse. The British government today now see that they cannot prevent the spread of Islamic beliefs and values through convincing argument; so they too are attempting to impose their liberal secular beliefs, even on the children, regardless of the detriment to their well-being.
In contrast to the British government's modern inquisition to convert unbelieving Muslims, Islam does not force non-believers to adopt contradictory beliefs. The faith and rituals of non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic State are not interfered with. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: «وَمَنْ يَكُنْ عَلَى يَهُودِيَّتِهِ أَوْ عَلَى نَصْرَانِيَّتِهِ فَإِنَّهُ لا يُفْتَنُ عَنْهَا» "He who has embraced Judaism and he who has embraced Christianity, they should not be coerced away from their faith."
Islam is sufficient for us. With the barrage of criticisms over the last few months, and now with a call to force Muslims to change, Muslims are deliberately being made to feel that Islam is inferior, to erode their adherence to its beliefs and practices.
Muslims must not apologise for Islam. In truth the liberal secular values are ever bound to fail to solve the problems of mankind. They are not revealed by the Creator and actually stand in contradiction to that which He did send down.
O Muslims! You are in a battle of truth against falsehood. The ideological battle is being waged against you today, with liberal secularism on the side of batil, and Islam on the side of haq. The liberals know no shame as they are even bringing your school children into this conflict. You know the truth and how Islam is better for the people, if only they knew. So, you must be the one who conveys it to the people, until they come to know it too.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) informed us: «إِنَّ مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ أَيَّامًا الصَّبْرُ فِيهِنَّ مِثْلُ الْقَبْضِ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ، لِلْعَامِلِ فِيهِنَّ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ خَمْسِينَ رَجُلًا» "After you there are going to be days of patience. The patience during that time is like the one clutching on to a hot coal. During those days the reward for the one who adheres to the Commands of Allah will be equivalent to the reward of fifty men who did an action like his."
The Islamic shariah is superior to all other shariahs. The Islamic shariah is only taken from the revealed texts of the Quran and sunnah, which do not change according the interests of a few powerful oppressors.
قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلَاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
"Say: ‘Come and I will recite to you what your Lord has made haram for you': that you do not associate anything with Him; that you are good to your parents; that you do not kill your children because of poverty - We will provide for you and them; that you do not approach indecency - outward or inward; that you do not kill any person Allah has made inviolate - except with the right to do so. That is what He instructs you to do so that hopefully you will use your intellect." [Al-An'aam: 151]
O Muslims! Hold proudly onto the values of Islam, never fearing to adhere to them and promote them at every opportunity. Hold onto your own way of raising your children and do not begin to teach them secular ideas of freedom. Hold onto marriage as the basis of family life and do not teach them promiscuity and homosexuality. Hold onto condemning the munkar of the Western colonial foreign policies and do not abandon your brothers in Islam who suffer daily from their dictators. Hold onto the call for the Khilafah "Caliphate", for it is the saviour for you and your brothers globally.
O Muslims! It is only the Islamic values that are revealed by the Creator. They are superior to all other values and are bound to shine when held onto by the believers.
((وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ))
"Do not give up and do not be downhearted. You shall be uppermost if you are believers."
[Al-i-Imran: 139]
