Press Release
The Chikungunya Viral Infection is Reaping Lives in Kassala amid the Absence of a Caring State
(Translated)

The capital city of Kassala has been hit with a deadly viral infection called Chikungunya or the kankasha illness, as the locals call it. The government, as usual, has remained silent at the beginning of this deadly illness until activists raised awareness about this illness through social media platforms and the media, which forced the government to acknowledge this illness.

Catastrophic numbers depicting the spread of this illness has been mentioned as it was reported in Al-Akbar Newspaper on Saturday, 22 September 2018: “Citizens are refuting the government’s claims about the Chikungunya viral infection – more than 4,000 people are affected, and 110 had passed away with this illness, and the amount of the people affected keeps increasing...” Al-Jareedah Newspaper’s front page on Sunday, 23 September, 2018 was titled: “Increase in the Number of People Affected by the Chikungunya”. Al-Khabar Newspaper also mentioned: “The Kassala government confesses to the increase of the state’s number of deaths related to the Chikungunya viral infection to more than 10 cases after the death of a pregnant woman last night. The government also announced that the number of people affected reached 9,300 patients at the time were unofficial estimates were made about the deaths to be around 78 to 116 people.”

The people complained about the government’s negligence, while others considered its negligence as a conspiracy. Al-Jareedah Newspaper mentioned on Sunday a statement from the Parliamentary Deputy Faisal Yas: “The government did what is expected from it but it could have utilized airplanes from Halfa to conduct the pesticide control against the mosquitoes which caused the spread of the virus...”

Faisal accused the governor of rushing to protect the interests of the investors in the chicken industry which led to him banning the usage of the pesticide control airplanes...” He questioned: “Is it the life of a human being more valuable to the government or is it securing the investors??”

This negligence adopted by the government, its neglect of the people’s suffering, and its persistence on denying the painful and pathetic reality mentioned locally and internationally to assure what is already certain. Such governments established in the Muslim lands do not care for the affairs of the people; simply because it is not established on the basis of Islam.

The only state which seriously cares about the people’s affairs, health, education, and sustenance, is the Khilafah Rashidah State (rightly guided Caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood. In this particular situation, this state would quarantine the affected state and send them an array of experts and doctors in order to amend the environment, eradicate the illness, and treat the patients. This is because the Khilafah state is committed to the Islamic laws which call the rulers to care for the affairs of its charges. The Rasuul (saw) said:

«الْإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ»

“Surely! Everyone of you is a guardian and is responsible for his charges” (Agreed upon). It is forbidden for the rulers to be negligent and hide facts from their charges, and it is also forbidden from them to cheat and deceive their charges, as Islam regards that as a crime which attracts severe punishment. On the authority of Ma’aqal said: The Rasuul (saw) said:

«مَا مِنْ وَالٍ يَلِي رَعِيَّةً مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَيَمُوتُ وَهُوَ غَاشٌّ لَهُمْ إِلَّا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّة»

“If any ruler having the authority to rule Muslim subjects dies while he is deceiving them, Allah will forbid Paradise for him.” (Narrated by Bukhari).

Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Sudan asks Allah (swt) to grant a fast recovery to the patients and extensive mercy to the deceased. The Hizb calls upon the honorable people in Sudan to work hard and sincerely to establish the Khilafah Rashidah State upon the method of the Prophet which Hizb ut Tahrir calls for, as only through it with the support of the Islamic Sharia that it can manage the affairs of the people and fulfill their rights dutifully just like how Allah (swt) ordered.

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)
Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Sudan