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It is the duty of
the Islamic Movement in the coming phase to stand firm against
totalitarian and dictatorial rule, political despotism and usurpation
of people's right. The Islamic Movement should always stand by
political freedom, as represented by a true, not false, democracy. It
should clearly declare its refusal of tyrants and steer clear of all
dictators, even if some tyrants appear to have good intentions towards
the Movement in order to obtain some gains and only for a time that is
usually short, as has been shown by experience.
The Qur'an
denounces tyrants such as Nimrudh, Pharoah, Haman and others, but it
also dispraises those who follow tyrants and obey their orders. This
is why Allah dispraises the people of Nuh saying : And (they) followed
one whose wealth and children give him no increase but only loss.
Allah says of the
people of Hud: And (they) followed the command of every proud
obstinate (oppressor of the truth, from their leaders) (11:59) Allah
also says of the people of Pharaoh: But they followed the command of
Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no right guide. (11:97) And
they obeyed him. Verily , they were a people who were rebellious
(against Allah). (43:54)
A closer look at
the history of the Muslim Ummah and the Islamic Movement in modern
times should show clearly that the Islamic Ideology, the Islamic Movement and the
Islamic Awakening have never flourished or borne fruit unless in an
atmosphere of democracy and freedom , and have withered and become
barren only at the times of oppression and tyranny that trod over the
will of the people which clung to Islam. Such oppressive regimes
imposed their Secularism, Socialism or Communism on their people by
force and coercion, using covert torture and public executions, and
employing those devilish tools that tore flesh, shed blood , crushed
bones and destroyed souls.
We saw these
practices in many Muslim countries including Turkey, Egypt, Syria,
Iraq South Yemen, Somalia and North African States for varying periods
of time, depending on the age or reign of the dictator in each
country.
On the other hand,
we saw the Islamic Movement and the Islamic Awakening bear fruit and
flourish at the times of freedom and democracy, and in the wake of the
collapse of imperial regimes that
ruled people with fear and oppression. Therefore, I would not
imagine that the Islamic Movement could support anything other than
political freedom and democracy. The tyrants allowed every voice to be
raised, except the voice of Islam; and let every trend express itself
in the form of a political party or a body of some sort, except the
Islamic current which is the only trend that actually speaks for this
Ummah and expresses its creed, values ,essence and its very existence.
However, some
Islamists still have their reservations on democracy and are even wary
of the word 'democracy' itself. What I wish to stress here is that
Islam is not democracy and democracy is not Islam. I would rather say
that Islam is not attributed to any principle or system. Islam is
unique in its means, ends and methodologies, and I do not wish that
Western democracy be carried over to us with its bad ideologies and
values without us adding to it from our values and ideologies in order
to integrate it into our comprehensive system.
However, the tools
and guaranties created by democracy are as close as can ever be to the
realization of the political principles brought to this world by Islam
to put a leash on the ambitions and whims of rulers. These principles
are : shura , nasihah (advice), enjoining the good and forbidding the
evil disobeying illegal orders, resisting unbelief and changing wrong
by force when possible. It is only in democracy and political freedom
that the power of parliament is evident that people's deputies can
withdraw confidence from any government that breaches the
constitution. It is also only in such an environment that the strength
of free press , free parliament, opposition and the masses is most
felt.
The fears of some
people here that democracy makes the people a source of power and even
legislation (although legislation is Allah's alone) should not be
heeded, because we are supposed to be speaking of a population that is
Muslim in its majority and has accepted Allah as its Lord, Muhammad as
its Prophet and Islam as its Deen. Such a people would not be expected
to pass a legislation that contradicts Islam and the incontestable
principles and conclusive rules of Islam.
In any case, these
fears can be overcome by one article stipulating that any legislation
contradicting the incontestable provisions of Islam shall be null and
void because Islam is the religion of the State and the source of
legitimacy of all its institutions and therefore may not be
contradicted, as a branch may not run against the main origin.
It should be known
that the acceptance of the principle that legislation of rule belong
to Allah does not take away from the Ummah its right to seek for
itself the codes necessary to regulate its ever changing life and
worldly affairs.
What we seek is
that legislations and codes be within the limits of the flawless texts
and the overall objectives of the Shari'ah and the Islamic Message.
The binding texts are very few, while the area of 'permissibility' or
legislative-free space is quite wide and the texts themselves are so
flexible and capacious as to accommodate more than one understanding
and accept more than one interpretation. This leads to the existence
of several schools and philosophies within the expansive framework of
Islam.
April
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May 2002
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