A Convert's View of The Recent Events
 

In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful...
 

 

Just over three years ago - Alhamdulillah - I converted to Islam. Before my conversion, I had been active in ultra-nationalist groups of the kind that are now taking a very anti-Islamic, and pro-Western, stand: for instance, condemning *Islamic terrorism* and calling for swift and lethal *retribution*.

I believe I have spent the last three years usefully, deepening my understanding of Islam and of those things which make us human. As a consequence, I view the recent events in America from an Islamic perspective and not from the viewpoint of Western ideas; neither are my views coloured or distorted by Western prejudices. For I consider myself now a Muslim, and a Muslim only. That is, I regard the place of my birth, the culture of what once my own country, as irrelevant. What is important, to me, is the Will of Allah, as revealed in the noble Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. These are my guides: not Western ideas, and certainly not Western culture, which I for many years vigorously defended. If I have need of guidance, I turn to the Quran, the Sunnah, to those who know: Islamic scholars of learning and piety. Because of this guidance I have come to appreciate the reason, the justice, the humanity, which forms the foundation, the essence of Islam, evident as these things were in the life of the Prophet, the community at Medinah, and in the great Islamic civilizations, and evident as they are today in perhaps the majority of Muslims who do indeed strive to live according to the Will of Allah.

So it is that I am deeply saddened by the response of the West to the recent events in America. For I perceive this response to be barbaric: irrational, unjust, and inhumane.

To me, the American government - supported by the majority of Americans - is behaving like an ignoble bully. They are blaming not just one person, but a whole country, and threatening that country with invasion should that country not do exactly what America wants. The Taliban, on the contrary, seem to be behaving in a noble, a dignified, an Islamic way. They have asked for proof of the allegations made by the American government, saying they will consider this proof, and if there is enough evidence, they will send the chief suspect to another Islamic country to stand trial. For the Taliban are upholding what I understand to be an Islamic principle: <quote>Our stand on this issue, as with any other, is based on Islamic Law, and we call on all to abide by the Shariah. There is no possibility of us changing our position on this. </quote> (Mullah Muhammad Omar, Ameer-ul-Mumineen of Afghanistan and leader of Taliban).  That is, Usama bin Laden - as a Muslim living in a Muslin country - can only be tried according to Islamic law.

But the American government has not only refused to provide any evidence, it has stated that such evidence is irrelevant: <quote>These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.</quote>  (President Bush, speaking on 3 Rajab).

Both the Taliban and Usama bin Laden have denied any involvement in the attacks, denials which the American government has contemptuously ignored.

Thus, America will go to war against a poor country which has few weapons to defend itself, just as America will use its military might to *get its own way*. That is, it will engage in an act of imperialist aggression and in the act kill, injure and maim thousands upon thousands of people: if not hundreds of thousands of people.

What I find particularly astonishing is the reaction of not only other Western governments, but of so-called Muslim countries. From Egypt to Saudi Arabia to Jordan to Iran to Pakistan there are only words and deeds of support for such bullying aggression, with a country such as Pakistan even prepared to help America by allowing America to use its airspace and its territory. Why are these so-called Muslim countries doing this? Because America will give these countries money and support. In brief, these countries have allowed themselves to be bought by America: they fear America more than they fear Allah, just as they seek the favour of America more than they seek the favour of Allah.

I am, of course, ignoring all the rhetoric and propaganda about *terrorism* and *the fight of good against evil* which Western governments and the Western Media are now indulging in, and which many officials in so-called Muslim countries have parroted and are parroting. For that is all it is: rhetoric and propaganda. Bullies often try to justify their actions, to themselves and others.

The simple truth is probably that the attacks on America were the work of individuals, or individuals belonging to one or perhaps two small organizations. There are, of course, the usual conspiracy theories, involving various foreign governments such as Iraq and even the Zionist government which occupies Palestine. The rational, the civilized, the human thing to do is for the American government to openly, in public, begin a detailed investigation into those responsible: to find evidence, to consider the evidence, and then draw conclusions from the evidence. Then, the evidence would be presented to the relevant governments, who would also consider it, rationally and objectively, and if they agreed there was a case for the accused to answer, they would try those accused according the laws of their own country, as they would pass sentence according to those same laws. Thus, the rational, the civilized thing to do would be for the American government to find, and provide the Taliban with, evidence against Usama bin Laden, and allow the Taliban - or another Islamic country - to judge him according to Shariah law, as indeed the Taliban have said they can and would do.

But the American government is not prepared to do this: it *demands* action now. It has even stated that even were the Taliban to hand-over Usama bin Laden that would not be the end of the matter: that is, they would still invade Afghanistan, and any other country they wanted to.

What we are witnessing is the hue and cry of people seeking a barbaric vengeance: of people abandoning reason, justice and fairness. And more than that: we are witnessing once again the arrogance of not only the governments, but also the peoples, of the West who believe their ways, their ideas, their culture, is superior.

For the West - led by America - demands (note *demands*) that any and all suspects be extradited to Western countries to stand trial according to Western laws. That is, they basically do not accept any other kind of law, any other kind of trial. Justice, for such Westerners, is the *justice* meted out by Western Courts of Law. In effect, the West claims jurisdiction over the entire world. This is uncivilized and indeed barbaric: primitive naked imperialism, albeit now swathed in fine sounding rhetoric.
 

The West has no jurisdiction in Islamic countries, especially in those who uphold Shariah law. But what it is now saying is that there is only one world-wide law: *our Western law*. The West is saying: *what matters are our treaties, our international agreements; what does not matter are Islamic laws, the Islamic way of life...*  And the so-called Muslim countries have accepted this: all, of course, except the Taliban, who stand firm in their Islamic beliefs.
 

So it is that I am saddened by the attitude of the West, and others, but also pleased by the attitude of the Taliban and (those few) who support them.
For what is happening here - IMHO - is a fundamental clash of world-views: between the Islamic and the Western. What is at stake is fundamentally important to our future: we can either support Islam, and its noble civilizing ideals, or we can support Western imperialism with its bullying and its use of blackmail.

We should certainly not allow ourselves to be distracted by meaningless Western rhetoric, but instead seek to view any and everything in an Islamic way, just as the Taliban are striving to do.
 

Allah knows best.

4 Rajab 1422 AH

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