Translation of the Arabic speech delivered by Yahya Nisbet at the Tunisia Khilafah Conference on 28th April

If you asked an ordinary person in the streets of western cities whether he voted in the last elections held in his country, the response would often be negative. People feel that there will be no change whether they do or do not vote. They are sure that almost all parties follow the same policies. They believe that politicians’ interests are always linked to their personal interests only. On this point, they are correct. Especially since politicians, in general, are only employees of major capitalist companies; who are charged with safeguarding the interests of those institutions.

But if you ask people in the West if there is an alternative, and if you asked why they tolerate this bad situation, they will say to you – with disdain and shame – that the situation is not perfect, but it is the best system that we have; and that in any case, it is better than the kings of our history and the dictators of today.

If you pushed them to think about how to change their situation, they will ask “What can we do? What power do we have to make any change?”

The delusion of democracy

This is democracy at its best. A system that sells people the lie that their voices matter. But when he who has an atom of intelligence sees through it, he completely abstains from politics, secluding himself to his own affairs, submitting to silence and surrender.

It is a system that makes the reins of a dominant class stand on people’s necks, even though that class is not worthy of power because they are not concerned with caring for people’s affairs and they are characterised with a high degree of selfishness.

It is a system which is controlled by wealthy people, to make them even wealthier.

The mask of democracy has been unveiled in Britain and America once again, in the Brexit referendum and presidential elections. It has become clear to everyone that private companies use people’s personal data, to manipulate their minds in order to influence – and even change – the direction of the public vote. Yet these tactics are not new to the West.

The people are satisfied with this, unfortunately, as they fear dictatorship and military rule if they were to oppose their democratic system.

That is why they have not developed a vision of any alternative. Perhaps the lack of a vision of alternatives in the West is also due to their history, as well as them lacking the guidance of Islam. For they have no other principle than the ideology of secular liberal capitalism.

Islam – an alternative vision

But we Muslims have our ideology. In our Messenger, peace be upon him, we have the best example. We have an orderly system emanating from our Imaan. We have a glorious history. We have the guidance of the Prophet.

So, it is strange for us to be like those oppressed slaves of the capitalist machine. A Muslim should be an aware politician, for he cares about people’s affairs. He gives advice and holds the ruler to account for his decisions and policies every day.

He cannot be manipulated, for he does not trade-in his religion, because the rules of the sharee’ah are not open to manipulation by votes and opinions.

This is the alternative vision for mankind that Allah gave to His last prophet. It is a vision that is lacking in the minds of ordinary people in the West.

As long as there are democracies, you will continue to find masses of people enslaved to the will of the powerful few. Only the Khilafah on the way of Prophethood can free people from this enslavement to man, giving them real opportunities to hold rulers accountable and take part in caring for people’s affairs, according to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).

We can not bring humanity out of the darkness into the light without a beacon illuminating the way.

The outlook for humanity will remain narrow until we can return Islam to power, then we will be witnesses over humanity once again.

وَكَذٰلِكَ جَعَلناكُم أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكونوا شُهَداءَ عَلَى النّاسِ وَيَكونَ الرَّسولُ عَلَيكُم شَهيدًا

“And we made you a just Ummah, so that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger is a witness over you…” [Al-Baqarah : 143]