On the 22nd of March 2016, Brussels was the scene of multiple explosions killing 31 people.
The loss of innocent life is a great loss and Islam abhors the killing of innocent people, whoever they are, as Islam does not differentiate between Muslim and non-Muslim life, unlike many politicians or media outlets who ignore the innocent loss of life in Ankara and Istanbul, or overlook two hundred thousand lives taken by Bashar al-Assad.
Sadly, we once again see politicians from across the spectrum and some in the western media who use the killing of innocent people for their own political goals.
They expose their prejudices about immigration, refugees and Muslims residing in the west and use the attacks in Belgium to raise questions about their loyalty and create a general climate of fear amongst the wider population. It is as if they want to create more fear and ‘radicalise’ ordinary people against Muslims.
In the UK, we have already heard irresponsible comments by politicians, saying the UK will be the next target and how the threat of terrorism has never been so high. Former home secretary John Reid told the BBC that the terrorists “will get through” the UK’s defenses to carry out an attack similar to that in Brussels.
Such irresponsible comments will result in international opinion against Islam and Muslims and justify more bombing and interference in Muslim lands.
In the UK, such incidents are used as an excuse to beat Islam and the Muslim community and to further domestic measures like ‘Prevent’ to get Muslims to give up key aspects of Islam that are legislated by Qur’an and Sunnah by pushing the lie that the more Islamic you are, the more of a potential threat you are.
And all of this conveniently deflects discussion and debate about western foreign policy and the wars of the last decade that have caused chaos in the Middle East and the wider Muslim world.
It is unfortunate that we do not see Islam being implemented in the world today; otherwise we would have clearly seen a different global situation.
The solution to the Muslim world’s problem is the Khilafah Rashida – an Islamic state founded on the method of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam). It is only this that can bring security to the world. History is testimony to this fact. When the Khilafah existed – from the time of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) till the Uthmani Khilafah less than 100 years ago – the Middle East was generally stable, and its relation with the west was through states rather than through interference and intelligence. When it was destroyed, things have never been so unstable. The decline of Islam in our lives, western interference, the division of Muslim lands and the installation of client regimes – all of that has only brought instability, repression, death and destruction to the region and the world. Afghanistan and Iraq are testimony to this. As the western ideology wanes and has lost its intellectual credibility, it has increasingly tended to rely on violence to enforce its view and control on the region, thus leading to bringing such violence to their lands.
As Muslims, we should ensure we do not fall into the trap of succumbing to the pressure being placed upon the Ummah in the west in order to further a political agenda. The solution to our problem is more Islam in our lives here, not less, so that we invite people living in darkness to the light of something better, Islam.
This situation cannot change until the light of Islam prevails within the Muslim world. That will happen by the Permission of Allah, because it is the Promise of Allah – despite anyone working to counter that hope.
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ
“It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.” [TMQ Surah Saff 61:09]
Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain
15 Jumada Al-Akhirah 1437
24th March 2016