3rd March 1924 – 3rd March 2011 After 87 years of oppression, corruption and weakness. The Ummah is marching for real change!

3rd March 2011 is the 87th anniversary of the destruction of the Khilafah (caliphate). It was on the 3rd March 1924 the Islamic Khilafah State in Istanbul, Turkey was formally destroyed by Mustapha Kemal in collaboration with imperial Britain. It was the day the Muslim Ummah as one Ummah and one state lost her leadership, the Khalifah. The Khilafah State was replaced by countless statelets spanning the entire Muslim world to be ruled by puppet rulers subservient to the agendas of the European powers. From then on, the Muslim Ummah has been governed by kings and dictators who have held onto their thrones by brute force, repression and terror. These puppet rulers have been there to guard the interests of the Western powers in our lands, keeping the ummah divided and ensuring the pillage of our resources.

Even at its weakest, the Khilafah State was considered a world power. At its best, when it followed the Islamic ideology and Prophetic example most closely, it was the shining beacon of justice and civilization for humanity – where lives were secured; where the poor and weak were cared for; where technology and learning flourished; and where men and women of different creeds and colours could live together side by side in harmony.

Yet since its demise the Ummah has been weak, divided and colonised, possessing little political influence and no leadership to harness its bountiful resources: approximately 20% of the world’s population, over 60% of the world’s oil reserves and 55% of gas reserves, approximately 37% of the world’s gold reserves, and almost 25% of the world’s defence personnel.

Muslims had become used to living under the tyranny and oppression of illegitimate rulers; and have become used to their lands and resources being exploited by Western colonial powers until this year – 2011 CE, 1432 AH. This year, in a matter of weeks everything changed. The Ummah rose up and threw off the decades-old rule of tyrants Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt. The Ummah rose up and weakened Gaddafi in Libya and Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen, almost to the brink of collapse. And now a fire is burning under the thrones of the illegitimate rulers of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Oman, Iraq, Algeria and Morocco.

The Ummah is united in one voice of frustration at the rulers and their unjust systems; one cry of anger at the west who supported them; one voice of despair at food prices and the lack of jobs.

Yet as America, Britain and France have felt their grip on the Arab and Muslim world weaken, they are doing everything to retain control. The leaders of Tunisia and Egypt have been ousted by the people, but the regimes and ruling structures, which support kufr systems and Western interests, remain. They will allow constitutional amendments as long as they maintain their hegemony. They will encourage ‘democratisation’ as long as elections allow their puppets to win, their economic interests to be secured and the secular framework – that blocks the liberating power of Islam in political life – remains.

The Western media has been in overdrive to tell the world that this is not an Islamic revolution. They are doing everything they can to stop people overthrowing not only the ruler, but any system that is subservient to western ideals and values. However, the reality is that the people in the Arab world want the ability to elect and account their rulers and want to be freed from the hegemony of American and British puppets. In some Muslim countries polls show up to 70% of people want the return of the Khilafah. This is unsurprising when we see the cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’ and the congregational prayers even during the heat of demonstration. Muslims know that only Islam can bind people together in the Muslim world, unite people, and bring dignity, justice and security to this Ummah again. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said “A single day under a just ruler is better than 60 years of ibadah” [Bayhaqi / Tabarani].

By contrast ‘freedom and democracy’ brought death and destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. It brought torture and detention in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and Bagram. It has led to the decline in society in the West, breakdown of family life and the sexual exploitation of women and children. The global capitalist system has collapsed and the gap between rich and poor in western countries has been exposed for the world to see. This is not the future the Muslim Ummah wants.

In previous years, we have called this Ummah to remove these treacherous rulers as they have been the thorn in our side for far too long. This year, we add to this, that it is not individual men – whether Mubarak, Ben Ali, Gaddafi or Zardari – who are the only problem. It is the systems they lead that oppress and enslave our people. Fir’awn did not rule alone – without Qarun and Haman – and an entire Pharaonic system. When Musharraf was removed in Pakistan, people thought that change had come. The corruption of the Zardari-Gilani ‘democratic’ regime has shown the Muslims of Pakistan that change is not achieved simply by removing one man. Only by removing the entire secular capitalist system and replacing it with an Islamic constitution will an elected and accountable government be realised in the Muslim world. Any other change of face will be another disaster for this Ummah. ‘Democracies’ blessed and supported by Cameron and Obama will simply ensure continuity of the existing corrupt policies in our countries.

We pray that these uprisings and protests do not stop until these evil systems are replaced with the just Islamic Khilafah system, with an accountable Khaleefah at its head. A Khalifah who will be bound by the Islamic Shariah, whose contract with the people will be to rule by justice and fairness, who will return the resources of the Muslim Ummah back to the people, unify the Muslim lands and eject the occupiers from our lands.

Hizb ut Tahrir calls upon the Muslim Ummah that now is the time to re-establish the Islamic Khilafah State. Now is the time to make this the most important issue in our lives and do whatever we can, wherever we are to contribute to furthering the establishment of the Khilafah. We pray that through these uprisings Allah brings real change and that we all see with our own eyes the promise of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) who said

“There will be Prophethood for as long as Allah (SWT) wills it to be, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be Khilafah on the Prophetic method and it will be for as long as Allah (SWT) wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be biting Kingship for as long as Allah (SWT) Wills, then He will remove it when He wills, then there will be oppressive kingship for as long as Allah (SWT) wills, then he will remove it when He wills, and then there will be Khilafah upon the Prophetic method” and then he remained silent ‘[Ahmad]

Hizb ut-Tahrir
Britain
3rd March 2011