As the reality begins to sink in of understanding a new society that I have been in for a few weeks, I would like to share my thoughts with you. I don’t know if everyone is in the same predicament of actually being aware of this harsh reality or that they understand it as I do as I have only been in Pakistan for a few weeks. Yes I have been here before and heard the same stories, the same suffering and pains contrasting with the brave, hardworking and patient people always seems to amaze me especially compared to the life I have lived in the west. It now dawns on me that there is a similarity with what is going on in Pakistan to what is going on in the west albeit all with a huge difference. To get something done the people have to go to the system that they know is corrupt i.e. just trying to work out how to get a gas connection or road resurfaced requires so much effort and knowing the ‘right’ people who have the power to get the job done.
I am sitting under a fan using UPS due to electric load shedding that is a constant headache of not knowing when we will have electricity and for how long! To get our legitimate and fulfil our halal interests does not mean that we abandon our demands for the implementation for the application of the Shariah.
Other political parties and their workers continue to fulfil their interests and at the same time work to undermine the government by presenting their manifesto and calling people to support them to get into power. When I speak to people about Khilafat e Rashida they think back to the days of the glorious era after the Prophet (SAW) and the companions who looked after the people by implementing Islam. They know that this is the only solution to all their problems having a system built upon the Deen of Allah (SWT) and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) but what do they do now under this system?
They still have to go through this system to get their daily problems sorted out and have to say they know this minister or whoever else that it may be. They don’t even realise sometimes that they are contradicting and going to the very people who are trying to stop them from even mentioning the topic of Khilafat e Rashida. I begin to realise how much damage the capitalist system has done to Pakistan that people know the corruption but are forced to accept and even go along with it. They feel that there is no way out and I personally feel that due to them knowing this there is hope.
I have to keep a constant guard up as people around me keep telling me to be careful as there is a crackdown taking place against anyone who talks about Khilafat e Rashida and especially against Hizb ut-Tahrir. The amazing thing is that they are talking about it even more than me at times and not only that in public so I wonder if it is only their worry for me and not outright fear.
The question keeps coming back to me over and over again, how do people get their legitimate interests fulfilled from the same people who they know are corrupt and at the same time account them for imposing capitalism and not implementing Islam? Life is already difficult as it is and how would people cope if they were to engage in a struggle to remove the capitalist system and to implement the Islamic System of Caliphate.
This is not a new phenomena and a dilemma which was face by the Prophet (SAW) along with his companions when they attempted to change the system of Jahalliya. We also have the stories of the previous Prophets (AS) who also went through similar struggles. Other ideologies have faced the same dilemma as well such as Communism and Capitalism when they attempted to change the old guard. What is a comfort and pleasing to know is that the Arabs streets have come out by sacrificing all to remove the entrenched dictators but it also is saddening that they have not been able to completely change the system.
My advice to the people of Pakistan is not to keep falling into the same traps over and over again. Keep away from those that will not achieve real change but will continue the same system with a new face. Instead of looking at our issues as separate like protesting against load shedding, price hikes, gas shortages etc, we should all go to the root of the problem behind these, which is the government and the capitalist system.
Once we understand that the real change could only come about through the Khilafah government and working with the sincere dawah carriers to remove the current System and bringing in the new system with a new leadership. This is not an easy path but one which we cannot avoid either. I also along with my fellow journalists, members of the civil society, human rights activists as well as the sincere judges and the Ummah call for an immediate uplifting of the unjustified ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Also the witch-hunt against the members of Hizb ut-Tahrir be immediately stopped with the release of the official spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan, Naveed Butt. Do these agencies not see that they are being led to delay the return of the Khilafah and to maintain the secular elite who want Pakistan to remain dependent on America at the expense of our people?
We have seen Pakistan under democracy and also have experienced dictatorship so we are in some way better equipped than our brothers and sisters in the Arab countries to decide our path to success. Let us move forward by establishing Khilafat e Rashida rather than stagnate and regress even more under democracy. Let us resolve the dilemma and contradiction once and for all of having to go to the corrupt system by working to change it then we can truly progress.
Author Profile: Abdul Jabbar is a Freelance Journalist & Political Analyst. You can Contact here www.facebook.com/abdul.jabbar.58118 or email him at pakpoliticsforum{at}gmail.com