Gaza:  

The Ummah's Heartbeat

By Sharique Naeem

ccun.org, February 12, 2009

As the Gaza issue slowly begins to sidestep from the headlines, one can’t stop to contemplate over the tragedy that has struck the Ummah. There are some fundamental lessons to be learned from the massacre in Gaza.

Seeing on our TV sets, the catastrophe unleashed by Israel on Palestinians, most of us, have undoubtedly felt common sentiments. We all felt angered by the atrocities being committed and felt the urge to take immediate actions to help those suffering.

However, if we are to look back, this is not the first time Muslims have shared these sentiments.  Our sentiments were alike, when Afghanistan was being bombed, when Iraq was being invaded, and when Lebanon was being torched. In fact it is not the first time that the sufferings in Palestine have sent shivers across the Muslim world.

 Whenever such incidents occurs, we find that Muslims realize their personal obligation towards helping their brothers in distress, and this often translates into many types of actions. For example, appeals are made to United Nations, marches are done to express solidarity, and calls for boycotts are made with full vigor. Unfortunately, as days roll by, a usual decline in this eagerness is witnessed.

It is of utmost significance, therefore, that Muslims direct their efforts towards a path that provides a permanent solution to the issue.  Otherwise, sincere efforts, if directed towards a path that gives no lasting solution, will serve as mere channels for releasing the pressure of Muslims, and are likely to end up being wasted.
Before we dwell into the solution, it becomes imperative, that we identify the problem, and subsequently the barriers that prevent the solution.

The Ummah today is blessed, with abundant natural resources, oil, natural gas, gold and uranium etc.  Its geography covers many of the world’s strategic locations. In terms of numbers its strength is self evident.  And collective emotions resonate throughout the Ummah, on all issues that have Islamic significance, be it the Caricatures, or the Gaza crises. Moreover, there is an abundance of self-less men, who dedicate their lives for the betterment of others, and propagation of Islam. Furthermore, it has the military might, which has the potential to face any other power in the world.

In short we must realize that the problem is not lack of resources, or technology, nor is the problems within individuals at large in the Ummah.

Coming back to the issue of Gaza, we witnessed, that while Israel unleashed it reign of terror on civilians, Egypt’s ruler ordered ceiling of the borders, preventing even medical aid to cross through.  All this while, Egypt’s army, as well as the armies of the rest of the Muslim world were kept stationed in their barracks by the Muslim rulers. A stark contrast indeed to the fact that these same rulers eagerly send troops - under the umbrella of UN - to serve the interests of western imperial powers in Congo or elsewhere.

So, what prevents the liberation of oppressed Muslims in occupied lands, is the present status quo(fortified by UN) which keeps the Ummah divided into petty nation states, and the present rulers, who blatantly and shamelessly side with the oppressors.

The lasting solution is none other than the re-establishment of Khilafah, in one of the Muslim lands, which will implement the systems of Islam, and subsequently seek to unify Muslim lands, and mobilize the Muslim armies to protect the oppressed people.

The barriers to this solution are explicitly: nationalism, the present capitalist system, and the current rulers.  Therefore our efforts should be directed towards the removal of these barriers, and side by side presenting the correct solution. This needs to be done by peacefully engaging in an intellectual and political struggle in order to generate public opinion for the necessity of such a state, and to seek the ‘Nusrah’ of those with capability of directing change, to step forward from their barracks and fulfill the obligation of implementing Islam that Muslims owe to Allah(swt).