Can Success for Muslims Be Achieved through Democratic Politics?

Due to the monstrous genocide taking place in Gaza and America’s role in aiding and abetting it to continue, there has been a lot of discussion amongst Muslims on how to be more politically engaged and how the Muslim community can be at the forefront of shaping American politics to change the world for the better. Within these discussions, a lot is said about being engaged civically, joining and supporting specific political candidates, withholding their votes as a form of punishment, and finally getting more Muslims, or “allies” into office on state and federal levels. There is even chatter amongst sisters excitedly claiming that they are trying to raise their son or daughter to be the first Muslim American President. This is being laid out as success for not just Muslims in America, but Muslims across the world. This is being laid out as the plan for success despite the fact that all political parties, whether blue, red, or green support the Zionist entity, or other genocidal states like China and India.

In the past election, some Muslims continued to support the Democrats despite their heinous war crimes in Gaza because they claimed, “the liberals are our allies.” Some Muslims supported the Green Party candidate, but failed to acknowledge the party's support for states that are also committing atrocities against the Muslims in China and Russia. Not to mention, the fact that it also ignored the central role that the Zionist entity plays in US foreign policy and any promise by a presidential candidate to defund its existence is inconceivable. Finally, there were a group of some Muslims who supported Trump because they felt he would stop the genocide (and any potential wars) and his policies are good for the Muslims financially in America. If your candidate did not win, the proposed outlook was that, “we have 4 years to work on creating a Muslim voting BLOC and aiming to get more Muslims into local office to get the next election.” All of these reasons and strategies were promoted as a means of achieving success.

What has the reality been since the “antiwar” President took office? The reality has been a staunch show of support for Netanyahu and the Zionist entity. Billions more being given in weapons to continue the land grab, torture, and murder of Palestinians both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Vice President JD Vance stoking Islamophobic fervor on his recent trip to Europe, and even the so-called financial security Muslims felt they had in America is being slowly chipped away with the defunding of Medicare/Medicaid and social security benefits.

While the sincerity of the Muslims in America is not in question, as they also ache to end the genocide and occupation of the Blessed Land, truth be told, achieving success as an Ummah will never happen if we are looking towards the system of man to solve our problems and the problems of the world. Our Prophet Muhammed (saw) refused to join the political structure of the Quraysh despite being promised riches and power, as well as, the promise to end the violence against the Muslims in Mecca in order to establish the laws of Allah (swt). While this allowed for the continued oppression of himself (saw) and the Muslims, their sacrifices paved the way for Allah (swt) to grant success to the Ummah by establishing the Khilafah (Caliphate) State and making the Islamic world the guiding light for the rest of the world. The state and leadership that led a government that took care of the affairs of its citizens and was a haven for the oppressed. The righteous predecessors did not have a narrow, shortsighted outlook, but looked at the broader picture. They were not just looking at securing their own benefits and interests, but sacrificed their own wealth, time, and lives to establish the Islamic state in Madinah, as is detailed in the Seerah.

We as an Ummah need to take such a stance. We need to look away from participating in the system of our oppressors; the orchestrators of all the violence, upheaval, and poverty across the world, and do as our righteous predecessors did by looking towards to the Quran and Sunnah as our guidance in how to change the political landscape. For Muslims in America, this means to look beyond short term benefits, as time and time again we have seen this strategy fail. For Muslims in America, this means we must be at the forefront of giving the Islamic political system as the only solution to solve the problems that keep piling up on not just the Muslims, but all of humankind. We must showcase the justice of Allah (swt)’s Shariah and how its complete implementation will bring stability and security to those who live within its vast borders, whether Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, etc.

Just as our Prophet (saw) did, we Muslims must work for the reestablishment of the system of Allah (swt) in the lands of the Muslims, so that we may once again achieve success by our Creator (swt) and be the guiding light for the world.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Sarah Mohammed – America