Seeking Relief through Democracy is like Seeking a Cure through the Disease Itself

Pakistan’s eleventh general elections have revealed the intense anger of the Muslims at the status quo. They are angry at the widespread poverty, blatant corruption of the political class and at the turmoil which is a consequence of alliance with the US. However, the new rulers are incapable of bringing change because they are fully committed to the system that created the problems in the first place, Democracy.

The new rulers will not end corruption from its root because Democracy itself allows rulers and assembly members to amass wealth throughout the world, including the West. Pakistan is no exception and Democracy itself created a class of politicians who invest tens of millions of Rupees in elections, to make billions once they come to power, through securing ownership of large-scale industry, as well as energy and mineral resources. Corruption is so much a part of Democracy that even the new rulers that came to power on the anti-corruption agenda, had to include corrupt politicians in their ranks, on the basis that they are “electable.” On 4^th July 2018, Imran Khan admitted he could not vouch for each of the near seven hundred national and provincial-level candidates his party fielded for elections, stating, “You contest elections to win. You don’t contest elections to be a good boy. I want to win,” and he added, “The political class here doesn’t change that much. You can introduce new actors but you can’t change the political class wholesale.” So how, really, can there be hope in any ruler that rules by Democracy to end corruption?

The new rulers will not end poverty because Democracy itself opens Pakistan to destruction of its economy through capitalist and colonialist policies. It is Democracy that ensures the privatization of the large sources of revenues and then burdens the entire population with back breaking taxation to make up the shortfall. The new rulers promise more of the same as they are fully committed to the current capitalist system and agreements with the colonialist financial institutions. Whilst addressing senior representatives of some of the world’s leading financial institutions in London, hosted by the world’s leading investment bank for frontier markets, Exotix Capital, on 22 April 2018, Imran Khan confirmed acceptance of IMF assistance. So how, really, can there be hope in any ruler that rules by Democracy to end poverty?

The new rulers will not bring peace and security because Democracy itself opens Pakistan to harm from the US, through alliance with it. Democracy today, right now, maintains a vast support network for the US, including a network that includes a fortified embassy, spy-post consulates, uninterrupted NATO military supply lines and lairs for private military and intelligence, which are used to arrange ”false flag attacks” on our people. Peace and security demands the severing of alliance with the US and eliminating its poisonous presence on our soil, which Imran Khan has no intention of doing whatsoever. On 26^th July 2018, Imran Khan, stated, “With the US, we want to have a mutually beneficial relationship.” Yet, it is precisely this alliance with the US which imperils the Muslims of the region. Through talks between India and Pakistan in the name of Normalization, the US is working to bury the Kashmir issue in order to facilitate the rise of India as the dominant power. And the US is working to forge a peace agreement in Afghanistan with the support of Pakistan, to secure a permanent US military presence there, right on the doorstep of the world’s only Muslim nuclear armed state. So, how can Imran Khan bring security, when he has clearly announced his willingness for both alliance with the US and support for her plans for India and Afghanistan?

O Muslims of Pakistan!

After Pakistan's eleventh general elections, Democracy will deliver exactly what it has delivered after the previous ten general elections, which is more corruption, poverty, insecurity and destruction. RasulAllah (saaw) warned us, «لَا يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ وَاحِدٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ» “The believer is not stung from the same hole twice.” [Bukhari, Muslim]. Although the new rulers are not tried and tested, Democracy certainly is and we will always be stung by any ruler that rules by Democracy. Democracy is an authority that does not rule by all that Allah swt revealed and Allah (swt) not only forbade us from ruling within it, He swt ordered us to disbelieve in it. Allah (swt) said,

[أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا]

“Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer legislation to Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.” [Surah an-Nisa'a 4:60].

O Muslims of Pakistan!

Enough of Democracy, it is time for ruling by all that Allah (swt) has revealed. It is the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood alone that will produce a political class that is free from corruption, because its politicians will come to rule by the Quran and Sunnah. Any ruler that is appointed will have his wealth accounted and after his term of ruling has ended, any increase will be placed in the Baytul Maal. It is the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood alone that will end poverty, by ensuring public ownership of energy and minerals, as well as the dominant state ownership of large scale industry, so that the Khaleefah has ample funds to secure the needs of the people. And it is the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood that will end all alliances with the open enemies of Muslims and work to unify the current Muslim countries as the single most powerful state.

It is upon us all to work with Hizb ut Tahrir now to restore the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood, which is the true successor to the Islamic State which RasulAllah (saaw) founded in Madinah. Ahmad on the authority of Hudhayfah bin al Yaman (ra) narrated that RasulAllah (saaw) said, 

«تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا عَاضًّا فَيَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ»

“Prophethood will last with you for as long as Allah wants it to last. Then there will be Khilafah according to the Method of Prophethood, and things will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it when He wishes. Then there will be hereditary rule, and things will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it when He wishes. Then there will be an oppressive rule, and things will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it when He wishes. Then there will be a Khilafah according to the method of Prophethood.” Then he (saaw) fell silent.”