Lacking Leadership

News:

Donald Trump has extended America’s national shut down for a month, bowing to public health experts, and scientific reality, and warning that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to come.

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, the US president claimed that, if his administration keeps the death toll to 100,000, it will have done “a very good job” – a startling shift from his optimistic predictions of a few days ago when he said he hoped to restart the economy by Easter.

Trump also undermined his plea for unity by uttering falsehoods, verbally abusing reporters and making incendiary allegations that implied health care workers were stealing masks, without providing evidence. (Guardian 30/3/2020)

Comment:

Often times, Muslims are told that it is not about others but how you are. Look at yourself and don’t worry about the next person. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted most clearly that one has to look to the leadership as well as taking one’s own means to deal with things.
When we look at the Western world, we see the US and UK and many countries in Europe are anxiously trying to contain the effects of the coronavirus. The failure of governments is obvious. From not taking the correct measures to denying the facts and then taking drastic measures that have all kinds of implications on the day to day life of the population.

The lack of support for doctors and health workers with lack of suitable equipment is also being reported. Personal reports of failure of the health systems are surfacing.

In this state of affairs, leadership is needed. Citizens need guidance on what to do. Citizens also need to be assured of how the challenges will be met. The average citizen does not have all the information at hand and looks to the leaders of a nation to guide them. We can see now, how many are complying with government orders on social distancing as they want this direction. This is natural when humans live in societies.

Islam gave us guidance on the matters of health and how to look after our health and that of the community. Where personal health is mentioned, it is the duty of the individual and he or she is also accountable to Allah (swt) as the body is an Amaanah (trust) for which we believe we will be questioned about. Where the community is involved, there are things that go beyond the control of the individual and it is then the duty of the leadership or the state to intervene and look after the citizens. The government has to provide adequate health care as a duty and Amaanah also.

Today we see the leaders of the world failing again. Mistakes are not the issue but rather it is their core values of self-interest and greed as well as lack of astuteness.

In the Islamic system of government, the Khilafah (Caliphate) upon the method of the Prophethood is the state that will ensure that health care is provided and it is the state that will guide the citizens on the basis of Islam on how to deal with pandemics.

The occurrence of COVID-19 has brought many things to light. It should show to the Muslim that he has the right to be governed by a sincere leadership, that he is more than a subject, treated like a dispensable statistic that the current world leaders take charge but their criteria for action does not match his, and that Islam is not just a set of personal do’s and don’ts and so when crisis’ hit we are left with only ourselves, when Allah (swt) has ordained more and chosen a complete system of governance to take care of our affairs in the best manner.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb Ut Tahrir by
Nazia Rehman

#Covid19  #Korona  كورونا#