For the umpteenth time in the same year, the capitalism free market regimes chose Indonesia as their place to formulate their dangerous agenda. After the APEC Summit in early November 2013, the 9^th WTO Ministerial Conference was held in the same city of Bali. It is not without reason. Indonesia is a very rich country and has a very strategic position in the Asia Pacific region which today has become the center of world trade. The various intense meetings in regards to ensuring the success of the free trade agenda implies very clearly the huge interests and plans that giant Capitalist countries have within this rich country. Various forums and intensive negotiations conducted in various fields were all done in order to establish the region as a major market for giant industrial capitalists. This is especially true for the U.S. which is still struggling to recover its economy - this situation forcing it to secure its economic interests in the lucrative Asian market through APEC, ASEAN, the East Asian Summit and especially through the WTO.

Capitalism is sucking the wealth from Indonesia's rich land

Many people may not be able to directly read the danger of various forums that represent this free trade regime, whereas the saddening poverty that can be seen in the Muslim world and globally today is a direct result of the disability and the injustice of economic, wealth, and land resources management by man-made systems, and especially by the capitalist system and free market economy. Freedom of ownership, free market policies, and the interest-based finance model of capitalism resulted in wealth concentration in the hands of a few elite while the rest have been left hungry and poor.

In Indonesia alone it has been proven that since the signing of ASEAN free trade policies by the government, every year thousands of national industries have gone bankrupt, not to mention the soaring rate of food imports that have quadrupled since 2004. This situation has undoubtedly resulted in increased unemployment and widespread poverty amongst the peoples. The BPS survey recorded 5.04 million farmers have been 'lost' since 2003. This is due to a systemic policy that attacks the livelihood of the farmers. For example, the WTO requires the reduction even the revocation of subsidies for farmers that eventually defeats farmers to compete with agricultural import products that are cheaper in price. Agricultural imports has continued to swell and the country's dependence on food imports is increasing, as in the case of soybeans, red beans, corn, beef, vegetables, horticultural products even cassava and salt.

Coupled with the legalization of foreign investment through the Investment Law No. 25/2007, the door of foreign investment was opened as wide as possible, and it was stated that foreign ownership of domestic business sectors should not be restricted. Consequently, almost all economic sectors such as agriculture, mining, oil and gas, banking and finance may be controlled by foreign capital in the majority even up to 95%. As a result, the country's economy is largely controlled by foreigners. Foreigners control most of the oil and gas industry, banking, manufacturing, etc. Even almost all of the basic needs of the people in this country is controlled by foreign industries, for example: bottled water (dominated by ‘Nestle Pure Life' from a Swiss company and Danone of France ‘Aqua'); soya ketchup ‘Cap Bango' and ‘Sariwangi Tea' owned by Unilever - a UK company; ‘SGM' milk of Sari Husada which is 82% owned by Numico from the Netherlands; soap ‘Lux'; toothpaste ‘Pepsodent' and various shampoos owned by Unilever; imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam, imported sugar from Mexico and India; motorcycle/cars from Japanese, Chinese, Indian, European, or American companies. All kinds of electronic equipment, computers, mobile phones, are made by companies of Japan, Korea, or China. Shopping center French's ‘Carrefour', 75% of ‘Alfamart's share owned by Carrefour; Giant and Hero are mastered by Dairy Farm International, U.S.'s ‘Circle K', and South Korean's ‘Lotte'.

The flood of imported goods augmented by foreign domination of people's basic needs in Indonesia have made millions of women and children in Indonesia become the primary victims of poverty. Rising prices, scarcity of jobs for their husbands, and high cost of education and healthcare for their children - has created economic hardships and impoverished millions of mothers in Indonesia. More than 7 million Indonesian women have been economically forced to be the breadwinners of their family, many facing exploitation within the country and abroad, while millions of children have lost the comfort and companionship of having their mothers at home. So it is undeniable that the capitalist agreements signed by the rulers and governments of the Muslim world with the IMF, the World Bank, other global institutions, and foreign states, have directly caused the day to day severe financial struggle that the masses of women across the region face today.

The Exploitation of Millions of Mothers in Indonesia

The free trade regime has also forced Muslim countries to apply a free labor market system where the Capitalists can buy cheap labor in the labor market without state intervention in ensuring the protection and welfare of the workers. So naturally, the number of migrant workers has increased from year to year. The last International Labour Organisation (ILO) report said the number of Indonesian domestic workers - of which the majority are women - has increased sharply in the last two years. What a tragic story of a wealthy nation! Millions of its women have been enslaved both within their home and abroad! Then last November, we were shocked by Amnesty International's report that condemned the "slavery like" conditions faced by the 300,000 Indonesian women working in Hong Kong as domestic helpers, and accused the authorities of slow action to address the problem. Needless to say, this free market regime has plunged millions of women into poverty and led them to the vortex of ​​cheap labor exploitation based on its iron law of supply and demand.

This systemic movement of women's exploitation which is designed by the capitalist free market regime has been sucking the economic potential of women and forcing them to abandon their motherhood to millions of children. Capitalism has waged a war against women's motherhood in Indonesia. More than 90% of workers in the sweatshops in Jakarta are women and the majority of them do not get the right to breastfeed. As a result of this their babies are suffering from malnutrition. What a miserable state! This does not include the fact that 75% of those workers experienced violence in the workplace. What should also not be forgotten is the melancholy story of the children of migrant workers who are abandoned by their mothers who are forced through poverty resulting from the capitalist free-market system to work far distances overseas. About 6 million Indonesian women are risking their lives abroad for a meager wage to afford basic necessities for their families back home. Furthermore, in Sabah, Malaysia alone it is estimated that there are about 50 thousand children of migrant workers who do not receive proper education rights.

This undermining of motherhood is getting worse with the hegemony of Western secular liberal values ​​that increasingly pervades Muslim families in Muslim countries. The role of being a mother and homemaker is no longer regarded as a prestigious noble role, because it is not financially rewarding. Capitalism unceasingly encourages financial achievement over motherhood, damaging the vital role of women. This attacks the true identity of women who give birth to children, are the mothers of society, household managers of their homes, and nurturers of their children, and shifts it to the false understanding of successful women which is always associated with employment.

On the other hand, the Indonesian regime precisely facilitates Capitalism to rob women of their motherhood, by continuing to implement and worship the Capitalist system, in its values and economic system. The rulers in Muslim countries have sold their lands and daughters to the Western countries and companies, and exposed them to exploitation. It's ironic that while these puppet rulers always boast about strengthening national interests and ​​promote the corrupt and divisive concept of nationalism to the people, they at the same time legalize the practice of mega corruption by allowing the people, money and the nation's wealth and resources to be stolen by foreign companies, for the sake of personal benefit and wealth they receive from their masters in the West.

So no wonder this country is very poor of the qualified future generation that was born from the womb of the noble mothers, because the education of these children is handed over to the secular and market-oriented education system, while their mothers are forced to enter the realm of employment. The weakening of the motherhood role will absolutely have a fatal impact on this country, which will lose its next generation and future leaders.

The Khilafah "Caliphate": A New Political Vision for Indonesia

Islam with all its perfection offers an entirely new political vision to the world including Indonesia, to escape from the shackles of poverty and the meshes of economic colonization. This political vision consists of a single leadership for Muslims around the world namely the Khilafah "Caliphate" Islamiyah, which will establish a sincere Khaleefah who will lift their economic burdens from their backs and place it upon his shoulders. The Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" system alone offers sound economic policies that have stood the test of time and are able to lift the women in the Muslim world from the pain of poverty and create sustainable economic welfare, hence removing their suffering and bringing real change to their lives. Islam stands in stark contrast to the capitalist system that curbs the role of the state and emphasizes the role of the market. The Prophet (saw) said,

«فَالْإِمَامُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ»

"An Imam is a shepherd (ra'in) and he is responsible for those in his care."

Therefore the state's role is vital in Islam in taking care of the needs of the people. Its main task is to serve and take care of the needs of every citizen, protect the vulnerable, and prevent any injustice through the comprehensive implementation of the Islamic Shariah laws. The Khilafah "Caliphate" with its straight political vision will be able to pull Indonesia out from the snare of economic imperialism while also glorifying its millions of women. This is achieved with the following Islamic principles:

1. The Khilafah "Caliphate" has an independent economic vision that will maintain its economic sovereignty. The Khilafah "Caliphate" is a state with an independent economic vision which is not subordinated to the whims of foreign governments or multinational corporations, The Khilafah "Caliphate" will end the weak foreign policy of the current Muslim leaderships that are based upon submission to the West, nationalism and the betrayal of their people. Therefore, the Khilafah "Caliphate" will not accept any foreign debt or any agreements that take sovereignty away from the state. This is because the Islamic Shariah embodies a distinct pattern in international relations, which necessitates the rejection of any foreign intervention or domination whatever form it takes - whether a multilateral agreement, foreign investment, foreign debt, or any other style that would eliminate the independence of the Khilafah "Caliphate". Hence, it would be illegitimate for the Khilafah "Caliphate" to accept the free market policies or regime propagated by the United States, China, and Western industrialized countries which clearly pave the way for Kufr countries to dominate and control the wealth, economics and politics of Muslims lands. It is expressly forbidden in Islam as Allah (swt) says,

((وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلا))

"...and never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them]" [TMQ An-Nisa: 141]

2. The Khilafah "Caliphate" fully controls its public resources and international trade agreements. The Khilafah "Caliphate" will manage all its public resources and use them for public purposes so that all the people could enjoy the benefits of their critical assets. The billions of dollars generated from the management of its natural resources will be spent on education, health, defense, infrastructure, and poverty alleviation. The Khilafah "Caliphate" would also ban all forms of wealth accumulation, make sure that the wealth circulates amongst the people and provide incentives for spending and investment in business. This is integrated with an economic policy that prohibits heavy foreign investment in infrastructure development, agriculture, industry and technology. Meanwhile, foreign trade is controlled entirely by the state and is aimed at strengthening political stability in the country, the da'wah of Islam, and the domestic economy.

3. The Khilafah "Caliphate" places the main basis of its economic policy upon meeting people's needs. The Khilafah "Caliphate" will implement the Islamic economic system that ensures the fulfillment of all basic (primary) needs of every individual in society and enables them to acquire luxuries. In the book of al-Amwaal of Abu Ubaidah, it is told that Khalifah Umar ibn Al-Khattab once told his employees in charge of distributing sadaqah: "If you do give, make it sufficient," then said again, "Give alms to them repeatedly even though one of them had a hundred camels." Mashallah! As the ruler of the state, he implemented the Islamic economic policy which guarantees the fulfillment of the primary needs of the people. He also funded the marriage of Muslims who could not afford to get married, paid their debts, and provided financial support to farmers to cultivate their lands. Similarly, ​​the future Khilafah "Caliphate" will not only ensure people have their needs met but also make them self-sufficient through grants or interest-free loans to farm their land or provide capital for their business.

4. The Khilafah "Caliphate" glorifies and protects women and their role of motherhood. Islam is an ideology that places the protection of the honor of women as a priority. They are viewed as a dignity that must be protected and financially maintained and NOT seen as cheap labor. The Khilafah "Caliphate" will therefore preserve the honor of women and WILL NEVER make them as an international trade commodity. In the life of the Khilafah "Caliphate" state, employment is just an option for the woman, and NOT something forced upon her due to the demands of economic hardship. If she wants, she may work. If she does not want to work, she is not pressured to do so. In the Khilafah, this option can be taken freely by women, because Islam guarantees the basic needs of women through obliging the husband or father to provide for their family, or obliging a male relative to financially maintain their female relatives when they have no husband or father, or they exist but cannot provide sufficiently. In addition, the Khilafah "Caliphate" State financially supports vulnerable women who do not have anyone to ensure their economic security such as the poor widows, according to the words of Allah (swt),

((وَعَلَى الْمَوْلُودِ لَهُ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ  لَا تُكَلَّفُ نَفْسٌ إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا  لَا تُضَارَّ وَالِدَةٌ بِوَلَدِهَا وَلَا مَوْلُودٌ لَهُ بِوَلَدِهِ وَعَلَى الْوَارِثِ مِثْلُ ذَٰلِكَ))

"...the father of the child shall bear the cost of the mother's food and clothing on a reasonable basis. No person shall have a burden laid on him greater than he can bear. No mother shall be treated unfairly on account of her child, nor father on account of his child. And on the (father's) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was incumbent on the father)." [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 233]

Besides that, women in the eyes of Islam have an extremely critical role as the mothers who give birth to and educate the future generation. In the hands of women the best generation or khairu ummah that Allah (swt) has mentioned in the Qur'an will be formed,

((كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ ۚ مِنْهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ))

"You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient." [TMQ Ali Imran: 110]

This Ummah desperately needs a leader who will bring them out from the darkness into the light. And we need mothers who will generate those great leaders. Millions of mothers today who face economic exploitation throughout the Muslim world will have an entirely different story under the shade of the Khilafah "Caliphate" which is a highly credible system that has a time-tested approach in dealing with poverty, creating brilliant generations of youth, and maintaining the honor of women.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Fika Komara

Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir