Beggars can’t be Choosers!

News:

The Taliban have renewed their pleas for the USA to release assets frozen in American banks, this time citing the need to respond to a devastating earthquake. The USA froze $9.5 billion when the Taliban took over, and is still holding around $2 billion. In the wake of the earthquake, Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, has also asked "the international community, welfare, and humanitarian organizations to come forward and provide assistance to the earthquake affected people of Afghanistan." (Source)

Comment:

More than 1,000 people died and hundreds of houses were destroyed in Afghanistan by the deadliest earthquake (6.1 magnitude) of last two decades. The area effected, has homes made of mud, wood and other materials vulnerable to weather damage and the quake has coincided with heavy monsoon rains, adding to the disaster. This has added to the existing problems faced by the Afghani people.

Afghanistan has been facing serious economic crisis and it is thought that the antidote remains locked in New York. The USA already has been trying hard to prove to the world how unhappy it was with the Taliban taking over, wanted to mount pressure to reduce their purchasing power and to choke off Afghanistan’s banking system to slow down transactions and trade activities. Afghan officials have been asking for the return of the remaining frozen amount for helping the quake survivors.

(وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوْعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْاَمْوَالِ وَالْاَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ)

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits. But give good tidings to those who are patient,” [2:155]

Afghans along with all the other Muslims need to recognize the ugly role that these neo-colonialist countries can play even if they are not directly ruling over them. The solution to this is to break all types of ties with these people and refuse to make any kind of alliance or provide any ways to them.

Waiting and looking for international help is like begging from someone who gives you your own right through humiliation. Your right is to be snatched from them and that is when Muslims of the world break the boundaries that have been separating them from their brothers and sisters. The scarcity of food and other life essentials may seem like physical problems but in fact the scars on self-worth are worse. Countries in trouble are forced to borrow dollars at high interest rates, which in turn makes them further indebted to the capitalist powers. Thus poor countries find themselves engulfed in a vicious cycle: they borrow more to pay off debtor nations and at the same time deprive their people of what is rightfully theirs.

Afghanistan is located strategically adjacent to the oil- and gas-rich Middle East and Central Asia giving it an important geostrategic location. Knowing that Turkmenistan has one of the largest gas reserves in the world, Afghanistan’s position next to Iran and Turkmenistan makes it important as this gas can be marketed only via pipelines. Connection of these pipelines marks the importance of this region. Afghanistan itself is rich in natural resources like precious metals and stones.

The USA and USSR both have failed to overpower the will and courage of its people. This proves that these unbendable people accepted and embraced Islam when it reached them in the early seventh century and would love to have the systems of Islam applied back on them. Islamic history is full of examples how Caliphs in their time saved the Ummah from suffering and humiliation.

One such example is of second rightly guided Khalifah Umar bin Khattab.

In 18 A.H. when drought struck Arabia, the problem was further complicated by the plague, which struck most of Syria during 17-18 A.H. Umar acted decisively and wisely, setting exemplary precedents to any responsible Muslim ruler. He mobilized food supplies from Egypt and Iraq, personally supervised their distribution, and refrained personally from eating good food or eating at home. He delayed collection of zakat, and suspended the statutory punishment of theft (hadd) because of the likelihood that the thief might be in dire need. He joined the people in prayer to Allah to alleviate the drought. After the famine, Umar ordered his Governor in Egypt, Amr Ibn AI-Aas, to dig a canal connecting the Nile to the Red Sea to ensure regular supplies of food from Egypt to Arabia. Such are the true rulers, who do not rule for getting its perks but this authority takes away their sleep and they spend their days working hard in protecting and spreading Islam.

Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab the Prophet (saw) said: «وَتُغِيثُوا الْمَلْهُوفَ وَتُهْدُوا الضَّالَّ» “Help the oppressed (sorrowful) and guide those who have lost their way.”

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ikhlaq Jehan