Policy regarding Tending to the People's Affairs
April 2013, Jumada Al-Thani 1434 AH

Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Pakistan has issued a Publicized Policy Position (PPP) regarding looking after the affairs of the people. It outlines how democracy is far from a system for the people, as it is claimed. Democracy does not even look after the majority of the people. Democracy is in fact designed to secure the interests of the few elite. It further shows how in the Khilafah "Caliphate", because Allah (swt) alone is Sovereign, no human-being, ruler or otherwise, can usurp the rights of others and then make a law to legalize their oppression.

A. Preamble: Democracy is the cause of neglect of the people's affairs

Wherever democracy exists, neglect and exploitation of the people by the few elite will always occur. It is a world wide phenomenon that the richest people are those with access to political power in democracy, either directly or through sponsorship of politicians. Democracy was never meant to grant justice to the masses, and instead was conceived to concentrate power and subsequently wealth into the hands of a few. This is made clear in the following statement by Madison, the Founder of the American Constitution stated, "landholders ought to have a share in the government, to support these invaluable interests, and to balance and check the other. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority."  And Democrat Robert C Byrd lamented of his democratic country as "an administration of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy...Today I weep for my country". In modern democracies, land owners have been replaced by the corporate businessmen, industrialists, property owners and families already in politics predominate.

The concentration of wealth in these hands is legalized through man made legislation under democracy. The political families make wealth because they have usurped from society sources of huge revenue. Specifically, the predominately state properties and public properties, such as large scale arms manufacture, banking and energy industry. This is why in America, Britain and France, there are ruling dynasties of large capitalists. There is an immense concentration of the wealth, such that ninety per cent of the wealth is concentrated in the hands of less than five per cent. Even during the global economic crisis, the global democracy elite have increased their wealth by over 60%. In India democracy has been uninterrupted for over sixty years, with the result of an extremely wealthy Brahmin elite with masses that are driven to suicide because of poverty, to the order of hundreds of thousands. Because democracy is the best system that money can buy, the costs of elections have escalated to enormous levels. The recent US Presidential elections was the most expensive in history, to the order of billions of dollars and that too at the time of the global economic crisis. And in Pakistan too, politicians spend tens of millions of Rupees as an investment to increase their wealth immensely. So as it is true to say regarding democracy that "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts, absolutely."

Thus, democracy is the reason why Pakistan is a wealthy country, but poor people and political parties, but immensely rich rulers and politicians. Over six decades, legislation has secured the ownership of public and state properties by a small elite. A survey carried out by Pakistan Institute of Legislative  Development and Transparency (PILDAT), that was subsequently covered in many newspapers, exposed how the average total wealth of Members of Pakistan's National Assembly's had tripled in only six years. As for Pakistan's Provincial Assemblies, they raised perks and privileges, salary and allowances, lifetime police security and mobile phone facility. Using democracy they make laws that are preferential for their personal business interests, in addition to securing their assets from taxation. This is how a small class of our politicians are able to triple their total wealth in only six years.

In addition to securing their own wealth, these traitors are allowed by democracy to secure the interests of their foreign masters and sponsors, usurping the rights of society. As just a few examples, in the case of corporate farming, the government is crippling local farmers with expensive seed and fertilizer, whilst they have introduced favorable conditions for large foreign companies to undertake corporate farming. Regarding energy, the colonialist financial institution refused to fund coal run power plants if they are not run on imported coal. The privatization of Pakistan's immense public properties was made by law a means to pay the interest based loans of the colonialist institutions. Through the Seventeenth Amendment Democracy secured the American presence within the country, whether it is military, intelligence or private military organizations. Democracy secured the NATO supply line and the drone attacks, as well as many other matters undermining our security.

So, thanks to democracy, the traitors within the military and political leadership amass huge wealth during their tenures, as well as plunging Pakistan into economic misery and foreign policy humiliation for the sake of their Western masters. This is how it is from the beginning, through the regimes of Musharraf-Aziz and Kayani-Zardari and this is how it will be, onwards through any new regime, as long as democracy remains in Pakistan. It is nonsense to say that democracy should be given time to do its job, because in fact it is already doing its job, which is securing a small elite, whilst depriving the masses. It is wishful thinking for hoping for any change through this system, even if another dozen elections took place.

And when this democratic elite show their faces for a few weeks during elections, having robbed the people of great wealth for years, they will point to a few road constructions or schools to secure our votes for another term of plundering. So, of course the Western nations would enthusiastically support and generously fund democracy in Pakistan. Democracy provides the West with an uninterrupted supply of corrupt traitors who secure legislation for the colonialist interests, whilst democracy also keeps the Muslims downtrodden and destitute, restricted in their ability to rise up against the system.

B. Political considerations: Democracy has had its day, time for the Khilafah "Caliphate"

B1. The Islamic Ummah has a magnificent opportunity before it to present an example of a just state and ruling system. In recent years, it is evident that Democracy has had its day. A Gallup international survey in 2002 established that, "majorities on every continent believe governments do  not represent the will of the people." In the case of Pakistan, if any Muslim does vote, he votes for the "best of the worst," choosing the big thief over the even bigger thief.

B2. The Islamic Ummah's will is for an Islamic system. Unlike Christian states, the Islamic state did not oppress the people and deprive them of their rights. For centuries the Khilafah "Caliphate" was a beacon for humankind, whether considering industry, agriculture, medicine, science, rights of human-beings regardless of religion, school of thought and gender. It was a sanctuary for the world's refugees, such as the Jews who fled persecution at the hands of the Christians in Spain in the Fifteenth Century CE. Thus, unlike the Christian peoples, there is no need for the Muslims to settle for democracy as a corrupt alternative to corrupt religious or theocratic rule. And as is evident in recent years, the Ummah is seeking the implementation of Islam and the return of the Khilafah "Caliphate".

C. Legal Injunctions: Khilafah "Caliphate" secures the interests of all the people, regardless of race, religion or gender

C1. Islam cuts the cause of neglect of the people's affairs, which is democracy. The Muslims believe in La Ilaha ilAllah which means that Allah (swt) alone defines what is right and wrong. Whereas in democracy, like dictatorship, it is built on La ilaha Il Insaan, there is none worthy of worship but human-beings. The human mind is used as the source of what is right and wrong, despite its limitations in knowledge, error in judgment, inability to be selfless and contradictions. So human-beings have been able to legalize oppression over others by making laws to secure it.

Thus, democracy gives human-beings the choice to obey Allah (swt) or disobey Him, whereas in the Khilafah "Caliphate", Muslims live according to the commands and prohibitions of Islam. Allah (swt) has revealed, وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمْ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلاَلاً مُبِينًا "It is not befitting for a believing man or woman to have any choice in a matter, when it has been decided upon by Allah and His Messenger." [Surah Al-Ahzab 33:36]. And whereas in democracy, assemblies of men and women as sovereign, choose laws according to their whims and desires. In the Khilafah "Caliphate", the Muslims will act only for the pleasure of Allah (swt). Allah (swt) said,وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ. "And judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires, and beware (O Muhammad) that they might seduce you from some of what Allah has sent down to you." [Surah Al-Maaida 5:49].

By abolishing democracy, the Khilafah "Caliphate" ensures equity and justice for all the citizens. As Hizb ut Tahrir has stated in its Introduction to the Constitution of the Islamic State, in Article 1, "The Islamic creed constitutes the foundation of the State. Nothing is permitted to exist in the government's structure, accountability, or any other aspect connected with the government, that does not take the creed as its source" and then further clarifies, "nothing connected to the Constitution or cannons, is permitted to exist unless it emanates from the Islamic creed."

C2. Only once democracy is abolished, will checks and balances will have value. Otherwise these checks and balances are only for securing the rights of the elite to oppress the people more and more. As for checks and balances in the Khilafah "Caliphate", they all ensure that Sovereignty is for Allah (swt) alone. Islam puts the essential duty of accountability on the Ummah; the Ummah is the first and last check to protect the Islamic State. The Ummah supports the Khalifah, but if he strays from Islam the Ummah should account him, and if he openly abandons Islam he should be confronted and removed.

As mentioned in the Introduction to the Constitution of the Islamic State, Article 24, it is stated "The Khalifah is the representative of the Ummah in exercising of the authority and in implementing of the Shari'ah." The Madhalim Court has also been defined by Islam to investigate any failings in ruling that may occur by the Khalifah or his governors. The Court can investigate pro-actively any perceived harm, and does not have to wait for a complaint to be raised before initiating an investigation. In the Introduction to the Constitution of the Islamic State, Article 41, it clearly mentions that the Madhalim Court "is the only authority that can decide whether the change in the situation of the Khalifah removes him from the leadership or not, and it is the only authority that has the power to remove or warn him." And in Article 87, "is appointed to remove all injustices which have been inflicted upon any person who lives under the authority of the State, irrespective of whether the person is from the subjects of the State or not, and irrespective of whether the injustice was committed by the Khalifah or anyone below him from the rulers and civil servants." Also the Khalifah is not allowed to interfere in the accountability process, if he himself is under investigation, meaning that Islam has not permitted the Khalifah to remove the Madhalim judge that is investigating him, as mentioned in Article 88, "The judge of the Court of Injustices (Madhalim) is appointed by the Khalifah, or by the Supreme Judge. His accounting, discipline and removal are done by the Khalifah or by the Supreme Judge if the Khalifah had given him the powers to do so. However he cannot be removed during his investigation of a Madhlamah against the Khalifah, or the executive assistants, or the Supreme Judge; rather the power to remove him in these circumstances is for the Court of Injustice Acts (Madhalim)."

C3. The elected members of the Council of the Ummah provide another means of ensuring that Sovereignty is for Allah (swt) alone. It is consulted by the Khalifah on various issues including the appointment of Governors and assistants. As mentioned in the Introduction to the Constitution of the Islamic State, Article 105, "The individuals who represent the Muslims' views to the Khalifah are the Ummah Council, and the individuals who represent the people in the provinces are the Provincial Councils. It is permitted for non-Muslims to be members in the Shura council for the sake of raising any complaints against any oppression by the rulers or misapplication of the laws of Islam." This is one of the specific duties of the Council of the Ummah, mentioned in Article 111, "The Council has the right to hold the Khalifah accountable for all matters that took place effectively within the State, whether these were related to domestic or foreign affairs, financial affairs, or military matters", also "has the right to express discontent of the assistants, governors or the ‘amils. Its opinion in such a case would be binding and the Khalifah should dismiss them at once". Independent media will also provide scrutiny of the Government. And political parties that are based on Islam are another of source of guidance and accountability for the Khalifah. In the Introduction to the Constitution of the Islamic State, Article 21, it is stated "The Muslims have the right to establish political parties in order to account the rulers or to reach the rule through the Ummah on the condition that their basis is the Islamic ‘Aqeedah and that the rules they adopt are Shari'ah rules. The formation of a party does not require any permission. Any group formed on an un-Islamic basis is prohibited."

Note: Please refer to the following articles of Hizb ut Tahrir's Introduction to the Constitution for the complete evidences from Quran and Sunnah: 1, 21, 24, 41, 87, 88,105 and 111. To see relevant articles of the constitution for the Khilafah "Caliphate" state please go to this web link. http://htmediapak.page.tl/policy-matters.htm

D. POLICY: Khilafah "Caliphate" that will liberate humankind from oppression by democracy

D1. Establishing a state whose institutions are based on Allah (swt) alone is Sovereign, which is the basis for ending the neglect of the people's affairs

D2. The Ummah and the Courts of the Unjust Act are the mechanisms by which the Khaleefah or any ruler would be removed for implementing other than Islam.

D3. Political parties and the elected members of the Council of the Ummah will hold the rulers to account and advise them according to Islam.