Press Release
Iraq’s Budget and the Pockets of the Corrupt
(Translated)

After three months of tension and altercation between members of parliament with insults and thrashing of hands, the Iraqi parliament approved the 2021 budget, which amounts to 130 trillion Iraqi dinars (89.65 billion dollars), Iraq depends in its budget on the oil it exports.

Since its occupation of Iraq in 2003, America has handed it over to a corrupt clique that America raised by its hands and created under its supervision, since then Iraq has gone from bad to worse. The far and near knows that this country is one of the richest countries that Allah has blessed with resources and goodness. These numbers we hear about in approving budgets over a period of seventeen years are huge sums, which are only from the share of oil, from the lot that the Iraqi government reaps from the rest of resources, such as sulfur, phosphates, gas, and others, which the people of Iraq know nothing about, as well as the border crossings, taxes, electricity, water, fuel, the endowment of the Endowment Department, and others that are too many to mention here.

We say: Where do all these sums go, and no trace of them are actually seen?! The majority of people live in poverty and destitution, and the infrastructure is in ruins. The unemployment rate in Iraq is 27 percent, while the poverty rate is 25 percent, according to the latest statistics of the Ministry of Planning.

The answer to that is clear and everyone knows it. It goes into the pockets of the corrupt who are no longer satisfied with anything and are not deterred by honour or Deen. That is why we saw them in Parliament wrestling, quarreling and insulting each other as if they were dogs that fell upon a carcass, so the goal of each of them is what he gets and his share of the prey. This is what leads to not approving the budget, like what happened in 2020, or in delaying it for months, like what happened this year. Whoever looks at the budget paragraphs and how they are distributed sees this clearly before him.

O Muslims in Iraq: All this is taking place and all that money that you know about and what you do not know about is wasted, you get nothing but crumbs from it. Nevertheless, every year they give you good tidings for approving the budget, which is yours because the basis on which the budget is approved is what Iraq exports of oil; which is a public property, and yet they share it as if you have no say in it. Until when will you remain silent and why are you submissive while you are tasting the worst of torments?!

O Muslims in Iraq: Allah (swt) commands you to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, Allah (swt) says:

[كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ]

“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” [Aal-i-Imran: 110].

Allah (swt) says:

[الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ]

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong” [Al-A’raf: 157].

Is there an evil greater than this? When you see the prohibitions of Allah being violated and your rights stolen and your money plundered? And the noble Messenger (saw) said:

«إِذَا رَأَيْتَ أُمَّتِي تَهَابُ فَلَا تَقُولُ لِلظَّالِمِ يَا ظَالِمُ فَقَدْ تُوُدِّعَ مِنْهُمْ»

“If you find my Ummah fears to say to the oppressor: “O oppressor.” Then say farewell to them” (Narrated by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak).

O Muslims in Iraq: Know that there is no solution for you and there is no cure for your situation except by liberating Iraq from the occupier and its followers, and by establishing the law of Allah in the Khilafah (Caliphate) state on the method of the Prophethood. A state that takes care of your affairs according to the law of your Lord, and you obtain your rights in it.

[وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ]

“And that day the believers will rejoice * In the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful” [Ar-Rum: 4-5]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Iraq