Tyranny of Secularism against Muslims through Democracy

These few weeks, some dramas were shown by secular democratic system against Muslims in various countries. Indonesia and Myanmar were two most prominent examples in Southeast Asia. Two important scenes from millions of Indonesian Muslims rally demanding justice for Quran blasphemy, until the reluctance scene of Aung San Suu Kyi in response to the latest massacre incident of Rohingya Muslims. These two countries implement democracy; Indonesia has been dubbed as the largest democratic Muslim country while Myanmar has just started a new chapter of a democratic regime under their iconic “democratic” leader - Aung San Suu Kyi. From these two cases, there are at least two critiques with regards to Democracy I want to explain in this article:

First, the system and foundation of democracy disparages Muslim aspirations. Through paranoid statements from democratic rulers and their officials, the aspiration of Indonesian Muslims even had been seen as a threat.

Although the non-Muslims governor of Jakarta – who insulted Quran had officially declared as the suspect by the police, however the process was felt as half-hearted law-enforcement. Oceans of Muslims who aspire to glorify the Holy Quran was ignored by the democratic president as he prefers to supervise an infrastructure project rather than welcoming millions of his own people. Lately, a lot of antipathy expressions came out from the officials verbally. Jokowi was hurting Muslims by claiming that action of 411 was ridden by political conspiracy and Chief of Police even more paranoid by mentioning there was a rebellion's motive riding the Muslims' action. These such statements did not only show us their antipathy, but also have hurt the spirit of Muslims in loving their Holy Book, the Qur’an. They continue hiding behind the slogan of intolerance, the demonizing narratives of Sharia and Khilafah "Caliphate", as well as continuing to divide the Muslim Ummah - who extraordinarily stood in one row for Quran, one voice and one demand.

Second, democratic leader devalues Muslims’ bloodshed. We could realize this in Myanmar case; the latest incident in Rakhine this November was the worst bloodshed since the bloody clashes in 2012, such as claim of Kofi Annan who led the UN commission in resolving problems in Rakhine. Genocide attack committed by the majority Buddhist against the minority Rohingya Muslims occurred during the "democratic reforms" in Myanmar. However the democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and her ‘democratic’ party who led the government have chosen to ignore this tragedy. Many human rights groups have sharply criticized the reluctance of Suu Kyi for speaking about suffering of Rohingya. Dalai Lama even exasperated by this Myanmar leader who considered has moral responsibility to ease the tension between majority Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Falsehood of Democracy

Those two premises have not even discussed how unfair the media was - as the fourth pillar of democracy- in canalizing the news, ignoring the suffering, and advocating against Muslims. It's an antipathy democracy against Islam, completely does not show sympathy to Muslims. The hypocrisy of democracy has spawned tyranny of secularism, where human mind has higher authority than the holy Qur'an.

Since long ago, Hizb ut Tahrir have published a book that describes the essence of democracy. The book entitled "Democracy a Kufr System; Haram for Taking, Implementing, and Promoting it”. Democracy was not just a technical matter about election of rulers; it was a system of belief. Democracy places human's law above the law of Allah, gave the right of making laws -that was the right of Allah SWT- to human being. Authority of human reason places higher than the authority of revelation. This is truly the tyranny of secularism.

The Economist in its article what’s gone wrong with Democracy? stated that in Western countries democratic regimes often developed only to collapse, democracy has too often associated with debt, structural problems, dysfunction of domestic governance, as well as a tool of propaganda abroad. While in the Muslim lands, new democratic regimes replacements of the downfalls of dictatorial regimes have led even more to the deteriorations in these countries, and it occurred in almost all Muslim countries experiencing the Arab Spring.

The euphoria of democracy was only to collapse shortly after the tyrant fell down, but the deteriorations would happen once again. The Economist admitted that democracy has increasingly shown its fragility in both the heart – the West, and in the various parts of the world. It is clear that democracy which is closely side by side with the idea of secularism – during the last century, has failed to address the needs for essential change to today's world which is suffering multidimensional crises.

Democracy is the Real Tyranny

Democracy not only allowing genocide toward the minority Rohingya Muslim but also being an oppressor tool toward the majority Indonesian Muslim that has been mapped as silent floating mass or "silent majority". But incredibly this silent majority was apparently able to massively move and speak up with incredible strength identity as believers to the Qur'an. This actually reflects that democracy with Islamic Ummah – either majority or minority - is IMPOSSIBLE to resonate. Democracy like a wolf in sheep’s clothing where its real face is a tyrant - part of Western colonialism to Muslim countries. Even one verse of Quran which was defended by millions of people not appreciated in the land of democracy, as well as the massacre of hundreds of Muslims in Myanmar which also never be concerned by the icon of democracy.

In addition, democracy has been proven empirically as a failure system. After the world experiencing what is referred by Huntington as the third wave of democratization which resulted in over 120 countries (63% of total world country) are democratic regimes - but then Freedom House reckons that 2013 was the eighth consecutive year in which global freedom declined and between 1980 and 2000 the cause of democracy experienced only a few setbacks, but since 2000 there have been many. And democracy’s problems run deeper than mere numbers suggest.

Compounded with a report from the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, entitled World Protest 2006-2013 that showed a great increase of protests around the world, which is dominated by the issue of economic justice (58%), failure of political leadership (44%), global injustice and the neglect of human rights. Ironically, the ‘democratic’ new world order which was always revered by the West - in fact has spread misery and oppression around the world. So it was very clear that “democracy” is the new “sweet-faced tyrant” that brought mankind to the dehumanization abyss.

This was rooted more fundamentally why democratic systems became a new tyranny for Ummah; because it forces Muslims to embrace secular manmade laws compiled by an elite group and only gave benefit for foreign corporations. Proven by halfhearted justice from the democratic authorities in Indonesia and Myanmar for Muslims, justice and human rights for Muslims simply a myth. It was due to legislation produced by the democratic system that often ridden by the evil interests of the capitalist, this only gives benefit to the elite and impoverishes the masses.

Remember the words of Allah Almighty:

(أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ)

“Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].” [TMQ Al Maida: 50]

Soon, it will come its time when not only one verse of Quran that would be defended but also the whole one. At which time, one drop of blood of Muslims will not fall without the full defense of the Caliph, -a global political leadership of Ummah that would defend Qur'an and Ummah, biidznillahi.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Fika Komara
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir