On Tuesday morning April 4, 2017, the world awoke to a horrific massacre in Khan Sheikhoun city of Idlib, west of Syria, where the oppressive Syrian regime used poisonous sarin gas, killing more than 100 civilians and wounding more than 400, mostly children, as confirmed by the Directorate of Health in Idlib.
This horrific massacre brought to mind the tragic event in Ghouta city, Damascus on 21 August 2013, in which about 1,500 people were killed. Without shedding of a single drop of blood, people died in their sleep, and more than 5,000 others, mostly children and women, were wounded in the most notorious attack with chemicals, again by brutal bombing of the Syrian regime’s forces. The Syrian regime has carried out attacks with internationally banned chemicals and poisonous weapons at various opposition controlled areas over the past years, which amounted to more than 140 attacks which left hundreds of martyrs and wounded. This was amidst a global condemnation of this regime coming from more than 12 independent organizations and 6 governments of major states.
The continuation of Assad regime’s bombing more Syrian cities with toxic chlorine gas after Ghouta massacre, the latest of which was days ago in Khan Sheikhoun city, and without a practical response from international community, rather the latter seeks to look for a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, and without a guarantee on trial of perpetrators of those massacres. This is a blatant evidence of support from these countries for Syrian regime and prolonging it through these negotiations, which despite their many names and different venues, their content remains one and that is, an increase in the killing, displacement and dislodgment to bury the revolution, which was marked by Islamic slogans and demands since its inception. All this is being done to restructure the mangled regime according to their interests and strangling any attexmpt to breathe outside their colonial system.
The suffering of our people in Ash-Sham significantly increased by silence of Muslim rulers who continue to flatter their masters to the extent of closing border crossings in the face of fugitives escaping oppression of the regime and in the face of the wounded and injured following this or that terrible massacres under the pretext of security concerns. A Turkish official said that authorities closed Bab al-Hawa crossing with Idlib suburb, on Tuesday, “for security reasons”, indicating that it would reopen as soon as possible, despite dozens of ambulances carrying wounded people still waiting in front of the gate after being closed by the Turkish authorities.
The people of Ash-Sham as all Muslims, did not and will not seek their salvation from such rulers, but they are crying with grief and sorrow filled eyes to the armies of Muslims stationed in their barracks, especially those who are a few kilometers away from them, to come to our victory, to the relief of our anguish and the arbitration of our Lord’s law through the establishment of the Khilafah (Caliphate) State on the method of the Prophethood, in which we will enjoy security and safety and will heal our breasts from the oppressors, the abusers of the lives of all of mankind.
Allah (swt) says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ * وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَتَعْسًا لَهُمْ وَأَضَلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ * ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَرِهُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ
“O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet. But those who disbelieve – for them is misery, and He will waste their deeds. That is because they disliked what Allah revealed, so He rendered worthless their deeds.” [TMQ Surah Muhammad: 7-9]
Another day, another massacre! What will be different this time? Hopefully, our response.
Here are few truths we cannot escape:
- Every ruler in the Muslim world exists through the approval of colonialist states. They are offered such positions only because they secure the interests of such states.
- The primary cause of instability in the Muslim world are colonialist states. They are directly responsible for the carnage we witness every day, and have been witnessing for centuries.
- Colonialist states have erected international institutions (e.g. United Nations, Arab League, OIC) as well as political establishment, media, academia and NGOs within Muslim lands to legitimize and extend their crimes. Appealing to such institutions is a betrayal of the greatest kind.
- Unless we base our response upon Islamic guidance, we will continue to witness further massacres. We will not receive Mercy from Allah SWT until we follow His guidance.
- Change has never, and will never, occur in the absence of struggle. “… Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. …” (TMQ Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11)
What is required?
- Expose the colonialism of your Governments. Raise awareness of the plight of our brothers and sisters, and work tirelessly to ensure the next generation of Muslims to understand the reality of Western crimes.
- Refuse to provide Muslim rulers a single shred of legitimacy. We cannot accept but complete removal of every institution erected to extend colonial control over our lands.
- Appeal both to common Muslims and Muslim armies for the re-establishment of Khilafah on the way of the Prophethood (SAAW).
What does this mean for me now?
- We must actively expose and challenge colonialist policies in the Muslim world, from the ideology to the policy and everything in between.
- Prepare ourselves for this blessed struggle by preserving our Islamic identities, culturing ourselves sufficiently and agitating relentlessly. Everything we do after today must be for this purpose.
- We must advance the case of Islam as the only way forward for the humanity. This means we must all make the re-establishment of Khilafah and everything it represents the basis of our activism.
Rajab 18, 1418 AH
April 15, 2017 CE
Hizb ut-Tahrir America
