It is with heartfelt joy that Muslims worldwide—and especially the resilient people of Syria—celebrate glimpses of hope after more than five decades of oppression. For over 50 years, the Assad family ruled with tyranny, father and son alike, brutally crushing any spark of freedom or dignity. Now, at long last, the people of Syria begin to see a glimmer of light breaking through the darkness. May Allah bless them with peace, justice, and mercy as they reclaim their future.
It is in our very nature to resist oppression. Humans cannot thrive under tyranny, and throughout history, oppressed people have risen time and time again to reclaim their dignity. Yet, in the modern Middle East, this struggle has been made seemingly impossible by the constant interference of foreign powers—old colonial forces like Europe and new ones like the United States. These powers have perfected the art of hypocrisy, waving the “human rights” banner only when it suits their own agendas.
Syria is a heartbreaking example. For decades, the brutal rule of the Assad regime brought unimaginable suffering to its people. This same regime was notorious in the region as a base of torture and interrogation for America and the West. These crimes, at the behest of the American State Department policies, are now coming to light from the depths of Syria’s prisons.
In 2013, the Obama administration drew a “red line” for the Assad Regime against the use of chemical weapons on their people. However, the implicit meaning and reality behind this message were clear: you have the green light to continue perpetrating mass rape, murder, imprisonment, torture, and indiscriminate bombing of the Syrian people. America’s empty threats to their favorite dictator in Damascus were exposed when the Assad Regime brazenly used sarin gas on the people of Ghouta in Damascus in 2013—killing over 1,000 civilians in one night! The screams of the oppressed were ignored by so-called champions of freedom and “human rights” in Washington, The General Assembly, and the Parliaments of the world.
Add to that, in 2015, when the Assad Regime was on the brink of collapse at the hands of the Syrian people, it was America that turned over its military base in Tartus to the Russian army, which proceeded to annihilate the resistance and provide security to the Assad Regime.
This reality is not unique to Syria. In Gaza, genocide plays out before the eyes of the world, yet the U.S. denies it even exists. In Egypt, military regimes oppress their citizens with impunity bolstered by Western support. Even when Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist with U.S. citizenship, was brutally murdered by the Saudi government, there were words of outrage—but no meaningful action. And then, it was business as usual.
How long will this hypocrisy continue? How long will powerful nations prop up oppressors, exploiting people for their gain while preaching democracy and freedom?
As Muslims in America, we raise our voices against this double standard. These policies not only harm millions around the world but also undermine the values that America claims to stand for.
The Syrian people have shown – as did the people of Gaza – extraordinary strength and resilience in the face of unimaginable oppression. Even after years of war, their spirit has not been broken. They have demonstrated the beauty of Islam in action by upholding unity in the face of destruction and employing Islam’s justice towards other faiths that have lived peacefully in the region for thousands of years.
The Muslims of Syria have exposed the global Islamophobic portrayal of Islam and Muslims—fed by media and political lobbies—which has poisoned public discourse, painting Islam as a threat rather than the source of mercy and justice it truly is. Islam is not just a faith but a civilization that has, for over 1,400 years, fostered coexistence and harmony among diverse communities. Under the Islamic system of governance, known as the Khilafah, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Druze, and others lived side by side. Under the Khilafah System, ruling leaders (Imam or Khalifah) are chosen by the people, ruled with Islam as a constitution and law of the land, governed with the advice of the Shura (Representative) council, and finally, the oversight of an independent judiciary.
To our Syrian brothers and sisters: continue building your future rooted in Islam. Stand firm against foreign interference and know that your struggle is not forgotten.
To the American government: Stop propagating Islamophobia, stop the interference, and respect the right of nations to govern themselves. If not, then know the promise of God, for a people steeped in injustice, wronging others, and oppression is only destruction.
قال تعالى: “وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا ٱلۡقُرُونَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَمَّا ظَلَمُواْ وَجَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ (١٣) ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ خَلَٰٓئِفَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لِنَنظُرَ كَيۡفَ تَعۡمَلُونَ (١٤)” يونس
“And We had already destroyed generations before you when they wronged, and their messengers had come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe. Thus do We recompense the criminal people. Then We made you successors in the land after them so that We may observe how you will do.” [The Quran 10:13-14]
Hizb ut Tahrir America
Jumada II 25, 1446
December 26, 2024
