Accountability in the Khilafah Abdul-Kareem pdf download

Accountability in the Khilafah

ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE KHILAFAH

Accountability (muhasabah) is not the first word that springs to mind when discussing the Muslim world. Dictatorship, rigged elections, tyranny and torture pretty much sum up most Muslim countries today.

The level of cruelty inflicted upon the people easily rivals if not surpasses some of the worst oppression in history. Unfortunately for those living their accountability and the rule of law seem a distant dream.

Torture is routine in Muslim countries. Uzbekistan in Central Asia has literally boiled alive members of its Islamic political opposition. In Egypt, a man was filmed being tortured and sexually assaulted by police officers.

The video even made its way onto the internet. But instead of the police officers being prosecuted the victim Imad Kabir was jailed for three months for ‘resisting authority.’1

Elections are farcical. The President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov gained 91.9% of the vote in the 2000 elections. The sole opposition candidate Abdulhasiz Jalalov admitted he only entered the race to make it seem democratic and that he voted for Karimov.2

Most Muslim countries are dictatorships and police states. Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf recently sacked the Chief Justice for opposing some of his policies. When judges and lawyers held protests against the sacking they were attacked and beaten by police.3

It’s no wonder Muslims everywhere are crying out for an alternative to this dire situation. But what is the alternative?

America has made it clear it wants a ‘new Middle East. The Middle East according to Condoleezza Rice ‘strengthens the forces of peace and the forces of democracy in this region.4

The invasion of Iraq was meant to herald the start of this new era. Washington promised to make Iraq so attractive a democratic model that it would set an example to the entire Middle East.5 The plan spectacularly failed. ‘Democratic Iraq’ is a model no one wants to follow.

The failure to present democracy as an alternative to the dictatorships in the Muslim world has accelerated the drive towards Islam and the Khilafah. The majority of Muslims also want a ‘new Middle East but one where they live by Shari’ah, not secular law.6