Source: Asia Times:
By Hossein Askari: Professor of Business and International Affairs at the George Washington University.
The global media almost never questions the religious credentials of politicians and rulers around the world. Reporters should ask all Muslim rulers a simple question. If you are a devout Muslim, how come you are oppressive, unjust and wealthy?
While I agree that a person’s religion should be almost always a private matter between the person and his or her God, I think it is different when that person is head of state and professes a religious belief, when he touts it to garner votes or political support, and especially when he runs a country where there is no separation of religion and state. To be fair and upfront about my interest in this, it is broadly the case in many Muslim countries in the Middle East and the religion in question is Islam.
To anyone who is familiar with the Islam of the Quran and of the life of the Prophet Mohammad, a devout Muslim is not simply a person who professes that there is only one God with Mohammad as his messenger, prays, fasts, gives alms, and goes to Mecca. These somewhat mechanical actions though important are eclipsed by the one thing that is at the foundation of the Islamic faith – justice. A devout Muslim must be just in all that he or she does and oppose injustice wherever it is.
Hossein Askari
Categories: Asia, Separation of Church and State
Very interesting. In fact article presents detailed analysis of so called Political Islam. Many learned scholars specially in West are torch bearers of Political Islam. Instead reading and presenting the real teachings of Islam they take refuge under the name of Political Islam and keep on raising objections against Muslim leaders. The point highlighted in the article belongs to real teachings of Islam. Any ruler who calls himself/herself as Muslim and not adhering the real teachings of Islam in fact is not a real Muslim. So what is needed these days, Muslim Rulers who can practice the teachings of real Islam. Justice and fairness are the roots of Islamic real teachings. Writer refers Middle East and North Africa. I would add whole Asia and Africa in this scenario. Here million dollar question emerges how then Muslim Ruler can ensure following of real Islamic teachings. Prophet of Islam Muhammad (saw) prophesied it 1400 years back. It is through Imam Mahdi who has to revive the teachings of real Islam. Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community claimed to be the Imam Mahdi and the community founded by him is striving hard for the spread of teachings of real Islam. During last 125 years the Muslim Ummah has experienced many Muslim Rulers and each has stigma attached to its governance. Try once some one from Ahamdiyya Muslim Community and see the result. Though not as head of the state but in other important national positions the Ahmadiyya Muslim members had been serving in various countries and never any finger raised for their unfair or unjust behaviour.