THE USA.. What happened and what will happen? [Archives:2001/43/Law & Diplomacy]
October 22 2001
This article has been exclusively delivered to Yemen Times by Dr Mohammed Abdu Yamani.
The article was written on September 25, 2001
Former Information Minister,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Some wise men look into what happened in America with deep shock because thousands of innocent people lives were lost, buildings destroyed and interests damaged. They are asking themselves why all this happened? Who benefits from these disasters which led to destructions and ruins. Other essential questions are also emerging. Who perpetrated this? Who has this abnormal organizational abilities to carry out this kind of operations? Why was this timing chosen?
Before trying to answer these questions, we have to say clearly, honestly that these criminal actions are not approved by the Islamic Religion and Almighty Allah said in the Holy Quran: O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah and fear Him. And seek the means of approaching to Him, and strive hard in His Cause “as much as you can”, so that you may be successful.
If we look into Islamic Sharia doctrines and follow the teachings of our Prophet, peace upon him, who is the example of this nation, we find these criminal actions are not allowed by the Sharia or Islamic doctrines explained by the teachings of the Prophet.
We have been suffering injustice, especially from the Zionist unjust power which has been practicing tyranny and injustice against us by killing innocent children and women, destroying buildings and organizations, ruining the plantations, removing trees, implementing terror, making people hungry, and spreading injustice. Furthermore, American successive policies have mistakenly supported the criminal Zionist entity once by silence or by its defense and support at other times. Despite all of this, Islam cannot justify killing of innocents without reason because they are not related to what happened. Indeed, our war and fight against our enemies the Zionists are lawfully recognized by all heavenly doctrines, international laws,, United Nations resolutions, and human rights conventions.
Islam gave us explicitly and clearly the following right as Allah Said:
Fight in the way of Allah who fights you, but do not transgress the limits. Truly Allah does not like the transgressors.
Yet, the killing of innocents without any good reason is prohibited by Islamic doctrines. Those who were performing their jobs in the towers and the surrounding buildings were scared or killed without any reason, as these people are not involved in what is going on in Palestine or around Al-Aqsa mosque.
We must understand an important fact which is that the Islamic civilization, the Islamic education, and the heavenly doctrines of Islam does not allow injustice against innocents and prevent people from being killed without any reason. As Islam perceives human being as the supreme and honored creature among the other creatures, whether in heaven or on Earth, his honorship is not limited to his faith or impiety. The Almighty God says: And indeed we have honored the Children of Adam, and we have provided them with At-Tayyibat, and have greatly preferred them above many of those whom we have created.
Honorship from Allah is for Muslims and non-Muslims for them to enjoy good things regardless of their faith or impiety. The Al-mighty gives means of living to Muslim and non-Muslim and makes this lower life as a place of examination and test for them to be rewarded or punished.
Prophet Ibrahim asked his God: “My lord, make this city a place of security and provide in Allah and the last Day.” He answered: “As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then shall compel him to the torment of the fire, and worst indeed is that destination!
Ibrahim asked his Lord to assign the good means of living to the faithful people in particular, and to deprive the non-believers from it. But the Lord replied that the non-Muslim will also enjoy the good life in the same way as faithful persons. He also might assign to non-Muslims more enjoyment in good things to stimulate them. The Lord said to his Prophet: Let not the free disposal and affluence of the unbelievers throughout the land deceive you. A brief enjoyment; then, their ultimate abode is Hell; and worst indeed is that place for rest.
The right to live is granted in the Islamic Sharia to both believers and unbelievers and aggression against this right is not allowed for Muslim or non-Muslim unless for a good reason. The believer is not allowed to kill unless for three things: life for life, unchaste adulterer, and renouncement to to Islam. There is a fourth reason for killing which is against those who wage war against God. As the Lord said: Truly, those who disbelieve, if they had all that is in the earth, and as much again therewith to ransom themselves thereby from the torment on the Day of Resurrection, it would be a painful torment.
But the non-believer will not be killed because of his religion or belief, unless he declared his animosity against Islam, its norms and doctrines, or fights it with weapons. If so, the Lord ordered us to fight them:
Fight in the Way of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress the limits. Truly, Allah does not like the transgressors.
Even in case of fight against non-believers and declaration of war against them, Islam does not violate the sacredness of a human being by killing him unless in the state of war and in the battlefield where one should remain fighting till the last drop of his blood. But if he stops fighting, puts down his weapon, shows a surrender flag, or flees from the battle field, he will not be killed but will be captured. And, if Muslims defeated their enemy during battle showing their force, they should not fight them anymore but capture them and treat them kindly during captivity in order to stimulate their hearts to lean towards Islam. As the Lord says in the Holy Book: So when you meet “in fight-Jihad in Allah’s Cause” those who disbelieve, smite “their” necks till you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly “on them, i.e. take them as captives”. Thereafter “is the time” either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom) or ransom “according to what benefits Islam” until war lays down its burden. Thus, if it had been Allah’s will, He Himself could certainly have punished them “without you” but wants to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the way of Allah, He will never let their deeds be forgiven.
Islam does not indicate faith as a condition for their release, but their release is either for money or a sign of generosity and pardon from the Muslim side. This is the meaning of the Lord saying (either generosity or ransom).
The Muslims treated bad captives very good treatment by feeding them with bread and relishing food, so that they ate the less nutrient food, like dates. This was mentioned by one of the captives who indicated good treatment towards captives by the Muslims. This action is attributed to the recommendation of our Prophet for the captives. Regarding the non-fighters civilians in cities, towns, or villages, they do not fight them or captivate them. They do not cut their trees or destroy their plants and do not aggress worshippers or invade their churches and worship places.
Abu Dawood highlighted the following passage from Hadith Anas Ibn Malik where the prophet said:
Go ahead in the name of God, and don’t fight an old man nor a small child, nor a woman, and don’t exaggerate.
Abu Dawood and others narrators added that Hanzallah Al-Katib said:
We raided with the Prophet, peace upon him, and we passed by an inured women with people standing around her. They opened a path for him. She was not fighting with fighters. He said to a man, go to Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed and tell him that the Prophet of Allah says: Do not kill or murder a woman or a worker.
Therefore, we see clearly the mercy of Islam towards innocents and non-fighters. We became aware of that when Islam called for the capture of the fighters instead of killing them, and preferred generosity to captivity by releasing them without any ransom (either generosity or ransom).
Islam’s stance concerning killing in general is mentioned by the Lord in the story of Cain killing his brother Abel which is the first murder occurred on Land. For any crime perpetrated thereafter, Adam’s son has thus his responsibility of it because he was the first murderer.
The Prophet also tells us that killing one’s life unjustly equals to the killing of a whole nation. The Almighty says:
O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah and fear Him. And seek the means of approach to Him, and strive hard in His causes “as much as you can”, so that you may be successful.
The excesses in murders and injustices, as they have being observed for more than sixty years in Palestine, are cursed by God who blames those whose cruelty and hard-heartedness have exceeded all limits:
Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became like stones or even worse in hardness. And indeed, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and forth, and indeed, there are of them “stone” which split asunder so that water flows form them, and indeed, there are of them “stones” which fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.
From the above, we conclude that the killing of innocents and destruction of people’s safety are not recognized by Islam nor by the aforementioned heavenly doctrines.
If we try to answer the important questions: What happened in America? What is happening now? What will happen in the future if America hits Afghanistan or any other country and kills innocent people? What will be the reaction? Who will benefit from this? Would this eradicate terrorism or instead would the people, who see America as an unjust country that hit and killed innocent victim, gather around terrorism?
As for what happened in America, the issue and the following crisis are important matters. We have to try to answer the critical question: Who hit America? And why? How the hit was achieved? Why at this time in particular? And why in New York and not in any other state?
If one has a closer look in this matter, he may say this crisis, which shocked America and seemed like a war against America, was a strong slap, an unjust attack where many innocent people died. But, some wise men say, when trying to answer the questions about who did carry out the attack, in a whisper that: America hit America and the cause of this attack is the failure of American foreign policy in dealing badly and unskillfully with many situations. As this built hatred emotions against America, some US experts feel that this hit is a golden opportunity for America to reconsider a policy that provoked anger against their nation. These feelings came with the spreading of false rumors and unconfirmed news which negatively affected people vision and feeling about America.
No doubt that a big power like America can impose its global domination, but they have to adopt a just and fair policy which can balance matters and see future with a more wide perspective than just revenge. Feelings to be avenged makes America blind and deaf. We need America to be always wise and not to impose a absolute domination logic, and not to adopt arrogant behavior, as this will affect people’s resentment all over the world. Moreover, America already witnessed this attitude when there was an opposing camp, i.e. the communist camp, where hatred was concentrated in most of the world countries. Despite of the existence of poor and oppressed peoples all over the world, the “free people” rallied behind the Western block because it was fighting communism’s injustice with all its arrogance and unfairness. America was supposed to learn from this lesson when it became the only superpower in place. Since then, America has remained a big and grand nation for its principles of freedom and education of mankind. Most of the organizations or countries have been seeking cooperation and respect of America in the hope of closer bonds.
But what happened to America? What provoked confusion and failure in American policy? Where all this global hate comes from? The wise men in America have to look thoroughly for the reasons behind what happened. This action is indeed not a sudden or contingent action, as many indicators were present to predict these fateful events. As a consequence, nobody knows what the future will be for American interests. The attacks may re-occur, another crisis may rise along with the danger of a new surge of hatred and animosity towards America all over the world.
This matter requires a wise and deep review before another crisis can appear and plunge America and the world in endless problems. Arms, even the nuclear power, alone will not solve them. The thorough review, scrutiny and reconsideration of American policies are therefore a must for opening a new horizon and extending bridges to the world backed by an understanding and sense of responsibility for what happened.
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