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Written by Ali Jawad
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Tuesday, 23 February 2010 14:30 |
 The depths of time safeguard dark and bitter stories of oppression and
suffering. Safeguard, I say, in the hope that humanity would one day be
intelligent enough to pay heed.
It is not altogether unusual for the virtuous to be slain at the hands of
vengeful seekers of power and might, for such is the overwhelming burden that
Man has pressed upon the heart of time.
The brilliance of solitary stars which sparkle from the depths was not attained
in ease and comfort. It is in the valleys of oppression and suffering rather,
that the nursery of stars is found. Even after death, they remain oppressed. The
stars, however, do not fade, but their radiance is ever more resplendent.
Four years ago, the blessed shrines of the tenth and eleventh Imams
(a) were heinously targeted in Samarra in what was an intentional and calculated
strike at one of the most potent symbols in Shia Islam. Putting to one side
questions pertaining to perpetrators and motives, it is fitting to ask after due
lapse in time about the nature and quality of our response, and the lessons we
have learnt from the shattering scenes witnessed on that day.
There are those who would like us to pass off February 22, 2006 as one more day
in the pain-ridden history of Shi’ism; one more dark episode pushed to the
depths as it were. Such that when we turn to look back in 5 years or 50 years
time, there are no lessons to be derived – there is only a reaffirmation of the
living insignia of oppression and suffering. This kind of reaction, subsumed in
a palpable fatalism, achieves nothing except to multiply the oppression.
The attack on the blessed shrines emerged from a particular context from which
we can derive both specific and general lessons. Not wanting to ring alarm bells
aloud, the present situation and context is not dissimilar to that of February
2006. It is therefore incumbent upon us to closely analyse the conditions of our
recent past, following which, we can begin to sketch some of the
responsibilities that we must shoulder. Here are some points to consider:
1. Marjaiyyah: The source of strength
We live in a world today in which the individual is raised above social
groupings and communities. Any sort of religious authority is especially shunned
by a mindset that claims it seeks to liberate man – even from God the Almighty.
For more than a century now, the efforts of certain powers have been focused on
‘doing away’ with the primary institutions of authority and legitimacy in the
Muslim world. Packaged in the name of modernisation (if not Westernisation) and
progressive labels, the “success” of such efforts has had devastating effects –
most visible in the rise of violence-driven currents within the Muslim fabric
who interpret Islamic law to suit their whims.
In the aftermath of the attacks in Samarra, one of the most notable lessons to
be learnt has to do with the centrality of the institution of the Marjaiyyah.
The very existence of a well-defined religious authority that enjoys unanimous
legitimacy within Shia Islam is not only a point of distinction, but in fact
serves as a fortified line of defence. Shia scholars from Iraq all the way to
Southeast Asia echoed the same message of the Maraje’, which in effect botched
the agendas of those who hoped to see an open civil war in Iraq, and wider
Sunni-Shia tensions across the Muslim world.
It would not be an exaggeration to state that the continuity and strength of
Shia Islam lies in the institution of the Marjaiyyah. It is of paramount
importance, especially for those of us who are geographically distant from the
hawzas, to consistently reinforce our ties with the wider institution of the
Marjaiyyah.
2. Myth of the Sunni-Shia divide
Looking back into recent history from the vantage point of wisdom gained by the
passage of time, one cannot help but notice the sheer breadth of the sectarian
conspiracy that had gripped the Muslim world before and shortly after 2006. Many
of those who thought, or perhaps deceived themselves into thinking, that Western
interference in the Muslim world was aimed at the “bearded fanatics” of Tora
Bora have been proven wrong.
One can safely state today that the systematic demonisation of Islam and the
targeting of Islamic symbols – with the shameful caricatures marking the climax
– have exposed the real target of those ‘noble’ interventions. Shortly after the
February bombing in Samarra, a grizzly war was waged by Israel against the Shias
of southern Lebanon – over 4 million cluster bomblets were rained over Shia
towns and villages in the last 72 hours of the war.
Following the war, a senior Israeli associate of the Begin-Sadat Center for
Strategic Studies (BESA), Dr. Mordechai Kedar, speaking at a conference in late
2006, stated in no unclear terms that: “Israel is fighting against 1,400 years
of Shia history”.
The deadly instruments of war are once again being prepared for an attack on the
Islamic Republic of Iran to take the war “against 1,400 years of Shia history”
to its next major target, with a renewed aggression on southern Lebanon also on
the cards.
3. The power of concepts
Whenever any attempt is made to question our level of response to the Samarra
attacks, a barrage of objections to the effect “what can we do?” (and related
variants, added for good measure) often follow. The pages of history speak of
many past nations and communities who raised such questions, yet history never speaks
well of those who employed these as pretexts to evade responsibility.
One of the greatest theological features of Shia Islam, which separates us from
other schools of thought in Islam, is in our understanding of concepts such as
predestination and divine decree. Since the beginning of the Prophetic mission,
Islam always stood against any form of slavish fatalism. The message of Islam in
its essence underlined the freewill of human beings, and gave emphasis to the
sense of responsibility that the provision of this gift naturally entailed.
Human beings were not only capable of changing the realities that surrounded
them, but as divine vicegerents, it was their responsibility to establish
justice and equity.
Today, it is amongst our foremost responsibilities – both as individuals and
communities – to refine our conceptual understanding of Islam; concepts such as
patience are today distorted in order to justify inaction and communal
passivity, whose end result is nothing other than a vicious cycle of
degeneration. Our scholars continue to stress on this aspect, especially in
their addresses to the youth. Brief works such as
Discourse on Patience written
by Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei provide testimony to their importance.
4. Awareness: The stepping stone for action
Any attempt to fulfil one’s responsibilities in the absence of proper awareness
is akin to embarking on a blind journey – possessing neither a clue as to the
final destination nor the path that ought to be traversed.
Evidently, awareness in our context pertains to an array of diverse subjects
whose implications influence our respective communities, either in part or as a
whole. As such, this responsibility is one that each one of must critically
appraise for themselves.
Nevertheless, there is one particular subject that I would like to raise whose
awareness we cannot shirk away from: the plight of Muslims in general, and Shias
in particular, around the world.
Anyone who claims to follow the religion of the Holy Prophet (s) and of those
great personalities who showed us, practically, – by carrying sacks of bread in
the dark of night in the alleys of Kufah and Madinah until their backs were bent
from the heavy loads – about the importance of the Prophetic tradition: “One who
gets up in the morning and is not concerned about the affairs of other Muslims
is not a Muslim”; for those of us who claim allegiance to such leaders, our lack
of awareness and at times, sheer negligence towards the affairs of our fellow
Muslims is totally inexcusable.
Projects to raise awareness on the plight of fellow Muslims should be regarded
as a communal responsibility, and as such congregations must ask, and if need be
pressure, their leaders to keep their respective communities up-to-date on these
matters. We must also learn to be pro-active instead of satisfying ourselves
with the usual knee-jerk reactions of protest and disgust. As we speak right
now, the Masjid Al-Aqsa is being exposed to greater threat with every passing
day. Where, may I ask, is our response to the daily sacrilege? What about those
Shia families who struggle to put together one meal a day in Iraq and elsewhere?
When will the time be right to finally witness our response?
5. Networking and coordination
It is irreconcilable to acknowledge the reality of Shia children in parts of
Africa and Asia not having access to books and pencils, whilst at the same time
maintaining pretensions of well-networked structures within the wider Shia
community. Furthermore, it is all-too-convenient to blame heads of communities
for such shortcomings when the community at grassroots level is itself sunk in
apathy.
Community initiatives increasingly need to dispense with self-imposed
constraints – particularly geographical. With vast means of communication and
technology available at our disposal, there really is no point juggling around
with grand-sounding excuses for the apparent lack of coordination. Leaders and
concerned members of our community should find ways through which we can tap
into the vast untouched resources within the wider Shia community. Through wise
leadership and proper coordination, we can begin to rise up to the many
challenges that confront us today.
Whilst speaking about the Day of Reckoning, the late Shaheed Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr
noted that there shall be two types of accounting: the individual record of
deeds for each one of us, and a collective accounting that brings to account the
(mis)deeds of communities and societies as a whole. We should therefore be under
no illusions about the responsibilities that we must bear not only as
individuals but also as communities.
To be followers of Imam Al-Hadi (a) and Imam Al-Askari (a) is to emulate their
lives and to act upon their lofty instructions. It is they who should be our
guides in our daily affairs, and it is to them we should turn to find answers to
the challenges we face. Those who seek to destroy the shrines of the AhlulBayt
(a) will never succeed, for to do so, they must first eradicate the love that
exists in our hearts for the Prophet (s) and his pure Household (a).
Through commitment, sincerity and unity of purpose much can be achieved to
further the goals of the AhlulBayt (a). But we must be prepared to take serious
steps, before the fruits of our efforts can be tasted.
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Ali Jawad is a political activist and member of the AhlulBayt Islamic Mission
(AIM).
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Unfortunately, the community is Lazy and languishing in Material desires.
Excellent piece.
Thank You