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A look back on the year 2010 from a Muslim perspective. (For non-Arabic speakers: `Muslim` is an Arabic word, in English meaning: `one who submits to the will of God thus achieving peace`. Salam means Peace. Islam means the way of life that achieves peace.) Written by UmmahPulse Team As 2010 ends in damp, foggy squelchiness, the greyness of the sky seems a metaphor for an uneasy feeling that something is not quite right. The 21st century is a celebration of how to live in the moment, with every whim immediately satisfiable, every instant filled with beguiling distraction. The days when information and audiovisual entertainment were only available from a small brown box in the corner of the living room are over and we can now browse "content" on anything from our iPads, netbooks, smartphones or (even if it's a bit old fashioned) desktop PCs. In the snippets of "down time" between the multitude of reality shows and remakes of 1970s and 80s TV schtick, there is social networking, the 24 hour news cycle and, if you are really stuck, online multiplayer computer gaming to fill in any stray moments of "boredom". With all this, our overloaded synapses fire discordantly, our brains unable to contemplate, reflect or ponder. Instead, we are all too often limited to reacting to and rebounding from each new stimulus. For those left unsatiated by this diet of over-processed tat, there is the alluring prospect of "infotainment" that is sold to us labelled as "news and analysis". However, like a cheap pie from the bargain bin that is all pastry and no filling, when one breaks through the glossily tempting but ultimately indigestible crust, one finds nothing more than occasional undercooked morsels of fact, swimming in a watery gravy of superficial comment. As far as meatier portions of assimilation, insight, comprehension and context go, they are entirely missing from this recipe. While this may be dismissed as Luddite-inspired empty moralising, one finds it harder to ignore the internal disquiet that niggles at the back of our minds and poses the question: given all that has happened, and all that may yet happen, what does the future hold for Muslims? To theorise about the future, one must have a firm grip on the past and, as 2010 ticks over into 2011, we should at least start with the events that have affected the Ummah over the last 12 months. The following compilation is by no means a comprehensive anthology of the year, but rather a selection of different themes which had an impact on our writers. Please read, digest and contemplate.  Karima Hamdan Europe has a problem. There is a group of people, wedded together by an ideology that is elitist and totalitarian, whose actions have caused atrocities, death, destruction and mayhem on a worldwide scale. They are, however, totally unrepentant. Governments seem powerless to stop them, the public demands action but any attempts by the government to legislate are met with threats. For those peering nervously around for a bearded man (or niqab-wearing woman) with a backpack, don't bother. I am referring to the financial institutions whose cavalier behaviour has shaped the world in which we live and will continue to influence our lives. The financial crisis of 2008 rumbles on into its third year with the deadly "European contagion" metastasizing into the "European Sovereign Debt Crisis of 2010". The countries most severely affected are the so called "PIGS" of Europe – Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. Whether the European contagion could be labelled a "financial swine flu" is another discussion entirely. The PIGS are not isolated in their financial strife. We are told that this is a pan-European problem as these countries are "too big to fail". Is this because of some humanitarian reason, such as the suffering of their entirely blameless citizenry? No. It is because if these countries become bankrupt, the result would be massive sovereign debt defaults, causing almost every bank in Europe to become insolvent, which would in turn cause larger European countries to sink further into the abyss of recession. That is why we, British taxpayers, will each be stumping up our share of a €750 billion financial aid package, just as we kiss goodbye to Child Benefit payments, low university tuition fees and embrace an era of record unemployment. This is despite the fact that our government played no part in the decisions to lend these failing countries the money in the first place. No, those shots were called by the financial institutions, who are entirely unaccountable, unassailable and indeed "too big to fail". The financial crisis is not the only feather in the cap of these financial institutions. This year, they proved what a worldwide force for despair and iniquity they truly are as they precipitated a famine in Niger due to immoral speculation on the worldwide grain market. But not to worry, the traders at Goldman Sachs netted themselves a cool US$5 billion profit purely on the commodities market last year. What is the suffering of 12 million starving people compared to that? Given the devastation of the economic landscape, what kind of sweeping reform of the financial institutions is being enacted by European governments in response to such widespread and catastrophic failure? Not much is the answer. G20 and Eurozone governments have been warned that over-stringent regulation will lead to further bank failures. If quite so many EU politicians dedicated as much time and thought to our economic plight - rather than being obsessed by their current fixation on minaret bans, niqab bans, hijab bans, and sharia bans - then we might get somewhere. Unfortunately, it appears that it is much easier for some European politicians, held over a barrel and molested by over-sized financial institutions, to ignore the difficult economic realities, close their eyes and think of Islamophobia.  Ahmad Ashiqilahi 2010 has seen huge cuts to spending announced by the new coalition government as it tries to rein in the burgeoning £962 billion national debt - a debt which weighs heavily on each and every taxpayer alive today, and probably those for a generation to come. Each governmental department will bear an average 19% four-year cut, alongside £7 billion in welfare cuts. Those struggling most in society are likely to be hit hardest with the Institute for Fiscal Studies showing the Coalition's new approach to welfare, the Work Programme, to be regressive in nature. However, there are some that seem to have slipped the axe. Jewish faith schools will receive £650,000 in funds straight away and up to £2m a year from the Department of Eduction. Why? because they are concerned about anti-Semitic threats to their pupils. Other faith schools, or indeed non-faith schools, will not be supported in a similar manner. In fact, capital spending on our ageing schools will be reduced by 60%. Time for the hand that holds the axe to explain itself.  Wazir Uddin 2010 was the year that the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli apartheid state transcended international powers and states and was taken up by public sentiment across the globe. This was most dramatically expressed in the aid flotilla that crossed international waters to deliver essential items to Gaza, a strip of land which has become a mass prison camp for its inhabitants. Israeli naval commandos, who had boarded six of the ships in the flotilla, murdered ten innocent civilians and injured many more. Despite the PR spin and propaganda that subsequently emerged from the Israeli foreign ministry, the truth could not be drowned out: "Under darkness of night, Israeli commandos dropped from a helicopter onto the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmara, and began to shoot the moment their feet hit the deck." The UN-appointed panel that was set up to investigate the attack on the flotilla subsequently reported that Israel was guilty of serious violations of international law, "including international humanitarian and human rights law". 2010 was also the year that Latin American states lined up formally to recognise the Palestinian state within its pre-1967 borders. Although in its material effects this move is more symbolic than material, it caused outrage among pro-Israel quarters. The right-wing Israeli coalition government though is deaf to international protests and persists in its racist tyranny against the Palestinian people, and has been relentless in its policy to further occupy Palestinian land and Jerusalem.  Karima Hamdan
 Jamal Anderson Following the rising trend, 2010 has been a particularly horrific year for natural disasters. In January, the world saw the destructive power of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. More than 200,000 died and 1.5 million were left homeless. There were five other major earthquakes in 2010; all but one registered above 6 on the Richter scale. In February, Chile was struck with an earthquake measuring 8.8, the 7th strongest on record and 521 people died. River flooding in South America led to the death of around 15 people with hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Windstorm Xynthia swept across Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Germany late in February, causing inland and coastal damage which left 2 million homes without electricity. Heavy rains were responsible for extensive flood damage in Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Italy. Torrential rain was also witnessed in Madeira and parts of the Portuguese island were flooded killing 40 people. In the US, severe winter storms swept the country, affecting infrastructure in several regions, including Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and parts of southern New Jersey, and resulting in widespread electricity blackouts and disruption to schools, airports, roads and railways. In March, an Icelandic volcano erupted and an ash cloud descended upon most of Europe. Airports were closed causing international air travel chaos. Disasters continued throughout the year with landslides and floods in Bangladesh resulting in fatalities and causing havoc in June with flooding also taking place in China in May. Torrential rain in July resulted in the flooding of Pakistan, on a scale which was barely comprehensible. One fifth of Pakistan - an area the size of England - was flooded, with over 21 million people affected: "The monsoon rains which began to hit Pakistan in late July 2010 were the most severe for 80 years. They caused immediate flash flooding in the mountains of the north west of the country and ultimately flood waters worked their way south through the Indus and other river systems to engulf an area the size of England. Around 21 million people were affected with 10 million seeing their homes damaged or completely destroyed. Disasters Emergency Committee members have helped 1.2 million people already but many survivors continue to face huge challenges." (DEC) "Donor Fatigue" set in as charities saw a drop in donations. As 2010 comes to a close, people are still struggling to manage the consequences of this flood, with many still looking to rebuild their homes. In October, Indonesia was struck by twin disasters: an earthquake (magnitude 7.5) that triggered a tsunami was followed by the eruption of Mount Merapi. The death toll rose to 430. There are too many other disasters to list without causing "disaster news fatigue", but there are many more. Though the casualty toll may not be on the same scale, who can forget "snowmaggedon" in Europe and the US? In the US, FEMA recorded more than twice the average number of natural disasters. As of mid- December, there were 79 recorded incidents compared to the average of 34. There were "rare" tornadoes in parts of America and the largest earthquake to hit New York City for the last 18 years. Despite its own problems, America didn’t fail to offer its support to Israel which was afflicted with a forest fire that killed up to 40 people in December. Most were prison guards. Israel continues to suffer from the drought that began in spring 2010; analysts say this was a contributing factor. International rescue teams flew in from different parts of the world to help contain the fires. If only such demonstrations of compassion could be felt by the children of Palestine who continue, daily, to suffer the effects of a man-made disaster that has lasted decades. Allah is in control of all things and surely there are many lessons for us in these events, if we only stop and reflect.  Kamal Nuruddeen The best way to administer poison is with a sugar coating. This is a lesson that Obama knows well. Despite his Nobel Peace Prize credentials, he has expanded the US's belligerent policies in the Muslim world with more soldiers (Afghanistan), more contracted mercenaries (Pakistan), more drone attacks (pretty much anywhere a vassal state will provide political cover) and an expansion of the war (war over what? I can't quite remember anymore) into Yemen. Having exuded the promise of peace, he has done little to match the sugary rhetoric. The underlying venom remains unchanged. However, one cannot accuse Obama of complete duplicity. Having promised Israel his complete allegiance and record sums of money whilst he was campaigning for the presidency, he continued to fulfil those pledges in 2010 with record levels of military aid as well as the now standard political cover for Israeli actions on the international stage. Even so, there is no let up in pressure from the supporters of Zionism, with outrageous accusations of anti-Semitism ensuring Obama does not step out of line. So far, when it has come to Middle East policy, Obama has delivered the same as Bush, but with a better PR spin.  Karima Hamdan Coming back home - UmmahPulse has commented several times on the growing level of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the media and on the parallel growth of specifically anti-Muslim groups (such as the English Defence League (EDL) in the UK) as well as those who regularly use Islamophobic lies to prop up their political policies (like the Tea Party movement in the US). The fact that these groups are forging links, pooling resources and sharing information on a global scale have made us all pause for thought. The use of a street level army of thugs to form the vanguard of a political movement is a worrying trend that has been seen before. As Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels put it: "Whoever can conquer the street will one day conquer the state, for every form of power politics and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the street." Recent Tory proposals to guarantee that a petition with over 100,000 signatures would be changed to a bill to be debated in the Commons is a worrying development, especially when one sees that the official EDL facebook page has nearly 70,000 members. A policy sold as giving ‘power to the people’ can rapidly degenerate into mob rule, especially when there is a well funded, mostly unregulated, polemic right wing media stoking the flames.  Muhammad Tahir "Verily We sent down the Reminder (the Quran) and verily We will definitely protect it." (Quran 15:9) "Verily Allah will assist this religion, even through a sinner." (Bukhari) "Dude, you have no Quran." (Jacob Isom) We here at UmmahPulse believe strongly that those who would wrongly defame and abuse Islam and Muslims should be confronted and challenged. However, the reality is that if we are at all successful in this task, it is only a blessing from Allah. As He reminds us, the protection of the message of Islam is a responsibility that Allah has kept for Himself. We can only ask that He use us to accomplish His task. 2010 saw the emergence of "Quran burning" as a popular Islamophobic bonding exercise. But what was most striking about the most high-profile attempts to do so was their general failure (one right wing group's kerosene-doused Quran was stolen by shirtless skateboarder Jacob Isom) to incite anything other than increased sympathy for Muslims (surely not the desired effect), and claims by American government officials that burning the Quran would put American soldiers' lives at risk (not that occupying foreign countries might also be hazardous, but let's not digress). Just remember: It's not a war against Islam (we just want your resources)! Conclusions - Uncomfortable Parallels Karima Hamdan Much has been said about this current financial crisis being the worst since the Great Depression of the 1920s and 30s. At that time, governments were forced to cut public services while their people were struggling with record unemployment and social deprivation on a massive scale. It is no coincidence that there was a concurrent growth of far right movements across Europe, most notably the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. The parallels with our time are unmistakable, with the Muslim replacing the Jew as the universal symbol of hate to be despised. Having lived for decades in the UK, suddenly every part of our Islamic identity has come under scrutiny - from the food we eat to the way we dress to the way we interact with society. To my mind at least, Muslims are worse off this year than a year ago: increasingly attacked and lambasted, this trend does not seem to be abating. We may look back in the years to come and view 2010 as the time when the seeds of our greatest trial were first sown. Isolated from mainstream society, we will ultimately have to face a stark choice: assimilate and sacrifice our identity in order to remain "safe", or hold true to our ideals and risk ostracism. But as we go forward into this apparent darkness, some unassailable truths provide comfort and reassurance: there is only one God and He will protect and preserve the message He entrusted to His dearest messenger (may peace be upon him). His ancient plan is not the random ‘happenstance’ that it appears to us. The future of the Muslims depends on how they react to this stark choice and how deeply rooted within us is the knowledge that Islam is a train whose journey ultimately ends with Al-lah (English: The-God). It will keep rolling on whether we choose to board it or merely watch it pass by. May He make us among those who assist His religion. "Do men think that they will be left alone on saying 'We believe' and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false." (Holy Quran 29:2-3) {Ed note: Allah is Arabic for The God} "When asked about who suffers the greatest afflictions, the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: 'The prophets, then those who come next to them, then those who come next to them. A man is afflicted in keeping his religion. If he is firm in his religion his trial is severe, but if there is weakness in his religion it is made light for him and it continues like that till he walks on the earth having no sin.'" (Hadith by Tirmidhi) "The believing man or woman continues to have affliction in person, property and children so that they may finally meet Allah, free from sin." (Hadith by Tirmidhi) "Those who say when afflicted with calamity: 'To Allah we belong and to Him is our return.' They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy and they are the ones that receive guidance." (Holy Quran 2:156-157) "If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says that which Allah has commanded him: 'We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return: O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better in exchange for it,' Allah will give him something better than it in exchange." (Hadith by Muslim) "How wonderful is the case of a believer! There is good for him in everything, and this is not the case with anyone except a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him." (Hadith by Muslim) # |
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