Ayesha Naseem Mirza, UK
“Ordinary,” said Aunt Lydia, “is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary.” (The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood, 1985, Chapter 6, p. 33)
Studying the dystopian genre in literature was fascinating. You read about a far-distant world and got to analyse the characters, and their words created by a writer of the present. To read about such a world is bleak and at times disturbing. But looking around today and at the very current condition of the world, we can say that the distant and far-away dystopian future we never thought could be real is at our doorstep. It’s closer than ever, glaring and almost challenging us to accept it for the way it is.
Seeing more and more images and videos of destruction from Gaza, and now Lebanon, has brought that distant and fictitious world to life. Where indifference and apathy to human suffering and destruction of life is considered acceptable, where double standards of who can and cannot be a victim prevail, where peace means sponsoring war and where sovereignty and territorial integrity of only those nations matter where there are links to the vested interests of the privileged and wealthy countries and powers.
Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale was speaking of Gilead, a fictional setting in a dystopian novel where the system of governance is totalitarianism. For instance, seeing people hanged to death in public for not conforming to a totalitarian state’s norms is not real for us. That’s a world far from reality. It’s the one from books and films as they say. But the world we live in now includes people collecting the remains of their dead loved ones in plastic bags, it includes emergency centres in hospitals preparing to receive casualties after bombings only to find out that there were no casualties to take to the hospital because the bodies disintegrated into the ground after 2000-bunker buster bombs destroyed residential buildings. All, in the name of “fighting terrorism” and “restoring peace”.
“They use civilians as human shields”, “they hide weapons underneath the hospital”, “there is a tunnel underneath that school”, “the journalist was helping Hamas” – these and so many more claims were made to justify attack upon attack on civilian infrastructure and civilians. For a whole year and counting, Gaza has been bombarded and destroyed with the death-toll in the thousands, and over a million displaced based on these claims. The world, instead of questioning the rationale behind it, supported and backed it, paid for it, defended it and condemned those who refused to join them in their support for it.
Now, as the aggression turns to Lebanon, the oppressors continue to bomb civilian infrastructure and civilians on a daily basis, and are using the same claims for justification as they did for Hamas. One entity and its military has been bombarding and destroying not just the land it occupies, but also the land that is sovereign and independent. When Russia did this to Ukraine, it was a declaration of war, but for Israel, it is its right to defend itself.
How can we now consider a dystopian world distant? The civilisation that the western nations proudly boast about creating over centuries, the pride they take in claiming that they liberate the oppressed and the chants of pursuing democracy and peace we hear every year on D-day and Armistice Day, all of it is a facade with no essence or truth to it.
After all, where can there be civilisation when children have their heads blown off with bombs? Where can there be the liberation of the oppressed when condemning journalists, doctors, nurses, the disabled, men, women and children getting indiscriminately bombed and reduced to rubble and pieces of flesh is considered hate speech and extremism? How do you achieve peace and democracy while selling bombs and fighter jets to an entity that is destroying that very pursuit?
In an address to the guests at the National Peace Symposium hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK in 2005, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa said:
“You can fool the world by trying to justify your action that ‘we wiped out such and such a place because all of its people were cruel,’ and ‘we had to rain down bombs indiscriminately in such and such place because terrorists were hiding there.’ If you do this, remember that God is seeing everything and even if you can fool a few, God cannot be deceived.” (“Promoting Peace”, www.alislam.org)
This was said almost two decades ago yet each word of this feels as if it was said for the world of today. As Israel intensifies its war in Gaza and Lebanon, there is no sign of de-escalation. American and European leaders, alongside the western media, are continuing to present this as an act of defence when effectively, the region has inched closer and closer to a wider and catastrophic war for the impunity that Israel has now enjoyed for over a year with the support and backing of the West.
Accountability and Justice in Islam
Yet, as bleak and disturbing as the situation feels today, there is still hope. Hope for justice and accountability. Although not much has remained of international law and the rules of war, there is still hope for the ultimate accountability and justice to come to the oppressed in this world through God Almighty. There is also a promise of justice in the hereafter as well. Even if these worldly courts and rules of law fail the oppressed, there is hope and contentment in the belief that in God’s Court, there will be ultimate justice as Allah the Almighty is the Lord of all the worlds and the most powerful among all the powers.
It is said in the Holy Quran:
وَلَنُسۡکِنَنَّـکُمُ الۡاَرۡضَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ ؕ ذٰلِکَ لِمَنۡ خَافَ مَقَامِیۡ وَخَافَ وَعِیۡدِ
“And We will, surely, make you dwell in the land after them. This is for him who fears to stand before My Tribunal and fears My warning.” (Surah Ibrahim, Ch.14: V.15)
In the Five-Volume English Commentary of the Holy Quran, it has been explained:
“The words, [This is for him who fears to stand before My Tribunal and fears My warning], make it clear that the promises of victory and success are meant for those only who properly appreciate and realize the Majesty of God and His Power and who believe that God is the Master of the Day of Judgement and who fear lest their sins should bring upon them the punishment of God. Such a belief is a necessary condition for the fulfilment of the promises of God’s help. This shows that mere nominal acceptance of Islam is no surety for success and victory.” (Five-Volume English Commentary of the Holy Quran, Vol III, p. 1536)
Then in verse 22 of the same Surah, it is said:
وَبَرَزُوۡا لِلّٰہِ جَمِیۡعًا فَقَالَ الضُّعَفٰٓؤُا لِلَّذِیۡنَ اسۡتَکۡبَرُوۡۤا اِنَّا کُنَّا لَکُمۡ تَبَعًا فَہَلۡ اَنۡتُمۡ مُّغۡنُوۡنَ عَنَّا مِنۡ عَذَابِ اللّٰہِ مِنۡ شَیۡءٍ ؕ قَالُوۡا لَوۡ ہَدٰٮنَا اللّٰہُ لَہَدَیۡنٰکُمۡ ؕ سَوَآءٌ عَلَیۡنَاۤ اَجَزِعۡنَاۤ اَمۡ صَبَرۡنَا مَا لَنَا مِنۡ مَّحِیۡصٍ
“They shall all appear before Allah; then shall the weak say to those who behaved proudly: ‘Surely, we were your followers; can you not then avail us aught against Allah’s punishment?’ They will say, ‘If Allah had guided us, we should have, surely, guided you. [But] it is [now] equal for us whether we show impatience or remain patient: there is no way of escape for us.”
In the Five-Volume English Commentary, it has been explained:
“The words, [They shall all appear before Allah], embody a great truth about the decline and Fall of nations. It is not so much the actual weaknesses and misdeeds of a people that bring about their downfall as the exposure of their weaknesses. With their weaknesses having become exposed, their prestige and reputation, which more than their achievements are the mainstay of their success, suffer a mortal blow, lowering them in the estimation of rival communities and bringing in their wake decline and decadence. The words quoted above thus mean that God will lift the veil from the iniquities of the sinful and will expose them to public view, because from Him nothing is hidden.
The verse also sheds some light on another important principle about the rise and fall of nations. A people who are destined to perish give way to despair and become readily resigned to their low state, as hinted at in the words, it is now equal for us whether we show impatience or remain patient: there is no way of escape for us. On the contrary, a people for whom a bright future waits continue to make ceaseless efforts to improve their condition till all signs of decline and degeneration disappear and their feet are set firmly on the road to success and prosperity.” (Ibid., p. 1540)
Deterioration of peace and stability in the Middle East
The seriousness and the dire state in which the world is engulfed today is not new, although, for years, with no sincere effort to resolve conflicts and injustices has brought the region and the world to a point where now there is the ultimate and unapologetic display of barbarity with impunity.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, it resulted in an armed conflict (also known as the Gulf War) between a US-led coalition of 42 states and Iraq. Back then as well, the hypocrisy and the double standards of the West were obvious, so was their unfairness and differential treatment between the Arab states and the state of Israel. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh delivered a series of sermons throughout the period of the conflict and commented on the failure of Muslim states in following the commandments of the Holy Quran and the injustices of the Western powers. In one instance, he stated:
“The non-Muslim nations are busy making tall claims in the name of justice, as if they have been appointed the sole custodians of justice in the world, and that justice would become extinct but for the might of these nations. On the other hand, Muslim countries are making tall claims in the name of Islam; but when you hold these claims – being made on either side – up for scrutiny, you discover that these are equally devoid of the elements of justice that are laid down by the Holy Quran […] Where is justice? The Western world has adopted their own style of diplomacy – which in Islamic terminology would be called ‘duplicity’ – reaching the utmost limits. They have promoted duplicity under the guise of diplomacy and politics to a degree that is unparallelled in human history. So, their crimes are always in disguise, their language has lucidity, and their presentation – aided by propaganda – carries a semblance of rationality.” (The Gulf Crisis & The New World Order, pp. 40 and 45)
In another sermon, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh said:
“It is the founding of Israel and after that it is the continuous preferential treatment given to Israel by the West. Whenever there were two paths, and a question facing the West was whether to tread the path that led to the interest of Israel or to follow the path that led to the interest of the Arab Muslim world, then without exception, the West always followed the path which gave preference to Israel and discarded the interest of the Islamic world.” (Ibid., p. 59)
Since the war against Iraq was launched to tackle “Nasserism” or “Saddamism”, Huzoorrh also warned the West that for as long as they continue to treat the Arab states with contempt and unfairness and instead of sincerely seeking to end the conflicts in the region they try to inflate the fire by waging wars while siding with one side over the other, these “heads” would keep on rising and surfacing one after the other. If we look at the state of the Middle East today, not much looks different. In fact, it continued to get worse as he had warned that it would, to the point that he had said:
“I can say with certainty to these States which are about to bear the expense of this war and those who have brought in mercenaries, that they will never be able to return to their past. Their condition will deteriorate, from bad to worse and peace in this region will vanquish for all times to come.” (Ibid., pp. 94-95)
As the wealthy and privileged Muslim nations continue to maintain their silence over the oppression of their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters, and as the territorial integrity of Muslim states continue to get compromised at the hands of Israel with more and more bloodshed in the region, the words of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh from decades ago seem even truer for the state of the Middle East today.
Conclusion
Addressing the ways in which conflicts and unrest can be resolved and peace can be achieved, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IVrh stated that Muslims must not give in to hate and emotions in times of difficulty. He said:
“It is sheer emotionalism and ignorance that you should hate the British or hate the Americans. These are only the ravings of madmen. Hate can never triumph in this world. It is the high virtues which eventually emerge as victorious. The code of conduct of the Holy Prophetsa succeeds, because that is the conduct of the best behaviour. If the Muslims were to adopt that code of conduct it would be an exemplary charter for the whole world. Such a code of conduct is invincible. No power on earth can eclipse the code of conduct of the Holy Prophetsa. So, revert to that code of justice and adopt that precept, then the entire problems of this world can be resolved, and that genuine new revolution can start, creating a heaven on earth! If you do not accept that, then you would continue to fight, and this world would continue to face trials and tribulations.” (Ibid., p. 253)
Here, even while acknowledging the injustices of the Western powers, Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyya was and has been making a concerted effort to stay focused on the teachings of Islam and on the exemplary life of the Holy Prophetsa rather than getting swayed by emotions of anger and frustration. Showing strength and patience in adversity, unshakeable trust in Allah the Almighty and justice as the code of conduct are all virtues practiced and taught by the Holy Prophetsa.
As the Khulafa in the past, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa has also guided the Jamaat towards pursuing the same. Rather than giving in to hate and anger, Huzooraa has always encouraged and taught the Jamaat to act with patience and wisdom. We are to defy and refute the misconceptions that are alleged against Islam and Muslims with our examples; even in the face of our own facing oppression and the blatant apathy of the Western world towards it, it is our example of virtue that will bring about change and hope.
In this, there is another lesson. No matter how disturbing and dark the times are today, we cannot give in to it. We cannot accept it as our normal. Desensitisation and indifference to the suffering of others while living one’s own life in ease is a remedy for callousness and cowardice. As the bare act of bearing witness to the suffering of others and doing what you can within your means to help them is a Muslim’s duty and a right, we must discharge towards God Almighty and His Creation.
In conclusion to this piece, there is nothing more fitting than this extract from the address delivered by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa at the National Peace Symposium UK earlier this year in which Huzooraa stated his genuine concern for the state of the world and urged world leaders and society to focus on restoring peace while putting aside their differences and selfish interests. Huzooraa said:
“I firmly believe there is only one way to end these wars by ensuring that justice prevails and that whatever settlements are made are based on equity, as opposed to what better serves the interests of external powers. Otherwise, there is no benefit to the United Nations or international laws, and the only rule that shall hold weight will be the one that declares might is right.
“Political leaders and those who have access to policymakers must take a long-term view of what is in the best interest of mankind. Rather than being blinded by selfish desires to assert their superiority over others, we must all come together setting aside national, political and other vested interests for the greater good of humanity, and to ensure that we leave behind a prosperous world for our future generations. It is the need of the time that we must focus all our energies and efforts on establishing true peace so that we may live in a world of hope and prosperity, rather than a world defined by inequality, hatred and bloodshed.
“If instead, we stand by and let these wars escalate further, countless more innocent lives will be lost and surely history will judge us with contempt as the author of our own destruction and misery. And so, in conclusion, if we wish to save our future generations from being born with the ill effects of radiation caused by nuclear warfare, and desire to save them from deprivation and desperation, and if we wish to save ourselves from their curses and laments, we must act with urgency and wisdom.” (“The Critical State of the World – What is the Blueprint for Peace?”, www.reviewofreligions.org)