Darfur Issue #6
by Dr. Mazeni Alwi

Thank you Musa and fauzi for your responses.I think none of us need to be reminded that many people don’t like islam and muslims. Wether or not this translates into conspiracy theories,opinions differ.

If you read my posting carefully,I do still have husnul-zann towards the Sudanese muslims.However I would not allow that to cloud my objectivity – as the prophetic tradition that says ‘help your brother wether he is the oppressed or oppressor’.In a situation as grave as this,I think objectivity is paramount.

The responses to my posting so far have failed to answer my queries and assuage my anxieties,much like the official statements from the govt.All I want is a credible alternative account to challenge those of the bbc & cnn to help me make an independent judgement.Also,Fauzi, we cannot simply brush aside accounts of survivors as unreliable without offering a credible rebuttal.Maybe they lied to embarrass the govt, but maybe they spoke the truth.

Well, back to husnul-zann and objectivity.I can recall 2 specific situations in the past.Many muslim students hailed the Islamic revolution in iran,and thought that this is the model for the Islamic world to follow.Not long after, it was odd that the Islamic republic was very supportive of hafez assad,who was at that time killing the muslim brotherhood supporters in Aleppo and hamas.I asked the more knowledgable brothers – the answer given was something along the line of husnul-zann.

Then the revolution started turning on its own children – bani sadr, mehdi bazargan,ibrahim yazdi… again the same answer.Maybe the shia have their way of doing things.

Then Afghanistan.We were all happy that mujahideen drove the soviets out.At last the sunni world can do it too.The most well known among Malaysians was hizbi islami led by gulbuddin hekmatyar because of its close association with jamaat islami. But not long after, they started to turn on each other,very brutal ,so much so that more afghan civilians died under them than under the russians,and later the Taliban stepped in to restore order(and the rest is history).Again I asked the knowledgable brothers,and the answer given was similar.Too many people have died because we dared not be objective and make criticisms where they are due.

Back to sudan,I never had the same privilege as musa of personally knowing important Sudanese Islamic activists.Even if Hassan turabi has gone wayward, there was no need for physically assaulting him at a Canadian airport.Again the charges of govt complicity have not been satisfactorily answered.

Shariah at all costs as state laws- too many politicians/govt have used it to maintain polpularity and remain in power among muslims – one day they were stauch secularists, the next day strictly applying the shariah.jaafar numeiri of sudan was one example,then the state govts in northern Nigeria, Pakistan. In its present state, shariah only applies to the poor and uneducated.The corrupt and power abusing elite of Saudi Arabia,Pakistan,Nigeria etc escape them.I don’t know enough about sudan but I hope it is not like that.What is really the priority for muslims?

mazeni