Darfur Issue #3
by Dr. Musa

asm
Like most of you i am disturbed by the crisis in darfur. I am however similarly disturbed by the responses of some of us towards the issues. Whilst admitting naivety at most of the ovewhelming issues at play there, we’ve made insinuations or displayed nuances which are in my mind lacking at the very lowest level of ukhuwah islamiah. And this my dear bros/sis is the adab/culture of husnuzzan (harbouring good thoughts of your fellow muslim bros/sis). And this concept as alluded to by al-Ghazali (may Allah bless his soul) is the least that a bro can expect of another ; especially so in the midst of uncertainty, vagueness and raging disinformation which is waged by the forces of disbelief.

I make no pretense of my unflinching and deep fraternity with the muslim bros in the Sudanese govt since the early 70s becos many of them were my teachers and friends during our formative years in the UK. Let there be no 2 ways about this – this is a govt which is committed to the upholding of the shariah. Her shortfalls in this holy endeavour is for another deliberation. It bleeds my heart reading Mazeni’s mail ( the hurt is more so following his alternative view of the syahid bombers and the Malaysiakini caption says it all ). Despite all that has been written and the various argumentations the other equally pivotal concept of “almautufisabilillah hi asma amanina – allahu akbar walillahil hamd” (and to die in the path of jihad fisabilillah is our greatest ambition) is inadvertently thrashed ; and thrown out of the window by the likes of malaysiakini.

My first intro to maqasid as shariah was by the likes of Zubair Taha, a minister in the Sudanese Islamic govt ( our father Prof. Malik Badri will testify personally that this psychology student of his has never been part of this savage, irreprehensibe and inhumane treatment of their citizenry) Despite being a minister; he personally travelled south and took up arms to lead the charge of the Sudanese soldiers against the treacherous SPLM (Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement) led by the American Proxy, John Garang. He was in the twilight of near death in one of the battles having been severely injured but a “dream” woke him up and he survived to fight the next battle.

The foreign minister, Dr. Mustafa was once my colleague in the FOSIS (Fed of Student Islamic Societies in the UK & Eire) executive committee. He remains one of the most articulate in the cabinet and is most able to counter the barrage of diplomatic animosity.

Dr. Hasan Turabi (in the late 70s with a few friends/reporters we had a close session with him on the Sudanese experience) who I much admired in the early days of the Sudanese Islamic Project; has unfortunately changed his Islamic ways – yes even prominent islamist do change hence the celebrated dua. Considered one of the most versatile and progressive Muslim leaders his fatwa of late has been “quetsionable” and in some instances “wayward”. His alienation from mainstream islamic politics was evidenced from his collusion with the American sponsored rebels; SPLM when his party PNC (Popular National Congress) signed the MOU with Garang in feb 2001.

So bros, Sudanese politics which you only just heard over the past week or so is webbed in a complexity of sorts. The other regions seeing the “gains” acquired by Garang are toying with cessionist ideas – like penang getting ideas of the succesful s’pore project in 1969! The least our bros expect from us is husnuzzan – is that too much to ask …

wallahualam

musa