The Broad Implications of the renewed Drumbeat to War

by Abdul Cader Asmal

On the eve of the invasion of Iraq we issued the following statement ( War: catastrophic consequences, Boston Globe 2/5/03).

‘As loyal citizens of this country we believe that for the United States to go to war at this juncture would have catastrophic consequences. For Americans it would mean an intensification of their economic hardships, but this would be overshadowed by the tragic loss of lives in a war against a nation that has yet to be shown to threaten us in any direct way. For Iraqi civilians, the prospect of facing the onslaught by the US military in what has euphemistically been described as a “shock and awe” operation is no less terrifying than the life of brutal dictatorship they have been subjected to for so long. For the Muslim world such unadulterated warmongering against the Iraqis with a docile acceptance of North Korea’s aggressiveness would look like a crusade against Islam and serve merely to reinforce the distorted agenda of extremists and reduce our hopes of eradicating the scourge of terrorism.

Given the level of disinformation about Islam and the contempt with which Muslims are depicted, it might appear unpatriotic for us to challenge the drumbeat to war. On the other hand, our Islamic principles demand that in fearing none but God we should speak out against what we perceive as grave injustices about to be committed. It would thus be an an act not only of disobedience to God but treason against our own country when we fail to express our concerns in what we believe to be in the best interest of our country and the world at large’.

Imam Abdullah Taalib Faaruuq and Abdul Cader Asmal

Tragically we were correct in our prophecy.

Now as the same prophets of doom who had promised a ‘cakewalk’ in Iraq, again beat the drums of war we once more issue an urgent appeal.This time to stop any pre-emptive bombing of Iran which by all accounts will have apocalyptic consequences: the horrific slaughter of thousands of innocent Iranians; an Iranian response which may or may not reach Israel directly, but will stop the traffic of oil; this would create a cataclysmic worldwide economic crisis; it will place innocent Jews throughout the world on a perilous footing, not only from some vengeful Iranians but also as lurking anti-Semitism replaces rampant Islamophobia as the scapegoat of choice; overall the venture will not improve Israel’s security or reputation one iota. Iran knows full well that should it develop nuclear weapons and even hint at directing them against Israel, it would be pulverized to a man within a half a day. That is the supreme deterrent that Israel possesses. Frayed nerves on all sides need to fully understand this and not hold the world hostage to brinkmanship.

Perhaps the biggest losers in such a reckless venture would be the Muslims.The Sunni Saudis by encouraging foreign planes to overfly its territory and thereby devastate the Shiite Iranian regime would see the ‘schism’ between the two divisions of Islam become an unbridgeable divide of tectonic dimensions. Ironically, this is at a time when US presidential wannabees tout their Christian religiosity as their trump calling card, the Christian European nations clamor to close ranks around their failed nation states, and many Jews leave no doubt that they want an exclusive ‘Jewish’ State. Thus while other religious groups proudly proclaim their religiosity, Muslims are left scrambling to dissociate themselves from all sorts of pejorative allegations such as ‘stealth jihad’, ‘creeping shariah’, ‘Islamo-fascism’, and instead of developing a mutually respectful alliance with the West, their relationship is one characterized by abject obsequiousness (the oil-infested Gulf states) or monumental hubris vis-a-vis the president of Iran. To command the respect they deserve, Muslims must share their Islamic vision for humanity as a whole : the universal brotherhood of mankind with social equity and justice, freedom from poverty famine and factors conducive to war and terrorism, and global religious freedom, literacy and enfranchisement.

If instead they continue their downward spiral of internecine attrition(with the willing support of opportunistic outsiders) they will have squandered all of their God-given resources, and with it any respect they could claim.To take charge of their own destiny Muslims need to reflect and respond to the Quranic injunction,’ God does not change the condition of a people until they first change what is in their hearts,’( 13,11). A change of heart may not have a dramatic instantaneous effect on the political stage or the theatre of war, but will put the world on notice that there is a new Muslim conductor in the pit who will no longer continue to play second fiddle or follow the same drum beat to war to mankind’s total annihilation.

Abdul Cader Asmal MD FRCP is a Past president of the Islamic Center of Boston, and a past president Islamic Council of New England