There is a tendency among some Muslims to misinterpret the role of women in society. This is based on a misreading of a Prophetic hadith and ignoring the teachings of the Qur’an. Islam does not prohibit women in leadership roles.
When some Muslims mention power, they only think in terms of human beings having power on earth. Allah is not part of their thinking. This leads them to deviant behaviour and results in endless suffering here as well as the punishment of Allah in the hereafter.
Muslims today suffer from the “Israeli mentality” that the noble Qur’an describes (2:47). This has to do with the characteristics of a leader. Just like the Bani Israel, Muslims think of a person qualified to be leader who has wealth and the means. This explains the Muslims’ plight today.
What qualifies a person to assume leadership position among Muslims? Knowledge is necessary but not sufficient. Qualities such as sense of justice, self-sacrifice, care for Muslims and the oppressed people around him are also required to fulfill the responsibilities of leadership.
Given the domination of un-Islamic systems in the world, Muslims have fallen into an inferior complex syndrome trying to fit within it. Muslims must turn to the divine message (the Qur’an) and the Prophetic Sunnah and Seerah to establish our position in life.
Some of the leading charities in the world are run by Muslims. While Islam encourages giving charity, there must be a context. Mass suffering, death, destruction and displacement have increased. It is imperative to understand why and how to prevent these recurring disasters.
Muslims living as minorities in non-Muslim societies are caught on the horns of a dilemma. The choice is always between the lesser of the two evils. This is an illusion. Muslims should open a debate among themselves and non-Muslims that follow the scripture to chalk out a way forward based on Divine guidance.
Emergence of an expanded BRICS has been hailed as a major challenge to the west-centric global order. Major players in BRICS, however, are not part of the Axis of Resistance and continue to seek a place in the old order.
South Africa has approached the ICC to investigate Israeli rulers for war crimes in Gaza. The ICC, however, is an imperialist outfit which was not set up to deliver justice. Besides, South African government policy also raises serious questions about its seriousness.
The question of land ownership lies at the root of most conflicts in the world. In North America, the European settler colonialists were highly successful in decimating the indigenous population. In South Africa, Black racism is driving its policies disregarding the rights of other people.
Most Muslims in South Africa and around the world have a positive view of the African National Congress-led government. The reality is very different. It is time to have a more realistic assessment of the ANC and see its Black African nationalism for what it is: racism.
Is BRICS really an alternative to the US-imposed global order or merely an appendix to it? The analysis presented in this article sheds light on other hitherto neglected dimensions of what BRICS really stands for.
