Grande Strategy

391948293 Chapter Eight New Medina Education

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:47:00 +0000

Education

Are we still Muslims or have we returned to Jahiliyah?

It seems that when Islam came to us, we were wrenched from the world of Jahiliyah and pummeled into the world of enlightenment in a short span of 30 years. An enlightenment that allowed a desert people to overshadow the two superpowers of the time and inherit civilization. We left the world of objects, materials, idols behind and learned to worship the Eternal.

Our minds were captivated by the ideals emanating from the Creator. We saw in the Prophet (peace be upon him) the perfect ideal to strive towards. Our minds were filled with these ideas and we had long left the dismal world of objects such as the pagan Arabs lived for - well-bred horses, women, cattle, silk, armor and weaponry and more. We had left the world of our lives revolving around specific people - chiefs, tribes, families, mistresses, titles, social acceptance.

Yet today, we are once more captivated by the world of objects and have forgotten our enlightenment. Instead of worshiping Him who is Perfect, who is Eternal, who is All Powerful, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, we live in a world where we objectify the world around us. What do we do?

We spend a third of our lives studying. Not to explore the creation of Allah, but for more mundane ends of material well-being; building careers. This meaningless education serves two purposes:

1. Wastes valuable time and money so that at the end of our education we are desperate to recoup the time and resource deficit incurred and thus put ourselves at the mercy of employment.

2. The education serves to brainwash us to sit quietly in cages and take orders, both without complaint and asking why? Why do I need to know these facts?

Thus primed, for the next third portion of our lives we serve our material overlords, in gilded cuffs and golden cages. Somewhere down this line we lose our innocence, our spirit and our soul. And by the time we reach our final third portion of the cup of life, for those of us who have not gone insane, we enter the arena to a game we have already lost. For an arm broken can be mended, but a spirit broken is far harder to remedy. In our twilight, we may return to our prayers, but those are but prayers of our own funeral. We may attempt social good but the plant that is already dead cannot be revived with water.

Only if we could have trusted our own souls, our instincts, our minds. Was it not that we universally did not like school? Did we not distrust the doctrine and dogma of the mullahs? If we instead could have touched upon our yearning for the living Islam, the ideal that our hearts call to strive towards. The life that is an adventure and not a career or a tour. The learning as a means to an end of striving in that very adventure, not a meaningless list of facts and tests the purpose of which is not understandable.

Then will our revolutions bring real change rather than endless cycles of clouds but no rain. Repeated reruns of betrayal and tyranny. Then will our prayers come alive with purpose and our masjids be transformed into meeting places of revolutionaries and adventurers.

Then will the world again tremble at our feet and the tyrants, oppressors and usurers find no place on Allah's Earth to hide from those who worship the Eternal and strive towards the perfect ideal, rather than worship the world and the objects that it constitutes. And then will we have returned back to Islam and forsaken again the world of Jahiliyah.

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The Muslim World Today

There are three kinds of education that are being handed out to Muslims today. One created for the elite involving foreign-language, often English or French. This system is based on a Western education model. The education lacks any real substance in Islam, but instead replaces this with a history, philosophy and social science that propagate a world-view centered on the ascendancy of Western civilization. Evolution is taught as fact, served with fanciful diagrams of half man and half animals. And the conspicuous absence of Allah imprints an implicit denial. The education provides a secular view of the world and the subservience and abject inferiority of our own civilization.

From being dressed in Western attire in a young age, our children are/have been brainwashed into accepting an alien culture and serve to be transformed into an elite that neither understands nor respects its culture and roots and instead is in awe of the Western civilization. These elite then serve as the agents of the foreign power in keeping control over the country, a new and sophisticated form of vassalage, yet vassalage to the same or greater degree than ever before.

The second form of education is the diametric opposite – madrasah education given to the lower classes where the Quran is recited and memorized but without comprehension, reflection and analysis. People still are devoted to the Quran, but their love of the book is not one of reflection and understanding, but of formalistic and ritualistic reading, learning by heart and a complicated science of pronunciation. What is produced are people who can recite, memorize and obey commands, but neither understand Islam, their active role in Islam, or their position in the greater scheme of things.

The third form of education is government sourced and involves a blend of rote learning similar to the madrasahs, but just enough practical curriculum to be able to function in various jobs and roles that any state and economy inevitably needs. These typically serve the middle classes.

Our education system is broken and astoundingly there is no Muslim government that is willing to fix it. How can we create an improved state of affairs when the fundamental building block of the system - the Muslim Individual - is not educated, aware and enlightened but brainwashed to believe their inferiority? As with any system: garbage in, garbage out.

The Great Mistake

Our present education crisis did not start now; our particular garbage has taken considerable time to rot and perhaps coincides with our decline. Brother Mahathir Muhamad points out in his blog CheDet that in the 15^th century we decided to separate worldly knowledge from religious knowledge and focus on the latter[1]. It was this that he attributes as a key element to our downfall.

Perhaps the issue started even earlier when the Asharite School started using reason and logic only defensively and Imam Ghazali debated those influenced by Greek philosophers. However, the victory seemed one not only against the philosophers but against the use of reason and logic itself. Thus, the doors of ijtihad were closed and Muslims moved increasingly to mysticism and fatalism to relate to the world around them.

Logic was carted off to be used only defensively in support of established theology. Ibn Khaldun in Al Muqadimah sheds much light upon the use of logic by what he describes as “recent scholars”:

“In time, the science of logic spread in Islam. People studied it. They made a distinction between it and the philosophical sciences, in that logic was merely a norm and yardstick for arguments and served to probe the arguments of the (philosophical sciences) as well as (those of) all other (disciplines).

“(Scholars) studied the basic premises the earlier theologians had established. They refuted most of them with the help of arguments leading them to (a different opinion). Many of these were derived from philosophical discussions of physics and metaphysics. When they probed them with the yardstick of logic, it showed that they were applicable only to those (other disciplines and not to theology, but) they did not believe that if the argument were wrong, the thing proven (by the arguments) was also wrong. This approach differed in its technical terminology from the older one. It was called “the school of recent scholars”. Their approach often included refutation of the philosophers where the (opinions of the) latter differed from the articles of faith, because, in most respects, there is a relationship between the opinions of the innovators and the opinions of the philosophers.

“The first (scholar) to write in accordance with the new theological approach was al-Ghazzali. He was followed by the imam Ibn al-Khatib. A large number of scholars followed in their steps and adhered to their tradition.

“The later scholars were very intent upon meddling with philosophical works. The subjects of the two disciplines (theology and philosophy) were thus confused by them. They thought that there was one and the same (subject) in both disciplines, because the problems of each discipline were similar.

“The theologians most often deduced the existence and attributes of the Creator from the existing things and their conditions. As a rule, this was their line of argument. The physical bodies form part of the existing things, and they are the subject of the philosophical study of physics. However, the philosophical study of them differes from the theological. The philosophers study bodies in so far as they move or are stationary. The theologians, on the other hand, study them in so far as they serve as an argument for the Maker.

[Notice the defensive and static worldview that causes fundamental problems. The battle of the theologians and philosophers muddled knowledge with their false arguments. The theological study of metaphysics is wrong in using the study of logic and existentia in serving as argument for Him rather than as material for searching for Him.]

“In the same way, the philosophical study of metaphysics studies existence as such and what it requires for its essence. The theological study (of metaphysics) on the other hand, is concerned with the existentia, in so far as they serve as argument for Him who causes existence.

“In general, to the theologians, the object of theology is (to find out) how the articles of faith which the religious law has laid down as correct, can be proven with the help of logical arguments, so that innovations may be repulsed and doubts and misgivings concerning the articles of faith be removed.

“If one considers how this discipline originated and how scholarly discussion was incorporated within it step by step, and how, during that process, scholars always assumed the correctness of the articles of faith and paraded proofs and arguments (in their defence), one will realize that the character of the subject of this discipline is as we have established it, and one will realize that (the discipline) cannot go beyond it. “However, the two approaches have been mixed up by recent scholars. The problems of theology have been confused with those of philosophy. This has gone so far that the one discipline is no longer distinguishable from the other.”

Further along in his book, he confirms that this mixing of the two is fatally wrong and a mistake:

“The only thing that caused the theologians to use rational arguments was the discussions of heretics who opposed the early Muslim articles of faith with speculative innovations. Thus, they had to refute these heretics with the same kind of arguments. This situation called for using speculative arguments and checking on the early Muslim articles of faith with these arguments.

“The verification or rejection of physical and metaphysical problems, on the other hand, is not part of the subject of speculative theology and does not belong to the same kind of speculations as those of the theologians. This may be known, so that one may be able to distinguish between the two disciplines, as they have been confused in the works of recent scholars. The truth is that they are different from each other in their respective subjects and problems. This situation called for using speculative arguments and checking on the early Muslim articles of faith with these arguments.

“The verification or rejection of physical and metaphysical problems, on the other hand, is not part of the subject of speculative theology and does not belong to the same kind of speculations as those of the theologians. This should be known, so that one may be able to distinguish between the two disciplines, as they have been confused in the works of recent scholars. The truth is that they are different from each other in their respective subjects and problems.

“The confusion arose from the sameness of the topics discussed. The argumentation of the theologians thus came to look as though it were inaugurating a search for faith through (rational) evidence. This is not so. (Speculative theology) merely wants to refute heretics.”

Thus, we have established beyond a shadow of a doubt that logic was pushed aside by the political success of the theologians and used defensively, with philosophy itself removed to a portion merely of speculative theology.

The consequence of this was manifold, and like a dynamo through history, knocked down many pillars. Firstly, education increasingly discounted the teaching of logic, and subjects such as mathematics that develop that critical element of the brain. Instead, we started to focus on memorization. Secondly, our valuation of knowledge changed and this caused what we earlier described from Dr. Mahathir Muhamad as the separation of knowledge. With the end to ijtihad and an education that eliminated from the bud the intellectual capacity of the Ummah, the Muslim mind was chained, collared and imprisoned.

Mysticism aided this process, and it is interesting that it was also Al Ghazali who instituted the legitimacy of this practice. It was as if the traditional theologians and the mystics worked as a tag team to create a new artificial consensus. Describing the Sufi practice, Ibn Khaldun notes:

“The Sufis are very much concerned with achieving this great joy through having the soul achieve that kind of perception. They attempt to kill the bodily powers and perceptions through exercise, and even the thinking power of the brain. In this way, the soul is to achieve the perception that comes to it from its own essence, when all the disturbances and hindrances caused by the body are removed. (The Sufis) thus achieve inexpressible joy and pleasure.”

And again:

“The arguments and proofs belong in the category of corporeal perceptions, because they are produced by the powers of the brain, which are imagination, thinking, and memory. The first thing we are concerned with when we want to attain this kind of perception is to kill all these powers of the brain, because they object to such (perception) and work against it.”

Centuries later, from the intellectual stupor of the Ummah, we can only guess that these great geniuses succeeded! Dissent was seen as an enemy, and the intellect was seen as the cause of the dissent. What better way than to create zombies to hold the Ummah in a perpetual state of conformity, and keep the world in a perpetual static relic of the past? But the rest of the world moved on unfortunately for the Ummah. No words can describe the pain this author felt when he came to these conclusions.

Social-psychological diseases often manifest themselves in very peculiar ways. Confucianism erred towards perfectionism and, over the centuries showed itself in the degenerate form of Chinese foot binding; it was believed that women having small feet was a desirable quality and Chinese families started putting children into small wooden shoes that they would be forced to wear. It was said that every small feet required a bucket of tears. Thus a philosophical-theological error manifested itself in a ghastly manner that was clearly visible to the Chinese. For Muslims however, we cannot see the damage we are doing to our children, yet it is far more profound than the foot of those poor Chinese girls; for a brain is far more part of being human than a foot could ever be.

There is in fact one case where the full manifestation of this stranglehold on the intellect became clearly visible; in Pakistan there is a Sufi shrine where people go to pray for various desirables to the dead “saint”. In one such shrine, known as Dawlay Shah, people sometimes go to ask for children, in case they have fertility problems. Perhaps they have not heard about fertility clinics. If the couple then have children, they are supposed to give their first born to the shrine. The child’s head is supposedly put inside a metal helmet-like enclosure and the child grows up with a small brain. Such small-brained individuals are then used to serve the shrine, begging and doing other income-generating activities. They are then known as Dawlay Shah dey Chuhay or Dawlay Shah’s rats.

How else did this great blunder come about? Malek Bennabi in his book The Question of Ideas in the Muslim World points out that the impetus to the mysticism mentioned above came from a Muslim society that reacted to an increasingly materialist order within itself by an increasing indulgence in the rejection of the material. One pole of extremism attracted the other, and destroyed the middle way. The subordination of reason and logic and the mysticism that thus established a foothold has had cascading consequences upon our society. The separation of knowledge as we described is essentially the same as secularism, whose very core is the separation of “religious” and “secular” knowledge. Long before the bayonets of the British showed up, we stabbed ourselves with our own Damascus blades.

Muslim society has been trapped between the two poles of materialism and mysticism ever since. Today we can see the results before us; on the other hand, the materialism now in hyper-drive via its Western variety has led to the increasing destruction of the moral fabric of society leading to a world were objects have overwhelmed humanity. This world is the anti-thesis of the push to mysticism. One pole attracts the other, polarizing the Ummah. Yet, Islam is the Middle Way!

Worldviews and Education

Our education has to be based on our worldview. Bennabi explains that our core beliefs are fundamentally different from the West’s in the following illustrations:

1. Man either looks at his feet or at the stars

2. Objects and forms, techniques and aesthetics, versus truth and virtue

3. Industrial time versus extemporized time

4. Positivism and dialectic materialism versus morality and revealed knowledge

The question that comes to mind is, given the completely different core viewpoints of the two worlds, can we attempt to Islamize Western knowledge in the manner we are attempting at present? As an example, consider the subject of Economics where the dominance of Economic theory in the West aligns with the dominance of the material; the very term “Econom(y)ics” resides in the material. Simply attaching “Islamic” to form a “new” “Islamic Economics” seems dishonest to our true principles, to our very different core principles.

It seems that the very aspect of Islamizing knowledge today does not reach out and spring forth from our core, but attempts to fit our principles into a Western worldview.

A respected author at an Islamic university wrote a book using such complex terms that the students (at least those for whom reading it is compulsory) are dumbfounded at what it means. A choice of wonderfully complex terms are put together in such a vague manner that you are left wondering what the author is saying, but give the benefit of the doubt that it must be truly profound. On the other hand, perhaps Bennabi’s words were apt for this:

Islamic thought sinks to mysticism, to vagueness and fuzziness, into imprecision and into mimesis and craze vis-à-vis the Western “thing”!

We must ask ourselves what we are trying to achieve, or who we are trying to impress with this approach to writing. And in the sixth chapter of his same book, Bennabi describes the issue of a lack of ideas or dead ideas leaving empty brains, helpless tongues and infantilism. He quotes Nicholas Boileau, a French literary critic from the 17^th century thus:

That which is properly thought out is said clearly,

And the words to express it come forth easily.

Taking the concept of Islamization of Knowledge as illustrated by “Islamic Economics” – where the attempt to keep the Western Neoliberal framework and simply attempt to replace “Un-Islamic elements” – the very idea is perhaps fundamentally flawed in creating an Islamic revival. The learned scholars react by stating that we cannot go back and start from scratch. But such scholars miss the point that there is a big area between the dressing up of Western sciences to meet the Islamic hijab code on the one hand, and “starting from scratch” on the other.

A Muslim Worldview of Acquiring Knowledge

But, what is the nature of knowledge and why is it important to us? Even before we can touch upon the question of Islamic Economics and Islamizing knowledge, we have to first identify the nature of the relationship between Islam, Muslims and knowledge because it appears as if we understand knowledge in a vacuum. It seems as if it was something merely necessary for the survival of the material world. Our universities churn out degree holders to feed our economies in the hope of competing with the West. We then Islamize our text to make them more palatable and to claim an Islamic revival.

Yet, this reaches out to a mimic of the West seeking its core in the material. Our focus on the reason, purpose and relationship of knowledge to us has to be fundamentally different. It has to reach out to our core – our religious and spiritual innards.

There may be many different means by which we can develop this connection. It is up to our intellectual endeavour to take up this challenge. This challenge has been taken up by the IIIT and the Islamization of Knowledge (IOK) movement. Thus far however, the IOK movement has failed with the Faruqi and Attas paradigms. Furthermore, the Faruqi and Attas paradigms are well-entrenched and unlikely to be superseded easily, creating yet another problem. As Bennabi notes, dead ideas lead to deadly ideas.

The IOK movement would have avoided the pitfalls had it discovered Allama Iqbal’s and Malek Bennabi’s work. However, they appear to have been too busy with plagiarism and appropriating each other’s (and other’s) work and making tall claims about how they were the first people to discover these problems with Western knowledge.

Returning to the question of rebuilding a meaningful connection between seeking knowledge and Islam, the connection is expressed in the following section based on this author’s understanding. It is noted that these are but merely two ways of many to think about the issue. The first paradigm outlined below is similar to that given in Allama Iqbal’s Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.

A First Paradigm:

The story begins (and Allah knows best) when Adam was created and Allah (swt) taught him the “names of things” or “nature of things”. And Adam was asked to tell the angels their “names” or “natures”. And this was seen as the triumph of man and convinced all but Satan. All were told to bow to man – what an ultimate honour to be bowed to by Allah’s creation!

At first glance it seems confusing. What is this term “names of things” or “nature of things” and why was it so special? For many people this would just be something they will not understand or contemplate over. Was it that the angels did not understand and simply start bowing to anyone that can take their name or show their nature? Moreover, what is the point being made by the Quran? Perhaps there is some real meaning in this.

However, it may be that for a student of psychology this bit of information may prove to be of interest. Consider the fact that studies of the human mind have shown that the mind has an amazing ability that other beings known to man do not have – the ability to classify things – both material and non-material (i.e. ideas). This ability to classify and organizing information is not shared with other creatures. If one reads about the philosophy and epistemology of science, we find that this quality of classifying and organizing data and thereby investigating their natures is perhaps the key factor to what science essentially is. In fact, it is what science is built upon; it’s very fundamental building structure.

The reason a university has so many departments each focusing on a specific set of subjects, and within them sections focused on even more specific, and within them sub-sections and professors who specialize in even smaller focuses is because the information has been classified into these various branches, sub-branches, sub-sub-branches and so forth. This makes the investigation of the nature of things possible at a level unforeseen otherwise. So, what this author is crawling towards is that the event when Adam was created and thereafter was taught the names of things was not a meaningless event, but a very meaningful one and one that guides us as human beings to who we are, what we are, and our purpose. And Allah knows best.

To clarify, our purpose is to worship Allah (swt) as we all know. But does worship mean going to the masjid and banging our head to the floor a couple of times while thinking about our daily activities and then being on our way? As always, when in doubt, investigate the Quran. The Quran constantly, and repeatedly talks about reflecting, thinking, contemplating about the world Allah (swt) has created around us. One random example of many:

And all things We have created by pairs, that haply ye may reflect. (51:49, Al-Quran, Pickthall)

The second element that comes to our notice is that the Quran talks about the natural world (botany, zoology, evolution, etc), about the stars, planets, the beginning of the universe (Astronomy, Astrophysics), the mountains (Geology and Geography), and more. Again, it simultaneously (and repeatedly) tells us to think, reflect, and contemplate. Islam goes so far as to challenge man to find a fault or prove the Quran wrong.

Allah knows best, but the purpose of this can perhaps be best understood in the following manner:

Imagine that I make an acquaintance. I can say hello, ask his name and meet the individual repeatedly. But after a million hellos, I may not truly know him any better than the first day I met him. If I really want to know the individual in question, I could perhaps take another approach. If the acquaintance was a painter, I could go down to look at his painting and attempt to understand him through his works. My mind may wonder: what does my friend paint about – women, cars, landscapes or science fiction? What choice of colours does he use? Is he a cubist? What size are his paintings? What’s so great about his work? What’s not that great?

On the other hand, if the acquaintance was an engineer and had built a bridge, I could go down take a look at the bridge, see what it’s like – is it mechanically efficient? Aesthetic? Both? Is it sporting a postmodern looking? Or does it look like it’s out of the 18th century? What choice of materials did my friend use? By noting the works of my acquaintance, I could get to know him in a more meaningful way than having spent years saying hello and goodbye. Perhaps even more than if I chatted with him about the weather, the news, politics, religion, philosophy and had tea with him every weekend.

In a similar vein, if we wish to know our Creator, one critical method could be to contemplate, reflect, and think about His amazing creation (and Allah knows best). But to effectively do so, we need to understand the nature of the things around us. We need to have some idea of art to understand a painter and some idea of the engineering of bridges to appreciate our engineer friend who built one.

This brings us back to the parable of Adam. To really understand the nature (or names) of things, we need to be able to classify them and study them in depth; to be investigators, scientists, thinkers, theorists. We note that only humans have this ability to classify and organize data, that is to name them, and this is closely connected to understanding their natures. Because once you can classify data, you can begin to investigate the relationships between multiple classifications. This mental process may seem natural to us, but in fact is unique to humanity.

So a Muslim, who actually reads the Quran with understanding and contemplation, not mindless babbling while rocking left, right, forward and backwards, will inevitably become an investigator, a researcher, a thinker, a philosopher, a scientist. What is more, this is closely linked with tauheed and tasawuf.

Tauheed is often described as the understanding of the Oneness of Allah and knowing his attributes. Only by being an investigator, scientist, thinker, can we get a deeper understanding of the Oneness of Allah, which is constantly expressed in the creation. Otherwise, repeating the Names of Allah will neither yield a deeper understanding of those Names nor will it be sufficient in itself to attempt to understand our Creator with the full force of the resources and capabilities available at our disposal. Thus, our scientific endeavour is central to the goal of reaching a more meaningful and deeper understanding of tauheed.

However, charting the destination is different from walking the destination. When we begin our investigations, we quickly find that our mind gets involved with the specific and forgets the whole. If we take the example of the bridge used earlier, we start admiring the bridge, the materials, and the architecture and forget about the engineer who was the original purpose of our investigation, and who we had hoped to better appreciate. This is where the role of tasawuf begins; the constant remembrance of Allah; in our case, specifically during our investigation. Without this, we lose the purpose of our investigations and are lost again into the world of objects and people.

Thus, tauheed, scientific inquiry and tasawuf (or dhikr) are inextricably linked. None can bloom in their essence in isolation but are joined like a jugular vein to the other. In the great contemporary battle between the Wahabis / Salafis who nominally uphold tauheed and Sufis who nominally uphold tasawuf, both sides have missed the essential symbiosis of the three concepts. If anything, all sides consider the investigation of “secular” knowledge as beyond their realms and subject matter.

A Second Paradigm:

Another possible paradigm on how Muslims can relate themselves to knowledge is from the perspective of jihad. It is imperative for the Muslim world to overcome the external threat in order to revive and defend ourselves. Acquiring the necessary knowledge, technology and industrial capacity thus becomes a part of jihad.

Using this knowledge of the world, we can overcome our enemies or at least defend more effectively against them. It is this approach that allowed Pakistani scientists to overcome sanctions and a lack of a technological and industrial base, and build a highly competent nuclear industry at break-neck speed.

Moving Our Children to the World of Ideas

Bennabi describes the great crisis of civilization as the cultivation of humanity moving from the world of people and objects to the world of ideas. He describes the critical age when our children begin to enter this world of ideas as starting from seven to eight years, as supported by cognitive development theorists such as Piaget and Case. We are doing the greatest harm to our children when we are forcing them to block out the development of the thinking process and instead make them memorize endless texts, whether in our religious schools or our secular ones. We may be producing zombies.

It may be that we are forcing our children into boxes out of which they cannot grow, as we earlier noted with the example of Chinese foot binding. Our situation may be worse for we cannot observe by sight the damage that we are doing to our children.

Pity the child whose mind is being raped by being forced to memorize endless text she does not understand. Who is banished from asking questions. Who is taught to detest what was to be loved. And who will face this whether in a madrasa or in the average school. If she is “lucky”, and her parents are wealthy enough to send her to an elite Western school, she would be robbed of her Islam in all but name. This is what they and you, reader, yes you, are responsible for doing to our children. I detest it with all my heart. If Allah ever gave me the strength, I would punish those responsible with the most severe punishment. May all those responsible or tacitly responsible through their silence go into the deepest pits of Hell.

Severity to our children and strictness in instruction not only alienates them but zaps them from their spirit and energy, that vital power that can make them individuals that can change the world. Ibn Khaldun notes:

“Severe punishment in the course of instruction does harm to the student, especially to little children, because it belongs among (the things that make for a) bad habit. Students, slaves, and servants who are brought up with injustice and (tyrannical) force are overcome by it. It makes them feel oppressed and causes them to lose their energy. It makes them lazy and induces them to lie and be insincere. That is, their outward behavior differs from what they are thinking, because they are afraid that they will have to suffer tyrannical treatment (if they tell the truth). Thus, they are taught deceit and trickery. This becomes their custom and character. They lose the quality that goes with social and political organization and makes people human, namely, (the desire to) protect and defend themselves and their homes, and they become dependent on others. Indeed, their souls become too indolent to (attempt to) acquire the virtues and good character qualities. Thus, they fall short of their potentialities and do not reach the limit of their humanity. As a result, they revert to the stage of "the lowest of the low.

“That is what happened to every nation that fell under the yoke of tyranny and learned through it the meaning of injustice. One may check this by (observing) any person who is not in control of his own affairs and has no authority on his side to guarantee his (safety). One will thus be able to infer (from the observable facts) that things are (as I have stated). One may look at the Jews and the bad character they have acquired, such that they are described in every region and period as having the quality of khurj, which, according to well-known technical terminology, means "insincerity and trickery." The reason is what we have (just) said.”

And:

“When laws are (enforced) by means of punishment, they completely destroy fortitude, because the use of punishment against someone who cannot defend himself generates in that person a feeling of humiliation that, no doubt, must break his fortitude.

When laws are (intended to serve the purpose of) education and instruction and are applied from childhood on, they have to some degree the same effect, because people then grow up in fear and docility and consequently do not rely on their own fortitude...”

But Islamic religious education originally did not have this impact. In this regard, Ibn Khaldun notes that:

“It is no argument that the men around Muhammad observed the religious laws, and yet did not experience any diminution of their fortitude, but possessed the greatest possible fortitude. When the Muslims got their religion from Muhammad, the restraining influence came from themselves, as a result of the encouragement and discouragement he gave them in the Quran. It was not a result of technical instruction or scientific education. They laws were the laws and percepts of the religion that they received orally and which their firmly rooted belief in the truth of the articles of faith caused them to observe. Their fortitude remained unabated, and it was not corded by education or authority. Umar said, “Those who are not (disciplined) by the religious law are not educated by God.” Umar’s desire was that everyone should have his restraining influence in himself. His certainty was that Muhammad knew best what is good for mankind.”

An Islamic education must be built, an education on the basis of which we can construct sound citizens. Such an education can be seen in the various Islamic school systems established throughout the world including by Yusuf Islam, whose highly successful chain of Islamic schools in the United Kingdom has been a model of excellence. We have men like him and others such as Hamza Yusuf, Nouman Ali Khan, and innumerable others waiting in the wings for an opportunity. An opportunity that is only possible if an Islamic state is established.

An Islamic state would need to bring Muslim educators world over together and let them build what they have successfully built without the resources of a state and in a hostile environment. We do not need to reinvent the wheel, this task before us, although of the greatest importance, is not beyond the capabilities already present today.

Action Plan

Whether or not we can change the worldview of our adult populations, we need to ensure that the Chinese foot binding equivalent of brain damage on our children does not continue. We need to ensure that children at the age of 7-11 are given proper schooling where they are encouraged to think, reason and understand the Quran and not blindly memorized in a language they do not understand. Thus, the Quran has to be taught and read in a proper manner starting from this age group, enabling future generations to not only understand and appreciate the Quran, but in a stroke, Islamize their worldview and paradigm including how they think about their future educational endeavors.

Ibn Khaldun notes:

“In his Rihlah, Judge Abu Bakr b. al-'Arabi made a remarkable statement about instruction, which retains (the best of) the old, and presents (some good) new features. He placed instruction in Arabic and poetry ahead of all the other sciences, as in the Spanish method, since, he said, "poetry is the archive of the Arabs. Poetry and Arabic philology should be taught first because of the (existing) corruption of the language. From there, the (student) should go on to arithmetic and study it assiduously, until he knows its basic norms. He should then go on to the study of the Qur'an, because with his (previous) preparation, it will be easy for him." (Ibn al-'Arabi) continued: "How thoughtless are our compatriots in that they teach children the Qur'an when they are first starting out. They read things they do not understand and work hard at something that is not as important for them as other matters." He concluded: "The student should study successively the principles of Islam, the principles of jurisprudence, disputation, and then the Prophetic traditions and the sciences connected with them." He also forbade teaching two disciplines at the same time, save to the student with a good mind and sufficient energy.”

[1] Taha Jabir Al-Alwani writes similarly in his work Ijtehad, IIIT.

Chapter Seven New Medina Economic Model

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:45:00 +0000

Economic Model

Glossary of terms used is provided at the end of the book.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Sheikh Imran Hosein for a proper understanding of riba and money from an Islamic perspective. Prior to this understanding, I had, indeed in earlier editions of 21^st Century Islamic State dismissed the idea of fiat currency being haram. However, I have now made a 180 degree turn and accept with full conviction that this is the case.

The fundamental viability of any state is its economic system. The inability of the Muslim world in creating viable economic models that are not cheap replicas of Western economies is perhaps the biggest challenge that we face. Riba (interest) is central to the western economy and for Muslims this is unacceptable. Any models we develop on the lines of their system are therefore fundamentally un-Islamic. We have to be brave in breaking new ground, in finding a viable alternative framework rather than conniving the latest trick in the book to put another name for riba, and somehow guise it as “rent”, “fee”, “resale” or the many other terms we play with. Riba is wrong; there is no going around this.

Let us then start this discussion with a look at what is considered riba. The discussions in the next section of this chapter are a summary of what I have learned from, and have been convinced by, from Sheikh Imran Hosein.

Riba and Money

In the first verse on riba, the Quran discusses riba in the following manner (30:39):

The above is given in the clearest possible word-for-word translation of the first ayat revealed regarding riba. Muhammad Asad in The Message of the Quran defines riba in the following manner:

“Roughly speaking, the opprobrium of riba (in the sense in which this term is used in the Qur’an and in many sayings of the Prophet) attaches to profits obtained through interest-bearing loans involving an exploitation of the economically weak by the strong and resourceful: an exploitation characterized by the fact that the lender, while retaining full ownership of the capital loaned, and having no legal concern with the purpose for which it is to be used or with the manner of its use, remains contractually assured of gain irrespective of any losses which the borrower may suffer in consequence of this transaction.

“With this definition in mind, we realize that the question as to what kinds of financial transactions fall within the category of riba is, in the last resort, a moral one, closely connected with the socioeconomic motivation underlying the mutual relationship of borrower and lender; and, stated in purely economic terms, it is a question as to how profits and risks may be equitably shared by both partners to a loan transaction. It is, of course, impossible to answer this double question in a rigid, once-for-all manner; our answers must necessarily vary in accordance with the changes to which man’s social and technological development – and, thus, his economic environment – is subject. Hence, while the Quranic condemnation of the concept and practice of riba is unequivocal and final, every successive Muslim generation is faced with the challenge of giving new dimensions and a fresh economic meaning to this term which, for want of a better word, may be rendered as “usury”.

I leave the reader here with the belief he or she knows the different types of riba, or can find a better book about them. I would recommend Sheikh Imran Hosein’s book The Prohibition of Riba in the Quran and Sunnah for further reading. Let us now turn to the question of riba and money, riba al-fadl, which relates to riba in money transactions. We start with two principles:

1. What constitutes money should have intrinsic value either in the form of precious metals or commodities of staple food consumption that have a shelf-life.

2. These precious metals and commodities as given in Point 1 are prohibited from like for like transactions unless they are exchanged equal for equal and the transaction is a spot transaction (and not on credit).

The proof of these two points is given at the end of the book under the section titled Proof for Riba and Money in Islam. Sheikh Imran Hosein, in The Prohibition of Riba in the Quran and Sunnah explains the issue with great clarity:

“If one person gives a loan of one gold dinar to another, then the contractual obligation for repayment of the loan should not exceed one gold dinar. Secondly, just as we need to buy French Francs when we visit France, so too, in a market which uses real money, people need to buy money. Just as we may seek to buy the French Franks with US dollars, so too, in a market which uses real money, we may seek to buy gold dinars with silver dirhams. Or we may wish to purchase a dozen larger size gold coins with a weight of one dozen ounces, with smaller size gold coins (and this is like changing five US $20 currency notes for a US $100 currency note, - with the exception that paper money is itself riba). Such money transactions, i.e. in which money is exchanged for money, are required to meet the condition of equal for equal and hand to hand in order to avoid riba.

“It is of crucial importance for us to carefully note that while like for like required an equal for equal transaction which was also a spot transaction, when gold, silver, dates etc., were being bought and sold, this was not so for camels:

‘Hassan bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Abi Talib reported that Ali bin Abi Talib sold his camel, named ‘Usaifir, in return for twenty camels (on credit).’ (Muwatta, Imam Malik).

‘Nafi’ reported that Abdullah bin Umar bought a she-camel in exchange for four camels and arranged that those four camels should be delivered to the owner at Rabdhah.’ (Muwatta, Imam Malik).

“The reason for this was that camels were not used as money, while dates were sometimes used as money. And so four young camels could be exchanged for one adult camel, but two baskets of inferior quality dates could not be exchanged for one basked of superior quality dates.”

Now that we understand riba and riba al-fadl, or riba in money transactions, we end with the emphasis that fiat currency is therefore haram, that interest-based lending under any and all pretended Islamic garbs is haram, that fractional reserve banking is haram, that limited liability is haram. With this premise, let us now look at the economy today and the quest for an alternative system to the present interest-based system.

Savings-Investment

The fundamental question for an Islamic economy, or perhaps any economy for that matter, is in defining how savings-investment will work in an alternative framework. That is, how savings in an economy may effectively be transformed into investments. If we take out both interest-based banking and limited liability (thus corporations as we know them, stock flotation and leverage), because of their inherently un-Islamic nature, we appear to be taking out this important link between savings and investment that economies today thrive on. In taking out this important feature, we need to find an adequate replacement. This replacement insh’Allah can be an alternative venture capital centered investment economy. Another alternative may be to redesigning the corporation as we know it to incorporate liability. This would create a very different economic system.

Let us look at why Venture Capital (VC) is not able to compete today with banking. One reason is that western economies subsidize loans over investment in equity because interest payments are not taxable while dividends are. This puts VC at a disadvantage and gives banking an unfair advantage. There does not seem to be any real rationalization for this without going into a “conspiracy theory”, but suffice it to say for intended or unintended reasons, this is the case. VCs are also restricted to only receive funding from accredited investors, effectively barring the public. Another disadvantage is the VCs cannot create money out of nothing through fractional reserve banking, which again allows banks an unfair advantage.

As a result of these unfair practices, venture capital and other forms of equity investing suffer a double jeopardy. We see that venture capital is greatly marginalized in western economies both in quantity and in quality, focusing narrowly on the highest yield opportunities which also involve the highest risk.

Let us now turn to the issue of limited liability. Within investments in equity, corporations created in limited liability (and the concept of the corporation as a legal entity) and by extension the stock market, dominate because of their access advantage to funding and limitation of liability. The public is also practically barred from investing in non-publicly traded companies, i.e. companies that are not large enough, not limited corporations and are not willing to pay the typical 30% of their stock value to investment middlemen (say, from Wall Street), to gain access to public flotation of company stock.

This monopoly is maintained by law, meaning it is illegal to bypass this greasy and shady process to directly sell shares to the public. While theoretically it may be possible to start your own exchange, the bureaucratic and regulatory burden is enough to ensure that any such enterprise by an outsider to the vested financial institutions is practically doomed to fail. This essentially is the other handicap that small companies have to face in addition to the well-known preference of banks to finance large firms. These disadvantaged categories of firms are then left to raise money informally from friends and family, mortgaging their personal assets and/or to seek venture capital.

If we want to imagine an alternative, the best alternative is to set the market free – disable the handicaps to private equity and enable handicaps on unfair money creation through the interest-based banking system. Let us imagine an alternative savings-investment framework. Our savings-investment vehicles could include:

1. Venture capital firms;

2. Investment banks;

3. Restructured corporations; and

4. Restructured stock market.

Corporations may be restructured to include liability. In that case however, it may be reasonable to pass responsibility that information is provided accurately to the top management. If the company fails because the management was hiding information in any way then the shareholders should not be held liable for the losses beyond the value of the stocks. Any stocks that are showing poor balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements could be de-listed from the stock exchange mechanism and moved to pink sheets. Investors investing in these pink sheet companies will be fully cognizant that they are dealing with companies that could default and fail, resulting in them being held liable for losses. This is but one possible solution to restructuring corporations as we know them.

Derivatives need to be severely restricted and regulated by the markets to ensure that speculation does not reign. This is important to ensure that the financial system is subservient to the "real economy". The rules earlier discussed under Riba & Money would play the role of judging if a certain derivative is acceptable or not. This decision of classification has to be made by people who understand both the revelation and the subject matter at hand.

Venture capital firms would need to play a key role in the economy, a role that will be far less restricted by regulation and would also not be restricted by the opportunity costs created by interest (riba) in Western countries. They will therefore need to be structured differently from the VC firms in western markets. They will be larger, more “bank-like” in their investment decisions and willing to take on lower yield investments.

We must note that banks cannot play the role of a venture capital firm because they lack the skills, training, organization structure and basic mindset. It is therefore not surprising that our attempts to turn banks into investment firms have met with limited success if not abject failure.

For VC firms becoming larger and taking more of the lower risk spectrum of the market should be a natural adaptation and evolution for them given that there will be no competing interest-based system to take the lower yield and lower risk side of the market. The financial system will not subsidize interest based lending (as in the west and discussed earlier) and there will be no "risk-less interest" to artificially raise yield requirements for risk-sharing investing.

Land and Property

By and large, the vast majority of humanity lives today as tenants to property owners. The rents they pay (or their mortgage payments) are a substantial portion of their income. It is small wonder that buying a house is such a major facet of people’s lives. It is also an important salient that property booms and busts are of such critical importance to economies today. When the house of cards comes down, newspapers speak of this salient as defining their downturn: homelessness.

Yet, Islam does not allow man to claim property for himself perpetually. All land belongs to Allah, and according to Islamic shariah, man cannot claim land that he has not been using productively. The land does not belong to some remotely located land owner; neither does it belong to a “nation state” or “government”.

An application of this Islamic law alone would liberate the common people. It would allow citizens of our Islamic state to live outside the oppression of either earning a wage or to live “homeless”. It would drastically bring down property prices. Simultaneously, it would introduce new workers into the work force who are the unproductive landowners and government stewards. For an economy where a portion of the populace originally makes no effort to earn a wage, the productivity of the economy would increase.

Those owning the land would also more likely be users of the land; this could further increase productivity as long as regulation is in place to ensure that agricultural land-holding size is adequate for economies of scale.

While Maududi has spelled out that any land not in use for 3 years is open for people to make use of or in fact a duty upon government to allocate efficiently, very few if any Muslim economists consider how critically different our economy will be when people are freed from the oppression of the landed and propertied classes, how much less financing would be required for acquiring housing and how this would impact the stability and dynamics of the economy as a whole.

Economics is the study of supply and demand, imagine an Islamic economy where a man owns a piece of land and is not productively utilizing it:

1) He is afraid that it may be taken and is thus more pressured to sell.

2) In the market, people do not have banks and mortgages to fall back on, thus the bidding prices are significantly lower.

Bottom line: Property and housing will be significantly more affordable. The barriers to entry are low; one can simply find a piece of unused land, build a simple hut and own his own residence.

Ignoring the economic revolution behind reformulating today's property rights is perhaps the biggest crime Muslim economists are doing today.

In Transition

In the event of the establishment of an Islamic state, abolishing banking outright would be catastrophic. Money supply would shrink rapidly. Demand and investment would collapse and spiral the economy into recession. The knee-jerk reaction from the populace would be to increase savings, further reducing consumption and compounding the problem.

The correct solution perhaps would be to gradually impair banking. Gradual change is a divine method utilized during the advent of Islam. We see numerous examples of this, one of which is the gradual process of the prohibition of drinking. Just as the Communists created a socialist state to achieve Communism, so too must the Islamic state act in staging itself through a transition. Staggered increase in the reserve ratio of banks and gradually changing the regulatory framework can go hand-in-hand in transforming today's banks from caterpillars to butterflies.

The aim, eventually, is to move banking towards a theoretical 100 percent reserve ratio; depositors would have to give the bank consent to invest their money. One option would be that such banks would offer liquidity options with time horizons such as three days, one week, one month, etc. Investments would not have a fixed guaranteed return but rather a risk sharing return. Because of the nature of the investments, greater liquidity options would still generally yield lower returns and thus still maintain those natural patterns of investment that economists have come to consider almost equal to the law of gravity.

For those depositors seeking 100 percent reserve and complete liquidity, the banks should be allowed to charge a service fee for holding the money in safety. After all, such a service would represent a clear service to the bank's customers with clearly identifiable costs to the bank.

Monetary and Fiscal Impact of Transition

We have already touched upon how liquidity would dry up in transition. Even with the most gradual transition it would result in recession, and the more gradual it would be the longer the recession would last. Let us consider three possible policy options: increasing the reserve ratio, curtailing interest-based banking through regulation and restricting and regulating the stock market. All would result in a rapid reduction in the money supply, and a rapid downward projection of the economy towards an inevitable crash; ceteris paribus, deflationary pressures would reduce investment and consumption expenditures and reduce national income.

Is this a necessary pain to create an Islamic state? One, impoverished and destitute already, would he or she be willing to dip even deeper into unimaginable poverty and hopelessness? No. Insh’Allah there is a solution. It may in fact be an ideal opportunity. Let us consider the possibilities.

Keynesian economics dictates that a (read non-Islamic) economy can be revived by public spending to boost consumption and thus inject the system with new demand and new money.

Y=C+I+G+X-M

C▼ and I▼ is counteracted by G▲

Where:

Y is National Income

C is Consumption

I is Investment

G is Government Expenditure

X is Exports

M is Imports

Because an interest-based Western economy is inherently cyclical and dependent on an ever increasing GDP & Money Supply, the Keynesian solution is often the last resort when all monetary and information options have failed. That is, for instance, when simply expanding credit and the money supply either becomes ineffective or becomes untenable.

The great downside of Keynesian fiscal expansion is inflation. Yet, this may not be a downside in deflationary times. Here is the opportunity within our framework of a transitioning Islamic state: if we attempted fiscal expansion during our earlier described banking and stock market transition, we would be ideally placed to carry out our expansionary fiscal policies without paying the price of inflation!

However, as with anything in life, timing and proportion is crucial. A cricketer (or a baseball player) perhaps understands this better than an economist. Yet for the economist, that mistimed ball would result in far more damage than the cricketer can fathom. It is perhaps for a reason that Alan Greenspan played the violin; dreamers must be good and timely executioners, if their dreams are to succeed.

Sunnah Money in Transition

The present Muslim world is in a heated debate concerning the Gold Dinar. While I have reversed my position and noted that I now agree that fiat currency is utterly haram, with no room for any mistake in this opinion, I also want to note that Sunnah money is not only precious metals but can also be commodities used as food that have a shelf life, as we earlier discussed.

In transition, we will have to see both existing side-by-side. As the government issues more dinars and dirhams, the problem then becomes one of Gresham’s Law, that bad money will drive out good money. The solution is to ensure that the price of gold/silver/precious metal currency is exchanged at market rate with fiat currency. The problem encountered with Gresham’s Law was with the government determining the value of the precious metal coins, which is circumvented by allowing the market to determine its true value.

Sheikh Imran Hossein is also of the view that a free market should exist between various standards of dinars and dirhams available in the Muslim world at present, rather than attempting to force everyone to agree on one set standard. In transition, it would be hoped that we, over time, increasingly move away from fiat currency and towards currencies that have intrinsic value. This will not only be superior from a theological perspective, but will also act as a check and balance against the central bank and foot-loose monetary policy.

Money Supply in Transition

While we are transitioning to a precious metal and commodity based monetary system, we would have a period of time where we need to manage the fiat currency based monetary system. This transition period, as earlier noted, may be best dealt with in a gradual elimination process rather than a sudden break. While the fiat currency system still operates, we would need to manage the system. The value of the fiat currency in this transition period may be maintained on the basis of:

1) A basket of goods and services that is reflective of the economy as well as;

2) The value of a basket of currencies that would be represented by their level of trade with the Islamic state.

Of these two factors, the former (a basket of goods and services reflective of the economy) should be weighted more than the latter (basket of currencies being traded with), given the importance of the Islamic state's own real assets and value to its citizens. This ratio of decision-weighting would need to be determined and could perhaps be in the region of a 80:20 ratio, heavily in favor of maintaining the value of the currency for the local consumers.

Alternatively, the ratio could perhaps be equal to the proportion of foreign trade to domestic consumption, a more classical way to address the issue and something discussed in conventional Western economic thought.

For this to work in practice, a completely independent monetary authority would be needed. If the US constitution has three branches that are independent of each other, the Islamic State need many more than three. The independent monetary authority may be one such independent authority that maintains the value of the currency, and post transition to a dinar, dirham and commodity economy would function as the independent authority that ensure people’s money is not tampered or exploited by the government.

Another independent institution will deal with statistical data and this may also need to be completely independent of the other arms of the state. This is important and is mentioned here because it would be less useful to have an independent central bank if it depended on data that was manipulated by governments as a means to sway the central bank.

We have seen how Western governments have played with key statistics such as inflation and unemployment. The Islamic State may not repeat that mistake. An independent statistical arm of the state will provide statistics for all independent arms of the government to base their decisions on, including data needed by the independent monetary authority of the state.

Post Transition

This period of fiscal expansion should not however go beyond the period of transition. Governments cannot be allowed foot-loose monetary and fiscal policies. Balanced budgets may be hardwired into the constitution. Division of powers would ensure that monetary policy is conducted by an independent arm of the government that is autonomous of the political and administrative authority. This will ensure that the money supply is not abused and inflation is kept at or near zero percent. Combined with a hardwired balanced budget, this will ensure the stability of macroeconomic conditions in the country.

On the surface, such a setup appears grossly flawed. When a Western economy faces recession, not only does consumption decrease but so does government revenue. As a result, balanced budgets would do great harm in actually advocating reduced government spending during a recession. However, in our economic model we believe that the economy will be far less cyclic given the elimination of interest and fractional-reserve banking and the expected higher level of civic duty within the community. The latter is an anti-cyclic element that, if strong enough, would by itself provide a non-governmental solution to any cyclic economic imbalance. Secondly, we can add a provision that the monetary authority will have the final say as to the amount and extent of any fiscal intervention in the case of a recession. Since in our form of government the monetary authority is a completely independent arm of government, the conflict of interest issue is perhaps resolved.

Yet another possible supplemental solution is a delayed effect and weighted budget that looks to match revenue earned X years ago and is an average of a few years thence.

Insh’Allah these solutions effectively eliminate one the greater quandaries of Western economies - the conflict of interest between political government and vested interests on the one hand, and the higher intellectual goals of managing booms and busts.

------

As a synopsis, our model makes a trade-off that enables us to have a more stable and less cyclic economic model at the expense of being (and not being) able to inject massive liquidity relatively quickly. This implies that such an economy, while more stable, will be unable to grow at spectacular rates as was observed with such countries as Japan, South Korea, China, etc. This is the downside of the model, but within a Solow Growth model context, would become less important as we reach nearer saturation levels of income in the long-run. Slow and steady wins the race.

Meritocracy as the Central Theme of our Model

Let us consider the central principles of our Economic Model. Centrally, we seek free enterprise within the constraints of Islam making it philosophically an effort towards a meritocracy and simultaneously a welfare state within that which has been prescribed in Islam given the Muslim obligations of zakat and alms giving.

We observe the salient of removing riba, fractional reserve banking, fiat currency, absolutist land ownership and inflation as a tax imposed by government. We find a defanged savings-investment system built around equity investing and freed from the injustices of regulation, double taxation and unfair competition that equity investments face today in the West, and an independent state bank to have complete control over the money supply with the central purpose of maintaining a stable value of money.

A central theme of meritocracy inevitably plays out, given Muslim requirements for almsgiving and zakat (which incidentally is a wealth tax), Islamic redistribution laws on death, and if we are to pursue an endowment policy for the young, as outlined earlier. Linked with free education and a meritocratic political model, we see that the theme for meritocracy would become intrinsic to the Islamic state, politically, economically and spiritually; the Day of Judgment too will be meritocratic, each soul being rewarded by what it earned. That will be a Day of Perfect Justice.

Our meritocracy on the other hand, is a human meritocracy and flawed by our human limits, a point we must make great effort not to forget. For inevitably such ideas, if ever implemented, would become dogmatic altruisms on their own, and then become yet another ideological oppression upon the people.

Economic Modeling & a New Science of Muslim Economics

Economic modeling will need to be rethought as many of the key models have interest (riba) as a key element in the models. Perhaps Tobin's Q could be a replacement for riba when the profit rate is insufficient or problematic. “Islamic Economics” needs to look beyond Microeconomic discussions of interest-free banking. We need to fundamentally rethink utilitarianism as an ideology and perhaps replace it with the conceptual foundations of Imam Shatibi’s Maslahah. We need to see if GDP measurements make sense to the world, let alone to a non-materialistic Muslim state. We need to find alternative measures that make more sense. This author is presently investigating suicide rates as a better guide to measuring welfare.

What started off as a pioneer spirit has, over the last 30 years fizzled into mimesis and small minded intellectualism; mindless reworking of Western economic models into “Islamic” frameworks. The central problem is structural – our universities as they stand today are not meant to create Islamic scholars, their structure inherits a legacy that is fundamentally un-Islamic. Consider for instance that students essentially come to universities to get certificates and find a better job. This materialist paradigm cannot create the quality of scholarship we need.

An education system designed to create obedient employees is not suitable for creating idea people and free thinkers. Without a critical mass of such people we will not be able to make any headway.

Academic scholars at universities work to meet research specifications which often mean they have to publish their work in Western journals, having to measure up to their expectations and thinking patterns. Again, they are living within a materialist paradigm of professional progression rather than altruistic intellectual jihad.

Endless conferences where the scholars of our time present yet another notch on their resumes; another conference: to condemn riba yet again or to claim again that there is no other option and that 'this is the best we can do'. Mindless chatter from men of speech-without-actions, men of no consequence: Such men are only to be pitied or reviled for their hypocrisy. Curious still – many such 'academics', long on speech on how to reform the Muslim Ummah are not to be seen in masjids at the times of prayer. A point observed by the author while studying at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Let us ask ourselves how many conferences the Prophet (peace be upon him) attended and from what university did he gain his PhD? When the very venue, the people, the method and the motives are non-Islamic, do we still wonder that 30+ years hence, we have still failed at the 'Islamization of Knowledge'?

Another issue is of the life-cycle of the science of economic theory. Adam Smith’s landmark work would not have earned him a PhD in Economics today, for it lacked the manner of writing, the methodology and the emphasis on mathematics and statistics. A research supervisor would potentially laugh at his work and say “it’s too broad, focus on something specific” or “it needs quantitative rigor”. This is because the Western intellect is at a different stage of their journey, we cannot hope to find help in their present model of education to answer our quandaries; we would end up stuck in the minute, which is only relevant when the broader picture has been clearly established. Scientific fields develop from the broad to the specific, but with the present paradigms of mimeses, we are stuck on the minute, myopically copying the West.

We complain that we do not have the means to do jihad. Yet, no nation is stopping us from doing the intellectual jihad. Why then are we this way? Perhaps someday we will stop producing mindless trash and move to the actual work of developing a real alternative model.

"Because Allah will never change the Grace which He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls: and verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things)."

(Al-Quran, 8:53. Translation: Yusuf Ali)

Chapter Six New Medina Islamic Meritocracy

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:42:00 +0000

Islamic Meritocracy

Let us start by building the foundations of a new political paradigm. Noting that while the dominant view of Islamic scholars is that we are not to discuss the differences of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), we set this ruling aside to fully understand and develop a political model of an Islamic state.

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passed away, he did not leave with a written constitution for the state of Medina. Thereafter, a split evolved as to whom and by what mechanism a successor was to be chosen. Rifts and disagreements developed even among the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him). These rifts continued to widen thereafter. Many questions remained unanswered. Should the Islamic state have remained in the hands of his closest relatives? If in fact, a new leader was to be elected, by what method was this to be achieved? How long should the Khalifah’s (leader's) term be? If Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) didn't give out clear guidelines, then is Islam really complete?

These are important questions, and the last one is blasphemous. And Allah knows best. To be brief, what the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant when he said that our religion was complete and that Islam was a complete way of life, is perhaps not that all possible actions and issues have been cataloged like an encyclopedia or a computer program. Rather, that all the principles needed to address every action has been given. Applications of those principles are also given in the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Just as a student when he is working on his arithmetic looks at the relevant formula, and then if he has further trouble, looks at an example on how the formula is used, Islam gives us the principles and then an example on how it is to be applied. Our answer will not be the same every time we have a new problem. Rather, we will look at the "formula" (Islamic principles) and fashion our answer on the same pattern as the "example" (the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him).

This represents a break from the present hard line approach as well as the secular approach. The hard line approach takes the position where every problem has to come up with the same solution as the example and the ulema determine an encyclopedic list of “correct” actions. The secular approach rejects the formula itself and takes one out of the western textbook. The contingency approach on the other hand that this book adopts is one of the central cornerstones of our model.

To be fair, there is some flexibility in the hard line approach through limited ijtihad, ijma and qayyas. But these have been highly limited particularly since Imam Al Juwaini, the teacher of Imam Ghazali and by some account, Imam Ghazali himself and several others who came after him all supported the idea of the termination of ijtihad. Taha Jabir Al-Alwani notes that by the sixth century Hijri, Muslims had been conditioned not only to accept the freezing of ijtihad but the banning of it altogether and its replacement with taqlid (blind imitation), in gross violation of the verse:

They have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One Allah. There is no Allah save Him. Be He Glorified from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)! (9:31, Al-Quran)

And the explanation of the verse by the Prophet (peace be upon him) “They didn't worship them but (the worship was in the sense) whatever they made halal for them, they considered it halal, whatever they made haram for them, they considered it haraam.”

(Tirmidhi Book of Tafseer-Surah Taubah, declared Hasan by Imam Tirmidhi, Tauheed ul Muslimeen pg. 272)

Similarly, to be fair to the Secularists / Progressives / Modernists, many of them attempt to stay within the Islamic framework by taking the most ambiguous rulings or the most lenient interpretations possible to fit their agenda. However, the point remains that both sides can broadly be categorized within the classifications prescribed despite what they claim.

The Quran and Sunnah give us the principles that can guide every facet of life. What Islam does not provide is a fixed economic, social and political system. This world is a test for Man, and while Islam guides us, it still gives us many challenges. Allah knows best, but perhaps this too is a form of intellectual challenge for Muslims to negotiate. And perhaps Muslims of each age would find different solutions to these as the circumstances around them change.

Taking a step back, in the classical view of the world that we “inherited” from the Greeks, perfect and encyclopedic solutions of the world can exist but the modern world’s theory (and the original Islamic point of view) was not of a static, unchanging world, but an expanding and changing universe. Allama Iqbal notes and explains this in great detail in Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam while responding to the allegations of Spengler. I reproduce a small section from the same to illustrate and effectively explain this point, vital to understand for both the Seculars and the Conservatives:

“It now remains to eradicate a grave misunderstanding created by Spengler’s widely read book, The Decline of the West. His two chapters devoted to the problem of Arabian culture constitute a most important contribution to the cultural history of Asia. They are, however, based on a complete misconception of the nature of Islam as a religious movement, and of the cultural activity which it initiated. Spengler’s main thesis is that each culture is a specific organism, having no point of contact with cultures that historically precede or follow it. Indeed, according to him, each culture has its own peculiar way of looking at things which is entirely inaccessible to men belonging to a different culture. In his anxiety to prove this thesis he marshals an overwhelming array of facts and interpretations to show that the spirit of European culture is through and through anti-classical. And this anti-classical spirit of European culture is entirely due to the specific genius of Europe, and not to any inspiration she may have received from the culture of Islam which, according to Spengler, is thoroughly “Magian” in spirit and character.

“Spengler’s view of the spirit of modern culture is, in my opinion, perfectly correct. I have, however, tried to show in these lectures that the anti-classical spirit of the modern world has really arisen out of the revolt of Islam against Greek thought. It is obvious that such a view cannot be acceptable to Spengler; for, if it is possible to show that the anti-classical spirit of modern culture is due to the inspiration which it received from the culture immediately preceding it, the whole argument of Spengler regarding the complete mutual independence of cultural growths would collapse. I am afraid Spengler’s anxiety to establish this thesis has completely perverted his vision of Islam as a cultural movement.

“By the expression “Magian culture” Spengler means the common culture associated with what he calls “Magian group of religions”, i.e. Judaism, ancient Chaldean religion, early Christianity, Zoroas-trianism, and Islam. That a Magian crust has grown over Islam, I do not deny. Indeed my main purpose in these lectures has been to secure a vision of the spirit of Islam as emancipated from its Magian overlayings which, in my opinion, have misled Spengler. His ignorance of Muslim thought on the problem of time, as well as of the way in which the “I”, as a free centre of experience, has found expression in the religious experience of Islam, is simply appalling. Instead of seeking light from the history of Muslim thought and experience, he prefers to base his judgement on vulgar beliefs as to the beginning and end of time. Just imagine a man of overwhelming learning finding support for the supposed fatalism of Islam in such Eastern expressions and proverbs as the “vault of time”, and “everything has a time!” However, on the origin and growth of the concept of time in Islam, and on the human ego as a free power, I have said enough in these lectures. It is obvious that a full examination of Spengler’s view of Islam, and of the culture that grew out of it, will require a whole volume. In addition to what I have said before, I shall offer here one more observation of a general nature. Spengler says:

“The kernel of the prophetic teaching is already Magian. There is one God– be He called Yahweh, Ahuramazda, or Marduk-Baal– who is the principle of good, and all other deities are either impotent or evil. To this doctrine there attached itself the hope of a Messiah, very clear in Isaiah, but also bursting out everywhere during the next centuries, under pressure of an inner necessity. It is the basic idea of Magian religion, for it contains implicitly the conception of the world-historical struggle between Good and Evil, with the power of Evil prevailing in the middle period, and the Good finally triumphant on the Day of Judgement.”

"If this view of the prophetic teaching is meant to apply to Islam it is obviously a misrepresentation. The point to note is that the Magians admitted the existence of false gods; only they did not turn to worship them. Islam denies the very existence of false gods. In this connexion Spengler fails to appreciate the cultural value of the idea of the finality of prophethood in Islam. No doubt, one important feature of Magian culture is a perpetual attitude of expectation, a constant looking forward to the coming of Zoroaster’s unborn sons, the Messiah, or the Paraclete of the fourth gospel. I have already indicated the direction in which the student of Islam should seek the cultural meaning of the doctrine of finality in Islam. It may further be regarded as a psychological cure for the Magian attitude of constant expectation which tends to give a false view of history. Ibn Khaldūn, seeing the spirit of his own view of history, has fully criticized and, I believe, finally demolished the alleged revelational basis in Islam of an idea similar, at least in its psychological effects, to the original Magian idea which had reappeared in Islam under the pressure of Magian thought.”

This critical mistake is where this author believes Al Ghazali let us down in his implicit acceptance of the former worldview, despite his otherwise brilliant attack on the philosophers. The philosophers, learning from the Greeks, had precisely the same static worldview, oscillating but essentially static. But if their greatest critique could not see this blatant error, who would?

In this changing world, Muslims of every age need to find solutions to the problem-world around them, rather than copy-pasting the answers from the past. Muslims of our Age and time must rise up to the challenge, while understanding that these solutions can only be imperfect. They can also be of great value nonetheless, for these solutions would be built on those eternal truths and guidelines that Allah, in His Infinite Grace, has provided us, and that represents a miracle in itself as only the Creator could provide eternal principles in an expanding and evolving universe.

Meritocracy

Meritocracy as an idea implies that the basis of government is based on the merit of the candidate. The concept of meritocracy is not new, but was talked about as far back as Plato, whose work Republic illustrated his ideas of what meritocracy meant to him. While we earlier rejected the classical static worldview, we share the idea of meritocracy. Leadership as a concept in Islam resides in the merit of the candidate[1]. An Islamic state is meant to be run on the principles of merit; the most able candidate should rule the country.

Democracy makes the assumption that all men are equal in their capacity to judge the most able candidate. However, while all men are equal, they are not equal in their knowledge and wisdom, either in Islam or in common experience, and therefore, Islam and democracy are fundamentally different from each other[2]. While there may be many possible solutions to build a political model based on merit, we look to create a balance between the quantity factor of universal participation and quality valuation of participants.

All men have some right to a say in government, yet our principles suggest this has to be weighed according to the wisdom and knowledge distributed in the populace. One of the earliest Western thinkers, Socrates, openly considered democracy as a flawed concept; that it required the wisdom of its leaders to be based on the opinions of all citizens held in equal weight[3]. Today however, democracy has become a sacred cow that the world must worship. We as Muslims need do no such thing; we do not need to hold on to foreign concepts to gain legitimacy. Our discussions need not be burdened by this modern, near-pantheistic religion.

The Islamic state of Medina was also run on the basis of merit under the Khalifa-e-Rashidun and where consultation took place between the learned, pious, wise and capable rather than on a one-man-one-vote basis.

Dissecting Democracy

Taking a fresh look at the present political landscape, in the following pages some of the possibilities of a new system are fleshed out. Today, the overarching dominance of democracy makes political systems one dimensional. Instead, we look to break open the paradigm and look at the mechanism inside. We propose a multi-dimensional approach to the political mechanism. Once we open the straightjacket of democracy, we find that many of the mechanisms that are given as fixed can be made variable. Some of these mechanisms include:

1. One vote per voter

2. Batch process elections

3. Rule by majority within a first past the post voting mechanism

4. Checks and Balances

Let us look at each of these factors in turn.

Multiple Votes per Voter

Given that in our system, all men are not considered equal in their knowledge and wisdom and thus are not entitled to equality of vote; one vote per voter can be considered a redundant concept. Changing this variable, we find a range of new possibilities of weighted voting. Virtually any value we consider of worth can be worked into the system to be a merit. For instance, education level, age, marital status and religious knowledge can be made factors of merit.

Continuous Flow Process

In Operations Research terminology, voting systems today are essentially batch processes[4]. A batch of votes is selected and counted, gaining the elected representatives a term until the next batch comes about. Today, this system presents many problems including the fact that while voters can influence their representatives once every election cycle, interest groups can influence them 365 days a year. This, in reality, can often lead to de facto disenfranchisement. Thus, the American Congress can give multiple standing ovations to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and send Israel billions of dollars in aid, while American soldiers die fighting enraged Muslims and millions of Americans remain homeless, some living in tent cities not dissimilar to the lower end of the Third World.

Instead, one alternative may be to look at elections as a continuous flow process. Here, instead of working in a batch, the process works continuously, with voting taking place piece by piece, with a few districts at a time, to cover a country, if necessary, over the same period as a batch process would.

The electorate would be able to influence and indicate approval continuously while greatly simplifying the logistics process. This also means that vote administration can be handled by a much smaller organization, a considerably important consideration in the Third World where elections represent a major economic cost and logistics challenge. Since our Islamic state will be located in the Third World, this issue is particularly relevant to our discussion.

Governments would also not constantly be changing as marginally, one (or a few) voting districts would not be enough to topple a government typically unless the majority was marginal. The system could also be fine-tuned by increasing or decreasing the number of elections in a given period of time.

Preferential Voting

Preferential voting systems are increasingly popular and are most well-known in Australia.[5] A preferential voting system over a first-past-the-post system can ensure that politics does not become polarized in a two-party duopoly. It would also allow the voting system is more efficient in indicating voter approval and produces a more accurate allocation of candidates. There are a variety of methods to express a preferential voting system. The choice of such a system is only limited by mathematics and the capability of computing systems.

One example is of a preferential list of candidates ranked by each voter. For instance, if the candidate who was a voter’s first choice is not among the two most popular candidates calculated by the voting system, his choice is automatically moved to the next candidate on the voter’s list until he is voting for a relevant candidate and his vote is not wasted.

Thus, we may have a voting system where a citizen has one vote by default but progressively has more votes depending on a merit system. Voting takes place in a continuous flow electoral process with preferential voting for candidates.

Expanded Separation of Power

The best example and arguably the most successful check and balance mechanism among political systems have thus far been the United States’ constitution. The US constitution works on the principles of division of power with a separate Judiciary, Executive and Legislature. If we seek to build a better system we can increase the separation of power to include incrementally more divisions. For instance, we may include a constitutionally separate central bank, central statistics and central audit, along with the judiciary, legislature and executive.

Utilizing such an approach, we arrive at a six pillar division of power in comparison to the three pillars in the US Constitution. The figures indicate the difference graphically.

A separate government audit arm can ensure that government does not overstep its boundaries, that checks and balances are not ignored, that government corruption is effectively punished and that the government budget execution tallies. The discussion shall return later to the importance of some of these added arms of the government in more detail.

The Masjid as Central

The masjid must be returned to its role as the central and basic administrative and political unit. The representative of the people leads the prayers and is available directly to them for interaction. This will bring real accountability and government to the community and will allow everyone the chance to participate in the decision making process. Thus, our system in a sense is a hybrid indirect-direct participatory form of government.

Further, this may also dissuade un-Islamic characters from seeking office as the task of leading the prayers may prove enough as an overbearing task and as an exposé of their claim to act as a barrier to their office.

Returning to the original system were women pray at the back row, children in the middle and men in the front will allow women to be enfranchised into the political and social system within our model, insh'Allah (more on gender related issues later).

[1]See Zafar Bangash, “The Concepts of Leader and Leadership in Islam,” 2000, for a further discussion on why Islam and democracy are not compatible.

[2] Ibid.

[3] See Isidor Stone, “The Trial of Socrates,” 1998.

[4] See for instance, Shim & Siegel, “Operations Management”, 1999, for a primer on batch processes and continuous flow processes.

[5] See Benjamin Reilly, “The Global Spread of Preferential Voting:Australian Institutional Imperialism?” 2004, Australian Journal of Political Science , 39 (2), 253-266

Chapter Five New Medina Model for Islamic State

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +0000

A Model for an Islamic State

The solutions presented in this book are held together within the framework of an Islamic state, duly noting that the Islamic state is not an end in itself but a means to an end, a veritable tool and framework for the real solutions.

One of the great stumbling blocks to creating an Islamic state is that there is a shortage of intellectual work done to clearly define how exactly such a state should operate; a lack of consensus. The chasms of disagreement are so wide that excommunication is preferred over reaching out to the other side. This is the sad state of affairs. The attempt in this chapter and in the following chapters will be to develop one possible framework within which insh’Allah a new consensus can be reached. The purpose here is to find a practical and efficient solution to how we can have a viable Islamic state today. As we have noted earlier, the Secularists/Modernists want to relegate Islam to the masjid and transplant themselves to the western Weltgeist. Conversely, on the other side of the spectrum, we have people who want to reject the present world and recreate the period when Islam was ascendant.

While these two groups of people have hijacked the debate and become two colossi fighting a battle to the death against each other, the common man on the street does not necessarily agree with either side. The common man seems to know instinctively that the answer lies in between the ideologies of the two groups, yet have not articulated and rationalized a path between the two. After all, an ideological compromise built only around the premise of moderation and taking the middle path is at best weak. What is in fact needed is a synthesis of ideas rather than a compromise and such a model is of essence to the present political situation within the Muslim World.

We note that this model cannot be a closed system, in that we cannot hope to create the "perfect solution". There is no permanent cure for poverty, inequality, or a whole host of other evils in these pages. To attempt to create such a system is clearly beyond what has so far been achievable. If one attempts such a system and fails, it often results in a far worse result as amply exemplified in the former Soviet Union. This author will venture to say that there may be no perfect solution. One must aim to design a system that takes this into consideration, a system that can adapt and has adequate "safety valves" and a mechanism to bring in emerging factors as they develop. This can thus be considered as a contingency approach.

While this synthesis is a wider work and will involve considerable thought and time, this book will attempt to first build a skeletal structure. The areas to be addressed will include the political system, the economic system, the legal system, the military and other such important topics. We cannot be encyclopedic but will aim to cover the most important.

It must be stressed that all elements of the Islamic state given here are interlinked and cannot work independently, nor stand effectively on their own; they act together in unison and balance. Lastly, within each sub-system, adequate checks and balances are of vital import.

Chapter Four New Medina Two Opposing Sides

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Two Opposing Sides – Both Wrong

Purity, Piety and Dedication without Talibanism. Education, Technology & Industry without Secularism.

There are broadly two kinds of people that will stand in the way of an Islamic state and in Islam as not merely a religion. There will be what we can describe as Conservatives and Secularists/Progressives/Modernists. Conservatives thus labeled are those that would want to pull Muslims back to the past while Secularists would want to move Muslims to a secularized future, with Islam relegated to the mosque. They may regard each other as opponents, but they share an important idea - that Islam is a religion.

Islam is not merely a religion. As earlier stated, it is a complete way of life, centered on the belief in One God. Islam is the only belief system that does not enjoin blind faith; it combines faith with knowledge. Truth and evidence go together, as they should. Islam melds the spiritual and the natural worlds, in harmony and balance.

The Progressive-Secularist approach, on the one hand, is an extreme reaction to the Conservative paradigm and to the dazzle of the Western civilization. Their approach is built on the ascendancy of the latter and in seeing all solutions to our problems in reflection to the West. Replication over reinvention is their motto. They see the greatness of the West and in America and see solutions in transplanting these values over a culture that to them is backward, and one that they do not understand or appreciate. They believe that the root cause of the backwardness is Islam and they seek to remedy this with the panacea of the Western culture.

If that is so, how may they still label themselves Muslim? The very premise of secularism is un-Islamic; the Quran clearly states:

It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah’s will, by the rabbis and the doctors of law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear me, and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers. (5:44)

The similitude of those who were charged with the (obligations of the) Mosaic Law, but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but understands them not). Evil is the similitude of people who falsify the Signs of Allah. And Allah guides not people who do wrong. (62:5)

Islam is a complete way of life and the Quran has guidance for everything:

One day We shall raise from all Peoples a witness against them, from amongst themselves: and We shall bring thee as a witness against these (thy people): and We have sent down to thee the Book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad Tidings to Muslims. (16:89)

And this guidance is the key to our success:

These depend on guidance from their Lord. These are the successful. (2:5)

It is clear to the discerning mind that there is little genuine basis for the Progressive-Secular approach without going outside the pale of Islam. Their secret recipe to a political voice is not in the genuineness of their ideas but to the effectiveness of their approach vis-à-vis the backward Conservatives. We concede this point, if you take your average English medium school boy and place him against your average madrasa educated lad the results are likely to be in favor of the former. However, the task of a people is not to compete within themselves but to compete with other peoples. This is where the Progressive-Secularists have failed: in the last 50 years, the newly independent and avowedly secular states of the Muslim world have failed miserably to be competitive in the global context.

It is a well-learned lesson that mimicking the West will not translate to success but rather lead to an inferior and forever behind people. We can only compare the Turkish model versus Japan (please see the section titled “Central Principles” for further details).

Furthermore, as Bennabi notes, mimesis is a pathological disease to civilization, whose only true foundations can be built from the world of ideas and not of copying others. In the case of the latter, the ideas copied wholesale can become “deadly” ideas that do more harm than good. Bennabi notes that we cannot make history by following beaten tracks; it is only possible to do so by opening new paths; making history will happen if we return to our genuine principles and derive from them efficient solutions for today. This requires us first to get out of our Jahiliyah, whether it is mimicking the archetypes set by ancient scholars or those of the Colonial West and for us to return back to the world of ideas.

Let us now turn to Ibn Khaldun and see if mimicking has any historical basis for success, or is it a false utopia built upon an inferiority complex. Ibn Khaldun notes that the vanquished will always seek to imitate the victorious party in his distinctive characteristics, his dress, his occupation, and all his other conditions and customs.

He gives the explanation for this as follows:

“...that the soul always sees perfection in the person who is superior to it and to whom it is subservient. It considers him perfect, either because it is impressed by the respect it has for him, or because it erroneously assumes that its own subservience to him is not due to the nature of defeat but to the perfection of the victor. If that erroneous assumption fixes itself in the soul, it becomes a firm belief. The soul, then, adopts all the manners of the victor and assimilates itself to him. This, then, is imitation.

“Or, the soul may possibly think that the superiority of the victor is not the result of his group feeling or great fortitude, but of his customs and manners. This also would be an erroneous concept of superiority, and (the consequences) would be the same as in the former case.

Therefore, the vanquished can always be observed to assimilate themselves to the victor in the use and style of dress, mounts, and weapons; indeed, in everything.

“In this connection, one may compare how children constantly imitate their fathers. They do that only because they see perfection in them. One may also compare how almost everywhere people are dominated (in fashion) by the dress of the militia and the government forces, because they are ruled by them.

“This goes so far that a nation dominated by another, neighboring nation will show a great deal of assimilation and imitation. At this time, this is the case in Spain. The Spaniards are found to assimilate themselves to the Galician nations in their dress, their emblems, and most of their customs and conditions. This goes so far that they even draw pictures on the walls and have them in buildings and houses. The intelligent observer will draw from this the conclusion that it is a sign of being dominated by others.”

Attempting to copy the supposed superior formula of the West can thus be counter-productive, and still does not provide any intellectual basis that such transplantation would be successful. In fact, Ibn Khaldun notes that:

“A nation that has been defeated and has come under the rule of another nation will quickly perish.

The reason for this may possibly lie in the apathy that comes over people when they lose control of their own affairs and, through enslavement, become the instrument of others and dependent upon them. Hope diminishes and weakens. Now, propagation and an increase in civilization (population) take place only as the result of strong hope and of the energy that hope creates in the animal powers (of man). When hope and the other things it stimulates are gone through apathy, and when group feeling has disappeared under the impact of defeat, civilization decreases and business and other activities stop. With their strength dwindling under the impact of defeat, people become unable to defend themselves. They become the victims of anyone who tries to dominate them, and a prey to anyone who has the appetite.”

These words reflect precisely the state of the Ummah today. Clearly, the Progressive-Secular approach is neither genuine nor effective as a means of saving the Ummah; rather, it is indescribably hurting the Ummah, perhaps to become the most destructive element within.

Turning now to the Conservative banner, we note that it is held high by a class of people, strange as it may sound, are not supposed to exist in Islam: the clergy. Mullahs, Sheikhs, etc are not sanctioned by any verse of the Quran or by any authentic hadith nor did the Sahaba give themselves such titles. Yet, they exist today, and have convoluted Islam to define themselves as the middlemen between Muslims and the Quran. On any question of Islam, Muslims are now told to get a nod from the local Imam, Sheikh, Mullah, Mufti, etc.[1]

We have followed the Christians and the Jews into the same snake hole as the Prophet (peace be upon him) has said we would.

These career theologians make their living out of Islam and yet stand by socially and politically silent to our disintegration. Other than empty slogans and sooth-saying, this class has shown itself to be completely incompetent at addressing any of the issues that the Muslim body-politic faces today.

One of the central problems arises because the clergy – and all those who seek education from them– never develop the ability to analyze and think critically. They are taught to read, recite and memorize and the finest of them can reproduce the Quran, hadiths and even works of eminent scholars from memory, like a tape recorder or a computer program. But throughout their education, they are not taught to understand the Quran, to ponder over its meanings, to apply. They are shunned from questioning and inquiring. This leads to underdevelopment and even deterioration in their mental capacities to think, reason, classify and analyze issues. It leads to them not knowing how to argue constructively or to learn the etiquettes of argument. This is one of the central problems and why billions of Muslims today produce such few real scholars and thinkers.

Piaget, a pioneer of cognitive development studies bears testimony to the important developments taking place between the ages of 7-11. Research also shows that the mental capacities of children, whether in the jungles of Africa or in the most developed nations are similar until the age of 6. Instead of nurturing the cognitive faculties of our children during the critical stages of development, we have chosen to cause the maximum damage possible to them.

As a result, it is almost as if we have degenerated from human intellect to a near sub-human species. It is not that there is anything wrong with memorizing and recitation, it is that everything has its place and proportion. Reason, argument and critical thinking cannot be shunned, and is as important today as it was during the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) time, when people actually accepted Islam on the basis of the same.

In addition to this self-zombification, our theological class prefers to read the works of their own schools of thought without reference to others, creating a very sectarian theology that dangerously brings society to blows against different points of view. This is alien to academia worldwide where a student of a subject studies widely various perspectives, even if he or she later narrows down to one. Yet these same hypocrites like to give the analogy of a doctor being the master of his field as an analogy to them having the authority to explain religion to the masses. The hypocrisy behind this is deeper yet for they have reduced Islam to a specialized field, in direct contravention to the Quran.

Islam is not a religion of theologians and doctors of law. Islam is universal as it reaches out to all, able to do so because its concepts are easy to understand for those who seek Allah.

To each among you have We prescribed a Law and an Open Way. (5:48)

To each one of us, for Allah’s Mercy is such that he does not impose a burden greater than we can bear, and he has made Islam understandable to everyone, at least of average intelligence. A Muslim does not need to read obtuse works of scholars to understand Islam, for Islam is understandable by all and was completed long ago when the Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated the verses in his last Hajj: This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (5:3)

Yet, the “ulema” today have added so much more that the original nass ordinances are now a minority in the totality of their compiled “fiqh”. They have utilized this and their fake authority to serve their interests, often meaning separating people from the Quran[2]; The Egyptian ulema asked Marmaduke Pickthall to translate Tabari instead of the Quran; yet you do not need to read Tabari to know Islam, let alone memorize it.

We shall look more closely at the theological problem in the chapter on the legal system. For now it suffices us that neither of the above mentalities offers an adequate solution to the challenges of the Islamic world. The aim of this book is to focus on innovative approaches to the emerging challenges we face, outside of these paradigms. We seek to insh’Allah bring a third paradigm that broadly lies between these two positions, yet is not a compromise of the two, nor placed in a two dimensional plane between them, but rather a synthesis of thought and ideas built on an independent foundation.

[1] We shall come back to this point in greater detail in the chapter titled “The Legal System”

[2] This author knows Muslims who not only refuse to ponder over the Quran but believe they will go astray if they did.

Chapter Three New Medina Case for Islamic State

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:35:00 +0000

The Case for an Islamic State

Islam is a complete way of life. It is vital for Muslims to deal with all that takes place around them as is written in the Quran; enjoin good and forbid evil. Islam is not merely a passive religion that we keep in our personal lives. For every Muslim, there is a political component and, where appropriate, even a military component in the way of Islam. This is particularly true when we see oppression against Muslims. In such circumstances, a true Muslim, far from being a passive preacher, must have a more holistic approach to life. And this is reflected in the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions, all of whose lives are exemplified by social and political struggle as much as a spiritual struggle illustrated in prayer and fasting. Yet, Muslims today have lost track of the need to strive socially and politically.

Where we stand today, Islam is being attacked, Muslims are being persecuted, and Muslim states are being dissected and neutered. This is a process that did not start now, but one that has steadily flowed throughout history, whenever our enemies found the opportunity, take for example, Spain in the 15^th century, The Maghrib under France, British India, Uthman Europe after World War I, Occupied Palestine, just to name a few. More recently in Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, amongst others. Islam today, without doubt, is threatened.

From Morocco to Philippines, from Chechnya to Somalia, we are facing internal divisions and external threats that seem beyond the ability of the Ummah to cope. How things stand today is visible to everyone. The vivid images of mass murder and imprisonment in Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan and more brings tears to the collective Muslim eyes. Yet, somehow the need is to hold our emotions and think clearly to fight back and regain our faith, strength and unity. The perennial question remains: what can a Muslim do? Is it that Muslims must live under oppression and endure and hope that Allah (swt) will save us? Or is it that this is perhaps Allah's Will? Yet, Islam does not appear to be a passive religion:

And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah. But if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.

(Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #193)

A doctrine of passivity and fatalism does not seem to hold. If one takes this principle of fighting oppression, and sees oppressors in powerful countries such as the United States and Israel, which as individuals we Muslims cannot fight, a Muslim is faced with a moral quandary. Clearly, in the singular, Muslims today are quite helpless. As individuals, Muslims can be locked up, tortured or simply eliminated. But as a people, united in faith to the idea of Islam, we can fight them, insh’Allah. To do so, we need our collective strength. We need to be organized, creating a movement to establish a Muslim state that can project our collective will.

Looking at a world map, we see a host of Muslim states. One may wonder, why establish an Islamic state when there are so many that profess to be Muslim states. The problem is that there is no Islamic state today because we do not see any country today that reflects a state in the spirit of Medina, even remotely so. We cannot consider Saudi Arabia or Iran as Islamic states. To analyze the problem, let us look at defining an Islamic state today: This is a state that practices Islamic Law; whose government is not oppressive; that does not provide lip service to Islam but also practices it in letter and spirit and a state that is not a client state of non-Muslim powers, in particular those openly fighting against Islam and Muslims.

An Islamic state is one where the state is based on the principles of the Quran and Sunnah and reflects the spirit of the state of Medina. This is a state where justice prevails and where tyranny is banished. In an Islamic state, disagreements in government are not resolved through bloodshed but through enlightenment and wisdom built on the Quran and Sunnah. It is also a state where corruption is an outcast and not considered a daily fact of life. Some of the central principles that we believe are important for an Islamic state today are given near the end of the book under the chapter titled “Central Principles”. Much of this book attempts to find one possible solution to some of the major issues including political model, economic model, education and various social issues.

The long and short of it is that today there is no state that comes remotely close to the ideal of a Muslim state as was established in Medina-tun-Nabyi. In some ways, perhaps Sweden is closer to a Muslim state than most professed Muslim states. It is plain to everyone with how much dignity Sweden treats its citizens, how it conducts itself in international affairs, and how it combines welfare and free markets, production and environmental consciousness, justice and freedom of speech.

To recap, there is no place on earth today where an Islamic state exists as in the spirit of the state of Medina during the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) time. We would need to do the hard work, with our sweat and blood to create this Islamic state. We would also need to determine where such a state could best be conceived.

However, unlike the Hizb-ut-Tahrir, we cannot see the Islamic state as an end in itself; the Islamic state can only be a means to an end, a tool if you will, and one that can only be utilized effectively if we first change ourselves. For the Quran reads Because Allah will never change the Grace which He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls: and verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).(8:53)

To change ourselves we would need to diagnose what is wrong with us, both at the individual and collective levels, and look beyond the symptoms and at the actual causes. The Islamic state would then be a tool for us to utilize in correcting those illnesses we suffer.

We must remember however that such a state would need to be established while being under military threat by our enemies; countries that today attempt to control the world and would do everything in their power to stop us. Even if we, insh’Allah, build a state it is more likely than not that the United States or whoever else, would find some pretext to label us terrorists, twisting the truth and fabricating evidence. We have seen this course of events time and again most recently in Somalia. If Muslims attempted to, with the Grace of Allah, create an Islamic state, they would face the greatest military, political and economic might collected by the enemies of Islam today, applied to stop us.

Now, like ants we would labor away, toiling away at a colony, only to see it destroyed. Even if such a state can attain massive economies of scale and scope, creating such a state seems impossible and hopeless, because of the likely reaction we will face against us.

Thus, our choice of location would have to be careful; to fight oppression and defend herself, this Islamic State would need to have the capacity to do so, that is, the ability to project conventional military might. There are few countries worldwide that have this and even fewer Muslim countries that can compete.

Today, we are at a crossroad, with three choices before us. One road will take us to assimilating into the Western civilization and relegating Islam to the role that Christianity today plays in the West or that the religion of the Romans played in their age. The second road leads us to reviving Islam in its true spirit and meaning. The third choice is to decay and die where we stand.

What is certain is that if we are to take the second road, to revive Islam in its true spirit and meaning, it is clear that the way forward is together, as the entire Muslim Ummah rather than in separate nationalisms. Divided into different nationalisms and cut across our petty differences, racial, cultural and otherwise, we are bound to fail as we did in Spain. It is most striking to compare the similarities of Muslim Spain to the politics of Muslims today. Each little principality nearsightedly fixated on their proud "Me First" slogan. Some of these myopic states even joined Western powers to fight their brothers. Each of these states was taken down one at a time. Once Spain was conquered, Islam was razed out of every nook and corner of her. If we look at contemporary history, from Ataturk's "Turkey First", we now have "Pakistan First", "Bangladesh First", "Iraq First", "Egypt First" and more. Look, we can’t all be first; we may all just end up last.

Spanish Muslims allied themselves with Christians to fight fellow Muslims to guard their narrow and myopic interests. How different from this folly is what we are doing today? See the Pakistan Army fight the Mujahideen and aid Western Allies in Afghanistan. Remember that without Pakistan's strategic, political and logistic support, NATO and the US would be hard-pressed to maintain the presence there.

The Quran reminds us that our Creator will not change our condition unless we change ourselves, as was mentioned earlier but let us recap this critical factor one more time: Because Allah will never change the Grace which He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls: and verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things). (8:53)

This does not, however, mean that we must wait to first create perfect Muslims to create an Islamic state. Indeed, such a course is self-contradictory because a perfect Muslim does not ignore the social and political sphere but acts to change the world around him or her. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not wait to create perfect Muslims to create the state of Medina. Medina in fact, included many individuals who had nominal faith, others who had little knowledge, yet others who were downright hypocrites and last but not the least, non-Muslims such as the large, powerful and influential community of Jews who vociferously opposed Islam and the state of Medina.

The state was a work-in-progress application, not a final, tested and tuned production unit.

Chapter Two New Medina Fundamental Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:32:00 +0000

The Fundamental Problem

If in fact, Islam is under threat, its empire vanquished, its culture and way of life being attacked at every level, and that this threat is an existential threat to our civilization of great magnitude, the question may be asked, what exactly is the nature of this threat and how has it reached such a critical and prominent position?

The West is of course, the first and most easily identifiable culprit. Their enmity against Islam is long standing and they had progressed rapidly, making our defenses against them obsolete. However, at a second glance, it becomes clear that this did not happen overnight. That it took them centuries to industrialize and create a renaissance, accompanied by a civilization. Yet, we Muslims were apparently unable to adapt to the challenge for all those centuries. To this day, the Muslim world remains backward and obsolete, unable to progress while many others have sped past us. Clearly, there is more to the problem.

Many scholars, thinkers, activists, religious groups, organizations and politicians have come and gone, each trying to grapple with what the fundamental problem is and how to fix it. While we cannot do complete justice to the thoughts of these thinkers in such a short space, let us attempt to summarize what some of them have said:

Muhammad Iqbal

Muhammad Iqbal considered Islam to be the key to uplifting Muslims and reviving us. However, he considered the Islam that we have today and preached by the religious scholars to be of little relevance to the Ummah. He uses the word "Magian crust" to describe the state of Islam being covered by something impure, a theological impurity over the purity of Islam. He advocated a complete rethink through ijtihad. He wrote famously "Khirad ko gholami sey azad kar, jawano ko peero key ustad kar" which translates to “free the mind from slavery, make the young masters of the old,” perhaps to remove this crust. One can thus say that Iqbal was of the view that the fundamental crisis was within us – that we have to look beyond blaming the West – who surely have done their part in harming us – but that they would not have been put in that position had we not had another internal crisis within.

Ibn Khaldun

This arguably one of the greatest Muslim scholars spent his life studying why Muslims are declining. He considers a number of issues including:

1. The original group feeling was for Islam and later on this group feeling became tribal and finally even this group feeling would be lost in a particular dynasty. In simple words, solidarity and unity was lost.

2. That the scholars today are not like the scholars of yester years, but are salaried and "weak" individuals who are practicing a "craft" or a "trade". i.e. they have turned Islam into a business/subject and lost Islam as a way of life.

3. The proper way of educating our children has been lost.

He brings many other problems and issues, perhaps too many to list. We have already considered his warning earlier.

Syed Naqib Al-Attas

A Sufi-inspired scholar, Al-Attas thinks that Muslims lack adab (respect) today and particularly respect for knowledge. He believes that the West is the fundamental instigator of this lack of adab. He means to target those who do not show adab to the “great scholars” or to traditional Islamic knowledge. Implicit in his statements is blame of the Salafis, who for instance, have issues with many of Islam’s traditional scholars, for instance Al-Ghazali.

Sufis in General

Blame materialism and lack of spirituality. Their very inception can be traced to the increasingly materialistic lifestyle after the ruler-ship of the four rightly guided Caliphs.

Ulemas in General

A very wide range naturally but usually revolving around blaming akhlaq (character), lack of eman, adab (manners), lack of knowledge, lack of respect for the deen, lack of respect of the ulema (predictably), not praying, not reciting / memorizing Quran, "fasad", etc. And of course the West, secularism, politicians and more.

Muhammad Abduh

A prominent Egyptian scholar, Abduh blames not practicing Islam and not being willing to learn from the West. He talks about re-opening ijtihad, making Islam less restrictive to man He famously says that he found Islam in the West but no Muslims and Muslims in the East but no Islam. His focus was on theological issues, reformation through ilm al Kalam, loosely defined as theological and philosophical argumentation for and against doctrines and dogmas. He was thus focused on reformation of dogma and doctrine as a means to reforming Islam. This is important in the sense that he was looking at the problem as an internal theological problem. However,

Hasan Al Banna

Al Banna blames the West and the secular elite in our countries that they have engineered. He saw revival through political activism, including through reviving the Caliphate and jihad.

Hizb-ut-Tahrir / Taqiuddin Nabbhani

Again, blames the West and the collapse of the Islamic caliphate. Finds solution in reviving the Islamic state, no faults are seen internal to Islam.

Malek Bennabi

Bennabi criticizes the above perspectives for blaming the West. He notes that Britain could colonize 400 million Hindus in India on the other side of the planet but could not colonize Ireland, a tiny populace living right next door. He coins a new word: colonizability. That is, Muslims are very easy to colonize, it is almost as if we were merely waiting to be colonized. Even with nuclear weapons and a powerful military, Pakistan today behaves like a vassal state of the West...

He points out that if the West alone is the problem, why were Yemen and Mauritania, parts of the Ummah never invaded by the West, the least developed and the least progressive? He also notes that the problem is systemic and afflicts the entire Ummah - noting that for instance, snake charmers are found from Morocco to Central Asia, everywhere in the Muslim Ummah but nowhere in the West. The systemic nature suggests the problem cannot be answered by simple answers.

He found fault with Muhammad Abduh and other reformers in that theological questions and aqeedah were not the direct cause of the decline but he thought that rather, the social function of Islam had been lost and that Muslims were stuck in a world of things and people rather than living in a world of ideas. He thought that arguing about theology and dogma would harm the Ummah by creating divisions. Rather, he felt that the problem was more related to a “psychological problem”.

Bennabi discusses a civilizational life-cycle where the world moves from things (such as idols in pre-Islam Arabia), to people, to ideas, and then as civilization wanes, back to people and finally again to things. He believes that returning to the world of ideas, and ideas derived from our core of Islam is the solution to be aimed for to revive the Ummah.

Mahathir Mohamad

Mahathir notes that after the Mongol invasion, Muslims decided to separate "worldly" knowledge and "religious" knowledge and focus on the latter. He blames this, and those that caused this (ulama) for the decline of Muslims and our backwardness.

Muhammad Asad

Asad blames the complication of Islam (Ibn Khaldun also indirectly writes about this). He notes that Islam was complete when the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited the verses "This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion." (Qur'an 5:3)

However, various scholars have added to this, and over time fiqh has become increasingly complex, so that today it is only known and knowable by specialist scholars. Thus, Islam has been taken away from the people and nearly impossible to implement because of its complexity and contradiction of views between various scholars’ opinions. This also creates the well-known symptom of schisms and division within the Ummah. Muhammad Asad wants to restrict analogical reasoning and restrict the Shariah to the original injunctions clearly articulated in the Quran and Sunnah. Ijtihad is to be relegated more to a political and individual capacity. Everything is not to be turned into an issue of legal ruling on a subject.

Ibn Hazm

Ibn Hazm’s views are similar to Muhammad Asad’s as described above and opposed to the fiqh created by scholars through analogy. However, he also perhaps inadvertently adds a small amount of literalist interpretation of Islam to replace the theology of fiqh. This makes the Salafis consider him to be one of them.

Salafis

Salafis blame Sufis (and others) as those that have corrupted the religion and that a return to a pure and pristine form of Islam (as defined by them) will solve the problem of the Ummah. Internal problems they find are related to shirk (violation of Oneness of Allah) and poor aqeedah (basic tenets of the faith). They see the solution in the most literal possible interpretation of the text.

While Ibn Hazm wanted to go back to the original and then put a full stop but somehow managed to add his own literalist perspectives, the Salafis, go further and create a comprehensive literalist theology typically based on the teachings (and interpretations) of Imam Ibn Taymiyya, Shaykh Bin Baz, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, and Shaykh Al Albani.

However, like Muhammad Asad and Ibn Hazm, they are against the fiqh of the scholars yet a literalist approach to Islam itself can be considered a form of fiqh. This contradiction and denial of the subjectivity involved has been contradicted in the multiple competing brands of Salafis, including Jami or Madkhali Group, Sururi Group, Ma'ribi Group and Jihadi Group, among others, where everyone is claiming they have the “correct” interpretation and not implying that they are not creating subjective interpretations. Logic suggests they all can’t be right. Some Salafi leaders of one group sometimes condemn another group of Salafis as deviant while at the same time are conscious of how this subject “hurts eman” or their belief in Islam and studiously try to avoid it, particularly to those outside their group.

Taha Jabir Al-Alwani

Al-Alwani and others are part of the Islamization of Knowledge movement which will be described later. For now, we want to note that Dr. Alwani considers that the problem must be seen as a sick man who needs to be diagnosed. Everyone is looking at the symptoms but not trying to figure out what is causing the symptoms. Thus, while a lack of eman, akhlaq, etc. are the symptoms, but the question still remains, what is causing this?

Tariq Ramadan

Generally, there is a thought group such as Tariq Ramadan and Taha Jabir Al-Alwani and even ulama from Al-Azhar who recognize the need for a revision and they are trying to progress the shariah. Tariq Ramadan calls for, what in actual fact would be creating a new madhab. This has to be based on reflection of the world around us and thus different from the interpretations of early scholars. The factor to be considered important for this reformation of fiqh is contemporary and regional/cultural relevance.

The similarity between Ramadan et al, Muhammad Asad and the Salafis is that they all reject taqlid and want to review the theology created over and above the Quran and Sunnah’s direct commands. The difference is that Ramadan et al and the Salafis want to return to the original and basic framework and then create a new theology. Ramadan et al want this theology to be reflective and attuned to the present circumstances of the world while Salafis want to pretend that they are not creating a theology above the original and that their literalist interpretation is part and parcel of the original. In practical terms, the Salafis want to severely restrict analogical reasoning and create a literalist viewpoint while Ramadan et al want to create a new fiqh with full use of analogical reasoning centered on maqasid al-Shariah (the purpose of the Shariah), making bold new analogies based on the present world circumstances.

Modernist/Progressive/Secular Perspective

They see Islam in general to be the problem. They want to restrict Islam to the masjid in contravention to direct commands of the Quran which calls those who do not live by Allah's laws as "kafirun". They have a point that it is the more Islamic parts of society that are the most backwards, i.e. they see the systemic problem but blame it on "religion" openly or implicitly. They however have failed in their attempt to modernize the Muslim world for the last 50-60 years by copying from the West; given the experience of the secular states that litter the Muslim world today.

The Islamization of Knowledge Movement

This is the big thing among academics and has two dominant perspectives, namely Al-Faruqi and Al-Attas (as noted above). What they are basically saying is that the problem is a matter of bringing back a synthesis of Islamic and modern "worldly" education together and blending them in a mixer, essentially a solution to the problem earlier identified under Mahathir’s views. What that mixer will be and how exactly elixir will be administered is the point of dispute among the various scholars of this paradigm.

The problem basically is that even some of the leading scholars of this movement have stated what can be construed to mean that the movement has failed in the last over 30 years to make any real change and are stuck in the "pre-methodology" stage. This is a ridiculous situation and only academics can continue congratulating each other on a train journey that appears to never reach the next station and in fact, standing more or less stationary with the illusion of speed coming from other trains passing by.

The first such attempt was Aligarh University and the latest such attempt is the International Islamic University Malaysia (and various other International Islamic universities in the Muslim Ummah). Problem is, the entire Muslim Ummah is still producing very little actual research, and no discernible difference to the Ummah can be noticed.

------

All attempts thus far have been a colossal failure. We have reached a point where the situation is getting desperate. Bennabi notes: the Muslim world today is at a risk of being overwhelmed by the West, at the very moment that the West is in decline. He thinks that if we seek to follow in the footsteps of Europe, we will always lag behind the West as it has to go through the same steps that the West has already long passed; which is precisely the mistake the modernist leaders of the world have been making for the last half century or more.

This author thinks that all these perspectives have some valuable input: that at least some of these thinkers have a piece to contribute to the puzzle. At the same time, since each of them only has a partial solution, taking Al-Alwani’s analogy, their antibiotics could not kill the virus, have mutated the problem and made it even worse. And since we Muslims like to live within our own little schools of thought, way of thinking and comfort zones where 72 out of the 73 sects are going to go to hell and “we” are going to go to heaven, we are unable to compare notes and come up with a universal solution.[1]

There is also two other issues, the political tact of implementing the solution and the sequence of the antibiotic administration to be followed. If for instance, we start by condemning the traditional theological structure, we would achieve nothing other than a spiteful reaction. If we try to implement an education system or an economic system without first having control over the state, we will fail miserably as our efforts will not have the scale necessary to compete against the alternative dominant systems.

This book is insh’Allah an attempt to create such a universal diagnosis. We will not attempt to make everyone happy or build a false consensus, but rather build a true synthesis, insh’Allah that finds an optimal solution. The first task it to assign primary blame and we will agree with both sides – that the problem is both an external threat and an internal mess simultaneously. We do not know which one is greater and will not go into a debate about it. Practically speaking, we need to deal with both of them simultaneously; our past generations have left us with no breathing room to deal with each at a time.

Dealing with the external problem, simply arguing with them, talking about how great we are and how evil they are will not do anything. It is mere stupidity to think otherwise. Our enemies are exactly that, our enemies. They are meant to be our enemies. They are not going to go away just because we burned an effigy of some leader of theirs, told them how evil and uncivilized they are and how great we are / were. They are amoral and immoral, our moral arguments sound silly to them. They will only treat us right if we are strong and can hurt them back in case they hurt us; viable deterrence. Our solution must therefore involve political and economic strength and military prowess. Through our models, particularly the political, economic and education models we intend to achieve the former and the chapter titled “Defense Policy” focuses on how the latter can be achieved. The chapter “Islamistan” is also related to this latter issue and the vital importance of viable military technology and a military-industrial complex.

Coming to the second part – our internal problem – it is safe to say that we have multiple internal problems. Education, our theology, the control of our religion by a theologian class, lack of unity, lack of a viable political model, loss of the social function of Islam and living in a materialist, thing-based world rather than a world of ideas are all problems, not necessarily in that order of priority.

The solution is to first have a clear idea what each of these problems are and how to deal with each. It is then vital to, rather than keeping this as an academic exercise, to propagate and create awareness about the nature of these problems and their practical solutions. The methodology here should be the same as the method of propagation by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Share your ideas as far and wide as you can, practice them and call people to it, both organically and strategically. One of the fruits of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) dawah was Medina. We are today at a point in time where, because of the political conditions, we have a chance to do political dawah. Pakistan is ripe for such dawah, both to the movement for reform led by Imran Khan and to junior military officers, insh’Allah. This has been the thrust of this author’s activism to the best of his ability.

In terms of sequencing the solutions, the author believes that the economic model outlined in this book would be the easier to sell, given the global circumstances. The solutions outlined in the chapter “After the Revolution” should also prove most attractive to a frustrated Pakistan. The questions raised and the solutions sought in the legal system should be implemented only at a later stage otherwise they would prove most controversial as was demonstrated by other movements and thinkers who attempted to deal with these issues only to find controversy and a psychological firewall. They should only be implemented when an Islamic government is in power, the people have been taken into confidence and the entrenched theologians make a strategic blunder, which it just happens that they frequently do.

Education is a vital reform factor that should be implemented on the first possible chance of an Islamic / friendly government, or at an individual level even before. This is the key tool for moving our world to a world of ideas and in correcting many of the problems we face. After all, a child can be taught the right way to do something from the get-go, but a grown adult is set in his or her ways and needs to unlearn before learning, and often our egos are too big to unlearn what we think we know.

[1] Sheikh Totonji has an interesting take on the 73 sects hadith – that it is not an authentic hadith, that two other versions of the hadith say different things, including one which says that one will go to hell and the others to heaven and another hadith version which makes no mention of how many will go to heaven or hell. We shall return to the problem of hadith interpretation later in the chapter titled The Legal System

Chapter One New Medina - Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:30:00 +0000

Introduction

Islam today has over 1.65 billion adherents with an enormous wealth of resources and a near-perfect geo-strategic position. More than anything else, our greatest strength is Islam, the values and guidance from the One True Creator, Allah and the active help from Him as He has promised, if we keep our duty to Him. And that Allah may help thee with powerful help. (48:03)

Islam came as a Mercy to mankind. It represents a shift in religious thinking and differs from all other belief systems, doctrines and philosophies preceding it, in that it advocates simultaneously living in the material world and the spiritual, and provides a synthesis of relating the two. Buddhism, Taoism and Catholicism are inclined to the interior life, in rejection of the exterior. Confucianism and Calvinism (or its many intellectual offspring), and political systems such as Marxism and Capitalism, focus on the exterior life and are belief systems that are focused on the external and the material world.

Islam provides a solution in a complete and comprehensive understanding of the human paradigm, encapsulating simultaneously and in balance, the internal and the external, the material and the spiritual, the social, individual and spiritual aspects of man. Islam can thus be explained as “religion without mysticism and learning without atheism”. It is not a question of one or the other, but a question of finding the right balance. The balance of Islam is a mercy from our Creator.

The success of this paradigm was exemplified in the rapid rise of Islam – moral, economic, political and military, as the central driving force in the world. Islam towered as the dominant civilization and political empire for over a thousand years. But today Muslims are in a steep political and economic decline. The world has been in a state of great turmoil and change and Muslims are at a final crossroad to either fade away as a political force or re-energize and rejuvenate. The Uthman Empire is no more and its tiny fragments are now weak and subjugated by various foreign powers.

Beyond armies and the force of arms, these foreign powers are using their ideologies and world views to secure themselves in our lands and to keep us economically, politically, militarily and spiritually starved and dependent.

Today's state of subservience is a highly unnatural position for the Muslim world, given our history, and to correct such a position is not outside the realms of possibility, but rather one that would represent a natural progression of events, and correction of balance.

Muslim thinkers have attempted to correct our course throughout history and this is yet one such attempt. This book is written in all earnest, given that the Muslim Ummah today is stateless and in the throes of extreme internal crisis and external attacks. No matter how hard our scholars have tried in the past to reform and rejuvenate, after brief successes, we have now reached close to rock bottom, with Malek Bennabi reminding us of our position with the following diagram:

Given also that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has warned us of the Final Days and the signs of its coming, and that those signs are being rehearsed to us in the most direct terms, the threat today must be considered even more elemental. Let us be warned by Ibn Khaldun what may happen to us if we continue to be dominated and subjugated:

“A nation that has been defeated and has come under the rule of another nation will quickly perish. The reason for this may possibly lie in the apathy that comes over people when they lose control of their own affairs and, through enslavement, become the instrument of others and dependent upon them. Hope diminishes and weakens. Now, propagation and an increase in civilization (population) take place only as the result of strong hope and of the energy that hope creates in the animal powers (of man). When hope and the other things it stimulates are gone through apathy, and when group feeling has disappeared under the impact of defeat, civilization decreases and business and other activities stop. With their strength dwindling under the impact of defeat, people become unable to defend themselves. They become the victims of anyone who tries to dominate them, and a prey to anyone who has the appetite. It makes no difference whether they have already reached the limit of their royal authority or not.

“Here, we possibly learn another secret, namely, that man is a natural leader by virtue of the fact that he has been made a representative (of God on earth). When a leader is deprived of his leadership and prevented from exercising all his powers, he becomes apathetic, even down to such matters as food and drink. This is in the human character. A similar observation may be made with regard to beasts of prey. They do not cohabit when they are in human captivity. The group that has lost control of its own affairs thus continues to weaken and to disintegrate until it perishes. God alone endures.

“This may be illustrated by the Persian nation. In the past, the Persians filled the world with their great numbers. When their military force was annihilated by the Arabs, they were still very numerous. It is said that Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas counted (the population) beyond Ctesiphon. It numbered 137,000 including 37,000 heads of families. But when the Persians came under the rule of the Arabs and were subjugated, they lasted only a short while and were wiped out as if they had never been. One should not think that this was the result of some persecution or aggression perpetrated against them. The rule of Islam is known for its justice. Such (disintegration) is in human nature. It happens when people lose control of their own affairs and become the instrument of someone else.” (Al-Muqadimah)

Understanding this fundamental threat to our civilization, we must make the greatest effort to restore Islam to its proper place or risk losing everything that is of value to us. Let us then, with all seriousness and the greatest effort, set about our work in reviving the Muslim Ummah, insh'Allah.

The solution in meeting this challenge lies within Islam; Islam has been and continues to be the most powerful and dynamic force in the Muslim World and the only pragmatic solution to our present crisis. What galvanized Muslim India to seek freedom as Pakistan? What inspired the Chechens, Bosnia and Afghanistan under Soviet occupation? What caused the emergence of Somalia’s Islamic Courts and the Hezbollah in Lebanon? The answer remains the same throughout.

The contention here is that this primary force within us can best be articulated and come to its full expression through the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) methodology. The methodology is of preaching about the solution, getting enough adherents, and then utilizing the political entity of Medina to implement that solution. This book attempts to define how such a methodology can be followed insh'Allah and the major issues that the Islamic state needs to resolve.

Zaid Hamid Our message to CJ, COAS, and DG ISI

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:49:00 +0000

04/01/2012
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

Rough translation of Zaid Hamid message to Chief Justice, Chief of Army Staff, Director General ISI.

I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful.
Allah, may you grant peace and glessings upon the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions.

Our message today is for the Pakistani people, the Chief Justice and the soldiers of Pakistan including General Kayani. Understand clearly that Pakistan is under attack from three fronts. From the US Af-Pak military doctrine, Pakistan is being turned into a battlefield and being planned to turn into another Yugoslavia, and this plan is now in its final stages. The meaning of Af-Pak is that US forces will enter Pakistan from the West. Indian Cold Start doctrine is focused on Indian forces entering Pakistan from the East. A fourth generation war is being played to attack Pakistan internally by using rebellion, insurgency, media...

to so weaken Pakistan that after this period, Pakistan is so weak that external forces coming in will not be effectively challenged, whether through Af-Pak or Cold Start.

The enemies secret plots are now open. The Pakistani people understand that this present political setup and government was given so that Pakistan's civic infrastructure such as electricity, water, gas, her airlines, railways, her industries can be destroyed. An information war be started simultaneously so that the Pakistani people lose hope and are dismayed, and start thinking that Pakistan will not survive. The nation be divided along ethnic lines so that provincialism creates division among the people... and weapons have been provided to these groups by NATO.

For the last 11 years, NATO's supply lines have been provided through Pakistan. The previous government as well as this government's betrayal has been that no one has asked why these supplies are being allowed, why this is being allowed free, why taxes are not applied to these supply lines...

If for 11 years, Pakistan had taxed America's supply lines to Afghanistan, including the overflights of NATO aircraft to Afghanistan - first thing is that Pakistan should never have participated in this war - but even if we got involved, at least these goods passing through Pakistan should have been taxed, and if it had taxed, Pakistan could have earned 3-4 Billion US dollars in tax revenues. This could have gone to pay for the immense destruction, use of gas, electricity, infrastructure, many budgets made without taxation...

The first thing is that it is now time for Pakistan to stop being part of this war. Since now we know clearly that Af-Pak means an attack on Pakistan, we will not be a part of this war. What Pakistan Army has achieved through courage and strategy, what sacrifices they made by which the enemy's fourth generation war has been pushed back against them, all this achievement would be wasted if we again open NATO's supply lines.

Right now, in Pakistan there are over 3,000 NATO armoured vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, artillery, communication equipment, anti-aircraft guns, and there are at least 5,000 other containers that are willed with NATO weapons and ammunition. America is saying it is leaving Afghanistan, they are talking about peace with the Afghan Taliban, they are opening an Afghan Taliban office in Qatar, if all of this is being done for peace, then why are there 5-7 division's equivalent worth of equipment being taken to Afghanistan? For whom?...

Or is this weapon going to be used against Pakistan in their Af-Pak strategy?

In Pakistani military history, in world military history, there will be no greater blunder than if we allow these thousands of vehicles and thousands of weapons to go through to Afghanistan, so that they can attack Pakistan from there.

Pakistani political leaders are lying, Pakistani media is sold out. No body will tell you about Af-Pak, fourth generation war and Cold Start. Our voice in the main stream media has been blocked, we are not allowed to speak to the main stream media. But despite this, our voice by the Grace of Allah is reaching the people, the young Pakistanis are listening and the enemy is also being countered. By Allah's mercy, keep faith. There is no need to be afraid because Pakistan's patriots and those who love Allah are now certain and have understood this message, are standing with the Army, and the Army has made sacrifices to again achieve Pakistan. And all the claims made by the enemy against us is one by one being defeated.

But now we are going to talk specially to the Chief Justice and Army Chief General Kayani.
Chief Justice Sahib, today you are the chief justice, tomorrow you will be put in the defendent's box of Allah's Court. And Allah will be your Judge. Today the nation of the Prophet and this Pakistani land has been put under your care. Make your decisions with courage and bravery. Protect the nation of Muhammad. Today the Army and the entire nation are looking at you. The judgment you made in Karachi saddened the people. Despite that you had all the evidence of wrongdoing, and despite that you said this. And still you did not dismiss the Karachi administration.

It is this government of Karachi, including the MQM, ANP and PPP that are involved in terrorism, murder, violence, criminal activities, if the judiciary will not make the judgment then who will make the judgment?

We tell you with great respect once more. Understand your responsibilities. The law can be blind but the judge cannot. Allah's and the Rasool's nation are in pain. Pakistan is under threat of being broken. The memo scandals are in front of you. Pakistani Army and ISI have given you the full evidence, do not delay.

If this memo scandal on merit is proved that it is a conspiracy against Pakistan to break it, to remove Pakistan's Army and destroy Pakistan's nuclear capability, and that this is also the truth given the Af-Pak strategy,...

It has also been proved through Muhammad Malik has written in his news report that Hussain Haqqani had over 300 list of targets, related to US targets for Pakistan including military, nuclear and key infrastructure, and that this list has been with Haqqani...

The US wants to pursue this list... The US also wants to occupy Gwadar and use such an occupation to cut directly through to Afghanistan... To do all of this, all the arsenal is right now stuck in Pakistan. The US had planned to collect all this arsenal and then just as Spring sets in to use it (in an aggressive war) but Allah had turned the strategy upside down Their supplies are with us, the memo scandal is before us, but now all hopes and decisions are on your desk...

But if you do not do your duty... if you do not show courage and bravery, perhaps no one can harm you in this world given your great position, but in the Hereafter you will have to face the Judgment of Allah. Now understand this issue well and understand that the entire Pakistani nation and 100,000s of martyrs are looking towards you, today you have to show loyalty to Pakistan and the enemy will put much pressure on you....

On the other side we are looking at General Kayani and the Pakistani Army. The whole nation respects and is in awe of the Pakistan Army's history and sacrifices. We stand with you with our hearts and our hands at your service, do not be afraid on our account. The sacrifices made by the Pakistani nation and the army, it has opened a new chapter in history... after stepping into your position you have again brought back credibility and respect in the Army, and you were able to deal very effectively with Swat and Waziristan. The time is not for showing weakness or to give the enemy time and space to act, the nation is standing with you...

We have understood it well that if we allow these NATO supplies to go through then tomorrow these very vehicles will be running over our children and entering our roads and streets. Whatever decisions you have to make make them with courage and bravery we are standing with you and no one has the courage to stand and talk against the ISI and the army. You are the commander of the soldiers, and you are not just the commander of 500,000 soldiers, 180 million soldiers are standing with you and 1.5 billion nation of the Prophet are looking at you. Pakistan is Islam's last stronghold. If this stronghold is removed then there will be no one to stop India or Israel.

Today they are plotting to destroy Pakistan. We again...

General Pasha, we are aware of you. We know that CIA, RAW and the whole world's unholy forces are wanting to remove you, and the role that the ISI have had, they have by the Grace of Allah left our heads held up high. In your coming to your position Allah has given respect to Pakistan, to the army and the ISI. Do not be afraid we stand with you.... we are with you... do what you have to do remove CIA, RAW, TTP and all insurgent elements. Whatever enemies there are whether in the memo gate issue or regarding Karachi, do whatever you have to do against these elements...

Pakistan is vital, Allah and his Messenger and the religion is vital, laws, rules, regulations, procedures, if they are do not respect Pakistan, her army, her geography... then they have no holding. We are standing with you, the nation of the Prophet is standing with you and you will have your reward in the Hereafter. Keep yourself strong, keep courage. You are not alone. Pakistan army is the guardian of Allah's religion. Allah did not give you nuclear weapons without any purpose. If in the entire Muslim world the honor has been given to you then it is because Allah has a greater purpose for you in terms of a coming great war...

Our mistakes are many, and our rulers have also made many mistakes, but our children have made so many sacrifices that God Willing they will cover for our mistakes. Keep faith and once more don't be overwhelmed by the actions of our enemy. God Willing nothing will happen to Pakistan...

... only the good and bad are being separated... Allah's purpose will be fulfilled, fortunate will be those who will be a part of it, unfortunate will be those that do not, oppose it or try to hinder it. Do not at all be dismayed by what you are seeing around you. As long as the gold does not go through the fire it does not create (purified) gold ingots...

Be afraid of Allah, and conscious of the day of Judgement, otherwise...

Insh'Allah Allah will grant you Paradise and immense reward.

From Arab Spring To Arab Slaughter

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:08:00 +0000

Inspiring Pledge!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:05:00 +0000

Story of a Father and Son!

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:51:00 +0000

Lyrics PTI Karachi Rally Song

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:25:00 +0000

12/28/2011

Lyrics for the PTI Karachi rally song.
Imran Khan PTI Song Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf
Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan
Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan
…
Qayad ka tha farman
Qayad ka tha farman hey Pakistan Falahi Mumlikath
Hoey leader jab beyman kiya nuksan bhula kar ankpat (?)
Qayad ka tha farman
Qayad ka tha farman hey Pakistan Falahi Mumlikath
Hoey leader jab beyman kiya nuksan bhula kar ankpat (?)
…

Ab log neheen nadan
Ab log naheen nadan gaye sab jan kahey Imran Khan
Ab hogi jo nigran ye nasal jawan barheyga Pakistan
…

Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan

(Music)

Insaf jo ho buniyad
Insaf jo ho buniyad (?) to mulk o Kom hamey sher shad rahey
Ho Pak zameen mazbooth bohoth mazbooth to ham azad rahey
Insaf jo ho buniyad
Insaf jo ho buniyad (?) to mulk o Kom hamey sher shad rahey
Ho Pak zameen mazbooth bohoth mazbooth to ham azad rahein
…
Ab hoga her insaf
Ab hoga her insaf bara shafaf kahey Imran Khan
Ab ayengey hamdard to sar pey mard… (?) key jin ka hey eman
…
Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan
Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan
…
(Music)
Terey sath he perey jawan
Terey sath hey perey jawan sabhi Imran tho hoga bamiyan
Ma o behno ka man tho rakhey Imran tho sachey tere hath (?)
Wo din bhee hey nasdeeq
Wo din bhee hey nasdeeq key yeh tehreeq banegi eik toofan
Dil neik to niyath saaf rahey rahey Rab rehman
…
Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan
Dil naik ho niyat saaf to ho insaf kahey Imran Khan
Wo chaleey hey ab tahreek ke hoga t-heek yeh pyara Pakistan

Modern Muslim Light Cavalry II

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:09:00 +0000

12/24/2011
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

This is a shortened and revised version of our combined arms theory. DOWNLOAD.

Modern Muslim Light Cavalry II

By the (Steeds) that run, with panting (breath),

And strike sparks of fire,

And push home the charge in the morning,

And raise the dust in clouds the while,

And penetrate forthwith into the midst (of the foe) en masse―

(100:1-5, Al-Quran)

-----------

He sees a long, dark line of horsemen emerge from behind a rise in the ground and charge galloping at a body of Roman troops. The cloaks of the warriors fly behind them and the hooves of their horses pound the earth pitilessly. Some carry lances; others brandish swords; and the Romans standing in the path of the charge tremble at the sight of the oncoming terror, for they are standing in the way of the Mobile Guard, whom none may resist and survive to tell the tale. The line of charging horsemen is not straight, for it is impossible to keep it straight at such a mad, reckless pace. Every man strives to get ahead of his comrades and be the first to clash with the infidel; strives to get ahead of all but the Leader, for no one may, or possibly could, overtake the Leader.

The Leader gallops ahead of the Muslims. A large, broad-shouldered, powerfully-built man, he is mounted on a magnificent Arab stallion and rides it as if he were part of the horse. The loose end of his turban and his cloak flutter behind him and his large, full beard is pressed against his chest by the wind. His fierce eyes shine with excitement-with the promise of battle and blood and glory- the glory of victory or martyrdom. His coat of mail and the iron tip of his long lance glint in the clear sunlight, and the earth trembles under the thundering hooves of his fiery charger.

…

I am the noble warrior;
I am the Sword of Allah
Khalid bin Al Waleed!

Extract from The Sword of Allah, Lieutenant-General A.I. Akram of the Pakistan Army

Introduction

Bismillaharrahamanaraheem (In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). India is beefing up an air component for its various formations under the “Cold Start” doctrine. Recently, the purchased the highly lethal Apache attack helicopters from the United States. These are to be deployed along the plains of Punjab and the deserts of Sindh. If, in a future conflict, the PAF remains busy in the air war above, these attack helicopters and other fixed wing aircraft could prove deadly against Pakistani armour. This writer believes that the solution is to either build a cheap CAS aircraft for the Pakistan Army Aviation, or to refurbish and modify the recently retired A-5s from the PAF. The F-6 rebuild factory provides ample opportunity to bring these aircraft back to relevance. HIT is capable of upgrading the armor of these planes.

Such a solution could prove a cheap and effective counter to the new Indian Army doctrine of employing fixed wing ground attack aircraft as well as attack helicopters including the highly lethal Apache helicopters. This would be relevant to the present economic scenario and would show that the Pakistan armed forces are above the petty rivalry of the USAF and US Army, among other armed forces.

Light cavalry is a defunct concept in modern Western military doctrine. However, Muslim history indicates it was a central part of our doctrine. This author equates light cavalry, not with lightly armoured vehicles, as the West is wont to do, but rather with a Close Air Support (CAS) component that refurbished A-5s, or similar CAS aircraft can provide.

To conceptualize how close air support should ideally operate, we must consider 4 elements - armor, motorized infantry, artillery and CA-AC (Combined Arms Air Component. NOTE: I shall continue to use the term CAS interchangeably for the sake of familiarity, but will be meaning CA-AC, emphasizing proactive engagement over the reactive). Now, to explain the fundamental dynamics between the forces at the simplest level, consider a medieval army - one with:

1. Foot soldiers;

2. Heavy armoured knights / war elephants / Roman cataphracts;

3. Archers; and

4. Light cavalry.

In the past, we have assumed that the tank played the role of the cavalry, without distinguishing between light and heavy cavalry, creating a triad rather than a quartet. Yet, light cavalry was employed differently from heavy cavalry for most of known military history.

Consider the employment of the medieval heavily armoured knight, always moving in closed formation, often employed to charge and break enemy lines, can be susceptible to well-disciplined and well-formed infantry with pikes. Countering such infantry, heavy cavalry moved on to incorporate ever greater ranged assault and ever greater armour. Consider how well this fits the role that tanks have played and how they have evolved. How tanks, like their erstwhile predecessors, also are best employed en mass and not individually or in small groups. How, for instance, they are used to drive a wedge into enemy lines but can be devastated when well trained and well-formed infantry can effectively deploy their anti-tank arsenal (i.e. pikes).

Consider how ranged attack and greater armour have increasingly become important with the increasing lethality of anti-tank weapons.

However, if modern armour equates with heavy cavalry, then what can be considered as the light cavalry component? The modern MBT cannot optimize mobility and surprise, as opposed to firepower and armour. Perhaps the combined sequel of weapons in the modern battlefield made light cavalry obsolete. Or possibly such a weapon system is merely waiting to be found. I believe the latter, and equate traditional light cavalry with what can be called Combined Arms Air Component 'CA-AC'.

The four components should ideally be part of one integrated army and work with seamless operational unity. To be truly effective they would need to be employed organically and share, as close as possible, a logistics base and operational deployment.

However, as a game changer the importance of CAS must remain paramount. Air-power is extremely effective and must not be neglected. Light cavalry was our forte during Muslim ascendancy, Khalid bin Waleed was unsurpassed in his mastery of light cavalry and the Romans and Persians never had an answer to it. Insh’Allah this will once again be true someday soon.

The Modern Compromise

Today's multi-role aircraft attempt to compromise between a fighter, a deep strike and a CAS aircraft. The disconnect between them is particularly stark vis-a-vis CAS, where a cheap, slow flying but agile aircraft is needed, a plane that does not need to fly anywhere near the sound barrier, or have a sophisticated radar. What is needed is an aircraft that can fly low, manoeuvre at below tree top height, retain an ability to 'hang in the air' when needed, and land on the shortest strips or gravel or paddy field.

Instead of this, what we see is that combat aircraft are increasingly becoming more complex, larger, poor performers at low altitudes and low speeds and able to land only on specialized runways. Focus then has turned to dropping JDAMs from altitude, negating proactive engagements, and being employed such only because no one wants to risk the multimillion dollar combat aircraft, nor the pilot, leaving the foot soldiers on the ground with the proverbial buck.

Furthermore, while in an overly mismatched battlefield one side can dedicate a portion of its air force assets to CAS, in a more even battle, air forces focus almost all of their assets in winning the air-war first. Given the cost and value of fighter aircraft this makes sense. However, given the need for a truly combined arms operation and a cheap CAS aircraft, it makes less sense to have the ground forces commander left without CAS when CAS can be the difference between victory and defeat.

The present response to fill this widening gap is to increase the component of attack helicopters and look to UAVs/UCAVs to fulfil the role. However, helicopters fundamentally are more complex, have far less range and are more expensive to build and maintain on a payload delivery basis. An Indian Army Apache will cost them over $40 million, not including additional costs, training, operation and upgrades. Moreover, today’s helicopters cannot fulfil a complete vision of a seamless combined arms operation; they have separate logistics chains, tactical deployment requirements and are very low on endurance.

UAVs/UCAVs appear to be a panacea here, particularly because they can avoid casualties. Yet, they have increasingly faced bottlenecks of communications bandwidth, even while only fighting insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, a problem likely to multiply against any competent conventional enemy. They also have complex chain of communication lines and connection to the operator. The time lag in controls, although a fraction of a moment, is enough to not enable true nap-of-the-earth flight, critical in keeping the CAS battle ground bound rather than becoming targets for a viable enemy air force. The present lack of a competent technologically sophisticated enemy means that they face no significant jamming threat, an issue likely to be critical as jamming could render these planes utterly ineffective. The fact that Iraqi insurgents could hack into Predator drones is an eye-opener and so is Hezbollah’s tapping into Israeli drones. Imagine what a more sophisticated enemy could do. Situational awareness from a camera-view is far inferior to that from a cockpit. Further, assuming the pilot of the UAVs are not putting their lives at risk, they are not likely to be as inspired as those that are, and are less likely to relate and bond with the ground forces that they are operating with. Lastly, dependence on satellite communication can be fatal given ASAT (anti-satellite) capabilities now available to China and by extension, Pakistan.

In the Pakistan-India scenario, as opposed to a mismatched US versus Iraq / Afghanistan type scenario, CAS aircraft will not have the luxury of flying slow and hanging around – because of the large number of SAMs and sophisticated air defence systems on both sides, the flight profile would be quick “jabs”, popping up, firing and then exiting.

Thus, attack fixed wing aircraft will be even more suitable, particularly in the plains and desserts of the Eastern theatre. Pakistan Army Aviation can be effectively equipped with refurbished and modified A-5s retired from the PAF. While India has money and Indians often have an inferiority complex vis-à-vis Western manners of doing things, Pakistan does not need, nor can afford to buy modern attack helicopters in numbers to counter India. Instead, Pakistan may perhaps choose to counter India in her own terms, finding a cheap solution for India’s billions and yet in an effective and efficient manner.

Our Improvisation is Our Strength

A truly remarkable feature of the FC-1 / JF-17, the joint fighter project between Pakistan and China, has been the willingness of its development team to improvise. This is in contrast to Western design houses where original frameworks are strictly maintained – notice the F-22 and the Eurofighter, where certain design parameters were doggedly followed when they could have clearly done better by changing course midway. The F-35 is now becoming a major embarrassment for the United States in terms of its program management. India’s weapons programs are yet an even greater example of mismanagement; the LCA, which has been in development for three decades and by the time it enters service it will be nearly irrelevant.

The Western style of planning is culturally different from the eastern style – objectives are fixed at the beginning while in the East, we are willing to move the objective around a bit. Obviously, neither is “better” than the other but each has its benefits and costs. However, I think the JF-17 benefited from this immeasurably. Otherwise Pakistan would be taking delivery of the original Super 7 airframe at perhaps $20 million per plane.

The Eurofighter took 20 years from contract signing to production. The Swedish Gripen and the Rafale took 14 and 15 years, respectively. In comparison, the JF-17 took 10 years. Pakistan must continue finding innovative solutions to her problems, particularly given the present budgetary constraints. Refurbished and modified A-5s would prove to be a valuable asset against any misadventure from India.

The Way to Peace Rich Siegel

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:05:00 +0000

12/19/2011
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

Rich Siegel is a very dear friend who, despite his Jewish background has stood up for Palestine at great personal cost to him and his family. Rich was originally Pro-Israel until he decided to learn about what the other side is saying, rather than the propaganda handed to him. He was well-regarded in his community but, as he turned to speaking out about the crimes against humanity, the ethnic cleansing, the Zionist terrorism of Muslims, he has been targeted in every way possible. This has included an attack on everything from his person, his income (Rich makes a living as a Jazz pianist and musician) and even direct harassment of himself and his family. Recently a Rabbi came outside his house and started shouting obscenities, terrorizing his household including his 6 year old daughter. This is just one example of many in the ways Rich pays for standing up for what is just and right.

Rich's new album epitomizes his struggle and The Way to Peace features the famous saxophonist/author/activist Gilad Atzmon, along with celist Eugene Moye, guitarist Gary Ciuci, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Anthony Pinciotti. The album covers his own compositions as well as covers of New York-based composer Kirk Nurock and the Lebanese composer Ahmad Kaabour. Rich in this album sings in English, Spanish, Hebrew and even Arabic, although he candidly admits that the last comes with a strong accent.

The cover of his album is done by his 6 year old daughter Emily Gu Siegel. Looks like the little Siegel is on her way to becoming a pro : )

While I personally do not listen to music due to spiritual reasons, I'm more than happy to recommend Rich's album to those who do and may sample at least a few songs from his album. You can order your copy at the Palestine Online Store web-site. The cd will be available here as a pre-release for the holidays and other usual outlets will perhaps receive it a little later.

Fake Anti-Pakistani and Anti-Islam Profiles Being Mass Manufactured

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:06:00 +0000

12/18/2011
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

Fake anti Islamic, Pakistani Profiles, Pages and Groups on Facebook and other networking sites are being mass manufactured by unknown but obviously well-organized and well-funded organizations. Youtube IDs, Twitter accounts, and more, as if in a comprehensive coverage of social media.

We would like to request all members and well-wishers to please help us Muslims fight back by reporting these groups. A list is given below: Even if you can do a few reports, it would be most appreciated. Each takes about a minute.

UPDATE: A lot of these have been reported, thank you for your part.

Groups
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121397643836
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=123231944381527
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=125982424082833
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=332579223381
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61846737067
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121397643836
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=324487114526

Kolachi: Fictional Pakistani Film

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 02:08:00 +0000

12/18/2011
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

Kolachi appears to be a rather decent looking film made - not on India's Bollywood but Pakistan. The film is not out yet, so it is hard to pass judgment but if it is anything like the trailer, it looks very decent. The story revolves around an apocalyptic crisis when Planet Nibiru causes chaos on Earth, and in particular in the city of "Kolachi", which sounds similar to Karachi. In fact, the city of Karachi originally started as a village with the name of "Kulachi" or "Kolachi", started by the tribe by the same name.

US Soldiers Running Out of Pampers in Afghanistan

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:40:00 +0000

17/12/2011
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

KABUL - US and NATO soldiers are running out of supplies in Afghanistan due to the border closure with Pakistan. The United States has made a private special request to the Pakistani government to allow the supply of tissue paper and pampers to go through because of an acute shortage. In case you are wondering about the latter, US soldiers wear pampers while fighting in Afghanistan because the soldiers, often young kids unable to pay for college, frequently piss in their pants when engaging the Taliban.

Meanwhile, it has been learned that the Popeye's fast food outlet serving US and NATO forces has run out of supplies. Guess no Popeye's this holiday season.

The Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan military are considering the US request to allow the pampers and tissue papers on an urgent basis. We would urge the Government of Pakistan not to allow these supplies to go through no matter how urgent their need.

Muslims and the Hidden Purpose of Schooling

noreply@blogger.com (MJ) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:28:00 +0000

In this day and age,it is important that Muslims take a greater role in the debates about the education of our children and how best they should spend their hours in the quest for knowledge. No doubt, all knowledge is essential whether some choose to use terms such as secular or religious, or whether they see education in a more holistic fashion. There are some pertinent questions that require reflection especially for Muslims who live in the west, such as:

1) What quality education is available?
2) Are we satisfied with the way kids are turning out by grade 12? Specifically, at the end of that grade, will they be men and women that we can be proud of?
3) Is there a better way to educate our children?
4) A serious question to ponder over is whether our quest for a comfortable dunya has been at the expense of our children's akhirah?

There is a saying in home school circles that states, "if you want little Romans send your kids to Caesar's schools!” This is food for thought to say the least.

Regarding the purpose of public schools in the West, H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924,

"The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever pretensions of politicians, pedagogues other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else."

The truth that Mencken has stated above has been verified by the scores found in the 2011 Scholastic aptitude test. Unfortunately, they are the lowest to date. It appears that many of the children who come out of most schools have gone through some type of cookie cutter machine and one would be hard pressed to find an original thought or even the attempt at thinking critically or creatively about the world. If they cannot think about the information they are processing, then are they really thinking at all? Is it not necessary that we all verify or ask questions about the textbooks or articles we come to contact with? It seems that unless you go to elite schools you will not have the luxury of debating or writing critically about important subjects. This leaves the rest of the students attending mediocre schools many times with the inability to defend themselves either through written work or through debate or argument. The ramifications, especially for Muslim children are enormous. Author John Taylor Gatto puts forth the idea that children are no longer equipped to deal with highly intellectual written work, nor have the intellectual fortitude to weigh ideas that are put forth.

"We're talking about a contest here between the active literacies and the inactive literacies. So inactive literacy would be a reading ability equal to reading instructions or lists, but not to deal with difficult ideas. Active literacies would involve the higher levels of reading, where you're actually entering someone else's mind and feeling the way it moves around an idea, but mainly writing and speaking, because writing and speaking gives access to people, whereas reading's a solitary thing."

Students today require the ability to assess ideas that are being indoctrinated in them at schools that have largely slipped in their standards of teaching Math, English and Science. Schools appear more interested in inculcating ideas regarding safe sex, sexual orientation and the environment among other topics. These latter topics are more often taught in a manner that is at odds with Islamic stances to these issues. Unfortunately, however time at home is usually wasted away on frivolous pursuits and one wonders when these topics will be addressed beyond that which is given quickly in their weekend Muslim schools, if it is given at all. Most parents do not understand the dimensions of what they are up against, since many grew up overseas and believe that the school system is simply about reading, writing and arithmetic. They do not process the fact that there is a massive indoctrination campaign going on and that this indoctrination is generally antagonistic to their cultures, families and religion. The results are what we see today, children alienated from their roots and unfortunately their religion. Moreover, many become hostile to any criticism of the information they have received, believing it to be the ultimate verifiable truth or truths. What is required are community based talks that address these issues in a coherent manner;a manner that will give them the strength of conviction to assess and withstand the deviant ideas that are constantly being presented to them. Insha'Allah,given the proper perspectives and explanations our Muslim children can and will have a criterion whereby they can judge and consider all issues using our beloved sources the Quran and Sunnah.

This topic of indoctrination was widely researched By John Taylor Gatto in his book, "The Underground History of American Education," where he details the journey from an America that was literate with 98% literacy in some states to what we have today a system that is populated with those who have minimal to low literacy. The adoption of Skinnerian behavioral techniques that espouse the necessity of using whistles and bells as the children are dogs in training is eye opening information.
Gatto highlights a hidden curriculum that teaches children something deemed more important than the usual subjects we normally think of. This hidden curriculum teaches kids their place in society their attitudes towards consumer items an attitude that is characterized by an obsession for the latest gadgetry, and of always needing more. In addition, the hidden curriculum makes children envious of what others have, whether it is an, "A" report card or the latest Nike shoes. Islamic schools that promote prophetic values do counter these values,however the predominant majority of Muslim children go to regular public schools. Islamic values could be taught that promote the belief that importance should be attached to ideas such as doing ones best without comparison with others or values such as thrift for charitable purposes. One of the ugliest and woeful stories one may occasionally hear about on the news, deals with department stores having super sales and shoppers trampling over each other at times resulting in death in order that someone obtains these items.

The hidden curriculum also teaches students to only think about how to get good jobs not about how to be entrepreneurs who will make the good jobs. This is because these schools get much funding from entrenched business interests that wish to maintain their monopolies in the market. The full details on how schools implement this social engineering program and what steps they take to do it is explained both in his books and many of his articles. One of his main points refers to the fact that being constantly interrupted leads to massive indifference. This apathy is reflected in attitudes towards others including animals and the environment, and has led to children that are narcissistic;children who have excessive self-love. They put their needs and desires above those of others to the point that it had become detrimental to the healthy functioning of society. Thankfully,the remedy for apathy is not difficult,it entails leading a meaningful life in the pursuit of Allah's pleasure and a goal of seeking nearness to him. This is the quest that our beloved prophet, Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him, directed us towards and it is an exciting endeavor if it is understood and contemplated properly. Without a doubt, the catch to this quest is that we observe our existence through the lenses of deep thought and speculation.

Following are some of his articles explaining these issues:

http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs37-gattointerview.html

http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html

Gatto on elite schools in comparison to ordinary ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11g9Tnmvo3Q

By MJ

Imran Hosein's Advice to Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 08:58:00 +0000

Quick and rough text from the video:

There strategy for denuclearizing Pakistan appeared to me 10 years ago .. to try to destabilize Pakistan to denuclearize Pakistan and use this to save the world from … allowing nuclear weapons to get in the hands of Pakistan … to save the world.

And also to break up Pakistan into bits and pieces.

When that happens, we must have a Zionist friend to control all the pieces. And it is time for Muslims in all the world to recognize, including in Iran, to recognize that Israel’s most strategic partner in the world after the US is India with Saudi Arabia neck and neck after India.

And so, not only must India be involved in the attack but also when it takes place and if it succeeds, it is India that must control the region on India’s behalf. A successful attack on Pakistan and denuclearization and breakup will impact Muslims in the whole of the Subcontinent in such a way as to bring about a state of demoralization and despair and send shock waves to Muslims in the rest of the world. That one of the largest group of Muslims in the world have now come under the foot of India. So India will rule the entire South Asia, with NATO in control in Afghanistan.

What should Pakistan do in this late hour? Perhaps it is too late to do anything this late because those who control Pakistan politically and those who control the Pakistan armed forces have distinguished themselves with the stupidity… and I am sorry to use this harsh language against them… this monstrous stupidity these last 10 years since 9/11, in supporting the war on terror which is a euphemism for a war on Islam. Supporting NATO in its war on your innocent Muslim brothers in Afghanistan. And you supporting NATO, killing innocent people? But more than that, handing over the territory of Pakistan to the Zionists, have you no shame that this is what you did for 10 years, that all NATO supplies went through Pakistan to Afghanistan.

And it took you 10 years to stop it? Only when NATO killed 23 Pakistani soldiers and the didn’t do it by accident. They launched an attack on the post to send a message that that is it, the friendship is over, we are coming to attack you now. So only when that happened now you are going to stop them from transiting the territory of Paksitan with supplies for NATO troops. How could you be so stupid to hand over three military bases in Pakistan so drones could go and from above kill innocent people.

And now, when the knife is about to cut your throat, only now you are waking up? When the attack on Pakistan takes place, I think they already know what will happen. So all these Pakistani Zionists – I call them Zionists – probably already have their suitcases packed like they did in Siagon, and they will all be flying to Miami, and to Los Angeles and to New York, to spend the rest of their miserable lives, these traitors. But I am not talking about them tonight, I am talking about the Pakistani people, as poor as they may be, in their poverty they still love Islam and they hate the government of the US which has been committing aggression and oppression with deception after deception. Feelings in Pakistan have reached fever pitch. My advice to them, if it is not too late, I don’t know, what can you do?

My answer is, if you are to win Allah’s help, you got to put your house in order. You have to abandon those who are fighting over sectarian issues, stay away from them, get away from these people. Deobandi versus Brailvi, this sect against that sect. Treat these people as though they are a people who have to be cast aside. Don’t keep their company. And try to bring again, once again, the fraternity of Islam, that these are all brothers and sisters in Islam, one people. Identify yourself as Muslim.

I am the student of Maulana Dr Fazlur Rahman Ansari, he established the Aleemiah Institute in Karachi. And because of what he taught me, and the methodology of study he gave me, I am able to do the work I am doing now. So you may want to go to his grave in North Nazimabad and offer dua – this is halal, this is permissible – and offer dua that Allah might forgive his sins, grant him noor in his grave and grant him jannah. Maulana Fazlur Rahman Ansari never joined in this sectarian warfare in Pakistan. Never. And he established the institute as non-sectarian. He was not Deobandi, and the institute was not Deobandi, he was not Brailvi and the institute was not Brailvi. Let me repeat that. To those who are now controlling the institute, where I studied, and where I was once the principal. He established the institute as neither Deobandi, Brailvi, Ahle-Hadith nor Wahabi; it was Muslim. And he said that I am not neither Deobandi, Brailvi, Ahle-Hadith nor Wahabi, I am Muslim. That’s his statement.

And that is his statement. And that is the way for Pakistan today. To get out of this cancer of sectarian warfare. Number 2: Allah made riba haram. Pakistan is miserably poor today because of riba. The paper that you are using today in Pakistan, the Rupee, is bogus, it is utterly haram and a vehicle for riba. The ulema in Pakistan have not been able to recognize that all these years. Go look for the scholars of Islam in Pakistan who can recognize that paper to be bogus and fraudulent and haram. Who can recognize so-called Islamic banking to be delivering riba through the back door. Who can recognize that membership to the United Nations organization and the submission to the charter of the UN is a recipe to slavery. Who can recognize that membership to the IMF, which prohibits the use of gold as money is a recipe for slavery. And also for the people of Pakistan, get out of the cities, go to the countryside and seek to produce your own food to sustain yourselves, in a tomorrow that is coming that is going to be horrible.

The question is, how do I view the response of the Pakistan armed forces when the curtain is about to be drawn. And NATO has already sent, by Federal Express that we are coming for you now and now the Pakistan armed forces, because now it is too late to do anything else, okay we will not allow NATO to transit Pakistan, and we will take back this base that we gave you so that you could kill the people in Afghanistan, and you have 15 days to vacate the base. No, I am not impressed; I think a lot of these generals have tickets to Miami, because they know they are going to be lynched. I hope they are listening to me, because the Pakistani people love Islam and the Pakistani people are very, very, angry with those who have betrayed them, and betrayed Pakistan and betrayed the Ummah. Flying First Class to Washington, any time Washington calls them for consultation.

So I am not impressed at all. A people who betrayed Allah and his Messenger, and now at the last moment, now you are trying to save face. But the overwhelming majority of the soldiers in the Pakistan armed forces love Islam and they are going to fight as faithful and courageous Muslims. That I have no doubt about. It is the command that stinks. It is the command the political and military command that I call Zionists. And they are on their way out as soon as America attacks. They are going to fly to Miami. And leave Pakistan to the true Pakistanis. So I am not impressed.

The Muslims in India of course are going to be in a worse situation once Pakistan is attacked. The Muslims in Bangladesh will be in a worse situation because they are going to be demoralized. And it is a function of Islamic scholars to give guidance and leadership. And the scholars of Islam are fighting over popcorn. Fighting with each other over popcorn. And attacking me because I declare myself to be a Muslim. Who? He is only a Muslim? He is neither a fish nor fowl? Who is he? He has no akeeda? That’s why they now attack on me. O well, let them continue their attacks.

Pakistanis in Germany Protest Bonn Conference

noreply@blogger.com (MH) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:50:00 +0000

Things Rapidly Moving in Pakistan & The Rise of a General

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:17:00 +0000

12/03/2011

Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

Two days ago, Pakistan shut down all support facilities to the US-manned Shamsi airbase. Although given 15 days, when certain US officials reportedly refused to leave Shamsi, the Pakistani's moved in and are in the process of throwing them out by force. Officers involved are from the Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army and the FIA (Pakistan's FBI). Rumor has it that some Black Water employees where found there including some whose visa's have expired. These gentlemen were arrested and will be processed appropriately according to government protocol.

The US government, at one point refusing to leave the base, now are attempting to save face and say that they are voluntarily leaving and that this will not impact their operations. In fact, Shamsi is the US government's most important drone base both in South Asia and the Middle East. Drones from this base were involved in attacks ranging from Afghanistan / Pakistan to Yemen. This will significantly reduce the sortie rates of drone strikes in the region. In turn, this can only help the Taliban, insh'Allah.

Another aspect the US is downplaying is the loss of the supply routes through Pakistan. Suffice it to say that US soldiers will not have a very merry "Christmas" this year and may just have to be content with wearing their socks. It has been learned that the US only has 3 months supply in reserve. By the time the typical Taliban Spring Offensive comes, NATO will find itself short on arms, trying to defend itself and far from being able go on the offensive. Northern supply routes may appear safe now, but NATO has to rely on the good will of Russia. We will let you judge the strategic soundness of that. The Pakistani military believes that NATO can literally be starved to death, and this information, from good sources, can be traced to the GHQ (Pakistan's Pentagon equivalent and military leadership).

Meanwhile, the PAF (Pakistan Air Force) is on high alert and there has been an incident with a unmanned drone possibly being shot down or chased away by them (unconfirmed, rumor). What can be said in connection with this is that all flights to Multan were mysteriously cancelled and inbound flights were re-routed to other destinations.

The Pakistanis, moments ago distraught, are suddenly united and appear undaunted by any threats. They are being led by a man who has the mental capacity to be one of the greatest general in recent history. This writer has noted as far back as December 2007 at the genius that General Kayani possesses. People despaired when he allowed the TTP to get within a hundred kms of Islamabad. But there was in fact a genius to why he allowed that, and why he pursued peace talks to the hilt. When he turned the tides, nothing could stop the Pakistan Army from winning a conclusive victory. In the movie Gladiator, Falco makes the following observation:

"I have been told of a certain sea snake which has a very unusual method of attracting its prey. It will lie at the bottom of the ocean as if wounded. Then its enemies will approach, and yet it will lie quite still. And then its enemies will take little bites of it, and yet it remains still."

A similar strategy was followed by Khalid bin Walid, the famous Muslim General that won Islam an empire, defeating the two superpowers of the time out of nowhere. In the Battle of Yarmouk, the D-Day of that age, and the final battle between the Byzantines and the Muslims, the Muslims stood their ground defensively for 5 days without showing any attempts to overwhelm the enemy. Each of those days, it seemed the Muslims were losing and barely managing to hold their own ground. On the 6th day, the Muslims attacked, completely routing the enemy by sunset.

General Kayani has shown time and time again the ability to hold his nerves and come through with a brilliant and strategic victory. His mental capacities would have him qualify as a fine chess player, should he take to such a hobby and would rival him with Karpov and Kasparov. Kasparov was in fact, famous for reviving the gambit, a practice generally discarded by grand masters before him. A gambit is a chess opening where player sacrifices material, often a pawn, hoping to achieving a resulting advantageous position.

The soundness of this tactic at the highest levels of chess was questioned until Kasparov showed it could still be utilized effectively. (Incidentally on a side-track Kasparov himself warned about the Zionists and the US government). General Kayani has shown that same tactic can be utilized effectively in modern military conditions; Pakistan is today perfectly poised to deal with the United States and NATO and any other enemies that come along. Kayani has managed to unite not only the Pakistan Army but also the Pakistani people into one single, highly motivated and stoic force that is bristling with rage but has the brains to keep thinking.

Pakistan is not your typical Third World army, they are a force to recon with. Pakistan today manufactures everything from its own fighter aircraft, tanks, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, artillery pieces among a very long list of other items. The JF-17 fighter for instance, is an able adversary of USAF F-16s, F-15s and F/A-18s. An Al-Khalid tank is more than capable of fighting toe-to-toe against any contemporary adversary. Meanwhile, the US and NATO not only face dwindling supplies but are severely limited in terms of the number of air bases available to them. Many of these air bases are not hardened and aircraft lie in the open. Pakistan is fully capable of taking out these air bases with her cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and her air force. While this is not likely to take place and a less high-stakes proxy battle will likely ensue, NATO would be well aware of the vulnerability it faces against a competent enemy, as opposed to Iraq or Libya.

Sheik Hosein correctly predicted the Arab Spring as far back as 2004

If Sheikh Imran Hosein is right and WWIII is not far off, Pakistan would not only be flying her standard but the standard of the Muslim Ummah, being the strongest Muslim state. It would then become obligatory for Muslims worldwide to defend Pakistan, making General Kayani effectively the Khalid bin Walid of our era. In light of that, this author and all the men that follow him duly swear allegiance to him and to Pakistan and remain a plane ride away should our services be needed.

Pakistan Army Finally Comes Through

noreply@blogger.com (Grande Strategy) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:36:00 +0000

12/1/2011
Meinhaj Hussain, m.hussain@grandestrategy.com

It is with the greatest heart filled joy that I share with you the news that the Pakistan Army has finally reacted in a meaningful way to the recent attacks. It has been learned (not confirmed) that the Chief of Army Staff, General Kayani, has fired the regional commander that bungled up and did not call air support during the attack. He has also issued orders to arm the border soldiers "appropriately", which we can only guess will involve Anza MkII manpads that can take down US choppers and aircraft, at the push of a fire-and-forget button.

The Good General (may Allah be pleased with him and forgive him) has also ordered an aggressive streamlining of the command structure giving officers on the ground the authority to respond without seeking approval in the event of aggression. He has also given the PAF the task to now defend Pakistani airspace without seeking approval and even if 2 planes were lost for every NATO/US warplane, and to fight for all his forces, even if the exchange rate is 200 to 1.

Meanwhile, NATO is to leave the Shamsi airbase and the blockade of the supply route will continue. Now good Sir, if you would humor us a little more:

1. Manpads for the Afghan Taliban.
2. Close the supply route permanently.
3. Close the airspace to NATO.
4. Ensure the coming elections are not rigged and Imran Khan gets his due.
5. Retire the pro-American senior officers.
6. Let the CJ hang Haqqani and Zardari.
7. Perhaps a little more humor for Hekmatyar, as he is helping block the Northern route.

Last but not the least, if you would be so kind as to declare the above officially rather than through unofficial leaks.

Even if none of the additional demands are of immediate concern to you, may Allah bless you, if what we hear is true. We are going to sleep tonight a lot better.