Egypt, Saudi Arab’s stand and Islamic Movement

A Saudi delegation headed by minister of religious affairs Shaik Saleh at Jamaat's headquarters

Shaik Saleh bin Abdul Azeez, minister of religious affairs, and wakf, Saudi Arabia visited the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islmi Hind in Delhi on 17^th Feb. with a sizable delegation.It was a part of his official programme. The hon’ble minister came to India on the invitation of renowned Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband. What was the occasion is not known. He visited Darululoom on 16^th February. Moulana Arshad Madani, president of Jamiatul Ulema gave a grand reception in his honour the same evening. Next day on his visit to Jamaat office the president of the Jamaat Moulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri welcomed him warmly.

Introducing the hon’ble guest to the audience Moulana Umri expressed his pleasure on arrival of Shaik Saleh to Jamaat HQ and briefed him with the activities of the Jamaat. The guest also reciprocated with his pleasant feelings about the visit.

But the extra ordinary and most important aspect of the programme was the Jamaat chief’s comments on current affairs. First he capped the position and influence of Saudi Arabia in the Islamic world and recalled the contributions of servants of the holy mosques. He complimented the Saudi government for the steps taken in favour of the people and against the brutal government of Syria. But expressing his deep concern and discomfort about the developments in Egypt, the Jamaat chief termed the stand of Saudi government as very regrettable. Moulana Umri said that Dr. Mohammed Morsi was elected with people’s mandate in a most democratic way. From day one his approach was very compromising. But for Israel he never acted against and had no abrasions with anybody. His government was functioning in accordance with the constitution of the country and his manifesto. But all of a sudden the military overthrew his government and put him and several of his colleagues behind bars. And whatever happened later is very much painful. But the stand of Saudi government is ununderstandable, he said. Similarly the government of Bangla Desh trying to crush the Islamic movement and oppress the Islamists, is a matter of great concern to the Muslim community. Butan un explicable silence prevails in the Arab world in this regard too. Moulana Umri made it clear that these sentiments are expressed as matter of benevolence and closeness with the Saudi government. We understand well the esteemed position of the state of Saudi Arabia and we have high regards for it. Our feelings are merely a result of this attachment, said the president.

In turn the hon’ble guest expressed similar sentiments and benevolence. We are already aware of the Jamaat’s stand expressed by its chief, and this is the stand of all the Islamic movements, he said. Clarifying the stand taken by Saudi government the guest said, since Mohammed Morsi took the reins of power in Egypt the conditions moved from bad to worse. Huge arms started pouring in from neighbouring states.  Civil war like conditions emerged. Egypt was at the brink of disintegration. That was the reason of military intervention. It was only to prevail peace and stability in Egypt, the government of Saudi supported the military, he said. The hon’ble guest also clarified that the state of Saudi Arab never acts against the interest of Muslim community. The interest of Muslims is foremost before any decision of his government. He further said that the reasonability of Saudi stand on Egypt will become clear in a short while. About Bangla Desh he said protest messages were sent to the government there.

The feelings expressed by the Jamaat’s president in this extra ordinary meeting were what ought to have been of a responsible leader of any Islamic movement. Similarly the reply of Shaik Saleh was what ought to have been of as are sponsible minister of Saudi government.  But if you look into the statements of the hon’ble guest some basic issues remain un attended. The internal situation of Egypt during Mohammed Morsi’s tenure which was described by Saudi guest is obviously based on his official information. But all the sensible and neutral people of the world observed that right from the day of announcement of general elections in Egypt several hurdles were created for Muslim Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party at every step. Many trickeries were used to prevent them from contesting and winning the elections. Despite these hurdles when Mohammed Morsi got elected and took charge, conspiracies were hatched against him from the very next moment. The anti-Islamic forces within Egypt, Israel and American agencies joined hands. Morsi was never allowed to sit comfortably even for a single day. The Saudi guest in his talk had said that America, which never supported any Islamic government, was supporting Morsi government. Here also the information of Saudi representative may be trustable, but what was seen was that America was on the side of military oppressors and the military action against Morsi was not without American support. Abul Fatah Al Sisi had the complete backing of Israel and America. Since America pretends to be in favour of democracies and against military rule anywhere it had issued few formal statements about the developments in Egypt. Israel was most happy with situation in Egypt because it was benefited most from the dismissal of Morsi government and its leaders still say this openly. 

A basic question is about the justification for brutality of the military after usurping the power against the people of the country who were protesting against the injustice and how gruesomely the women, the aged and young children were crushed by attacking their camps. The height of cruelty is that a daughter was killed before her father and next day the father himself was done to death. A teen aged boy of a Brotherhood leader was killed and the leader was sent behind bars later. These kind of beastly and satanic acts of governments might have happened before emergence of civilized world. The very visualization of these bloody scene is hair raising and curse against its perpetrators is uncontainable. Later whatever was done against the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, their leaders, activists and supports is a black chapter of modern democratic world. The offices of Brotherhood and the assets of its activists were destroyed. The military rulers today announce very proudly that we have crushed political Islam in Egypt. Obviously America and Israel wished the same. If the words of the Saudi guest are accepted that‘it will be realized in a short while that the stand of Saudi government was right’ then it has to be seen ‘at what cost?’ How can it be compensated? Can the thousands of innocents who were killed brought back to life? No honest commentator of the world can deny this fact that the elected government of Brotherhood was punished because it talked of Islamic governance within the frame work of democracy and the wealthy rulers of Arab states opened the flood gates of their treasuries to support the tyrants.

The spirit that was behind the address of Moulana Jalauddin Umri, the president of the Jamaat also prevails while writing these lines with due benevolence for the Saudi government and respecting the esteemed position the servants of holy mosques enjoy. We feel these are the sentiments of the general Muslim community too. If the hon’ble Saudi guest could pass on these sentiments to his government we would remain grateful to him.

 22/02/2014 Editorial by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT,
translated by: translationsonline.in