Turkish Election and the Arab world

-by Dr SLM RIFAI-

               All praise to Almighty Allah, the Turkish TV reports that President Tayyab Erdogan is leading in election result. It is reported that he has gained more than 53% vote to be elected first ever executive president of modern Turkey. He sets a good example to the entire Muslim world in good governance and politics.  He shows the Muslim leaders how to contest democratically. While many Muslim countries are dominated by political dictators, Turkish example should be a role model to all Muslim countries to follow. This is an astonishing victory for Turkish democracy and the Muslim world. Tukey needs such a strong political leader to build this nation. I hope and pray that Tukey is entering a new Era with this political change. I think Turkish people are wise enough to set a good example for the entire world. They accumulated 500 hundred years of experience in politics and Insahllah, modern Tukey will set some innovative political ideals for Muslim world to emulate them in politics 

             We see some meaningful political changes in Turkey for the last 2 decades. Since 2000 Turkey has been making rapid socio-political and economic development.  This progress and developments are unparallel in its long history. Since 1500 Turkey has been competing and challenging Europe militarily, economically and politically. Since Ottoman Empire decline, Turkey has been politically dominated by Anti- Islamic secular political parties, but Turkish people have been protecting and preserving its Islamic identity and cultural heritage. Today, the politics controls, every aspect of life in this modern world.  politics is so destructive in all Muslim countries. Due to inaptitude political leadership of many Arab countries, 80% of Muslim population in countries like Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and many Gulf countries suffer today. Unlike some people think today, politics is so important in this modern world.

             Politics could make a dramatic change in modern world. For instance, before 1524, Iran was a Sunni dominated country and yet, with a political change in Iran, the Ismael Safavi changed Iran from Sunni into Shia country. The similar craftily designed plan is going on to convert Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq into Shia countries. yet, Gulf politicians do not care about this but rather they are busy in suppressing the waves of moderate Islamic groups. They are busy in killing Sunni population.

            Against all this background, Allah blessed Turkey and its people to serve Sunni Islamic world.  Its political leaders are good examples for the Muslim political leaders.  They do not loot public money and they are dedicated to serve their people. So, called Sunni Muslim political leaders in Gulf countries are suppressing Islam and Islamic groups. In Saudi, and Egypt thousands of pious Ulama have been detained just for speaking the truth and just for speaking justice. This is nothing but to suppress any form of Sunni Islamic revivalism in Gulf for fear of Islamic political resurgence in gulf region. Most of Gulf political leaders do not care about Islam and Islamic world. All what they care is about their power and nothing else. 

             Allah blessed them with oil and gas but what they have done with it. We do not see any meaningful progress except people in gulf are becoming consumer societies. All what they do is getting income from oil and gas to spend on imported goods from Europe. Oil and gas money is not converted into economic developments as we notice in many other countries today like Brazil or any other countries. Once alternatives have discovered or invented for oil and gas, some of these gulf countries will beg the international communities for money, unless political leaders take some meaningful action now.

                 It is a divine wisdom that Allah blessed them with this natural resource and made the most sacred places of Islam in those two holy cities, otherwise, who will go to Saudi barren land of scorching desert.  Rather than locking up Islamic scholars and creating division in the region, Saudi government must get the support of all sections of Muslim communities locally, regionally and internationally.  It is good in creating arts of hatred and division among Muslim countries than uniting the Muslim Ummah.  Today, out 53 Muslim countries, many Muslim countries are not happy with the politics of Saudi. Saudi-Iran cold war is dangerous trend for the entire Sunni Muslim world and yet, Saudi political leadership is so ineptitude to know the far-reaching consequence of such conflict. May Allah protect Sunni Muslim world from such destruction. For Saudi, the Western political partners are more important than any Muslim countries. How long it could trust them? How long Saudi people keep silence against this political dictatorship?  

           Compared to many Muslim countries, Tukey and Malaysia set some good examples for the entire Muslim world. While preserving Islamic identity they maintain the development process. They are making a lot of progress in economic, technological, scientific, industrial, and agricultural sectors. These countries are competing many developed nations in many areas of development. While they are doing this, they are getting on well with all other nations. They know well that for any economic development, you must have peace. Take for instance, how many challenges Turkey face today. It takes more than 5 million Syrian   refugees and it has been fighting separatist groups for many decades. It has some hostile countries in its borders. Yet, with all this, it has been dealing with all these problems with political wisdom. It wanted to join European union long time ago. Yet, some European countries are not happy take Turkey on board with them and yet, Tukey is getting on well with all European countries well. That kind of political wisdom is needed today to deal with many countries. You cannot create any political enemy in this modern world. 

          For some time, Iran and Russia were not in any good terms with Turkey. Iran has been fighting with Turks for five hundred years now.  Long before, Saudi was created with the support of British empire, Ottomans were fighting with Safavid to protect Sunni Islam. Yet, look how Turks deal with Iran. It deals with wisely. Turkish political scientists and political leaders have shown the Muslim world their political maturity and political wisdom in dealing with Iran, Russian and western world. Unlike, Saudi immature politics, Turkish politics is more advanced, logical and more meaningful. It makes sense to deal with diplomacy and political wisdom in modern.  Saudi politicians could become a prey of some warmongering & weapon producing companies. This is what happened in Iraq and Iran war during Saddam Husain time. He was fooled by some weapon producing companies to buy arms. That is why Iran and Iraq war went for more 10 years killing more than 1 million people.

             Turkey is clever enough to avoid any conflict. Although, the Kurdish problem has been going on for a long time, I think that Kurdish problem too will be solved peacefully. There is no prospect for any country with conflicts. Countries with conflicts make economic suicides. 

             We pray and hope that Turkish political example and development encourage the Muslim leaders around Arab and Muslim world to follow them in good governance. This is what Islamic politics is all about. Providing good public service is part and parcel of Islamic politics. public view is most important in Islamic politics. It is public who appoint political leaders and yet, Arab leaders do not care about public opinions. Muslim political scientists such Imam Mawardi, Ibn Qayyim and Ibn Taymiah set some conditions and qualifications for Muslim political leaders. None of them supported political dictatorship and political inheritance. This kingship and family rules are nothing but a religious Bida created to fool Muslim public. At least, Tukey is coming out of this family rule and dictatorship. President Tayyab Erdogan said that he no longer wants to establish family rule in Turkey. He wants to create a new political system that represents public views and opinions. May Allah bless him and bless people of Turkey in its march into  a realistic Islamic democratic  politics .