Hostage Crisis: What viewpoint for the Muslims?

[Truth Seeker]

Who has not seen the tragic pictures of the mother of Ken Bigley, the British worker pleading for her son’s release? Many will be moved by the concern of any mother for her child. Once again we face confused emotions and the pressures of the media trying to extract a response from our community.

 

Some have condemned any hostage taking and killing outright. Some have even agreed to swap places with Mr Bigley. Some have sent missions to Iraq to advocate the cause of Mr Bigley. Some may feel no remorse for those kidnapped and killed in such a situation.

 

What should be the reaction of the Muslim in such a strange and confused time? Of course, we try to look at the Islamic viewpoint in all areas of our live – not what pleases one faction or another in the society – be they media, government or even our emotionally liable brothers and sisters. This is only an offering of an understanding from this viewpoint.

 

Firstly, Iraq is a war zone. Its people do not recognise what is happening there as a liberation. Rather it has all the feeling of a brutal occupation. Dr Allawi has fast become known as ‘the new dictator of Iraq’ installed like the other western backed dictatorships in the Muslim world. We are told that January elections will deliver a democracy, and in the meantime the interim government has legitimacy and real power. Yet the interim government is overruled by the US and UK on the issue of freeing women prisoners, and Donald Rumsfeld tells us that elections may not be for the whole population. Daily, Iraqis are killed in large numbers or are mistreated by the occupying forces, which all goes unreported and the current regime does nothing to represent their interests.

 

In such a war zone, people legitimately seek to fight against occupation, and in such a climate soldiers and those civilians who maybe seen to be legitimising the occupation become targets in the war. It is sadly, that men such as Ken Bigley can become embroiled in this mess. Certainly, he would have been convinced by the government and the media here that he was going to help people. The reality is he was probably unwittingly caught in a neo-colonisation of Iraq.

 

Secondly, in a war situation, prisoners of war will inevitably be taken on both sides of the conflict. Islam recognises this fact and legislates for this. What has crudely been labelled as hostage taking is no more than that. However, the example of the Prophet (saw), and his Companions, was that they treated them humanely – feeding them first before even themselves. Allah (swt) says;

 

ÙˆÙŽÙŠÙطْعÙÙ…Ùونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى Ø­ÙبّÙÙ‡Ù Ù…ÙسْكÙينًا وَيَتÙيمًا وَأَسÙيرًا. Ø¥Ùنَّمَا Ù†ÙطْعÙÙ…ÙÙƒÙمْ Ù„Ùوَجْه٠اللَّه٠لَا Ù†ÙرÙيد٠مÙنكÙمْ جَزَاء وَلَا Ø´ÙÙƒÙورًا

 

“And they, though they hold it dear, give sustenance to the indigent, the orphan and the captive. (Saying) we feed you for the sake of God alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.†[TMQ Al-Insan 76:8-9]

 

Either they were released humanely or ransomed – for example for the price of educating others. As Allah (swt) mentions;

 

ÙÙŽØ´ÙدّÙوا الْوَثَاقَ ÙÙŽØ¥Ùمَّا مَنًّا بَعْد٠وَإÙمَّا ÙÙدَاء

 

“Then bind strongly the fetters. Then afterwards either the release or the ransom.†[TMQ Al-Muhammad:4]

 

Muslims and Islamic states were never characterised by values that lead to prisoners of war being treated like those at Guantanamo or Abu Gharaib.

 

However the execution of hostages is absolutely forbidden by Islam.

 

Allah (swt) says:

 

يَا أَيّÙهَا الَّذÙينَ آمَنÙواْ ÙƒÙونÙواْ قَوَّامÙينَ بÙالْقÙسْط٠شÙهَدَاء Ù„Ùلّه٠وَلَوْ عَلَى Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙسÙÙƒÙمْ

 

 

“O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves…†[TMQ Al-Nisa:135]

 

We should never lose sight of the fact that although murdering hostages is indeed unjust, and the fact that Mr Bigley was probably sent out under a false pretence was unjust, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was the root of all these injustices.

 

Every Muslim individual and group should spend their efforts explaining to the wider society that this foreign policy is to take the heaviest blame, and that the end to interference in Muslim lands is the way to prevent these injustices from recurring.

 

Dr Abdul Wahid

 

www.1924.org

www.stopbusharraf.com

[Haddad]

The fact is Bigley is a big gambler, and prefers dollars to losing his life. It's not like he knew nothing about the risks he could face. It's not like the Iraqi insurgency haven't warned would-be Bigleys. It's not like there weren't precedents, this issue has already been discussed here. It's not like there won't be other Bigleys in the future. It's not like the future Bigleys have absorbed any lessons. The chance to make some quick thousands dollars is too tempting. Suffice to say, while the Bigleys are making big dollars, Iraqis are dying for lack of few dollars. And to sum it up, expecting an outrage is doomed to fail, for the simple reason: There's no need for an outrage.

[Truth Seeker]

What do you mean bring back Saddam Hussein and the Real Rulers - who put them in their positions? America.

[x_quizit]

I fully support those that are struggling to free themselves from the clutches of the west but what i do not support is the killing of innocent bystanders on both sides! Kill military men by the dozens, but taking an innocent's life out of frustration and just because they belong to a particular group, doesn't make it right at the end of the day. Plus, the ppl who are responsible for the beheadings, dont really seem to care who they kill, pakis, some muslim nationals as well, so what do they gain? Nothing, makes them look worse to the sympathizers of our cause of global freedom, and makes those that seek our downfall more eager to kill our innocent young men and women. Violence breeds violence and its a horrible cycle that leads to the ultimate deaths of millions of innocents. This isn't just directed to the so-called hostage takers, also to those fake "liberators" that are only there for their own interests.