An open letter to President Barack Obama - Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad
President Obama,
Let it be known to you and your administration that Muslims particularly and all peace-loving citizens of the world generally are extremely shocked and outraged by the massacre in the Raba’ah and Nahda Square in Egypt.
Sources from Egypt's FJP (Freedom and Justice Party) of the Muslim Brotherhood quoted the death toll as at least 1,000 with another 10,000 persons seriously injured including independent journalists and cameramen covering the events.
Your incoherent stand on the ousting of President Morsi and the deliberate failure to outrightly condemn it as a military coup were indeed very regrettable and extremelybaffling.
Notwithstanding your recent administration’s frantic efforts, namely of Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator John McCain at reconciliation, an earlier categorical and unambiguous reprimand of "perpetrators of democracy" could have mitigated if not entirely averted any untoward sequel.
Your tragic choice of being ambivalent has ostensibly triggered a precarious impasse into a full-blown national nay a human calamity with far-reaching geo-political repercussions.
President Obama,
The constant reference of the Muslim Brotherhood as "Islamists" by the western media is both deliberate and sinister. The current attempt by some western media at vilifying them as both "violent" and "former terrorists" is even more despicable.
"Islamists and Islamism" are sinister labels of Western political thought to deliberately differentiate Islamists from the rest of the "ordinary Muslims" constituency.
Describing "Political Islam" as a contemporary movement that conceives Islam as a political ideology and those who subscribe to this view as "Islamists" are equally vile much as it was misconceived.
The fact that "ordinary Muslims" are mandating "Islamists" in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and other parts of the Muslim world, vindicates that the “ordinary Muslims” acknowledge the presence, importance, and relevance of Islam in the public space and socio-political governance.
President Obama,
Islamist leaders and their political organisations would want to believe that we could equally be responsible and critical political players in not only nation rebuilding but also human civilisation remaking.
Experiences of Islamists parties elsewhere have amply exhibited that "Islamists" could assume the role and serve that democratic objective.
Surely it has been a gaguantum task for President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood and their coalition partners, post-revolution, to redeem a nation, both in the economic and political spheres, besieged by decades of despotism and tyranny.
Admittedly, President Morsi and his administration have arguably their failures and perceived "excesses", much as many other first-time administrators, witnessed oftentimes, for perhaps the lack of political finesse and administrative acumen. For the record however, on numerous instances he relented and openly apologised to the nation.
President Obama,
But would you want the world to believe that Morsi was clearly a threat to democracy which warrants him to be deposed through a military coup?
Would you ever attempt to rationalise to the world that you supported the ousting and subversion by the army and unelected and failed politicians, of a president who won in a free and fair election?
Would you entertain the thought, seriously, that Muslims particularly those so-called "Islamists", would be grateful and indebted to The United States and the Egyptian military, riot police and their "civilian supporters" for saving Egypt from "tyranny and restoring democracy".
Would you really want us to believe that Morsi on being inaugurated as a president, contrived and leveraged on the political process at his disposal to accomplish narrow "partisan" goals of his "fundamentalist party" against the people of Egypt?
While your conscience couldn’t answer many of the above questions in the affirmative, would it be ever justifiable for disproportionate use of force and asymmetrical firepower on the democracy-loving citizens of Egypt, killing hundreds if not thousands?
President Obama,
With Egypt yet again under military rule and martial law, we are now fully cognisant of your administration’s game plan vis-a-vis democracy and the rule of law in the Middle East and elsewhere in the developing world.
Regrettably, your shining beacon for hope and democracy in the Third World is much laced with hypocrisy and double standards.
One set of standards to bankroll your partners in the Egyptian military and "secular" politicians and another to lay siege upon the popularly elected Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and unleash military firepower on the ordinary Egyptians.
Much to our chagrin and utter disgust at witnessing the on-going massacre in the squares of Egypt, democracy is forsaken irrevocably, in your cahoots with the military junta and the unelected politicians.
Despite our relentless and sincere endeavours at engaging and participating in democracy, it has now become quite difficult to convince the sceptics amongst Muslims and Islamists particularly, as they are now drenched with contempt and disdain.
After all your effort of advocating it globally, is democracy truly for all? - August 16, 2013.
* Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is executive director of PAS Research Centre.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
source : the malaysiainsider
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