The past and the beginning of a new era in the Middle East!

Source:  The Malta Independent On Sunday: Sunday, 1 July 2012       BY: Laiq Ahmed Atif, President Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta

The situation in some of the Middle East and African countries grows worse day by day. Since the problems are increasing in some countries and some others have not settled down yet, people are being seriously affected. Therefore it is only natural to have grave concerns about them. Although, at present, the entire world feels deep pain, there is an extremely restless feeling among the people. 

The uprisings that started last year have shaken the entire Middle East and many African Arab countries to the core. In these demonstrations one thing was very clearly evident – that the leaders, who are or were, ruling these countries for decades, have not given proper attention to the problems of their people; instead monarchs have used the opportunities to divert people’s attention and rob their own national wealth and tighten their grip on the people. 

These problems first came to a head in Tunisia, moved to Egypt and then to Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and indeed Syria. As human beings, we are grieved about the current situation in these countries, and the havoc and the difficulties that are been created for the ordinary men and women in the street and their children, are heart rending. We see the news and get to know what is happening there and our hearts bleed for these innocent people. And we pray that their suffering come to an end and peace restored. 

The rulers of these countries have been there for decades, and also their families have been closely associated with their rule of power; they all ignored the rights of their people and have ignored the sufferings of their nations. They have not ruled their countries with justice, they have not thought about what is best for their citizens, and how wealth should be distributed among those citizens and how to provide for their welfare. They did not utilize the national talent; they did not provide them with a standard education, jobs and medical facilities. They had their own interests at heart, which they tried to fulfil during their long years in power. 

And when people came out on the streets, the rulers enforced all the army, police and security personals, and the resources of the countries for attacking and killing its own citizens. And thus those lands witnessed shedding of human blood – human blood that is sacred. 

Since these uprisings started, I have felt great pain as many other lovers of humanity do, and wrote on these issues. I once again feel it is my moral duty as we experience the greatest sorrow on the situation in this contemporary world, to show my absolute sincerity at this time of great pain and to write some sincere words in the hope that they may be a guideline for the Arab world to get rid of this massacre. 

I believe that every ruler must keep one thing in his mind – that he is answerable for whatever he does. And a true leader of a nation is the one who serves the nation, the one who is the leader of the people, who is close to their needs and feels their sufferings and is always ready to listen to their problems and tries to solve them.

I believe that equality, fair and equal treatment for everyone across the board, and absolute justice – equally enforced from top to bottom, for the leaders and for the ordinary people, for the kings and for the beggars; no one should be superior or excluded from justice, are the key points and solid principles for these countries to move forward. I think all the problems have cropped up in these countries because these basic principles were neglected. 

Thus, the rulers and kings of these countries should do justice to the offices they hold. And the people too should realize their responsibility and not allow their countries to fall into the hands of extremists or fundamentalists. And the rulers should not cause disorder in the land, and not be unjust, not to ignore the rights of the people, and not to allow the gap between the rich and poor to increase so much that it causes unease and paves the way for rebellion. The only path is that of righteousness and absolute justice and if both the people and rulers adhere to it, they will all prosper. 

It is my fervent prayer, and that is the greatest weapon I believe, that God makes the leaders recognise their responsibilities and obligations; they should fulfil their duties with righteousness and establish absolute justice in their countries. And may peace prevail, and may we see very soon, the beginning of a new era, an era of justice, peace and prosperity. Amen