MD/PKH | PressTV.ir | February 27, 2011
Interview with Taji Mustafa, political analyst from London.
The chant, which started in Tunisia and then spread to Egypt, has become the main slogan of the uprisings and revolutions sweeping the Middle East and North Africa.
It is getting louder and can be heard from Bahrain to Libya, Jordan, Yemen and other Arab nations where the populace is tired of dictatorial rule.
Press TV interviews Taji Mustafa, political analyst from London to discuss the issue further more:
Press TV:How do you see this: there has been some who have been saying that this is an Islamic awakening and it has affected basically from the perspective of the Muslims that they want to revive themselves, and there are others, especially main stream media that continue to point out that this has nothing to do with Islam that the people just want their equal rights and democracy, how do you see this?
Taji Mustafa: Well I think some of the main stream media like to hear their own voices, if you look into the reality on the ground this started in Tunisia, spread to Egypt and is now in Libya.
But the agitation of trying to change the situation exists across the Muslim world. What are the chants that you hear in the demonstrations, Allah Akbar? When are the times that these demonstrations actually start a manifest, after Friday prayers? And even before these demonstrations started, reports and surveys from westerners have said that the Islamic world has become a more Islamic place and people want to roll for Islamic society so I actually say that this is a lot wiser that Muslim people across the Islamic world have been saying that, for 50 years that this owner is one owner but to identify with each other when something happens with Libya Nigerians fear it, Egyptians fear it so really this is an up rise of Muslim people who want dignity, who want to chose their government and who absolutely want to go for Islam.
If there was no Islamic slogan in these protests that are uprising why is there a worry for Islam? So this is one Ummah for people who have one aspiration to live a better life but also a life that has better Islamic values and beliefs and people have said this again and again for over 50 years and looking forward it has to be independent from western domination and interferences.
Press TV: How likely is it that the West gets involved actually to invade the country, some analysts are saying it's a possibility with the excuse of actually protecting the oil fields, what type of scenario would that actually contribute to in your perspective, would it help this situation?
Taji Mustafa: The intervention of the West, we need to look at Iraq, we need to look at Afghanistan, we need to look at the support of America and Britain for Mubarak and the oppression of our brothers and sisters in Egypt, and we need to look at David Cameron, a hypocrite. Only last week when Libya was burning he was in the region trying to sell arms to brutal dictators.
So the idea that the West intervened anywhere to help people for humanitarian causes frankly is non-sense, people can look after themselves.
The issue of Libya is one issue this is down to the military. We would say to the Egyptian military as we have said for decades, you are part of the Ummah you are our brothers, husbands, fathers you can actually put an end to this situation. The head of the Special Forces today gave a declaration that he is now on the side of those against Gaddafi.
So he thought now is the time to think of your Ummah and come to the side. I would say certainly that to the Muslims in the region you are one Ummah, the Egyptian military, what is it there for? What are these tanks and F16's [for]? This is the time they should join with the uprising in Libya and help their brothers, and Inshallah Gaddafi will meet a disastrous fate and what comes next then becomes the question. Whatever comes next can not involve western powers dictating and telling us that the future for the Muslim world has to look at the West, has to look at America with 30 millions in poverty and we have to look for economic collapse, we have to shut our own independent future … This is the kind of thinking that we need to put forward a new constitution.
Press TV: Many in the regular secular world, non-Islamic, especially main stream media are basically saying what the people are saying: they want democracy, that they do not want Islam, how would you try to basically calm their fears that a so called Islamic state would not be a threat to the world as it has created many times to be so?
Taji Mustafa: I would say what people want is an accountable government, when they say democracy they don't mean western liberal capitalism, they want to be able to elect their ruler, the Khalifa should be elected by the Ummah, they also want a government that rules on their behalf, this is an Islamic mandate, he can be spoken to, there are accountable institutions, he can be removed if he violates the rights of the people. This is what Islam actually puts forward.
The third point is the aspiration of the people, they are not calling for the Hijabs to be ripped off; they are not calling for freedom of insult like in Denmark, insulting the prophet [Mohammad], they just want a system of government in line with their beliefs and values, that is what will bring real justice and unity, and that is what people need to look to today as a system of government. I think the west will be shocked one day when these Muslim populations advocate and call for Islam.
Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/167321.html
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