f) Is their a practical alternative or just wait of the Khilafah?
Groups like HT do not offer a practical alternative for the Muslims living here as means to protect our interests and identity. In fact, their message is do not attempt to change the system, just wait for the Khilafah in the Muslim countries, in the mean time do everything, except vote.
(Yusuf) With all due respect, this is not accurate. Firstly, if one believes that the hukm shar’I prohibits an action, khalas, there is no searching for ways around it. My father told me for years take a mortgage as there is no practical alternative. Let us put this dunya into perspective, the primacy of the hukm shar’I is paramount. This does not preclude using mubah means to achieve our rights.
HTB has outlined actions Muslims can do besides voting to have an impact, please see the links below as two examples.
http://www.hizb.org.uk/elections2010/islamic-view/elections-2010-our-strength-is-in-islam-and-unity
http://www.hizb.org.uk/elections2010/action-not-voting/a-positive-agenda-for-muslims-in-britain
Agree or disagree with alternatives, but please be accurate in your claims.
Could you also explain how voting as a minority protects our identity and interests?
(Yamin) Firstly, if you give primacy to Hukm Shar’I as you say you do, then you would move to a place where Sharia laws are implemented in many aspects – like Saudi or Afghanistan or Pakistan etc. Moreover, it is inline with your party idea that only Muslim countries are suitable.
Secondly, HTB can outline many dossiers as it likes, they need to take a more hands on approach. Go and speak to IFE for example, they will show you what they have built, and I am sure your members have used many of those facilities.
As for your final question is perplexing, I never said only voting will (may help) protect our identity and interests. That is one cog in the wheel.
(Yusuf) May Allah reward all the Muslims for whatever good they are doing for the sake of Allah and on behalf of the Muslim community. I have worked very closely with brothers from IFE on a project and I recognise they do a lot for the Muslim community where they work, despite some differences I may have in some areas, such as political participation. May Allah reward them for that. How can you gauge a hands on approach sitting at the keyboard, do you know what others do with their time? The SREIslamic campaign was a hands on campaign that Allah blessed me with the ability to be a part of.
I think we all will have differences on a wide range of issues, these should be discussed, I have a great deal of respect and time for Muslims who work hard to make positive changes in a hands on way whether in education, protection of the identity of the Muslim community, charity work and da’wah initiatives.
But I would be interested to know how you feel voting acts as one cog in the wheel to protect our identity and interests?
(Yamin) There is not much to discuss here. I had a look at your proposed alternative, all it contains is list of objectives, but not how those should be achieved. There seems to be no feedback from the community. As for some of the institutions built by the community you mentioned, they were the work of other groups which HTB in the past used to ridicule as diversion from the objective of establishing the Caliphate.
Take charity groups as one example, it was argued this is prohibited in the absence of the Khilafah but no alternative was ever given how the poor and needy can be looked after now in the Muslim world.
As for voting its simple. Through voting you get the people in the Parliament who will not pass hostile legistlation against you - so that you can go the non-Islamic courts in UK to seek your rights. There should be no need for me to elabroate on this, as much of this is common sense.