During the Fourth Water Conference in Kabul on 6 March 2017, the President of Afghanistan asked countries in the region to support construction of Water Dams and Supply Network in Afghanistan. He said, “Water is a key element of regional cooperation. By establishing legal frameworks and bilateral and multilateral agreements, we can create better grounds for the use of waters”.
The Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Afghanistan would like to elaborate the following issues concerning water problems and the foundations for mechanisms of its managements.
Illegal ideas of “Nation State”, “National Interests” and “National Borders” is the root cause and main challenge to proper management and use of water resources on a regional and international level. In such circumstances, establishment of legal frameworks to solve these problems is doomed to failure. Why? Because, such frameworks are designed within the limits and on the basis of pre-defined national interests. Such an outlook and mechanisms based on this vision disregards humans’ right of access to water resources-proposed by Islam. Consequently, such frameworks not only fail to solve the problem of the right of use of water resources, but rather further complicate the problem.
Water resources then begin and end within the territory of Islamic lands – regardless of how many countries they pass through – are the common property of all Muslims. No single country or person can claim ownership of such public property of all Muslims. All Muslims can utilize such resources according to the rules of Islam (Ah’kaam) and in consideration of their needs, and there is no prohibition in utilizing water resources. Because, the Prophet ﷺ has said:
«المُسلِمونَ شُرَكاءٌ في ثَلاثَ: فِي الكَلاَء، والماءِ وَالنَّارِ»
“People are partners in three things, pastures, water and fire” (Narrated in Abu-Dawud)
It has become evident to intellectuals and leaders in the water resources management sector that man-made ideologies, and international laws based on such ideologies have fallen short of giving comprehensive solutions to the issue of water resources. The only solution to these problems lies in Islam. Therefore, we should work for the establishment of Khilafah on the basis of the Prophethood to unite Islamic lands, spread ideas of one Ummah, one land, and one political system based on the Islamic Aqeedah, and consequently eliminate political and economic tensions caused by the problem of ownership of water resources in the region.
For a detailed understanding on how Islam solves the issue of water resources between countries, please refer to a detailed opinion by the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir titled “Shariah Principles on the issue of water resources”.
Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan
Thursday, 10th Jumada II 1438 AH
09/03/2017 CE
Ref.: Afg.1438/04