The National Medicines and Poisons Board issued a new price for medicine following the freeing of the price of the Dollar from 6.5 to 15.8. This new pricing increased the price of medicine to close to 200% or more and many of the pharmacies in Khartoum announced the closing of their doors in protest to the freeing of the price of medicines. In addition, the prices of plane and air transport, in Sudan, rose by a proportion of 150% which will inevitably impact upon the importing of commodities.

To begin with, it is necessary to point out that these increases, are not the result of an increase of the price of the Dollar or the floating of the (Sudanese) pound alone. Rather, the greatest cause are the custom duties, fees and taxes, which the state has set upon the importing of medicines and other essential commodities. That is because a study conducted by the National Medicines and Poisons Board discovered that the prices of imported medicines were increased by one and a half times due to the fees of the taxes and customs, and that at the time of their arrival to the consumer they had increased by a proportion of 18 times from its true price. (Sudaris Site 27/04/2011)

Verily, the rightly guided Khilafah state upon the methodology of the Prophethood is what strives to take care of the affairs of its citizens and that is because it is a state of caretaking and not a state of taking. It is also not a state for making deals and so the Khilafah does not trade with the health of its people. Rather, it strives to treat them for free. Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar related that he heard the Prophet ﷺ saying:

«كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، الْإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ…»

“Each one of you are a shepherd and is responsible for his flock, the Imaam is a shepherd and he is responsible for his subjects…”

Pain and suffering is not only because the state is involved in increasing the prices by imposing taxes and custom duties but rather the pain and suffering of the people has been multiplied by the government’s turning a blind eye and its incompetence to undertake any steps towards taking care of the people’s affairs, and treating the causes that have led to the creation of the diseases. That is because the land has become a dumping ground for cancerous and other wastes. Indeed, many of the realities bear testimony to the state trading with the health of our sons and by their drying out the government and private hospitals so that the people can face their fates with the treatment and health brokers who are loyal to the regime amongst others.

Verily, the Islamic state, the rightly guided Khilafah state upon the methodology of the Prophethood, regards treatment and healthcare as being one of the obligatory matters which it is obligatory to provide to all its citizens free of charge. That is because it is from amongst the fundamental (basic) needs without which hardship (suffering) and problems arise.

Therefore, the state that cannot provide the most basic and fundamental needs and requirements of the people should leave and the Sultaan (authority) of the Ummah should be made to return so that it chooses whom it wishes to take care of its political life’s affairs by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ, and foster their affairs by the Ahkam (rulings) of Islam.

Verily, Hizb ut Tahrir presents an alternative system to the systems of injustice and oppression. Indeed, it presents what is genuine and pure in origin, with what is has of a detailed methodology and a constitution that contains all the solutions; economic, political and others. All are taken from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ and are capable of solving this economic collapse. There are in the Hizb statesmen who are sincere to their Ummah and adhere to the Shar’a of their Lord. They are capable of running the leadership of ruling by the clear and detailed Shar’iyah rulings under the shade of the rightly guided Khilafah state (Caliphate) upon the Methodology of the Prophethood. So, are there amongst the people rightly guided men who will hear and respond?

 

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)

Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Sudan

Saturday, 19th Safar 1438 AH

19/11/2016 CE

No: HTS 08/1438