News Right Now: Walking Contradiction

In recent events, the Syrian government has decided to ban alcohol consumption. With this ban, night clubs and stores are not to sell alcohol. Stores, clubs, and restaurants were told to get rid of the alcohol within three months. The government exempted three predominantly Christian neighborhoods, saying the alcohol was to be sealed in take away bottles, but not if they were to remain 75 meters (246 feet) away from mosques and schools, and 20 meters (65 feet) away from police stations and government offices.

Yet, some expressed outrage because the system was clearly a secular system, and decided to protest saying, “this wasn’t about the alcohol” but it was about having “personal freedom”.

These protests led the government to backtrack and change some details of the ban. They said they were “misunderstood” and that instead, they would permit it in some cases. The cases that would be acceptable were in hotels and within tourist areas. The government also placed an apology toward the Christian community “for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the decision.” And they stated “This decision does not interfere with citizens’ personal freedoms”.

This is the chaos that comes with a leader of the likes of Ahmad al-Sharaa. A leader, who has the look of an Islamic leader, but is ruling Syria with secular laws. These secular laws remove the rule of Allah (swt) to be implemented in the state, instead leaving the people at the mercy of the desire of man. The fact that the government also backtracked and changed the conditions of the ban reflects that the implementation of Islam within Syria with the current leader and current framework can never be achieved. It reflects that Syria is still run by the same secular system that was run by Bashar, but with a soft approach. Showing that the implementation of Islam is not in something the government is striving towards.

The nature of this government is in itself contradictory. It is claiming to have Islamic values while implementing the secular system given by the Kuffar. This way keeps the people who wish and want Islam to be implemented to comply with the orders of the same regime that was implemented during the days of Bashar, albeit without the extreme force of measures Bashar took to make people comply. Even though Al-sharaa is not as rigid with the people, the very same system is still in place running Syria. This time it has an Muslim face while in reality, it has removed Islam from rule and order. This, too, betrays the revolution and its aspirations. The same movement that stood up to Bashar, eventually making Bashar flee like the coward he is. That same movement wanted and aspired to implement Islam, calling for a change of the entire system. “The people want the fall of the regime”, was one of the main slogans chanted during the time of the revolution. Then, when they finally were able to remove the regime, Ahmad al-Sharaa came in and implemented the same system that was already in place: the secular system.

Isn’t it time to realize that any system other than Allah (swt)’s system will lead to chaos? Any system that rules according to the whims and desires of man will usher in turmoil. It is time to revolt against anything that calls for secularism and implement the ultimate system: the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) on the method of prophet hood. It’s time to not change the face and style of the regime, but to change it from its roots and rid ourselves of its filth.

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