Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia Melanjutkan Kehidupan Islam
Farid Wadjdi (Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia)
The re-election of Obama for a second term caused mixed reactions. Most of world leaders close to America welcomed his re-election. The Prime Minister of United Kingdom, David Cameron, congratulated and expressed his delight in the partnership with Obama.
From the Islamic World, Malaysia PM Najib Rajab as quoted by The Star that he hoped Obama will continue his efforts to foster the relationship of mutual respect between the US and the Muslim world. Likewise, the President of Egypt, Muhammad Mursi, through his spokeperson ,Yasser Ali, congratulated him and wished that the second term of Obama will help enhance the cooperation between the two countries.
Israel PM, Silvan Shalom, also congratulated his re-election . He confirmed that all United States Governments have supported Israel either in the political front, or economic security, because the country is invaluable and has common interests. He said Barack Obama has been together with Israel during the most sensitive periods. He reiterated that it is a fallacy to suggest a more difficult relationship with America may develop leading to confrontations.
The Deputy Secretary General of Indonesia’s Islamic Party PKS (Prosperous Justice Party) Mahfudz Sidiq congratulated but warned Obama not to create new tensions in East Asia. Meanwhile, the Chairman of NU (Nahdhatul Ulama-Revival of Islamic Scholars)expressed his happiness with the re-election of Obama for his leadership to create a better relationship with the Muslim world. However, Said Aqeel said that the foreign policy under Obama’s administration falls short of the expectations of Muslims, especially related to policies in the Middle East.
On the other hand, the victims of drone attacks expressed their disappointment with the re-election of Obama. A large number of victims of the U.S. unmanned aircraft in Pakistan’s Northwest tribal areas said that the re-election of Barack Obama opend their old wounds and reminded them of the painful memories.
A citizen-Rehman Muhammad Khan really loathes President Obama for killing his father, his three sisters and one nephew. All members of the family of Khan were found dead by the airstrikes from unmanned drones as quoted by Reuters, on Thursday (8/11/2012).
Similar concerns were voiced by Abdul Jabar, whose son was killed in the drone aircraft attacks. Jabar said: whenever he has the chance, Obama will bite every Muslim like a snake and look how many people have been killed by the unmanned aircraft attacks.
Like the victims of the atrocities of the United States, the spokesperson of Hizb-ut Tahrir Indonesia confirms that the second term of Obama does not deserve gratitude. Even though some argued that Obama is better than his competitors, the US foreign policies toward the Islamic world have not changed. According to Ismail, it is fine if the Muslims hopes Obama will improve the relationship with the Islamic world.
However such expectation, according to him, will not be realized. If it is materialized, it means that the country is no longer America, he is no longer the US President. America is an imperialist country and the US President has the responsibility to realize the visions and missions of its imperialism.
It is really surprising to see that there are some who still put hope on Obama. Isn’t four years enough time to prove that the hopes and the promises of Obama are nonsense?
It is true that Obama withdrew the US forces from Iraq and said that the U.S. military mission in Iraq ended on December 15, 2012, but at the same time, he sent 30 thousand American imperialist troops to Afghanistan which becomes another disaster for Muslims there. His promise to withdraw troops from Afghanistan has still been a debate.
Besides that, the US does not really want to relinquish its power in Iraq. There are eight thousand American troops who remain in Iraq. The US Embassy in Iraq looks like a military headquarters, which stands majestically on a 42-acre land (as large as the area of the capital city of the Vatican).
The atrocity of America under Obama administration is reflected in the use of the unmmaned aircraft (drones) in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen. Thousands of Muslims have been killed, including children and women. However, Obama continues his policy with just a single pretext which is to target the terrorists and the militants.
In January 2009, when Obama came to power, the drone program was used in 44 attacks within five years in Pakistan. Later on, he extended the strikes to Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia with more than 250 attacks. Only in April, there have been 14 attacks in Yemen.
Guardian(Paul Harris, Saturday 2 June 2012) reported an analysis with the interesting title “How Barack Obama Became A Hardliner”, where it reveals that there is no significant change of America compared to that under Bush Administration.
It is not surprising if the insiders in Washington liken Obama to ‘George W Bush on steroids’. Amos Guiora -a Professor of Law at the University of Utah sees Obama as the same as Bush, just much more enthusiastic when it comes to waging the drone war.
In his writing, he states that the US President personally oversees “kill list” for the drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.
Then there’s the CIA renditions, which has increased surveillance and a crackdown on whistleblowers.
Obama’s promise to close Guantanamo is another nonsense. He even preserves CIA rendition, the torture of the alleged terrorists in secret prisons in various countries with repressive rulers without going through a judicial process.
Obama also proves his statement that the Zionist Israel is a true friend of America! Despite the relationship sometimes heats up rhetorically; in reality Obama never denounces, let alone stop the massacre committed by the Zionist State of Israel against the Muslims.
Under the leadership of Obama, America continues its economic hegemony in the Islamic world including Indonesia. United States uses its political pressures to keep plundering the rich natural resources of Indonesia by extending the contract agreement of Freeport in Papua and of Chevron in Siak, Riau which ends November 2012.
To reinforce the grip of its imperialism in Indonesia, under his leadership, America plans to rebuild its 10-storey embassy covering an area of 3.6 hectares, which is able to accommodate thousands of staff. It means that there are increased basic tasks and functions of the American Embassy in Jakarta. It also means that the movement of the American imperialism in Indonesia will be more widespread and rooted.
It needs to be stressed that America, whether under Obama Administration or not, is a country with capitalist ideology using various forms of colonialism as a standardized methodology of its foreign policy. The United States is also a muhariban fi’lan, a disbelieving country that is clearly hostile to Muslims by colonizing, killing the Muslims and plundering their natural wealth. Based on Islamic Sharia, it is unlawful to establish any form of relations with this country. The only relationship the a country of muhariban fi’lan is a war.
Allah Almighty has also warned us in Qur’an Surah Huud verse 113 not to incline toward those who do wrong, and threatens the wrongdoers with Hell Fire. In Tafseer of al Jalalain, that the inclination to those who do wrong is a form of mawaddah (feeling compassionate and care), mudahanah (having small talk, having smiling faces), and ridho bi a’malihim (being pleasures with their deeds). And Obama is the leader of the most cruel country against the Muslims around the world. The re-election of Obama means the continuing cruelty of American occupation. Should we be grateful ofor that?
