Question: Is it allowed for Muslims in the West to form lobby groups that lobby the government? Is it allowed to ask them to adhere to their own laws and to use the style of lobbying to do this? Can Muslims in the West participate in marches which call for the lobbying of Western governments or institutions? What if these marches call for the Western governments to implement a right that Islam also recognises, such as preventing the war?
Answer: It is not allowed for Muslims to form pressure groups (lobbies) to put pressure on western governments or parliaments or to enter the political action by influencing the policy of the government and parliament by resorting to the western laws and values reliance on them to apply the pressure.
a) It is not allowed to form Muslim lobbies with the aim of putting pressure on western governments via the western laws and values and through this to call for western governments to adhere to their own laws and values because the values and laws of the west are kufr laws.
b) It is not allowed to participate in the marches which appeal to the governments and parliament of western countries to support our issues from the standpoint of the laws of western governments and parliaments.
c) It is not allowed for these marches to demand the Security Council to stand with the issues of the Muslims based on its charter. Just as it is not allowed to implore the members of the Security Council whether to vote against or to abstain in our issues according to the Security Council charter.
d) Acceptance of the above: appealing to the Security Council and western governments to issue resolutions supporting the issues of the Muslims based on their laws. Such actions are considered acceptance of these organisations and parliaments.
e) If the organisers of these marches call for the above things ie support of our issues via the Security Council or western parliaments then it is not allowed to participate in these marches. However, if we can change their agenda for the march and to our agenda then we have changed the march to our agenda then this is allowed and this is one of the signs of the success of our work. However, if we participate in the march and they have their own agenda and slogans and we have our own agenda and slogans hoping to change their agenda then this is not allowed.
Also check: Q&A: Seeking our rights under a non-Islamic system
Answer: It is not allowed for Muslims to form pressure groups (lobbies) to put pressure on western governments or parliaments or to enter the political action by influencing the policy of the government and parliament by resorting to the western laws and values reliance on them to apply the pressure.
a) It is not allowed to form Muslim lobbies with the aim of putting pressure on western governments via the western laws and values and through this to call for western governments to adhere to their own laws and values because the values and laws of the west are kufr laws.
b) It is not allowed to participate in the marches which appeal to the governments and parliament of western countries to support our issues from the standpoint of the laws of western governments and parliaments.
c) It is not allowed for these marches to demand the Security Council to stand with the issues of the Muslims based on its charter. Just as it is not allowed to implore the members of the Security Council whether to vote against or to abstain in our issues according to the Security Council charter.
d) Acceptance of the above: appealing to the Security Council and western governments to issue resolutions supporting the issues of the Muslims based on their laws. Such actions are considered acceptance of these organisations and parliaments.
e) If the organisers of these marches call for the above things ie support of our issues via the Security Council or western parliaments then it is not allowed to participate in these marches. However, if we can change their agenda for the march and to our agenda then we have changed the march to our agenda then this is allowed and this is one of the signs of the success of our work. However, if we participate in the march and they have their own agenda and slogans and we have our own agenda and slogans hoping to change their agenda then this is not allowed.
Also check: Q&A: Seeking our rights under a non-Islamic system
Comments
Just to clarify as someone asked a question. This site and postings on it are intended to benefit Muslims worldwide and are not country specific and we receive questions from Muslims from all over the world.
I decided to post this Q&A in response to many questions asked in relation to this subject.
Thoughts and ahkam need to be debated on the basis of their evidences either from the reality or the text, depending upon the type of issue. Raising thoughts and ahkam shariah do not create confusion, rather they are good to raise the level of people - questioning should be encouraged and not shunned. The Prophet (saw) said, "Knowledge is a treasure and the key to it is questioning".
If anyone wants to raise alternative views or wants to argue against the points made by any article or Q&A they are welcome to post their comments along with their evidences.
Please also look at the Q&A in the Fiqh section about Seeking your rights in a non-Islamic system which emphasises similar points as this one.
Wassalam
You have raised some interesting points, living in the west I have a dilemma regards to point b in your q&a as follows:
In point b you state that "It is not allowed to participate in the marches which appeal to the governments and parliament of western countries to support our issues from the standpoint of the laws of western governments and parliaments."
Upon which basis is this point being made as various Islamic groups do this and push this amongst the muslims to attend and participate but do not give a clear view in terms of what is being achieved by using this view. Thus it creates a confusion amongst the minds of the muslims living in the west.
It would help if you could answer this point as others are saying the opposite to yourself and an eg. why this should be done is that by doing this it creates a media portrayal back in the muslim world and gives more credance that the group who has arranged this has a profound solution for change and thus should work with this group as this group stands up for the rights of the muslims.
you may contact me via nasfirewall@yahoo.co.uk
jazakhs in advanc for your reply.
wasalaam
Point B says, "from the standpoint of the laws of western governments and parliaments". Meaning you can call on the Western governments to implement actions from their corrupt Kufr viewpoint, e.g. you can't call them to undertake a UN resolution to solve the problem of Palestine, can't call on them to introduce a new law via their parliament, etc.
However it is permitted to use a political permitted style such as calling them against any injustice or to implement an Islamic rule as they are liable for their Kufr and for not following our Shariah. So it is permitted to use a style to call upon them for example to stop cheating in the marketplaces which the Prophet (saw) used to do in Makkah to the Quraysh who were Kuffar. This was in order to expose their injustice and call them to justice. Allah (swt) has condemned the Kuffar not only for their disbelief but for also not following his (Swt) Shariah, for example he has condemned them in the Quran for not paying Zakat, even though they are disbelievers. Therefore it is permitted to use a political style to call upon the Kuffar to turn away from injustice and implement a rule from Islam, for example it is permitted to say to the West, "Stop your unjust wars and remove your forces from our lands", "Stop your oppression against Muslims by your unjust laws and uphold their legitimate rights", or to say "O human rights organisations why don't you speak aginst the crimes undertaken against the Muslims in such and such countries", etc. As we would be calling them against injustice and to implement a rule from Islam such as speaking the truth, upholding the rights, etc.
This can be used as a useful political style to expose them and put pressure on them in a halal way. A clear distinction must be drawn between this and calling upon them to implement things from their Kufr viewpoint, for example it would not be allowed to say, "O human rights groups why don't you raise the issue of the abuse of Muslims to the United nations so that they pass a resolution against it", "O Western government why don't you implement your democracy properly", etc.
Sometimes, there is a fine line between the two - this is precisely the reason I posted the Q&A in order to generate thinking so that we become clear of the limits so that people don't fall into haram without knowing.
Inshallah in future I will post something more detailed along with the evidences.