1 00:00:02,13 --> 00:00:08,05 Productions presents for us. And for me. 2 00:00:11,07 --> 00:00:15,61 In the name of God the Beneficent the merciful Salaam aleikum Peace be with you and 3 00:00:15,62 --> 00:00:18,54 welcome to focus on Islam My name is 4 00:00:18,55 --> 00:00:21,85 a mage in nature and I'll be your host the C.N.N. 5 00:00:21,86 --> 00:00:27,17 As we focus on. This program Focus on this is designed to promote 6 00:00:27,40 --> 00:00:31,74 a better understanding of Islam and Muslims and God willing I hope we are 7 00:00:31,75 --> 00:00:36,10 fulfilling our commitment to you the viewer tonight we have part two of 8 00:00:36,11 --> 00:00:41,91 a very interesting show we started last week talking about Islam and democracy this 9 00:00:41,92 --> 00:00:46,32 week we will take case studies as the recent developments in Africa and the Middle 10 00:00:46,33 --> 00:00:48,70 East are ongoing we need to take 11 00:00:48,71 --> 00:00:53,76 a closer look at democracy in the Middle East and Africa tonight joining me my 12 00:00:53,77 --> 00:00:56,96 special guest is Abraham Salaam aleikum brother 13 00:00:56,97 --> 00:01:03,49 a very little brother Abraham hope all is the democratic experience in the Muslim 14 00:01:03,50 --> 00:01:09,83 countries. Where we left off last week when we were talking about that. 15 00:01:11,06 --> 00:01:16,98 In general particularly the Middle East region. Was actually carved out in divided 16 00:01:16,98 --> 00:01:23,15 . By Britain and the turn of the century. And since that time. 17 00:01:24,40 --> 00:01:29,84 All Middle Eastern countries with no exception almost except for Saudi Arabia. Were 18 00:01:29,85 --> 00:01:35,34 colonized directly colonized and it wasn't until the in the sixty's. 19 00:01:37,43 --> 00:01:41,71 One by one they started gaining their independence late fifty's and fifty's and 20 00:01:41,72 --> 00:01:47,39 sixty's so at best. There's not to say that the minute they gained that 21 00:01:47,40 --> 00:01:51,42 independence they became democratic countries as 22 00:01:51,43 --> 00:01:57,93 a matter of fact it's quite the contrary the. Colonizing forces as they pull out 23 00:01:58,38 --> 00:02:04,17 of these countries they made sure that they left behind systems entrenched they did 24 00:02:04,18 --> 00:02:09,53 their own work so they don't have to spend the time and the money administer. These 25 00:02:09,54 --> 00:02:13,99 regions in these countries know we will just have puppet governments there and they 26 00:02:14,00 --> 00:02:20,56 will do our work for us so the reason then went from diary of colonisation 27 00:02:20,57 --> 00:02:27,18 to oppressive regimes local Jeems. Intrusions often military regimes. 28 00:02:28,32 --> 00:02:35,16 And it wasn't until extremely very recently that we saw people 29 00:02:35,20 --> 00:02:40,60 in these countries starting to want to take over they became fed up with with 30 00:02:40,61 --> 00:02:44,51 governments and systems and so on and they said we're going to take things in our 31 00:02:44,52 --> 00:02:50,46 own hands we saw that for example. We saw it in Iran 32 00:02:51,16 --> 00:02:56,90 yes when people were fed were fed up by the oppression and so on of the Shah and 33 00:02:56,91 --> 00:03:02,74 they took things in their own hands we saw it in Sudan we saw it in the area we are 34 00:03:02,75 --> 00:03:08,35 seeing it now and Turkey is just spreading throughout that people are saying this 35 00:03:08,36 --> 00:03:12,92 is not to present to the governments of our aspirations and what we want to do and 36 00:03:12,93 --> 00:03:17,40 we are sick and tired of being kicked and beaten and oppressed and tortured by our 37 00:03:17,41 --> 00:03:22,02 own governments in the name of democracy sometimes in the name of Islam some other 38 00:03:22,03 --> 00:03:28,02 times and so on so then the it is only very recently for 39 00:03:28,55 --> 00:03:29,29 a few years as 40 00:03:29,30 --> 00:03:33,51 a matter of fact that some of these countries not all of them but some of these 41 00:03:33,52 --> 00:03:38,17 countries are starting to take things in their own hands and starting to implement 42 00:03:38,18 --> 00:03:41,48 some of these processes that we're talking about well we have sort of 43 00:03:41,49 --> 00:03:44,43 a contradiction in policies and maybe we can talk about 44 00:03:44,44 --> 00:03:49,69 a case and study Algeria which you mentioned why is the West so unwilling to 45 00:03:49,70 --> 00:03:56,67 embrace Muslim Islamic democracy been done in Algeria and willing to 46 00:03:56,68 --> 00:03:57,24 support 47 00:03:57,28 --> 00:04:04,52 a suppressive dictator. Of the United States has supported oppressive 48 00:04:04,53 --> 00:04:08,85 dictators before yes the United States for example as I have just mentioned. 49 00:04:09,88 --> 00:04:15,86 Supported the Shah of Iran for years and years and years. We also supported Somoza 50 00:04:16,46 --> 00:04:22,19 of Nicaragua. We supported the Philippines we supported Marcos of the Philippines 51 00:04:22,94 --> 00:04:29,39 and we continue to support oppressive regimes because again our normal democracy in 52 00:04:29,40 --> 00:04:35,69 this country is local as nationalistic. In Algeria we are not necessarily saying 53 00:04:35,70 --> 00:04:41,40 that the United States should support an Islamic democracy per se we are saying 54 00:04:41,41 --> 00:04:47,75 that the United States in the process of exporting democracy should stick to the 55 00:04:47,76 --> 00:04:53,30 same rules and should not change the rules of the game when we go from one system 56 00:04:53,31 --> 00:05:00,20 to another from one government to another from one people to another the area. Just 57 00:05:00,21 --> 00:05:06,86 a very brief history. Again was colonized by France in eighteen thirty gained its 58 00:05:06,87 --> 00:05:10,41 independence in one thousand nine hundred sixty two that is one hundred thirty two 59 00:05:10,42 --> 00:05:17,15 years later. From one nine hundred sixty two until very recently. 60 00:05:19,40 --> 00:05:26,21 Several hands have changed you have taken over often they would 61 00:05:26,22 --> 00:05:32,61 all form of some form of socialist governments in all of them were oppressive 62 00:05:32,62 --> 00:05:39,32 governments OK. Until. Until late one thousand nine hundred eighty eight when 63 00:05:39,72 --> 00:05:45,54 some process started to happen in the area actually there was there was some form 64 00:05:45,55 --> 00:05:50,00 of bubbling that is starting to happen in the area you have to realize that again 65 00:05:50,01 --> 00:05:52,13 that over the hundred thirty some odd years in the G. 66 00:05:52,14 --> 00:05:59,02 Area of French colonization the Algerian mentality friend the French were trying to 67 00:05:59,03 --> 00:06:05,35 strip these people of everything that is their. Language tradition culture 68 00:06:05,50 --> 00:06:09,60 religion you name it. So it is 69 00:06:09,71 --> 00:06:13,65 a very lengthy and hard and tedious process for 70 00:06:13,66 --> 00:06:20,30 a period today to restore their own identity and culture and so on and it is very 71 00:06:20,31 --> 00:06:26,77 very hard work when you couple that with regimes that are oppressed of that makes 72 00:06:26,78 --> 00:06:33,26 that he struck showing process even that much harder so. One thousand nine hundred 73 00:06:33,27 --> 00:06:40,15 ninety the. There were some municipalities Alexion so that after all of that 74 00:06:40,29 --> 00:06:45,31 took nine hundred eighty eight to nine hundred ninety of people saying. This is 75 00:06:45,32 --> 00:06:47,16 wrong we want to have 76 00:06:47,17 --> 00:06:51,06 a hand in the process of electing our people choosing our leaders and so on 77 00:06:51,59 --> 00:06:53,60 nineteen ninety in the middle of the year as 78 00:06:53,61 --> 00:07:00,33 a matter of fact there were some municipality elections in Algeria. And the 79 00:07:00,37 --> 00:07:06,99 Islamic Party one of the many parties in Algeria some leftist parties some to that 80 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:11,04 I'd some to the left and so on and one of those parties sanctioned by the 81 00:07:11,05 --> 00:07:17,66 government was the Islamic Salvation Front. While the Islamic Salvation Front swept 82 00:07:17,70 --> 00:07:17,83 the 83 00:07:17,84 --> 00:07:23,18 a lot of them the simple elections they got overall they received eighty two percent 84 00:07:23,18 --> 00:07:29,05 . Little more than eighty two percent of the votes. That is an overwhelming 85 00:07:29,06 --> 00:07:34,60 majority that we have not even seen it in the United States or elsewhere the only 86 00:07:34,61 --> 00:07:36,06 time that such 87 00:07:36,07 --> 00:07:41,26 a majority existed in those countries were in that double lections that are always 88 00:07:41,27 --> 00:07:46,59 ninety nine point nine nine percent ninety nine point nine nine percent we see it 89 00:07:46,60 --> 00:07:53,04 in Syria we see it in Egypt we see it in everywhere and most recently we saw it in 90 00:07:53,05 --> 00:07:56,92 Tunisia and Tunisia haven't I Leno changed things I owned 91 00:07:56,93 --> 00:07:59,25 a little bit and just to make it look 92 00:07:59,26 --> 00:08:03,63 a little more realistic he won by ninety nine point nine one instead of point nine 93 00:08:03,64 --> 00:08:05,16 nine so it is 94 00:08:05,17 --> 00:08:12,03 a little more realistic. So. Eighty two percent with the all in 95 00:08:12,04 --> 00:08:17,28 party the party that is governing Algeria but it saved about fifteen percent of the 96 00:08:17,29 --> 00:08:23,12 votes. National elections were set for 97 00:08:23,13 --> 00:08:29,97 a year later for nine hundred ninety one. But in the interim what the government 98 00:08:29,98 --> 00:08:33,37 did was they legislated a new 99 00:08:33,38 --> 00:08:39,76 a law that new law is to change the distribution of seats. And what they did is 100 00:08:39,77 --> 00:08:45,10 that they inflated the areas where they received their votes and they deflated the 101 00:08:45,11 --> 00:08:50,72 areas where the Islamic Party had deceived its votes. So they changed the 102 00:08:50,76 --> 00:08:56,78 demographics they changed all of the roles of the game so that they even with 103 00:08:56,79 --> 00:09:01,62 fifteen percent of the votes they would look like they have the majority they have 104 00:09:01,63 --> 00:09:08,18 more seats. The Islamic Salvation Front objected to that and said we are not going 105 00:09:08,19 --> 00:09:14,61 to participate. In any elections until these things are resolved. As 106 00:09:14,62 --> 00:09:20,73 a result of that the government jailed fifteen thousand people in the Islamic 107 00:09:20,74 --> 00:09:26,77 Salvation Front namely all of its leadership was jailed detained with no due 108 00:09:26,78 --> 00:09:31,99 process also so there were no trials no this no that fifteen thousand people were 109 00:09:32,00 --> 00:09:37,33 jailed all the leadership all municipalities so there was no direction no 110 00:09:37,34 --> 00:09:42,45 leadership for that party in the majority all together and then they said Well now 111 00:09:42,49 --> 00:09:48,68 we'll have elections. Believing and feeling that now for sure without any guidance 112 00:09:48,69 --> 00:09:52,82 without any leadership now the government will have the upper hand and they will 113 00:09:52,83 --> 00:09:59,61 win the elections and even that didn't happen so all timidly then the 114 00:09:59,62 --> 00:10:05,91 military stepped in. The army stepped in and the 115 00:10:06,56 --> 00:10:13,30 outlawed party the Islamic Salvation Front they jailed more of its 116 00:10:13,31 --> 00:10:20,16 members and we saw from. From one nine hundred ninety two. 117 00:10:21,83 --> 00:10:25,90 The elections were supposed to happen in one thousand nine hundred two January they 118 00:10:25,91 --> 00:10:28,83 were called off the military stepped in and it's 119 00:10:28,84 --> 00:10:32,71 a military government so that's that's a chronology of 120 00:10:32,83 --> 00:10:37,27 a very brief and crude chronology of what happened in the jury now the question is 121 00:10:37,96 --> 00:10:43,61 what was that all of the West that was watching all of this happen and there was 122 00:10:43,71 --> 00:10:50,45 supposedly one to make sure that democracy is. Is there to protect the democratic 123 00:10:50,46 --> 00:10:56,12 process and to make sure that so long as the process is correct I mean it may not 124 00:10:56,16 --> 00:11:01,62 in our real best interests that so and so is in government but if we protect the 125 00:11:01,63 --> 00:11:08,02 process and if what we have is best then ultimately and eventually we will be there 126 00:11:08,03 --> 00:11:12,74 or somebody who believes in what we believe and will come to their. Well that 127 00:11:12,75 --> 00:11:13,46 didn't happen as 128 00:11:13,47 --> 00:11:21,95 a matter of fact the France of course is always on Algeria. Immediately 129 00:11:22,06 --> 00:11:28,53 also backed the military move the United States backed the military move 130 00:11:29,51 --> 00:11:35,31 and the West in general backed this move that was in direct violation of the very 131 00:11:35,32 --> 00:11:38,75 principle of democracy is how can you back 132 00:11:38,76 --> 00:11:44,07 a system that says I'm going to outlaw elections because it looked to me that I'm 133 00:11:44,08 --> 00:11:50,74 not going to win it. This is what it's all about the government in the knew that it 134 00:11:50,75 --> 00:11:54,73 is not going to win the elections because it was not going to win the elections 135 00:11:54,77 --> 00:12:00,76 what do we do WE ARE WE boy can we outlaw elections all together and what does the 136 00:12:00,77 --> 00:12:06,78 apparent democracy what does the West do there was that preaches democracy all the 137 00:12:06,79 --> 00:12:11,85 time while they say it's fine not only is it fine for you to Ben elections but 138 00:12:11,86 --> 00:12:16,80 we're going to back you up we're going to make sure that the other side of the 139 00:12:16,81 --> 00:12:20,64 story gets all the negative publicity and we're going to make sure that there is no 140 00:12:20,65 --> 00:12:27,62 support for it in and most recently just what I about that discussion most recently 141 00:12:28,01 --> 00:12:34,76 now in the Congress special committee on that region has now said that we want to 142 00:12:34,77 --> 00:12:41,46 see peace. We want to see peace talks. And we want to see peace 143 00:12:41,66 --> 00:12:48,62 prevail in the area there is only one kink in that and that thought. That 144 00:12:48,63 --> 00:12:54,22 twist that thought and that resolution is we want to see peace and peace talks and 145 00:12:54,27 --> 00:13:00,01 Geria provided that the Islamic Salvation Front or actually what they would say the 146 00:13:00,02 --> 00:13:06,99 fundamentalists are not part of it. What happened to democracy and what happened 147 00:13:07,00 --> 00:13:10,90 to the voice of the minority and what happens to all of what happened to all of 148 00:13:10,91 --> 00:13:15,14 that. What we see is continuously 149 00:13:15,52 --> 00:13:17,57 a double standard process 150 00:13:17,95 --> 00:13:22,23 a process where we preach one thing in this country and then we practice something 151 00:13:22,24 --> 00:13:29,16 else and we again this is the most blatant example is what happened in the area but 152 00:13:29,20 --> 00:13:34,91 that's by no means is the only example that happened that illustrates this idea of 153 00:13:35,10 --> 00:13:40,77 double standards selective democracy selective democracy we see it we saw it we saw 154 00:13:40,78 --> 00:13:46,61 it as again as I said we saw it in Iran one thousand nine hundred seventy nine. And 155 00:13:46,65 --> 00:13:51,62 for from that time on until now we don't like the people who won the elections so 156 00:13:51,63 --> 00:13:55,92 we're going to boycott and we're going to just claim that this is not democracy at 157 00:13:55,93 --> 00:14:02,59 all so democracy is what works for us in other words not. What's best for the 158 00:14:02,60 --> 00:14:06,71 people while another case and study is what's going on in Turkey today and you were 159 00:14:06,72 --> 00:14:09,90 talking before the program about the recent elections there maybe can tell us 160 00:14:09,91 --> 00:14:14,06 what's going on today in Turkey that is that's extremely interesting process also 161 00:14:14,07 --> 00:14:20,32 to keep an eye on. Turkey Turkey was the center actually of the Muslim 162 00:14:20,60 --> 00:14:26,82 empire Yeah the Muslim. Rule all together until one thousand nine hundred seventeen 163 00:14:26,83 --> 00:14:32,95 or so and I don't the turn of the century I want the time. Turkey was ruled by 164 00:14:32,96 --> 00:14:35,27 Camilla to talk and Camilla to talk as 165 00:14:35,28 --> 00:14:42,16 a pure secular leader in Turkey who made sure that Turkey had no Islamic 166 00:14:42,17 --> 00:14:47,48 identity in it at all he wanted Turkish identity and then Islamic identity and in 167 00:14:47,49 --> 00:14:53,62 his A thought they were mutually exclusive you cannot be this and that at the same 168 00:14:53,63 --> 00:15:00,27 time which is which is an absurd idea of its own but he succeeded 169 00:15:00,74 --> 00:15:01,72 in Macon Turkey 170 00:15:01,73 --> 00:15:08,30 a Turkish society with very little trace of Islam in its institutions not its 171 00:15:08,31 --> 00:15:12,82 people you cannot strip people from their beliefs but he made sure that 172 00:15:12,83 --> 00:15:18,40 institutions were stripped of that identity that Muslim identity while Turkey has 173 00:15:18,41 --> 00:15:23,71 a unique location also correct yes it is while Turkey is Turkey is strategically 174 00:15:23,72 --> 00:15:30,29 located Yes Turkey is an ally of the United States. Turkey 175 00:15:30,81 --> 00:15:32,62 is in a place where it's 176 00:15:32,63 --> 00:15:37,41 a bridge between Europe and the Middle East and so on and it is it is it has its 177 00:15:37,42 --> 00:15:43,93 own uniqueness its has its own value. Now what essentially. The people of Turkey 178 00:15:44,37 --> 00:15:46,15 are starting to see. To elect 179 00:15:46,71 --> 00:15:53,26 a party and Islamic party in Turkey and the most recent victory that that 180 00:15:53,33 --> 00:15:59,89 Islamic Party has seen as the election of the mayor of Istanbul. The largest 181 00:16:00,17 --> 00:16:05,59 city in Turkey and suddenly a lot of flags are now going up. I mean this is 182 00:16:05,60 --> 00:16:11,55 a democratic process we didn't see any flags go up when the when when the. 183 00:16:12,71 --> 00:16:19,27 Presidential elections were going on and whoever wins wins no flags over to go up 184 00:16:19,92 --> 00:16:26,86 until we don't like the person who is elected man or woman and when 185 00:16:27,01 --> 00:16:32,58 when they saw this party now it's taken getting more and more support from the 186 00:16:32,59 --> 00:16:38,91 people in Turkey and that people are voicing their opinion go to the polls and say 187 00:16:39,25 --> 00:16:45,72 this is the party that I would like to see in ruling government now they are saying 188 00:16:45,73 --> 00:16:46,35 that this is 189 00:16:46,36 --> 00:16:52,92 a second area. They are now saying. Here come the 190 00:16:52,93 --> 00:16:55,81 fundamentalists. You're a member 191 00:16:55,82 --> 00:17:00,26 a while ago and it was the Russians are coming the Russians are coming when now it 192 00:17:00,27 --> 00:17:04,76 seems that the Muslims are coming the Muslims are coming the funny thing is that we 193 00:17:04,77 --> 00:17:10,24 in this country are to realize that it turned out when that actions did come it 194 00:17:10,25 --> 00:17:14,82 turned out that we are getting along with them just fine the people who are who are 195 00:17:14,83 --> 00:17:20,56 trying to put in our minds in everybody's mind tell you that actions are common 196 00:17:20,57 --> 00:17:25,63 that actions are common meaning Why child would be on the look out there come your 197 00:17:25,64 --> 00:17:32,28 enemy and so on we're basically trying to manipulate our own feelings and thoughts 198 00:17:32,29 --> 00:17:35,11 and so on and to bias us against 199 00:17:35,12 --> 00:17:40,29 a group of people that we know nothing about. The same thing is happening today the 200 00:17:40,30 --> 00:17:44,74 media is trying to tell you why child the Muslims are come and the fundamentalists 201 00:17:44,75 --> 00:17:51,69 are coming in. So on and my my thought my advice to you is to make sure 202 00:17:51,88 --> 00:17:56,84 that you don't fall in the same trap of the Russians are coming and this time what 203 00:17:57,08 --> 00:18:02,98 I would like you to do is to make sure that you yourself get to know and learn 204 00:18:02,99 --> 00:18:08,75 about these Muslims these fundamentalists if you will these people who you are whom 205 00:18:08,76 --> 00:18:10,85 you are told are come and learn 206 00:18:10,86 --> 00:18:15,01 a little bit about him so you will know how to meet him so you know either to 207 00:18:15,02 --> 00:18:19,68 defend yourself or maybe you are going to meet him with open hearts and open arms 208 00:18:20,08 --> 00:18:24,94 because you will learn that they are come and not with swords not with guns not 209 00:18:24,95 --> 00:18:29,86 with battle ships and planes and so on maybe they are coming being gifts to you 210 00:18:30,66 --> 00:18:34,67 maybe they are coming actually with the best gift of all the gift of sharing with 211 00:18:34,68 --> 00:18:35,04 you 212 00:18:35,32 --> 00:18:41,33 a principle an idea and ideology that would help us maybe overcome our problems that 213 00:18:41,34 --> 00:18:45,46 would help us overcome our homelessness in this country that would help us or the 214 00:18:45,47 --> 00:18:51,89 overcome our. Moral dilemma moral crisis that this country is good go on through 215 00:18:52,28 --> 00:18:57,90 maybe these people will just have some of the solution that we are looking for so 216 00:18:57,91 --> 00:19:03,72 desperately in this country but the media is telling us the Muslims are coming in 217 00:19:03,73 --> 00:19:04,45 a tone in 218 00:19:04,46 --> 00:19:10,36 a connotation that means they are coming to get you they are coming to kill you and 219 00:19:10,37 --> 00:19:16,48 what is really happening in reality is that we are going over to Muslims with arms 220 00:19:16,52 --> 00:19:21,58 every time we go over to Muslims we go with arms we go with planes to bombard them 221 00:19:21,67 --> 00:19:27,11 we go with tanks to kill them it is the other way around so what we need to do is 222 00:19:27,12 --> 00:19:33,92 to get out of this mentality of war altogether and think and know that 223 00:19:34,53 --> 00:19:37,46 when the media starts to raise these flags as 224 00:19:37,47 --> 00:19:42,04 a matter of fact we are to be smart enough every time the media starts to throw 225 00:19:42,05 --> 00:19:46,43 these flags around to us that there is something there. That I should investigate 226 00:19:46,44 --> 00:19:51,45 on my own. I'm not going to take the media's word for it I'm going to investigate 227 00:19:51,46 --> 00:19:58,36 it on my own and I advice you the audience of this program to keep an eye on Turkey 228 00:19:59,32 --> 00:20:05,34 keep an eye on what's going on there because it is the policies of our government 229 00:20:05,35 --> 00:20:11,17 here abroad that has made people so sick and tired 230 00:20:12,10 --> 00:20:18,58 of our system of government. They see double again as I said what they see is 231 00:20:18,59 --> 00:20:24,84 double standard. What they see is hypocrisy in what we see and what we do what they 232 00:20:24,85 --> 00:20:31,19 see is the paradise on the back on one end and they shoot us on the other and they 233 00:20:31,27 --> 00:20:36,70 see all of that and then the lies why should I people that have been ruled in the 234 00:20:36,71 --> 00:20:41,74 Third World as we call it by the way they have they have experienced and lived 235 00:20:41,75 --> 00:20:48,32 through socialism they have experienced and lived through even communism as they 236 00:20:48,33 --> 00:20:53,63 have certainly experienced and lived through capitalism they have experienced all 237 00:20:53,64 --> 00:20:59,61 of these forms of government and they have all consistently and continuously failed 238 00:20:59,61 --> 00:21:05,92 . And all that they are saying no is we have something that's worked 239 00:21:06,09 --> 00:21:13,05 before time ago. Old we want is the chance to try it. 240 00:21:15,26 --> 00:21:15,39 In 241 00:21:15,40 --> 00:21:21,27 a healthy environment we just want to try it let's see like all the other systems have 242 00:21:21,28 --> 00:21:27,18 had their chance let's try it out and if the majority of the people in that 243 00:21:27,19 --> 00:21:33,29 particular country will lend once to be told by this form of government 244 00:21:34,08 --> 00:21:39,71 who are we in this country or anywhere else to go there until I'm no you do not 245 00:21:39,72 --> 00:21:45,47 know what's best for you. Here's how you're going to be governed Here's the. Form 246 00:21:45,48 --> 00:21:49,31 of Government that you're going to have and that's going to work for you whether 247 00:21:49,32 --> 00:21:54,38 you have you know it or not whether you want it or not here's the democracy you're 248 00:21:54,39 --> 00:22:01,09 going to have. And we've done that in several countries and consistently. It 249 00:22:01,10 --> 00:22:07,82 backfires because what we end up doing we in the back and supporting oppressive 250 00:22:07,83 --> 00:22:10,68 regimes. And telling sending 251 00:22:10,69 --> 00:22:15,14 a message to those people in those countries that we really don't care about you. 252 00:22:16,78 --> 00:22:21,98 And we preach human rights on one end but we go and support oppressive tyrant 253 00:22:21,99 --> 00:22:27,48 regimes. And people cannot reconcile the two and they are having 254 00:22:27,49 --> 00:22:32,77 a very difficult time reconciling what the United States preaches and the part of 255 00:22:32,78 --> 00:22:37,73 the foreign policies of the United States are and they find again they find that 256 00:22:37,74 --> 00:22:43,50 these two very far apart. Look at for instance also look at Bosnia. 257 00:22:45,20 --> 00:22:52,15 Yes. President Clinton was elected one of his promises during the election was 258 00:22:52,16 --> 00:22:58,91 that he is going to the arm. To lift the ban on the Bosnians so that they can 259 00:22:58,92 --> 00:23:03,90 buy arms so that they can defend themselves. A prince and we cherish in this 260 00:23:03,91 --> 00:23:09,21 country so yes exactly do you know what he called he called Bush's policy and 261 00:23:09,25 --> 00:23:15,63 immoral policy not just wrong policy his Bosnia policy but in his campaign rhetoric 262 00:23:15,95 --> 00:23:21,24 Clinton called Bush's policy an immoral policy he called his policy towards the 263 00:23:21,25 --> 00:23:27,38 Haitians turning Haitians back he called it an immoral policy not wrong not just 264 00:23:27,39 --> 00:23:34,03 wrong and moral. But Bush wasn't what he called and moral policy. Has 265 00:23:34,04 --> 00:23:40,45 yet to lift the ban on the on the Bosnians Yes they he has yet for instance to 266 00:23:40,46 --> 00:23:45,24 implement any different policy regarding the Haitians they are turning back still. 267 00:23:45,73 --> 00:23:50,61 So his policy and this is a moral policy just like Bush's was there is 268 00:23:50,62 --> 00:23:55,86 a problem of theory in practice and that's what we are looking at today look at 269 00:23:56,42 --> 00:23:58,45 this is a second a second example 270 00:23:58,73 --> 00:24:04,84 a third example is what has happened in the Sudan. In the Sudan the majority of the 271 00:24:04,85 --> 00:24:10,66 people in the Sudan this very poor country the majority of the people in the Sudan 272 00:24:10,71 --> 00:24:14,48 again haven't been ruled by 273 00:24:14,49 --> 00:24:21,49 a British and by this and by that finally said listen we want to have this form of 274 00:24:21,50 --> 00:24:28,24 government or all US democratically with this is what we want. What have we 275 00:24:28,25 --> 00:24:31,19 done to support and to do and hence 276 00:24:31,20 --> 00:24:36,23 a democratic process what we've done is that we have suffocated economically and 277 00:24:36,24 --> 00:24:43,20 politically we suffocated the student. When people say we want Islamic rules total 278 00:24:43,21 --> 00:24:48,75 us that's what works best for them they are not saying we want to rule you with 279 00:24:48,76 --> 00:24:54,22 Islamic rules they are saying we want to be law according to our own faith. 280 00:24:55,82 --> 00:25:02,55 Who are we here in this country to say no you can't live and you're on set of rules 281 00:25:02,56 --> 00:25:06,73 and said the faiths and set of beliefs you know you're going to live and 282 00:25:06,89 --> 00:25:11,99 a set of rules that we have devised for you whether these set of rules are alien to 283 00:25:12,00 --> 00:25:17,05 you totally foreign then you cannot relate to them they mean nothing to you you 284 00:25:17,06 --> 00:25:23,90 will still live under those set of rules. People then wonder we 285 00:25:23,91 --> 00:25:29,00 wonder in this country people in the society wonder when they go abroad why is it 286 00:25:29,75 --> 00:25:35,02 that Americans are so disliked when they go to the Middle East when they go to 287 00:25:35,03 --> 00:25:41,47 Europe when they go elsewhere. And we need to stop and really think hard Why is it 288 00:25:41,95 --> 00:25:47,76 that people in this country when they travel abroad. I've disliked. Knowing that 289 00:25:47,77 --> 00:25:52,90 people in this country are the innocent victim of the foreign policies of the 290 00:25:52,91 --> 00:25:57,70 differences things in the film government the reason is we have always tried we 291 00:25:57,71 --> 00:26:03,68 have always charged our own policies and ideas and thoughts down the throat of 292 00:26:03,69 --> 00:26:10,39 other people with those other people saying yes we would like these policies. Or 293 00:26:10,40 --> 00:26:14,46 that over him I think you've given us some good examples and case studies and I 294 00:26:14,47 --> 00:26:18,74 appreciate your advice to our audience we need to seek out who are the Muslims what 295 00:26:18,75 --> 00:26:23,49 is it all about and also to look at history what was the golden era for Muslims was 296 00:26:23,50 --> 00:26:29,03 the golden era for all of civilization and we are the friends of the people of the 297 00:26:29,04 --> 00:26:33,11 book Christian and choose not the enemy of these people so I hope you've given us 298 00:26:33,12 --> 00:26:38,51 a good advice that we will take it upon ourselves to search it out. Thank you and 299 00:26:38,52 --> 00:26:42,67 thank you the viewing audience this program is for you and without you would not be 300 00:26:42,68 --> 00:26:46,22 possible if you have questions if you have suggestions if you would like 301 00:26:46,23 --> 00:26:52,48 information on Islam please write Please join us next week when we focus on Islam 302 00:26:52,82 --> 00:26:54,88 a Salaam aleikum Peace be with you. 303 00:27:14,07 --> 00:27:18,26 Hit. On. 304 00:27:25,30 --> 00:27:28,57 And you see them. You see this. 305 00:27:33,77 --> 00:27:38,93 Can you see they. Can see that they can you see if. 306 00:28:01,92 --> 00:28:02,31 They.