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It is time to articulate a Muslim approach to justice and liberation

Millions of non-Palestinians have marched through the streets of the Americas, Europe and other continents demonstrating against Israel’s war on Gaza. Thousands of students throughout the world have also voiced their anger at the brutal occupation and mass killing. Recent outbursts of dissent against politicians at public events throughout the United States and other places also show the amount of disdain the world is feeling. These voices and protests against the war have certainly changed global public opinion, and Israel has lost whatever semblance of a good image it previously had. And yet those who are in a position to stop the killing in Gaza remain stubbornly attached to the claim: “Israel has a right to defend itself.” So what can or should be done to cause a major change or shift in policy? What can the Muslim community do for its part? Civic action and standing up against oppression are no doubt necessary to engage in. But they are short-term tactics and far from a comprehensive strategy. What I propose is a serious look into a long-term approach towards liberation that is based on ayaat (verses) of the Quran that give us, Muslims, clear guidance. The first important guidance to consider is that the Quran does not condone the art of the artist if it has no bearing on society and community affairs. Surah Ash-Shu’ara in verses 225-226 speaks about poets who “wander in all valleys” of the imagination and “say what they do not do”. In today’s context, the equivalent of such poets or artists in general are the “ivory tower” academics, whose art and intellectual effort do not come to terms with reality and civic engagement. The Quran makes an exception and “commends” those poets who believe, do good deeds and thus translate their art into real action. They also remember Allah plenty and thus live with the Real and seek vindication when the oppressed are wronged. The second guidance we find in the Quran is the idea of establishing and promoting academic engagement even in the face of civic struggle. Verse 122 at the end of Surah Taubah (9) says: “It is not proper for believers to go out and fight (in the path of Allah) all together. If only a group from each group (stay behind) and exert themselves to understand the religion (through studying and research) so that they may advise their people (who go out and fight) as they return to them, so that they (the activists) may be well advised and take precautions.” This is an obvious call for a dual duty of the Muslim community that reflects division of communal labour and activity. One department can be in charge of preserving peace and justice in the land, and the other can engage in learning and research – that is, writing, researching and formulating policy through educational institutions, think tanks and NGOs. These researchers and academics would then advise policymakers and lawmakers to reform and change laws that are subject to ijtihad and politics (siyasah). As we call for Muslims to join in direct action in the short term, the Quran calls us to fund and support academic and research institutions for the sake of Muslim longevity. This is a model that has yet to be tested and tried in our modern global community. But there is historical precedent for it. The great Indian freedom fighter Mawlana Mahmud Hasan was imprisoned in Malta during World War I by the British for resisting their occupation in India. Yet while he was in prison, he continued engaging in his academic writings. Following his release after the war, he continued his revolutionary work at the Islamic Institute of Darul Uloom Deoband in both the political and intellectual realms, seeing them as mirror images of each other. Due to his work, he was honoured with the title “Shaykh al-Hind”, a recognition for his incessant efforts at resisting British imperialism and oppression in the Indian subcontinent. The effects of his work, both in the realms of political activism and intellectual engagement are still felt today through the institutions and movements he was integral to. His followers did not see academic engagement as being entirely separate from direct action to liberate the oppressed. Mawlana Mahmud Hasan’s efforts were contextual to his time and the unique circumstances of early 20th century British imperialism. The modern sociopolitical context requires new efforts that are similarly rooted in authentically Islamic content. The secularised language of decolonisation has proven to be a failure at actual and total liberation. Even as colonised countries have thrown off the yoke of imperialism in name, much of the world remains economically, socially, and culturally within the grasp of imperial powers. The need of the hour is to formulate new notions of sovereignty and articulate what an authentically Muslim form of justice would look like in the modern world. Muslims must not shy away from being creative in how they explore new possibilities of political and social theory at the local, national and international levels, even (and especially) in contrast to prevailing Western notions of modernity, sovereignty and justice. Muslim activism that is still rooted in the framework of Western imperial ideology and political theory is not sufficient. We must authentically articulate our approach on a theoretical and practical level. If modern Muslims are to once again lead the world community in resisting oppression and standing up for justice, there is no alternative to a twofold approach that recognises the political and the intellectual struggles that are necessary prerequisites to the manifestation of true liberation. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Adblock test (Why?)

Navalny was close to being freed from prison before his death, says ally

Maria Pevchikh says Alexey Navalny was due to be freed in exchange for a Russian FSB assassin imprisoned in Germany. Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap before his sudden death, according to his ally Maria Pevchikh. In a video posted to YouTube on Monday, Pevchikh claimed the planned swap involved exchanging Navalny and two unnamed US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) assassin in Germany. Navalny, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died at 47 in an Artic penal colony, where he was serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges when he reportedly collapsed after a walk on the prison grounds. “Alexey Navalny could be sitting in this seat right now, right today. That’s not a figure of speech, it could and should have happened,” said Pevchikh. “Navalny should have been out in the next few days because we got a decision about his exchange. In early February, Putin was offered to exchange the killer, FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, who’s serving time for a murder in Berlin, for two American citizens and Alexey Navalny.” A German spokesperson told a press conference on Monday that the government was aware of the reports of an alleged swap, but could not comment on them. The Russian hitman Krasikov, who was part of the alleged deal, was jailed for life in Germany after being convicted of killing an exiled Chechen-Georgian dissident in Berlin’s Tiergarten Park in 2019 – an assassination that German authorities say was ordered by Russian intelligence services. In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson earlier in February, Putin signalled that he wanted to get Krasikov back. While Pevchikh did not name who the US nationals were, Washington said previously that it was trying to return Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, back to the United States. Pevchikh claimed that the potential deal was in its final stages on the evening of February 15. She said Navalny was killed a day later because Putin could not tolerate the thought of him being free. World leaders, including in the US, have placed blame for Navalny’s death at the hands of Putin and issued sanctions in response. However, the Kremlin has denied the allegation that Moscow had anything to do with his sudden death and slammed those making allegations without providing proof. Adblock test (Why?)

US airman who set himself on fire outside Israeli embassy dies

BREAKINGBREAKING, Aaron Bushnell yelled “Free Palestine!” after he lit himself on fire and fell to the ground. A US military service member who had set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, in an apparent act of protest against Israel’s war in Gaza, has died, the Pentagon said. The 25-year-old airman, Aaron Bushnell, of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries, the Metropolitan Police Department said on Monday. Representatives for the police in Washington did not immediately return a call requesting comment on the reports. Over the weekend, US media reports said Bushnell live streamed himself on Twitch, wearing fatigues and declaring he would “not be complicit in genocide” before dousing himself in liquid. He then lit himself on fire while yelling “Free Palestine!” until he fell to the ground. The footage has since been removed from Twitch. Local police said they are investigating the incident. The latest incident comes amid ongoing pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protests in the United States following the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel, which has killed 1,200 Israelis and seized 253 hostages in a cross-border attack. Since then, Israel’s embassy has been the target of continued protest against the Israeli war on Gaza. In December, a protester set herself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta. A Palestinian flag was found at the scene, and the act was believed to be one of “extreme political protest”. Adblock test (Why?)

‘My source of inspiration was…’: Anant Ambani on Reliance’s animal welfare initiative ‘Vantara’

With a commitment to global conservation, Vantara transforms this expansive space into a lush jungle, collaboratively crafted with animal care experts, providing a haven for the flourishing well-being of rescued species worldwide.

‘If you won’t do it, we will…’: SC warns Centre in Coast Guard case

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said this while taking note of submissions by Attorney General R Venkataramani that there were some functional and operational difficulties in granting permanent commissions to SSCOs.

Virginia Democrats send Republican Gov. Youngkin bill to raise minimum wage

Democrats who control the Virginia General Assembly sent Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin legislation on Friday that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2026. Identical bills that would bump the current $12-per-hour minimum wage to $13.50 on Jan. 1, 2025, and then to $15 on Jan. 1, 2026, cleared the Senate and House of Delegates on party-line floor votes, TV station WRIC reported. VIRGINIA HOUSE, SENATE AND GOV. YOUNGKIN TO SPAR OVER STATE BUDGET The legislation is a top priority for Democrats and progressive advocacy groups and builds on a push the party started several years ago, when the minimum wage stood at $7.25 per hour. Advocates say the measure will help working families afford basic necessities and keep up with inflation, while opponents have argued it will harm small businesses. The bills face an uncertain future — Youngkin has indicated his opposition, though he has not explicitly said he will veto them. Youngkin told reporters earlier this year he didn’t think the legislation was necessary “because the market is handling it.” Virginia Democrats began an effort to increase the minimum wage in 2020, when they were in full control of state government. They passed legislation that year — which took effect with a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic — establishing incremental increases up to $12, with further bumps requiring another Assembly vote.

Hunter Biden says staying sober crucial to preventing a Trump win: ‘Ultimate test for a recovering addict’

Hunter Biden reportedly said in a new interview published Monday that he views his sobriety battle as key to ensuring former President Trump does not win a second term in November.  “Most importantly, you have to believe that you’re worth the work, or you’ll never be able to get sober. But I often do think of the profound consequences of failure here,” Hunter Biden told Axios about his struggle with addiction.  “Maybe it’s the ultimate test for a recovering addict – I don’t know,” the president’s son said. “I have always been in awe of people who have stayed clean and sober through tragedies and obstacles few people ever face. They are my heroes, my inspiration.” “I have something much bigger than even myself at stake. We are in the middle of a fight for the future of democracy,” he added. HUNTER BIDEN’S PHONE CONTAINED MULTIPLE PHOTOS OF COCAINE, CRACK COCAINE AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA: DOJ Hunter Biden said he feels obligated to “make it through that fight clean and sober, and I feel a responsibility to everyone struggling through their own recovery to succeed.” “I don’t care whether you’re 10 years sober, two years sober, two months sober or 200 years sober — your brain at some level is always telling you there’s still one answer,” he said. The president’s son also gave advice to others struggling to stay sober.  “Embrace the state in which you came into recovery — which is that feeling of hopelessness which forces you into a choice,” he said. “And then understand that what is required is that you basically have to change everything.” Hunter Biden is expected to testify before closed doors on Wednesday before the Republican-led House Oversight and Judiciary committees, where lawmakers are expected to focus on President Biden’s son’s business dealings, as well as his addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine.  In a filing last week, the Justice Department alleged that Hunter Biden’s iPhone had pictures and videos of “apparent” cocaine, crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia documenting his drug use in November and December 2018. Hunter Biden is charged with lying about his drug use on a federal form to purchase a firearm. HUNTER BIDEN LAWYER SAYS PHOTO ON HIS PHONE SHOWED SAWDUST, NOT COCAINE: ‘PROSECUTION IS FLAT OUT WRONG’ The filing also revealed that Hunter talked about his drug use with his then-girlfriend, Hallie Biden. Hunter’s lawyers disputed one of the photos, saying it depicted sawdust, not drug residue.  Hunter Biden’s notorious laptop’s content provided a window into his overseas business dealings, as well as more sordid material like homemade sex tapes and videos that appeared to show him using illegal drugs. The New York Post’s reporting about the laptop was censored on social media before the 2020 election amid pressure from the FBI.  Last July, Hunter Biden swore in a federal court hearing that he had been sober since June 1, 2019.  At a hearing in September, U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke said Hunter Biden had tested negative for drugs and alcohol since August, and the president’s son’s legal team told Axios he has continued to test negative since then. A baggie of cocaine was found at the White House in a storage locker last July, but the Secret Service closed their investigation without identifying a suspect.  In his memoir, Hunter Biden wrote about how he was still in the throes of his addiction weeks after a family intervention at their home in Delaware when his father, Joe Biden, announced his presidential candidacy in April 2019. Hunter fled to California, where he met and soon married Melissa Cohen, a documentary filmmaker. He considered their wedding his initial sobriety date – May 17, 2019, the day before Joe Biden officially launched his campaign in Philadelphia, according to Axios. 

Alabama lawmakers seek to protect IVF services after backlash to state Supreme Court ruling

Lawmakers began scrambling for ways to protect Alabama in vitro fertilization services after multiple providers paused treatment in the wake of a state Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos could be considered children under a state law. Facing a wave of shock and anger from the decision, legislators prepared separate proposals in the House and Senate that would seek to prevent a fertilized egg from being recognized as a human life or an unborn child under state laws until it is implanted in a woman’s uterus. Justices ruled last week that three couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in a mishap at a storage facility could pursue wrongful death claims for their “extrauterine children.” Justices cited sweeping language that the GOP-controlled Legislature and voters added to the Alabama Constitution in 2018 saying that the state recognizes the “rights of the unborn child.” ALABAMA IVF RULING REIGNITES DEBATE ON ABORTION, A MOTIVATING ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF ELECTION Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, a Democrat, said Republicans helped create the situation in their push to enact some of the most stringent anti-abortion laws in the country. The result, he said, was eliminating a path for people to become parents. “At the end of the day, the Republican Party has to be responsible for what they have done,” Singleton said. Former President Donald Trump joined the calls for Alabama lawmakers to act Friday and said he would “strongly support the availability of IVF.” State Republican lawmakers said they were working on a solution. “Alabamians strongly believe in protecting the rights of the unborn, but the result of the State Supreme Court ruling denies many couples the opportunity to conceive, which is a direct contradiction,” House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said. Republican state Sen. Tim Melson, who is a doctor, said his proposal seeks to clarify that a fertilized egg is a “potential life” and not a human life until it is implanted in the uterus. “I’m just trying to come up with a solution for the IVF industry and protect the doctors and still make it available for people who have fertility issues that need to be addressed because they want to have a family,” Melson said. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, a Democrat, introduced legislation to clarify that a “human egg or human embryo that exists in any form outside of the uterus shall not, under any circumstances, be considered an unborn child” under state law. “This is just the first step in unwinding this predicament our state has placed itself in,” Daniels said. Melson said he was not surprised that the state is seeing unintended consequences from the constitutional language. Supporters said it was intended to block abortion if the states ever gained control of the issue. But opponents warned it was essentially a “personhood” measure that would establish “constitutional rights for fertilized eggs.” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said the state wants to foster a culture of life and that includes “couples hoping and praying to be parents who utilize IVF.” Alabama Attorney General Marshall does not intend to prosecute IVF providers or families based on the state Supreme Court ruling, Chief Counsel Katherine Robertson said in a statement. The court’s ruling, treating the embryos the same as a child or gestating fetus under the wrongful death statute, raised questions about what legal liabilities clinics could face during IVF processes, including the freezing, testing and disposal of embryos. Three in vitro fertilization providers in Alabama paused their services in the aftermath of the ruling. Gabby Goidel, who was days from an expected egg retrieval appointment, was told Thursday that her provider would not continue doing embryo transfers. “I started crying,” said Goidel, who swiftly traveled with her husband to Texas to try to continue the IVF cycle with a provider there. The Alabama ruling is “not pro-family in any way,” Goidel said. At the Fertility Institute of North Alabama, Dr. Brett Davenport said his clinic will continue providing IVF. But he also urged state policymakers to act and remove the uncertainty for providers. “What we do could not be any more pro-life. We’re trying to help couples who can’t otherwise conceive a child,” Davenport said. The court ruled only that embryos are covered under Alabama’s wrongful death statute, said Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at the University of California, Davis School of Law. The court did not say embryos had full constitutional rights, she said, or at least not yet. “I think people in Alabama are rightly expecting that this is the tip of the iceberg though, and this ruling will lead to more down the road,” Ziegler said. She also said anti-abortion groups and politicians have been pushing to get some sort of ruling through the federal courts “that a fetus is a constitutional rights holder.” “It’s not just about in vitro and it’s not just about Alabama. It’s part of this nationwide movement too,” she said.

Ex-PM Nawaz’s daughter is Pakistan’s first female provincial chief minister

Maryam, Nawaz Sharif’s eldest daughter and apparent political heir, becomes the first female chief minister of Punjab province. Islamabad, Pakistan – Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of three-time former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has been elected the chief minister of the key province of Punjab – the country’s first woman to hold the post. Maryam’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and its allies on Monday received 220 votes in the 371-member Punjab Assembly in an election boycotted by the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council party, backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan alleges the February 8 parliamentary and provincial elections were rigged – an allegation denied by the  Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). “I am disappointed the opposition is not here to be part of this democratic process,” Maryam, 50, said on the opposition’s boycott of her election. Maryam is the fourth member of her family to become Punjab chief minister after her father, Nawaz Sharif, his brother, Shehbaz, and Shehbaz’s son Hamza who held the post for a few months last year. Maryam is seen as the political heir of her father, three-time PM Nawaz Sharif [File: Rahat Dar/EPA] Shehbaz could return as prime minister for a second term when the parliament meets later this week. Born in 1973, Maryam is the eldest among four siblings and was not into politics until 2013 when Nawaz became the prime minister for the third time. Soon, she emerged as the family’s apparent political heir while her brothers handled the business. After Nawaz was disqualified from the post of prime minister in 2017 for lying in his assets declarations before the ECP, Maryam assumed a more prominent role in the party. However, days before the 2018 election, which she planned to contest, a court in capital Islamabad convicted her of corruption, along with her father and her husband. The conviction disqualified her from contesting elections for a decade. A year later, she was relieved in the case while Nawaz, suffering ill health, went into self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, from where he returned in October last year. ‘Landmark event’ Nida Kirmani, associate professor of sociology at Lahore University of Management Science, told Al Jazeera Maryam’s election as Punjab chief minister “may not necessarily be a victory for women’s empowerment, it is certainly a landmark event” in Pakistan’s political history. “One hopes that she will use her position to further the cause of gender equality in her province and set an example for the rest of the country to follow,” Kirmani said. Maryam became the face of the PMLN party after her father went into exile in the UK [File: Shahzaib Akber/EPA] Pakistan was the first Muslim-majority country to elect a female prime minister when Benazir Bhutto took over in 1988. She won for a second time in 1993. Both Maryam and Bhutto belong to Pakistan’s prominent political dynasties who have been ruling over the country for decades. Bhutto’s son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is currently the head of the Pakistan People’s Party, the second-largest party in parliament and a dominating player in the Sindh province. Kirmani said Maryam’s appointment follows a trend of dynastic politics not only in Pakistan but across the region. “It is a reality that many women who occupy powerful positions do so partially because of their familial backgrounds. Changing this would require a change in the structure of the political system and the structure of patriarchy itself,” she said. “Like other women in powerful positions, Maryam will have to work twice as hard to prove herself as a worthy political leader in her own right.” However, with questions over the legitimacy of the election and faced with reviving her party, other observers say Maryam’s tenure will not be an easy one. Political commentator Asma Shirazi told Al Jazeera the biggest challenge for her would be to revive the PMLN’s popularity in a province considered the party’s bastion. “She has to focus on performance, but also how she behaves with her rivals. She must keep the house [provincial assembly] together,” she said. But Afiya Shehrbano Zia, scholar and gender rights activist, thinks Maryam should reach out to those committed to fighting the larger challenges in the province. “If [her] office shows a compassionate but strong female face, much can be achieved and she will gain legitimacy. But it cannot be performative. She must carve out her own identity which will require angering and crossing the old Punjabi men and holding her own,” she told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Deepening occupation’: Turkey condemns Israel on last day of ICJ hearing

As the UN’s top court holds its final day of hearings, more countries assert Israel’s decades-old, illegal occupation of Palestine must end. Turkey has joined a large number of countries that have condemned Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz was the first representative to speak on the last day of the hearings on Monday, capping a weeklong event that saw 52 countries and several international organisations testify to Israel’s occupation of Palestine. He said the long-running conflict could have been settled by now if international and human rights laws were upheld by Israel and its Western allies, and emphasised how the United Nations Security Council has failed to protect the unalienable rights of the Palestinians. He said the “deepening occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territories” and the failure of its allies to commit to implementing a two-state solution were the main underlying issues. Reporting from outside the court in The Hague, Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith said Turkey echoed many of the arguments that have been made by dozens of countries since last week. “Turkey said Palestinians were subject to practices from the Middle Ages under occupation, it said that Palestinians only need emancipation with dignity,” he said. “And there was particular focus from the Turks on the Haram al-Sharif as it is called by Muslims, or the Temple Mount as the Jews call it, which is supposed to be administered by the Jordanians in a longstanding principle dating to before the creation of the state of Israel. Turkey accuses the Israelis of frequently abusing the independence of Haram al-Sharif.” This case is separate from the genocide case by South Africa against Israel for its ongoing war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians since October 7, mostly women and children. The Israeli army has killed about 400 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in the same period. The Israeli military continued to shell various parts of the Gaza Strip during the ICJ hearing, killing more than 90 Palestinians and wounding 164 in the 24 hours leading to the final hearing. Tamer Qarmout, assistant professor of public policy at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said Turkey had taken more drastic measures in the past when dealing with Israel, including the severing of diplomatic and economic ties. “But in this war, we have seen a different stand,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that the Turkish government is still critical of Israel but does not take similar positions like the ones in the past. “I think [this] has to do with Turkey’s internal policies and politics,” he said, citing Turkey’s recovery from a serious economic crisis as a cause. “They [Turkish officials] don’t want to antagonise other key partners in the West by taking drastic positions.” ‘Racial domination’ The unprecedented scrutiny at the world’s highest court of Israel’s ongoing occupation and the system of apartheid it imposes on Palestinians comes after the UN General Assembly in December 2022 passed a resolution calling for an ICJ opinion. The United States defended Israel at the hearings, which itself had refused to attend, claiming its presence would jeopardise a future settlement with Palestinians. “Under the established framework, any movement towards Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration of Israel’s very real security needs,” Richard Visek, a US State Department legal adviser, told the court last week. Arab nations on Monday reiterated their diverging views from Washington on the issue, with the group of 22 countries telling the court it condemns violations of international law arising out of Israel’s “racial domination and apartheid perpetrated against the Palestinian people”. “Palestinian people have been denied the exercise of their legal right to self-determination through the more than century-long, violent, colonial racist effort to establish a nation-state exclusively for the Jewish people in the land of Mandatory Palestine,” representative Ralph Wilde said. Adblock test (Why?)