ISLAM AGAMA SYUMUL

President Bush delivered a speech on 5/9/06 at the Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington DC, discussing the Global War on Terror. The main theme of his speech was the Islamic Caliphate that he referred to as a ‘totalitarian Islamic empire.’

Bush said, “They hope to establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call a "Caliphate" -- where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology.”

Bush first coined the phrase ‘Islamic fascists’ on August 10th when he delivered a speech addressing the alleged plot to bomb transatlantic airliners.

At the time, some thought this was just another off the cuff remark by a President known for his political gaffs. As the weeks passed and the anniversary of September 11th approached it became clear that this was no off the cuff remark. The US Administration had the Islamic Caliphate squarely in its sights. The true goal of America’s war on terror was laid bare for all to see – the goal of preventing the establishment of a Caliphate in the Muslim world.

Bush said, “I'm not going to allow this to happen -- and no future American President can allow it either.”

Responses to some of the main points in Bush’s speech are below.

1. Linking al-Qaeda to the Caliphate.

Bush said, “The document lays out an elaborate al Qaeda governing structure for the region that includes an Education Department, a Social Services Department, a Justice Department, and an "Execution Unit" responsible for "Sorting out, Arrest, Murder, and Destruction.”

The Caliphate is not the preserve of Al-Qaeda. All Muslims believe in the idea of a Caliphate or Imamate where sovereignty is to the sharia (Islamic Law) alone. The Muslim world has rejected western culture and longs for the re-establishment of the Caliphate.

See the blog article - Muslim World wants the Caliphate

Long before Al-Qaeda even existed, political parties were working hard to establish the Caliphate in the Muslim world through non-violent political work. Islam has laid down a clear methodology for establishing the Caliphate and this does not include violence and killing.

2. Labelling Islam as a “hateful ideology”

Islam is the only ideology that truly melted different races in to one nation (umma); where racism and tribalism were confined to the dustbins of history. Contrast this to blacks in America who had to fight hard for even the most basic rights of citizenship. 40 years later they are still seen as second class citizens by the white American elite, as Hurricane Katrina showed last year.

The non-Muslim citizens of the Caliphate known as dhimmi were protected and not persecuted and forced to leave their religions. Contrast this to Muslims living in the west who face forced conversion to secularism or what they refer to as “European Islam” or “American Islam.” Those who refuse to convert face: imprisonment, rendition and persecution on a level not seen since Nazi Germany.

See the blog article - Rights of non-Muslims

3. Describing the Caliphate as a Fascist, totalitarian empire

Bush said, “This caliphate would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.”

The Caliphate is not a police state. In the Caliphate a citizen’s house is his castle. The government of the Caliphate cannot spy on its Muslim and non-Muslim citizens as Bush is doing with his illegal wiretapping. Everyone in the Caliphate has the right to express their political opinions freely without fear of arrest or imprisonment.

The Caliphate cannot torture any of its citizens or prisoners of war. It will not follow America’s example and torture prisoners in secret CIA prisons, Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib.

Although the Caliphate is not an empire, it will unify all the Muslim lands in the world in to one state. America fought a civil war to preserve the unity of the nation. Europe is uniting through the EU. Why shouldn’t Muslims who share a common culture and heritage also desire unity?