Just before dawn on Tuesday Jumada I (17/8/99), a violent earthquake
struck in north west Turkey. Its epicentre was Izmit, and it measured
7.4 on the Richter scale. According to UN reports more than 40,000 have
died, 33,000 injured and 200,000 made homeless.
We pray to Allah (swt) that He shelters the dead with His Mercy and
Forgiveness and that He confers on the injured the prospect of good
health and well-being. And also that He facilitates help and shelter for
the displaced and inspires them with patience over this calamity.
Indeed, this earthquake was one of the signs of Allah (swt) which He
sent to the people of Turkey and others to bring fear and to warn. So
who is there that will take admonition?
There is a huge responsibility which, Firstly, falls on the shoulders of
the ruling secular regime in Turkey, a responsibility the adherents of
this regime cannot shirk. Secondly, the responsibility lies on the
shoulders of the people in Turkey, a responsibility they cannot evade.
And Thirdly it falls on the shoulders of Muslims everywhere.
As for the responsibility of the regime, this regime knows that these
areas are situated on an earthquake fault line. An earthquake occurred
along this line measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale in 1912. Thereafter
earthquakes occurred on this line in the years 1939, 1942, 1943, 1944,
1957, 1967 and 1992. So why was the regime unconcerned and didn’t
prepare to face these expected disasters?
Officials of the secular regime said: ‘the earthquake was so big that
the state was not able to eliminate its dangers’. This justification is
of no value since we’ve observed that the state did not prepare for any
earthquake, however great or small. Was it not within the capabilities
of the regime to set down specifications and conditions for construction
in these areas? And was it not possible to inspect buildings so as to be
sure that building contractors were meeting building specifications and
conditions? We have noticed that some old buildings (from the days of
the 'Uthmani state) remained firm, while many modern buildings crumbled
easily even though the technology since then has progressed greatly.
Were not the officials of the secular regime able to move immediately
when the earthquake happened in order to provide help and first aid to
the victims? Instead they continued to listen to the reports as if the
disaster had occurred in another country! It was only after 17 hours
that some of them met to see what they could do, leaving individuals to
dig the debris and rubble with their bare hands. Eventually after two
days they moved, but in an astonishingly chaotic manner. Army officials
moved after four days, as if the problem had nothing to do with them,
and were only concerned with their naval base that had been hit by the
quake.
After five days had elapsed, some of the villages in Izmit which had
been severely devastated by the earthquake, had still to receive any
first aid or assistance. All as a result of the failure to have someone
in charge who could organise and see which areas had been checked and
which areas remained forgotten and neglected.
This is the Turkish regime and this is Turkish rule which boasts that it
has made Turkey the most powerful nation in the Middle East. Yet, this
earthquake has exposed the defects, emaciation and weakness of the
regime. And also to expose that the regime is completely non-existent
when the issue relates to looking after the affairs of people and coming
to their aid. This secular regime prepares in force when it comes to
suppressing the people, silencing them and imposing taxes. This secular
regime flexes its muscles as a tool in the hands of the Jews: sometimes
by threatening Syria and other times by striking the Kurds, entering
Iraq, or threatening Iran.
The adherents of this secular regime are unable to help the people in
their moment of hardship, yet they have the ability to ban the lawful
Hijab of women that Allah has made obligatory. And they have the ability
to expel a soldier from the army if he prays, disband parties which call
for Islam and imprison those who speak about Islam.
As for the responsibility of the people in Turkey, it is incumbent on
them to account the rulers and account the contractors, and take heed
themselves that when a disaster does occur, it doesn’t only afflict the
rulers, contractors, and oppressors. Rather it afflicts everyone. He
(swt) said:
"And fear the trial which affects not in particular (only) those of you
who do wrong" [TMQ 8:25]
The Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked: "will we be destroyed while
there are righteous people amongst us?" He replied: "Yes, when the evil
becomes great".
The evil is not confined to the rulers colluding with the contractors in
construction fraud, and nor is it confined to the rulers negligence of
the interests and security of the people and failing to make the
necessary preparations to rescue the people, or to provide them with
first aid and shelter. Rather, it has gone beyond that, to the extent of
fighting the people in their deen, with the state’s deen becoming
secularism and not Islam. The ruling regime considers Turkey to be a
part of secular Europe and not a part of the Islamic countries. Utmost
respect has come to be for secularism, separation of religion from life,
and Mustafa Kamal, and not for the Qur’an, Sunnah and Muhammad (saw).
And friendship and dependency has come to be for the Jews of Israel, the
enemy who fights the Muslims…
All of this is taking place while the Muslim people of Turkey are silent
about those disbelieving rulers who destroyed the Khilafah and betrayed
Allah, His Messenger, His deen and all Muslims. And even though Allah
(swt) has obliged them to discard these secular Kafir rulers. So will
these people not bear the responsibility of what afflicts them in this
world due to the policy of those rulers, over whom they are silent? Yes
indeed, for they shall bear a greater responsibility before Allah (swt)
in the Hereafter as well.
As for the responsibility of Muslims everywhere, the Muslims are one
Ummah. They are like one body which when one of its limbs hurts, the
entire body responds to that part with sleeplessness and fever.
It is incumbent on the Muslims to help each other, not least when
disasters occur, regardless of their lineage, language, colour or home.
It is also incumbent on them to embark on assisting each other with
money, food, housing, medicines, and all types of assistance.
Just as it is incumbent on all of them to work to destroy the systems of
kufr which are implemented on them. And work to establish the Islamic
state, the righteous Khilafah state which will apply the Book of Allah
and the Sunnah of His Messenger over them. And work to eliminate these
emaciated entities by overthrowing their rulers and agents and bringing
the people together under the entity of the Khilafah, and carry the
Message of Islam to the rest of the world.
As for you - the secular rulers of Turkey - to whom we direct this open
letter. We do not think that you deserve anything other then the warning
directed to the likes of you by Allah (swt):
"And soon will the unjust know what change in circumstance their affairs
will take" [TMQ 26:227]
Hizb ut-Tahrir
13 Jumada I 1420
24/8/1999