Sectarian Violence in Syria, what is our responsibility?

Assalamualaikum WRT WBT

I just came back from a talk by Assoc Prof. Dr Hafizi Md Nor, the chairman of Asqa Syarif. A talk on the "Tears of Syria" which has encouraged me to write about it before going to bed. I don't think I'd be able to sleep before writing this down. And I think I would feel guilty for not taking some time, even a little while on talking about this issue whom many are ignorant and are unaware of.

My biggest confession tonight (or should I say morning), is that I was one of those ignorant people. Before going to the talk, I took for granted that I knew what was happening in Syria. I am ashamed to say that I tot what was happening over there was slightly the same as what happened in Libya or and what is happening in Gaza.

But tonight, Allah has opened my eyes, Allah has woken me from the complacent feeling, Allah has shook me senseless by the reality of the cruelty in Syria.

If for whatever reason, we seriously are not aware of the current issues concerning our fellow brothers and sisters in Syria, then let me be the one to highlight a few things on what I obtained thru the talk tonight. If there are a few facts I have gotten wrong, please correct me.

To tell you the truth, I have no idea how to start. What I found out tonight from the talk has brought me to the point of speechlessness. Its like, I cannot believe what is happening over there, I cannot comprehend on how human beings who no longer think or care about their own families, who torture and brutally kill their own family members because of pure hatred.

Sectarian violence. Violence caused by difference in sects, in religious beliefs and cultures. Astaghfirullahazim. May Allah forgive us for our ignorance.

Syria gained it independence from France in 1945 and was governed by their own people until the era of Hafez Al-Assad who was in power for 32 dictatorial years. After that, his son Basyar Al-Assad took over the regime and has been in power for the past 11 years.

Too much power makes men do terrible things. Holding power for too long makes them greedy till the point they will do practically anything to hold on to their power. When that happens, they will come to the point where they see themselves as gods and arrogantly walk the earth as if they can do whatever they want.

Hafez Al-Assad was a Syiah Nusairiyah (Syiah Alawiy). This 'religion' was formed 200 years after the wafat of our beloved Prophet, Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. Syiah Nusairiyah is a combination of different beliefs and practices which include Islam, Christianity, Pagan and Syiah. They are NOT among what we call our brothers and sisters. Today, they look at Basyar Al-Assad as their god and with pride proclaim that they worship Basyar Al-Assad before anyone. Even Allah Taala.

Ibnu Taimiyyah considers the Nusairiyah far worst and more kafir than the Nasrani and the Majusi. They are of a different kind. They despise Sunni Muslims (those who believe and follow the Sunnah) with pure hatred, they insult and verbally abuse Saidina Aishah r.a and the Ummahatul Mukminin r.a. and so many more unspeakable things. Im afraid to list them out.

Syria comprises of a few different ideologies and beliefs. 78% are Muslim Sunni (ahli sunnah wa jamaah), 10% Christian, 9% Nusayriah (Syiah Alawiy) and 3% Druze. I got this from Dr Hafizi.

The violence towards Sunni Muslims started during the days of Hafez Al-Assad. We were never exposed to what happened in 1982, where Hafez Al-Assad had his army 'hunt' down the Sunni Muslims in Syria like animals with weapons of mass destruction. The attack towards the people of Syria lasted for 27 days and killed nearly 46,000 people. Fourty six THOUSAND people. Age, gender, young or old, women or children -- there were no exceptions. All murdered brutally.

After years and years of facing violence after violence, violence that we were never aware of because it was secretly kept, purposely silenced by the regime, the time came when the people of Syria decided enough was enough. They were violated and oppressed to the point of insanity. With the revolution of Islamic countries, one after the other, whom have also been under regimes and dictators, the spirit of fighting back for their rights finally came to Syria.

The rising of the Syrian people was started by a group of 28 little kids. Having been born and raised in violence and oppression, even they felt something was wrong with their country. Even they felt the killings were wrong and something had to be done. So they wrote slogans on their school walls of how the Syrians wanted to bring down the regime. They wrote the same slogans voiced out and shouted in the countries who were and have succeeded in fighting for change -- Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and now Syria.

The Syrian army caught them and tortured them brutally. These were just kids! Do you know what they did to these innocent children? They were tortured by pulling out their finger nails and toe nails one by one. They were terribly abused, kicked -- think of whatever type of cruelty you can think of, that's what they did to them. Astaghfirullahalazim.

When the families came to demand them back, the regime gave them a condition for the remains and the rest of the abused children. For them to be returned, the families had to give them with their women to be raped and the results of the rape will be the children that they want so badly. That was the last straw -- that was when the rising and the fight for change started.

I just cannot find the words to describe all the other cruelties and violence currently happening in Syria. 30-50 people are killed without any sense of sympathy. Children and babies are beaten to death. Women are raped in front of their husbands, brothers, fathers and children. They are raped for everyone to see.

More information, please go to this link. Click here. The article is in Malay.

So having said that, what is our responsibility in helping our brothers and sisters in Syria? A huge and heavy responsibility rests on our shoulders, where we will be asked on the day of Judgement "What did you do to help your fellow Muslims?" Will we have an answer?

Are we just satisfied by being ignorant about it and see it as something unrelated to us? Are we going to just listen and read and do absolutely no action in helping out? Are we going to be like some so-called Islamic countries who are just sitting idly and zipping their mouths, turning a blind eye? Tepuk dada tanya Iman.

Ulama Amilin Al-Azhar says: Basyar Al-Assad must be killed. The hukum is WAJIB before he tortures and kills more Muslims

Dr Muhammad Badi' (Mursyidul Am Ikhwanul Muslimin) guarantees: Basyar Al-Assad will be punished by his countrymen for the cruelty he has put them thru.

Dr. Yusuf Al-Qardhawi promises that the people of Syria will get their victory and promises to have Jumaah prayer and give the khutbah in Damsyik one day.

95% of the Ulama around the world are voicing out their disagreement on the actions of Basyar Al-Assad's regime. They are doing their part in freeing the people of Syria. What are you doing?

Living in the world of cyber space, an era of Facebook, Twitter and Blogging, use the technology to our advantage. Spread the message across, be the agent of change, be the person who talks about Syria to others. Be the ones to wake the sleeping up. Open their eyes and help make a change.

Our Ummah is under attack from all sorts of bathil. It is in our hands to fight them off for the sake of our Aqidah. Allah is always on our side, we have the power of Doa, our most biggest and strongest weapon. So the only way we should go is forward, no looking back.

Spread the word. Wallahu'alam