Mu‘awiyah fooled us once, shame on him; Bani Saud fools us twice, shame on us

Abu Dharr

Rabi' al-Awwal 12, 1439 2017-12-01

Opinion

by Abu Dharr (Opinion, Crescent International Vol. 46, No. 10, Rabi' al-Awwal, 1439)

Every milieu in the Muslim realm has its heart wrenching tragedy and cutthroat treachery. From Muslims in the Philippines to Muslims in Myanmar, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Palestine, and throughout Africa, there seems to be no end to the heartbreaks of these populations versus the ruthless bloodletting committed by enemies who are camouflaged with Islamic rituals and enemies who hide behind humanitarian causes. Here we will select the case of a Lebanese prime minister whose politics swing with his personal financial interests.

As almost every newspaper reader or internet news buff knows by now, Sa‘d al-Hariri resigned his position as prime minister of Lebanon from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. No longer is it speculation as to why a prime minister would go on Saudi satellite TV (al-‘Arabiya) and read the Saudi script of his resignation. For those who don’t know, the wealthy Hariri has his own satellite TV station called al-Mustaqbal (the Future). He wasn’t allowed to express himself on his own TV network. A week later, one al-Mustaqbal broadcaster — the Armenian Paula Ya‘qubian — flew to Riyadh to interview her boss, a tardy act of lessening the doubts about al-Hariri’s resignation).

He was told by his money lords to resign and knowing that his interests are at stake, the flimsy prime minister went on air to tell the world what his Saudi superiors told him to say. Not only are al-Hariri’s fortunes tied up with the economic and financial stability of the money kingdom, his allegiance is also tied up with that petro regime as he holds both Saudi and Lebanese nationalities. This observation of a Lebanese prime minister being a dual Saudi-Lebanese national (with other unconfirmed reports that he is a French national as well), along with reports that Prince al-Walid ibn Talal holds American citizenship in addition to his Saudi citizenship, would have an average person thinking who else in the elitist and wealthy classes in the Muslim realm has dual or multiple citizenships and allegiances.

Interestingly, we have not heard in the raucous mass media US officials express any concern for one of their own citizens: Prince al-Walid ibn Talal. And maybe President Trump likes it that way as it is one less billionaire to compete with Trump’s bulldozing financial and political ambitions. As this issue of CI was being compiled, al-Hariri was still in Saudi Arabia. Reports have been ricocheting between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia that al-Hariri will be leaving any day now! He left but went to Paris, instead of Beirut as CI was going to press. Some are speculating that this issue may find its way to the United Nations! Add to his voluntary confinement in Arabia, al-Hariri’s captivity is cushioned by the fact that he has his family with him.

Will Mr. Hariri return to Lebanon? And if he returns will he rescind his resignation or will he act as the Saudi agent who will play the sectarian card in Lebanon? Or will he join his entrepreneurial buddies who are under “hotel arrest” at the Ritz Carleton in Riyadh? The honest answer is: we can’t say for sure. But we can learn from this spectacle that many “Sunni” politicians, like many “Sunni” scholars, come under the influence and sway of those who have power and wealth. Sa‘d al-Hariri is a good example of an official who follows the money trail: no principles, no values, no ideals, and no standards.

Sa‘d al-Hariri does not belong to any Islamic movement; so it may be predictable that he will follow the money. But what excuse do leaders in Islamic movements have when they do a “Hariri”? We will not mention names, but we can refer to Islamic movement personalities in Tunisia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, and elsewhere who follow the money trail. Some of them followed the money trail all the way to prison.

To be blunt about it, Mr. Hariri does not deserve all the hullabaloo. He can’t even read at the 5th grade level in the Arabic language. Most of his comments are in colloquial Lebanese. The media comments about Mr. Hariri, from regional ruling elites and international ruling elites, have to do with Islamic gains in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon corresponding to Zionist and imperialist losses in these theatres. The official Saudi agents of Tel Aviv and instruments of Washington have finally opened their eyes and realized that they are politically naked! No clout in Iraq, lost influence in Syria, and a waning grip in Lebanon.

If only the “Sunnis” could see through their Saudi blinkers and uncover the Hariri duplicate Messrs. Saniora, Fatfat, and Rifi for what they are: Saudi minions. Just think of the resounding outcome that will commence if Mr. al-Hariri ever returned to Lebanon and expressed his unreserved and total support for the forces that are in a lifelong struggle against Zionism, that is, Hizbullah, the Islamic Resistance, and all anti-Zionist and anti-imperialist forces. That would truly turn the tables on the Zionist-imperialist creatures-in-the-dark. The problem here is that Mr. Hariri does not have a doctrinal bone in him. And he doesn’t have a doctrinal bone in him because he, like many wishy-washy politicians in the “Sunni” tradition, is weighed down by an Umayyad perversion of Islam that has continued up until this very day!

To complicate things further, the Maronite Patriarch flew to Saudi Arabia and after discussions with the American inspired Saudi officials he came out and said he understood (and valued) the official Saudi (American-Israeli) dealing with Mr. Hariri (this is the first time a Maronite Lebanese patriarch has visited Arabia — at a time when thousands of Muslims are denied entry, even for Hajj). Had this been a hush-hush visit the ramifications would have been less, but reports have it that he will touch base with the Vatican to brief the Holy See on his discussions with the (Zionist-imperialist) Arabians.

The kingdom of the Saudi family has become a haven for Zionist-imperialist Lebanese acolytes — the Jumayyils, the Ja‘jas, etc. — as well as other Arabian Zionists such as the Yemeni Hadi, the Tunisian Bin ‘Ali, etc. Add to the money-centered Hariri the money-centered Mahmud ‘Abbas of the Palestinian authority. He, too, was summoned to the same religiously hypocritical kingdom and was told that he either falls in political line or will fall out of the financial line! And, once again, this Palestinian Hariri follows the money — another example of a “Sunni” politician who is hampered by the religious traditions of an Umayyad “Islam.”

The (“Sunni”) Islamic movement in Lebanon too is encumbered with the Umayyad tradition and has not been able to step out of financial gravity. At its inception during the 1950s, 1960s, and even the 1970s, it could not thoroughly free itself of the climaxing nationalist tide. And from then on, it has not shown any signs of thoroughly freeing itself of the abnormal sectarian surge. And all of that is directly related to this “Islamic” movement’s inability to step out of the allure of big bucks!

The Islamic movement in Arab countries has had a love-hate relationship with Arab(ian) nationalism. The Islamic movement has a love-hate relationship with “Shi‘i Islamism.” In both cases, their love-hate attitude and positions are directly related to their undeclared and even unidentified traditions of an “Umayyad Islam.” They still cannot come out and say it from the depth of themselves that the Umayyad rule then is akin to the Saudi rule today.

Hamas in the past several years has been through the terrible experience of relying on kings and princes to finally realize that the only true friend it has is Islamic Iran. We hope and pray that this will be the harbinger within the Islamic movement of a new day when that stain of nationalism and sectarianism are expunged from a reading of our history and from an understanding of our moment in time.

The coordination between the Saudi double-dealers and the Zionist chiefs is out in the open now. Kudos to Islamic Iran and Hizbullah who, in their principled position for the past three decades, are beginning to produce results.

What a world of difference between Sayyid Hasan Nasrullah who expresses his mind and ideas without reading a paper, who does not have dual citizenship, and who is steadfast in his principled struggle against Zionism, and Zionism’s proxies and Mr. Sa‘d al-Hariri who needs a paper to express himself and to utter the will of others, who is a dual if not multiple nationality holder, and who capitulates when he senses his personal assets at risk. The latter is an Umayyad clone and the former a Muhammadi persona,

These two kinds of men may be likened to the blind and the deaf, and the seeing and the hearing. Can these two be deemed alike in [their] nature? Will you not, then, keep this in mind? (11:24).