Ushering in the New
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
183 |
| Khutbah Date: |
01/27/06 |
[i]"Take account of yourself before you are taken to account."[/i][b][Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)][/b]As we say farewell to the old year and welcome to the new; we reflect on how things change and realize that the reality of life is change …[list][*]the challenge of life is to live it to its full [/*][*]the lesson of life is its temporariness [/*][*]the wisdom of life is to learn from the past [/*][*]the act of life is to make a difference [/*][*]the purpose of life is احسان
Ihsaan (righteousness coupled with a sense of God-consciousness), and since [/*][/list]
[b]ان الله كتب الاحسان على كل شيء [/b] [i]Allah has prescribed ihsaan in everything); … it means leaving the world a better place.[/i][b]Change in the Holy Land[/b]In one of the most free and fair elections in the Arab world, and with a remarkably high turnout, Palestinian voters altered the political map of the Middle East. The result of their democratic undertaking is that Hamas will soon begin the task of forming a new Palestinian government. This political shakeup, while no less stunning, has been a long time in the making. For years, there has been growing discontent among Palestinians with Arafat’s Fatah's corrupt and ineffective governance. In going to the polls, many voters were expressing their frustration with the ruling party's failure to deliver peace, implement reforms, improve living conditions or free the Palestinians from their shackles of poverty and unemployment. By casting votes for Hamas, many voters were hitting back at Fatah for its failures, as well as expressing support for the Islamic party.
Message of Hamas Victory in PalestineAs American President George Bush noted during a press conference this week, [i]"When you give people the vote, you give people the chance to express themselves at the polls, and if they're unhappy with the status quo, they'll let you know… Obviously, people were not happy with the status quo. The people were demanding an honest government, the people want services, they want to be able to raise their children in an environment in which they can get a decent education and they can get health care... If government is not responsive, I'm not surprised if people say I want government to be responsive." [/i]Hamas' victory should be viewed as a vote for social services and a call for improved infrastructure within the territories. Even under occupation, there are many things a government could attempt to do. It can improve education, raise living standards, strengthen internal security, and operate in a transparent manner. Hamas has now the duty of being a responsible government that serves the genuine interest and provides the basic needs of a people engulfed in violence, long suppressed by occupation externally and corrupt leadership internally. [b]Need of the Hour [/b][list][*]Transform the world by removing the causes of the pervasive violence through an honest and realistic quest for social justice.[/*][/list] The hope is that ultimately justice and peace will prevail.
Back to khutbah list