OPEN LETTER TO:
ABDALLAH IBN AL-SAUD, Respected Monarch of “Saudi” Arabia:
I greet you with Peace – Salaam!
In the Holy Name of the Beneficent, Most Merciful, this is a humble appeal against Fouad Al-Farhan’s further detention.
It is a certain Test from God the power He has loaned you, your being anointed custodian of the Two Great Mosques, the honor you beget from amongst most Muslims, the comfort that wealth has brought you, and the mark of status and privileged He bestows upon your House …..
I and my family pray these Blessings will continue.
But along with these Divine Blessings comes equivalent responsibility entrusted to a Leader; especially the leader of a Muslim nation in today’s hostile political environment.
It is not my place to offer advice in this regard since I am not a Muslim Leader of a Muslim nation, but merely a humble head of a small, middle-class family who inherited a mediocre family business along with the skeleton staff who help run it. Nevertheless, my responsibility toward my family is just as important to me as my responsibility toward my staff, my customers, and my community without who, God only knows how I could be able to provide for my loved ones and also remain a productive member of society …
Success in my personal family life, in my interaction with the public, and in my business dealings is largely due to encouraging, not stifling, FEEDBACK: maintaining an “Open Door” policy on communication; oftentimes, even criticism from sources that my trusted advisors would not normally consider credible or of worth to reach my ears.
But rather than consent to information being pre-selected, pre-screened, censored, sanitized and assessed before it is spoon fed to me, I independently endeavor to maintain a feel for the pulse of those segments I am responsible for and responsible to. Most Heads of States also accomplish this through their Intelligence Agencies but, rather than liken citizen grievances as unpatriotic dissidence, an overt threat to the leadership, and punishable as treason, wouldn’t a truly wise Muslim statesman read the writings on the wall and spearhead changes that nurture healthy information exchange and widen the gates for unfettered knowledge to enter and reestablish the Muslim World as the technological metropolis it once was, revered all over the world?
God has tested other leaders; indeed, other dynasties in the past with power, influence, wealth. Unfortunately, these very bounties fogged their perception so they were not able to see and hear beyond to the cries of those whose charge they were entrusted to command. Living in Ivory Towers and drowning in pompous flattery makes victims of even the most noble-intentioned. Reflect on the saga of recent “greats” such as “Malik” Idris of Libya, “King” Zahir Shah of Afghanistan, “HEH” Osman Ali Khan of Hyderabad, “HIM” Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, etc., etc., all victims of censured, sanitized (mis-)information spoon-fed by fellow residents of the Ivory Tower; and lest we forget “Shah” Reza Pallavi of Iran and your erstwhile neighbor Saddam, the recipients of God’s punishing Hand.
Perhaps arrogance is an acquired regal characteristic. Perhaps it is a necessary quality that a king’s role requires. But it is my understanding that “arrogance” among Muslims should stem from one’s closeness to God and meritorious actions that conform to Divine Commands in the Holy Quraan and the example set by Prophet Muhammad.
It’s curious at to why then, for a man who conquered half the globe in his lifetime, Prophet Muhammad never declared himself King or took on the title of “Your Majesty”. Pompous titles such as King, Emperor, Majesty, etc. were never even attributed to the Caliphs that followed. Why then are Muslim monarchs accepting, even insisting, on being addressed through such arrogant, ostentatious titles if indeed there exists truthfulness in the declaration authored by an unverified source: “His (God’s) alone is all majesty in the heavens and on earth; and He (God) alone is almighty, truly wise!” [45:37 Sura Al-Jathiya]. Why did the early Muslim leaders lead such humble, selfless lives, yet rule for centuries, in sharp contrast with transitory contemporary Muslim monarchs?
Wise and Honored Monarch: the Muslim World looks upon you for exemplary leadership over your people. Prophet Muhammad placed great emphasis on education, knowledge, and its free exchange. The Prophet encouraged discussions, frequently face-to-face, covering a myriad of topics (even those that embarrassed him) between men and women from all walks of life and all beliefs. But insecure leaders have historically endeavored to censure free thought and opinion in the guise of protecting “National Security” interests when it was actually their very own private interests they were attempting to further. “…Make not unlawful the good things Allah hath made lawful for you.” [5:87 Sura Al-Maeda].
It seems to me that Fuad Al-Farhan’s “search for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, Shoura and all the rest of lost Islamic values” should represent the mission of all Muslims especially of their leadership. In fact, this “search” should extend far beyond to the causal element of these “lost” values (if indeed these “values” are considered lost), and set forth mechanisms to resuscitate them, if they are worth resuscitating.
Therefore, why should anyone embarking on this noble task be taken prisoner and chastised by the very same group of people who stand to collectively benefit from the findings as well as being remembered for championing the resurgence of selfless Islamic values?
Muslims believe our lot in life is but a manifestation of His Eternal Will. Surely “Allah, the Lord of Power (And Rule), gives power to whom He pleases, and strips off power from whom He pleases. He endows with honor whom He pleases, and brings low whom He pleases: Truly, over all things He has power” [Al-Imran 3:26]. So when we face our Creator, would it not be comforting to our soul that we did not barter away our Imaan for a miserable gain?
My understanding of Islamic fatalism is, REGARDLESS OF ONE’S EFFORTS TO THE CONTRARY, GOD’S WILL SHALL PREVAIL. It always has; it always will!
The world has watched with amusement the desperate measures employed by tyrannical leaders trying to grasp at straws and maintain a progressively weakening hold on the reigns of power by stifling public opinion ruthlessly. This very scene has been played and re-played in history a zillion times over with only one standard universal outcome. Nevertheless, as a distant admirer, I hope Arabia continues to remain “Saudi” Arabia and protector of unadulterated, unaltered, un-improvised Islamic tenants in its pure, selfless form as taught by Prophet Muhammad of Arabia.
In the Sublime Name of He in Whose Mighty Hands lie our lives and destiny, this is a humble appeal for clemency (another core Islamic value) and the release of Mr. Fuad Al-Farhan as well as other prisoners of conscience in your great country.
free fouad
OPEN LETTER TO:
ABDALLAH IBN AL-SAUD, Respected Monarch of “Saudi” Arabia:
I greet you with Peace – Salaam!
In the Holy Name of the Beneficent, Most Merciful, this is a humble appeal against Fouad Al-Farhan’s further detention.
It is a certain Test from God the power He has loaned you, your being anointed custodian of the Two Great Mosques, the honor you beget from amongst most Muslims, the comfort that wealth has brought you, and the mark of status and privileged He bestows upon your House …..
I and my family pray these Blessings will continue.
But along with these Divine Blessings comes equivalent responsibility entrusted to a Leader; especially the leader of a Muslim nation in today’s hostile political environment.
It is not my place to offer advice in this regard since I am not a Muslim Leader of a Muslim nation, but merely a humble head of a small, middle-class family who inherited a mediocre family business along with the skeleton staff who help run it. Nevertheless, my responsibility toward my family is just as important to me as my responsibility toward my staff, my customers, and my community without who, God only knows how I could be able to provide for my loved ones and also remain a productive member of society …
Success in my personal family life, in my interaction with the public, and in my business dealings is largely due to encouraging, not stifling, FEEDBACK: maintaining an “Open Door” policy on communication; oftentimes, even criticism from sources that my trusted advisors would not normally consider credible or of worth to reach my ears.
But rather than consent to information being pre-selected, pre-screened, censored, sanitized and assessed before it is spoon fed to me, I independently endeavor to maintain a feel for the pulse of those segments I am responsible for and responsible to. Most Heads of States also accomplish this through their Intelligence Agencies but, rather than liken citizen grievances as unpatriotic dissidence, an overt threat to the leadership, and punishable as treason, wouldn’t a truly wise Muslim statesman read the writings on the wall and spearhead changes that nurture healthy information exchange and widen the gates for unfettered knowledge to enter and reestablish the Muslim World as the technological metropolis it once was, revered all over the world?
God has tested other leaders; indeed, other dynasties in the past with power, influence, wealth. Unfortunately, these very bounties fogged their perception so they were not able to see and hear beyond to the cries of those whose charge they were entrusted to command. Living in Ivory Towers and drowning in pompous flattery makes victims of even the most noble-intentioned. Reflect on the saga of recent “greats” such as “Malik” Idris of Libya, “King” Zahir Shah of Afghanistan, “HEH” Osman Ali Khan of Hyderabad, “HIM” Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, etc., etc., all victims of censured, sanitized (mis-)information spoon-fed by fellow residents of the Ivory Tower; and lest we forget “Shah” Reza Pallavi of Iran and your erstwhile neighbor Saddam, the recipients of God’s punishing Hand.
Perhaps arrogance is an acquired regal characteristic. Perhaps it is a necessary quality that a king’s role requires. But it is my understanding that “arrogance” among Muslims should stem from one’s closeness to God and meritorious actions that conform to Divine Commands in the Holy Quraan and the example set by Prophet Muhammad.
It’s curious at to why then, for a man who conquered half the globe in his lifetime, Prophet Muhammad never declared himself King or took on the title of “Your Majesty”. Pompous titles such as King, Emperor, Majesty, etc. were never even attributed to the Caliphs that followed. Why then are Muslim monarchs accepting, even insisting, on being addressed through such arrogant, ostentatious titles if indeed there exists truthfulness in the declaration authored by an unverified source: “His (God’s) alone is all majesty in the heavens and on earth; and He (God) alone is almighty, truly wise!” [45:37 Sura Al-Jathiya]. Why did the early Muslim leaders lead such humble, selfless lives, yet rule for centuries, in sharp contrast with transitory contemporary Muslim monarchs?
Wise and Honored Monarch: the Muslim World looks upon you for exemplary leadership over your people. Prophet Muhammad placed great emphasis on education, knowledge, and its free exchange. The Prophet encouraged discussions, frequently face-to-face, covering a myriad of topics (even those that embarrassed him) between men and women from all walks of life and all beliefs. But insecure leaders have historically endeavored to censure free thought and opinion in the guise of protecting “National Security” interests when it was actually their very own private interests they were attempting to further. “…Make not unlawful the good things Allah hath made lawful for you.” [5:87 Sura Al-Maeda].
It seems to me that Fuad Al-Farhan’s “search for freedom, dignity, justice, equality, Shoura and all the rest of lost Islamic values” should represent the mission of all Muslims especially of their leadership. In fact, this “search” should extend far beyond to the causal element of these “lost” values (if indeed these “values” are considered lost), and set forth mechanisms to resuscitate them, if they are worth resuscitating.
Therefore, why should anyone embarking on this noble task be taken prisoner and chastised by the very same group of people who stand to collectively benefit from the findings as well as being remembered for championing the resurgence of selfless Islamic values?
Muslims believe our lot in life is but a manifestation of His Eternal Will. Surely “Allah, the Lord of Power (And Rule), gives power to whom He pleases, and strips off power from whom He pleases. He endows with honor whom He pleases, and brings low whom He pleases: Truly, over all things He has power” [Al-Imran 3:26]. So when we face our Creator, would it not be comforting to our soul that we did not barter away our Imaan for a miserable gain?
My understanding of Islamic fatalism is, REGARDLESS OF ONE’S EFFORTS TO THE CONTRARY, GOD’S WILL SHALL PREVAIL. It always has; it always will!
The world has watched with amusement the desperate measures employed by tyrannical leaders trying to grasp at straws and maintain a progressively weakening hold on the reigns of power by stifling public opinion ruthlessly. This very scene has been played and re-played in history a zillion times over with only one standard universal outcome. Nevertheless, as a distant admirer, I hope Arabia continues to remain “Saudi” Arabia and protector of unadulterated, unaltered, un-improvised Islamic tenants in its pure, selfless form as taught by Prophet Muhammad of Arabia.
In the Sublime Name of He in Whose Mighty Hands lie our lives and destiny, this is a humble appeal for clemency (another core Islamic value) and the release of Mr. Fuad Al-Farhan as well as other prisoners of conscience in your great country.
Salaams from a lowly slave of His Slave.