It began like a bad start of this new year with Al Nimr execution, I was shocked with this tragic execution of Sheikh which took place in Saudi Arabia. I won’t start either as a Sunni or a Shiite supporter but as a ‘Humanitarian Muslim’ above all. In India, there are hundreds of organizations which are doing ‘Joint Prayer’ sessions to root out differences between the two ‘firqas’ (Ideology groups of Sunni and Shiite) but after all the hard work by these organizations in India and all over the world what the people came to know at the start of this new year is surprising and saddening.
In a monarchical government like today’s Saudi Arabia the policy of execution towards ‘Foreign Muslim Clerics’ should be replaced with ‘Exile’ over ‘Execution’; yes! My ideology towards sharia law is very much confident but in today’s world where the Muslim world needs a more humanitarian approach among each other, executing a renowned ‘Foreign Muslim Cleric’ is a foolish step which Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had taken up some days back. A successful Monarchical government always chooses ‘Exile’ over ‘Execution’, where it can prove itself to be more humanitarian towards their counterparts as well. It seems that the so called Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, by using execution, of such renowned personality is trying a way hard to strengthen their ties with their ‘Petro Lords’ who are investing huge to make up profits at both ends. In a same way Iran had practiced more executions than Saudi Arabia according to some western organizational surveys.
It is noticeable that the freedom to choose one’s ideology in Islam is not forbidden either, the leader of Jerusalem Omar -AL -Farooq who was also the first Khalifa of the Islamic regime always advocated the Sharia law that’s why he had always allowed free speech and freedom to practice their respective ideologies. This was the proof that he had always learnt these noble gestures in the land of Al Najd (But not from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). With Kingdom taking rigid steps towards other ideologies it is also making hard ends for Muslims around the world who are already parted in ideological matters, ‘digging the well, very well’ is what Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is practicing nowadays.
The ‘Arab spring’ had already caused outrage all over the middle east and now the execution of ‘Foreign Cleric Figures’ who are just seeking their own identity within a regime could prove to be more devastating than any other thing, “the weapon could be stopped but not the tongue”. If Saudi Arabia wants a healthy relationship with their counterpart countries, the state has to realize itself as a Father of Muslim world but not as an ‘Oriented State’ in the same manner Iran needs to become more mature while addressing their concepts of ideology among their youth. Both the states should believe in the concept of ‘Akhirah’ (The notion of Day of Judgement) as the last and final. The Kingdom can prove itself to be more effective if it will redesign its policies according to its people’s interest. Filtering ‘Sermons’ or downgrading other’s identity is nowhere in Islamic ideology. If the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has started to act like a ‘Kingdom’, then it will come a time when the Muslim world will isolate Saudi Arabia and the same state has to undergo a disturbing spring like their other counterparts are going through.
Exile policies could prove to be more satisfying instead of using execution of ‘Foreign Clerics’ of alien ideologies, I think that ‘exile’ can manage itself by the time goes, however ‘execution’ is always prove to be harsher and dangerous towards the state and its governmental structure. There are some policy ideas which can be used to ban sermons if the state realizes that the statements made by an ‘Alien Ideological Cleric’ could become a spell on their national interest. It is noticeable that execution of such ‘Clerics’ which are renowned and respected in their home countries, could prove to be more sparking than any other thing. Here I would like to suggest some steps which are more humanitarian in the context of punishment for the guilty.
Deportation - Deportation of ‘Foreign Clerics’ could be practiced so as to prevent any overpowering on the national interest while managing the state affairs in a smooth manner with neighboring countries that is why Deporting of foreign ‘clerics’ could be more safe and responsible act instead of executing them suddenly without realizing the importance of the person in his/her nest.
‘Sermon’ Filtration – Altering and filtering of sermons could prevent any outspoken speech which can cause outrage in the state if the state is ‘oriented’ towards its national interest and ideology.
Warning Channels - Creating warning channels throughout media and informing the home media of the ‘foreign national cleric’ about the same could be a better option.
Exile - The ‘foreign national Cleric’ notwithstanding with the state affairs and ideology could be exiled after a series of warning, where the state making the foreign national responsible for his/her exile in the state court before taking any action.
Meanwhile, we talk about sermons and ideologies, the most important part of the whole matter is that both the states have to develop a nature of respect towards each other while addressing speeches and sermons, in a country like Saudi Arabia which alter sermons of their own clerics is doing their part well, however the practice of altering sermons is not very popular in the Islamic world. In a same manner the Government of Iran needs to keep a check over their clerics also, the ‘Majlis’ concept in the Shiite community of Iran needs to be more mature and responsible while addressing people in speech sessions. The ‘Khilafah’ dispute needs to be mature with elimination of explicit language among youth, both the states have to realize that “if the youth of both the ideologies, can’t accompany each other’s thought process then they have to at least respect each other’s view of ‘Khilafah’” which means respecting each other while not agreeing upon each other’s ideologies or while not becoming one community at all.