In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu
 

Panacea for our ills [Corruption]

By Sharique Naeem

Corruption has been rampant in our country since quit long. Given the fact that none of the governments over the years have been able to curb this menace, necessitates that we the public in general, and our intellectuals in particular contemplate and scrutinize the root cause of this lethal menace, rather than bickering about its symptoms in TV talk shows, seminars, articles etc. Since the past many years, the mainstream political parties have been mired in pursuit of democracy. However, one cannot remain oblivious of the fundamental flaws within a Democratic state structure which allows the breeding ground for corruption.The major flaw, in Democratic form of government is, “Shared Ruling”. This shared ruling makes accountability almost impossible. This is because no one can be pin pointed for corruption charges. The line which separates, those responsible for making “bad laws” and those responsible for “poor implementation of laws” is virtually non existent. The blame game is thus initiated, and like a musical chair, it continues on and on; stopping -only for a while- on those who are no longer in the ruling faction. The share ruling thus, provides a camouflage for the Miscreants, which are able to dilute the effects of any anti-corruption efforts made.

Contrary to this, in Islamic Caliphate, Ruling is centralized, while administration is decentralized. Thus the demarcations of those responsible for any sort of corruption are far more distinct and meticulously defined. In fact in Caliphate, the concept and institution of Qadi al-Qadat, remarkably paves the way for a corruption free system. Because it can independently take into account even the Khaleef for any error. History of Khilafah is itself in testimony of this institution, as it had remained an example of transparency and fair play in the state affairs. Moreover, in Khilafah the institution of accountability are so strong, that the Khaleef can be removed, for violation of Shara’ within hours. (Compared to that in Democratic governments, the people have to wait for four years, when the government fails to deliver) The significance of this remarkable institution of Qadi al-Qadat in Khilafah can be recognized from the historical example of Swedish King, Charles XII. During the third crusades the King of Sweden was taken prisoner by the Muslims and for 4 years he remained in their custody. Upon his release and return to his native land, the first order he gave to Sweden was to establish the ‘Office of Highest Ombudsman’ in his state having the same role as Qadi al-Qadat. The Scandinavians subsequently molded the Office into its contemporary form, which today serves as an institution “to safeguard the rights of citizens by establishing a supervisory agency independent of the executive branch” It’s commonly known that any system would be a failure if the institutions or individuals of the state are not accountable before an independent authority that is free from any political pressure.

And the absence of this institution and the subsequent failure is evident to everyone in our country. It therefore stands to reason, that the public in general, and the anti-corruption agencies in particular, seek and look forward to reviving an Islamic Caliphate, which will ensure an era free from the rampant plague of corruption that we find prevalent today.

Pakobserver April 18, 2006