| 03 May 2004 | Monday | 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 |
UN and Iraq
Fuel price increase
As we celebrate the birth of Allah's last Apostle (Peace be upon him) - a blessing for all mankind, a mercy unto the worlds and the harbinger of hope for humanity - we have an obligation to present an example of civilized conduct in every aspect of life.
The irony is that some other people and nations have profited by the values underlying the Prophet's precepts in individual and collective life, while we pay only lip-service to his teachings.
He demonstrated how a man can live a full life without becoming a recluse. If each and every action in one's life is performed with a sense of accountability to the Lord on the Day of Judgment, the difference between the religious and the secular disappears and life becomes a harmonious whole.
For leading such a life the Prophet's teachings and examples present the image of a role model. Let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals and actions of the Prophet on this day.
Together with the Quran, the Sunnah is the fountainhead and mainspring of Islam. Allah says, "Whatever the Messenger giveth you take it and whatever he forbiddeth abstain from it." Again, "Whoever obeyeth Allah and His Messenger he verily has gained a signal victory."
These Divine injunctions are more emphatically expressed thus: "If you differ in anything yourself refer it to God and His Apostle." Thus, while the attributes and accomplishments of the last Prophet cover almost all aspects of life and all conceivable situations, his message as the recipient, transmitter, interpreter and embodiment of the last revelation is the last word and last hope for his followers as well as humanity.
He perceived life as an organic unity. According to him, there is one measure of human worth - "obedience to God." But doing good to others is no less important, as emphatically enjoined by the Prophet. According to one of his Traditions, "The best of men is he from whom good accureth to humanity."
Asked who was most favoured by God, he said, "He from whom the largest good cometh to His creatures". He taught by words and deeds that ties of birth and blood, hearth and home, colour, caste and culture are subordinate to the creed.
This message of unity and equality has much to offer to a distraught world which is torn by conflicts and distressed by discrimination and exploitation. Learning from his life and struggle and following his example in conjunction with the revealed word of God, inspiration for the establishment of a just and balanced society can be derived.
While it is impossible to encapsulate all aspects of the Prophet's life and teachings, the relevance of these in the current context of the growing conflict and antagonism of the West facing the Muslim world is apparent.
Never before the Ummah has needed greater fortification of Faith, unity, wisdom and self-reliance in spiritual as well as worldly terms. Fortunately, we have in the life and teachings of the Prophet much to sustain us in the present situation only if we hark back to his message and mission.
UN and Iraq
It is paradoxical that the Bush administration, which launched its military adventure in Iraq after sidelining the United Nations, now wants the world body to pull its chestnuts out of the fire.
It wants a Security Council resolution to endorse its plan to transfer power in Iraq. But the UN role has not been clearly defined so far. The UN special envoy to Iraq, Lakhdar Brahimi, has been consulting the American authorities and leading Iraqis about forming a caretaker government.
But the secretary-general has not concealed his disenchantment with the US policy. Neither has he been in a hurry to appoint a new special representative in Baghdad in place of Mr Vieira de Mello, who was killed in a bomb attack in August. Which also prompted the withdrawal of the UN presence from the beleaguered country.
One can well understand and sympathize with Mr Kofi Annan's reluctance to get involved in what is essentially an American expedition designed to benefit some members of the Bush administration. America's contempt for the world body is pretty well known.
Since the end of the cold war, Washington has also tried to use the UN as its handmaiden where it suited its purpose. It is plain that Mr Bush is desperate to have the UN bail his troops out of trouble by providing them legal cover.
With the high rate of US casualties in Iraq as the conflict there intensifies, the administration feels the UN could provide it a respectable cover. But few would be deceived by this ruse and Mr Annan knows this better than anyone else.
In the present situation the UN tends to be identified with the US - why else should the UN compound in Baghdad have been targeted by Iraqi rebels in August? If the US agrees to genuinely pull its troops out of Iraq, the UN might agree to play a role there.
But for that it is essential that the UN distances itself from the US to establish its credibility. It is also important that for the transitional period decisions on Iraq should be taken by the UN and not the US.
Fuel price increase
The all-round rise in fuel prices announced by the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) on Friday is bad news for the common man. Petrol prices have risen by Rs1.55 to Rs36.92 per litre while prices of diesel and kerosene have also registered an increase.
These increases are bound to have a domino effect as fuel is an input in a wide range of goods and services. The prices of essential foodstuff, items of daily use and transport will go up as will that of power.
What is worrying is that an increase in such essential items is usually higher in proportion to the actual rise in fuel rates. There is an element of profiteering in such activity but the government usually remains indifferent.
Further, when fuel prices do come down in the future, there is little chance that the prices of essential items that will be hiked now will follow suit.
In its defence, the government says that it is unable to control the rise in fuel prices as these are now linked to international oil prices and not arbitrarily fixed by it.
Friday's increase was also due to the rise in international fuel prices as a consequence of stock-building in the United States as well as the uncertain geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
But this argument does not completely absolve the government of its own responsibility. For one, there have been instances in the past where a drop in international oil prices has not been followed up here.
One reason for the high price of fuel in the country is the heavy surcharge imposed by the government. In situations like the present one, the government should absorb some of the impact of the price increase and not routinely pass it on to the already hard-pressed common man.
The wider implications of such a rise needs to be considered before burdening the common man even further.