The Call for Change: Islam the Only System that does not Toy and Exploit People’s Lives

News:

Kenya, has been rocked with massive protests in recent days after parliament passed a bill increasing taxes — including on a bevy of everyday essentials like cooking oil, diapers, and bread — on a population already suffering from inflation and high rates of unemployment. President Ruto declined to sign the bill after the deadly protests which so far 39 have been killed and dozen others injured.

Comment:

The protests by Generation Z (Gen Z) were sparked by the introduction of a new finance bill that would levy punishing taxes on everyday essentials, including sugar, bread, and cooking oil—a policy that would hit poor Kenyans particularly hard. The same bill set aside vast sums for the renovation of the president’s residence and other extravagant expenditures.

In early June, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reached a preliminary agreement on the disbursement of loans that urged the Kenyan government to raise its revenue; Kenya set a goal of netting an additional $2.7 billion. So Nairobi had no option none other transferring the pain onto its own citizens through punitive tax policies that would disproportionately affect the poorest. Nor is Kenya alone: More than 3 billion people across the world live in countries that are spending more on servicing their debt than public spending on education or health.

While the catalyst for these demonstrations is harsh full fiscal policies and greedy political class the media continues to propagate that the demonstrators represent young Kenyans sentiments, but they fail to see the rotten economic system of Capitalism. Faced with bleak prospects—and disillusioned by the greedy political class that is indifferent to their needs—the youth seem to have no leaders but dealers, and have spontaneously organized themselves online, holding vast virtual rallies, and have fearlessly taken to the streets. The unprecedented protests are the backlash of total failure of the Democratic class as well as Capitalism –an economic model which has political animosity and greed, hence depriving the common citizen from meeting basic needs.

The Colonial West created an illusion that limits change to elections, constitutional reforms and economic steps, the protesters will fall in the same Western trap i.e. imitation of the West have proudly consider themselves the owners of the destiny of any ‘change’.

The real change that young people not only in Kenya but the whole world should call for is a system that has clear solutions to the problems that face humanity. This system is Islam which did not leave people’s lives to be toyed with and easily manipulated by the greedy elite who only preach democracy as a way to keep people in-line with their selfish plan. Allah (swt) sent His final Messenger (saw) with the true Islamic way of life that does not lie to the people offering them only pseudo-accountability and participation in politics.

Written for the Central Media office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Shabani Mwalimu
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Kenya