Invasion of Iraq: A Muslim Perspective

Western media giants, driven by US foreign policy interests, aims to portray the Iraqi people’s hatred of Saddam as being so great that they would embrace the invading troops on sight, handing them flowers and dancing in the streets. One week into the war though, American and British forces have realised that such a prospect is highly unlikely.

Current reports show that the mass exodus of refugees has failed to occur, with refugee camps almost empty. Instead border areas are reporting that Iraqis are returning home in their thousands to fight the American troops. This is despite one week of continuous and intense bombardment that has killed many civilians and destroyed much of Iraq’s infrastructure and defenses.

Supporters of this immoral, illegal war appear to believe their own propaganda. In their eyes Americans are the ‘liberators’ and are fighting this war for the purpose of ‘freeing’ the Iraqi people. However these are mere political excuses being used as a justification for naked aggression.

The invading troops, in their own ignorance, have forgotten that one cannot make allies by starting wars and bombing people. When bombs are raining down on Iraq, followed by horrific scenes of the killed and injured no one is going to look at the invasion in a good light. Whilst there are people who have suffered at the hands of Saddam and hate him, they are fully aware that these same western nations have supported him for many years.

The modern-day colonialists led by America, now planning to occupy Iraq, are unequivocally seen as a force of evil by all Muslims, intending to rape and pillage the country’s resources like they have done in so many other countries. Whilst Saddam Hussein is viewed as a tyrant by many Muslims, George Bush is seen as the embodiment of Satan.

Also, although questions have been raised about the legality of American PoWs being displayed by Saddam Hussein’s government as trophies, it certainly begs the question why the same body of opinion is not directed towards America’s detention of Afghans. Hundreds of so-called al-Qaeda “terrorists” have been imprisoned and tortured with no recourse to law; their ultimate fate blanketed off at Guantanamo Bay.

It is immoral and inconsistent to expect Iraq engaged in a life an death struggle to uphold the Geneva Conventions whilst the invading forces have themselves undermined all notion of international law.

Muslims who are obliged to ward off aggression are mindful of the rules of engagement that Islam has prescribed. Referring to this, Allah Almighty says: “To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged; and verily God is most powerful for their aid.” (Al-Hajj: 39)

Any invasion of a foreign land will obviously be met by full resistance until the land is liberated, just as is the case with the Palestinian struggle against Zionist colonialism.