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     Equality Before Law

 

 

This article was provided for issue 21 (Summer 1997) of Common Sense by Islamic Party of Britain legal affairs spokesman, Kaleem Muhammad Alleyne

No person living in a predominantly European Social Culture can deny that in this system of things there is a law for the rich and a law for the poor; a right for white folk and a right for coloured folk; and that this law works in tandem to achieve the desired purpose of the law makers. Only a fixation of self-inflicted social blindness could lead one to disagree with that statement.

Wherever there are elements of Western European thought, there are in every pronounced form those of materialism; objectives other than that of ego are by-passed, leaving little scope for anything else of law beyond that of provisions for labour and production. This leads to the creation of a state of Athem and us which inevitably becomes the social norm. Such a state of affairs exists in Britain today at this moment of time. The impact is felt throughout society as a whole, with serious injustices meted out within the judicial and penal systems upon citizens, as statistics often show.

The question may be asked, how is it possible in a society like the United Kingdom, there is much ado about Law and Order, equality of all its citizens, and yet, one group has access to large sums of public finance in order to defend themselves against alleged charges of fraud and corruption, and the person of ordinary standing is legislated against in such a way that he/she has a difficult time accessing the same public funds, to use in the same process of mitigation? What is it in this society that makes the life of one individual more valuable than another, given the law claims all are equal before it?

It can be argued that every white European citizen is lulled into the belief that their countries' laws are just and right. By so doing they are altogether responsible for the injustices to their own people, and in particular, coloured people everywhere as they too are denied rights to access funds they help to create by paying the taxes levied on them by their over-lords and parliaments.

Take the case of the Maxwell brothers and their defence of the fraud charges brought against them. These were able to obtain large sums of public funds; while in a just as important case, the Douglas family were denied the same access to make their case, to bring to justice the murderer of their son, who died in police custody. Was it the fact that the Maxwells are of European stock, while the Douglas family are of African stock? Or do the law makers decree that only those in the upper echelons of society are to be rescued from possible shame, while the support for real justice in the lives of ordinary citizens, they being of lesser breeds, can be ignored, and worse still, if they happened to be of African descent?

Where in such a system of things can there be the thought of equal access before the law? What, therefore, can we say should be the ultimate aims of a society? It is to promote peace and security, with friendly, compassionate relations for every individual within its domain. AThat it has the right to balance between rights and obligations, gains and losses, effort and rewards. To urge all its citizens towards Aa goal of perpetual growth and development where all intentions, activities and deeds are dedicated to God the Almighty Creator. This cannot be said to be the aim of Western societies, and it cannot be said of Great Britain; hence the class struggle inevitably is the resultant, and this is visibly evident.

Where or in what way can we say do Britain and Western societies go wrong? It is because they are all dedicated to materialistic abundance that is devoid of any sublime objective. AThey compromise comprehensive peace by enforcing laws at the expense of the individual or the society. Comprehensive peace can only be realised when it is for the benefit of all. Allah states in the Qur'an: O mankind! Reverence your guardian Lord Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence God through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for God ever watches over you. (Surah 4, An-Nisa', ayah 1). Thus Islam enjoins on men and women and their offspring good behaviour, it seeks to foster love in the heart of all human beings and certain rules which govern the personal life and social behaviour. AIt is the keeping of these rules that become the primary means of attaining peace before it resorts to laws and legislation, although it uses both means to achieve the same end. When the behaviour of the society is one that Acreates contentment as well as leniency and confidence such behaviour foregoes the resort for legal action. There is nothing in Western societies and their satellites that remotely resembles good behaviour. They all walk in haughtiness, vanity and pomp; insolent, arrogant and boastful. How then can a society in such a state, or, that governs in such a state of affairs, dispense an equal justice for all its citizens?

Author: Kaleem Muhammad Alleyne
Date Published: Summer 1997

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