No Water to Drink, but Enough to Drown

News:

ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (APP): Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman, during her remarks in the briefing on current flood emergency in the country by NDMA, stressed the need for immediate International and national mobilization of humanitarian efforts humanitarian and rescue efforts to rehabilitate the aggrieved and flood-hit populations.

Comment:

Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Pakistan. According to the latest report by the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 903 people have died in the country from severe rains and flooding this summer, while 50,000 have become homeless and are living in tents now. On Wednesday it reported that 126 people were killed in flood-related incidents in the past 48 hours, with most of the victims being women and children.

Pakistan has been rated as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries across the world by the Global Climate Risk Index. It is not just the element of intense rain showers but the absence of natural obstacles. It is not actually negligence in keeping up with the environmental changes but a brutal mugging of the natural resources of Pakistan. Massive deforestation is not to be blamed on common peoples’ ignorance. In fact, a well-organized “timber mafia” with the support of politicians/government officials and forest officers is behind the loss of essential forest cover. The amount of loss can be measured by just comparing the forest covered area of 1947 and now. At the time of Partition, Pakistan had 33 percent of its land covered by forests which according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation’s present estimates is now 2.2 percent.

Each year things deteriorate further and every serving government blames the previous government, while the previous government blamed the absence of its own remarkable management. Officials like Sherry Rehman, instead of focusing rescue efforts, feel no shame in spending more of taxpayers’ money on holding press conferences and begging everyone. We have seen locals and people from the rest of Pakistan helping and volunteering for their brothers and sisters. These are the people who are a hope and strength for others, as their services are not for greed of funds, fame or name. while the officials sitting on funds and resources have sharpened their teeth for further mauling the devastation victims. The European Union (EU) has announced to provide €350,000 for the humanitarian assistance of flood affected families in Pakistan. Shameless officials will sell the people of Pakistan once again and keep the money in their own pockets. If we have a look at the budget, we will see that no allocations have been suggested for natural calamities in the financial plan for the fiscal year 2022-2023. Rs 9 billion are allocated in the name of environment challenge, meanwhile Rs 60 billion have been allocated for the Cabinet Division.

Karachi people are so traumatized that now clouds are a distress for them. Throughout the year they long for water supplies and in monsoon they become a victim of flooding and electrocution. Over the years the storm water drains of Karachi have been misused. On many smaller stormwater drains, illegal construction has taken place. In an article titled “Why Karachi Floods,” renowned architect and urban planner, Arif Hasan writes:

“Meanwhile, the Government of Sindh, for its own use, has constructed car parking facilities, offices and a MPA hostel on the nullahs and even part of the registry of the Supreme Court of Pakistan is constructed on a nullah.” So ironically your justice office is sitting on top of your safety from flooding.

Over the course of history, water supplies were the cause of numerous civilizations to rise and disintegrate, fettered or even disappear. Muslims throughout their rule understood the importance of water management and sanitation.

The Umayyads built dams on rivers and valleys, and constructed water diversion canals and networks. Also, they cleaned canals seasonally and built archways over rivers to ease the movement of passengers and goods, and to enhance the flow of water. The primary aim of building the dams was presumably to prevent flash-flooding in the wādīs (valleys), but storing water for use in agriculture or pasturing would have been an obvious secondary benefit. The Abbasids created a bureau for water management, which they called the Diwan of al-Aqrah (meaning the department of water).

The Abbasids constructed dams on the Euphrates River to control its water, and then distributing it using streams and channels to achieve maximum benefit and cover a wider area. As a result, they were able to cultivate and irrigate all the lands. The water system established by the Arab Muslims in Andalusia to supply the Spanish capital with water, is still in operation since its establishment centuries ago.

Ottoman rulers took good care of water supply. Dams, reservoirs, wells, cisterns, and pools were built to collect water; waterways, channels, aqueducts, and water scales were built to transport the water; pipelines and water reservoirs on the waterways were built to distribute the water.

These are not mere examples but the way Islamic State takes cares of its people and resources. A true Muslim leader is a guardian over them. The office of Caliph is a huge responsibility and only the responsible and loyal to the Almighty can fulfil it. Umar Bin Abdul Aziz is a perfect example for the Amir who understands the weight of his responsibilities.

He (ra) said: “By God, how I wish that there was between me and this office the distance of the East from the West!” and always insisted that his people replace him if they were not happy with him as their caliph, an offer which they refused. Umar told his people, “Rulers usually appoint people to watch over their subjects. I appoint you a watcher over me and my behaviour.”

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,

«أَلَا كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالْإِمَامُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ وَعَبْدُ الرَّجُلِ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ أَلَا فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ»

“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the people of his house and he is responsible. A woman is the shepherd of the house of her husband and she is responsible. Each of you is a shepherd and each is responsible for his flock.”

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Ikhlaq Jehan