Acting MB General Guide’s Message To: His Excellency UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Your Excellency UN Secretary-General António Guterres;
While I join you in the need to "take inspiration from this holy month and build a more just and equitable world for all", I also hail your call to combat "Islamophobia", which you once described in a speech of yours (10 March 2023, at the event marking the International Day to Combat Islamophobia) as a "poison"; which is indeed a poison whose effect is being disseminated over large areas of the world, causing the destruction of human beings and landmarks of human civilization.
Your Excellency;
The state of Islamophobia, fueled by some governments, bodies and racist groups - needs more than mere calls or statements from the United Nations! It needs actual procedures to criminalize it, and to force its perpetrators at the level of states, groups, or even individuals – to stop unleashing this deadly poison.
On this occasion, I hail your fair testimony on “the generosity of Muslim countries, welcoming people forced to flee their homes”, for political, economic or other reasons; as a manifestation of what was stated in the Holy Quran's Surat al-Tawbah, Verse 6: "And if any of the Mushriks (pagans, disbelievers, ...) seeks your protection, then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (Quran); and then escort him to where he can be secure: that is because they are people who do not know (the Truth)."; 'while so many other countries closed their borders', ignoring their tragedy, and leaving them to face their fate.
Your Excellency;
Islam, the religion of tolerance and peace, recommends us to disseminate its teachings with wisdom and good advice: "Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice..." (Surat Al-Nahl, Verse 125); and stresses that dialogue and debate with others should be in the best way. Islam also rejects violence and terrorism, regardless of its source or perpetrator, but this does not stand against the principle of peaceful struggle, nor does it contradict it with respect to peacefully facing the tyranny of ruling regimes, to achieve people's freedom and dignity; nor does this contradict the principle of legitimacy of resisting any usurping occupation.
I reiterate my appreciation to your excellency, and hope that your call (to combat Islamophobia) may soon turn into practical procedures, commensurate with the role assigned to the United Nations.
Please, accept my greetings and most decent respect;
Yours,
Dr. Salah Abdel Haq
Acting Muslim Brotherhood General Guide
(8 Ramadan 1444 AH / 30 March 2023)