6/17/2015

Ramadan:TimeforMuslimRulerstoReflectonEthicalGovernance

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Ramadan: Time for Muslim Rulers to Reflect on Ethical Governance

BY ABUKAR ARMAN 6/17/15 AT 1:58 PM

ThisRamadancomesatatimewhentheworldisfacingacatastrophicleadershipdeficiency,andnowhereisthatcatastrophemore
evidentthanintheMiddleEast.
Thisresourcerich,predominantlyMuslimregionhasproducedsomeoftheworsttyrantsthattheworldhaseverknownBashar
Assad,SaddamHussein,AbdelFattahelSisi,MuammarelQaddafiandmanymore.
RamadanistheIslamicholyseasoninwhichthefaithfuldiligentlytriestomaximizehis/herspiritualbenefitbyseeking
purificationofthesoul,enhancementofonesmoralvisionandboostingonesconscience.Itisatimeinwhichthefaithfulworks
hardtorestrainallofmaterialandfleshtemptationsbyturninginwardandincreasinghisorherlevelofworship,altruismand
reflection.

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However,RamadanisnotonlyabouttheindividualsrelationshipwithGod,butalsoabouthis/herrelationshipwithother
creaturesonearth,especiallyhumanbeings,regardlessoftheirbeliefs.
DysfunctionalityoftheWorldOrder
NeverbeforeinrecordedhistoryhastheworldspecificallytheIslamicworldsimultaneouslyexperiencedsomanynationaland
transnationalchallengesofeconomic,social,ecological,politicalandspiritualnature.
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Ramadan:TimeforMuslimRulerstoReflectonEthicalGovernance

Theactualandtheperceptualorderofthingshavebeenturnedupsidedown.Inanumberofcountries,theroleofthestateisbeing
redefined,andthestatespowerhasdiminisheddrastically.Theroleoftheyoungergenerationsanddisenfranchisedcommunities
hasbeensystematicallyincreasingthus,settingthestageforreform,butalsoapowervacuum,insecurityandchaos.
Whiletheelementsthatcreatedsuchdauntingconditionsaremany,chiefamongthemisleadershipdeficiency.
ManyMuslimnationsareinafunctionallybrokenoradeplorablestateofexistence.Some,likeSyria,Iraq,Libya,andYemenare
alreadyjunglified.
AccordingtoUNICEF,over20millionYemenisneedhumanitarianaid.Others,suchasEgypt,Lebanon,Nigeriaand
Maliareperfectlyplacedontheconveyorbeltwhileperiodicallyprojectingartificialagencyorstateauthority.Meanwhile,
economicpredatorscontinuetoenhancetheirexploitationstrategiesintofinearts.
ThePerilousProtection
Somemonarchiesandemirateshaveentrustedalltheirownpersonalsecurityandthatoftheirrespectivenationsintothehandsof
mercenaries.CountriessuchasUnitedArabEmirateshavecultivateddeeplyrootedbusinessrelationshipswiththelikesofthe
everelusiveandinfamousBlackwater,whichisnowknownasAcademi.
Ironicasitmayseem,theUAEbecamethecenterwhereprivatesecuritycompaniesgravitatetoward,ortheglobaltradefair
whereinternationalmercenariesshowcasetheirlethalservices.
Unfortunately,timeshaveprofoundlychangedfromthedaywhenMarzabaanthePersianemissaryarrivedatMedinaandcould
notfindaroyalpalaceinthecity.WhentheemissarywasleadtoUmarthesecondcaliphhetookanapunderashadytreein
theoutskirtofthecity.Thatwasthedaywhenthewiseemissarywascompelledtomakethisfamousobservation:Youassumed
authorityoverthem,youservedthemjustly,youfeltsafeamongthemandearnedtosleep(exposedandwithoutguards).

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Ramadan:TimeforMuslimRulerstoReflectonEthicalGovernance

Today,mostofthesocalledMuslimleadersareknownasdictators,kleptocratsandabsolutemonarchs.Manyofthemlackthe
trustworthinessneededtoearnpublicconfidence.Theylackthevisiontoleadandthefairnessandempathytocarefortheleast
representedoftheirfellowcitizens.
But,makenomistaketherealpowerstillrestswiththepeople.Rulersneedjusticemorethantheirsubjects.
NatureoftheDeficiency
Throughouttodaysworld,leaderswhoaremorallyanchored,whohavetheconfidencetostandalone,thecouragetomaketough
decisionsandthecompassiontolistentotheneedsofthoseinwhoseaffairsareentrusteduponthem,areinshortsupply.
Whatsneededareleaderswhocanbetrustedbytheirpeopleandareagentsforpositivechange.Leadersneedtopossessabroader
visionandrefrainfromlettingtheirowninterestsdefinetheircountrysnationalinterests.Theyneedtobedrivenbycausesthat
transcendthemselvestheirclanorregioninterests.
Theyalsoneedtorecognizethattheirauthorityisatimeconstrainedprivilege,notaright.Leadership,afterall,shouldprotectthe
rightsofothersandensurethatnogrievanceisleftunaddressed.
Atalllevelssocial,economicandpoliticalthesediretimesdemandtransformationalleaderswhocaninspirevisionsthat
transcendtimeandspace,whohavethecapacitytotranslatethosevisionsintoactions,andwhocouldcultivatetherightmindsand
institutionstosustainthatvision.
TheMetaphoroftheDoubleDeckedShip
Inthismonthofreflection,itisworthrememberingthemanyexamplesofbadendingsofallbadleaders.Historyispepperedwith
suchexamples.

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Ramadan:TimeforMuslimRulerstoReflectonEthicalGovernance

Warningagainsttheabuseofprivilege,ProphetMuhammadusedthetwodeckedshipparableinwhichthemorallypompous
peoplewerehousedintheupperdeckandthelaityinthelowerdeck.Wheneverthepeopleonthelowerdeckneededwater,they
hadtogototheupperdeck,wheretheyweregivenahardtime.
Thiswentonforawhileuntiloneday,outoffrustration,oneofthelowerdeckpeopledecidedtobustaholeintheshipinorderto
accessthewaterbeneath.Itwasntlongbeforetheyallperished.
Transformationalleadersaretrendwatchers.Theyarealwaysvigilantofanyseeminglysmallproblemwiththepotentialto
developintoamajorcrisis.
CounseltotheLeaders
Thereisnogoodleadershipwithoutgoodethicsthetwogohandinhand.Ethicsisasacodeofconductorvaluesthatdistinguish
rightfromwrong,themoralfromtheimmoral,virtuousfromthevileingoverningthelivesofindividuals,groupsandsocieties.In
Islamitisknownaskhuluq.Dealwithpeopleinthebestandthemostethicalway,saidProphetMuhammad.
Asyoureflectandrefineyourleadershipqualities,youshouldconsiderthesefivepoints.
First,knowyouradvisersaswellastheyknowyou,especiallythoseinchargeofnationalsecurity.
Second,alwayskeepinmindthatanyonewhowouldkillothersformoneyorgreedwouldhavenomoralobligationto
compromiseyouandyournationfortherightprice.
Third,neverassessyourpoliticalcrisisbasedsolelyoncurrentevents.Ifyouarenotintohistory,atleasttrytorewindyour
memorydatabasetorecallhoweventscametobeinthefirstplace.

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Ramadan:TimeforMuslimRulerstoReflectonEthicalGovernance

Fourth,keepyourpassionsincheck.Neverbecomeenamoredwiththeseatofpoweritistheonlywaytospareyourself,your
peopleandyourcountrysimminentdestruction.
Fifth,thebestprotectionthataleadercanhaveistheauthenticconfidenceofthepeople.Alwayslistentothepeopletoknowwhat
mightmattertothemthemost,andwhoamongthemmightbedisenfranchised,deprivedoraggrieved.
Thealternativeisarollercoasterrideintoaperpetualstateofchaos,exploitationandsuicidalextremism.

AbukarArmanisaformerdiplomat(Somalia'sspecialenvoytotheU.S.).ThisarticlefirstappearedontheForeign
PolicyAssociationsite.
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