YESTERDAY, fear gripped us, then shock caught up with us as we learnt about the death of our divine and temporal leader. We began to internalise his martyrdom, and by today, we have accepted the fact that the Islamic world has lost its second most important figure in modern history. We undergo what is referred to as the FSIA syndrome: Fear, Shock, Internalisation, and Acceptance (FSIA).
Our leader was assassinated while fighting to protect Islam and Muslims regardless of sect and creed. His defiance earned Islam and Muslims respect. His decades of struggle protected the dignity of Islamic countries, and his achievements in science and technology, despite decades of excruciating sanctions, boosted the dignity of Muslim nations.
He served as the defender of Muslim nations, even if they did not realise it. Without the Islamic Republic, all Muslim nations in the Middle East would have been swallowed under the greater Israel crusade. He will be remembered not just as the Iranian leader but as the modern-day protector of Islam and Muslims’ dignity.
As for us who follow and use his fiqh interpretation, we will miss his insight and interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet and Ahlul Bait. But, as with all revolutionaries, their death is not the end of the journey; it is the beginning of the message.
To our Arab brothers and sisters, as the Islamic Republic said, the attacks on the bases in your countries are not attacks on you but attacks on US territories.
Remember, the ummah is one, and as the Prophet said, if one part is hurt, the others feel the pain. The Quran has already told us and warned us that the Jews and Westerners are not our protectors, and whoever takes them as protectors has indeed become one of them.
Surrender your protection to Allah, build your capacities, and Allah will protect you.
The war is on, and victory is with Allah. It is He we worship, and it is He we ask for help.
Oh Allah, help the oppressed people of Iran, of Palestine, of Lebanon, of Libya, of Sudan, of Myanmar, and of wherever the oppressed are, whether Muslims or not.
Protect humanity from these baby eaters and killers, creators and funders of terrorism, neopagans who do not believe in Your existence. The Republic will survive, and so also will justice.
The oppressing empires will fall as You promised us, and the world will be at peace for everyone.
As You said in the Quran, You have created us into nations and tribes so we may know each other, and the best among us are the ones who are most pious.
- Karofi, a journalist and public commentator writes from Kano.