Four police officers were involved in George Floyd’s murder. They must have been a few corrupt cops. Breonna Taylor was killed at the hands of law enforcement; her killers must’ve been evil human beings too. Ahmaud Arbery was killed, Sean Reed was killed, Eric Garner was killed. The list goes on.

After a while, one must realize that this happens way too often and it’s not just a few bad apples, law enforcement as a whole is corrupt. Now, let’s look at America through this lens – the corruption of law enforcement is eerily similar to that of the American system, but how?

Donald Trump signed an executive order resulting in Sardar Soleimani’s martyrdom. He signed another executive order revoking reporting on civilian casualties due to US airstrikes. “He’s just really impulsive.” Okay.

What about Obama? He drastically increased drone attacks in West Asia resulting in thousands of civilians killed each year. “Obama was smart; he wouldn’t take such drastic actions unless they were necessary.” Okay.

Bush led a “fight for civilization” against the “axis of evil,” the effects of which are still evident today. “He had pressure from all over the world post-9/11.” This is all becoming too familiar.

By analyzing the initial pattern, it’s apparent that the system of law enforcement in America is corrupt, but how deep into her crimes against humanity must one go in order to realize that there haven’t just been some bad presidents, the system in and of itself is evil. If it is evil, rather than speaking out against injustice and practicing ­nahy an-il munkar (forbidding evil), why is it that so many Muslims not only didn’t distance themselves, but actively participated in the system by endorsing Joe Biden for president in these past months?

A common justification for supporting Biden is often, “He wasn’t my first choice but at least he’s better than Trump. With him in office, we can hope for a better tomorrow.” Hope? There is no hope. Bringing someone else into power will not make a difference when the system has been this way for the past 244 years, just like it’s supposed to be. What happened then is still occurring today, just under the pretext of the terms that are popular in masses. Slavery still exists, in the name of cheap labor. Lynching still exists, in the name of police brutality. Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter – the establishment decides what face to use to carry out their global agenda.

Trump is but an egomaniac; his every action throughout the past four years pointed toward the fact that he wanted to be in the spotlight at every moment in time. With Biden now in office, what’s different? Not a thing has changed. He served as a senator for 37 years and vice president for another eight years and did nothing to better the lives of Americans or non-Americans. If after sitting idly in the government for almost half a century, Biden chose to run for president of a nation whose people he has no regard for – which is shown through his actions, or lack thereof – he, too, is nothing but a power-hungry egoist.  

First, to think that one’s vote makes a difference and then justifying it by coining Biden the ‘lesser of two evils’ is merely just an illusion which is fooling no one. This is not a democracy, it is an oligarchy – those in power will stay in power; the fulfilment of one’s ‘civic duty’ is beneficial to none but their own ego. Furthermore, is there a spectrum of good and evil? How can one decide the lesser of two evils? Biden has the blood of every innocent life lost by the airstrikes in Obama’s administration on his hands, but somehow he’s still ‘less’ evil? There is good and there is evil, and there has not been one president of the United States of America that was good.

As expressed, there cannot be systemic reforms for the broken system you want to change, through that same system. For example, a law enforcement reform advocate wouldn’t say, “I want to change how cops conduct themselves with the police department’s guidance.” No, it has to come from a system with more authority than the police department. Therefore, reforms made, if any, will most likely be through the Congress or some level of government.

Just as the Congress has more authority than a police department, who holds more power than the government in a ‘democracy’? The people. Not only do the people have the power but America’s Declaration of Independence states that it is a duty to alter or abolish any government not securing its unalienable rights.

We, as a people, cannot be politically indifferent, however, that is not to say that voting is necessary. Protesting is political activism. Revolution is political activism. Other than Blacks, Muslims – more than any other demographic – are not given the security of their unalienable rights, then why the celebrations? Why are we so openly supporting and advocating for another puppet of an unjust system that tramples on our rights? Have we forgotten why Imam Husayn (as) sacrificed his entire family in Karbala’?

To rise against injustice.

It is now our choice. Must we follow the Husayni path and take a stand in the face of tyranny, or must we be like the Kufis and follow the status quo – it’s really in our hands.

Featured image via Unsplash

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