Allah, the maker and changer of history, turns things around in a way that humans are unable to grasp. In the 7th century, he changed the course of world history at the hands of an orphan in Southern Arabia, the Messenger of Mercy, Muhammad b. Abdallah, peace and blessings of Allah be to him. Now, with the Arab Spring, dictators whose regimes seemed permanent and invisible were miraculously toppled. Some still remain in rule with the winds of popular dissent and revolt blowing against them.
Shaykh Rashid Ghannouchi holds a unique position and plays a crucial role in the Arab Spring. He spent over 20 years in exile in London, during which I had several opportunities to visit him. Though he was ever hopeful that the Islamic movement would prevail, he believed it may take decades and may not even happen in his lifetime. He even discussed with his wife the possibility of buying land in London for their graves.
Muhammad Abu Aziz, whose death sparked the Arab Spring, changed everything. Sh. Ghanouchi has returned to Tunisia as the spiritual leader of the Tunisian revolution and perhaps even its founding father.
Years ago, deprived of his freedom and exiled from his homeland, Ghannouchi found himself in difficult circumstances surviving in Europe. In his autobiography, he writes regarding his stay in France, “I work various small jobs – from cleaning to distributing flyers to businesses. I wandered many streets to distribute notices at doors and post boxes. That was the situation in the bitter cold and pouring rain. The water soaked through my shoes and froze my toes…Living accommodation was another difficulty. In Paris, I moved from place to place. The residences near the university were allocated to students with scholarships. I had to wait long hours so that I was able to find a place to sleep. Many nights I would wait in the bitter cold for the owner of the room. Food was also a problem. I strictly followed Islamic rules regarding food. There was not enough halal food shops at the time like there are today.”
Allah, Most High, protected Ghannouchi from all the hardships he faced and rewarded him now with honour, dignity, and power.
In 2010, I took Sh. Ghannouchi for a trip to India. We visited various historical sites, including the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. We visited the headquarters of Jamaat al-Islami in New Delhi. He was happy to see that the Jamaat recently founded a political party. He advised them to encourage women’s participation.
Shaykh Ghannouchi praised my book entitled “The Prophet of Mercy: The Prophet Muhammad’s Mercy to All Creation.” His comment that it is a book “that has no parallel” was the most profound.
FROM GALLOWS TO PRIME MINISTER
Ali al-Urayyed, the current Prime Minister of Tunisia, was sentenced to death by Burgiba. The reason: he was an active member of al-Nahda movement. He was tortured in an underground cell in the Interior Ministry, the same building he would be in as Prime Minister! He put on the red uniform of a criminal and stayed there so many years! Sh. Ghannouchi, when he was in London, said he was waiting for the news of his execution any day. But when Burgiba was overthrown in the revolution he was freed. After the Jasmin Revolution two years ago, he was appointed interior minister and sat in the office in the same building in which he was tortured. His brother told him, referring to past years, “Look only upwards not downwards.” Here again Allah, the maker of destinies, changes things around mysteriously and miraculously.
The Arab Spring has seen the fall of numerous dictators. Some others are also waiting to fall. The oppressed are eagerly waiting for it.