Imran Khan, the modern-day Aristotle, the Philosopher King

By Sajjad Suhail-Sindhu, Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: The rise of Islamophobia coincided with the economic decline of the Muslim world and the fall of former “protectors” of Muslim countries, such as Iraq, Syria, and Libya. The USSR, which once held influence over these nations, also disintegrated. In addition, Muslim leaders—many of whom were near illiterate and easily bought by external forces—were instrumental in fostering Islamophobia as a brand, portraying Muslims as inherently evil. But this branding didn’t originate externally; it began within the Muslim nations themselves, as citizens repeatedly elected illiterate and corrupt leaders.How does this happen? Take Pakistan as an example. What are the characteristics of the people that they are so easily swayed by such illiterate and corrupt leaders, and yet fail to recognize the one leader who stands in complete contrast—Imran Khan? The answer lies in the fact that for too long, the people have been raised on a steady diet of lies, deceit, and acceptance of corruption. Presented with an honest leader, embodying Allah’s goodness, they simply do not recognize him as a blessing sent to them. This is the “marred” character of the Pakistani people: despite all evidence to the contrary, they fail to see Imran Khan for the great leader he truly is—a modern-day Aristotle, the Philosopher King.

All those members of Imran’s party, PTI, who have turned away from him during the ongoing political debacle are traitors to the electorate that voted them into office. It is now the duty of the electorate to confront these “ghaddars” (traitors) and tell them, in no uncertain terms, that they are not acting on behalf of the people who elected them. Therefore, the actions of these turncoat PTI members hold no value; they are, in fact, void. The Supreme Court must rule in Imran Khan’s favor and invalidate this “adame-itiade” (lack of confidence).

Imran Khan is not just a leader for Pakistan—he has already shown his potential to be a leader for Muslims around the world. He is one of the few with the courage to stand up to the West and its insidious agenda to vilify Muslims. Imran has been actively working to reverse the negative branding of Muslims, striving to restore the image of Islam as a religion of peace. Historically, Muslims led the world in science, medicine, engineering, and the arts. Indeed, it was the intellectual contributions of Muslim scholars that provided the seeds for the West’s Scientific Revolution and the celebrated Age of Enlightenment.

If Imran Khan is removed from power, the situation for Muslims worldwide will continue its downward spiral. For the past quarter-century, Islamophobia has been on the rise, and if this trajectory is not corrected, it will lead to further coercion and heinous acts. In some ways, the current global environment bears disturbing parallels to Germany’s Nazi era of the late 1930s and 1940s.