Ahead of the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, activist Shabnam Kulsoom asks if British Muslims should pledge allegiance to a royal family who time and again have show no moral compass in their behaviour and actions.
An historical event is happening on May 6 – the Coronation of King Charles III. An event that will be televised around the globe and for some will be the first time that they will witness royal pomp and pageantry that only the British know how to do.
But while millions will no doubt tune in, there will of course be many who will continue to go about their daily lives without a care for it.
The last coronation the world witnessed was that of King Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign lasted longer than any other British monarch.
During her reign as head of the Commonwealth and the Church of England, she witnessed many historical world events including the brutality of colonialism, the illegal occupation of Palestine, endless wars which she never been publicly criticised or condemned (in fact she knighted Tony Blair the war criminal who was responsible for the deaths of over one million Iraqis), and the ever-changing prime ministers and presidents around the world.
She also had to deal with the reality of a negative spotlight over the decades exposing the Royal Family and its own dysfunctions. From marital breakdowns, affairs, allegations of paedophilia and royal connections with alleged paedophiles to the ongoing Harry and Meghan saga.
For a perceived “Christian” family, we have to agree that the above is all very un-Christian-like behaviour.
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Millions in tax-payers money will also be spent on a ceremony that will unfortunately feature a couple (Charles and Camilla) whose adultery was laid bare before the world in 1990s documentaries and books.
Many will remember the Jonathan Dimbleby and Martin Bashir interviews which ultimately were the nail in the coffin on the marriage of Charles and Diana leading to formal divorce, and to date ardent Diana fans have never forgotten this betrayal.
The rehabilitation of Camilla began soon after and this weekend and she will soon become Queen of England.
The cringeworthy fawning of some British Muslims
With this very brief history in mind, do we as Muslims really want to swear an oath of allegiance to individuals like this? As Muslims, should we involve ourselves in the celebrations of a family who have simply been born into privilege and who we as tax-payers fund? A family that ultimately has no real moral compass in terms of behaviour and actions?
As Muslims living in secular countries we must always abide by the laws of the country, that goes without saying. But to choose to partake in secular celebrations that will publicly involve shirk elements derived from Christianity is another thing altogether.
It is simply impossible to reconcile the Christian notion of the Trinity to the monotheism of Islam (and there will be many mentions of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit throughout the ceremony). Then there will be the swearing oaths of allegiance to a non-Muslim and going further in referring to Charles and Camilla as “Majesties” when that title must always be reserved for Allah SWT alone.
Are some Muslims internalising an inferiority complex that propels them to be “good brown subjects” and do as they’re told? Even if this means subjecting themselves to humiliating displays of behaviour that go against the core of Muslim belief? This surely will brings about confusion and continues to add to the narrative of “good British Muslim versus bad British Muslim.”
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We are seeing Birmingham Central Mosque advertising a celebration of the coronation. Are they going to plaster Charles and Camilla’s faces around the masjid walls, complete with Union Jack bunting?
We are also seeing Muslims literally getting excited at being invited to the coronation, posting their invitations on social media – a badge of honour for them at being recognised.
The tokenism they are actually there to represent is completely lost on them as they revel at being invited. The reality of their role in this is simply to make the royals seem more inclusive of BAME communities in light of recent accusations of racism. These excitable Muslims are clearly being used, but the haze of the royal mist has blinded them.
Any royal family should serve an an example to its subjects, whether non-Muslim or Muslim. We have to have role models to look up to in conduct and character. And if we don’t, we already have the best human role model to emulate in conduct and character – Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Allah SWT tells us clearly in Surah An-Nisa:
“Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases, and whoever associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin.”
Also in Surah Ikhlas 1-4:
“Say, He is Allah, (who is) One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is begotten. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”
And so with these verses in mind, any Muslims who choose to actively partake in the celebrating of this secular, shirk-fest should go into it with eyes wide open, knowing the gravity of its irreconcilability with the teachings of Islam. And ultimately that our Majesty Allah SWT will judge all of us as the Judge of all Judges and King of all Kings.
He is the only One who we should be pledging allegiance to as Muslims.
