Rapping for Haiti

Muslim artists record single in aid of Haiti. All proceeds from single support Islamic Relief's emergency response in Haiti. Single can be downloaded from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00387HDE8/ref=dm_sp_alb
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Helping-Haiti-Part-Two/dp/B003871WQI/ref=sr_shvl_albu...
or www.helpinghaiti.org.uk

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[wasim1924]

As the masses of the world empathise with the people of Haiti, many struggle to imagine how its next chapter will be different to its previous ones.

[wasim1924]

they made themselves very rich indeed reportedly embezzling up to 80% of Haiti's international aid, while the debts they signed up to ¬account for 45% of what the country owes today. And when Baby Doc ¬finally fled, estimates of what he took with him run as high as $900m.

Corrupt Western backed leaders and direct interference by western powers have contributed to the tragic state that became Haiti despite its human and natural resources.

[wasim1924]

sometimes at the request of one party or another. The last time the US officially invaded the country was as recently as 1994 after which it then formally withdrew to be replaced by a UN force.

Local leaders as looters

Added to all this is the that fact that a succession of Haitian leaders more or less gave up on trying to resolve Haiti's problems, and started looting it instead. During the 28 years in power of Papa Doc Duvalier and his playboy son and heir, Jean-Claude Duvalier, or Baby Doc,

[wasim1924]

US interference

Over the last two centuries, the US has also repeatedly interfered in Haiti and even invaded and occupied it in 1915 terrified that Haiti was about to default on its massive debts. A 1922 loan of millions of dollars owed to the US resulted in a financial system that siphoned the country's wealth to offshore creditors instead of reinvesting it in the country's economy. France and the United States have repeatedly intervened in Haitian politics since the country's founding,

[wasim1924]

the place was basically destitute and trapped in a ¬spiral of debt." It is ironic that in the last few days Frances President Sarkozy started talking about wanting to rid Haiti of poverty once and for all when he said "From this catastrophe, which follows so many others, we should make sure that it is a chance to get Haiti once and for all out of the curse it seems to have been stuck with for such a long time,". He conveniently failed to mention Frances role in perpetrating Haitis tragedy.

[wasim1924]

"The long and the short of it is that Haiti was paying reparations to France from 1825 until 1947," says Alex Von Tunzelmann, a historian and writer. "To come up with the money, it took out huge loans from American, German and French banks, at exorbitant rates of interest. By 1900, Haiti was spending about 80% of its national budget on loan repayments. It ¬completely wrecked their economy. By the time the original reparations and interest were paid off,

[wasim1924]

Only 62% of its adult population are literate and 25% are in any form of employment and 30% have sanitation in their homes.

Debt to France

When Haiti gained independence from France after its revolution, in exchange for diplomatic recognition from France, the new republic was forced to pay enormous reparations: some 150m francs, in gold. It was an immense sum, and even reduced by more than half in 1830, far more than Haiti could afford.

[wasim1924]

For many people, the tragedy of this earthquake is mixed with anger at the total incapacity of Haitis state structures to respond to the disaster because little infrastructure and apparatus of a functioning modern state existed in the first place.

Even before Wednesdays tragic events, Haiti was the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Nearly 80% of its population live on less than US$2 a day.

[wasim1924]

As with so many other issues where the ummah wants to express its help for mankind, the absence of the Islamic Khilafah state (caliphate) means there is no authority that represents the ummah and mobilises and delivers huge resources and aid to the disaster areas.

Why Haitis lack of basic infrastructure even before this tragedy?

[wasim1924]

The fact that they have failed in their Islamic duty and hardly rendered help to the starving millions in Somalia and Afghanistan does not fill one with confidence that they will now mobilise for Haiti.

All around the world, Muslims are watching what is happening and feel a humanitarian concern for the suffering people. Other than donating money, there is very little practical help people can give.