Mr. Kofi Annan/s View on Imam Ali (as)
Mr. Kofi Annan, former Secy. Gen. U.N.O, says : " The words of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, O Malik ! The people are either brothers in religion or your equal in creation, must be adhered to by all organizations and it is a statement that all humanity must embrac...e". Ali (a.s) says , in his order to Malik-al-Ashtar: "Remember Malik that amoing your subjects there are two kinds of people; those who have the same religion as yours; and those who have other religions than yours and yet they are human beings like you." This order is clearly and perfectly in accordance with the Quranic instructions, as the Quran has taken special care ofnon-Muslims in the matter of their legal rights, it accords them full freedom in the matters of faith, economic activity, property, social security and the preservation of their culture and traditions. The rights of non-Muslims living in a Muslim State are covered by these instructions, whose lives are to be protected and whose bloodshed is prohibited. The verses of Surah al Anfal : 58 and Surah al-Nisa: 90-94, encourager Muslims to accept any offer of making peace by non-Muslims with the Divine promise that if they intend to deceive, God will protect Muslims.
After a few months, Mr. Annan suggested that the document of Imam Ali to Malik-al-Ashtar must be considered from the legal view point and after lengthy studies and considerations by the U.N. Legal Committee, member states voted that the document should be considered as one of the sources of International Law.The U.N. urged the Arab Nations to use that letter as a model. The UNDP in its 2002 Arab Human Development listed six sayings of Imam Ali about the importance of knowledge and establishment of ideal governance ( The American media had, at that time, covered U.N. Legal Committee Reporting)
Today they (recommendations of Imam Ali to Malik-al-Ashtar) have remained to be known as the "Alawi Constitution, about which the Christian scholar George Geordac comments: " There is nothing in the United Nation Human Rights declaration except that you would find its equivalent in the Constitution of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, but then you would find in his constitution greater values and of higher essence."
Oelsner - says about Imam Ali (a.s) : "Had Ali been allowed to reign in peace, his virtues,his firmness, and his ascendancy of character would have perpetuated in basic principles of of a good government and its simple manners."
Sir William Muir : says : "Endowed with a clear intellect, warm in affection, and confiding in friendship, he was from the boyhood devoted heart and soul to the Prophet. Simple,quiet, and unambitious, when in after days he obtained the rule of half of the Moslem world, it was rather thrust upon him than sought.
