The prohibition of rebelling against the ruler in the absence of blatant kufr, is the position of the scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah; it is not a minority view attributed to any sub-group; rather it is a minority position that claims rebellion is permissible. What I have always said is that it is upon us to hear and obey in that which is obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and to oppose what is disobedience; calling for change and reform, but not for the overthrow of the government.
In my opinion, the nature of the Mulk Jabryy system creates a new dynamic that it would be a serious mistake to overlook. The principle difference between the previous phase of our government and the current phase, is that previously our government was essentially independent and sovereign; today our rulers are subordinate. We therefore have, basically, two tiers of government. There is the lower tier, which is our official government, our presidents and prime ministers and kings; and we should hear and obey them in all that is consistent with the religion; and we should strive to reform them in all that is not. However, we have to recognize that they are subordinate to the upper tier of government, which is private sector power; corporations, banks, shareholders, the global owners of capital; thus their freedom to reform is restricted to one degree or another.
With regards to targeting multinationals, they are an invading force dedicated to plundering and enslaving our countries, and our governments need to be liberated from their domination. We have two levels of strategy in dealing with them. First, we can use disruption of their interests to force them to support the reforms we demand from our official governments. Second, by means of these reforms, we can gradually liberate our governments, and thereafter regulate the activities of multinationals and limit their influence over policy.
I do not say, and I never have said, that we have to try to drive multinationals out of our countries; but we have to drive them out of policy-making, and subordinate them to our governments.