government

What is the exact meaning of "Shirk"?There was a talk by Ustad Imran Hussein whereby he said that when we abide by our government, it is an act of shirk. It means we believe in a power greater than Allah. Please clarify on this statement. It gives me an idea that even a simple task of consulting a doctor for ailments could be a case of shirk. People are giving various versions of shirk. When does one realy commit the act of shirk?

As-Salamu `alaykum. From time to time, we hear about earthquakes and other disasters that hit Muslim or non-Muslim peoples. Then, what is the role of the Muslim governments towards helping disaster victims?