EU - A bond needed for unification
uploaded 15 Jun 2005
The European project suffered the most devastating
failure in its history over the last two weeks when
French voters rejected the new European constitution
in a referendum. The Dutch subsequently voted no in
their referendum and the UK cancelled their planned
vote asserting that the constitution was now dead.
Europe has proceeded from a warring, mutually
distrustful continent in the 1940?s, step by step to a
continent close to unification. Proponents of closer
ties in Europe advocated ideas of a federal
super-state with a European nationality. Even those
less fanatical about European unity lent their support
to the single currency, European military projects and
semblances of a unified European foreign policy.
If the European constitution had been ratified by
France and Holland, that would not have brought a
United European State into fruition. Indeed, that was
not what it was intended to do. It would simply have
been another step towards closer European ties.
However, its rejection sounded louder and more
assertively than acceptance would have done. It?s
rejection signified a mood amongst the citizens of
some of the most pro-European nations that they were
as close to their European neighbours as they wanted
to be, at least for the time being.
For people to unite, there must be a bond that joins
them together. Various bonds between people exist that
are able to do this. Within most Western Nation
States, nationalism has that purpose. Nationalism is a
bond that arises amongst people who share a common
homeland. Emotions are stoked within the residents of
that land to provoke him or her to love that land and
favour its success and prosperity. The survival
instinct is agitated in such a way as to effect a
belief that personal success is linked to the success
of the nation or that the nations success is greater
and more important than that of the citizen.
This is why the USA obliges its school children to
recite the pledge of allegiance every day and why its
flag has become such a symbol for its people. It is
why the UK is introducing citizenship classes and the
justification for supporting ones country during times
of war, even if you believe it to be in the wrong.
As a result of this, whims and assisting one another
against others prevail amongst them. Consequently, it
is an inhumane bond and it remains exposed to internal
feuds if they are not preoccupied instead with
external conflicts.(Systems of Islam, Taqi-uddin
An-Nabhani, Chapter 3.)
The people of every country in Europe entertain this
nationalistic bond. They love their country and wish
for its success. This does not necessarily mean that
they desire the downfall of others but does mean that
they put their own success first.
What does not exist is a European nation with European
nationalism that is shared by peoples from all the
different countries of Europe. Thus, the people of
Europe do not unite upon the basis that they have a
common heritage and homeland. A Pole does not see
himself as the countryman of a Spaniard, nor vice
versa. The unification as such cannot be built upon a
European identity as such an identity does not exist.
Rather the Europeans thus far have united upon a bond
of self-interest. Each country has sought to enter the
European Union based upon the advantages that can
consequently be obtained. Whether this be subsidies,
trade advantages or a billion dollar rebate each
country has sought their interests from Europe.
The bond of self-interest is a temporary bond and it
is not suitable to bind mankind, for it is subject to
compromise in the pursuit of greater interests; so it
ceases to exist when the interests are outweighed.
(Systems of Islam, Taqi-uddin An-Nabhani, Chapter 3.)
Detractors from the European project have used both
nationalistic arguments about the loss of sovereignty
to Brussels, and the contradiction of national
interests to persuade people against Europe. Arguments
currently rage over the multi-billion Euro rebate the
UK government receives each year from Brussels, and
the continued subsidies given by the EU to relatively
uncompetitive farmers, particularly those in France.
Each country has some interests that it can pursue
through Europe, and some it would prefer to pursue
outside the European Union. How Europhilic or phobic a
country is depends therefore upon its national
interests.
It is therefore of little surprise that Europe has
come to an impasse on its way towards plans for a
closer relationship. There was no doubt that most
countries would come to a point at which their
national interests reached equilibrium prior to a
European super-state. Furthermore, each country was
likely to find a point at which their concept of
nationhood would preclude further incorporation into a
European identity.
So the very bonds upon which the European Union was
built, are the same bonds that will ultimately prevent
its unification. The only surprising thing is that it
was the French who torpedoed it.
The picture of Europe is very different from what
occurred under Islam in the Khilafah State when it
existed. It did manage in actuality to bond people
from distinctly different homelands, races and
languages together as one people who considered
themselves to be one nation. It cannot be described as
a colonial empire since colonialism describes the
domination of one people over another. Rather it was
the domination of Islam over everyone and the belief
in Islam, with the acceptance of its justice by
disbelievers that allowed actual unity.
Islam put forward a political creed that shuns
distinction between people on the basis of race,
class, homeland or tribal allegiance. It calls on its
adherents to bond together purely on the fact that as
fellow human beings they worship the One true Creator
of the Universe, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta?aala). It is
in this that lies the unity between people and that
unity transcends national boundaries, tribal loyalties
and geographical barriers.
Allah (swt) said, The believers are nothing else than
brothers. (TMQ Al-Hujarat 10.)
The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, The
Muslim is the brother of the Muslim.
Further to this it lays down a full political,
economic, social and spiritual system that organizes
society according to this belief. Therefore both
spiritual unity and actual temporal unity is achieved
and this is unique today and in history with Islam.
Neither nationalism or self interest are used to bond
people under Islam and so the maladies affecting
Europe currently are avoided completely. Islam thus
upholds an ideological bond between people that can
actually unite every person on earth. This political
unity and acceptance of the practical application of
Islam is emphasized and it is not acceptable for the
Muslim to believe in some parts of Islam while
rejecting the organization of life?s affairs according
to it.
Allah (swt) said, ? Then do you believe in a part of
the Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is the
recompense of those who do so among you, except
disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of
Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most
grievous torment? (TMQ Al-Baqarah 85.)
Those who do not believe in Islam and are not Muslim
are bound into the Islamic system via an understanding
of justice and security. Thus, non-Muslims are bound
to the Islamic State through their confidence in its
consistency and fair dealing.
The Prophet (saw) said, Surely, whoever oppresses a
person under covenant (Mu'ahid) or imposes upon him
more than he can afford and humiliates him or takes
anything from him without his consent I will challenge
him (i.e. the oppressor) on the day of judgement.?[Abu
Dawud]
Thus, Islam as an ideology is capable of uniting
peoples of different colours, races, continents and
even religions into one state unified upon the
ideology that is its basis due to its predisposition
to the unity of mankind under a single political
entity, the Khilafah.
"The extinction of race consciousness as between
Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of
Islam, and in the contemporary world there is, as it
happens, a crying need for the propagation of this
Islamic virtue." (Arnold Toynbee, English Economic
Historian and social reformer, 1889-1975)
It may be said that Europe also shares a common
religion, Christianity, which is true. However,
Christianity does not put forward a common political,
economic or social policy and structure that can be
used to unite the people. It is true that the people
of Europe have intentionally divided the church from
its political systems. However, even prior to this it
can be seen that this common religion never gave the
Europeans a common political system or actual unity.
On the contrary, they were plagued by war.
Islamic peoples all over the world desire unity but
that unity will not be found through models of Western
federalism. Europe is an excellent example of the
deficiencies within the capitalist ideology regarding
this. Such unity can only be achieved by a shared
belief in a doctrine from which a system emanates that
unifies people as one nation, regardless of arbitrary
differences. There is no other ideology but Islam that
can achieve this unity across the world and that is
what Muslims, and anyone else who seeks to unite, must
turn to.
I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high
estimation of its wonderful vitality. It is the only
religion which appears to me to possess that
assimilating capability to the changing phases of
existence which can make itself appeal to everyone. I
have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it
would be acceptable to the Europe of today? I believe
that if a man like him were to assume dictatorship of
the modern world, he would succeed in solving its
problems in a way that would bring it the much needed
peace and happiness. (Sir George Bernard Shaw.)
Source: KCom Journal
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in
His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I
am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of
camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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