(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - There has been conflict between Islam and the West. To understand the genesis of this, we trace back the history to a period of more than2000 years back. The reasons for the conflict could be broadly classified into geographical, geological, economic and intellectual ones. Geographically, the Islamic world is blessed to occupy strategic central position: from the Caucasus to north Africa, including the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey, Syria, Palestine, parts of Asia, Iran and Iraq. These areas were favoured with Divine Messages with clear relationship between man and his Lord. Eminent personalities and Prophets were sent to teach. Few examples include Abraham in Iraq, Moses in Egypt and Isah in Palestine.
The origin of some non Muslim beliefs such as Budhah could be traced here.Thus the Islamic lands have an important geographical landmark. These remarks were made by the renowned Authority in History Professor Dahiru Yahaya of Bayero University, Kano, while delivering a lecture on the topic: War against Terrorism or re-colonization of the Muslim lands. He was invited to speak at the 6th Annual Conference of the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria which is under the distinguished leadership of his Eminence, Sheikh, Sayyid Ibraheem al Zakzaky (H). The western World, on the other hand, continued the professor, had experienced not much of such messages. Hence they were susceptible to personal initiatives which, in most case, were not guided. Thus the only way for them was to conquer and subjugate other people.
Typical example is the establishment of the Roman Empire. After that the West scrambled for the colonization of the rest of the World. They considered themselves as the only civilized people. They develop erroneous theories to subjugate others. In the West, any dick and harry can postulate a theory under no guiding authority. Islamic society, on the other hand has one guiding authority, the Quran.
Therein, one finds complete laws of the Shari’ah. Muslims have criteria: Halal (lawful) and Haram (unlawful). The second reason for the conflict between Islam and the West lies on the geological formations. Muslims possess 80 % (four-fifth) of the resources of the World, leaving the one fifth to the rest. Hence Muslims are favoured with two vital things: Faith in God Almighty and Resources. This disturbs the Western World. Their strategy has always been to destroy those two vital favours. They try to separate the Muslims from the real faith in Islam and then whisk away their resources.
Before the Professor dwell on the war against terrorism, he briefly looked at the historical perspectives. He said that Islam is the only civil system to challenge the Western aggression. Before the advent of Islam, the area spanning from North Africa up to Europe, practice Christianity. Turkey, the Caucasus and the periphery of Arabia were all Christian states. Christianity provides no concrete laws governing the society. It consists, principally, of moral declarations. The church, like a political party, was used to defend domineering interests. Within 100 years, however, Islam came to be accepted in Persia, Middle East and across to Spain. The Professor coined this as ‘first Islam’. He acknowledged that it was as a result of Divine intervention and favour to the World.
After that, the Muslims themselves initially sabotaged Islam for worldly gains. They downplayed the real teaching of Islam. Kingdoms and Monarchs dominated the Muslim lands. As a result there was gradual decline which led to drastic changes. Islam gradually lost. In the 12th Century AD, the Muslims closed the door of ijtihad (intellectual door). The emerging Europeans opened their own. This emerging civilization took pride in conquests. They celebrate Military Heroes and Heroine. This differed significantly with the Islamic thought.
Islam hoped to build man. Then the ‘ordinary’ Mamluks and saljuks rose up to defend Islam. They were not Arabs. They rose to save the Empire. This gave birth to a strong Ottoman Muslim Empire. This Empire which reigned for over 700 years did not develop the Muslim intellect. All they knew was European style conquest. Thus the second rise of the Muslims did not develop Technology. Despite the fact that they dominated Caucasus, Hijaz, Egypt etc, they could not develop the strategic Suez Canal. The economy thus had no concrete base and it started to go down. Europeans developed concepts and at the end of 19th Century AD Muslim Empire collapsed.
Then came the ‘3rd Islam’. This is the Islamic Revolution in Iran. This is realistic because it is able to put all the relevant indices to face the challenges of the modern contemporary ethics. This is the most effective solution Islam has for the contemporary happenings. The Professor asserted the fact that whether one likes it or not, the Revolution in Iran has an effect on every individual on the Earth! In addition, It brought about the collapse of communist Republics by encouraging southern USSR to rise because they are Muslims. It forced America to recognize Islam as an ideology to be reckoned with. Many aspects of our daily life has been affected by this Revolution.
The Revolution, apart from having political and military might, is also an economic power. People all over the World began and are still admiring Islam. This prospective rise of Islam is what brought about the purported war against Terrorism. This, in essence, is war against Islam. There is, however, another war, which the Muslims on the otherhand are fighting. This is the intellectual war on Euro American lands.
The presence of Islam is increasing. Professor Yahaya said: Two years ago, there was only one mosque in Washington. Now there are more than twenty! The more they terrorize the Muslims, the more people become interested and the more embrace Islam. They consider Islam as an enemy without borders. In the Pentagon, there are members who are becoming Muslims. Recently, Lauren Booth, the sister to the wife of Tony Blair, has embraced Islam. All the purported laws against Hijab, blasphemous books and cartoons etc is done to halt the growth of the Islamic Faith in West and East European countries. On the issue of re-colonization of the Muslim lands, the Professor is of the opinion that it may not be possible. This is due to the fact that the Muslim states have now become more aware. This could also be linked to the consequences as a result of the Revolution.
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