20 Feb, 2015

Ten Reasons for the “War on Islam”

Imtiaz Muqbil

On February 19, U.S. President Barack Obama gave a speech at the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, in which he declared that the United States is not waging a war on Islam. He made a similar assertion in his famous speech at Al Azhar University in Cairo in June 2009. Former U.S. President George W. Bush Jr also made similar statements in a number of public appearances.

Mr. Obama is clearly trying to address what he knows to be an unmistakable perception that the U.S. IS waging a war on Islam. This perception is grounded in the fact that the U.S., in spite of decades playing the role of “honest broker,” has been unable to fix what Mr. Obama acknowledges as the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism. The United States is seen as a “dishonest broker”. As actions (or lack of them) speak louder than words in terms of assessing KPI results, that perception is not without merit.

Instead of outlining how he plans to address this perception by holding up his Administration’s side of the bargain, Mr. Obama again sought to place more onus of responsibility on the Islamic world. In other words, the U.S. government still does not see itself as being part of the problem. Nor does it want to be held accountable for its failure to walk the talk.

Mr. Obama is one of many U.S. leaders who have made all kinds of (unfulfilled) promises to the Islamic world. He insists that the U.S. government IS NOT as a matter of universal policy waging a war on Islam. However, it is 100% true that many individuals in the U.S. government, legislature, political apparatus, academia, media and the corporate private sector, ARE waging a war on Islam.

That puts the American people and the Islamic world in the same boat.

If a small group of misguided Muslim individuals are perverting Islamic principles, the same holds true for a small group of American individuals and institutions who are perverting American policy, betraying the American people and hijacking American financial, military, economic and geopolitical power to serve their diabolical ends. They were primarily responsible for sending young Americans to die in Iraq in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction that were never found. Because the American people have chosen so far not to hold them accountable for what is known as the Lie of the Century, they get a clean chit to stay the course.

What is driving their war on Islam? The following 10 reasons will shed some light:

1. The power of a united Muslim world: The total population of the Islamic world is an estimated 1.5 to 1.6 billion across Asia and Africa from Mindanao to Morocco. In addition to the 57 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Countries where Muslims are a majority, sizeable minorities are present in India, Russia, China, South Africa, Europe and the United States. That is quite a formidable bloc, possessing immense financial and intellectual power, natural resources and talent. If this power can be united and harnessed, it can have a major impact on global events. The last time this power proved its mettle was in the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973 when Arab armies backed by the oil embargo came close to defeating Israel. Why the Arabs suffered a last-minute defeat is worth closer examination. Ever since then, however, keeping the Arabs and the Islamic world disunited and in disarray has been critical to ensuring that they never capitalise on the power of unity. The plan remains in operation to this day.

2. The power of energy resources: Most of the world’s oil & gas, which powers the global economy, lies under the ground of Islamic countries, from Brunei to Libya, Kazakhstan to Nigeria. However, while the energy producing and exporting countries may own the resources, the important ability to refine and distribute the energy lies in the hands of a handful of British, American and European oil multinationals known famously as the “Seven Sisters.” The oil producing and exporting countries have never been allowed to move big-time into the refining and distribution sector. As the coffee and chocolate bean-producing countries know well, the real power does not lie in the hands of the owners of the natural resources but the distributors. The Arab oil embargo in the October 1973 war nearly crippled Western economies and catapulted oil from being just a source of energy to an instrument of geopolitical power. The war-on-Islam brigade will do anything to prevent this power from being used again.

3. The strategic importance of transportation lanes: Geographically the Islamic world straddles the crossroads of nearly all the world’s important shipping lanes and trading routes, namely the Straits of Gibraltar (Morocco), Suez Canal (Egypt), the Straits of Hormuz (Iran) and the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia). The same also applies for the new silk Road routes being planned by China to link its cities with those of Europe via a high-speed rail running across the Islamic countries of Central Asia. The Asian Highway network will link Asia to Europe with the shortest routes running through Iran, Turkey and the countries of the Levant. In the aviation sector, the shortest and most fuel-efficient air-routes from Europe to Southeast Asia overfly Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. With the sole exception of the Americas, no ship, vehicle, train or plane can move from one part of the world to another without passing through the territory of an Islamic country. In a globalised world, the strategic importance of this is beyond imagination.

4. The power of financial resources: For the last two decades, the influx of money from oil and gas has seen the Islamic world endowed with tremendous financial resources. Most of it has landed up being invested in western financial institutions, real estate and money markets where it is subject to currency volatility and economic crises. The Organisation of Islamic Countries and institutions such as the World Islamic Economic Forum are now working across the board to have these funds reinvested in the Islamic world and other developing countries to boost intra-Asian trade, commerce and connectivity.

5. The power of the Young Generation: The vast majority of the Islamic population is youthful, in sharp contrast to the ageing societies of the industrialised countries. This is where the creativity, dynamism and purchasing power lies. To influence the minds of these young people is a critical component of the war on Islam. Portraying Islam as a religion of violence across global media (including movies, TV programmes, news media, books, social media channels) is designed to turn young Muslims away from the religion. The fact that the opposite is happening is a danger sign for those waging the war on Islam.

6. The ecological and economic global value of rainforests: The Islamic world also dominates the world’s rainforests, most of which are located in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and the countries of Equatorial Africa. The only other rainforests are in Brazil, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. They are a global Lung, playing a huge role in purifying the air dirtied by emissions from the industrialised countries and other hydrocarbon guzzling economies such as India and China. In addition, the rainforests are a huge source of medicinal plants which potentially contain cures for many global health problems. That gives them huge value well into the future.

7. The awe-inspiring creativity of Islamic arts, architecture and literature: From the majesty of the Taj Mahal in India to the grandeur of the Alhambra in Spain and the monuments of Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan and the magnificent mosques and gardens in many parts of the world, Muslims have created monuments of enormous beauty and creativity in terms of architecture, paintings, design and calligraphy. This is helping attract tourists to all the host countries and providing some counter-balance to the sustained campaign against Islam. A people capable of such amazing beauty could not possibly be all that bad.

8. The power of scientific and mathematical advancements: Where does the word “algebra” come from? Look it up by accessing the website www.1001inventions.com. There, one will find a complete record of contributions by Islamic scholars and inventors to the world of science and technology — from medical instruments to water supply pumping mechanisms, from measurement devices to transportation systems. Many of these inventions drew upon Quranic precepts which demand unrelenting pursuit of knowledge to unlock the secrets of the Universe, so that Humanity may understand the forces of Creation and be humbled by the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient power of the Creator.

9. The balance of secular traditions: A study of Islamic history will show that the best financial, legal, judicial, economic and geopolitical systems prevailed in times when Muslim rulers respected local traditions and cultures and worked to create fair, just and balanced social systems, as mandated in Quranic principles. This was amply proven during the reign of Emperor Akbar in Mughal-ruled India, and the various dynasties and empires that saw cities such as Baghdad, Istanbul, Cairo and Damascus flourish. It is only when Islamic rulers attempted to become authoritarian and dictatorial that revolts began and declines set in. True Islamic principles recognise and hail the diversity of humanity and the need for multi-cultural inclusivity as a means of achieving peace.

10. A unique and powerful way of life: The Holy Quran describes Islam as a “perfect religion.” A closer look will show that its comprehensive set of principles and guidelines cover everything from marriage and judicial systems to women’s rights, good governance and economic management. One key principle is the tremendous respect accorded to the environment. Islam is the only religion to have been founded in a dry, arid desert. The parched and hot conditions led to Islam’s stress on the value of water, flora and fauna, and a reminder of what can happen to the planet if these life-sustaining resources disappear. That is why the Islamic colour is green. The principles of Islamic Finance have built-in safeguards against speculation and unproductive uses of capital, such as in socially-disruptive alcohol and gambling businesses. Specific Quranic injunctions identify ways to settle disputes and discourage bribery and corruption (described as “bait for the judges”) to ensure justice and social harmony.

Conclusion

Those who believe Islam is a “religion of violence” may find themselves liberated and enlightened by the facts if and when they opt to take a closer look. Over the centuries, Islam has thrived when it makes good use of its intellectual, financial, cultural, social and geographical assets. Those waging the war on Islam fear a unified resurgence of this tremendous power as an alternative, credible socio-economic solution to global problems.

The OIC is the largest economic and geopolitical bloc within the United Nations system. Ensuring that this potential power bloc remains fragmented and marginalised is the dominant gameplan. It is being executed through divide and rule policies, fomenting of regime change, bribery, blackmail, assassinations and defamation campaigns linking Islam to violence and terrorism. The power of the U.S. government is being nefariously abused and misused for this purpose.

The gameplan is doomed to fail. Satyamev Jayate. The truth will always triumph.

This analysis is designed to help ensure that the truth does triumph, and that the liars perverting U.S. government policies are eventually held accountable, which  is their biggest fear. Like his predecessor, Mr. Obama will soon end his eight-year presidency having made lots of speeches. However, an objective analysis will show that U.S. relations with the Islamic world are far worse today than at the beginning of his presidency. He sought a “new beginning”. Instead, he is getting a sorry ending. The reasons for that lie within the United States, not the Islamic world.

Starting to look for the real culprits rather than rounding up the usual gang of suspects may be a good first step towards attaining justice and resting the tortured souls of the thousands of innocent people who have perished in this war on Islam.