Capitalism exploits the weak and vulnerable – and that’s true for states as it is for people
The European Union was conceived after WW2 as Europe was ravaged from war. The European continent has a long history of wars as various rulers and empires attempted to conquer the continent. To ensure this never happened again and to contain Germany, perpetuator of two wars in the 20th century, a unified Europe was attempted. The union grew from a handful of member states to the current 27 members and has undergone many treaties to amalgamate Europe. Many aspects of European life were amalgamated through constituent states giving up sovereignty to the union.
Seventeen members of the EU went the furthest and relinquished their national currencies in place of the single European currency, the Euro, in 1999.
Whilst it took half a century to unify Europe this all appears to be falling apart now with the European sovereign debt crisis exposing the political shortcomings. The heart of this crisis is not really debt or the model of unity but capitalism. Ultimately economically stronger and politically more powerful economies will dominate the Union parasitically exploiting the weaker members.
During a crisis however a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. France and Germany realise this and if they are not able to dominate Greece controlling all her national interests they will abandon her rather like a wounded animal than allow the weakest state to weaken the Euro, the Union or its most powerful states.
The Islamic Model
Islam has a very specific method of binding different peoples and nations. Islam has a number of rules which outline clearly the method of enlargement, integration annexation and unification. Primarily this is through establishing the Khilafah which is one state for all the citizens under its authority.
Islam considers every single region as an indivisible part of the State and its citizens enjoy the same rights as those in the central region. It also makes the ruling, its system of governance and its legislation the same for all citizens. This gives it strength, makes the nation move in one direction – which leads to progress.
Muhammed (saw) established Islam in Madina and he ruled over a people where the Ummah was a minority. Treaties were signed with the surrounding Jewish tribes and the rights between the Muslims and non-Muslims were clearly defined in the Ash-Shifah document, which was in effect a constitution. When Muhammed (saw) passed away the whole Arabian Peninsula was under Islamic authority and the Sahabah then expanded the Islamic lands to North Africa, the Sub-continent and Central Asia.
By ensuring no region had separate legislative, political and economic rules, this created a sense of unity and resulted in the conquered to fully embrace Islam, make it their own and then carry the call to the surrounding lands. Muhammed bin Qasim embraced Islam when under Umar (ra) Iraq came under Islam, Muhammed bin Qasim then carried this call to the subcontinent. In a similar manner it was under Mu’awiyah that the Berbers of Egypt embraced Islam, the Berber turned Muslim Tariq bin Ziyad then took Islam to Spain.
The capital of the Islamic State moved as the state expanded from the Middle East to North Africa to Europe and new peoples and regions were moulded with the Islamic ideology while allowing for regional traditions. This exemplifies that the Islamic state did not pillage or exploit the newly conquered lands but expanded by spreading and broadening the political and economic authority of the state within these new lands. To this day people in these lands remain Muslims even though the Islamic state has long since disappeared – proof if more was needed about the strength of the Islamic ideology in brining unity.