Eliminating Militancy and Proxy Wars in Ummah
Written By: Tariq Niaz Bhatti
In 1789, Rousseau’s nation state concept helped raise national armies amongst European states replacing contract captains and their mercenary armies. In the long run,nation state concept divided the entire Europe on ethnic, communal and linguistic lines and ended up in two world wars. 1st World War trampled Hapsburg, Russian and Ottoman empires and introduced democracy in newly formed nation states. Office of Caliph associated with Ottoman rulers and a symbol of Ummah centrality, fell victim to new look Turkey’s secular vision. Two world wars reminded the Europeans of dirty impacts of nationalism so they bonded together into European Union with U.S. led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation looking after their defences. The Sykes-Picot team divided the vast Ottoman Empire in small nation states mostly managed by dictators and self-styled autocrat rulers. Oil boom helped gulf rulers to strengthen their grip over power with utter disregard to unity of Ummah. The Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation created to represent Arabs and Muslim Ummah were dominated by the Middle East (ME) monarchies and are toothless institutions to the core.
During eighties, U.S.employed Jihad to successfully eliminate Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. After Soviet withdrawal, Jihad took an entirely different shape when Jihadist realised the true U.S. intent of domination and control of resources in puppets dominated Muslim world.Battle hardened militants belonging to wide range of ethnicities and nationalities now organised themselves into militant wings of Al-Qaeda, Taliban and Ikhwan al Muslimun. They wanted to establish Muslim Ummah with total rejection of nation state concept with a view to eliminate injustice and exploitation of Muslim resources by alien powers. Their targets included far enemy like U.S. and near enemies like Muslim regimes supporting U.S. agenda and their method included terrorism, murder, kidnapping and violence. Their militancy caused havoc in entire Ummah in the first two decades of 21st century with no end in sight. Emergence of Taliban movement and their successful takeover of Afghanistan in 90’s facilitated rise of Al Qaeda, East Turkistan Independence Movement, Pakistani Taliban, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,Boko Harem in Sahel region and chapters of these militant organization in other places like Indonesia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Xinjiang, Turkey, Syria, Uzbekistan, Chechnya, Nigeria, Libya etc.
Militancy spread like a wild fire in ME and South Asia and culminated into 9/11 destruction of twin towers in the U.S. This disturbed the world peace and painted Muslim societies as intolerant and savages. With no centralised control, these battle hardened militants soon turned into gun fodder for proxy wars and knew only their paymasters directions to initiate violence kidnapping and murders. Presently most of these proxy organisations are funded or supplied by vested interests. Reportedly Pakistanis youths are being recruited by the Iranian agencies to fight in Syria or for Iranian interest anywhere in the ME. Similarly Libyan warring factions are recruiting mostly young Sunni Syrians to fight Government of National Accord forces for control in Libya where both Turkey and Egypt are sponsoring factional fighting for respective gains.
Lack of unity amongst predominantly Muslim states is biting the entire Ummah dearly. In presence of vast precious natural resources, an excellent geography and huge youth bulge,Muslim states all over globe are mostly subjugated and controlled by alien powers. Prominent Muslim countries are squaring off in factional and sectarian fighting and getting weaker with every passing day in exactly the same manner as Persian and Roman empires fought at the time of dawn of Islam. By 1973 Israel had successfully tamed all its divided Arab neighbours employing its founding father Ben Grunion’s“Operant Conditioning” method. Now most of the Arab monarchies maintain cordial relations with Israel even though it didn’t adhere to two states solution for Palestinians agreed in Oslo accords.
Pakistan has suffered heavily in the hands of organizations like Al Qaeda and Taliban for decade and ordeal is not over yet. In the process Pakistan lost thousands of innocent lives,hundreds of its soldiers and billions of dollars in economy.Rising militancy and intolerance are dangerous trends and can only be subdued with unity. Islam concept of unity lies in establishment of Khilafat and office of Caliph to bring all Muslim states under single flag.
Asia-pacific region holds 62% of world total Muslim population. Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia Bangladesh and Indonesia together can set up Khilafat to promote political, economic and military objective sans member states of Arab league if they wish to stay away. This alliance or Khilafat will help eliminate injustice, promote judicious distribution of resources, end frustration amongst youths who resort to militancy in despair and will have a profound impact on economic political and religious outlook of entire Ummah. A united Ummah under strong leadership will leave no options for Israel but to accept two state solution and force India to agree to plebiscite in Kashmir. Khilafat is the institution to unite Ummah against alien powers exploitation and ensure safety of Muslim minority populations in non-Muslim countries. This will go a long way in establishing conventional and nuclear security umbrella over entire Ummah using two most powerful militaries of both Pakistan and Turkey.
