A way out

When this happens, it is not easy to stay in front of the inevitable floods of anger that are unleashed. Everyone blames everyone else; people become objects of hatred for one another. In order to keep the masses from understanding just what has happened, some provoke them to focus on just one small part of the larger picture. Those who are engaged in this business use platforms like the media to get us all to see just one tree, when what we should really be seeing is the larger forest before us.

A systematic series of events unfolds which then helps elicit hatred from society. The things we see happening around us go beyond the capacity of our consciences to tolerate. Currently, there are four countries in our region which have been engulfed by the language of hatred and enmity. The region as a whole is being pulled into a whirlpool of religious, ethnic and sectarian violence. We have arrived at the point of defending even the most just and right of cases with the least justifiable ways and types of dialogue. The blood of tens of thousands has been spilt for no reason, and the numbers of those who have been injured and handicapped is expressed in the hundreds of thousands. As for those who have been forced to flee their countries, or even become refugees in their own, these number in the millions.

Muslims are killing one another; the very same animosity that Muslims are forbidden by the Quran to have towards Christians or Jewish people is being expressed by Sunnis, Shiites, Alevis, Turks, Arabs, Kurds and Moroccans to one another. Nationalism and sectarianism have literally blunted our own sensibilities and knowledge of how to behave. It is the definition of violence steeped in ignorance.

No matter what anyone may say, the truth is that the Greater Middle East Project is in fact being implemented. The main goal of the project is to “leave no county with a Muslim population that is stronger or more influential than Israel” in place in the region. The project began in Iraq, is going through Syria, and will eventually arrive at both Iran and Turkey. This is the story of the black, white and yellow cow. In the first stage of the project, “soft power” is employed to see deep-rooted political and societal changes take place. Here is what Colin Powell said in Morocco in 2004: “We will not impose change from the outside in countries that head into the Greater Middle East Project. These changes will be started internally alongside social and economic advances, and we will see that political and economic reforms take place hand in hand with more developed countries; we will encourage the people of these countries!”

However, when “soft power” does not work, the method to be turned to -- in order that things do not happen too late -- is “creative chaos.” Through this method, all the stones are overturned, and countries of the region are thrown into complete chaos. Look at what occurred in Iraq; not only was it divided into three parts, the main center of Islamic civilization was torn apart, the substructure was destroyed and ethnic and sectarian groups were turned into each others’ sworn enemies. Now we see that Damascus are on the same route. Let us recall that Condoleezza Rice once stated quite openly: “We will change the political maps and regimes in 22 Islamic countries.” Amongst these 22, Turkey was included.

There can be no question of course, we did not draw the lines of these countries, nor did we build their current facilities. But we could have used our volition and some shared decisions to define them again. The trap into which we have fallen, combined with the way we have been divided up, does not allow us this opportunity though. My personal conviction and belief is that, until the year 2011, Turkey had a great opportunity. Unfortunately though, when it came to both the Kurdish issue and the events in Syria, Turkey stumbled on a basic set of mistakes, and changed its 10-year way of reading events around it, instead turning to hawkish policies.

If hands other than our own are to once again shape this region, there is no country, nation or sect which will emerge the better for it. We will instead be stepping into a very painful and remorse-filled century before us. Muslim people and nations must set aside the meaningless competition between one another and instead move and act in harmony with one another.

Muslims are killing one another. It will be said later that Islam was unable to stop the clashes and to unite. But no, this is not Islam, this is the crime and sin of some Muslims. Muslims who take religion seriously know that it is a great sin to fight against other Muslims and to nourish hatred in the name of ethnic roots or sects.

Those who know this have great duties at the same time. Let us not fall into this trap. There is no other way out, except acting with conscience and justice in brotherhood and union.