aliimran81077@gmail.com
In the 21st century where means of communication and transportation have gone beyond all expectations and cross cultural awareness has become widespread after the collapse of communism and and consequently the soviet union and many other communist countries, proposals were presented urging the adoption of universal laws values and morals with relationship among the people of the world should be governed.
Recently, the idea of a so called New world Order was proposed through
the united nations in order to prescribe values and impose laws on people of
various cultures. The question that will immediately emerge in whose values,
laws and ways of life should be adopted?
Because the United States is, presently, the 'only super power' among
all the nations of the World, as well as the largest financial contributor to
the United Nations, it seems a forgone conclusion that the American way of life
will be the only choice presented to the globe. Charles Krauthammer, an
influential American columnist, wrote in The Foreign Affairs that a Uni-polar
moment had arrived and that a confident united states should learn to accept
it's new role, aggressively imposing it's own vision.
Given the natural richness and military power of the U.S., why have it's
values not provided happiness and peace of mind to the billions of Americans
whose lives have been wrecked by Alcoholism, Violence, Drug use and other
family and social Dilemmas? Can such a way of life that has failed to uproot
discrimination against blacks and other minorities bring equality among the
social castes of India? Can the American way of life that has resulted in grave
failure when attempting to solve the problems of poverty in South America or Africa?
Such Questions should be raised. Nobel prize winner V.S Naipauls' claim
that western civilization is the universal civilization that fits all men.
david Gergan, editor at large of U.S. News and report has candidly uttered his
doubts:
The
united states cannot achieve order in it's streets or even in it's capital, much
less in the rest of the world.''
Some might say that the new order does not have to be that of the
American, it could be that of the British, the French, the Russians or the Chinese:
all are permanent members of the Security Council. Nevertheless, these
governments have never claimed to bring happiness nor security to their own
nations or the rest of the World. Nonetheless, no nation in the whole world
would willingly choose or suggest a way of life detrimental to their own
interests. Any system of life selected as the basis for the new world order is
almost certain to serve the interests of the people proposing and sponsoring
it. People can only adhere willingly and peacefully to a system of their
choice.
Gergen(1993) shows the level of self-interest felt by the people of the
World's most dominant country regarding their care for other's nations.
The American public told pollster from the Chicago council of foreign
relations that the most important priorities of U.S. foreign policy should be
first, protecting the interest of American workers abroad and third securing
adequate supplies of energy. Defending Allies preventing the spread of nuclear
weapons and advancing human rights were seen as less important. Helping to
spread democracy to other nations was 15th on list of 15 priorities.
Samuel-Huntington refers to the standards western nations apply to their
interests in the World:
The west in effect is using international institutions, military power
and economic resources to run the World in ways that will maintain western
predominance protect western interests and promote western political and economical
values.
Accepting these new order premises as way of life means full submission
to the Teachings and rules that such a system puts forward. Naturally, the
result of such acceptance is a materialistic and secular view of life.
The probability that such a new World order will be accepted or applied
is extremely remote. It has as much chance as such old orders as colonialism,
Communism, dark ages theology, and modern capitalism.
The well known American Writers and senior advisor to three American
Presidents, Patrick I Buchannan, thinks that demanding that the Muslim world
withit's Great cultural and moral treasures should accept the western ideology
is the ''irony of ironies. He writes:
Today, an aging, dying Christian west is pressing the third world and
the Islamic world to accept contraception, abortion, and sterilization as the
west has done. But why should they enter a suide pact with us when they stand
to inherit the earth when we are gone?
There is a dire need among the majority of the worlds' population for a
way of life that can solve their problems and answer their unanswered questions
about existence and destiny. With escalating rates of immorality and violence
in the World, increasing numbers of people have been searching for a way out.
many have found suicide to be the easiest and probably the fastest solution. No
wonder our world is wading in a state of chaos. it has tried so many ideologies
and applied countless socio-economic theories, but have proven to be quite
right. That which has been tried again and again. Surely, the time has come to
ask questions if there is another way, an alternative system that could be
adopted by the whole world.
Nominating a system to bind the people of all nations into one single
nation is a serious undertaking. It is imperative that everyone s' freedom of
choice is safeguarded and that their inherent beliefs and concerns are
respected. Any Universal doctrine, law, System or way of life should take into
consideration the natural characteristics of humankind. Such a system should
have the following attributes among it's major principles:
1. Non-Discriminatory: It should emphasize equality and reject all types
of racism and discrimination. it's basic Teachings and values should be stable
and should be equally and justly applied to all people with no discrimination
because of their colour, ethnicity.
2. Tolerant: It should tolerate the existence of difference in belief,
language and cultural diversity among people of the World.
3. Ethically progressive: it should not oppose advancement in science
and technology, but rather provide universal ethics to ensure the consequences
of such advancements are positive.
4. Provide working solutions to pressing Problems: It should provide
solutions to humanistic problems, such as, alcoholism, drug addiction, the breakdown
of family and social systems, unrestrained sexuality, rape and molestation of
women and children.
The beauty of Islam as the only universal alternative way of life for
humanity has been misrepresented by some of the un-islamic malpractices by some
Muslims and the misconception brought up by people of little knowledge about Islam
or through prejudiced views. Terrorist activities launched by a very
insignificant number of people, in the name of Islam is unjustly blamed on the
over 1.3 billion Muslims who have never approved of such activities. They themselves
suffer such irrational and irresponsible actions.
Islamic principles of equality, tolerance, solutions to problems facing
humanity and position towards sciences and advancements shall be compared to a
number of contemporary ideologies and religions that may aspire for
universality.