Since the 11th September 2001, the world has undergone a change in its judgment. An unclaimed attack on the Twin Towers had not only shaken the United States, but had also given rise to a tsunamic wave which surged over all the coastlines of the world. That attack of the 11th September holds within itself more mystery than the murder of President Kennedy which compelled the world to adopt ‘the New World Order’ which contained already an action plan for a crusade. We can remember President Bush’s first speech soon after the 11th September, a speech which was against the tide of history:”I call upon the world to join us in this crusade…you are either with us or against us”. Although the President did apologize for using the word ‘crusade’, nevertheless, he was having a quiet laugh, since a President’s speech is meticulously prepared before it is delivered. There was no mistake, it was well and truly the announcement of a crusade against some Muslim states: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya. Syria would perhaps be the next target?

You see, the foreign policy of the United States is often criticized, but the United Nations have never had the guts to oppose it, since the law of the strongest is in force since the Second World War. Countries like Vietnam, Cuba and Somalia have suffered brutality at the hands of the United States for what the latter consider as a blessing for them. The cold war was ending on a wrong note since power always brings about dissension. Hence, a common enemy had to be found, in order to unite the Western countries under a single banner. And thus they launched themselves into a crusade: As regards means and power, Allah Ta’ala has granted them economic, military and air power in a greater measure then all the Muslim countries taken together. They are powerful, intelligent and they already lay claim to the conquered land. Unfortunately, this crusade could well be more far-reaching than that of the Middle Ages. The year 1096 was the start of the first crusade.

It is the will of Allah to distribute economic and military power to various nations of the world. History is a witness to the fact that, over the centuries, power has moved from one superpower to another in the world. Having said that, the wealth of states, power and victory are not always a reflection of the love of the Great Lord. The decree of defeat and loss of territory does not mean that the beliefs of the opponent are better than ours.

Victories resulting from confrontations have always been settled between various peoples irrespective of their adherence to a faith. Allah Ta’ala has stated:”If a wound has touched you, be sure (that) a similar wound has touched the others. And so are the days (good and not so good) We give to men by turns, that Allah may test those who believe…” (Surah 3 Verse 140). You see, the man most beloved of Allah Ta’ala was the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He was present on the battlefield of Uhud, and in spite of that, the Muslim suffered from defeat and the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was wounded and covered with blood. Hence, if today we are witness to a victory of the crusaders, that does not mean that their faith is a truthful one, rather, it is that Allah wants to put us to the test of truthfulness of our faith, as indicated in the above-mentioned verse.

There is no doubt that today Israel is seizing the opportunity of expanding its territory, just like it did in 1982 or in times past in 1099. It is taking advantage of the military weakness of the Arabs and thus pursues its crusade against the Palestinians. Israel has violated more than fifty UN resolutions. Other countries such as Great Britain, France and Italy have endorsed this crusade, at least by political support, since they have adopted this motto:”If you can’t beat them, join them”. Finally, since the U.N. Organization is mainly financed by the G-7 countries, it cannot then decide otherwise, particularly so as not to antagonize its sponsors.

This sad position of the Ummah in the face of stronger than ever enemies was foretold by the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). According to a hadith of Abu Dawood, the Messengers of Allah (PBUH) had said:”Soon, nations will unite with one another against you like people who gather together for a meal”. He was questioned:”Will it because we are minority?” “No! You will be in great numbers”, was his reply. The Prophet (PBUH) went on, explaining the main reason behind this decline:”Love of this world and fear of death” (Abu Dawood). To remove the love of this world from our heart, we only need to create within ourselves the love of the hereafter. To promote that, what is required is the investment of our potentials, our efforts and our property in pious deeds which will develop within us the love of the hereafter. Let us develop revulsion for all kinds of sin, particularly for interest (riba) and indecency, and let us be regular in our prayers and, in this way, in our small country, we shall be in a position to contribute towards a halt in the Western crusade against the Muslims.