Source: Dawn
INFLUENTIAL contemporary thinker and author George Friedman observed that the modern geopolitical world changes after every 20 years. Towards the end of the 19th century, European ascendancy was complete. By 1920, the Austro-Hungarian, Russian, German and Ottoman empires were gone. Communism was established in Russia; peripheral powers like the US and Japan started gaining strength. A defeated Germany of the First World War was on the rampage in 1940 and laid waste to almost all of Europe. By 1950, the sun had set on the victorious Britain, which shrivelled back to an island. The American era began after the Second World War. It was unthinkable to assail that power. Then a tiny Vietnam shattered its myth of invincibility. It was defeated but not down.
The geopolitical tectonic plates further moved in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the Soviet Union became history and the Berlin wall came crashing down. The end of history was proclaimed. China had started its forward march. The confident US and its fraternity in Europe waxed lyrical about the virtues of globalisation and free trade making nations’ borders virtual. It was said that money moves so fast today that they should put speed stripes on it. And then came 9/11. America was shocked out of its wits.
Very well said, solution lies in unity. But who will ensure it. Again no one will agree and my comments might not get approved by Dawn editorial but one can not deny fact. It was prophesied appearance of some one to unite the Muslim Ummah. Regrettably Ummah declined to accept him. However God Almighty promised to support the claimant. Each prophecy has specific timings for fulfillment. It will take time. Muslim Ummah will be united but not now rather after having suffered a lot. Then each will realize the mistake and will turn to claimant who was prophesied and was sent in time by God Almighty.