WHAT KIND OF TURKISH ISLAMIC UNION?

The First World War and the Second World War taught humanity a lesson in the form of wanton slaughter on a global scale, major European cities reduced to rubble, flattened housing estates, and genocidal concentration camps. The West, caught in the middle of these wars, drew a very important lesson from these tragedies: form alliances in order to have an efficient, easier, and quicker conflict-resolution mechanism. Other European countries had tried to form alliances in the past, but these were never long-lived either because of a conflict of national interest or for some ideological reason. This time, the West knew that the desired union had to be more than just an economic or a joint defense pact; it had to be a union established upon common cultural values. Obviously, this is a lengthy process.

And when your Lord announced: “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.” (Surah Ibrahim: 7)

These wars devastated Europe's economy and industry. The survivors had to rebuild hundreds of cities, repair infrastructure, and reestablish a functioning education and health system. The war was over, but now the colonies were demanding independence. It appeared to be a hard job to create stability as well as a union amidst all of this disorder. The first step in this direction was the European Coal and Steel Federation, formed in 1951 primarily to serve and develop industry. This union eventually became the European Economic Community (EEC), then the European Community (EC), and finally the European Union (EU). Eventually, it became a strong union in which products, services, capital, and labor freely circulate between member states; a union having a common currency, compatible laws, and even state bureaucracies. Today, the EU is one of the major players on the international political stage.

The military, political, and economic unity of the Islamic world will enable a better use of the available resources and allow it to accomplish major cultural and economic development.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY DENGE TV, JULY 2008 Adnan Oktar: Although Muslim countries have enormous revenues, their peoples are poor. That is so, the people are poor in just about all Islamic countries. And they have a low quality of life. That is generally the case. But there is no reason for this. If a Turkish-Islamic Union is set up, if a rational Turkish-Islamic Union Parliament is established, then these problems will be totally resolved. And the global rule of Islamic moral values will be a matter of moments. It will happen like lightning. That is why we must concentrate on union. We must bring all the Turkic states, almost all of which are Muslim, and all Muslim states, under a single roof, and bring them into a great structure like a Turkish-Islamic NATO or a Turkish-Islamic Common Market. We must keep them all as separate nation states; in other words, there is no need to change the states. We must base ourselves on reason, honesty, love and fervor within the system. It is essential to get rid of the official mentality. That breaks the spirit. The official spirit must be avoided. Love one, and sincerity two. These things must be resolved with love and sincerity.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY KRAL KARADENIZ TV, JANUARY 2nd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: Our nation has an ideal in the hearts of everyone, from 7 to 70. We know this right from childhood; Turkish Islamic Union. We are the children of the Ottomans. We are their descendants. We will do what our grandfathers did. All the conditions for the formation of the Turkish-Islamic Union have now come about. Once the Turkish-Islamic Union is established and borders are opened, by Allah's leave, it will include Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia and the Caucasus. That will be our day for rejoicing. We will get in our cars from here and go right as far as the Caspian, where we will lay our tables by the shore and have dinner. From there we will move on to Turkistan, and from there to Armenia and everywhere. We will just have to salute at the border crossings, that is all. There will be no need for passports or visas. The border points will have to be at least 10 meters across, from one end to the other. What is great about this union is that there will be no racism, only love... What I am talking about has the idea of a fervent love, a love of Allah and helping His servants. This is a system that also embraces Christians and Jews. A system that embraces the whole Arab world, the whole Islamic world, with that warm love inspired by Islam... This Turkish-Islamic Union is a spirit coming to us from the Ottomans, from our forefathers. It is a spirit taught to us by our forefathers. This blessed and delightful union will definitely come about. That is our destiny. But it is a question of love and desire. Once 90% of people in Turkey want it, the matter will be over and done with. Once it has happened in people's hearts, opening up the borders will not take even 10 minutes. Opening up the borders is not the problem, it is essential for this to be accepted and become a reality in people's hearts. It will take just 10 or 15 minutes at most to open up the borders.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has 56 member states and is the largest Muslim organization in terms of number of members and of geography. In addition, there are several regional military and trade alliances between neighboring Muslim nations, each of which fulfills important functions and represents a positive development. However, the Islamic world needs a more comprehensive union, one with permanent institutions empowered to take binding decisions, develop and implement common policies, represent the entire Islamic world, and produce solutions for all Muslims rather than just in a few regional hotspots. This union's power must be economic, military, and social. The existence of such a union will create an environment of mutual trust and agreement so that a sense of solidarity will develop. Accordingly, the member states' security concerns will be addressed, and the resulting extensive cooperation will result in higher standards of living in the member states. Acting as one body in all affairs concerning it, either directly or indirectly, this world will be able to develop strategies that are in the Islamic world's best interest.

In the second half of the twentieth century, developments in Palestine, Bosnia, Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, Kashmir, and Aceh brought an important truth home to the Islamic world. In these regions, where thousands of civilians lost their lives, countless children were orphaned and savagery and violence reached shocking levels, the West either did not react at all or was slow to take preventive action. Such indifference reminded the Muslims once more that all of them are responsible for protecting the rights of other Muslims and meeting their needs. Therefore, the Islamic world has be very responsive and proactive, for only united Muslim nations can guarantee the safety of all Muslims by speaking for all Muslims in the international political arena with one voice.

The Islamic world has to become one bloc in terms of military, politics, and economics. An Islamic world united from within will ensure world peace and prevent radicals from moving toward a clash of civilizations based upon their ideologies of self-interest and conflict.

The Turkish Islamic Union's General Structure

The Turkish Islamic Union must have a structure that preserves member states' independence, national borders, rights, and interests. Each sovereign state must strive to unite under a shared Islamic culture, develop common policies, and establish the legislative and administrative organs that will implement them. The purpose here is not to achieve a structural merger of states, but to unite behind common policies and interests in order to achieve the political power that such a union would have.

In such a union, the world's Muslims will be in direct touch with one another, know each other's problems intimately, and help one another. Separatism, factionalism, and fanaticism will be put aside for the principle of Muslim unity. The fact that the Islamic world has not been able to reach consensus among the different views, systems, and models that characterize its members has prevented it from acting in unity. The proposed union's call for unity will not be made according to race, economic condition, or geographical location, and all animosity arising from differences of race, language, or culture will cease under the umbrella of this union. Its members' sense of unity will not be based upon the superiority of one culture, nation, or group over another, but upon the spirit of solidarity engendered by equality, compassion, love, and friendship.

One of the primary reasons for establishing the Turkish Islamic Union is to create a central authority capable of directing the general Muslim population. For this reason, the central authority must have a structure that reaches all Muslims or, in other words, must be able to accommodate all different views under its umbrella. The Turkish Islamic Union must be based on Islam's central tenets, receive practical as well as theoretical differences in views with compassion and understanding, and successfully turn these differences into cultural diversity and wealth. These differences must not be allowed to obstruct the application of political will and joint action. All disputes between Muslim nations must be resolved, and their differences must be settled within the framework of this central authority. An Islamic world that can manage its internal affairs will be able to resolve potential differences with other civilizations easily and to produce the joint policies that its central authority will implement and administer.

The Islamic world has many issues that need to be resolved and that are continuing problems for the international community: such political tragedies as Palestine, Kashmir, and Iraq; the ideological war on terrorism; and such social issues as underdevelopment, poverty, health, and education. These main topics are not regional or local matters; rather, they have a direct bearing on all Muslims. Given this reality, the Islamic world must achieve solidarity in order to resolve them. No one can suggest that what happens in Palestine concerns only the Palestinians, that the innocent Muslim Kashmiri civilians suffering from oppression should sort themselves out, or that starving children in some Islamic country are only the responsibility of the country in question. Muslims cannot accept this situation as a matter of faith. of faith.

Allah calls to the Abode of Peace and He guides whom He wills to a straight path. (Surah Yunus: 25) Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. (Surat al-A’raf: 199)

However, Muslims have failed to form a strong alliance among themselves and so other—and non-Muslim—countries are offering solutions to these and similar problems. The proposed solutions, however, do not have the Muslims' best interest at heart, or else offer only short-term solutions. In many conflict-riven regions, the Muslims' relative weakness prevents them from having any real voice at the negotiating table. In addition, the so-called peace plans often incorporate certain clauses that do more harm than good. The Islamic world has an obligation to produce a joint action plan to safeguard the affected Muslims' rights.

The number of issues awaiting resolution by the Turkish Islamic Union indicates that it will have a busy schedule. To function efficiently, it needs to have a permanent operational headquarters, form the legislative and administrative organs that will coordinate their activities (including their subdivisions), and ensure that these institutions will function properly. The infrastructure that will deliver the right decisions at the right time must be built, the union must inspire trust with its activities, and its members must be reassured that their rights are fully protected.

The Turkish Islamic Union must have the flexibility to adapt to changing political conditions and the foresight to develop appropriate strategies. The need for an active central authority that can take the initiative, instead of giving reflexive responses to world events or being content with either criticizing or voicing opinions, is obvious. This center must shoulder the responsibility for coordinating, supervising, and serving the interest of all member states equally. It must consider all developments objectively and be guided by the Islamic world's demands. A Turkish Islamic Union that can arbitrate between member states, resolve their conflicts of interests, and protect Muslims in their dealings with other nations will increase the Islamic world's cultural, economic, and political influence.

For the Turkish Islamic Union to become a united force and a unifying structure, it must protect modern social values, respect the human rights of all people, and be based on democratic principles. Not surprisingly, all of these values are central to Islamic morality.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY TEMPO TV, DECEMBER 3rd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: Love is the most powerful weapon. There is no door that love cannot open. They need to use love, not bombs or weapons. Love can bring any country to its knees and make any country its captive. For example, will America permit the Turkish-Islamic Union? Yes, but we need a weapon. And what is that weapon? Love. America cannot stand up to love. Russia cannot stand up to love. China cannot stand up to love. Once there is love and goodwill there is no country that will not agree to the Turkish-Islamic Union. But we need complete sincerity and an intense love of people and to make no distinctions between people. We must treat them all with love and affection as servants created by Allah.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY TIMOTHY FURNISH, DECEMBER 14th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: In the union I am talking about, love, peace, brotherhood, rational thinking and attaching importance to art and beauty predominate. Attaching importance to well-being, peace, human freedom and democracy predominate. A deep love and respect for Christians and Jews predominate. In my way of thinking, for example, Armenians and Israel are also in the Turkish-Islamic Union. There is therefore no claim of any racial, bloodline or genetic superiority. There is a union of love and affection. There is therefore no harshness, nothing to make people worried or uneasy. It is a system that strives for human happiness and joy.

A Peaceful and Harmonious Turkish Islamic Union

The Turkish Islamic Union must work to bring peace to all people, not just Muslims, and compassionate and peaceful in its decisions and practices. The core of Islam is the good morality revealed in the Qur'an, which requires Muslims to be friendly, gentle, compassionate, just, understanding, patient, and devoted. Islam invites people to a peaceful world:

O you who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you. (Surat al-Baqara: 208)

Muslims are defined as people who obey Allah's commands, try to practice the Qur'an's morality diligently, make the world a nicer place, build it up, and deliver peace and happiness. They strive to do good, pleasant, and nice things for people, and make a great effort to reflect our Lord's infinite compassion and mercy. Allah told His followers to be good to people, take an interest in his or her surrounding environment, and call people to the right path. Allah describes in the following verse the difference between people who have no positive effect on their surrounding environment and those who always try to do good:

Allah makes another metaphor: two men, one of them deaf and dumb, unable to do anything, a burden on his master, no matter where he directs him he brings no good. Is he the same as someone who commands justice and is on a straight path? (Surat an-Nahl: 76)

The message of this verse must guide the Turkish Islamic Union, which must be a platform for implementing Islamic morality's understanding of devotion, unity, friendship, honesty, justice, loyalty, fidelity, and service. Islamic morality guarantees people's freedom of thought and life, discourages tension and dispute between people, and even forbids suspicion, negative thoughts and words about one another. Our envisaged union must be formed by Muslims who operate on that basis and work for world peace.

The Qur'anic morality requires that Muslims refrain from war and conflict and resolve disputes by dialogue and agreement. In the Qur'an, Allah considers war to be an unwanted necessity and a last resort that must abide by strict humanitarian and moral rules. Muslims are charged with always siding with peace and agreement, and fighting only in self-defense if attacked by the enemy. Allah reveals that it is evil-doers who begin war and that He does not like them:

Each time they kindle the fire of war, Allah extinguishes it. They rush about the land corrupting it. Allah does not love corrupters. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 64) 

Our Prophet Muhammad's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) life shows that war is only fought for defensive purposes when all else has failed. The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) over a period of 23 years. For the first 13 years, Muslims lived as an oppressed minority community under pagan rule. Many Muslims were physically tortured, some were killed, and others had their property looted. As a community, they were constantly exposed to humiliation and threats. Nevertheless, they remained peaceful and continued to invite the pagan Meccans to peace. When the oppression reached unbearable levels, the Muslims migrated to Yathrib (later Madinah), where they found freedom and friendship, and where they gradually established their own rule. Not even then did they declare war on the aggressive pagans of Mecca.

The nature of an Islamic society is measured and balanced, for people are invited to do good and commanded to refrain from evil. Allah states in Surat al-Baqara: 143 that Muslims are witnesses as well as role models to people as a "middlemost community." Allah reveals in another verse that they are required to be an example of good for humanity:

You are the best nation ever to be produced before mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong, and believe in Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran: 110)

An organization formed by Muslims who abide by Allah's teaching is obviously required to protect and represent this good morality and show the Turkish Islamic Union's way forward. It must first resolve intra-Muslim disputes and deliver peace to the Islamic world, oppose any movement that incites violence and war, and constitute a preventive force against all warmongers. Furthermore, it must cooperate with the international community on terrorism and international crime, as well as on matters of general concern (e.g., weapons of mass destruction), and even lead the fight against these threats.

A Generator of Solutions

We have briefly mentioned some problems (e.g., Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan and Iraq) that the Turkish Islamic Union could resolve quickly. Thus, once it is established, this union will have to shoulder huge responsibilities and become an organization that can generate realistic and appropriate solutions.

The current situation has a negative effect not only on Muslims, but also on many innocent people around the world. Untold millions continue to suffer from the curses of corruption, poverty, immorality, the unfair distribution of wealth, ruthlessness, tyranny, conflict, and injustice. Babies die because there is no food, children and the elderly are left to fend for themselves on the streets, refugees are forced to live in tents or barracks, and sick people cannot afford any medical treatment—all of these problems affect not only the Islamic world and the underdeveloped world in general, but also, to a lesser extent, the developed world.

Many innocent and needy people are waiting for a helping hand. The Muslims' responsibilities in this regard are as follows:

What reason could you have for not fighting in the Way of Allah—for those men, women, and children who are oppressed and say: "Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!?" (Surat an-Nisa': 75)

The Turkish Islamic Union will resolve the disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims as well as conflicts between Muslims. Currently, even intra-Muslim disputes are being resolved by Western countries or international organizations under their control. Foreign powers, unfamiliar with Muslim history and culture, do not appear to be capable of delivering appropriate solutions, even if they do provide some little help from time to time. Muslim nations should solve their own problems, for then their problems will not be dragged into the international arena, the proposed solutions will be in their interest, and a united Islamic world will send out a message of power and stability. One of the Islamic world's greatest troubles is its current inability to produce such common policies and effective strategies even on matters of direct concern.

Hungry and poor people need every kind of help.

The Turkish Islamic Union must find solutions for the Muslim nations as well as for all people seeking peace and security. Each nation has its own political, demographic, and economic problems, and different regions have their own regional problems too. Although each of these problems requires different solutions and measures, the fundamental problems and their solutions are everywhere the same. Much suffering and trouble is caused by the fact that the Qur'an's morality is not practiced as it should be, which means that the required solutions are not devised according to its guidance. If just and realistic solutions are to be reached, such qualities as open-mindedness, flexibility, and free thinking, together with honesty, devotion, justice, and helpfulness, all of which are derived from the Qur'an's morality must guide the Muslims.

There is an important link between solving economic problems and social morality. For instance, one of the greatest economic problems is social injustice, which is essentially a moral problem. There can be no social injustice in an Islamic society, for Allah requires that all surplus goods or wealth be shared with the needy and prohibits conspicuous consumption. Financial means should not constitute the basis for privilege and become a value shared by the few, for the Qur'an's morality requires social solidarity and awareness of one another's needs. Sincere Muslims have such a devotional character that they give their food first to the poor and the captives, even if they are in need themselves. They do so only to earn Allah's good pleasure, for:

They give food, despite their love for it, to the poor and orphans and captives [saying], "We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want any repayment from you or any thanks." (Surat al-Insan: 8-9)

The solidarity and cooperation between individuals can easily be achieved in international relations, for Islamic morality will guide the union's member nations. It is intolerable that some countries enjoy exaggerated luxury while, in another country, thousands of newborn babies die of starvation. Every conscientious person should be disturbed by this situation.

Many charitable and international organizations are actively seeking to assist these poor and suffering nations. However, their efforts usually do not go beyond delivering aid packages to the affected regions. And, this aid often does not reach its intended recipients due to the failures of the underdeveloped nation's system and their mafia or gang-type organizations. All of these must be eradicated, and a new mentality based on conscience and common sense must be nurtured through mass education campaigns.

When wastefulness is prevented, when solidarity develops and sharing is encouraged, and especially when people have learned to be guided by their conscience, such economic imbalances can be eradicated. The most suitable structure to implement these solutions will be the Turkish Islamic Union.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY TURKMENELI TV, APRIL 22nd, 2008 Adnan Oktar: The most perfect thing to do is to set up the Turkish-Islamic Union. To assume the leadership of all Islamic countries and all Turkish provinces, because all Turkish provinces are generally Muslim. But at the same time, Turkey must play the role of older brother in the region. It must defend Armenian interests and strive to enrich them, too. It must bring peace to Palestine and Israel and the whole region and act as older brother to the region. That is the most urgent task. It is also very important in terms of the EU. Being freed from terror and the fear of terror will be a great blessing and luxury for them. The Turkish-Islamic Union will make that very sure and sound. All the sufferings and disorder in the Islamic world will end. Turkish-Islamic states will move toward a civilization on the European scale, or even greater. That is because the Turkish-Islamic countries are potentially very wealthy. The area is very wealthy. But they are not well-organized. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, for example, are places with a huge potential. Their union means the greatest civilization in the world.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY AZERBAIJAN APA NEWS AGENCY, AUGUST 16th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: The time when there is no Turkish-Islamic Union will always be one of suffering. There is no way around it. We see it in the Caucasus and elsewhere. We can still see it. It cannot be stopped, the bloodshed cannot be stopped. The only answer is the Turkish-Islamic Union. Any delay will leave people suffering a great scourge. We must strive for this with all our might, as a nation, as the Turkish nation. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, East Turkestan, all the Turkic states, Kyrgyzstan, we must all come together and resolve this as a matter of urgency. Every passing day works against us, may Allah forbid. It is the lack of a Turkish-Islamic Union that lies behind the bloodshed in Georgia, the troubles in Abkhazia, the sufferings of the Russians and all the rest. If Turkey were to propose today to Azerbaijan that we unite as "two states, one nation," believe me that a positive response would be forthcoming within 24 hours, insha'Allah. The same with Syria, and with Iraq. There is no Islamic country or Turkic country that will not accept it. One would have to have a psychological disorder to reject such a plentiful, excellent and peaceable union. It is inconceivable. We are proceeding in the favor of the whole world, and insha'Allah this union will come about. Allah is showing us the signs. As well as what happens in the lack of such union.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. ADNAN OKTAR BY RADIO RFA (Radio Free Asia), JUNE 14th, 2008 Adnan Oktar: This is not a colonialist or selfish union. It is a union of love and friendship, a union of solidarity and understanding, of moderation, built on a basis of laicity. In other words, it will be grounded in laicism, and this is most important. As long as it is laicist, peaceful and a pro-democratic system, there is no reason for China to be worried by it. This will also allow Israel to relax. It will mean the immediate end to all the conflict in the region. Because, as you know, Palestine is suffering; but Israel is suffering, too, and there is the ever-present possibility of a bomb dropping on their heads. Israel lives behind walls. They are literally prisoners; they have made themselves prisoners. They have locked themselves behind walls. Let us tear those walls down. Let commercial vehicles roll up there. Let busses and lorries go there. Let ships go, by sea. Let things be made easier. China too needs to be convinced and this may be more through the work of non-governmental organizations, of course. … This is an idea that will free China from those unnecessary fears and enable it to abandon these classic policies of state. In classic state policy wherever there is some benefit to you, you go and invade it. You crush the inhabitants and live there yourself. But there is no need to suck blood in order to live. You can do it with love and friendship. It is vampire bats living on sucking blood, it doesn't suit China to live so. ... There is pan-Turkism and pan-Islamism, but there is also the Turkish-Islamic Union. In pan-Turkism if someone so wishes he can interpret this as meaning the Turkish race is superior to the other races of the world and that the other races will be its slaves. People would naturally be afraid of that. Or they may think of it as an Islamic Union. People might try to turn that into a ruthless system in which very harsh rules apply. We have seen this in the dark times of history. We have seen it in past times. But neither is what I am referring to here. For one thing, there is the guarantee of laicism. The system will be entirely founded on laicism, and that is most important. A Buddhist will be a first-class human being, an atheist will be a first-class human being, a first-class citizen. Muslims will be first-class citizens. Christians will be first-class citizens. Jews will be first-class citizens. And it is laicism that will bring this about. There will be a joyful, loving atmosphere and security, and of course a powerful military union, a military establishment, wherever there is terror. There will be no need for bloodshed. You will just tell people to give terror up. And they will. Nobody will persist in the face of deterrent force. Wherever there may be terror in the world the matter will come to an end when you call to the individual and ask him to stop, because the Turkish-Islamic Union will be a militarily implacable and very powerful one. Whoever it asks, there the matter will end. And conflict will therefore end. Injustice will end. Nobody will therefore object to it.

Private and Individual Rights Must Be Just and Respected

In a society shaped by true Islamic morality, individual rights and freedoms are very important. Personal rights and freedoms are guaranteed so that people can live a free and dignified life. Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that all people are equal in His Presence, for superiority is based upon one's awareness of Allah, and He commands Muslims to be just, compassionate, forgiving, and understanding toward people. Therefore, they must respect differences and be fair when evaluating them.

Our Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) practices in the first Islamic society (Madinah) have shown the way for all Muslims with regard to social structure and governance. The "Constitution of Madinah," considered the Muslims' first constitution, reflects an advanced level of understanding of law and exemplifies Islamic society's sense of justice and individual rights. Under it, all people of whatever religion were given their fundamental rights and freedoms, and people's property, life, family, and places of worship were safeguarded. With this agreement, everyone could live under one political entity and peace was brought to tribes that had been feuding with one another for many years. Outside of the Constitution of Madinah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) always treated the pagans fairly, honored their pleas for safety and protection and desired friendly and civilized relations between people.

Fourteen centuries ago, Islam brought such values as individual rights, law and order, equality before the law, and economic freedom to humanity. As Islam spread, the justice that prevailed throughout its domain became the envy of all nations. This sense of justice, which is still remembered today with respect and approval by many Western thinkers, led many people and nations to embrace Islam and welcome Muslim rule. Our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) practiced the Qur'anic system of justice in the best possible way, and his Companions and Muslims in general continued to practice this superior morality. This enabled the Muslims to become a community that achieved justice between people:

Among those We have created there is a community who guide by the Truth and act justly according to it. (Surat al-A'raf: 181)

Oil complexes in Azerbaijan and Indonesia.

Islam teaches freedom of thought and participation in government. A broad-based consultation process is one of Islam's most fundamental social requirements, for Allah commands Muslims to govern by mutual consultation, namely, to discuss their affairs among themselves:

[Believers are] those who respond to their Lord and perform prayer, manage their affairs by mutual consultation, and give of what We have provided for them. (Surat ash-Shura: 38)

When action follows consultation, all individuals will have had an equal right to voice their opinions and then to consider the matter from many different perspectives. This reduces the possibility of error and, therefore, results in an agreed-upon and appropriate decision.

The degeneration and moral collapse in societies where people are far removed from religion's morality is a major problem in many countries.

The most important aspect of consultation is that each representative does his or her best to respect and understand the different viewpoints. Their main concern is to find the right ideas, rather than who proposed them. In other words, consultation's main purpose is to make those decisions that are in society's best interest. Islamic morality requires that Muslims not insist upon their own views, but adopt the view that is closest to their conscience and justice. Muslims must refrain from the insistence and pride inherent in thinking that "my views are the best, my views must be recognized by all," for such behavior does not please Allah. Muslims must know that that there is always someone who knows more than they do, and that it would be a grave error to insist that their own ideas are the best:

Over everyone with knowledge is a knower. (Surah Yusuf: 76) 

The Islamic principle of consultation is a leading light for the Turkish Islamic Union, which must be built on a political culture of free speech without fear of recrimination, where their rights are safeguarded, and where everyone's views are listened to with equal respect. In this way, its member nations will develop societies in which people respect each other's views; where equality, justice, and freedom rule; and where oppression and injustice are eradicated. Such achievements will enable the Islamic world to guarantee the Muslims' safety and happiness, and also will become the driving force of our world's culture and civilization.

Projects of "greening the deserts" play an important role in the Muslim world's economic recovery. The projects carried out in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco have been quite successful. Economic cooperation among Muslim countries will yield better results in similar projects.

The Ultimate Goal: Developing the Islamic World

The Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, 452 meters tall, are the second tallest buildings in the world. ... He gave you refuge and supported you with His Help and provided you with good things so that hopefully you would be thankful. (Surat al-Anfal:26)

One of the Islamic world's most serious problems is its general underdevelopment. Therefore, one of the Turkish Islamic Union's priorities must be to develop the Islamic world by supporting the poorer countries and resolving their economic problems. This can be done by fighting poverty,—encouraging new investments, creating jobs,—achieving law and order throughout society, removing economic injustice and guaranteeing social justice, and strengthening international as well as regional cooperation and dialogue.

Problems and tensions within the Islamic world caused by financial inequality must be reduced. A union and cooperation between Muslim nations in the economic, political, and, most importantly, the cultural arenas will enable the underdeveloped nations to advance rapidly. Moreover, those that have the necessary infrastructure in place will be enabled to maximize their productivity. Such a union will benefit economic growth and scientific and technological development.

Economic growth will increase investment in science and technology, and technological advancements will fuel further economic growth. Economic development will raise educational standards, and society will develop in many ways. Under the umbrella of the Turkish Islamic Union, individuals will be able to travel freely without the obstacles of visas or borders, and a system of free trade and enterprise will drive the Islamic world's rapid growth and development.

This development will naturally result in the Islamic world's modernization and reaching the standards found in the developed world. While Islam's economic principles diverge from the hedonism that dominates the majority of the West, free trade is just as essential to Islamic societies as it is to Western societies. Islam recognizes everybody's right to private ownership and free enterprise, but Islamic morality places certain responsibilities on individuals in order to achieve social justice. The poor have a share in the wealth of the rich, but not in the form of enforced taxation. Rather, the rich give this share to the poor willingly because of their beliefs. Islam's version of social justice is not achieved by central planning and enforcement, as socialism proclaimed but failed to deliver, but by the society's dominant moral values. Islamic morality also prevents the rich from indulging in conspicuous consumption and extravagance.

Islamic morality instructs people to avoid waste and extravagance. This is a key element in establishing social justice in Islamic societies. Social justice in Islam can be established by the society's prevalent moral values. Consequently, living by the Qur'an's values and Islamic unity will cause the Islamic world to become more prosperous.

The materialistic social model encourages consumption, selfishness, and the ruthless oppression of others by individuals who have lost their respect and love for their fellow citizens. Over the past two centuries, this social model has come to dominate the majority of the Western world and has eroded its moral values. As a consequence, many Western countries are forced to fight widespread drug abuse, prostitution, corruption, gambling, alcohol abuse, and organized crime. Furthermore, weakening religious beliefs has created an identity crisis: Materialist philosophies, which assert that the purpose of life is to acquire material wealth and live a life of pleasure, cannot satisfy people's spirituality and so end up creating a void of aimlessness. Under the banner of freedom, its adherents abandon themselves to their own selfish desires.

... so that it (booty) does not become something which merely revolves between the rich among you... (Surat al-Hashr: 7)

Islamic morality, on the other hand, frees people from all kinds of worries and anxieties that trouble their minds. Believers only heed Allah and seek to win only His good pleasure. Fully aware of their responsibilities to our Lord, they live by their conscience at all times and, as such, are content and well-balanced individuals. They offer their environment goodness and beauty. This morality frees people from the pressures of envy, excessive desire, fear of the future and death, and other attitudes and fears that are incompatible with religious morality. Freed of these negative characteristics, they experience the freedom and peace derived from submitting to Allah.

Therefore, the development and advancement encouraged by the Turkish Islamic Union will not be identical to the development envisaged by the West. During its period of development, the West experienced great social injustice. For instance, the driving force of development in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England was ruthless exploitation. The working classes endured terrible working and living conditions. Children as young as 7 or 8 were made to work in filthy coal mines for 16 hours a day; many of them died before they were 20 years old. In the 1840s, the average life expectancy of coal miners fell to an average of 17 years.16 On the other hand, the rich lived in excessive luxury and extravagance. All industrialized Western countries went through these horrific experiences, and they built themselves upon the exploitation and oppression of millions of poor people.

The developmental model of a society dominated by Islamic morality will comprise social justice. The West suffered great injustice during its own development because its leaders adhered to materialism's misconceptions of human nature. Islamic morality, however, requires people to be entrepreneurs and pioneers in all fields, as well as compassionate, selfless, and just to others. Throughout the rise of Islamic civilization, Muslims were world leaders in economics and very successful traders. However, the resulting wealth did not remain in the hands of the few, but spread throughout society. Such social aid institutions as charitable organizations, social complexes, soup kitchens, caravanserai (large inns), public baths, and libraries show that wealth and culture did not remain in the hands of a few Muslims, but were accessible to all. The envisaged Turkish Islamic Union must adopt this developmental model.

Nadir Divan Begi Madrasah, 1622, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Alaaddin Caravanserai, 1229, Aksaray, Turkey. A caravanserai dating back to the 17th century, Punjab, India. Sher-Dor and Tilla Kari Madrasah, Samarkand, Uzbekistan. They will ask you what they should give away. Say, “Any wealth you give away should go to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor and travelers.” Whatever good you do, Allah knows it. (Surat al-Baqara: 215) The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a hundred grains. Allah gives such multiplied increase to whoever He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.(Surat al-Baqara: 261)

Another aspect of this developmental model is open-mindedness. Islamic morality requires Muslims to be open-minded or, in other words, that they maintain relations with other cultures and benefit from their achievements. For this reason, Muslim thinkers and scientists examined earlier Greek, Chinese, Roman, and Indian scholarly works, from which they acquired knowledge and then developed and enriched with an Islamic understanding. The Islamic world of today must examine other cultures, in particular those of the West, benefit from their accumulated knowledge, and then use and advance them further for their own—and humanity's—benefit.

Trying to isolate the Islamic world from other cultures making it self-contained will not benefit Muslims. Islamic morality demands that technology be used to the full. For instance, Muslims must build their own film industry to teach humanity righteousness and goodness, as a counterweight to films that seek to impose a materialistic twist on Islamic morality. If some art trends contain negative influences, Muslims must produce a more beautiful and splendid art form. If people admire the impressiveness, cleanliness, comfort, and liveliness of cities, Muslims must build even better cities and make the world an even better place in which to live.

Surely Muslims can build a civilization comparable to the great Islamic civilization of the past, but to do so they must live according to the aesthetics and artistry, open-mindedness, moderation, and justice of the Qur'an's values. Islamic art, culture, and civilization will not only bring prosperity to Muslims, but to all of humanity. The world's greatest libraries, most stunning architecture, cleanest streets, the brightest lit roads, and best schools, universities, and hospitals will be built by Muslims, and all people will have equal access to them.

The rise of Islamic civilization is possible under the leadership of an Islamic central power, and the twenty-first century can be an enlightening one for the Islamic world. At a time when globalization is gaining momentum, Muslim nations must resolve their conflicts; enter into joint scientific, technological, and trading ventures; and combine their forces in the interest of all Muslims.

The United Arab Emirates Ubudiah Mosque, Malaysia. Good land yields up its plants by its Lord’s permission, but that which is bad only yields up scantily. In this way We vary the Signs for people who are thankful. (Surat al-A’raf: 58) We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them, except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously. (Surat al-Hijr: 85)

Finally, it must be stated that Muslims do not divide the world into two opposing poles: "Westerners" and "Muslims." First, the majority of Western people are People of the Book and therefore share many of the Muslims' moral and religious values. That is why many aspects of Western culture (e.g., freedom of belief, democracy, and family values) are central to Islamic morality as well. On the other hand, many people in the West have chosen Islam as their religion and continue to do so. Considering that the Qur'an's values have so far not been made available correctly and comprehensively in the West, it is realistic to expect many more people to embrace Islam. Muslims must adopt this attitude to the West and its culture. Also, they must remember that some circles have been under the influence of materialistic philosophies for over two centuries, and that they still need to be freed from their prejudices. This is the responsibility of Muslims.

Ubudiah Mosque, Malaysia. (left) Iran (right) If you tried to number Allah’s blessings, you could never count them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat An-Nahl: 18) Allah knows what you keep secret and what you make public. Those you call on besides Allah do not create anything. They are themselves created. (Surat an-Nahl: 19-20)