US & Caliphate: A Forgotten History

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US & Caliphate: A Forgotten History

Submitted by Aurangzeb on July 24, 2011 – 2:17 am



by Sharique Naeem

America’s intervention in the Muslim world, since the last three decades has been on a consistent increase. This year alone, America has intensified its military assault, through drones in both Pakistan and Yemen, it has managed to further divide the muslim world, by dividing Sudan, and has launched another war front in Libya. In Bangladesh too, the presence of U.S has been on increase, camofluged under the ‘Tiger Shark’ exerices.

The rulers of the Muslim world, sheepishly give in to America’s dictates, by presenting America’s supremacy as a formidable force that cannot be challenged. This pretext however is only an artificial construct only to ensure their hold on the power.

Not so long ago, the reality was quite different from what we see today. A chapter from History speaks volumes of the strength that the Muslims had, when channeled under an Caliphate state.

In 1783 the first US navy boat started to sail in international waters and within two years was captured by the Ottoman Caliphate’s navy near Algeria.

A few years later, in 1793, 12 more US navy boats were captured. In March

1794 the US Congress authorized President Washington to spend up to 700,000 gold coins to build strong steel boats that would resist the Ottoman Caliphate’s navy. However America’s military ventures in international waters, were of no match in face of the Caliphate’s navy. Unable to deal with the situation, Just a year later the US signed the Barbary Treaty to resolve the threat from the then superpower, i.e the Caliphate.

The treaty was called ‘Barbary’, as this was the term for the North African wilaya’s of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, under the rule of the Ottoman Caliphate.

The terms of the treaty were:

1) The treaty will cost the US a one off payment of $992,463

2) The American ships captured would be returned and the American Navy was to be given permission to sail in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

3) In return, the American government would pay $642 000 in equivalent gold.

4) The US would also pay an annual tax (tribute) of $12 000 in gold. The annual tribute would be calculated according to the Islamic calendar and not the Christian calendar

5) $585,000 would be paid for the ransom of the captured American sailors

Moreover, America agreed that a state of the art steel ship would be constructed in U.S and delivered to the Caliphate, with all costs borne by the US in return for privileges. The costs of masts, Yards, and heavy planks, were very costly and so difficult to procure, and then so exceedingly expensive to transport. Once delivered the US had actually paid thirty times their estimated price in the stipulations.

Interestingly, the treaty was written in Turkish and signed by President Washington himself. The treaty with the Caliphate, is the only American legal document to ever have been concluded in a foreign language and the only treaty the Americans have ever signed that agrees to pay annual tax to another nation. This treaty continued until the Khilafah was abolished. The Barbary treaty speaks volumes of the military and diplomatic superiority that the Muslims had under the Caliphate.

Although this chapter of history may have been forgotten by many, it still haunts America today. As is evident from various speeches of prominent American politicians. US ex-president Bush spoke of this fear when he expressed his concerns that “This caliphate would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.”

Today when the armies of the Muslim world find themselves entangled in a strained, costly, and counter productive relationship with the U.S, this fact from history might strike a positive chord with many Generals. As history tells, time and again, that when an army finds itself entrapped in subservience of another state, with mistrust at its peak, its Generals are ever-looking forward to standing up on their own feet against the hostile state; and in such a situation the idea of a Caliphate is quite enchanting.


References:

Bush speech

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090500656.html

Treaty of Barbary

avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/bar1795n.asp

Sharique Naeem is an automation engineer, and a writer and political commentator. His writings have been published in national newspapers of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen & Iran. He can be reached at [e-mail]

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Caliphate to Counter US Imperialism

Submitted by BZ on July 29, 2011 – 1:23 am



by Engr. Sharique Naeem

In the last three decades, we have witnessed a consistent trend in U.S foreign policy towards Muslim world, which involves interference, pressurizing, intimidating, and outright wars. Sometimes there is a tendency to belittle this trend by linking it to only few America presidents. However the reality is that this trend has continued in the tenure of both the democrats, as well as republicans. The question arises here – Why Does the US Subjugate and Colonize the Muslim world?

The answer lies in the fact that America as a state, has built itself firmly by embracing the secular doctrine, which separates between “church and state”. Laws governing public affairs are legislated based on the whims and desires of human beings. Consequently, the secular doctrine will motivate the individuals who adhere to this way of life (i.e. Capitalism) to seek material benefits at any cost. The Capitalists do not limit themselves to spreading secularism, but work to dominate other nations as it is in their benefit to do so. For example, between the 16th and 19th century, Italy, England, France, and other European nations embarked on campaigns to colonize the Muslim world to force the Ummah to adopt their way of life and to steal our resources. Since America upholds the same secular doctrine as these other nations, it now also seeks to colonize and subjugate the Muslim world, as is clear from its actions in Iraq, its support for Israel and, most importantly, its support and imposition of ruthless tyrants, like Karimov, Zardari, and Karzai, across the Muslim world.

The objective to dominate the Muslim world was expressed in the “Carter Doctrine” in 1980 when then U.S. President Jimmy Carter stated in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: “An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.” Carter established the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) and gave it the responsibility for combat operations in the Gulf. Three years later, Ronald Reagan elevated the RDJTF, naming it Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM has been the main American presence in many military operations, including the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. With this understanding, it is clear that the objectives of American foreign policy run counter to those of the Muslim Ummah.

The reason for U.S imperialism in particular against the Muslim world, is more than just natural resources. Islam poses a potential ideological challenge to the secular doctrine. As Samuel P. Huntington said in his book ‘Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of the World Order’.

“Islam is the only civilization which has put the survival of the west in doubt”. The states which have embodied the secular doctrine, fear a possible revival of a Khilafah state, which embodies the Islamic doctrine.

This is a major concern for the Capitalists, because the Islamic doctrine has laws, visions and strategic objectives coming from a distinct source, i.e Islam. In a Khilafah state all public affairs including economics, politics, the social system, the educational system and the judiciary are all governed by the commands and prohibitions of Islam. The manifestation of these systems into one entity – the Khilafah State – has the potential to outpace the Capitalist system by leaps and bounds. As it happened before, the Khilafah State will compete as a superpower. This is something that does not benefit the Capitalists and as a result they are trying to prevent the Muslim Ummah from working towards political unification. Consequently, the Capitalists will work day and night to ensure that the Muslim Ummah remains subjugated

Political experts in the west, have already begin pointing to the possible emergence of this Khilafah state. Niall Ferguson, Professor of History at Harvard University, in an interview to ‘The Telegraph’(14th March) warned, that their is “a tiny possibility we get western-style democracies in the Middle East”, and he warned, by stating it is “More alarming to think about a restored caliphate”

Today, the uprisings in the Muslim world, referred to as Arab spring are resulting in the fall of one dictator after another. Interestingly, a political expert, Patrick J. Buchananm, who has been a senior advisor to three American Presidents wrote “If Islamic rule is an idea taking hold among the Islamic masses, how does even the best army on earth stop it?”

As the west, in Particular the U.S, seeks to answer this by further aggressive use of force in the Muslim world, and by bribing new faces that replace toppled dictators. The paradox here is: the Intelligentsias, in particular the generals in the armies of the Muslim world having to decide between repressing their own people or resisting U.S imperialism, are only natural to be predisposed to the idea, of a Khilafah state.

Sharique Naeem is an automation engineer, and a writer and political commentator. His writings have been published in national newspapers of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen & Iran. He can be reached at [e-mail]