Is the World Really Afraid if Muslims Unite?

 

Is the World Really Afraid if Muslims Unite?

United Muslims under glowing crescent and star, nervous Western silhouettes in shadows, storm clouds and light beams overhead


Introduction

Whenever I read about Islamic history, I always pause at one question: What if Muslims truly unite? For me, this isn’t just a Friday sermon slogan. Behind it lies a fear and anxiety that feels subtle both from outside and inside the Muslim world itself. (Esposito, The Future of Islam, 2010)

As a Muslim writer, I try to stay neutral. I don’t want to be trapped in baseless conspiracy theories. But I also can’t be naïve that geopolitics, past and present, is always about who stays united and who stays divided.

When Muslims Were United, They Rose

Looking back to the 7th–15th centuries, history shows the Islamic world once built a global civilization connecting Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, Cordoba, and Samarkand. One language (Arabic), one qibla, one vision for knowledge. (Kennedy, The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates, 2004)

From this came the idea of the Ummah a global community that seemed to ignore borders. Early European explorers like Marco Polo noted how Muslim regions appeared ‘networked’, linking market to market. (Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, 1991)

Why Did That Unity Collapse?

Unfortunately, history shows that unity was fragile. Dynasties fought each other, sultans waged wars, and the Ottoman Caliphate eventually crumbled under European powers who exploited internal splits. (Lewis, What Went Wrong?, 2002)

For me, the breaking point wasn’t just military invasions, but ideological and political deals. From the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement to the Ottoman Empire’s fall in 1924, the Muslim world was officially split into nation-states that rarely cooperate. (Fromkin, A Peace to End All Peace, 1989)

What Makes the West Wary?

Some Western analysts openly admit that Muslim unity could reshape global power. Bernard Lewis, for instance, wrote that political Islam’s rise is “the most significant ideological movement in the contemporary Middle East.” (Lewis, The Crisis of Islam, 2003)

This fear makes sense to me. Imagine if 50+ Muslim-majority countries from Morocco to Indonesia unified economic policies, controlled energy routes, synchronized education, and spoke with one voice at the UN. It’s an idealistic dream, but its impact is clear: a new bloc with real global sway.

Why Are Some Muslims Hesitant?

But here’s our dilemma: not all Muslim leaders want to see ‘pan-Islamism’ rise. Some feel safer when their people focus on narrow nationalism. (Roy, Globalized Islam, 2004)

I don’t blame all Muslim elites. Unity is complicated. There are sectarian divides, ethnic differences, language barriers, economic gaps, and deep wounds from past conflicts. Iraq-Iran, Saudi-Qatar, Turkey-Egypt we often argue at the policy level. (Gerges, The New Middle East, 2014)

Islamophobia: A Tool?

In the West, Islamophobia sometimes works to suppress the unity narrative. Western media often frames any Khilafah idea as terrorism, though the concept is broad and not always violent. (Said, Covering Islam, 1981)

I’m not naïve. I know radical groups have hijacked Khilafah. But equating every aspiration for Muslim connection with ‘global terrorism’ is a dangerous distortion. (Esposito, Islam and Political Violence, 2005)

Is Unity Realistic?

The toughest question: can Muslims unite? My answer: realistic, but not absolute. I prefer calling it functional solidarity. We may never have one flag again, but we can have shared policies economic boycotts, student exchanges, joint tech projects. (Ramadan, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, 2004)

Small but Powerful Signs

Look at how, when Palestine flares up, Muslims from Malaysia to Jordan take to the streets. Solidarity is still sporadic, but the seeds exist. (Said, Peace and Its Discontents, 1995)

Or how Turkey under Erdogan dared to speak boldly at global forums. Despite controversies, many Muslims felt ‘someone speaks for us’. (Kinzer, Crescent and Star, 2008)

What I Believe

As a Muslim, I believe unity is not the end goal but a way to uplift our dignity in the world’s eyes. I don’t support radical caliphates. I’m not anti-nation-state either. But I want Muslims to support each other in politics, economics, and knowledge without letting the West dictate the narrative forever. (Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, 1996)

Closing

Is the world afraid if Muslims unite? To me, ‘afraid’ isn’t the right word. It’s geopolitical caution. History proves that when Muslims stand together and trust each other, old power structures tremble.

Unity is hard, but not impossible. And maybe this question should stay in our hearts: if not us, then who?

Lokasi: GWFC+FR Blodgett Mills, NY, Amerika Serikat

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