In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful
UNIFICATION PROCESS OF EU
UNDER CRISIS
[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]
Europe is a
vast Continent inhabited by many nations, races and ethnic minorities but predominantly
by the Abrahamic faith howsoever distorted or week it might be. These nation
states have been fighting among themselves through ages for the supremacy of
one over the other. After Renaissance, nationalism became more prominent and
each state started guarding its boarders and national interests rather more
jealously, engulfing the continent in bloody wars of decades together.
First GW [1914-18] and the Second Great War [1938-45] caused millions of
death and destruction all around Europe. Only the Marshall Aid Plan of the USA revived the Europe's hope and gave it a new life though encountering a
prolong shadow of Cold War tension between the allied Euro-American forces and
Communist Russia. It gave birth to Atlantic Alliance Command in Europe and the
USA became its most dominating partner with men and material, providing a
defense umbrella to the free Europe during the cold war and afterwards.
The
blood bath of Second Great War wherein about 34 million people were killed also
gave the concept of integration to European nations as a process to secure
peace and security. In 1951 six European countries formed the nucleus of the
current European Union. France and Denmark constituted as the founder members along with Germany, Italy, Spain and Luxemburg. It expanded gradually. In 1957 the European Economic Community was formed with the objective to remove the trade barriers
between the member countries. Through the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992, the
feeling of cooperation and sense of oneness was further strengthening by
creating the European Union. The process was further augmented by adopting a
common currency which is now known as “Euro-Dollar” and came in effect
throughout the Union on January 1, 2000.
The membership jumped to 25 when the Eastern European countries that were under
the tutelage of Communist Russia became its members. Now the idea of
solidification of one Europe with 350 million populations, rivaling to the USA with huge market potentials and casting an effective
balancing role in world politics was in the process of emerging... The EU
inched one step more towards that goal when it promulgated draft Constitution
for its 25 members in October 2004. It was “destined” to be ratified by each
member country before it would become a binding force for all and giving the Union a
reality.
The
current ratification process was started in November 04 from Lithuania and ended on June 1, 05 in Netherlands. Nine countries ratified it but France and Netherlands rejected it by overwhelming majority. Fourteen more
members are to ratify its constitution including Britain that has already becomes escapist as announced by its PM
Tony Blair. That is the beginning of the end of European dream towards
unification and becoming an “empire” on its own credit. The outgoing
referendums in France and Netherlands have shattered the dream of United Europe at least
“temporarily” for good.
In
fact, it is the logical outcome out of an unnatural process that leadership of France, Germany and Britain envisaged. Europe is a heterogeneous continent. All the three elements of
unification in terms of Modern political science and wisdom are not
available to cement the hearts and minds of different people of Europe... The
factor of common race, a common language, geographical contiguity, customs,
history and national traditions, all are missing to get them united and make
then an integrated people. It is a dream that was hatched on the wishful
thinking of the “trio” of France, Germany and Britain to get the Europe integrated on flimsy grounds, economic needs or political
expediencies. The differences of race, culture, economic disparities and
political system played havoc in the minds of the voters of France and Holland in declaring a fatal NO to Euro-Constitution. Further more
the most outspoken cause of “NON .” in Netherlands was the fear of Turkey, a predominant Muslim country to become its member
ultimately. They were sacred not only of Islam but Turkish youth who will roam
around Europe for job opportunities that are already dwindling for their
own working hands. Turkey must learn a lesson from this European death-kneel to its
decade old dream to be the member of EU within next ten years if the Union
survives. Turkey must try its luck somewhere else.
“Unification”
of people of different race, culture and languages is possible only on the
basis of faith, a common ideology and a common creed. Unfortunately, Europe has
abandoned that creed longs ago. It is dominated by different churches of
different interpretation of their “myths” and dogmas. Even the authority of
Pope is disputable in Europe. His majority of followers live outside Europe in Africa and America. The only ideology that could play a cementing force in
developing the consciousness of a united Europe was
and is that of “Al-Deen” [the Way of life]. Had they been wise enough to follow
the Abrahamic Faith as people and work concertedly for it, it would have given
them the guarantee to establish the requisite peace and security within their
fold and amongst the nations of the world abroad? Europe has
“lost” that opportunity and it would suffer under the tutelage of secular cum
liberal capitalism till some “Musa Bin Naseer” will again nock at their door
standing at the Prairies Mountain at the boarder of Spain and France with a distinct message of peace and security. Europe is
ill-fated. Turkish youth could play the same role in twenty first century but
the Referendums of France and Netherlands have doomed that hope too. By these big “NO”, the flow of
history in Europe has now been put in a reverse gear. May be temporarily,
but that is known to Allah alone.
Shamim A Siddiqi
Dated: June 5, 2005