Page 47 - A Call for a Turkish-Islamic Union

he Ottoman Empire's collapse at the beginning of
the twentieth century was a defining factor that
T determined the state of the Islamic world for the

rest of the century, for many new countries arose from its
ashes. However, none of them ever achieved the same de-
gree of stability and contentment their people enjoyed
during the Ottoman era.
In the twenty-first century, many problems await a
solution and many conflicts need to be resolved. The bal-
ances destroyed by the Ottoman collapse were never prop-

erly restored, and thus hotspots and highly sensitive
areas—most of which happen to be in the Islamic world,
were created. Some of these problems were overcome by
temporary measures, whereas others continue to fuel con-
flict and tension until today.
Most of these conflicts directly affect lands densely
populated by Muslims (e.g., Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq,
Afghanistan and others). Furthermore, the increasing as-
sertions about the inevitability of a clash of civilizations, as

well as aggressive anti-Muslim propaganda, make the Is-
lamic world a target in the eyes of some circles. This atti-
tude, in turn, causes unnecessary and artificial tension and
anxiety in society. Such matters trigger the question as to
which strategy the Muslims of the first twenty-first cen-
tury should adopt.