The Future of Global Order

Will the global order remain as it is? Will American hegemony continue to oppress the people? This is what America strives for, pushing beyond the limits of reason and unreason in its jihad, and this is what the American administration is keen to maintain, regardless of which political parties are in power, from the far-right to the far-left. Though the methods may differ, it is certain that advocating against the overwhelming current is futile and a defiance of immutable laws.

The Rise of a Multipolar World

Today, everyone speaks of a world where the sun of American hegemony sets, where multiple poles abound. The issue does not stop at predictions and analyses; it extends to the rush and intensifying conflict over the resources of the earth and the dictates of creation. Anyone who takes a quick glance at the behavior of China, Russia, and many countries around the world will realize this truth. Despite the malign intentions of the Chinese dragon, the malice of the Russian bear, and the baseness of the Hindu cone, we are optimistic about something else that is unrelated to the identities of the conflicting powers, namely that the multiplicity of poles, their attraction and repulsion, their oscillation between advance and retreat, provides a margin for the oppressed to find a foothold in a land inherently marked by eternal conflict.

The Law of Mutual Confrontation

Perhaps this is one of the consequences of the law of mutual confrontation, protecting the earth from general corruption. Allah says: "If it had not been for Allah's repelling some people by others, the earth would have been corrupted" (Al-Baqarah: 251). Perhaps this law of mutual confrontation is a precursor to another law that is closely related to it but specific to this nation, the law of "repulsion." Allah states: "If Allah had not repelled some people by others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques where the name of Allah is much mentioned would have been demolished" (Al-Hajj: 40). Here, the term "people" is used in a general sense intended for the specific—unlike the first verse—meaning: "If it were not for Allah repelling the disbelieving people with the believing people."

The Inevitable Downfall of American Hegemony

Recently, the throne of America has been claimed by those who will swiftly lead it, like a falling star, to its inevitable downfall! According to the law of change (and you will not find any alteration in the law of Allah) (Al-Ahzab: 62), the human existence centered around a single pole after the Cold War was an exceptional temporary situation; it was not meant to last or extend. Ibn Khaldun hinted at the consistent principle according to this law, stating that "nations have natural lifetimes like individuals," before elaborating on the phases they go through, ultimately reaching the fifth phase, the phase of "excess and waste," which is precisely what American society is immersed in now. This has become a consumerist behavior that, according to Niall Ferguson, is difficult to change even in the long term. Moreover, the West is not an exception among the nations subject to an uncompromising and unyielding law; it is like other civilizations that were born, matured, and eventually became old and decrepit. The law of Allah does not change or alter, and days rotate among people: "And those days We alternate among the people" (Aali Imran: 140).

The End of the Unipolar World

Many have long predicted the impending end of the dominant unipolar system. Initially, Samuel Huntington's perspective in his foundational book "The Clash of Civilizations" was based on inductive statistical studies. He traced the paths of nations and their relationship to their cultural identities, stating: "European colonialism has ended, American hegemony is waning, which is followed by the erosion of Western civilization, where deep-rooted customs, languages, beliefs, and indigenous institutions assert themselves. The growing strength of non-Western societies resulting from modernization leads to the revival of non-Western cultures around the world." Following Huntington, the renowned American writer and thinker Fareed Zakaria, in his famous book "The Post-American World," elaborates further: "In 1991, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker indicated that the world was moving towards entering a centralized system, where all countries pass through the United States to reach their intended destinations. However, a better description of the twenty-first century is that it is a world with multiple pathways, where travel plans are drawn every day. The world is moving from anger to indifference, from hostility towards America to a post-American era."

The Challenge of Polarization

The most dangerous challenge facing America is the violent polarization based on deep cultural divides. When we compare the statement of Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers after writing the U.S. Constitution: "Old Europe must lean on our shoulders and walk in our footsteps as much as it can, bound by the shackles of kings and priests; what a mighty giant we shall be!" with the statement of Andrew Grove, founder of Intel, who recently said: "America faces the danger of following Europe into collapse, and the worst part is that no one knows this. They all live in denial, patting each other on the back, while the 'Titanic' heads for the iceberg at full speed." Additionally, what The Economist cited about Niall Ferguson in an article: "It may be time to confront the reality that the end of an empire is rarely a painless process." When we compare past and present statements, we can only submit to the verse: (And Allah prevails in His matter, but most of the people do not know) (Joseph: 21). If the events have confirmed these statements, then America's throne has recently been ascended by whoever will pull America down swiftly like a star falling into the inevitable abyss. Just a few weeks into the beginning of his second term, cries have risen in major newspapers. Max Steyer states: "Trump is destroying everything in the way of what he wants to do, including the fact that loyalty has become the primary criterion for selecting his direct appointees. This includes crushing the civil service and turning it into a tool for his own agenda, rather than being a force for the common good and the rule of law." Perhaps the most dangerous challenge facing America is the intense polarization rooted in deep cultural differences. This serious dimension was highlighted by a public opinion professional, William MacIntyre, in a statement to the Washington Post, stating: "We have two huge forces colliding; one is a rural, religiously conservative Christian group, and the other is a secular group living in New England and along the Pacific coast." Similar sentiments were expressed by Patrick Buchanan: "We are two countries and two peoples; old America is dying, and new America is getting what it deserves.” Even Fukuyama, who has long been rowing against the current in his book "The End of History," has returned to echo the prevailing sentiment, saying: "American society is characterized by sharp polarization... it has turned since then into a bitter struggle over cultural identity."

The Muslim Perspective

We Muslims are capable of emerging from the dark tunnel to find our footing if we wish and strive for it. There are causes for collapse that are no less effective than polarization. In the book "The Idol... The Rise and Fall of the American Empire," it states: "Consumption based on borrowing, reluctance to go to the battlefronts, and the tendency to lose interest in missions; if all these traits conjure an image of America in the mind as a lazy rebel fond of lounging and not leaving the house, or in coarser terms, a strategic addict to sitting and watching television, then this image deserves thought and reflection... It seems that the burden of the white man is carried on his belly!" All that has been said should serve as a prelude to asserting: we—Muslims—are capable of emerging from this dark tunnel to find our place in this crowded space, if we wish. If we strive toward this goal, then God does not let the reward of those who do good deeds go to waste. And if we refuse—God forbid—let our nation await another civilizational cycle.