International Boundaries and the New World Order: An Islamic Perspective

Abstract

Although the ideas of spheres of influence or 'hima' of tribal groups and that of frontier zones of separation between emerging kingdoms have existed since time immemorial, the concept of political or international boundaries in the form of lines of separation or demarcation between countries in modern times has been a European creation. Contrary to the European concept of political boundaries, Islam as an international religion, a religion for all mankind, and the Islamic Umma or 'nation' for that matter, did not consider the formulation of political boundaries in the form of strict lines of separation either internally among Islamic regions or externally between the Islamic 'super state’ or the state of the Caliphate epoch and her neighbours. The existing boundaries among Islamic countries have, however, been imposed by imperialist powers during the period of colonization. One of the cornerstones of European imperialist policies has been to 'divide and rule' or 'separate and dominate’. Accordingly, the once unified state of the Caliphate era has been subdivided by imperialist powers into a large number of smaller and presumably weaker states, many of which are at odds with one another (Riad 1986; Blake 1992; Saleh I 993). As it may be desired, for the sake of stability, to have a smooth relationship between neighbouring powers, historical evidence has pointed in many occasions to the reverse. Although tensions and disputes may breakout between neighbouring countries over various issues, the question of boundaries has always been the most contentious. This is why disputes over boundaries in many parts ot the world have in more recent years blown up into full-scale wars. The existing tensions over political boundaries witnessed throughout the developing world have to be sharply contrasted with the cancellation of boundaries among the highly developed countries of Europe and North America. In a way, the post-cold war period has so far been characterized by two opposing tendencies, namely, the fragmentation or “balkanization" and consolidation of nation-states. While the process of fragmentation ends by putting up more boundaries that of consolidation leads to the cancellation of boundaries. In a sense, the balance of power which was maintained during the cold war era gave way to an imbalance during the post-cold war period and has thrown the world into a deeper turmoil under the domination of a single superpower. To complicate the situation still further, the vacuum created by the defeat of enemy number one, communism, has according to western thinking, to be filled by a new foe, in this case Islam, so as to keep the idea of challenge to western civilization and values alive (Pinto I 999).
Concerning the New World Order which the superpower wishes to impose, there are already signs that the so-called “Order” will ultimately give way to 'Disorder’. A New World Order based primarily on the hegemony of a single superpower is not likely to succeed because of the many inherent contradictions. To begin with, contradictions will simply arise from the clash between the interests of the superpower and those of the others. Equally the new policies of open boundaries and globalization of trade, which are being advocated by the world major powers, are being undermined by the recent tendencies of fragmentation and consolidation of nation-states.