News:
This week
the British Prime Minister, Theresa May formally
announced March 2017 as the date to commence Britain’s separation from the EU.
By invoking Article 50, Britain will have two
years to negotiate separate trade treaties with 27 member states, as well as the WTO. Given the scale and magnitude of the task
there is no certainty that such a large number of trade deals can be successfully concluded
within the specified period. However, the real question is whether Britain’s
exit from the EU has any strategic value for the country.
Comment:
Immediately
after May’s announcement, the pound sank to a 31-year low against the dollar
and the FTSE broke the 7000 barrier. The opposite movement of economic
indicators mimics in many ways the reactions of the Europhile
and Brexit camps.
Brexiteers
swiftly pointed to FTSE figures as a vote of confidence by international
investors in Britain’s official declaration to start divorce proceeding with
the EU. Meanwhile, Europhiles lamented at the weakness of sterling—for them the
demise of the currency was incontrovertible proof that Britain was hurtling
towards economic chaos.
Leaving
aside the two camps, political analysts have alluded to party politics playing
an instrumental role in the announcement of the timetable. In their view, the
Conservative Party ravaged by an overwhelming sentiment for the dislike of
Brussels forced Theresa May’s hand. The same divisions prompted May’s
predecessor Cameron to gamble with Britain’s future in Europe via the June 23
referendum. The unexpected result failed to heal the deep rifts amongst the
Tories and put Britain in a strategic conundrum. May is hoping to upend the
rifts and correct Britain’s strategic course.
The Brexit debate has been woefully mute on Britain’s
strategic direction in the contemporary world. Perhaps, most disappointing of
all there is no public discussion about Britain’s grand strategy.
For a
country that once ruled the world it is odd to find the absence of a vision and
a grand strategy in public discourse. The current dislike towards Europe
amongst Britons is in many respects an outcome of the failure of Britain’s WW2
grand strategy. Back then, Churchill calculated that America’s involvement in
the war effort was crucial to overcome the Axis powers. In reality, the
military victory of the allies turned out to be a monumental failure for
Britain’s grand strategy. It marked the end of the British Empire.
Since
Churchill’s strategic blunder, the British elite has been debating whether
Britain’s future lies with Europe, or is intertwined with the fortunes of her
former colony America. Such strategic deliberation remain unresolved, and
unsurprisingly Britain has found itself oscillating between America and Europe to
safeguard her national interests. Today, May is on the cusp of another
strategic turning point—one that perhaps could seal Britain’s fate for good.
The
decline in Britain’s strategic thinking is an important lesson for Dawa carriers that aspire to return the Ummah to the rule of the rightly guided Khilafah. It
is not enough for agents of change to limit their activities to the
establishment of the Islamic state. Dawa carriers must strive to engage the Ummah by articulating a practical Islamic vision for the
world that makes Khilafah’s grand strategy the centerpiece for revival. The
nonexistence of both the Islamic vision and strategy cost Morsi dearly. For
similar reasons, Muslims are turning away from movements like ISIS, Al Shabab
and Boko Haram.
The Islamic
heritage is a wellspring of strategic culture, which is unique, inspirational
and profoundly effective. Abu Bakr’s grand strategy consisted of making Islam
supreme in three different theaters of military operations at the same-time—a
feat unparalleled in the modern world. He succeeded in making the nascent
Islamic state in Madina overcome the Arab tribes, the powerful Romans and the
mighty Persians, and established a firm basis for Omar’s rule. In fact, Omar could not have succeeded
without Abu Baker’s strategic foresight. Hence, it is incumbent on Dawa
carriers to widen their horizon and think deeply about Islamic strategy when
engaging the Ummah.
Written
for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Abdul
Majeed Bhatti
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