Political developments, tragedies, fighting and suffering going on in the Middle East prey upon the conscience. Ruthlessness, injustice, hatred and anger literally paralyze communities. People are hungry for love; the longing for peace, compassion, love and affection is greater than ever before. Bringing policies of ‘peace and love’ to prevail across the world is easy. The difficult thing is to live in hatred, cruelty, suffering, pain and war.

The last one hundred years in the Middle East have been full of war, occupations, terror and violence. In 1916, under the secret Sykes-Picot treaty, the imperialist mentality divided the Middle East artificially with lines drawn with a ruler. Brothers, relatives and communities that had lived together for hundreds of years were forcibly torn apart and divided. As if that were not enough, the region’s underground resources and material wealth were also heavily exploited; the dictators who followed made people’s lives a misery and deprived them of their liberties. The pride of the Middle Eastern people was thus broken.

This fine region, the richest part of the world in material and spiritual terms, the holy lands where the prophets lived, literally turned into a hell on earth. Self-interest, egoism and lovelessness literally paralyzed the warm people of the region, deprived them of their joy and ruined their peace. The language of violence and hatred resulted in communities tasting suffering rather than joy. For the sake of their own interests, certain tribes, organizations and parties violated people’s most basic human rights in the areas where they were powerful. Regimes began to think of their power, rather than their people. Investment was made in material things instead of people. Money was spent on arms and not on education, health, social life and art. Imperialism, savage capitalism and other political trends that emphasized hatred brought neither peace nor happiness to the region. Countries that entered the region always embraced loveless policies. The solution to problems was sought in violence, rather than love, tolerance and mutual understanding.

Yet the only thing the region needs is love. Policies of love must predominate in the Middle East, not contemptuous language, threats, harsh policies, sudden violence and policies of hatred.

The world needs love. The Middle East needs love.

The greatest power in the world is the existence of a high quality community that insists on policies of love. The secret to being strong is to be united and able to react as one against difficulties and aggression. Our greatest weapons are quality, art, talent and unity. LOVE IS OUR GREATEST WEAPON AND OUR WEALTH.

Countries in the Middle East are constantly heading towards breaking up; that must be stopped at once. That way of thinking must be replaced by a spirit of unity that predominates in the region.

New impassable borders and new insurmountable walls are erected in the wake of every break up. Mines are laid, barbed wire goes up, walls are raised and ditches are dug. Yet all the Middle East needs is love, the replacement of borders with bonds of love and the maximum freedom possible.

Unity will bring about many delights. There will be a climate of freedom WHERE BORDERS ARE ABOLISHED AND THERE IS FREE MOVEMENT, in which people can travel freely from Cairo to Damascus, Istanbul or Baku. We must have a Middle East in which someone who had breakfast in Beirut can have dinner in Gaza, then visit Jerusalem and finally move on to Yemen in complete safety.

THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OF ESTABLISHING THAT UNION; to embrace the Qur’an, TO LIVE BY THE MORAL VALUES GOD DESIRES OF US AND TO DESIRE THE IMMEDIATE APPEARANCE OF THE MAHDI FORETOLD BY OUR PROPHET (SAAS). LET US NOT FORGET THAT A FRAGMENTED ISLAMIC WORLD WITH NO LEADER CAN NEVER KNOW PEACE.