The crescent moon coin: A hypothesis on how all Muslims can work together through radically peaceful methods to fight terrorism and usher an era of prosperity.

This is an interesting hypothesis I found on Reddit. I am not sure how much it fits in the real world. Sharing it to understand the views of Steemians on this. The original link is https://www.reddit.com/r/islam/comments/6ei8mh/the_crescent_moon_coin_a_hypothesis_on_how_all/

Salamun alaykum all.

These are violent times. The radicalisation of believers in the name of religion has caused great harm. Generations have been lost in the endless wars plaguing this world, profiteering from the military-industrial complex. States and nations have either imploded or have been bombed out of existence. We are producing both, refugees and radicals at a staggering rate. As if problems like climate change, over-population, depreciating water resources and countless others that are preparing the way for mankind’s doom weren’t enough. We now have another one. One that is hell-bent on hijacking this religion of peace, distorting its verses to brainwash thousands, committing millions to a life of violence, catalysing society into perpetual oppression. Do you see a problem here? If you are don’t, then I am not sure how you are able to interpret the news you get from around the world. But if you do acknowledge that there’s something wrong here. That things should never have been so bad for people, both believers and non-believers. And that the name of our beloved Allah should not be dragged into this mindless bloodshed and destruction. If you can clearly see all that in the open, then you are being able to infer that we all have somehow collectively managed to board a ship on a roller-coaster ride to Jahannam (mankind as a whole). If you are a coder, scientist, tech enthusiast or just anybody in general, who identifies him/herself as a Muslim in any way and wonders if there could be a possible way to stop or may be skip this utter mayhem then read on. The time may have come.

Acknowledging the problem

The first step towards solving any problem in general is to understand that there is in fact, the existence, of this problem. But this problem is not a stand-alone one. It has multiple facets and multiple factors. So how do we precipitate this complex problem into simpler words that can resonate with all of us? Well, we know two things for sure.

1. The problem definitely affects Muslims in many ways.
2. The problem has to do with violence (both, forced upon and propagated by)

Hence, in a nutshell the problem can be put across as “Anything that makes Muslims come into contact with violence.”

The reasons for this statement to come true are multiple and complex. We will discuss a few in some time. However, we have to be clear on key thing. Violence and hatred only begets more violence and hatred. We have been down that path for decades now. Hence the solution has to be something that removes violence and hatred from the equation completely. Now, let’s look at some of the reasons.

1. The passing of the baton from European imperialism to American hegemony

European countries underwent industrialisation in the 18th and 19th century. With this this newfound power, they went on to establish colonies all over the world, to suck economies dry and fill their own coffers. This mad race was responsible for the two world wars that mankind has seen till date. At the end of the 2nd world war, these countries decided to cut up their territories in Asia and Africa arbitrarily, establishing nation states, much of whom have been under turmoil ever since.
The end of the 2nd world war also established the USA as a greatest superpower in terms of economy and weaponry. USA leaped upon this golden opportunity. It had figured out that war meant manufacture of weaponry, which in turn was a great stimulant to the economy. After all, World War II pulled these giant economies out of the Great Depression. It was that effective. The lessons were learnt properly and since then the USA has been going around manufacturing one war after another, trying to pull down Governments around the world that didn’t agree to its policies and have anything of value to offer (read: oil). The world has been in a perpetual state of war ever since.

Most of us are somewhat aware of these facts and understand the American hegemony. The Americans themselves have grown desperate as the establishment that propagates these endless wars have also captured the Federal Bank, the Wall Street, the political parties and media of America. Bernie Sanders, a Democrat nominee of America’s last election pointed out these problems well. His views resonated strongly with the millennials as they understand better about their screwed economy and the bleak future awaiting them. Some say the richest 0.001% of the American economy have total control over the whole economic, political and media establishment, manipulating it for their own benefit. Being the richest 0.001% of the American economy also makes them the richest in the world and in turn helps them run their evil show all over the world. Their control and efficiency is so great that even the ones who understand the grander scheme of things have no option other than being mute spectators of this mayhem. That, or strap a bomb on their bodies and blow themselves up on a busy street corner, as if the five year old kid who died had something to do with how screwed up things are in the Muslim world.

1. Propagating the teachings of one Ibn Taymiyyah.

Islam, like all other major religions of the world has seen the advent of many philosophers who have tried interpreting the holy Quran and the Hadiths. These are the scholars who make it their lives’ mission to understand our holy scriptures and explain what Allah had tried telling us through our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Throughout our religion’s history, we have looked upon these scholars as holy men and saints, and have turned to them, to seek advice and guidance. This had been happening for centuries; until now. Now we have entered a dangerous phase which sees the cancellation of all interpretations known to Muslims and establish one ideology alone. An ideology that adheres to interpretation of all scripts without the use of a single grey cell that Allah has bestowed upon us. It is an ideology that abolishes reasoning and shuts off emotions and calls for complete submission (to itself; not to Allah). This kind of ideology is very powerful and can be used by an efficient tool by political establishments to direct mankind towards its whimsical path. We can see examples of this nature in America too, where a certain kind of Evangelical Christianity has been propagated by the Republican party for decades and has now brought its population to such an intellectual low that it has broken all barriers of stupidity.

It has spawned mindless people who eat up dogma like vaccines cause autism, the earth is flat, the earth is merely 6000 years old, evolution is just a theory and science is evil. They have literally stopped teaching science at many such areas and come up with absurd concepts each day. This has been happening on a feedback loop now, for decades. These are the same people who have voted for and established a megalomaniac like Trump as the president of America.

If you are wondering how people could be so ignorant, then make no mistake. Understand the power of brainwashing. It’s the same kind of tactics that’s used upon the innocent youth who’s made to suicide vest and blow himself up in a children’s hospital.
So how does this kind of foolery get propagated in the Muslim world? The answer takes us back to the 13th century when one man going by the name of Ibn Taymiyyah started teaching this radical form of Islam in Arabia. It was ultraconservative and fundamentalist in nature. It rejected all other teachings and customs of Muslims all around the world and aimed to establish a single doctrine that it claims to the purest form of Islam. There’s no question of reasoning or debating with this form, as all detractors are termed as Kafir and are condemned to death. This uniquely violent and distorted version of Islam survived for centuries and was later adopted by one Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the 18th century.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab found this violent strain to be a powerful socio-politico-religious tool that could be used to control the masses effectively. Another tribal leader of his time, Muhammad bin Saud too understood the power of this tool and formed an alliance with Wahhab. Together, they fought for and established the Saud tribe as the sole ruler in their part of Arabia. Their fortunes of this nexus between Wahhabism and the House of Saud soared 1940s onwards when the pumping and export of oil started, during the World War II. It soared further in the 1950s and 60s. Saudi Arabia had by now entered into the unholy alliance with America, which had introduced the concept of petro-dollars to the world. It was the 1973 oil crisis which finally catapulted Saudi Arabia to the leadership of OPEC. With this came billions and billions of US dollars which was used extensively to propagate Wahhabism in the form of books, media, schools, scholarships and fellowships. The world had found the Islamic doppelganger of Evangelical Christianity.

1. Terror and War on Terror

The "apex of cooperation" between Wahhabis and Muslim revivalist groups was the Afghan jihad in the 1980s. These groups and its members went on to form entities like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Things morphed during the first Gulf War of 1990s. Saudis had sought the support of Amrica against Saddam Hussein. Many, including the Muslim Brotherhood-supported Sahwah "Awakening" movement strongly opposed US presence, and began pushing for political change in the kingdom. Outside the kingdom, Islamist/Islamic revival groups that had long received aid from Saudi and had ties with Wahhabis (Arab jihadists, Pakistani and Afghan Islamists) supported Iraq, not Saudi. During this time and later, many in the Wahhabi/Salafi movement (such as Osama bin Laden) not only no longer looked to the Saudi monarch as an emir of Islam, but supported his overthrow, focusing on jihad (Salafist jihadists) against the US and (what they believe are) other enemies of Islam. (This movement is sometimes called neo-Wahhabi or neo-salafi).

By this time, the richest 0.001% of the world (Americans and Saudis included) had completely understood the economy created by war. The perpetual terror/war on terror that has engulfed the world now, found its humble beginnings in a fateful day of 9/11 2001 when the Twin Towers of New York were destroyed by crashing aeroplanes into them. This event established the “War on terror” policy of America which has been used ever since to invade and ravage various countries in the Muslim world.

1. The perpetual war nexus

https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-85e80736ceab380c667db3ecda9b04b9.webp

It is very important to understand this flowchart properly. The establishment that has started and propagated this perpetual war has a very sound system in place. The actors might change, but the story remains the same. Al-Qaeda can be replaced by Daesh (ISIS). Iraq can be replaced by Syria. However the economic model cannot change as it has been reaping enormous benefits for the parties involved. The chart simplifies it to these steps.
a) America brings wealth to the Saudis.
b) Saudis use this wealth to fund the Wahhabi ideology, taking it far and wide.
c) Wahhabi ideology indoctrinates and radicalises youth throughout the world.
d) The radicalised youth is ready to sacrifice, fight and go to any extent to save “Islam” from the perceived threats.
e) America, through a direct or proxy war, tries to upset the society of a Muslim country.
f) War begins. Terrorists attack.
g) The military-industrial complex makes profit by arming both, American army and the sectarian Muslim groups fighting against a particular regime.

This is the perpetual war which has no end in sight. And it is spreading. Major democracies are moving towards populism due to the perceived threat. Nations with Muslims as minorities are trying to push them towards alienation. Nations with Muslims as majority are pushing for prosecution of other minorities in an attempt to form a totalitarian regime. All this while rogue groups like ISIS and Boko Haram wreak havoc all over the world under the pretext of saving and spreading Islam. Is there any way at all to stop this destruction in the name of Islam? What if there is.

Knowing the solution

When the system becomes the problem, do not seek to change it. Build a better system and simply abandon the old one.

Most Muslims around the world are very similar to other human beings. They want to lead a prosperous life, do the trade they know, follow the customs of their religion and land, and raise their children in a non-threatening environment. This simple way of life has become a distant fantasy of many due to the perpetual war that has been described above. Apart from the people harmed by this perpetual war, there are many who rose against the tyrannical dictators controlling various Muslim countries in Asia and Africa. We saw this uprising in the form of the Arab Spring in the 2010s. This was for the very first time that thousands across the Muslim countries looked at the evils that have crept up into the society, the atrocities that they have to go through and decided that enough was enough. Sadly, the revolution didn’t last for long and only gave rise to more terrorism, war and mayhem. What went wrong? Was it the timing? Was it the number of people involved? Or is the system just too strong to be challenged in any way? To understand why the revolution failed, let’s ask why it happened at all.

1. The first wave of decentralisation

The first wave of decentralisation is the decentralisation of information. We often hear “information is power.” Handful of people have often attained power over thousands and remained there solely by throttling and censoring the information that reached the common man. Information tells us about the world we live in. In doing so, it empowers us. It gives us reason to challenge authority and take matters into our own hands.
The precursor to the Arab Spring was the revolution in mobile technology and internet penetration. The ideas of democracy and freedom reached the masses of the Arab world via Google and Facebook. The idea of free speech gave them the idea to speak out against those oppressing dictatorships. The Arab Spring did fail to achieve the results they had set out to do. But they gave us something we can never lose. They showed us that the society we live in isn’t the best one and that a better society could exist.

1. The second wave of decentralisation

The 2nd wave of decentralisation had its roots in the Wall Street crash of 2008. The Wall Street banks (owned by those richest 0.001% of America) had screwed up badly. The crash sent the economy into spiral of recession and hopelessness that it hasn’t recovered from yet. The aftershocks of this crash were felt throughout the world. It was during this time, that an individual or group of individuals known as Satoshi Nakamoto developed the idea of the first decentralised, peer-to-peer, crypotographic currency, known as Bitcoin. I know the word Bitcoin has the tendency to divide people into groups of sceptics and believers. Let’s save the argument on Bitcoin for another day (another thread rather). Let’s concentrate on the underlying technology of blockchain instead.

For those of you, who haven’t heard of the term blockchain, now’s the time to do some research. Blockchain is a type of distributed ledger or decentralized database that keeps records. It is hack-proof to a great degree and prevents the concentration of power, owing it to its decentralised nature. Imagine it like you would imagine the internet. There’s no “off” switch for the internet and neither is there any central authority which can censor it. It’s the same for blockchains except for the fact that blockchain goes a step further and allows you to store value into it as it is also a ledger. The possibilities are immense.

1. The crescent moon coin

The mega-factory (owned and operated by the richest 0.001% of America and Saudi Arabia) which produces weapons, terrorists and terror, does so by controlling the economy. Without economy, there would be no terrorism. The global cost of terrorism had reached $ 90 billion in 2015. Pause. Think about it for a second. 90 billion dollars! That’s a humongous amount. Who provides this amount? Who invests in these terrorists? Where do they get so much money for destruction? Luckily, you have already read previous portions of this article and know the answer pretty well. Now ask yourself, what if those $90 billion were to be taken away from the evil nexus and were to be invested for the betterment of people.

Ethereum, another blockchain backed platform has opened its platform for the development of various ambitious projects. Some of these are:

a) Alice.si - A mission to restore humanity’s trust in charities by holding funds in smart contracts so that donors only pay if the charity makes an impact. It helps keep charities honest and lets donors rest easy knowing that their money is actually going to a good cause.
b) Coakt – A crowdfunding platform that lets users raise not only cash, but talent and technology as well in support of their ideas. They’re calling it the “logical next phase of crowdfunding evolution” and it may change entrepreneurial and startup methods in a profound and positive way.
c) BitNation - BitNation has been covered by BBC, CNN, Wired, New York Times, and other high-profile outlets. It is a blockchain jurisdiction, a virtual nation that is altering the way we look at politics and how we govern ourselves and connect with our peers. These are only three of the numerous products being built and the countless others that are yet to be imagined. The thing about blockchain backed technologies is that it lets everyone participate, without any disparity. It is the truest form of democracy.

This article is a message in a bottle that’s hoping to reach the hands of coders, scientists, tech enthusiasts and philanthropists who identify as Muslims.

Is there a way to develop blockchain based token to capitalise on the hopes of billions on Muslims around the world who are looking at a future growing grimmer by the day? Imagine if something like a “crescent moon coin” cryptocurrency could become a success.
a) Millions of Muslims from developed countries could trade directly with their brethren in underdeveloped countries, pulling them out of poverty and misery.
b) Countless charities could be open, whose activities could be monitored by all, that work on specific problems plaguing the Muslim world.
c) We could establish an international society comprising of knowledgeable Muslim scholars who could develop a repository of the interpretations of verses from the holy Quran and the Hadiths. This repository could have multiple similar and peaceful interpretations of each verse, which would lead Muslims to develop a more open mind and require us seek, debate for better answers. Also, it would prevent any one particular group from hacking the religion, as is being done by Wahhabism currently.

Is this a possible future, or just a fool’s dream? That’s for you to decide.