Analysis of Convergence Experiences in the Muslim World

Governments resort to instruments of power towards continuing and flourishing their political life seeking to guarantee their national security and interests through increasing their national power. One of the ways of acquiring power and enhancing it is convergence and creation of beyondnational institutions in one region. Taking a descriptive analytical method, the present article seeks to study and analyze convergenceexperiences in the Muslim world. It is an attempt to show that European Union has managed to reach most of its objectives in the light of the theories of convergence. However, Muslim countries have not been able to take an effective step towards convergence up to now. In fact, various initiatives have been made towards convergence since the establishment of the nation-state system in Muslim lands. However in practice, some of them have failed and some others have continued their activities hopingto succeed in future. This failure is due to different conditions governing Muslim countries. In fact there are great obstacles to convergence in the Muslim world many of which are not found in the free societies of the west. These obstacles are internal despotism, political differences, chauvinism, political instability, regional rivalries, colonialism and Zionism. Out of these, internal despotism and colonizers domination areamong the most significant factors intervening the process of convergence of the Muslim world. As a result, the conventional theories of convergence are not enough for the realization of this goal in the Islamic countries. Muslim countries are in need of an example capable of removing these obstacles decisively. This example does not come aboutbut in the light of the theory of Islam. Beyond the conventional theories of convergence and as the greatest unifying factor among Muslims, Islam is able to put the Muslim world in the path of unity and integrity