In the international arena today, America continues to project itself as a lone superpower. Despite its ailments and suffering economy, and the setbacks in its decade long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it continues to lay claim as a superpower. In the past few years, America has opened new war fronts. From the escalation in Somalia, drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan, and assault on Libya, America has either ventured alone, or with its NATO allies. The
Muslim world is engulfed in this imperialist storm. In spite of the enormous resources, the Muslim world has witnessed turmoil in her lands, as a result of her rulers sheepishly giving into the demands of
the US. This is the grim reality of the Muslim lands with respect to the US now.
It is a well-established fact, that historically Muslims had been a major world power for centuries, under the
Caliphate. Much has been written and known about the glorious era of Muslims under the Caliphate. The centers of learning established in Baghdad, Cairo, Morocco and elsewhere are well-known in history. The scientific development that Muslims achieved had been remarkable for its age and time. However little has been brought to limelight with regards to the relationship of the superpower of the past i.e. the Caliphate, with the imperial power of today i.e. America.
America’s historical roots and connections with the outside world are normally reference to the time of
Christopher Columbus, who is credited of leading the
discovery of America. However, various research studies have pointed out that about seven centuries before Columbus’s visit, Muslim travelers from the land of Caliphate had landed in America, and established roots in it.
Various archeological excavations, including coins, tools and utensils have shown the existence of
Muslims in America. Also, linguistic and philological analyses of languages and settlement names in America show similarity with those used by Muslims in Abbasid Caliphate.
Professor
Barry Fell’s (Harvard University, member of the Society of Scientific & Archeological Discoveries) research findings highlight that Muslims reached the continent at the time of
Uthman, the third Caliph. Professor Fell presents a number of facts to fortify this historic footprint. These include archeological findings in Colorado, New Mexico and Indiana along with writings, drawings on rocks in Cufic calligraphy (of
North African Arabic), which indicates that not only did the Muslims from the Caliphate settled in the region, but also established teaching institutes that taught subjects such as mathematics, geography, navigation, history etc. It is well-known that the Caliphate had encouraged establishment of learning centers throughout its lands.
The famous map of Piri Reis is also taken as proof of Muslim presence in America, as it included a small map of America, along with accurate measurements of the distance between Africa and America. Also according to Salvatore Michael Trento (former director of the Center for Archeological Research in Middletown, New York) Columbus before his first voyage to America had read
the book of Roger Bacon of Oxford University, which included compilation from a various Arabic resources, about geographical regions on the opposite side of the Atlantic.
In archaeological studies undertaken by Professors Heizer and Baumhoff of California University on the excavations in Nevada, the existence of writings in Naskhi Arabic and Cufic style were found. Calligraphic similarities exist between various writing styles of the Prophet’s name (Muhammad) found over diverse periods, particularly those relating to Africa and America. (e.g. Fig A was found in al-Ain Lahag, Morocco and Fig B in
East Walker River; both are now at the University of California, also Fig C was discovered in Nevada and Fig C and D were located in Churchill County and are also now preserved at the University of California); all these inscriptions belong to the eighth and ninth centuries, and they illustrate the resemblance in style between
North Africa and
North America, and hence show that a sizable number of Muslims had traveled from Africa to America.