Life's Rich Tapestry

Since Men Came To Live In Groups - Tribes And Susequently Nation States Have Attempted To Provide The Security Necessary For The Survival And Development Of Civilisation. However It Became The Accepted Truth That « The Thousand Natural Shocks That Flesh Is Heir To» Can Only Be Warded Off By A Belief In A Power Greater Than Man Himself. The State And Religion Have Always Been Considered Essential Tools For The Prosperity And Advancement Of The Human Species In Understanding The World Into Which Men And Women Were Born. With The Recent Rapid Advances In Technology - The Access To Instantaneous Communication Across The World And The Spread Of Globalisation In All Its Forms The Nation State Has Become Superfluous. The Formation Of The European Union From A Group Of Countries Who Have Been At War Many Times In The Past And Twice In The 20Th Century Points The Way Forward For All Other States Who Are At Loggerheads. Religion Has Likewise Come To Be Understood To Mean The Division Of Peoples One From Another With No Attempt By The Religious Authorities Or Individuals To Promote Amalgamation. Each Wishes To Protect Itself From Contamination By Their Rivals. The Combination Of The Nation State And Religion In The Middle East Is A Particularly Dangerous Situation For The Whole Of Mankind. What Good Will It Do For Islam ? The Author Believes That Both Religion And The Concept Of The Nation State Must Lose Their Present Status In The Minds Of All Persons. We Must Learn To Work Together Men And Women Of All Nationalities To Determine Our Future. There Is No One Else To Decide Otherwise.