There is no doubt that the largest war in modern history was World War II. These days, the victorious parties in this war widely celebrate May 9th as “Victory Day.” Among these countries is Kyrgyzstan, where Muslims constitute the majority of the population, and this day is also considered an official holiday.

To understand the true significance of May 9th, we must first delve a little into the pages of history:

In 1919, World War I ended with the Treaty of Versailles. Under this treaty, Germany withdrew from the territories it had occupied, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was divided into two. The League of Nations was also established under the pretext of maintaining international security. In the Treaty of Sèvres, England and France divided most of the Ottoman State’s territories, in addition to the German colonies.

England and France established the League of Nations to maintain these colonies. The slogans of this organization became the preservation of peace and disarmament. However, England supported and encouraged Germany’s rearmament to counterbalance France. With a degree of facilitation from both England and Russia, Germany regained its major power status and reignited the flames of a new world war.

First, Germany clung fiercely to Nazi ideology and sought to dominate all other nations. Second, it was no longer content with merely recovering the spoils it had lost after World War I; it now aspired to seize the wealth of the entire world.

In World War II, which began in 1939, the Axis powers, Germany, Japan, and Italy, fought against the Allied powers, the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and later the United States, with more than 60 other countries joining the conflict. A total of 25 million military personnel and 38 million civilians were killed in the war. The majority of these casualties, approximately 20 million, were citizens of the Soviet Union. The war ended with the defeat of the Axis powers.

To divide the spoils and ensure their future security, the victors signed an agreement at the Yalta Conference of February 1945. Under this agreement, Germany was divided into four occupation zones under the influence of the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France. Later, it was divided into two zones: a western zone under American influence, and an eastern zone under Soviet influence.

The Soviet Union was initially slated to enter the war against Japan, but this plan was thwarted by the United States’ atomic bombing of Japan, which effectively ended the war. Japan then became a country under American influence. Korea was also divided into two states, one under the influence of the Soviet Union, and the other under the influence of the United States.

The victorious powers decided to establish the United Nations, which was created by the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China.

In short, these five countries divided the entire world amongst themselves after World War II. To prevent the emergence of a sixth power that might share in the division of global interests, these five countries agreed to create the United Nations as a trap to force nations into submission and subjugation. The lofty phrases used in the organization’s definition, such as the central mission of the “maintenance of international peace and security,” are merely intended to deceive the public, who are unaware of its true nature.

In 1947, the Paris Peace Conference was held, resulting in Italy losing its colonies and falling under the influence of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain. Hungary, Romania, and Finland were also forced to pay reparations.

In conclusion, World War II was nothing more than a war between the major powers for hegemony and resources. Why should we consider the outcome of a power struggle between the major powers a “great victory”? What difference does it make to colonialized nations whether one side or the other wins? For example, what significance does a US or Russian victory hold for us today in their struggle for influence in Central Asia? If the major powers are the ones who define “homelands” for us as they see fit, isn’t it naive to consider them our homelands?

Just yesterday, the Soviet Union was our homeland. Where is it today, and what remains of its legacy? Why aren’t we permanent members of the UN Security Council? Why isn’t Kazakhstan considered a nuclear state, even though nuclear tests were conducted there during the Soviet era? In fact, nuclear weapons still exist there, but they belong to Russia. And tomorrow, if America, in its conflict with Russia, establishes a Turkestan state for the Turkic peoples, will we then stand and sing its praises as “our homeland”?

In truth, from the dawn of history until the Day of Judgment, conflicts between nations have stemmed from only two causes: first, the desire for hegemony and dominance; and second, the pursuit of material interests.

The first is further divided into two parts: the desire to establish and spread a fundamental ideology, and the desire for nationalistic dominance, fanaticism, and arrogance. For example, the Islamic state possessed the desire to establish and spread Islam for nearly 1300 years, while the communist state possessed the desire to establish its ideology for approximately 30 years.

As for German Nazism and Italian Fascism, which were the causes of World War II, their motivations were the desire for nationalistic dominance and the pursuit of material interests.

Thus, Muslims must learn from history. If they do not strive with their wealth and lives for the sake of their Islam, they will remain victims of the world wars waged between disbelieving (kufr) states, or of the local conflicts ignited by those states. At the same time, we must not knowingly become victims of the conflicts of disbelieving states. We are responsible for that before Allah (swt).