Arabia (19-canon)

**Arabia** is alluded to in the *Rinnarverse* as one of four powers that competed for global domination in the years leading to World War III, the others being "America, China, and Russia". Its methods in achieving the status of a superpower include oil money, aid to other Islamic countries, and later with industry and military force. At the 22nd century, it was joined by various Middle Eastern countries into becoming the **Arabian Empire**.

## History

### Early years

The state that will become the Arabian Empire began in 1932, when Ibn Saud unified the country. With the discovery and utilisation of oil, Arabia rose to richness, and it used its influence to raise the price of oil in 1973 to pressure Western countries to stop aiding Israel in defending itself against several Arab nations.

In 1979, extremists seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca. After the Arabian government defeated them, it imposed strict rules based on Islamic and Arabian norms. Nonetheless, Arabia continued to slowly modernise, withstanding the Arab Spring of 2011 until its king Salman enacted more reforms several years later.

### The Escalation Years

Due to comments made by certain militants and ideologues, which suggested that "all Muslims should be liberated from the enemies of Islam" and unifying them under a strict government, the American politician Martel Vinneson proposed a global isolation of all Muslim countries and the expulsion of all Muslim denizens from the rest of the world. This led to global outrage, preventing the plan from being implemented: that, along with support from Europe and India, was part of the fuel that led to the Arabian Empire and its attitude against the West and India.

In the 2060's, Arabia managed to survive the worldwide economic crash. It sent its forces to help its Mediterranean neighbours defend themselves from the European raiders. When the Middle Eastern raiders attacked Europe, the Arabian government refused to help them. After Europe was taken over by right-wing militants during the Purge of Europe, some of the new dictators of Europe banned Islam and declared war on Arabia, cursing it for various historical actions. Although the Arabians were very angry at the elimination of Islam from parts of Europe, Arabia refused to send its troops towards Europe, even though it also declared war on the European countries. Its leader cared more about rebuilding the country than taking revenge on the Europeans.

In the 22nd century, the deserts became more inhospitable due to climate change causing more heatwaves and droughts. Driven by desperation, several countries merged with Arabia to form the Arabian Empire, who sent its armies to defeat local warlords and reimpose order. It stretched from Algeria in the west to the coast of Oman in the east, excluding the United Arab Emirates in the east who refused the Arabian emissaries' offers to join the empire. Egypt was allowed to preserve its independence after its minorities objected to its proposal to join the Arabian Empire.

The Arabian Empire also accepted many refugees and diverted them away from the Americas and richer parts of central Africa, although they were settled in new towns away from more-affluent cities. Many of the refugees converted to Islam to earn better careers, but they sometimes faced harassment from their Arabian peers who looked down on them for being "too foreign". In some towns, tensions between the Arabians and the refugees deteriorated into open racism, where the locals associated the refugees with crime gangs and American manipulators, leading to fights and attacks.

### Palestine and Afterwards

When Israel was ruled by a dictator, parts of the country revolted. Seeing a chance to eliminate its enemy, the Arabian Empire sent troops to help the Palestinian armies defeat the Israeli government and establish a unified government. However, the Islamic Republic of Palestine was divided between two factions. The Diplomat faction supported developing Palestine's infrastructure with Arabian funds; closer relations with Egypt, their Arabian benefactors, and the United States; and being a bridge between these three nations. The Warhawks faction called for revenge against the remaining non-Muslims, total assimilation into the Arabian Empire, and war against the Western world as revenge against the Purge of Europe. The Arabians chose the former as they did not want to be dragged into a wasteful conflict that would drain their economy. Eventually, Palestine was annexed into the Arabian government, and was given a special status due to its holy sites in Jerusalem. To avoid being overwhelmed by a combined Arabian-Palestinian army, the Israeli remnant state of Negev was fortified by the American Federation and Visegrad.

Arabia also fought wars against the Khamilad Order, who committed massacres to attack India and China. The Arabian armies and leaders were especially appalled by the Khamilad Order's brutality -- even as they supported militant groups to spread their authority, the Khamilad Order's claims that "destruction brings us closer to God" was considered too horrific. When the Khamilad Order approached the northern border of the Arabian Empire, it was defeated, and the Arabians annexed Afghanistan to defeat the Khamilad Order's rulers. In Afghanistan, the Arabians greatly improved the country's infrastructure after it was ruined by the American invasion centuries ago: this caused some people in Pakistan to call for their country to be annexed by the Arabian Empire, and the Indian government to be on high alert.

Impressed by the economic success of the Arabian Empire, politicians in some countries suggested for their countries to be annexed under the Arabian government. Some did this to seek Arabian economic aid to lift them out of poverty. Others wanted to avoid the other Four Powers through Arabian protection, and still others wanted to use Arabian troops to wage war on their enemies.

### Akhand Bharat and Pakistan

Hundreds of years afterwards, Pakistan was taken over by the Khand Clique. The dictator, Abadi Khand, proposed to the Arabian leader to make his country a part of the Arabian Empire. Khand wanted the Arabian Empire to quickly build his economy, and when he noticed that India was torn apart in a civil war, he planned to use his Arabian reinforcements in his attempted conquest of India. The loss of independence caused revolts to break out in parts of Pakistan, so he formed a personality cult to suppress the rebellions.

His attempts to invade India were partially successful, as his armies were aided by young men who sought revenge against India. They were repelled by the forces of Akhand Bharat, who rallied behind the first president. Upset by his defeat, several Arabian officers overthrew Abadi Khand and took over the government, triggering more revolts against partial Arabian rule. One of the warlords gathered an army at the western part of India, supported by more militants and Arabian funds in a last-ditch attempt to annex India into Arabian rule: that warlord and his army was defeated. The first president of Akhand Bharat sent personnel to help the newly-united Pakistani government and its impoverished people, to ensure that they do not wage war on his nation. However, his attempts to rebuild Pakistan became unpopular among certain rebel groups and his own supporters.

### Reformation?

Amid the militarism promoted by later governments, a reformist movement emerged in Syria. They advocated for the Arabian government to mobilise the resources of the empire not to wage war on the rest of the world, but to improve the livelihoods of its poor. That movement claimed that by improving people's lives, they were showing the world how Islam is correctly practiced, instead of waging punitive wars against the rest of the world. It was supported by the allies of Arabia, who sought to make the Arabian Empire share its bountiful wealth with them.

This movement, the Ikhlas Movement, enjoyed partial success in its homeland of Syria and scattered provinces of the Arabian Empire as it helped the poor and minorities emerge from poverty and marginalisation. In other parts, it was suppressed by the authorities, and its also defended itself and its guests from extremist rebels that emerged at the outlying regions of the empire.

### World War III

In the wake of World War III, the Arabian Empire sent its forces north to defend the Muslim states of Central Asia against Russian and Chinese expansion. Some Arabian troops managed to occupy a part of Xinjiang, but they and their American rivals were later faced with opposition from Uyghur nationalists.

Other Arabian troops were stationed at Pakistan, which had been annexed as Arabia's easternmost province to gain access to quickly-built infrastructure and trading wealth. The final dictator of Arabia sought to use his army at Pakistan in his desperate attempt to implement Ghazwa-e-Hind and expand further east, but his great defeat led to his downfall.

However, the Arabian Empire's wars were stopped when a revolution overthrew the dictator. The Ghazwa Expedition and its many supporters were later defeated expelled by the new leader of Pakistan, who was angry that his country was dominated by Internet-obsessed fanatics who cared more about war against India and imperialism, instead of helping his own people survive.

Like most of the world, Arabia was devastated during the worldwide bombardment. And like Akhand Bharat, China, and the Turkic Federation, Arabia was rebuilt by the free peoples of the Galaxy, who used it to resist the Unionite armies. It lost north Africa to the Earth Union.

Some members of the Ikhlas Movement migrated to the eastern parts of the Galaxy, where they founded their own colonies. One of their allies was the Harsparex Alliance, whose members converted to Islam. Having learned the grave errors of the Arabian Empire and various extremist groups, the Harsparex dedicated themselves to protecting the other free peoples of the eastern Milky Way from various warlords, mass murderers, and slave-lords, such as Emperor Zalim. But unlike the Arabian Empire, the Harsparex refused to impose their rule or their faith upon their allies and protectorates.

Arabia sent its forces to aid the Turkish revolutionaries as they fought back against the Earth Union, but their advances were halted when the Greeks took over Constantinople.

## Society

Like its rivals, the people of this Arabia are very proud of their leaders and their country. They do not accept any criticism or anything considered "deviant" or "idolatrous", and they proudly see themselves as "the centre of civilisation" who will one day bring the world to serve the true God.

As its civilisation became stronger and richer, the Arabian Empire became more arrogant, seeking to become the leader of the world. Encouraged by its rivalry against the two Americas, China, and Russia, the Arabian Empire later sought to surpass all of them as a global power. Consumed by pride from its strength as a superpower, the later Arabian Empire became more warlike, seeking to punish every enemy of Islam throughout history.

The member states of the Arabian Empire are mostly autonomous. While some member states allowed non-Muslims to live among them and practice their ways, non-Muslims are forbidden from entering the Makkah Region.

Although Arabian society is patriarchal for the most part, in parts of Arabia women enjoy more freedoms and rights. In others, women were only allowed within separate public spaces, and they were only allowed to wear veils.

## Religion

Arabia is completely devoted to the religion of Islam. When other countries joined the Arabian Empire, some of them chose to permit non-Muslims to have some limited freedoms, while others mandated every citizen within their realms to follow Islam. It was those realms and various strict laws within the Arabian Empire that made it more dangerous for non-Muslims.

Encouraged by the military success of the Arabian Empire, various militant groups sought Arabian aid in their war against their enemies. Some wanted revenge; while others believed that only by conquering the world will world peace be achieved, by the iron fist of an Arabian world government.

The subjects of the Arabian Empire regarded the societies of the AF, Post-Purge Europe, and the US as antitheses of their ideal Islamic society: the AF and post-Purge Europe for their vehement opposition to the existence of Islam, and the US for its supposed "corrupting values". Public anger against these countries fuelled these social attitudes in the Arabian Empire to become a more dominating force. India was later added among the "antithesis" countries for its leaders' opposition to Islam and Pakistan.

Certain parts of the Arabian Empire practiced a more extreme form of Islam, based on the interpretations of hardline groups. Contrasting against the more-affluent parts of the empire, life in these parts has become more strict as the leaders wanted to force people to obey God. Among the rules used included killing sinners; a complete ban on portraits, all music, and various games; and an Arabised dress code. Before World War III, there were three times when the Arabian Empire imposed those rules for the whole nation, which eventually fell apart as some parts continued to resist army attacks.

### Punishment of the world

Unfortunately, as the Arabian Empire became stronger, its state religion was corrupted by pride, followed by hatred. Its authorities taught that God had built it as the instrument of His wrath, for all persecutions and wars committed against all Muslims. Unlike its later Indian counterpart, the Arabian Empire's desire for vengeance was not from a "karmic force", but simply as God's punishment to the whole world for its sins. Its armies and supporters were also motivated by a fear that if they allow the sinners and offenders to even live, God will destroy them and the world in His wrath.

Everyone who committed every offense against the Arabian Empire was added to a list of enemies of the faith, who deserved nothing but cruelty to frighten them into repentance. Those offenses may range from harming local Muslims to aiding nations that waged war on Muslim nations, to even blaspheming God: crimes that may lead to horrific ruin by either God's hand, or the hands of the Arabian executioners. The authorities of the Arabian Empire believed that no matter how cruel their punishment was, it was always appropriate, a relief for years of persecution and loss.

Enemies who were truly sorry had to embrace their own ruin, or the punishments of the Arabian Empire. If they were lucky enough to survive the onslaught, they would be reduced to vassals or even colonies. That destructive attitude was shared by the many powers of Earth, culminating in the ruin of World War III and then the Vetarbroitar bombardment of the planet.

## Trivia

* The Arabian Empire in the Rinnarverse was based on Islamic nationalists on Twitter and various websites.