Cooperation among neighbours.

Islam has exerted so much emphasis on good relations with our neighbors, and there is a very solid reason for that. Good neighborly relations make for a beautiful and peaceful community.
Just this morning I was listening to a lecture at UW-Madison about Relations of United States with European Nations. The lecturer has designed a road map of US economic and political power interlinked with the good neighbor policy with European countries. He outlined the four P's that are necessary to achieve this goal of reaching ultimate power. The four P's are: Partnership, Prosperity, Prudence and Power. After the WWII, United States worked in Partnership with its European allies to build its Infra-structure, first with America and then in Europe. They collaborated in building highways, Industries and universities to help recover the loss in the war in Germany, UK and other countries in the European nations. Also they created NATO, which helped the United States and the Europeans to safe guard each others geo-political interests. This sharing of wealth, technology and intelligence laid the foundation of prosperity in 1945 that enabled the Europeans and the Americans to reap the benefits of from 1970 to-date. Co-operations and collaborations rendered prudence and trust in the hearts of the people of the two continents and lead them to achieve their goals of becoming the most powerful and economically balanced nations in the world.
Moral of the story....We should pay heed to the words of our prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h), and force ourselves to be patient, tolerant and kind towards our neighbors. We need to deal with our issues, try to find an amicable resolutions to our conflicts, even if it means to sometimes sign treaties from a point of weakness. But in any case, we should be a trust worthy and honest neighbor and we need to apply all means to improve our image and build trust in the hearts of our neighbors. We need to work sincerely to protect, provide and improve each others homelands. Their friends should be our friend, and our enemy should be their enemy too. For this we must first open our minds, then our hearts and eventually our homes to each other. Partnership is the only way to become prosperous and prudent and eventually powerful.
We are as strong as our neighbors. When all the fingers come together they become a fist. Fist is power.