American Exceptionalism is Colonialist Expansion, Enabled by the Betrayal of Muslim Rulers

Donald Trump’s recent comment, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too... create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area, do a real job, do something different”, is part of a long-standing colonialist mindset that has shaped U.S. foreign policy for centuries. These statements reflect yet another face of American exceptionalism, which is the belief that the United States is unique and exemplary compared to other nations. This doctrine has historically justified genocide, colonialist expansion, and global dominance under the false pretense of bringing “peace and freedom.”

From the annihilation of Native Americans to the invasion of multiple countries, American exceptionalism has served as a smokescreen for colonialist ambitions. This ideology framed America as a “chosen nation” entitled to conquer lands and impose its rule under the illusion of “manifest destiny.” However, this was merely the first chapter in a long history of expansionism in which genocide became a tool for empire-building. From Vietnam to Iraq, from Afghanistan to Palestine, American foreign policy has consistently justified mass killings as a necessary price for “freedom” and “democracy.” Trump’s vision for Gaza follows this very blueprint, where U.S. control over a devastated land is presented as a solution rather than a continuation of oppression. Allah (swt) said,

[وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ] “When they are told, “Do not spread corruption in the land,” they reply, “We are only peace-makers!” [TMQ Surah Al-Baqarah: 11].

After World War II, the United States strategically reshaped the global order to serve its own interests. The United Nations (UN), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank were framed as mechanisms for global peace and economic stability, but they entrenched U.S. hegemony. With Britain and France weakened by the war, the U.S. pressured them out of their colonialist empires to replace European dominance with American control. The U.S. legitimized its interventions through the UN, while the IMF and World Bank trapped nations in debt, forcing them into economic dependency. This post-war order ensured that U.S. military, political, and financial power remained unchallenged, allowing it to dictate global affairs under the pretense of democracy and international cooperation. What was once European colonialism, became American neocolonialism, disguised under diplomacy and development.

Trump’s vision of Gaza is not just about military dominance but also economic enslavement. The transformation of a land soaked in the blood of its people into a playground for Western elites is a deliberate attempt to erase the history of Palestinian resistance, and impose a system where foreign investors, not the Palestinian people, benefit. This reflects a pattern seen in other war-torn regions, where capitalist reconstruction projects function as instruments of long-term control rather than genuine rebuilding efforts, much like the post-2003 U.S. and British occupation of Iraq.

While American exceptionalism fuels global colonialism, it would be impossible to sustain without the betrayal of the rulers of Muslims. Across the Muslim world, so-called leaders have acted as mere extensions of Western powers, ensuring that Muslim lands remain weak, divided, and under foreign control. From normalizing relations with “Israel,” despite its genocidal campaign against Palestinians, to allowing Western military bases on sacred Islamic lands, these rulers have repeatedly prioritized US interests over the well-being of the Ummah. They serve as enablers of occupation, criminalizing resistance movements while allowing Western corporations to plunder resources. The failure of these rulers to reject American influence exposes their role as mere caretakers of Western interests.

The expansion of American exceptionalism must be resisted by Muslims worldwide. This is not just a Palestinian issue but a global Islamic struggle. Muslims must reject the idea that Western capitalism and governance models hold the solutions to their problems, and instead reclaim their own systems of governance and economy based on divine guidance. The Islamic Ummah must recognize and confront those leaders who collaborate with colonialists and fail to defend their people. The Ummah must reject the Western secular model and return to an Islamic framework that prioritizes leadership, justice, and unity through a tried and tested system of Khilafah.

No foreign power has the right to dictate the future of any Muslim country. The Muslim World must break free from Western economic and military dominance and establish the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood. Rejecting capitalism and American exceptionalism is a Shariah obligation upon every Muslim, because they are systems of kufr. The Ummah must recognize that true justice and liberation will not come from Western systems but from within, from a revived, unified Muslim world, with independence in decision making, that refuses to bow to colonialist interests. The path forward is clear: break the chains of dependency, reject Western hegemony, and reclaim the power that rightfully belongs to the Ummah by establishing the Khilafah.

[يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِؤُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ * هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ]

“They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it. It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although the polytheists dislike it.” [TMQ Surah As-Saff 61:8-9]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Maryam Ansari