Everywhere in the world we find Muslims subject to discrimination, excesses, harassment, and exploitation at the hands of world powers and their allies. Be it Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other region, Muslims are at a receiving end; and this despite the fact the Muslims have vast potential of men, material resources, the largest oil reserves, vast coastal lines, sea waters, important strategic geographical locations.
The Muslims have 57 independent nations and live in significant numbers in countries like USA, UK, Germany, France, China, and off course India has the largest Muslim population. yet they stand exploited beyond words, why? One general reason is that Muslims have ignored Quran, Sunnah and the spirit of Islamic brotherhood. Muslim leaders are ignorant and hardly care for Islamic teachings. They only pursue selfish ends and are only after attaining political power.
During world War-II Adolph Hitler of Germany killed over six million Jews while millions escaped to different parts of the world. Palestinian Muslims offered them settlements in their own lands. But Jews ultimately occupied the land of innocent Palestinians and have been killing Palestinian’s ruthlessly at the behest of USA.
From 1800 AD to 1950 AD, 150 years, sixty thousand books stand published by anti Muslim sections against Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which means that more than a book of blasphemous material was edited a day. It reveals the height of hatred towards Muslims of the world.
A survey to reveal the growth of major religions in USA from 1934 to 1984 (Fifty years period) was conducted by a non Muslim body and the results obtained indicated that Islam grew up 246% while Christianity 47% in those fifty years. What sword was used by the Muslims in USA to covert Christians to Islam? Media, both electronic and the print, is largely in the hands of Non Muslims.
This gives them the advantage to malign Islam and Muslims.
It is a painful irony that others exploit the natural resources of Muslim world and also work in the Arab world in different capacities, eating at the revenue of Muslims. Height of the things can be gauged by the fact that all nuclear powers, except its original inventor, have stolen the technology to build the nuclear weapons. But whenever a Muslim nation tries the same, propaganada is unleashed against her, branding her as a “Rogue Nation�. How Pakistan has been subject to a vilifying campaign in this regard and how Iran’s atomic programme is being scuttled are two glaring examples of this discrimination. Even earlier the atomic plant of Iraq was raised to ground by Israel.
Under these circumstances, the need has risen to integrate the broken and traumatized Ummah from Indonesia to Morocco and Kazakhstan to Sudan into a single unit, economically militarily, technologically, so that it becomes a power to be reckoned with.
For that to happen following measures are required to be taken seriously; Formation of Muslim Economic Community or and Common Muslim Market. The exploitation of natural resources and produce of the Muslim nations will get stopped and can lead to the establishment of economic power of Muslims.
Arabic languages is required to be made the official language in all the Muslim nations across the globe. The nations like Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Iran Kazakhstan, Bosnia, and Chechnya, where Muslims rule but have the official languages other then Arabic have to take lead in making Arabic as the official language. It will ensure the proper understanding among the Ummah. Even in countries like USA, UK, Germany, India, and China, where Muslims constitute significant portion of population, the introduction of Arabic as the medium of instruction for Muslims deserves a thought. The educational institutions of international standard for academic and research purposes are required to be set up across the Muslim world.
The role of Arab League, Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and the Islamic Development Bank are not sufficient. These organistaions are to be reshaped and redesigned as per the aspiration of Muslims. Currently Muslims constitute over 22% of the world population and have governments in the 57 countries, yet they not given a permanent seat in UNO. With the result, the concerns of the Muslims are not only ignored but get always ignored. Thus Muslims have no effective role in the world politics.
Muslims must vacate UNO, if they are not given a permanent seat with veto power. Arab League and Organization of Islamic Countries are to be strengthened to the extent that the world has no option but to respond to these institutions meaningfully. Israel is on a killing spree in Palestine since 1948. what positive role UNO has played in restricting the ruthless and merciless Jews from massacring the innocent Palestinians? Even countries like USA, UK, Germany, China, and India showed no concern when the bloodshed of innocent Palestinians, in Gaza, at the hands of Jews was on just few month ago, except rendering some lip service, the dangerous weapon against the innocents because USA is the biggest hurdle in stopping the oppressor.
Islamic Development Bank has failed to eradicate the illiteracy and poverty from Muslims nations across the globe. It needs to be reorganized to the extent that “Human Development Reports of each Muslim nation with regard to its population, its classification, the potential of economic resources the requirement of essentials to life, the extent of export/import, level of education, both religious and secular, the defense capabilities/need etc.� are to be worked out for drawing and formulating the plans towards growth and development of Muslim world.
The utilization of non Muslims in Arab nations is to be re-arranged to the extent that preference should be given to Muslim professionals, because Muslims, nowadays possesses the required education and skill, both academic and technical.
The Propagation of Islam in its true sense is to be arranged particularly in non-Muslims nations like USA, UK, Germany, and France, where some sections are trying to malign Islam. The, media both electronic and print, is to be organized as a powerful tool to defeat the anti Islam plans of global media.
By taking these measures Muslim can establish themselves as a power to be reckoned with - economically, militarily, and scientifically- in the world.
Mohammad Ashraf Kakroo is ex- Director Planning and Development Department, J&K.