The initial intent was to caption this article as “Ummah in Disarray” but then dawned the realisation that there is no Ummah as such, so how can such a title can be justified.
We have a Muslim population of over one billion; some liberal guesstimates put the number at 1.5 billion. This population is spread over 57 countries of the world, mapping a geographic area from the shores of the Atlantic to the farthest islands of Indonesia. There is no unity between these 57 motley crowd of States, except common allegiance to the faith of Islam.
The subscription to the faith is devoid of its essential teaching of universal brotherhood. This binding had the potential to be a formidable union, but narrow minded, country (false nationalism) perspective has dismantled the foundations of such thought and possibility. This happened almost a century ago with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
The colonial powers then set up to divide the Ummah into countries and nations, by redrawing maps and creating new lines of demarcation. The binding factor was systematically defused and undone, permanently. The Muslim nation hasn’t recovered nor has it made any serious attempt to regain — the glory of Ummah, that was laid to tatters in Constantinople/Istanbul, inviting an epitaph of demeaning import, ‘sick man of Europe’.
In 1967, when Israel belligerently attacked and occupied Jerusalem — there were only riots. Nothing more. Led by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, an organisation was formed to bring all the Muslim countries under a single banner or a single platform. This entity was christened as “Organisation of Islamic Conference” (OIC). This organisation has over time become the hand-maiden that obeys the dictates of countries, considered powerful, purely due to the economic plenty that they have amassed.
In the third year of my teen years I witnessed history, when Pakistan hosted an Islamic Summit at Lahore, following the Golan Heights war of October, 1973. It was such a proud moment — an assurance of hope — towards reuniting all the Muslim countries. The display of brotherhood was led by our charismatic, brilliant, popular leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a man with political foresight, a keen student of history. Pakistan stood tall in the comity of not just the Muslim countries but the entire Third World.
At that critical time of history, Muslim countries were led by political giants like Shah Faisal, Houari Boumediene, Anwar Sadat, Hafez al-Asad, Col. Gaddafi, etc.
The spirit of cooperation generated at Lahore received a massive blow with the meticulously planned assassination of King Faisal in 1975, which was followed in quick succession by a planned judicial murder of Z. A. Bhutto. The important architects of Muslim unity were taken out. The OIC since then has never been the same. It is today a sunglass that has lost its focus. Impotent isn’t a harsh word to describe its current status.
The boldness of vision demonstrated in the creation of an alternative forum other than the UN, called the OIC, was a master class act; a display of understanding the global dynamics of bloc(s) based political affiliations — a cold, bitter war between capitalism and socialism. The subsequent use of “Oil” as a weapon, for negotiating peace, proved the efficacy of OIC. However, again due to short-term view that has always been backed adequately by ‘self-interest’ of narrow minded politicians, the “bite” of the organisation has been lost. For all intents and purposes, OIC is a defanged institution. Why would the world heed to its advice and views, especially when its own members are in denial with the blatant rejection of its collective perspective.
The first crack in the newly found bonhomie happened when Anwar Sadat signed the Camp David Accord, a document promising peaceful coexistence as per terms of the aggressor, violator of all international norms of diplomacy. Anwar Sadat’s broadening of his chest was dealt with ‘taking him out’ while he was reviewing a military parade. Zionists always have available to themselves local proxies in the Muslim countries who undertake the assigned tasks — it is made to appear that all acts of violence, killings and assassination are done by the local people themselves; and that no outsider is involved. Shah Faisal was shot by a nephew. Bhutto was hung by a Pakistani.
The journey from Lahore summit to current times is one of a down slide and that too a rapid one into the abyss of being courtiers to the dictates of global powers.
Knowledge is power, but only wisdom is liberty. Muslim countries represent a “harassed” status today. They are seeking knowledge by an abject surrender of the ‘ liberty of wisdom “. Our purpose is poor, while quest for economic gains is far superior. The usurpation of the liberty to think in most Muslim countries is the primary reason for this glorious attitude of indifference towards each other’s pain and grief.
After the genocidal killings of thousands there is no room for ceremony. The stark reality of Israel’s intransigence and disrespect for the dignity of humanity is a subject of great magnitude that will haunt generations. History, nay, Nature has its own quiet but violent ways of settling injustices inflicted by men upon men. Nothing goes unnoticed by Mother Nature.
The martyrdom of thousands will be written off as a waste. There will be no accountability for the genocide. The war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu will go scot free. Genocide will stand legalised by an enforced one-sided peace agreement. It should not be so. But it is, at least, for now. How much time, fate and destiny take to exact retribution is only a guess. But assuredly, correction will happen. The complicity of Hamas remains a lurking question in the minds of the students of history.
Alongside the sleeping Ummah in bed with them were the honourable democracies of the West, whose ominous silence, particularly of their governments must serve as a lesson of silent collaboration in the mass murder and genocidal killings of innocent infants, men, women and children of Gaza.
The evil of Israel must be met not by acquiescing to the demands of the global powers but by the good of the unity of the Muslim countries— together they are formidable; in isolation, they are nothing but a pygmy with the status ticked as “compliant”.
War is never an option for seeking permanent solution to disputes; negotiating table is always the best option. Negotiations can be successful with embedded permanence only if these are between equals and not as between a victor and the vanquished. The recent ceasefire agreement doesn’t meet this litmus test of negotiations. In fact there are on record statements that threaten the weak, that should the dictates not be followed tooth and nail, there will be resumption of war; one of annihilation.
Vice is today a virtue. Surrender has become respectable. In the electric chair of today’s realities, the Muslim countries have willingly agreed to sit upon it for permanent cauterization.
Is there hope? Yes. The need is to recover the lost spirit of togetherness that must remain expunged of individual greed, lust for power and of selfish behaviour.
The vultures are going to descend upon Gaza to feed themselves upon the corpses of hopelessness, in the name and guise of rebuilding Gaza. These vultures have lost the power to think and enquire, who in the first place destroyed Gaza? The West or the Muslim countries? Readers may conclude with their own reasoning. Justice, however will prevail; it comes trifle late but comes with the fury and vengeance of a tsunami.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The writer is Senior Banker & Freelance Contributor
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