The time has come for more powerful Muslim states in terms of military and economy to unite and play an active leadership role in the affairs of the Muslim World. It is truly sad that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) formed 50 years back has not taken assertive action on issues affecting Muslims such as self-determination of Kashmiris under Indian occupation, Palestine, ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and spread of Islamophobia.
Therefore, it was refreshing to see the leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Indonesia, and Qatar wanting to come together for a summit in Kuala Lumpur back in December 2019 to discuss and exchange ideas about the issues revolving in the Muslim world. Unfortunately, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan had to back out from attending due to pressure from ‘friendly’ countries namely Saudi Arabia and UAE on the excuse that this would divide the Muslim World and would challenge the legitimacy of OIC. I was disappointed when our prime minister backed out under pressure from ‘friendly’ countries, as I feel that this was a good opportunity for like-minded Muslim countries to unite and become a political, scientific, military, and economic force for the Muslim Ummah.
This forum could be useful to offer tangible solutions to improve trade between and within Muslim countries, highlight the plight of Muslims, and offer positive approach to tackle Islamophobia. I know that OIC exists to address these issues but recently it has become worse than a talk shop. The Saudi-dominated OIC has allowed a vacuum to exist that will eventually be filled by some other forum or group, and so it should not come as surprise to them and other Gulf Arab countries.
If Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states want OIC to be the sole organization to represent Muslim countries then it must lead by example and be more sensitive to the interests of brotherly Muslim countries. For example, after Indian airstrikes on Balakot in February 2019, the UAE invited foreign minister of India Sushma Swaraj to attend the inaugural plenary meeting of OIC foreign ministers held in Abu Dhabi overruling strong objections by Pakistan, which forced us to boycott.
I ask Saudi Arabia and UAE where was the concern of unity of the Ummah when India, a non-Muslim country, was invited to such a meeting while it continues to oppress and deny Kashmiri Muslims under its occupation the right to self-determination. If KL Summit was a threat to OIC’s supremacy then why do organizations such as Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council exist? Are they not a threat to OIC and Muslim unity?
There are other countries with significant Muslim minority populations like China, Russia, and France. Why are they not invited to OIC meetings? Interestingly, French Muslim population equals the Muslim population of UAE but do we consider France a Muslim country?
The way “friendly” countries blackmailed Pakistan in not attending KL Summit should be a wakeup call for both the government and the nation. We need to develop Pakistan as an economic power to strengthen our sovereignty and become e a leading Muslim state in line with the vision of the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Quaid envisioned Pakistan to lead a Muslim renaissance and play a leadership role in the affairs of the Muslim World, as he shared the same pan-Islamic vision as our spiritual founder Allama Iqbal.
On April 12, 1948, Quaid-e-Azam articulated his pan-Islamic vision for Pakistan, “Remember we are building up a State which is going to play its full part in the destinies of the whole Islamic World. We, therefore, need a wider look, an outlook which transcends the boundaries of provinces, limited nationalism, and racialism.”
When American journalist Margaret Bourke-White asked the Quaid about the future of Pakistan and its place in the world, he prophetically told her, “Pakistan is the pivot of the world, placed on the frontier on which the future position of the world revolves”.
My hope is that Prime Minister Imran Khan will work on the vision of the Father of the Nation when it comes to Pakistan leading the Muslim Renaissance and transforming this country into the premier Muslim country.
I urge the prime minister to collaborate with like-minded progressive Muslim countries in Turkey and Malaysia for the betterment of Pakistan and not allow ‘friendly’ countries to bully us from doing the right thing. An economically strong and progressive Pakistan will be in a better position to help the Ummah and to fulfill her destiny as the pivot of the world as envisaged by our esteemed Father of the Nation.
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