Vast potential
By Mohsen Zahran
In this holy season, when nearly four million Muslims from all
nations travel to Mecca in order to perform their holy pilgrimage -- a
living testimony to their spiritual union, submission, devotion and
equality before God -- one wonders in bewilderment and confusion at the
depressing situation and declining conditions of Muslims around the
globe. The majority of Muslim communities are plagued with poverty,
illness, illiteracy, underdevelopment, violence, instability and
insecurity.
Why is it that Muslim Middle Eastern countries, that pride themselves
of being custodians of holy sites and religious scholarship, have not
spearheaded the drive to implement badly needed socio-economic,
political and cultural development in the Muslim world, as they have
partly achieved in religious affairs? The awesome spiritual and human
resources of the Muslim world, coupled with their blessings of vast
human and natural resources, especially in oil and gas, could motivate
and propel national strategic plans for unprecedented socio-economic
development and prosperity, provided that destructive forces of tension,
outside intervention, and inner division are contained and eliminated.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League are
recognised as formal regional frameworks for the political expression of
union but unfortunately have achieved too little to account for. They
reflect the current state of affairs and relationships of member states,
with all their problems and conflicts. These regional organisations need
to be restructured and to get inspired by the model accomplishments and
successful experiments of the European Union, adopting suitable
strategic plans to reform and uplift Muslim conditions. Nations in the
region must abandon wars, conflicts and strife in order to achieve
greater objectives and meaningful developmental achievements for all the
communities of the Muslim world.
The horizons are vast and promising; the resources abundant and
awaiting. The spiritual framework is brilliant and urging, but the will
must be formidable and propelling.
This week's Soapbox speaker is professor of planning at the
University of Alexandria.
Recommend
Comment
Printer-friendly