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.