Muslim World and the West: Challenges and Opportunities

There are two types of threat or challenge that the Muslim world is presently facing: First, intellectual imitation from the West and surrendering in front of western civilization and culture; Second, western secular system that the West is going to impose on Islamic world.

The New World Order is a new effort through that the West wants to keep the Muslim world economically weak and make it its slave; this task in previous centuries was carried out by East India Company and others in India and some other areas of the world. At present under the shadow of the New World Order, the MNCs want to direct the resources of Muslim world for accomplishment of West’s goals. They are careful enough not to allow the imperialistic and exploitative system that they have founded over the centuries to become weak and replaced by another system. They know well that there is no other civilization in the world that could defy western civilization, and also there is no nation that with its philosophy could challenge western thought and ideology.

Today the West is facing a spiritual crisis and suffering from a moral vacuum. The family system in the West is collapsed, ethic values are wiped out; and the life of the people is spiritually dried. What Islam can gift the west is its spiritual and moral superiority. Islam can play role in creating a spiritual and material balance over there.

The war on terrorism is a phony title adopted by some vested interest Westerners. In fact it is a war against Islam in order to safeguard western interests and endanger the interests of Muslim world. They want to crush any possible threat before it could stand against western world. However, the future of humanity depends on cultural and civilizational dialogue between Muslim world and the West. In this regard it is necessary for the West not to try to dominate the Muslim world. Furthermore, this dialogue should be conducted at every level from intellectual and religious leaders to youth and politicians. It is also to be noted that it cannot produce a good result unless this dialogue is done at all level and with good intentions.

The economic crisis that that the world is suffering from is the result of two agents: The first cause is the big and unordinary wars the American leaders initiated without any reason against Afghan and Iraqi nations. In fact these wars are being conducted by few vested interest individuals to satisfy their ego; therefore, this group is wasting resources of its country and the whole world. The second cause is that the backbone of economic system of the West is a banking system based on interests. The main principle of this system is to give and take loan. Banks and financial enterprises broadened artificial capitalism, invested more than their real capital. It resulted into distrust among capitalists and they withdrew their capitals which led to bankruptcy of big finance institutions. Following that the wave of distrust hit the world and its signs started emerging throughout the West. So, the only solutions to over come this crisis is the western world should accept Islamic banking system as substitute.

The Muslim world is like a universal family. This family should have a universal centre that is called universal center of Khelaafat. The western world for centuries felt intimidation from it, and its main efforts was concentrated on how to disintegrate this centricity. Their fist step was to eliminate the Khilaafat and they became successful in this regard. The Muslims cannot play their due role in the arena of culture and reforms unless they are not able to re-establish this centre. They should have a well disciplined and centralized system because they would be deprived of a political voice unless they have a political centricity. The Muslim world should think about it.

(A scholarly talk with Dr. Mahmoud Ahmad Ghazi)

Neday Islam Magazine