Eid is an event that always brings a sense of unity among Muslims. It creates a Euophora of brotherhood among Muslims. Eid is a time for sacrifice and no part of the world has sacrificed more in the recent years than the Muslim world. It is hard to think of a Muslim country which is not in a state of war. In Syria, nearly half a million people have died in a civil war that keeps raging more fiercely than ever. Brutal violence has been such a part of daily life in Syria that a ceasefire beginning on Monday that is supposed to last only 48 hours is being touted as a major celebration. Iraq is little better, with the Islamic State fighting the government to a bloody draw in most of the country. While external players have had a role in destabilising Muslim states and regions, arguably, the greatest challenge is internal, most notably from decrepit and repressive political systems that stifle dissent, as well as from militant movements that thrive in suffocating environments and use Islamic imagery to promote a thoroughly savage agenda.
Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Kashmir and Nigeria all present a gloomy picture of Muslim world. ndeed, all these scenarios engender a sense of victimhood in Muslim societies, and help extremists exploit people’s sentiments. But the biggest threats Muslim societies face are internal. The Iraqi and Syrian conflicts have exacerbated sectarian divisions within Islam, while the Saudi-Iranian relationship is at its lowest point in decades. Moreover, we must ask how many genuine democracies can the Muslim world boast of? Princes, potentates and presidents-for-life continue to lord it over the people in many countries, while in others the generals are reluctant to share power with civilians. Poverty and illiteracy continue to be major challenges in Muslim societies — while some statelets wallow in petrodollars, millions in poorer states struggle to put food on the table. It is these inequities, together with the monsters of extremism and sectarianism, that are today tearing into the vitals of the Muslim world. There is no magic formula to transform things. However, some essential ingredients — such as democracy, moderation, tolerance, social justice — are critical for there to be any positive transformation.
There may be many miles to go, but Muslim societies must themselves take the initiative to change their destiny by addressing these internal weaknesses, and give their citizens a better standard of life.
pk.shafaqna.com