Daily Times

In Europe, the Catholic Church is the most predominant religious institution. Since the first century, Christians have been practising Christianity throughout Europe. Several of the Pauline Epistles were written to Christians residing in Greece and other Roman Empire territories. However, Christian Europe was split in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries by the Holy Roman Empire, the warring pope and the city-states of Italy, and the nation-states of Spain, France, and England. When the Ottomans approached the gates of Vienna, they were more hindered by Sultan Suleiman’s death than by strong Christian opposition, so they were unable to band together to block their march.

Currently, the situation is flipped now. The Muslim world is the one that cannot come together to resist Western dominance. The rivalry between the papal realms of Italy and the influence of outside forces on the fate of their weak rulers are parallels to the problem that exists among Arabs, Qatar, and its GCC allies.

The Arab nations had never been expected to take a strong stance in favour of the occupied Palestinian people. Many of them have reconciled with the Zionist state of Israel. However, one had thought that the crimes that Israeli soldiers were still committing in Gaza would rouse them from their sleep. Regretfully, it has not occurred. The Muslim world decided to remain silent despite Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gazan hospitals that resulted in the deaths of infants and children. The joint decision was released following the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League’s emergency summit meeting in Riyadh last month.

The Islamic world is going through a time like Europe’s Dark Ages, marked by numerous conflicts and catastrophes. The Muslim world of today is extremely susceptible to outside influence and dominance. First, there is a political legitimacy dilemma in many Muslim nations. The governance institutions that were primarily left behind by the Western colonists have deteriorated. Though most of the dictatorial regimes in the Gulf and Iran are susceptible to both internally, they were not affected by the Arab Spring. democratic and ideological challenge.

The rivalry between the papal realms of Italy and the influence of outside forces on the fate of their weak rulers are parallels to the problem that exists among Arabs.

Egypt is now governed by the military again. The populist leader of Turkey faces both domestic and external resistance. The result of foreign interference in Libya has been the rise of various terrorist groups, a civil war, and the jihadist Islamic State group. In a similar vein, foreign intervention and a vicious civil conflict fueled by sectarianism and ethnicity have wrecked Syria. The existence of Iranian militant organizations, US military assistance, and the fight against IS all contribute to maintaining the illusion of Iraqi unity. The Afghan government that the US installed is weak, corrupt, fragmented, and heavily weaponized. Paradoxically, Pakistan is one of the few OIC countries that maintains some semblance of democratic legitimacy despite corruption scandals.

Second, there is a growing violent trend among Muslims. Involved in cross-border and civil wars, transnational terrorist groups like IS (The Islamic State Khorasan Chapter), Boko Haram, also known as (Jamaat Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jih?d), the terrorist organization Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, and others pose a threat to international stability.

Muslim countries are the primary victims of international terrorism, not its primary sponsors. Certain major governments have engaged in selective warfare against terrorists, occasionally using them for political gain. There has been no attempt to combat state terrorism or distinguish between terrorist organizations and insurgencies that, such as the Afghan Taliban, have legitimate pliable, locally focused objectives.

The “root cause” of terrorism, which includes ongoing injustices against Muslim populations, such as those in Kashmir and Palestine, as well as poverty, ignorance, and social alienation that serve as recruiting grounds for terrorist organizations, particularly those operating online, are most importantly ignored.

Third, disagreements in the doctrine and ideology have made the conflicts inside the Islamic world worse. The division between Sunni and Shia sects is the most significant. This division was dormant before the “Islamic Revolution” in Iran in 1979. It became prominent during the Iran-Iraq War. It was evident in the Afghanistan War of Independence involving the Northern Alliance and the Afghan Taliban. Though, the US assault on Baghdad, its destruction of the army and party of Sunnis, and the holding of one-bloke, one-vote selections made possible the Iran-sponsored.

Iranian influence will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula as well as beyond if Shia parties can seize central authority in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia, the GCC, and Egypt are Iran’s Sunni adversaries and are enraged by its ascent. While it has recently been forced to temper its antagonism and gain Iran’s support to prevent Kurdish secession, Ankara has also been uncomfortable. Over time, Pakistan’s close ties with Iran have declined for a variety of reasons, including Iran’s unexpected reversal of its backing on Kashmiris in response to Delhi’s “incentives,” Islamabad’s end of harmonious nuclear working together, rivalry for contribute to in post-Soviet Afghan, Tehran “interference” with Pakistan’s Shia community, and worldwide incidents among Iranian and Pakistani Baluchistan.

However, there are other ideological divisions in the Muslim world nowadays besides sectarian ones. Riyadh, Egypt, and the UAE have come to detest the Muslim Brotherhood along with its radical ideologies. Collateral harm has also been inflicted upon Hamas, the Brotherhood’s Palestinian offshoot. However, Qatar even Turkey have backed Hamas and the Brotherhood, given sanctuary to their supporters, and assisted them in the civil war in Libya. The Saudi-UAE breakup with Doha was primarily caused by such divergences with Qatar.

Not to mention, the weak and exposed Islamic world of today is ripe for the dominance and influence of powerful outside forces. The most recent Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi served as a reminder of how vulnerable most of the collected Muslim nations are to United States hegemony.

Owning its military might and expanding influence in Syria and the surroundings, Russia is also enjoying critical influence with a few Muslim nations, such as Iran and Turkey. China has avoided getting involved in inter-Islamic disputes thus far. It wants to utilize its financial and economic might to promote stronger ties with Muslim nations.

The hard-liners’ stances taken by the administration of Donald Trump on most foreign conflicts and crises, such as those involving North Korea, the South China Sea, Syria, Iran, and Syria, appear to be the most perilous for the near future. These stances, especially the creation of a relationship against Tehran, have the potential to escalate the crises impacting the Muslim world if put into action.

Pakistan’s primary concerns include Afghanistan, India, and the terrorism of the TTP and IS. Pakistan has difficulties in dealing with these problems.

Pakistan must act on matters concerning the Islamic world and not “play possum” when it comes to its interests. The second-biggest country in the Muslim world, its strongest armed force, and the only state with nuclear weapons should not practice such abstinence.

Pakistan has repeatedly determined that the best way to further its security and national objectives is to encourage cooperation and solidarity among Muslim nations. More than ever before Pakistan must take the initiative to create workable paths for interfaith harmony and collaboration, and ideally pave the way for a movement of enlistment within the Muslim community.

The writer is a freelance columnist.