Daily Times

The recent statement of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in which he said that he wanted to spread moderate Islam in the kingdom, has been appreciated among the world’s leaders including the business magnates eager to explore opportunities in KSA. This statement is quite encouraging if that is where the kingdom is heading. He further said that he would eradicate extremism and the extremist elements.

The term moderate Islam is considered converse to radical Islam, a term attached with the Muslims of radical groups around the world. Regrettably, this segregation in Islam and among Muslims gained hype in the international media after 9/11. KSA is considered to be the leader of the Muslim world. There is a solid reason for this — it hosts the most sacred Islamic sites. Contextualising the statement would help us understand it better. He was attending an event where businessmen from various parts of the world were present. In the gathering, he inaugurated the mega-city NEOM that would be the economic zone transforming the oil-based economy to a digital one.

According to some experts, the Prince wanted to get the attention of international investors to invest in the Kingdom and help KSA investing in the European countries. The prince is also the driving force behind Saudi Vision 2030 that is tended towards creating more and more job opportunities for the youth youngsters in the kingdom and lessening its dependency on oil.

KSA needs to review its strategy towards seeing other countries’ affairs. It is still involved in many conflicts. The conflict in Yemen is illustrative of this, where it wants regime change and handpick a ruler for it.

It is hoped that the prince would not only mend Saudi Arabia’s ways regarding its relationship with extremism but also walk the talk by promoting his pledge for moderate Islam

On the other hand, KSA is directly involved in the Syrian conflict and wants another regime change, which has led to thousands of deaths and even more displacements. Syrians bear the brunt of the tussle between the two major powers of the world — America and Russia — and two leading powers of the Muslim world — KSA and Iran. According to ‘I am Syrian’, an organisation promoting the rights of Syrians, more than 480,000 people have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.

The leadership of Muslim countries should promote a tolerant and rational image of Islam, which is long overdue.  Instead of indulging in sectarian violence, they should try to fortify their countries technologically and economically. The 32-year-old Princes agenda for KSA seems to be a lucrative one. But resources should be spent on the unemployed generation. It would curb extremism and also divert attention of the youngsters for raising their living standards through economic competition. Sectarian skirmishes around the Muslim world have already led to the loss of hundreds of lives and thousands of poor people. It is hoped that the prince would not only mend the ways of kingdom regarding its relationship with extremism but also walk the talk by promoting his pledge for moderate Islam.

The author is a political commentator and IR analyst. He can be contacted junaidalimalik3@gmail.com or @junaidalimalik1

Published in Daily Times, November 1^st 2017.