Daily Times

There was a time when Islamic Civilisation was considered to be the most advanced, tolerant, highly developed and progressive in the world. This was mainly because of their accomplishments in practically all the disciplines of knowledge. After 16th century AD, the situation changed radically. Learning and inquiry was no more the motto of the Muslims with the result that today they occupy the lowest position in the ladder of the global world. They are educationally backward, scientifically marginal, politically insignificant and economically poor.

Historically, the Muslim Ummah is the best example of a universal community. From the flood in the age of Prophet Nuh (Noah) to our own times, the spread of this Ummah is and has been global. Today, there are some 57 independent Muslim states inhabited by over 900 million people, and over 400 million more Muslims are spread throughout the rest of the world. Consequently, in every part of the world, there is Muslim presence; in most cases, quite a significant one.

Globalisation as a political, economic, cultural and technological process is not very new. Throughout history, there have been waves of globalisation, the critical vehicles for this process being migration, trade and conquest. What is indeed new in our times, however, is the spread, the scope, the speed, and finally, the structure that is going to imbue the current trend towards global integration with liberalisation, deregulation, privatisation and the hegemonic contours of capitalism and American power. These factors combined make the globalisation of today, to a great extent, a unique phenomenon. It is in this context that limitations of time and space are being annihilated and the entire world is, willy-nilly, becoming one global city.

The most significant aspects of the contemporary phase relate to revolutions in technologies concerning transport and communication, particularly the processes of instant transfer of information. Swift global interactions and decision-making via new information systems are having far-reaching effects on the whole matrix of worldwide relations, including the movement of goods, services and financial flows. These represent developments with profound consequences, moral, ideological, economic, cultural and political.

In view of the dominant paradigm of power and civilisation, America and Europe remain major players in the making of this new world order. American military power and its outreach, political influence, economic strength, command over technology and almost total control over media, bordering on virtual thought-control, have given globalisation a distinct Euro-American identity. In the name of promotion of liberalisation, privatisation, market economy and modernisation, the domination of Western norms, value-systems of life, socioeconomic institutions, and finally, political and economic interest is being established over the world. Along with the state players, three other powerful actors are in the field, which are the multinational corporations, the international NGOs and the media.

There is nothing wrong with globalisation per se; however, when crucial ground realities that comprise the context of globalisation are ignored, serious problems arise

There is nothing wrong with globalisation per se; however, when the crucial ground realities that comprise the context of globalisation are ignored, serious problems arise. A judicious and honest approach by the Muslim leadership towards addressing these realities is a must for affording some relief to the world that is at the suffering end.

The first and the foremost reality of the modern world to be recognised is the fact that there exist gross asymmetries of political power, military strength and levels of technological and economic development in different parts and countries of the world. Foreign rule is nothing new in history. However, European colonial rule, which held sway over a part of the world for more than four centuries, has something unique about it. For the first time in human history, during this period, a large-scale physical transfer of resources took place from the colonies to the colonial overlords; the so-called mother countries. Consequently, the erstwhile global balance was destroyed and a new global arrangement appeared which established the authority of the Western hemisphere and marginalised all other regions, cultures and people. During the 20th century, although the colonisation process apparently reversed, Western power gained further grounds because of selective and lopsided development strategies. As a result, today, one finds a strong centre-periphery relationship that has been embedded into the global system’s political, economic and technological spheres, and which is primarily responsible for producing serious deformities and inequities.

Let us glance over certain anomalies. Up until the end of the 18th century, the per capita income of Europe, America, the Muslim World and the rest of the Third World was within a differential of 1: 2; in certain parts of the world, it was in favour of the Muslim World. From the 19th century onwards, the trend changed until the dawn of the 21st century.

87 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is produced in 22 rich countries, while the rest of the world, consisting of some 170 countries and over four-fifths of humankind, tries to survive on the remaining 13 percent. In 1800, Europe’s share in the world’s manufacturing output was hardly 28.1 percent; America’s, less than one percent; while that of the rest of the world; the so-called third-world of today was almost 67.7 percent. Notably, the share of the Muslim world was roughly 40 percent of the world GDP. This sea change has totally distorted the balance of power in the world and created a situation where liberalisation and globalisation only accentuate the disparities.

Asymmetric economic wealth is both accompanied and accentuated by asymmetrical political power and military strength. The expenditure of the US alone on its war machinery is equal to the combined defence expenditure of all the other countries of the world. US forces are stationed in some 40 countries of the world with outreach to every corner of the globe. Technology has reached a state where a target anywhere in the world can be struck from the US Military Command stationed in Florida. Most of the countries of the world are dependent on the US arms systems and supplies for their defence. Indeed, the US accounts for 48 percent of the world’s exports of arms and defence systems.

The Muslim world is facing a number of challenges in this era of information and globalisation.The Muslims, by and large, are not behaving as true representatives of Islam, individually or collectively. Economically, the Muslim world is poor and dependent on the West. Politically, it is divided like nine pins. Culturally, it seems to be in a melting pot. In the field of education, research and technological development, it is far behind the rest of the world. According to a recent study, the total number of books published and translated in the Muslims world is barely equal to the number printed in one, rather less developed, country of Europe, Spain.

The combined GDP of all the 57 Muslim countries of the world is less than five percent of the world GDP, or to put it differently, less than the GDP of one European country, Italy — which itself ranks as the fifth or sixth economy in the world. The bulk of Muslim financial resources are in the hands of and under the management of American and European banks and investment and management houses. Muslim countries have developed a consumer economy without a sustainable production base. Despite all of their wealth and resources, almost all the Muslim countries are languishing under foreign and domestic debt, in a few cases, with menacing consequences.

Militarily, the Muslims are not only dependent on the West; they are helplessly caught in its grip. Despite all the expenditure on defence, they have not been able even to face the threat that has been hammering at the doors of the Arab and Muslim World for over 50 years in the form of the ‘tiny,’ yet armed-to-the-teeth entity of Israel.

The state of political freedoms, the level of participation of the people in the economy and the polity, and the equitable sharing of wealth and power within Muslim societies is in very bad shape. And unless they set their houses in order, it is unrealistic to expect that Muslim Ummah can play their rightful role in the current phase of globalisation. The above being the weaknesses of the Ummah today, it should be stated that all is not bad news. There are certain positive developments, and there is definitely light beyond the tunnel for the Muslim world.

Muslims must realise that systematic preparation to face the challenge is as much a part of an Islamic strategy as unwavering confidence in our mission and responsibility. Knowledge, character, moral sublimit, economic strength, political power, military capability, technological prowess, and social cohesion are key elements of this preparation. Without setting our own house in order and mobilising all the resources at hand to prepare to play the rightful role in the world, nothing can be achieved.

The Muslim Ummah has no option but to move towards greater cooperation, unity and collective self-reliance. Regional groupings, trade and financial arrangements, educational and technological alliances, and political co-ordinations are stepping stones to a global order that is more balanced and just, and that represents a fair state of equilibrium between different nations, socio-political systems and civilisations. Muslim unity could be an effective guarantee against the decimation of Muslim countries and the eclipse of their civilisational identity in the face of the onslaught of unmanaged globalisation.

Muslims should not be merely at the receiving end; they must plan and prepare themselves to play a positive role both to protect their identity and interests and to make the world a better place for all. Muslims must realise that emotional outbursts and thoughtless confrontation are no answers to the multidimensional challenges the Ummah faces today. In fact, as an Ummah with a mission, the right course of action for the Muslims is dialogue, contact, participation, and cooperation at the global level. This must be an essential component of their strategy. Their response to the global challenges must be proactive and positive; that is the only way, not only to survive but also to make their own mark on history.

The writer is PhD Scholar in Media and Crime and can be reached at fastian.mentor@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, April 10^th 2018.