Was it Andy Warhol who said that rather than believing that time changes things, we would be better off changing them ourselves? Not exactly those words but we get the drift.
The times are marked by geostrategic battles, political upheavals and economic mistrust and insecurity. War is breaking out here and there “across the universe”, while merciless genocide continues unabated and unperturbed by pretences of civilisation. All this is happening while climate scientists warn of a planet warming beyond the point of no return.
While these undoubtedly cast a shadow over the state of global affairs, all is not lost. There is reason for hope and we must take the current when it serves. Thus, early this week, leaders of the Muslim world, representing members of the OIC and League of Arab States, convened in Riyadh for the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit.
The summit offered not only an unequivocal condemnation of Israeli aggression, but more broadly, a reinvigorated resolve within the Muslim world to respond collectively to today’s most urgent challenges. In fact, it remains baffling why and how Israel is being allowed to act with impunity and behave as if the institutions and rules set up following the Second World War do not apply to it.
How could it stand to reason that Israel stays doggedly entrenched in the hallowed halls of the United Nations, where nations wrap themselves in the garb of law, legitimacy, and righteousness? And that is why Malaysia’s national statement, delivered cogently, forcefully, and passionately at the summit by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, included a proposal for suspending, even expelling Israel from the United Nations. No niceties of international law need be pleaded here for a colonial settler power that consistently thumbs its nose against the rule of such laws, a political entity that is no longer fit to belong among the civilised community of nations.
The conflict spilling over to southern Lebanon adds another dimension to our consternation, with Malaysian peacekeepers being attacked and terrorised alongside other members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon by Israeli forces.
The summit was also a noteworthy milestone for Muslim world relations. Once stereotyped as emblematic of distrust, discord and disagreements, recent developments suggest a turning tide, which as the Bard reminds us, must be taken at the flood. This is evidenced by the encouraging albeit cautious signs of rapprochement between certain Gulf Arab states and Iran and the warming of relations between Egypt and Turkey, just to cite two examples. These positives for intra-Muslim country relations also act as a reminder that most long-standing issues can yield to diplomacy, patience and a shared vision of co-existence.
Nonetheless, we cannot expect decades of mutual suspicion, rooted in historical grievances and sectarian divides, to vanish overnight. For Malaysia’s part, despite being geographically on the periphery, it is no less critical and we should seize this opportunity to show support for growing political stability in the Middle East. This builds on the diplomatic momentum generated by Prime Minister Anwar since taking office, where Malaysia is now seen as a key voice among countries in the Global South.
Related efforts have already been initiated, with Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, exercising its agency to convene the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit. This will serve to diversify trading and investment options among the three, unlock new growth areas and to promote further intellectual and social exchange as a bulwark against radicalism, terrorism, and the virulent festering of phobias.
Promising here is that Saudi Prime Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had not only committed to attending this trilateral summit next year, but to do so with an expectation to move the needle forward in regional economic cooperation. In other words, get cracking from now and have some tangible deliverables achieved before the main event. This is the essential purport of what he pledged to PM Anwar during the unscheduled bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Summit. This resolve to “getting things done” is refreshing and will go a long way to address criticisms levied against ASEAN for being a mere “talk shop”.
Earlier, in the first leg of the Prime Minister’s tour of the Middle East and North Africa, he had met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to explore a wide range of areas for partnership spanning investment and trade, palm oil and the halal industry, and natural resources and renewable energy. As of last year, Egypt was Malaysia’s fifth-largest trading partner among African nations, with bilateral trade valued at RM3.35 billion. The commitment to add greater depth to the Strategic Partnership by fostering greater economic collaboration is matched diplomatically as well, with Cairo lending support to Malaysia’s participation in BRICS.
Yet, while diplomacy remains a priority, more must be done for the Muslim world to keep pace with unprecedented global change. In the august halls of Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, Anwar, donning his professorial thinking cap, expounded on the imperative of responding to these rapid shifts, which necessitates an unwavering commitment not only to knowledge and progress, but to the timeless teachings of faith and the values contained therein.
To be endowed with a moral compass without knowledge could take us to the clashing rocks of radicalism and intolerance. To have knowledge without a moral compass is tragic, yet such situations plague some world-renowned higher learning institutions that churn out excellence without a soul. With faith and values acting as a moral compass guiding our actions, we are able to root our decisions in higher, more noble objectives and ensure that moral responsibility is not sacrificed on the altar of personal or economic gain
In this regard, we can draw on the wells of inspiration from the likes of Sheikh Rashid Reda and Muhammad Abduh, who, as Anwar emphasised, advocated for the reform and renewal (islah and tajdid) of the ummah towards enlightened modernisation. When contextualised to today’s day and age, this outlines a paradigm that prioritises the advancement of science and technology while being steadfastly imbued with religious and ethical values.
With this in mind, it is then evident that Malaysia’s commitment to intellectual progress finds practical ground in its ambitions to become a hub for data centres, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor manufacturing. As the Muslim world, not the least, Malaysia, step into these critical sectors, it isn’t a stretch to hope that the integration of technological advancements with a moral compass can indeed address inequalities within our societies rather than exacerbate them. Our role in these industries could also position Malaysia as a bridge, bringing modern scientific expertise to Muslim-majority nations and encouraging the responsible, ethical use of technology.
All said, there is increased hope that Muslim leaders will be able to represent the collective conscience and voice of the ummah. At a time when the non-West, which includes the Muslim world and the Global South, is increasingly sceptical of Western-dominated narratives, there is room for countries from these blocs to offer their own alternative. As time won’t change things for us, we have to seize time to change ourselves. For the first time in a while, it may seem highly possible that the Muslim world will be able to provide a steadfast and collective voice for justice and progress.
Cairo,
November 12, 2024
