- Pakistan’s absence was felt
The Summit of Islamic countries in Kuala Lumpur, attended by 20 countries, opened on Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, with a clear message of dissatisfaction with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which is seen as increasingly a Saudi vehicle rather than a force for the expression of Muslim aspirations. Saudi Arabia was the most vocal absentee from the Summit, which it claimed would set up a rival to the OIC, and thus would act as a divisive force within the Ummah. While Saudi Arabia will retain central importance for all Muslims, because it contains the Harmain of Makkah and Madinah, it should not expect the OIC to serve as a political vehicle for itself, because other member states have their own aspirations, which they would like to see expressed in the OIC.
The most interesting thing about the current Summit is that fact that it seems to be challenging Muslims to engage in the sort of self-criticism that the OIC has frowned upon. It calls for Muslims to engage in the kind of forward-looking policies that are essential to making a move ahead in the world. The call for Muslims to eschew the Hereafter and to pay attention to performance in the world now, would find resonance with Muslims the world over. Further, it should not be thought that this Summit was divisive, because if a new organisation is formed, it would merely act as another voice in Muslim affairs, and would add to the weight of the pressure exerted in favour of the cause in question. One of the reason for a new body is precisely the need felt for some body which would act more vigorously on various Muslim causes.
The absence of Pakistan from this Summit, after an initial commitment to attending, reflected a naïveté, which owed more to pressure from Saudi Arabia than any principled disagreement with either the purposes or sponsors of the Summit. It may be remembered that Prime Minister Imran Khan had initially agreed to attend, but had changed his mind after a visit to Saudi Arabia. A proposal that would have seen Pakistan send a delegation headed by the Foreign Minister than Mr Khan, was also shot down. Therefore Pakistan has found itself out of an initiative involving the Muslim world, even though it might prove to be great moment.
