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'Islamic Unity' at Odds With Geopolitical Realities
April 8, 2002
Summary
The recent special session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference once again revealed more differences than similarities among Islamic nations. Despite the Malaysian prime minister's attempts to breathe life into the OIC and find a common Islamic voice, the stark reality is that there is no "Islamic world" any more than there is a unified "Christian world." At bottom, national interests based on geography, economy and domestic politics take precedence over global unity among Islamic states.
Analysis
The Organization of the Islamic Conference held a special session on terrorism in Malaysia April 1-3 at the request of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir envisioned the meeting as a chance for Islamic nations to "unite in solidarity" after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States and for the Islamic world to clarify its own definition of terrorism. However, the conference fell short on both accounts, with the final declaration defining terrorism saying only that the acts of Palestinian suicide bombers are not terrorist attacks.
Although the OIC meeting was better attended than the March 27-28 Arab League summit in Beirut, neither presented an overwhelming picture of Islamic or Arab unity. At a time when Muslim nations are under considerable strain, the domestic interests of the individual countries have repeatedly frustrated the search for a common voice. When push comes to shove, the security and stability of individual states and regimes takes precedence over the less concrete concept of pan-Islamic unity.
The events of Sept. 11 and Washington's ongoing response have placed tremendous pressure on the governments of Islamic states. There is an underlying perception in the West -- fair or not -- that all Muslim nations are the same and that all acts of terrorism can somehow be equated with radical Islam. This presented both a challenge and an opportunity for Islamic nations to rally around an issue upon which all could agree: that being Muslim is not synonymous with being a terrorist. Yet the idea that Islamic nations should, can or will present a common front in international affairs based solely on a common theology is no more legitimate than suggesting that all predominantly Christian countries share the same national interests and policies.
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Dan
'Islamic Unity' at Odds With Geopolitical Realities . . .