SAUDI ARABIA is today living an Islamic event in Makkah, which is considered the most important in the history of Islamic relations.

The summit is being held at a critical and dangerous juncture. Many Muslims, whether in Islamic and Arab countries or non-Islamic states, were being subjected to killings and repression. The dangerous thing is that this trend will breed a new communal culture which is hatred and vengeance. It will make Muslims vindictive haters of their own religion. This feeling may drive some of them to convert to other religions simply because they strongly believe that the repression, the raping and he killings Muslim men and women are suffering from are directly resulting from the weakness of the Muslim leaders, their disparity and lack of credibility.

The Muslims are convinced that the dedication shown by some leaders in their work is just emanating from their desire to remain in power for the longer periods of time to suck the bounties of the country and its people without giving any attention to the rights of their citizens. Many leaders are only concerned with their personal gains rather than the economic and social development of their countries. A number of Arab and Muslim leaders were repeatedly promising their people with sustainable development but to no avail. They are making empty promises just to remain in power. The weakness of the Muslim leaders and the lack of cohesion and unity among them against the maximum care shown by non-Muslim rulers for their people might have prompted a number of Muslims to convert to other religions. We hear about this in a number of African and Asian countries. The Islamic Solidarity Summit called for by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to be held in Makkah on the night of the 27th of Ramadan was unique in its time and place. It has put both Muslim and none-Muslim leaders before a new challenge which they should deal with in complete honesty, candidness and seriousness.

The real challenge facing this summit is the closing of ranks. The leaders should put behind their backs the state of disunity and disintegration. They should now move toward the state of unity, solidarity and the serious and sincere work to uplift the Muslims and extricate them out of their current condition of loss, murders, lack of identity and religious cohesion. The Muslims should be treated from their inferiority complexes resulting from the repression and hatred of other people of the world to them and to their religion. The Muslims are being looked down at by the other people of the world with disdain and abhorrence. Their religion has been be accused of spreading terrorism and bloodshed.

The ordinary Muslims everywhere in the world should shoulder responsibility one equal footing with their leaders. This responsibility has been bestowed on them by Al-Mighty Allah and his Prophet.

Every male and female Muslim must endeavor to realize the dream of this summit which was called for by King Abdullah. This can be done through hard labor and sincere work. Muslims should present their religion to the world as a religion of peace, love and tolerance which has nothing to do with terrorism or the killing of innocent people. Men and women Muslims should know that Allah will hold them accountable for any insult to their religion.

Muslims in Islamic and non-Islamic countries should work hard to support King Abdullah’s sincere call for Islamic solidarity and for freeing Muslims from disunity, repression and humility. We should all put this task in front of our eyes and try to realize it.

— Abdul Aziz Al-Khudairy is the undersecretary at Makkah Governorate and a researcher in development. (Courtesy of Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper)

— The author can be reached at [email protected]