The word “Ummah” is normally taken to mean a community of believers who come together because of their shared belief in Islam. Although in general the word Ummah in Arabic often refers to a nation and means “mother source,” the theological concept uses a far more complex definition of the word. Ummah is a specific classification, bringing together all those who testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) is his last and final messenger. Humanity is one tribe, the Ummah is a smaller sub-group consisting of close ‘relatives.’ Therefore, when members of one part of the ummah are in distress, it should concern all other members of this family”.
A wonderful concept, but many pragmatists have argued that the idea of a Muslim Ummah is nothing but a pipe dream. They insist that no such family has ever existed in human history. There are about 54 Muslim countries in the world today, but they are divided and at times totally opposed to each other politically, socially and economically. There has never been a political or economic bloc of Muslim countries on the pattern of the European Union. Even the Arabic-speaking oil-rich countries of the Middle East have never bonded together on such vital issues as the Palestine question. The single example of a political and economic union of Muslim countries is the United Arab Republic a union of Egypt, Syria and Yemen that was formed in 1958 by the efforts of Gamal Abdul Nasir of Egypt. But this union collapsed by 1961 and had a short life of three years only.
Perhaps the only successful case of politically meaningful unity among Muslims was observed in South Asia when the Muslims bonded together to establish a homeland called Pakistan in 1947. Here, too, there were many nationalist Muslims who did not favour the concept of Pakistan and today there happen to be more Muslims in India than in Pakistan.
Muslims are suffering atrocities, genocide and oppression all over the world. The Muslim Rohingyas of Myanmar continue to languish in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh. And the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir are undergoing brutal oppression and cruelty by the state orchestrated drive of the Modi regime and a vicious civil war is raging in Sudan but the so-called Ummah is oblivious to the sufferings of their Muslim brethren in many parts of the world.
The Arab-Israel conflict has been going on since 1947 and the Palestinians have been stateless citizens for decades. Today the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip have been the unfortunate victims of the genocidal onslaught of Israel, but no joint effort by the Muslim Ummah has materialised. Ironically European countries have witnessed greater demonstrations for the people of Gaza and condemnation of Israel than seen in any Muslim country. Most members of the Muslim Ummah in the Middle East and Asia give the impression of being deaf and dumb to the calls for help and the sufferings of the people of Gaza. This lack of empathy and total disregard of the sufferings of their brothers is a huge question mark on the Muslim Ummah.
Perhaps the only successful case of politically meaningful unity among Muslims was observed in South Asia when the Muslims bonded together to establish a homeland called Pakistan in 1947
The Palestine Israel conflict is a glaring example of the Muslim Ummah’s collective failure to protest the weak and the oppressed. For decades the Palestinians have been at the receiving end of a relentless attacks by the forces of Israel. As the horrors of exploding devices unfold in Lebanon and Palestine it has become increasingly clear that the Muslim Ummah has failed miserably to safeguard its own people. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), presumably a champion of Muslim rights, is perhaps the only official platform of Muslim unity. But ironically even this organisation of Muslims could never address the plight of the suffering Palestinians. Internal divisions, political manoeuvring, and a lack of cohesive action have rendered the organisation impotent in the face of Israeli aggression. The OIC’s failure to mobilise collective support for Palestine has not only exacerbated the suffering of Palestinians but has also emboldened Israeli impunity. By shirking its responsibility to hold Israel accountable for its crimes, the OIC shares culpability for the ongoing genocide and the continued violation of Palestinian rights.
To the serious observer, the concept of the Muslim Ummah today is a failed concept because each Muslim majority country in the world appears to give priority to their own narrow geopolitical interests over the plight of the Muslims who need help. Today Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain enjoy diplomatic relations and trade with Israel while closing their eyes to the sufferings of the people of Gaza. In such a situation, the OIC is nothing but a debating club of Muslim nations. They meet frequently, make speeches, attend grand dinners and then go back to their own countries.
The Muslim world is currently going through significant power shifts, and new players are competing to be the rightful leaders of the ummah. In fact, the Muslim world is gradually transitioning towards a multipolar system where power is diffused from Saudi Arabia as the key player, to Turkey. The transition is a result of Ankara's push to play a more significant role in the complex multidimensional Muslim world, whereas the Saudi-led system has failed to address issues of long-standing conflicts, Islamophobia, and the mounting outrage over the plight of Muslims in various conflicts.
In 2020, leaders from 52 Muslim countries gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference was titled: "The Role of Development in Achieving National Security," with the critical objective of mounting a response to Islamophobia. But the most influential Muslim state, Saudi Arabia, was not invited and kept out of the forum. King Salman, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Islam, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, did not receive an invitation to the KL summit. Adding to this sensitive situation, two of the Kingdom's principal adversaries — Qatar and Iran — were on the guest list and participated in the summit.
The question is: why was Saudi Arabia not invited to the summit? The KL forum is an attempt to create a new power structure in the Muslim world, challenging the current power balance with Saudi Arabia as the hegemon. The new alliance is symptomatic of the ambitions of Turkey and the apathy of Saudi Arabia, manifested in the ineffectiveness of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
In all this jostling for influence, the interests and collective dignity of the Ummah continue to be under assault – as the ongoing Israeli war on Palestine demonstrates every day in heart-breaking ways.