A-list message, [A-List] Thus spake Abdullah

While challenges facing the Muslim Ummah are stupendous these times, the prospects are even brighter, said Mr. Abdullah, former Chief Secretary, NEAP, former director, Pakistan Academy for Rural Development, present Chairman, Public Service Commission, NFWP and an ideologue.

Mr. Abdullah was addressing students, mainly from social sciences, particularly international affairs, Friday evening at the Senate Hall, University of Peshawar before a thin but responsive audience. Dr Adnan S Khan, Chairman IR Dept. University of Peshawar presided the event.

Abdullah, who is frequently addressing academicians since long urges them to wake up those not fully aware of the challenges faced and of their responsibilities. He said, the 57 countries of Muslim Ummah form one third of the UNO membership, every sixth person in the world is a Muslim, the Ummah controls all the water ways and land routes, though their presence on the continents of Americas is not really significant. He added Muslims own 60% of the Mediterranean, the cradle of all civilisation, in fact the sea is a Muslim lake. They hold 60% of the world oil wealth beside many strategic minerals. The income spectrum of Muslim countries is evenly spread, from very rich to really poor.

Comparing the relative military strengths in terms of manpower and showing figures on a screen he the total military manpower of 41 Muslim countries, 7.2 million was more than the combined strength of NATO and the then Warsaw Pact.

Inspite of so much assets the Ummah is like a disabled giant, major reasons for that and what the Ummah really is like, he cited: topping the list are the un-representative governments followed by massive illiteracy, low quality of governance, lack of operational commitment to Islam, especially by the elite, people - government polarisation with lack of credibility of the latter, lack of real reforms and misusing Islam for ulterior motives, the fragility and ineptness of institutions, which if do exist, prevalent permissiveness and promiscuity, riled up ethnic issues and finally Cabal, subversion and espionage, both from within and without.

Furthering his stand he said the Ummah is burdened by neo-colonial history and policies that are detrimental to their interests by others. To make such policies effective we have ineffective and non-genuine regimes, he called them surrogate governments, the UNO is there as an effective instrument of neo-colonialism coupled with the Breton Wood institutions ensuring market and state capitalism. He drew attention towards environmental exploitation by the consumptive developed nations worst of which is the dumping ofradio-active material in the Third World countries. He said the developed nations find it economical to dump this waste in others' yards than to neutralise it, saying it as a serious threat to human and other life for a long time to come. Referring to a letter by Larry Summers who terms this dumping of RA waste as a typical expression of neo-colonialism.

Abdullah termed the calls for democracy, human rights and the like as fake slogans meant to cause destabilisation. He said the NGOs phenomenon, especially those receiving funding from abroad as a network for strategic subversion. In similar manner he called the intelligence seeking research studies in the under developed, especially Muslim lands by the intellectuals from the west; topping all he said, is the highly touted 'new world order'.

Describing the modes of invasion against Muslim Ummah, he said besides physical occupation by military forces the political installationof surrogate governments in Muslim countries are the most blatant forms of invasion. In addition to that is the economic exploitation and trade invasion and mortgaging developing economies.

While listing the various modes of invasion, Abdullah said the most subtle and yet lethal with long lasting effect is the cultural invasion made in the forms of encouraging permissiveness and promiscuity among the Muslim masses, particularly the educated and the youth. Alongside is distortion of history in the sectors of archeology, anthropology etc. Destabilisation of technology, assault by media, strategic intelligence and introducing the sweetened ideas of pluralism, secularisation and other pantheistic perceptions are also some strategies used.

Describing the levels of consciousness and goals aspired by the Ummah he listed in the order of their strength: establishing of khilafa, establishing an Islamic state, islamisation of existing laws, revolt against east and west, discovering faith as binding force in the Ummah and attaining political autonomy.

As the means for reviving Muslim realisation through faith he suggested: reversion to Islam of both Muslims and others through tabligh and dawa, observance of religious imperatives in quality as well as quantity aspects, working for achieving greater political and economic cohesion and strength. He proposed dis-satisfaction for the existing un-Islamic practices and trends and divisive factors and adopting Islam as a regime-maintaining strategy and a definitive quest for Islam as reaction to permissiveness and other poisons. He said these levels of efforts are a measure of our responses to re-establish our identity as Muslim Ummah.

He proclaimed, now is the time to speak out. Suggesting, what to do, as said by poet Iqbal in his Persian book, Pas che bayed kard (What need doing) he listed a string of doables: a) Review the memorandum of association of the OIC organically and change the title of its 'chairman' to 'Khalifa-tul-Muslimeen', saying this symbolic change will convey a totally different message, b) organise an Islamic defense force, c) establish Islamic common market and Islamic DFIs, d) use all possible means to introduce Islam in its original purity, e) organise Muslim communities living in the non-Muslim world as good ambassadors of Islam, f) achieve media independence, g) reform and/or change surrogate regimes through internal means, not from without, h) establish supremacy of sharia', i)set up an Islamic court of justice j) evolve strategic intellectual consensus (SIC) and k) establish an Islamic Council of Ijtehaad.

In the end when answering questions he emphasised that Islam for one is not an ideology to create splits. In the light of Unity of Allah it is a unifying force. He said we must work for unifying all humankind and the creation of Allah. He emphatically added that he expects the rise of concept of strategy from the classrooms. He expressed his choice of working through the learned and academicians, saying working with them is so easy, one covers more mileage.

Dr Adnan S Khan in his capacity of host and presiding the evening thanked and praised the guest speaker. He said Mr. Abdullah is unlike a bureaucrat but is an ideologue and an activist who seeks change and suggests ways to it.

Contributed by Tariq Mahmood