by ALIFAH ZAINUDDIN/ pic by TMR FILE

AS WE approach the end of the decade, it is only befitting to note that Muslims have been at war with each other for much of the period — giving rise to sectarianism, the destruction of resources and the displacement of millions of people from across the Muslim world.

The Arab Spring ushered in an entire decade of riots, civil wars and insurgencies in the Middle East which led to the collapse of governments, creating voids that have since been filled by armed militias and religious fanatics.

In the battle for territory, coalitions were formed which further divided Muslim states. To add to this, Islamophobia became widespread that even in so-called developed countries, Muslims became easy targets of discrimination and hate. All in all, it is not a decade that Muslims can be proud of.

So, it comes as a kind of miracle that just before the turn of a new decade, Muslim leaders — albeit from four countries — were able to come together in peace at a summit in Kuala Lumpur (KL) to have honest discussions about the state of the ummah and agreeing on constructive ways forward.

By the end of the KL Summit 2019, the four countries had agreed to collaborate in several areas of development including in food security and defence technology with the exchange of 18 memoranda.

For once, the focus of Muslim stewardship was not to divide but to unite.

Despite fervent criticism from Saudi Arabia and last-minute pull outs from the conference, leaders from Malaysia, Iran, Qatar and Turkey pushed ahead with their agenda and were resilient in their commitment to find solutions to the malaise of the 1.8 billion Muslim population.

By and large, all four countries identified economic imperialism as a deep-rooted problem which can be addressed via increased trade and investment between Muslim nations. The proposal was immediately taken up and realised in deals to establish an arms factory and a dairy farm in Malaysia, among others.

Iran had also made a commanding proposition to create a single cryptocurrency that can be used for trade among Muslim nations.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad agreed without hesitation as he himself has mooted the idea of a common gold-backed currency.

The proactive attitude, dynamic discussions and the overall success of the forum as reflected in the agreements underline the very reason why Dr Mahathir kept the invitation to a select few. As the world’s oldest leader, the 94-year-old is mindful of the urgency needed to revive the Muslim economy.

Muslims make up the second-largest religious community in the world but its contribution to global GDP is only at 7.6% or US$6.5 trillion (RM26.92 trillion) last year.

With its size and resources, Muslim nations can easily become a powerful economic bloc if they are not saddled by distrust and corruption.

The Quran, which is a source of guidance for Muslims, states that God will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change their state themselves.

To mend and revive the state of the ummah takes a lot of time, and above all, willpower. The summit bears witness to that first step.