1World Conference of Islamic Scholars July 10-12, 2003 Putrajaya, MALAYSIA The Direction of the Muslim Umma After September 11, 2001 and Occupation of Iraq By Dr. Fathi Osman A primary question imposes itself: Do Muslims actually represent an umma in the contemporary world? What is meant by the question is not the umma as known in the political geography as nation and recognized by the international law, but the umma is meant here as a concept of universal communal based on self awareness of the concerned entity about its identity on one side, and the acceptance of the distinctive identity of the Muslim universal community by the entire world on the other side. Muslims are supposed to be a doctrinal or ideological universal community, united through the entire world by their faith, thinking, feelings and action. They all believe in, and they are all committed to: Islam and its values of doing the good and spreading it, wherever they exist throughout the entire world. However, the concrete reality is that such natural barriers: geographic and ethnic, in addition to political, economical and cultural barriers under colonialism and in the post-colonial period, have obstructed the supposed unity of the umma, and the reflections and interactions through its one body. Instead of such healthy integrity, each part deals with its needs and interests on its own, and the supposed unity has to retreat and become merely emotional, formal, and even symbolic. Nevertheless, challenges and dangers which Islam and Muslims have been facing in the contemporary world ought to revitalize the awareness of unity and integrity of the Muslim universal communal body. Fierce attacks against Islam as a religion have unceasingly and shamelessly followed the horrible events of September 11, 2001 in the US. The US actions of intimidation and sometimes humiliation have continued against Muslims: individuals, group or states, which have been culminated in the occupation of Afghanistan, in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Would the successive challenges and dangers reactivate the body of the Muslim umma and mobilize its suspended and distrupted abilities, or they would make it more and disunited? From another angle, the entire world is witnessing an era of globalism, through its speedy mass communications and transportation, which have been going beyond imagination, with all its positives and negatives. It may be an opportunity for the Muslims to surmount the barriers and to regain same kind of unity, at least in their feelings and thinking. The negatives of such a globalism may add to the challenges, which they have to face together, and the unity and solidarity may be within the limited effective armament that Muslims may have in the contemporary world.2How May The Muslim Umma Represent a Universal Community? By nature, the human being is inclined to act as an individual and assure his/her ego. Family relations may often represent a bio-pshchological extension of the individual person. Going beyond the ego requires psycho-intellectual individual and social efforts, especially if the persued entity is moral not material, doctrinal or ideological not geographical or ethnical. Apprehending the idea in mind does not mean that it has become at hand, and should not confuse us about the long way, which we have to go through in order to reach the goal. Early Arab Muslims could be transferred from their tribalism to a united umma for they lived in a particular geographic area, spoke a common language, and had much in common in their life, then the message of Islam came out and provided them with the moral and conceptual motivation to be united around, and thus became one umma in a homogenous material and cultural environment which helped them in this direction. Unity brought power and prosperity to early Muslim Arabs, and didn’t confront them with unbearable risk: “And the remember the time when you were few (and) oppressed on earth, fearful lest people should snatch you, where upon He sheltered you might be grateful” (Al-Anfaal: 26): “God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that He will certainly caused them to accede to it, and that he will certainly establish for them firmly the religion with which He was pleased to bestow, and thet He will certainly cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by security, as they worship Me (alone), not associating any with me” (An-Nur: 55) When early Arab Muslims went beyond their geographic and ethnic confines, the political unity of the caliphate under one central authority could not survive long, and the Muslim umma was split between caliphates and autonomous ruling dynasties, a split which has natural its unfavorable impact on the unity of the umma. A realistic vision of the universal framework of the Muslim community is an essential as the aspiration of unity themselves. Practically speaking, Muslims have been living for centuries weak and disunited, materially and morally. However, the contemporary shocks should urge them to reflect on their state in order to figure out the factors behind it, especially the responsibility of Muslims themselves in bringing about such a state not always blaming others for what they suffer, and the required efforts to get out of it and to avoid future weakness and disunity: “Verify, God does not change humans’ conditions unless they change their own selves.” (Ar-Rad: 11 ) Feeling hopeless and helpless constantly means that we don’t think; thinking is a sign of life, rejection and resistance of our weakness and failures, while yielding to them develop insensitivity and indifference and makes our sufferings more grave and most likely fatal. Thinking is the inevitable result of active feeling, and the primary requirement for positive action. A domination of a single world-power would tempt it to manipulate the contemporary globalism for its interests, and Muslims cannot stay passive relying on an expected competition and balance in the world as it happened before. Muslims have to rely on their ownselves not on a dreamed mechanical equilibrium, which may leave them alone or allow them a margin of mere existence. The contemporary world is very dangerous for the weak to live in. Unity is an available way in this world jungle to be unswallowable, and constructive engagement in the universal village is necessary for survival since isolation may allow the victimization of the