The gravest problems in the world are experienced in the geography where Muslims are. The three biggest hot conflicts, i.e., Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine are in this region. The roots of the terror, called “global terror” but implying “Islamic terror” in fact, also lie in this geography. The two countries occupied by the United States (Afghanistan and Iraq), and the two other countries which the U.S. declares its willingness to occupy in every occasion (Syria and Iran) are also here. Moreover, the two-thirds of world’s energy is supplied from this region. The Muslim countries affect the world economy in many aspects through their supplies of oil and natural gas. The latest Israeli offensive in Gaza and Hizbullah’s reponse demonstrated that the region is also very close to a nuclear war.
Nowhere in the world you can see a news bulletin excluding the Middle East. The region is permanently on the world agenda.
Despite this picture, it is impossible to see Muslim political leaders in the governance of the world. The most influential body in the world governance is the United Nations Security Council, but none of the permanent members of the Council are from the Middle East. Even though some Muslim countries are occasionally elected for temporary membership seats of the UN body, their influence in decision-making is almost zero.
The situation is not different in the I.M.F., World Bank and other organizations.
In the most important bloc in the world, the European Union (EU), the situation is more tragic. There are many Muslim countries in Europe. The population of Muslims in Europe, including the ex-Soviet countries, is well over 150 million. Furthermore, the number of Muslims in the EU member countries is more than 15 million. However, the EU’s members are all Christian countries. Neither Bosnia, nor Turkey nor the Northern Cyprus accomplished to be a member. Albania and Azerbaijan don’t have hopes for membership.
Probably, the real governors of the world are the G-8 countries. The absence of Muslim countries in this bloc can be understandable to some extent. Seven of the eight countries are the wealthiest of the world: The U.S.A., Canada, France, England, Germany, Italy and Japan. The case is not the same for Russia. The reason of its existence in G-8 is its power and importance. The recent efforts regarding G-8 are to include developing countries in the bloc. But in the likely-members list, none of the countries are from the Middle East or Muslim countries: India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa… However, in the last G-8 summit participated by these developing countries in St. Petersburg, the three matters on the top-agenda list were related with the Muslim-inhabited geography: The Middle East Crisis, Iran, North Korea and international terrorism.
The discussion above clearly reveals the imbalance and lack of just representation. All the decisions regarding Muslim countries are taken by the non-Muslim leaders and the peoples of the Muslim countries are expected to conform to these decisions. The failure of this unilateral attitude has been largely proven so far. Not only the Muslims but the entire world was harmed and is still being harmed due to this attitude. As the 1.5 billion Muslims are not able to have a saying in world governance through legal means, they voice their demands and complaints through illegitimate ways. Each decision taken without the involvement of Tayyip Erdogan, Husni Mubarek or any other Muslim leader causes Usame bin Laden or similar illegitimate “leaders” to come to the front.
17 July 2006
Trn. by Noyan Ozkaya, JTW
