KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Summit (KL Summit) 2019 represents a new hope for Muslim solidarity and socio-economic integration.
Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar and Iran will make serious efforts to achieve sustainable regional peace through commercial diplomacy.
Experts believe it may be the beginning of a new political bloc. However, it is too early to tell.
What is certain is that the role of politics in development, food security, preserving national identity and redistributing wealth will be discussed at the summit.
Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Iran are facing complex issues because of the ill-designs of the global movers and shakers. Economic sanctions are posing serious security threats to some of them.
The United States and many European Union countries, as well as regional non-state actors, are unhappy with Turkey’s “Operation Peace Spring” in Syria.
It has also aggravated the dynamics of regional politics with a recent maritime deal with Libya.
Qatar, meanwhile, has been isolated and marginalised by the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Iran has been under severe economic and military pressure since the start of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The KL Summit may provide the nations with alternative diplomatic solutions to the problems.
Some regional countries, mainly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are said to have doubts about the summit.
However, a recent official visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to Saudi Arabia may have resolved any ambiguity about the summit and its goals.
Although Muslim countries are going through a difficult time, the summit may provide an ideal platform to create strategic cushions, regional alliances, socio-economic bridges and energy and food security mechanisms. It may also boost relations in various areas.
It may be a giant step towards Muslim revivalism in terms of security, energy cooperation, military cooperation, technology collaboration and political consultation.
Recently, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss issues afflicting Muslims.
This led to an agreement to establish a new international television station dedicated to combating Islamophobia and voicing a more positive view of Islam.
Dr Mahathir has been making efforts to resolve disputes faced by the world’s 1.7 billion Muslim population.
He courageously supported the cause of the Kashmiris in the UNGA session.
He also supports the struggle of Palestinians against Israel’s state-sponsored terrorism. So we can expect the summit to find workable solutions and counter Western propaganda.
We live in a civilised world where diplomacy, the rule of law, provision of basic human rights, right to self-determination and freedom need to be institutionalised in Islamic countries. Violence achieves nothing but more division, destruction and degradation.
The summit, if properly carried out, may be a gateway to sustainable development, regional integration, socio-economic prosperity, development of renewables, start-ups and last but not least, Islamic solidarity.