Lahore held the Second Islamic Summit Conference in 1974, which took place over three days beginning on February 22 and included 38 Muslim nations. It was a historic gathering. Those were exuberant times, just months after the war in October 1973, when the Arabs had partially undone the humiliating defeats of the 1967 war. Additionally, the Arabs had demonstrated their “oil weapon,” directed at any state that publicly backed Israel, and maybe for the first time since the end of colonialism, there was a sense that the Islamic world had independent agency. Attending the moot were titans of the Muslim world. This comprised Yasser Arafat, the symbol of the Palestinian people, Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Muammar Qadhafi of Libya, Faisal of Saudi Arabia, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the summit’s host and architect. Bhutto deserves all the credit for the 1974 summit’s success. Bhutto was a democratically elected leader who was a devoted internationalist with the vision to establish Pakistan as a leader in the Muslim world, despite his many flaws. Our standing in the Muslim community and the wider international community is far from what it was when we first achieved remarkable success in 1974. One thing that might be learned is that a leader who has been chosen by the people and is conscious of their goals is by themselves. As Mujibur Rahman embraced Bhutto in Lahore, another triumph of the summit was Pakistan’s recognition of Bangladesh, which brought an end to the bloody chapter of East Pakistan’s separation.
However, many of the problems that beset the Muslim world still exist, half a century after that historic summit. For instance, the children of Palestine continue to scream for the cessation of their killing. Furthermore, because of Indian obstinacy, the people of Kashmir are still unable to determine their own fate. In other places, the stateless Rohingya people are forced to live in filthy camps as refugees by the governing junta in Myanmar, while hundreds of millions of other Muslims worldwide suffer from illness.
even though some of their wealthier religious brethren lead lives of unbelievable luxury. Unfortunately, strongmen in far too many Muslim regimes are not in touch with the aspirations of their people. To help the Muslim world navigate these turbulent times, maybe the spirit of ’74 needs to be harnessed. Specifically, by uniting and working towards a minimal common agenda, the Muslim states can try to tackle a variety of issues and work towards the admirable objectives stated at the Lahore Summit. To better the situation of Muslim communities, education is necessary, with a special emphasis on science and technology. Furthermore, in order to better the lives of almost 2 billion people, democracy must be established within the Muslim world via natural processes rather than being “imported” from outside.
