THE Muslim world today seems to be divided or perhaps more divided than ever as seen at the Malaysia summit held in Kuala Lumpur which ended on Saturday. The moot discussed old issues faced by Muslims around the world. However it is unfortunate that out of 57 Muslim countries invited to attend the summit, only 20 participated. The deep fissures in the edifice of Islamic unity were writ large for all to see and cast a long shadow over the summit.

In her book After the Prophet: the Epic History of Shia-Sunni Split, Lesley Hazleton, has graphically depicted how the Muslims were divided and how the unbridgeable gap developed with the passage of time among them after the demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). That division still rages on relentlessly, making Muslim unity elusive.

The coming together of all Muslim countries in the world on the same page seems highly unlikely.

Riaz Ahmad Soomro

Shikarpur

(2)

I AND most Pakistanis hold the governments of Turkey and Malaysia and their peoples dear.

We have not forgotten that when others in the region were honouring the incumbent Indian government’s fascist leader despite his antipathy to the Muslims of the subcontinent, it was the governments of Turkey and Malaysia who had condemned out the atrocities of the Indian state.

Both Malaysia and Turkey remained undeterred by the threat of diplomatic and economic reprisals by the Modi administration.

Rashid Jooma

Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2019