The Problem with Islamic Leadership

      This is not the typical article on why Islamic Leadership is going south. From Sudan to Somalia, nations where Muslim are at the helm of leadership are branded as fail leaders leading failed states. This is not the typical article because most articles call for a return to leaders who are piety( Ulama) and more "Islamic" in their worldview. Well the writer is not saying that Ulama shouldn't lead, than would be mere generalization that won't serve any purpose. Rather, the writer is calling for the right leaders, whether Ulama or not, to lead Islamic nations.

The leaders must be equipped with knowledge of economy, world affairs, science and technology. Having a strong grounding in Islamic theology is a huge plus. The leaders must also be of sound character, not evil and corrupt leaders. The Muslims must accept that in order to progress, leaders who are progressive must lead, not traditionalist. Only then can the Ummah be a force to be reckoned with, not bullied like we are today.

Another problem with Islamic Leaders today is their lack of inclusiveness. We can see that in Egypt, President Morsi failed to get the support of the Liberals and the Non-Muslims. He relied heavily on the Islamic Brotherhood to cling to power. The revolution that dethroned Mubarak was the result of a unified Egypt, the Islamist, the Liberals and the Non-Muslims.

 The pillars that lead to Morsi's Presidency were abandon that led to the collapse of the Morsi's short Administration. Egypt is now back to a pseudo-military administration under General Sisi, back to square one.

Another example is Iraq. The Sunnis and Shias are fighting each other instead of rebuilding their nation into the glory of what used to be. Iraq was a beckon of knowledge, Science and Technology until the Mongols invaded. The leaders of Iraq should tap into that rich history and its oil money to bring back the glory days. Instead, Iraqi President Nuri Al-Maliki chose to use the Sunni Vs Shia narrative.

He didn't include Sunni Leaders in his administration, and ignored the Kurds. Now both the Sunni and Kurds are creating damage in Iraq due to the sectarian violence in that country. Again lack of inclusiveness is causing damage to an Islamic country.

It is poignant to point out that one of the major stories of the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) is how he united the Ansar and Muhajirn during Hijrah. The Ansar and Muhajirin are to different types of people.

 Similarly, the Prophet(PBUH), also created a unified people, united in the worship of Allah S.W.T instead of the tribal nature of the society there before the arrival of Islam. The Muslims and Non-Muslims prospered under the rule of Prophet Muhammad and his successors. So it is sad that being inclusive is a major weakness in Islamic leadership today.

Finally, Islamic Leaders must not depend on others for help, instead they must strengthen their nations and ensure that these countries can rise up to the challenge of Globalization. The economies of their nation shouldn't rely on western powerhouses like US and UK, instead they should strive to make it the opposite, just like when Muslims control world trade and the spice trade. The same can be said in foreign policy.

Islamic Leaders must encourage their people to equip themselves with knowledge in the sciences, just like past Islamic leaders had done that saw the rise of the great doctor Ibn Sina, the great mathematician Al-Khwarizmi and so on. Muslims must be experts in their respective fields. Only when Islamic leaders start to do the above and more can Muslims pull themselves out of the malaise that they are in today.