It is not hard to understand why a group of "moderate" predominantly Muslim states met in Pakistan this week. The mood in the Muslim world is ugly. The world has branded Islam as the religion of terrorism and Muslims are described as terrorists, all thanks to a handful of militant Islamists and suicide bombers. Muslim nations are most concerned. The leaders of the 57-member state Organisation of Islamic Conference are extremely worried about the dire consequences of the foolhardy actions of a handful few diehard zealots. Then, there is the deplorable situation in Iraq which, like Afghanistan, is labouring under United States-led occupation. The humanitarian situation in both countries are fast deteriorating. Civil war is looming large, or has in fact started in earnest. Resistance to foreign occupation in both countries has reached unprecedented levels. And then, there is the uncertain situation in Sudan and Somalia, not to mention Chechnya and Kashmir. And, the tragic situation in Palestine and Lebanon. But, an immediate Muslim worry is Iran's defiance of a United Nations deadline for freezing its uranium enrichment programmes. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is determined to go ahead with his country's nuclear programme. Many Muslim nations are uneasy about the Iranian agenda, but Muslims the world over are even more incensed because of the double standards of the United States. Why is Israel permitted to keep its nuclear arsenal? Why is Iran singled out for retribution? Muslims all over the world suspect that it is because Iran is a Muslim nation. The world's one billion Muslims are in a state of disquiet. These issues will be discussed at the forthcoming OIC meeting in Mecca. The deep distress and anxieties of Muslims must be taken into account by the international community at large and the Bush administration in particular. The world cannot ignore the wishes of a whole fifth of mankind. Neither can it disregard the sensibilities of the Muslim world. The Pakistan meeting of the foreign ministers of seven Muslim nations -- Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and host nation Pakistan was a historic meeting. It comes at an opportune moment. The host nation itself is under tremendous international pressure and is accused of harbouring terrorists. But Muslim nations must weather this storm. It is about time that the world listens to the voice of moderate Islam, the traditional Islamic values of compassion and mercy. The long-suffering Muslim people of Darfur need all the support, moral and material, that the world can muster. The Palestinians need financial assistance as never before. The Iraqis, Somalis and Kashmiris need help. The wealthier Muslim nations must re-double their efforts to support the less fortunate Muslims across the globe. Above all, the world must understand that Muslims speak with one voice, and that it is the voice of moderation. Those Muslims who speak otherwise do not represent Islam -- they speak on behalf of themselves -- religious bigots. Moreover, the world must realise that Muslims have real, and not imaginary, grievances. And, these must be addressed for the sake of world peace.
