Role of Education in the Consolidation of Islamic Solidarity
Rana Eijaz Ahmad,Abida Eijaz

Abstract
Plato believes that no ideal state can be perceived without education. In this age of globalization education is a real investment that rarely recognized in the Muslim world. Islamic Solidarity is call of the day. Islam is the only religion that believes in global unity and universal solidarity. There are 57 Muslim countries, all are member of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), having no say in international community owing to lack of education that is considered an important indicator in the socio-economic, political, cultural, and scientific development in today’s world. Islam has unique ideology that provides a uniform system of survival for all communities without any subjectivity. Owing to media propaganda and some fanatics Islamic ideology has been under cloud since 9/11. We as Muslims have obligations to consolidate Muslim glory through Ijtihad, a dynamic aspect of Islamic Ideology and education. Role of education in the consolidation of Islamic solidarity is very much significant in this modern world. Without equipping Muslim world with modern education regarding Ijtihad may hamper the Muslims’ role in world politics. The dilemma with Muslim world is of being intellectually dependent upon the West. Whatever is considered best for the West is considered good for the Muslim world. It is not like that. Muslims have its own norms and values that have universal credibility due to its objectivity. Essence of global legislation and international law lies in morality. It is an Islamic canon not of the West. We have to prepare ourselves for fighting against propaganda of the twenty first century that is based on a ‘borderless world’ as determined by Kenichie Ohmae in his popular treatise The End of the Nation State and the Rise of Regional Economies. In the rise of regional integration consolidation of Islamic solidarity is sine qua non for the Muslim world especially and for Asian Union as a whole in the region. It is only possible when societies in the Muslim world will be educated with modern knowledge. Through power of knowledge the OIC platform can be used effectively for the consolidation of Islamic solidarity.

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