Muslim Ummah and its Link with Transnational Muslim Politics

This inquiry aims firstly, to uncover the meaning of the Ummah and highlight the various debates that exist regarding the operationalization of this concept. Secondly, it examines how the concept of the Ummah has shaped the historical consciousness of Muslims, and how it continues to affect the politics of Muslim states. And lastly, it considers the notion of the Ummah vis-à-vis the Western notions of the nation state, examining in particular how those notions aid and hinder regional cooperation among Muslim states. The concept of the Muslim Ummah has been under much debate by Western and non-Western scholars, especially in light of transnational Muslim networks' activities to operationalise the ideal of ummatic unity. For Muslims the mere absence of war is not an equivalent of peace. If the Muslim way of life is threatened, the environment is perceived by them to be insecure. This perceived insecurity is not limited to the Muslim nation states. In fact Muslims have gradually realized that the nation state system has become an impediment in realizing their way of life and in bringing about the kind of ummatic cooperation and security they seek. While Western regional formations (such as the EU, MERCOSUR and NAFTA) are premised on the nation state to ensure security as well as their political and economic objections, the Muslim world continues to use the Ummah as the major referent of cooperation. The Islamic aspirations of the Ummah have not disappeared, and the ability of Muslim transnational organizations, ideologies, and communication networks to permeate national borders testifies to the existence of a more intense feeling of Muslim community than generally recognised.