Approaching the West — Page 48
A pproaching the West—48 abolished Caliphate in 1924, the Indian Muslims were deeply hurt and humiliated and the Khil ā fat Movement collapsed. Futile Attempts to Revive Caliphate Presently, there are more than fifty countries with predominantly Muslim population but all are without a Caliph. In 1979, following what was an “Isl ā mic Revolution” in Iran, indeed the secular kingdom of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was replaced by a religious based power structure. The Isl ā mic Republic of Iran claims to run the affairs of the state on Sh ī ‘ah Isl ā mic principles; but the Iranian religious leaders are unable to call for a global Im ā mate or Caliphate. They are waiting for the appearance of the “hidden Im ā m” who is the constitutional Head of the Isl ā mic Republic of Iran! Muslims are coming to the realization that the root cause for their failure in reviving Caliphate is the decline in their observance of religious practices and lack of spirituality. Several Isl ā mic political parties and groups (including the militant al-Q ā ‘idah) are calling the Muslims to get united for the restoration of a global Caliphate; but apparently there is no agreement on its methodology. US President George W. Bush seems to be perturbed about such calls coming from the terrorist groups. He wants to “open a new chapter in the fight against enemies of freedom, against those who in the beginning of 21st century call Muslims to restore Caliphate and to spread Shar ī ‘ah. ” President Bush thinks that the so- called Jih ā dists/militants “hope to establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call