The world of Islam is passing through a crisis of confidence. However unpalatable it may be, the truth remains that the qualities of self-awareness and self-reliance are not the distinguishing features of Muslims in any part of the world today. Even the Muslims that are free (no matter whether they have been for centuries or attained freedom only recently) are intellectually and educationally subservient to the West. The rulers of these countries often show commendable courage, even to the extent of incurring grave risks, in the political field but where the cultural, intellectual and educational spheres are concerned they betray an awful lack of self-confidence and freedom of judgement. It is an accepted fact that cultural and intellectual servility is much more harmful and degrading than political serfdom. Once a country has passed under the cultural and intellectual domination of another, it becomes unnecessary for the latter to annex it politically. Further, since in the modern world ht conquest and annexation of a country has no longer remained possible the Big Powers are getting inclined to concentrate, more and more, on strengthening their cultural and intellectual hold over the weaker nations instead of seeking their political subjugation.

If there was any power in the present-day world which could challenge the cultural and intellectual supremacy of the West and its resulting ideological domination it was the world of Islam with its own distinctive personality, its characteristic programme of life and its soul-stirring moral and spiritual appeal, but, unfortunately, owing to reasons enumerated in detail by the Author in an earlier book the Muslims have lapsed into such a state of lethargy and disorder that they can offer little resistance to the growing influence of the West. In addition to it, the Western nations are taking due care to dissipate what little of moral and spiritual awareness and vitality is left in them through a number of well-calculated steps, some of which bear the stamp of innocence and magnanimity while others are openly hostile and vicious

The World Of Islam Today