Islam in the Modern World

Islam is the first religion n the world which has the highest number of adherents. Fortunately enough the world occupied by the Islamic faith is the richest in natural resources, like petrol. Islam has a very strong presence in the world and matters in day to day life of the globe. Shortly after the Gulf war it appeared to Muslims that yet another stand was woven into the rope being used to bind Islam: the story of the Pakistani and Arab bank, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, broke. Here was massive fraud, corruption, cooking of books, drugs, big names; these businessmen could bring a blush of shame to the cheeks of J.R. Ewing. The media went wild with glee at what was one of the biggest banking scandals in history; the fact that most of the key players were Muslim added to the pleasure of the chase. The entire globe seemed to have been drawn into the BCCI story. Links were established with Abu Nidal on the hand and Pakistan’s nuclear programme on the other. It became the Bank of Cocaine and Crooks in the Western media. In 1991 the Western media were freely placing Muslims in the context of what they labeled a “criminal’ culture. Ordinary, everyday, average Muslims may not agree with the fatwa, they may despise the military dictator in Iraq, they may loathe the fraud and corruption at the Bank, but they also resent the cavalier way in which they are treated by association in the media. They are still anxious to point out that the reality in each case is more complex than meets the eye; they will not have liked Rushdie’s book, they will be vicariously thrilled that Saddam Stood up to the West and spoke up for the Palestinians, even that the BCCI may be the target of Western wrath because it was the first major international Muslim bank. No doubt, this work will prove of utmost value to the scholars and laymen alike who wish to have detailed look into Islam.