I believe all this apprehension about extremists gaining ground or conflict between Christians and Muslims are misplaced. The reason is simple. All these fears and predictions about an unsafe world torn by religious fundamentalism of both Christian and Islamic are solely based on the America's response to September 11 or the so called war on terror.
I do admit that gauged by the immediate response on Washington's War on Terror and particularly its attack of Iraq, the apprehension of sudden spurt of Islamic radicalism may be true. But, all future is not going to be written by America's War on Terror or the perceived attack on Muslims. In the years to come, America alone is not going to be deciding the destiny of the humanity. America could secure a central stage in the world affairs not merely because of its military prowess. It could achieve what it could not have achieved by military might by its soft power. Or may be because of the combine strength of its hard and soft power.
With the economies of China, India and many South Asian Countries growing at 7 to 10% in a couple of years not only the international power equations but, more importantly ,the ways in which people have lived all over the world and ,in particular , in the Arab world is to witness a sea change. Today, poor Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Philippinos, SriLankans etal make the economies of most of the Arab Countries run.
If, let us assume, the skilled and unskilled labor from these countries all on a sudden disappear from the scene, the economies of the oil rich Arab countries, particularly, Saudi Arabia will come to a grinding halt. But sooner than most of us could foresee, the highly skilled technicians, doctors, engineers and business managers from Asia will refuse to work in the oil rich Arab Countries, if the prevailing living conditions in these countries offer no change.
Saudi Arabia and other oil rich Muslim countries cannot survive without the doctors, engineers, technocrats and other high skilled professionals as also the unskilled labor India and other emerging economies provide. However, India for instance, is poised for a great shortage of high-end professionals, engineers, technocrats etc. domestically as supply will fail to catch up with the growing demand.
With this impending great shortage, the pinch of which the Indian Industry has already started feeling, the pay structure in India and other emerging South Asian Economies will see an unprecedented raise. When the domestic salaries and perks become attractive, the high end professionals, technocrats and engineers will refuse to accept employment in the Arab countries unless the civil societies there are opened up. Human societies are woven around the basic laws of nature. "Demand and supply" is the most important of them.
The Arab world thus will be compelled to dilute their existing medieval laws and social ethos to attract and retain immigrants. The immigrants will have to be treated at par with their own citizens. Religious freedom will have to be allowed to all. Shariath and other Laws which allow inhuman punishment will have to pave way for more liberal laws. Women will have to be given freedom and they will have to be allowed to appear in public and mingle and move along with unrelated men which are a taboo today. Today's strict, prohibitive laws will have to mend way for a liberal, open and secular society where there is religious and cultural freedom.
State Control over peoples' private and day today life, will have to be shelved. Pubs, discos, and cinemas, all, will have to be permitted. The days when Riyadh would resemble New Delhi or Dacca or Bombay or Hyderabad is not far away. The visible symbol of the kind of changes that are on the loop is today's Dubai. Dubai is a liberal city where an immigrant will not feel himself confined to a prison. In short, if the face of the world in the 20th Century was shaped by the soft power of the western democracies and, in particular the U.S., the face of the 21st Century will be reshaped by the soft power of India. There is no need for being Panic by the bomb blasts and terrorist's violence in India and in many other parts of the world.
Such incidents will continue to happen for a while more. But it is only a passing phase. The world tomorrow will be less torn by conflicts and violence as the destiny of the world tomorrow will be decided by India's soft power. By its multi culturism, its very way of life. And the world tomorrow will be much more a peaceful, secular, smaller and harmonious place to live. All thanks to our ethos.
(Mathew Nedumpara is a corporate lawyer and lives his life shuttling between Mumbai, New Delhi and Cochin) About the AuthorMathews J Nedumpara He is a lawyer...Read Morefirst published:March 17, 2007, 18:55 ISTlast updated:March 17, 2007, 18:55 IST
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After September 11, many thought the world is poised for a conflict, some say, euphemistically between two civilizations. For men who don't care much about sophistication of language or to whom of being politically incorrect doesn't matter much, the conflict ahead is between Christians and Muslims.
I believe all this apprehension about extremists gaining ground or conflict between Christians and Muslims are misplaced. The reason is simple. All these fears and predictions about an unsafe world torn by religious fundamentalism of both Christian and Islamic are solely based on the America's response to September 11 or the so called war on terror.
I do admit that gauged by the immediate response on Washington's War on Terror and particularly its attack of Iraq, the apprehension of sudden spurt of Islamic radicalism may be true. But, all future is not going to be written by America's War on Terror or the perceived attack on Muslims. In the years to come, America alone is not going to be deciding the destiny of the humanity. America could secure a central stage in the world affairs not merely because of its military prowess. It could achieve what it could not have achieved by military might by its soft power. Or may be because of the combine strength of its hard and soft power.
With the economies of China, India and many South Asian Countries growing at 7 to 10% in a couple of years not only the international power equations but, more importantly ,the ways in which people have lived all over the world and ,in particular , in the Arab world is to witness a sea change. Today, poor Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Philippinos, SriLankans etal make the economies of most of the Arab Countries run.
If, let us assume, the skilled and unskilled labor from these countries all on a sudden disappear from the scene, the economies of the oil rich Arab countries, particularly, Saudi Arabia will come to a grinding halt. But sooner than most of us could foresee, the highly skilled technicians, doctors, engineers and business managers from Asia will refuse to work in the oil rich Arab Countries, if the prevailing living conditions in these countries offer no change.
Saudi Arabia and other oil rich Muslim countries cannot survive without the doctors, engineers, technocrats and other high skilled professionals as also the unskilled labor India and other emerging economies provide. However, India for instance, is poised for a great shortage of high-end professionals, engineers, technocrats etc. domestically as supply will fail to catch up with the growing demand.
With this impending great shortage, the pinch of which the Indian Industry has already started feeling, the pay structure in India and other emerging South Asian Economies will see an unprecedented raise. When the domestic salaries and perks become attractive, the high end professionals, technocrats and engineers will refuse to accept employment in the Arab countries unless the civil societies there are opened up. Human societies are woven around the basic laws of nature. "Demand and supply" is the most important of them.
The Arab world thus will be compelled to dilute their existing medieval laws and social ethos to attract and retain immigrants. The immigrants will have to be treated at par with their own citizens. Religious freedom will have to be allowed to all. Shariath and other Laws which allow inhuman punishment will have to pave way for more liberal laws. Women will have to be given freedom and they will have to be allowed to appear in public and mingle and move along with unrelated men which are a taboo today. Today's strict, prohibitive laws will have to mend way for a liberal, open and secular society where there is religious and cultural freedom.
State Control over peoples' private and day today life, will have to be shelved. Pubs, discos, and cinemas, all, will have to be permitted. The days when Riyadh would resemble New Delhi or Dacca or Bombay or Hyderabad is not far away. The visible symbol of the kind of changes that are on the loop is today's Dubai. Dubai is a liberal city where an immigrant will not feel himself confined to a prison. In short, if the face of the world in the 20th Century was shaped by the soft power of the western democracies and, in particular the U.S., the face of the 21st Century will be reshaped by the soft power of India. There is no need for being Panic by the bomb blasts and terrorist's violence in India and in many other parts of the world.
Such incidents will continue to happen for a while more. But it is only a passing phase. The world tomorrow will be less torn by conflicts and violence as the destiny of the world tomorrow will be decided by India's soft power. By its multi culturism, its very way of life. And the world tomorrow will be much more a peaceful, secular, smaller and harmonious place to live. All thanks to our ethos.
(Mathew Nedumpara is a corporate lawyer and lives his life shuttling between Mumbai, New Delhi and Cochin)
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