PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS
The mandate of the lAO to unify the Muslims of Africa and give them one voice is not anything new. It had been attempted and successfully accomplished on a limited but comparable scale by several fore-runner groups like the Zurids in ancient Ifriqiyya, the Murabituri in the far west and the Muwahhidun in the west central region, and more recently, on a rather substantial scale, by Shehu Usman Dan Fodio in Hausaland. The same feat was repeated lately by Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi in the Sudan, Umar aI-Mukhtar in Cyrenaica, Shaykh AbdulQadir in Algeria and Umar al-Futi and Samore Toure in western Sudan. This experience is still repeatable and the formation of the lAO is only an attempt but a crucial one to unify and give focus to the momentous struggles going on in many places on the continent - in Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt and other places; and project a united voice of Islam in condemning modern international inequities like Zionism, Apartheid, and Imperialism.
The IAO is also expected to contribute its quota in
pointing out the direction toward the solution of Africa's incessant
civil strife, foreign indebtedness, abuse of the popular will, famine
and other aspects of economic problems.
Ultimately, the most crucial task is the successful spread of the message
of Islam to the myriad of peoples who are still ignorant of it or know
it only in the manner western media distorts it. And the battle against
this black-out is only going to be intensified with the New World Order.
The Formation of the lAO is in many ways a fortuitous occurrence that
will prove to be bulwark against a new vicious opponent that has finally
arisen without pretences. slam must therefore take on its historic role
and save the world from the new menace. That is the raison d'etre of
the Islam i Africa organisation.
The task before it is by no means small especially in the light of several
experiences where endeavours with noble and timely objectives were made
to founder owing to waning enthusiasm and inability to marshal necessary
funds and resources to do what needed to be done.
The task of coordinating activities like relief of Muslim and nonMuslim
refugees and the forging of new directions for Africa's economies and
creating new avenues for investment would be a daunting one.
But with Allah's help and guidance it should and will be possible Insha
Allah.