The World Islamic Economic Forum Foundation is a remarkable and important body. I like to think of it as a “task force” – a group that is turning the excellent ideas and plans generated at the first World Islamic Economic Forum into sustainable, concrete and year round action that brings economic, political and social betterment to Muslims all over the world. The WIEF Foundation is thus in a unique position for there are few, if any, nonpartisan international groups that can affect change in the Islamic world to the degree this Foundation can.

The key challenge for the Muslim world is integration. On economic, political and social levels, Islamic communities are not effectively integrated with each other, nor are they well-connected to the rest of the world. In an era of globalization, this must change. Muslim communities have much to both offer to and gain from deeper and broader integration with the entire global community. Through the creation of the World Islamic Education Trust and the World Islamic Businesswoman’s Network, the WIEF Foundation has positioned itself as a group that is committed to integration. The Foundation is actively creating a worthwhile future for all Muslims by linking their communities to each other and to the world. I only expect this to continue as we draw closer to the second annual WIEF.

Education is vital to the future of all young Muslims. It generates hope and opportunity, allowing young people to see their future unfold in a meaningful and productive way. Without comprehensive education, which then creates a highly-skilled and well-trained workforce, the Muslim world cannot realistically expect its position in the world to improve. But by guaranteeing a future for young people, the World Islamic Education Trust, through the WIEF Foundation, is showing a resounding commitment to building a worthwhile future based on internal and external integration. This, combined with the World Islamic Businesswoman’s Network, is massively significant in building connectivity, strength and prestige in the Islamic world. For the business community, the empowerment of women through the Businesswoman’s Network helps Muslim individuals and enterprises “catch up” to the massive economic progress made in other parts of the world, whilst doing so in a way that preserves important Islamic cultural and societal norms. Muslim communities must utilize the economic potential of women, and the World Islamic Businesswoman’s Network is allowing this to happen. The World Islamic Education Trust is simultaneously laying a vital foundation.

The WIEF Foundation has created two bodies that effectively institutionalize two of the most vital focuses of the first World Islamic Economic Forum: education and women in business. It is these groups that will contribute most to the economic and social betterment of the Muslim people. It is this continued commitment to the goals set out during and after the first WIEF that convince me that the Foundation is in an excellent position to create an economic, political and social environment that brings substantial betterment to all Muslims. It is one thing for the annual forum to aim at “Building Trust, Driving Business and Forging Partnerships;” it is quite another to have a group that is resoundly committed to doing that every single day. The Foundation is actively creating a dynamic future for the Muslim ummah – this is the best thing that could be done.

About the Author

Gary Barnabo resides in Sydney, Australia and is currently a Political Science, Peace Studies and Arabic scholar at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. As an intern at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute for International Policy, he reached and wrote on Islamic politics in Egypt and the broader Islamic world. Earlier this year, Gary had an article on the U.S. foreign policy towards Hamas published in the International Herald Tribune. Gary attended the 2005 WIEF in Kuala Lumpur and has also been involved in planning for the Young Muslim Leaders section of this year's WIEF.