Muslim Community: Leadership Crisis and Emotional Exploitation

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 3 October 2025 Abstract: The article explains that India belongs to all its people and must remain united through justice, equality, and harmony. The Muslim community, however, faces a deep leadership crisis and constant emotional exploitation. Political and religious figures often use emotions for their own gain, while real progress in education, economy, and social life remains ignored. True change requires honest, capable, and farsighted leadership, supported by people who judge leaders through facts and actions, not slogans. Only then can the Muslim community secure dignity, progress, and a respected place in society while contributing positively to India’s unity and diversity. Main Points: 1. India’s strength lies in unity, equality, and cultural harmony. 2. Muslim leadership lacks trust, causing repeated political exploitation. 3. Emotions dominate logic, slowing community’s growth and awareness. 4. Real progress requires sincerity, rationality, and practical leadership. 5. True leaders must prioritize collective interests over personal gain. ----- Knowledge, science, and balanced thinking help ensure peace, security, and the protection of rights at the social level. These are the factors that raise societies to the highest levels of success. Along with this, other benefits are also achieved that are directly connected with the progress of the nation and the country. This is why sensitive nations and aware societies always give preference to collective interests over personal ones. We must not forget that whenever nations have given priority to individual interests, history has eventually erased them completely. When the spirit of collective effort is established, people gain the courage to perform better in different fields of life. Such achievements then become a matter of pride for the community. But unfortunately, our present situation is quite the opposite. The vision that Islam teaches us, and the principles it guides us to follow, are not being implemented in society. People have rearranged social structures based on their own interests and demands, which has created a visible gap. This distance was not created naturally, but rather deliberately. Everyone has their own interests, and these selfish interests are sacrificing the true spirit of Islam. Therefore, not only must such elements and factors be restricted, but they must be eliminated altogether, because they damage the real teachings of Islam, weaken society, and harm human compassion. They also promote superiority and arrogance, which are extremely dangerous elements. Our behaviour and mindset have changed moral values entirely. We must remember that to control social evils and violence, along with knowledge and awareness, it is necessary to become realistic. Today, many scholars and intellectuals have significant influence in society, yet their attitude is filled with prejudice and narrow-mindedness. They remain far from the scales of justice and fairness, and at times, they openly reveal their wrong actions. It is equally necessary to hold accountable those who have power in the political system. They must reflect on whether the principles and promises of public welfare, which brought us this far, are being honestly fulfilled. Although their claims may be loud, the ground reality clearly shows that the spirit of a secular and democratic country like India is under threat. Deliberate walls of hatred and hostility are being built in the name of religion. The history, culture, and civilisation of a particular community are not only being suppressed but also erased. Such actions harm the beauty of India. Knowledge, wisdom, and awareness demand that we examine situations with seriousness and detail, and then create a strong plan of action. It has been a long time since India gained independence, and during this period, issues such as the economic stability of Muslims, the end of educational decline, and political participation have been widely discussed. Political parties have made many promises, yet the condition of Muslims remains unchanged. Why is this so? Different people may answer this according to their own perspective, but in my view, the reason is that in every era there has been a group among us that has arranged matters according to its own interests. Outwardly, they appear sympathetic to Muslims and speak about community welfare, but in reality, their loyalty is not with the Muslims but with their own selfish gains. This is not a philosophical point, it is something we witness daily. Looking from another angle, the present situation of Muslims across India also shows that we have not yet accepted anyone as a true leader. Though we all share the same challenges, we have failed to produce our own leadership. It is not that political awareness is lacking; what is lacking is trust in our leaders. Our constant suspicion has prevented us from building genuine leadership. The progress and prosperity of any community depend on sincerity in action, holding firmly to trust and credibility, and striving continuously with determination. This is the key to success. Therefore, if the Muslim community wants to live with dignity and honour, it must bring the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) into its behaviour and attitude. Political and social awareness must also be further awakened. We must also acknowledge that emotions dominate strongly within the Muslim community, while logical, rational, and fact-based thinking is rare. Time and again, people have used religion, sectarian differences, and emotional appeals to provoke the community. Leaders have gathered crowds, raised slogans, and claimed to defend the nation and faith, but what has the Muslim community gained in return? Nothing. The sad truth is that we do not think seriously. We are easily influenced and used by others—sometimes by political parties for votes, and sometimes by religious leaders for their own benefit. Therefore, in order to regain our rights and protect our social existence, we must identify those faces and forces who exploit us for their profit. These are the hard realities we must understand seriously. Often, our careless actions become a source of embarrassment for the entire community. The political environment of India is changing rapidly, and this has directly affected democratic and constitutional values. National interests and social unity are disappearing. It is, therefore, essential to stop those ideologies that are harming our civilization, culture, and the centuries-old Ganga-Jamuni heritage of India. For this purpose, all secular forces and those who care for the welfare of society must come together and work. Social harmony and unity are vital not only for national progress but also for creating a positive image of India globally. The atmosphere of cooperation and understanding always strengthens human relationships and fulfils social needs. On the other hand, those who try to break this social fabric must remember that if society is divided, India’s long and proud history, which has given it a unique identity, will be completely destroyed. Therefore, to strengthen social unity and India’s secular traditions, it is important to highlight those aspects of history and society about which misunderstandings have been spread, or where doubts have been deliberately created by negative forces. India belongs to everyone. This is the truth, and this is the identity of India. India has never been known as a country of only one community. Hence, it is necessary to value all traditions that support the unity of the nation. we carefully observe the overall condition of the Muslim community, a very sad reality becomes clear: this community has always faced a crisis of leadership and emotional exploitation. The progress and survival of any nation depends on having leaders who are honest, sincere, far-sighted, and who give priority to collective interests over personal ones. Unfortunately, the Muslim community has lagged behind in this regard. It has failed to find true and genuine leadership, and because of this, different groups and political forces have repeatedly used its emotions for their own purposes. A leadership crisis arises when there is a lack of trust between the people and their leaders, and when no intellectual or practical connection remains between them. For a long time, Muslims have been forced to wonder who their real leader is. In politics, those who appear as leaders often act according to temporary benefits or the priorities of a particular party. That is why they give more importance to personal or group interests rather than representing the community honestly. Along with this, emotional exploitation is another major problem. Muslims are highly emotional by nature. It is quite easy to provoke their feelings in the name of religion, sect, or community. Political parties use this to win votes, and some religious leaders use it to maintain their own dominance. In big gatherings and with loud slogans, ordinary Muslims feel as though they have achieved a big success, but in reality, it is only a temporary excitement. Neither the community nor the nation gains any real benefit from it. The result of this leadership crisis and emotional exploitation is that the Muslim community has fallen behind in education, economy, and social development. The true role of leadership is to awaken the people from negligence, raise awareness, set a clear direction for the community, and encourage the new generation. But when leadership itself is trapped in confusion, selfishness, and short-term benefits, then it fails to guide the community in the right direction. To come out of this situation, the Muslim community must set its priorities and bring forward leaders who are sincere, transparent, and capable of practical planning. At the same time, the people themselves must take responsibility: instead of trusting only in slogans or emotional speeches, they must judge leaders by facts, performance, and honesty. In short, the biggest weakness of the Muslim community today is the leadership crisis and its repeated emotional exploitation. Until this community produces genuine and sincere leaders, no real change is possible. Without true leadership, neither the dream of progress will come true nor will a life of dignity and respect be achieved. ----- Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an author and a New Age Islam Regular Columnist. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/muslim-community-leadership-crisis-emotional/d/137087 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism