What is the future of the Muslim religion in the context of the changing world? The industrial world? The developing world? One function of Islam is to call for justice in all spheres of life - in other words to seek progress in purposes not only in technology, not only in means. Whether Muslim societies will carry out a difficult task like this will depend on the depth of those societies understanding of Islam and its implementation within their borders. In order to be able to implement their own Islamic objectives without having their aims subverted by more powerful nations - Muslim societies will have to first achieve a relative self-sufficiency and interact with other nations having this self-sufficiency to fall back upon, if necessary.

Hopefully they will be more creative in implementation of industry and technology so as to avoid the host of problems (environmental and social) that have overrun the more industralized nations. The "developing world" is in both a fortunate and difficult position. Fortunate in that they can learn from others mistakes in building their own societies. Difficult in that they face a host of post-colonial and self-inflicted disasters as well as on-going exploitation that makes it difficult for them to make a correct beginning.

The place of Islam in all this is that it can and should provide a philosophical base and a set of guiding principles that can set a vision for what the society should be. It can also provide the binding force that unites the wills of the people so they can overcome the existing obstacles and set about the difficult task of achieving a shared vision.

If a philosophical base does not exist then the nation will be subject to the ever-changing flux and flow of market forces, local and international politics, social fashion etc. Without that Islamc philosophical foundation the country will be shaped by forces beyond its control - its reins will be in others hands.