It is heartening news that on August 7, 2026, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan signed a historic trilateral defense agreement. The Makkah Agreement aims to deepen security cooperation amid rising military tensions and conflicts in the Middle East. Its core principle is collective deterrence: an armed attack on one shall be regarded as an attack on all three.
At a time when the Muslim world faces grave challenges, such unity has become essential. The ongoing violence and oppression against innocent civilians in Gaza and Palestine demand that the Muslim Ummah respond with one voice and one strategy. The Holy Quran commands in Surah An-Nisa: “And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and for the helpless men, women, and children, who cry out: ‘Our Lord, rescue us from this town of oppressors, and send us from Yourself a protector, and send us from Yourself a helper.’” (4:75).Islam is a religion of peace. It does not permit aggression; it permits defense. History reminds us that when Jews faced persecution, the Ottoman Muslim Empire offered them refuge from Western tyranny. Today, the need is for Muslims to protect one another from oppression, wherever it occurs. The Makkah Agreement must not be limited to defending one country. It should become the foundation for broader Muslim solidarity. From Kashmir to Palestine to Bosnia, Muslims are facing difficult times. As it is said: No Justice, No Peace.
For this agreement to succeed, several steps are crucial. Internal Unity: Differences among Muslim countries must be resolved through dialogue. Our common stand must be against oppression, not against each other. Principled Policy: No Muslim country should allow its military bases to be used for attacks on any other Muslim nation.
Collective Force: Like NATO, the Muslim world needs a “United Muslim Force” with a clear mandate to protect civilians and deter aggression against any Muslim State. The Makkah Agreement can be a stepping stone toward that larger vision.
It must send a clear message: the united Muslim world is not against any nation. It is a force against oppression, injustice and in defense of human dignity. Unity is strength. May this agreement mark the beginning of a new era of cooperation, justice and peace for the entire Ummah and for other nations under the shadow of aggression. Let peace prevail and aggression be defeated.
—The writer is a contributing columnist, based in New York.
