Kingdom, Turkey decide to restore historic Hejaz Railway

By Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and Turkey have reaffirmed their desire to restore and rebuild the historic Hejaz Railway that linked Damascus with the holy city of Madinah by a narrow-gauge rail line. The Hejaz rail line was used by pilgrims traveling from Istanbul to the Prophet’s Mosque via the Syrian capital.

“The plan envisages restoration and modernization of the railway line by the Turkish government within its territory, while it calls on Syria and Jordan to rebuild the tracks on their sides,” said Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim during a high-profile business meeting addressed by Turkish President Abdullah Gul here yesterday.

The plan, the first since the Six-Day War interrupted a similar project in 1967, would extend the reach of the railway to its original but never completed southernmost destination: Makkah. World War I put an end to the rail line shortly after its completion in 1913.

The new plan would, if completed as envisioned, connect Istanbul to Makkah. “On the Saudi side, they do have an ambitious plan to set up railway projects,” said Yildirim. “So, when these four countries (Turkey, Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia) come together, the entire project would be completed.”

No time frame for the implementation of this multinational project was provided, though Yildirim speculated that it could be completed in five years. A contract to convert the narrow-gauge line to standard gauge was signed in Jordan last year, where a portion of the rail line is still in use in the south of the country. “This railroad project needs positive efforts by the countries involved,” said Shoura member Ihsan Ali Bu-Hulaiga. “It can be of great value and even link Arab countries with European states.”

Addressing the meeting of businessmen organized by the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which was also attended by Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza and Agriculture Minister Fahd Balghunaim, Gul said, “The Kingdom and Turkey, which share identical views on a range of political and commercial issues, must boost bilateral ties.”

Gul also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between King Saud University and Istanbul Technical University and visited the King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology yesterday.

Who Are Muslims?

So, what role does religion really play in Muslims' lives? According to Gallup Polls in 2001 and 2005-2007, of countries with substantial or predominantly Muslim populations, majorities in many countries (several in the 90% range) say that religion is an important part of their daily lives. Sizable percentages rate "having an enriched religious/spiritual life" as an aspect of life that is essential, that one cannot live without. Asked what they admire most about the Islamic world, the No. 1 response from significant percentages of populations in countries as diverse as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia is "people's sincere adherence to Islam."

Many regard religion as a primary marker of identity, a source of meaning and guidance, consolation and community, and essential to their progress. Majorities of both men and women in many predominantly Muslim countries want to see Islamic principles, Sharia, as a source of legislation. These respondents have much in common with the majority of Americans who wish to see the Bible as a source of legislation. Both groups emphasize the importance of family values and are deeply concerned about issues of social morality. In fact, what respondents in the Muslim world and a significant number of Americans say they admire least about Western civilization is an excessive libertinism in society.

Islam is not to its adherents what it might appear to outside observers: simply a restrictive shell of rules and punishments. To many Muslims, it is a spiritual mental map that offers a sense of meaning, guidance, purpose, and hope. Vast majorities of residents in predominantly Muslim countries say their lives have an important purpose (90% of Egyptians, 91% of Saudis).

The importance of religion is reinforced by what Muslims say about their traditions and customs, which also continue to play a central role in their lives. When asked, "Are there traditions and customs that are important to you, or not?" majorities in many predominantly Muslim countries say "yes": Jordan (96%), Saudi Arabia (95%), Turkey (90%), and Egypt (87%). This contrasts sharply with percentages of those answering "yes" to the same question in the United States (54%) and especially in European countries such as the United Kingdom (36%), France (20%), and Belgium (23%).

If religion is regarded by so many Muslims as a core life value, beyond the sensational images and religious rhetoric of extremists, what is this faith that has won the devotion of so many? What does it mean to be Muslim? What principles call more than a billion people, with different languages and cultures, spread all over the world?

Based on the largest and most in-depth study of its kind, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think presents the remarkable findings of the Gallup Poll of the Muslim world, the first ever data-based analysis of the points of view of more than 90% of the global Muslim community, spanning more than 35 nations.

An excerpt from the book Who Speaks for Islam? by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed