On Wednesday, 21st  October, four Muslim-majority countries signed a new defence agreement in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Turkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia call it the “Badr Memorandum of Understanding”. A memorandum of understanding is a formal promise to work together. It is not a full treaty, and it does not force any member to go to war for another.

The name carries a message. As one Lebanese outlet reported, Badr means “full moon” in Arabic. For many Muslims, the word also recalls the Battle of Badr, a famous early victory in Islamic history.

For Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, this is a quiet but important step. Jakarta sent its Deputy Defence Minister, Yusuf Jauhari, to sign in Doha. So far, the Indonesian defence ministry has shared almost no details with the public.

The Turkish defence ministry explained that the agreement aims to connect the arms industries of the four countries. It covers making military equipment together, technical training and research. The ministry described the goal as using “the unique military production capabilities of each country”.

Readers should not mix up Badr with another pact. In August, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye created the Mecca Defence Alliance, in which an attack on one member counts as an attack on all. Indonesia is not part of that alliance. Badr is about factories, engineers and supply chains.

Readers should not mix up Badr with another pact. In August, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye........

© Middle East Monitor