A discernible observer could perhaps have seen, as in the significant case of Malaysia, that the Muslim world had been “thrown out of bed”, as it were, and would not remain unstirred by the events in Tehran. An “Islamisation” of Malaysia’s institutions and policymaking had begun on all fronts, reflecting similar processes in the wider Muslim world. China as a challenger has tended in recent times to define soft power through economic influence, while American hegemony had preferred to consider cultural superiority and ideological appeal the basis for its global supremacy beyond its insuperable military strength. Especially today, economic growth is multidimensional and multilateral, and conceived as soft power; it is multidirectional. If power is indeed both hard and soft, then there are many options available, especially if we consider economic influence as soft power.

Source: The Edge Markets May 07, 2021 04:07 UTC