Bangladesh, Aug. 20 -- The signing of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye has triggered intense debate over the future of regional security. Governments and analysts have focused largely on military cooperation, strategic calculations and the possible reactions of global powers. But the agreement may have a significance that extends far beyond formal diplomacy.

Its most important impact could be psychological and political: it may encourage ordinary people across the region to believe that their security and future do not have to depend permanently on external powers.

That possibility deserves greater attention.

For decades, the Middle East and wider Muslim world have existed within a geopoliti...