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Why did Rashid Rida consider the end of the Ottoman caliphate a major loss for Muslims?

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World map showing the global distribution of Islam, with countries shaded in varying tones of green to indicate the estimated percentage of the population practicing Islam. Darkest green represents countries with 95-100 percent Muslim populations, including much of North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Central and South Asia. Lighter greens show lower percentages, while most of Europe, the Americas, Australia, and East Asia are shaded to indicate less than 25 percent Muslim population.
Islamic world

Rashid Rida considered the 1924 dissolution of the Ottoman caliphate a traumatic event because it resulted in the Muslim community losing its primary religious and political representative.1

Rida, a prominent Salafiyyah thinker, believed that the unification of the Muslim community was essential for cultural and political revival. He advocated for the establishment of a true caliph who would serve as the supreme interpreter of Islam. In his view, such a leader’s prestige was necessary to guide Muslim governments in directions that aligned with an Islam adapted to the needs of modern society. Consequently, the removal of this central authority was seen as a major loss for the cohesion and leadership of the global Muslim community.21