THE revelation by the Inspector-General of Police of plans by a mujahideen-inspired group to launch a “holy” war to destabilise the Government must have sent chills down the spines of many law-abiding Malaysians.
Nevertheless, looking at the trend of events that had been unfolding in the country and elsewhere in the world, this revelation was not entirely unexpected.
For years Malaysian Muslims have been bombarded with calls, for jihad as the ultimate struggle to re-enact the so-called Islamic state.
The methodology used to brainwash these individuals is rather standard. First, denounce the present government as un-Islamic or, better, anti-Islam.
Turn a blind eye to whatever inroads Malaysian Muslims have made in the fields of politics, economy and social under the country’s present pragmatic and dynamic approach to Islam.
Instead, keep reinforcing the fallacy that the immediate imposition of Islamic law according to the sponsors’ interpretation will make this country totally divine.
Once the doctrine of an ‘un-Islamic Malaysia’ has been firmly entrenched in the minds of these gullible individuals then comes the final cue; ‘go out and capture the power at all costs and by all means.’
Events in the other parts of the Muslim world too are colouring the perceptions of some Malaysians in gauging the challenges and realities that they are facing at home.
In a recent article in the Foreign Affairs journal entitled “The Taliban _ Exporting Extremism”, Ahmad Rashid argues that there is now a new phenomenon blowing through the Muslim lands.
“Across one of the world’s most sensitive regions, radical Islam and repressive politics are gaining ground. As they consolidate their power over Afghanistan, the Taliban are starting to destabilise the entire surrounding area.
“Thousands of foreign radicals now fighting alongside the Taliban are determined to someday overthrow their own regime and carry out Taliban-style Islamist revolution in their homelands.”
He refers to this trend as Talibanisation, meaning violent fundamentalism, nurtured and inspired by the Taliban’s unique interpretation of Islam.
This Afghan-style radical religious model forces men to grow beards, prohibits women from study or employment and illegalises music and sports. Non-Muslims have little or no say in the government.
Nevertheless, latest reports show that the ruling banning the television is being reviewed. This shows how initial exuberance can taper off once one has to face reality.
In essence, Talibanisation is not the first alleged Islam-driven doctrine traversing the world under the guise of globalisation.
Malaysian students studying overseas since the late 1960s till today bring home ideologies of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan ul-Muslimin) and Pakistan’s Islamic Society (Jamaat-ul Islamia).
Professor John Esposito of Georgetown University in his The Oxford History of Islam writes:-
“Both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Jamaat shared a common ideological worldview: First, was the belief that Islam was a comprehensive way of life and that the union of religion and the state was the God-ordained Islamic ideal.
“Second, the separation of religion and politics, a Western secular artifact adopted by Muslim societies, caused the Muslim decline.
“Third, restoration of the unity and autonomy of Muslim societies required a return to ‘true Islam’ and thus implementation of the shariah or Islamic law, the blueprint for Islamic society.
“Finally, this Islamic revolution was the required struggle of all true Muslims.”
Admittedly, quite a number of our students gladly subscribed to these ideologies. Personalities like Hassan al-Banna and Syed Qutb, and Abul ‘Ala Maududi became their main sources of reference.
No doubt that these were great scholars of Islam. But why prefer them to many others? Why their brand of struggle? Naturally, their struggle is moulded to fit the needs of their own countries and people.
Briefly, the Muslim Brotherhood first teamed up with a group of young Egyptian army officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser to overthrow King Farouk. Later, the two separated and were engaged in a vicious confrontation.
Muslim Brotherhood was successfully suppressed by the end of 1960s, only to reappear in the continents of Europe and North America. This was where Malaysian students came into contact with the movement.
Jamaat ul-Islamia rose in the midst of political instability and economic uncertainty that paralysed Pakistan. In the end it decided to participate in open elections and became part of the country’s administration.
Even with this cursory look it is obvious that the challenges and realities of these countries are totally different and alien to Malaysia. Thus, should we scoop up the ideologies of these groups? Is their struggle relevant in our own backyard? It is highly improbable.
Thus, long before Talibanisation, Malaysia experienced Ikhwanisation. Some of those who subscribe to this must have by now occupied influential positions in both the private and public sectors. Whether they are still holding on to the ideologies and struggle of these groups is anyone’s guess.
But what is clear is that when the opposition party organised a protest in conjunction with the dismissal of the former Deputy Prime Minister some years ago, unsolicited fatwas or religious rulings condemning this action were received from the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood himself.
Agreed that Islam is universal and relevant at all times, but this should be translated to mean that it is reasonable, quoting an eminent scholar Ibn Khaldun:
“The conditions, interests, customs and sects of the world and nations do not continue according to any specific pattern or stable programme. There is always change from time to time and from one condition to another.
“Inasmuch as this applies to persons, times and provinces, it applies likewise to countries, ages and states. Such is God’s order.
“This social reality undoubtedly leads to a change in people’s interests. In view of the fact that the interests of the people are the foundation of the Shariah, it is both necessary and reasonable that the Shariah rules should undergo changes to suit the changing conditions and needs.”
Unable to come up with an original prescription to promote Islam in Malaysia, some scholars chose to adopt yet another trend prevalent in the 1970s, that is, ‘Islamisation’.
But who is to determine whether the Islamisation process is ideology-based or theology-driven? This is something we have to sincerely ask ourselves.
The fact of the matter is that though Muslims in Malaysia profess Islam as their religion, they subscribe to various ideologies pertaining to the understanding of the religion.
Regardless of whether it is Talibanisation, Ikhwanisation or Islamisation sincerity is vital. Today in this country the architecture to promote Islam is already in place.
Rather than dismantling this framework to create a new one to accommodate one’s own ideology why not forego it for the sake of the religion? Ideologies come and go. They can even be wrong.
But Islam as a faith remains unchanged. If we are truly concerned about the same Islam, then the political agenda will have to go. Let’s not go back to square one. Instead, why not work on what has been accomplished thus far.