KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) — Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia ((IKIM) is offering Malaysians to take part in a seminar on “The role of Muslim Countries in Globalisation ” to discuss issues pertaining to the muslim world.
The two-day seminar starting July 17 will take place at Seri Pacific Hotel, here and is expected to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi while the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Prof Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu will deliver his key-note address.
According to IKIM Director General Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas, the seminar aims to discuss in detail strategic steps to re-generate muslims in the global context, especially regarding education system to enhance human capital.
FOCUS OF DISCUSSION
The seminar will discuss main interests, including the economic and financial system suitable for Muslim countries, peace and global conflict management, and the scientific orientation within Muslim countries, he said.
Syed Ali stressed that the pollution of education, which resulted in the confusion and misconception between the muslim and the western worlds, is the base of the problems faced by the muslim world.
He said the pollution, which occurred among those given the power to speak on issues relating to the Muslims, is becoming more serious.
“In other words, we do not have the confidence on those given the power to speak on behalf of the Muslims. We feel that they do not have the credibility as what they have claimed as we do not see much success,” he said to Bernama.
Syed Ali said the time has come for muslim countries to propose their own solution, in the quest to form a better understanding after the “terrible pressure” set by the United States of America after the 9/11 tragedy.
ISLAM AND SOVEREIGN COUNTRIES
Meanwhile, IKIM Senior Fellow, Dr Mohd Sani Badron feels that Islam does not differentiate between religion and country.
For example, the Aqa’id al-Nasafi which was written on the sixth Hijrah century recorded the consensus that all muslims must belong to a sovereign country.
A sovereign country is a country which has the ability to protect its borders from encroachment, protects the abused from the abuser (regardless of religion), dan upholds its laws (regardless of stature).
On the enforcement of law and hukum, he said it was clear that among its aim were to prohibit criminals from repeating their misdeeds.
It also aims to deter other people from committing the same offences. This is because, if let loose, crimes such as violence, stealing and robberies can disturb the peace of the public and disrupt religous adherence.
RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION FOR MUSLIMS
Dr Mohd Sani said that Aqa’id al-Nasafi had also stresses on the obligation for muslims to uphold the juducial system which is fair in its decisions in courts.
On the economic front, he said Allah SWT had stated in the al-Qur’an that “wealth should not be distributed only among the rich”.
That, he said, calls on a sovereign and effective administrative system to enforce taxes on the rich.
“Tax and other incomes of a country should be distributed to those in need, such as the poor, those affected by disaster and other such group,” he said.
He said in the current global world which is more controlled by the post-modern Western forces, it has become clear that muslim countries are demanded to uphold fairness in all dimensions, be it education, language, politics, legal, technology or arts.
First and foremost, he said in order to appreciate the community’s drive towards excellence, muslim countries should maintain live-long education for all citizens.
“IKIM believes that the concepts in muslim knowledge has their own uniting strength. This include for those of other religions, but oppose to the process of secularising the world, morality and politics,” he added.
THE ROLE OF MUSLIM COUNTRIES
Dr Mohd Sani believes that muslim countries should encourage alternative multi-racial unity models which is harmony based on the urge of the people to fulfill moral teachings of their own religion.
The teachings of the religions are inline with each other, he said.
Secondly, he said as a guarantee to the rights of the people (regardless of religion) to live peacefully and safely, muslim countries need to assist efforts to eradicate the real threats of terrorisme, violence and war.
Thirdly, he said to conserve the economic needs of the people, muslim countries need to enhance efforts to eradicate sosio-economi and poverty, at the international and national level.
For the fourth point, Dr Mohd Sani said muslim countries should give meaningful contribution to the global effort to protect the world from pollution and conserve the environment.
MODUS OPERANDI
To achieve these aims, he said that there was a need for a strategic discussion aimed to come up with a modus operandi to refresh the muslims, in the global context, especially through the education system and institutions led by academicians which would be able to unite human capital.
“The education system and think-tank institutions in muslim countries, should be able to form alternative and constructive models based on the teachings of Islam on ‘adalah, masalih and mafasid, maqasid al-shariah and such,” he said.
In this context, Dr Mohd Sani explained that the main focus of the discussion should be the economic and financial system which would face global challenge, effective method to maintain global peace, the direction of science in Islamic countries, the future of Islamic arts, culture and architecture and critical evaluation on the judicial, media and defence system in the modern Islamic countries.
Those interested to enhance their knowledge on the role of Islamic countries in the world of globalisation, can contact Sarina Othman or Mohd Sholihin Mohamad at 03-62046320/321/322/323 or e-mail to [email protected] / [email protected].
— BERNAMA