KUALA LUMPUR: The basic Islamic values of justice, piety and compassion hold the key to resolving difficult issues relating to conversion, places of worship and inter-marriage, the prime minister said.
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the hard work of understanding and living peacefully with other peoples and cultures was particularly relevant in Malaysia.
He said a research institution such as the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), which he launched yesterday, would play a leading role in initiating novel approaches towards solving contemporary problems faced by the ummah.
In his speech to launch the IAIS at the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) building yesterday, Abdullah said he hoped to receive immediate counsel on controversial issues that needed solutions.
These included conversions and complications that arose when couples of different faiths dissolved their marriage, he said.
Abdullah added that he did not want such issues to continue to plague the multi-ethnic and multi-religious society of Malaysia.
"I hope to get views from other stakeholders as well, before engaging with agencies responsible for Islamic administration, to find solutions that will prevent controversies similar to those that have surfaced over the last few years."
Abdullah said the best Islamic scholars would be based at the institute to dedicate themselves to research that would enrich and contribute to the Islamic intellectual tradition. He also expressed hope that IAIS would reduce the confusion about Islam Hadhari.
"I still feel that Islam Hadhari has been misunderstood by many, especially the academics."
He said that IAIS would be most effective through collaborative efforts, working closely with the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations.
"In particular, these efforts would deepen our understanding of the principles of Islam Hadhari and allow for more practical applications in areas such as government policy and execution.
"If the ummah wants to reclaim its role as a civilisational force for good, then we must begin by correcting the errors of knowledge that plague the Muslim intellectual and spiritual spheres.
"Only then can Muslims begin to return to their rightful place as the ummatan wasataa -- people of the middle path."
Abdullah said he would like to see Islam Hadhari as a struggle to find the path of moderation among universal ideals that tend to be taken for granted.
"If governments and societies abide closely by the principles of Islam Hadhari, we will find ourselves well on that righteous path."
He said the dismal state of the ummah could be traced to the persistent tendency among Muslims to be obsessed over minor sectarian issues and lose sight of the greater themes that unite them.
"This leads us into error and confusion and results in conflict, eventually leading to disunity among the ummah and the inevitable decline and fall of Muslim civilisation."
- nst
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