Malaysia maintains communal harmony

Malaysia maintains communal harmony

Aidit bin Haji Ghazali provides a perspective of Moslem and non- Moslem relationships in contemporary Malaysia.

What appears new, occurs when something which is seemingly difficult becomes manageable, and that which is unexpected is realized. This is the scenario against which the relationship between Moslems and non-Moslems is gaining attention in this world of different races, religions, nationalities, cultures and tastes. Such is the situation despite the strife between Hindus and Moslems in India, the Balkan conflict in which the Moslem factor has been unfairly highlighted, and the impact of Samuel Huttington's essay on the clash of civilizations.

In its true essence, Islam endorses the notion of harmony within the ambit of a principled way of life. The Constitution of Medina, the just treatment of non-Moslems during the times of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions who served as Caliphs, when there existed an exemplary relationship between Moslem and non- Moslem traders, and between Moslem rulers and non-Moslem subjects, vouches for the high degree of tolerance practiced by Moslems vis-a-vis their non-Moslem counterparts.

Al-Andalus (present-day Spain and part of Portugal) of the 10th to the 13th centuries was a melting pot of traders, industrialists and intellectuals of different races, religions and languages, including Moslems, Jews, Arabs, Berbers and Christians. Their interaction was not only confined to the trading of goods but also included the exchange of views. Each trader had his own sense of loyalty to his religion and nation and the Andalusian experience showed that there were no insurmountable barriers to inter-religious harmony as long as there was the will.

History can be repeated and, hopefully, it is the good that will be repeated. Nations today would do well to subscribe to this, for, far too often, intellectual arrogance, political blindness and extremist allegiance have had the better of justice and virtue. The sad fact is that when this occurs repeatedly, there seems to be a lackadaisical or indifferent attitude to the creation of a cohesive and harmonious multi-religious, multi- racial and multi-cultural world. At best, these multiple factors are merely accepted as a fact of life without the commitment to make the best out of them.

As a Moslem country, Malaysia is unique in that almost half its population is non-Moslem. Malaysia takes pride in having maintained a harmonious balance of social, political and economic integration. This has been possible even in the midst of having to deal with chauvinistic sentiments from various quarters. Malaysians have come to realize that there is no better way of conveying virtue than to prove it in practice. They also realize that there is no easy way of convincing others of these virtues and the concomitant truth that these virtues uphold.

When these considerations are applied to the task of educating Malaysian society about Islam, the main objective is to do this without causing undue alarm to the non-Moslem population. Hence, great care has to be given to educating the society regarding the need to address various issues through a value-laden and God- conscious approach. Subsequent steps comprise creating an open but guided dialogue on how various religions can join efforts in addressing a certain issue. If need be, institutions should be designed to facilitate such dialog.

Of course, intellectual discourse has limitations. The task of actualizing what Islam proposes in the form of economic activities, for example, lies with institutions committed to proving the viability of Islamic principles both in tangible and in non-tangible pursuits. The former includes things such as profits, efficiency, professionalism, high productivity and long- term sustainability, while the latter calls for greater degrees of accountability, honesty, justice and moral conduct.

This has been the strategy adopted when Malaysia plans to introduce something that carries the Islamic label. In the field of education, the establishment of the International Islamic University underwent a similar process, as did the issue of upgrading the Syariah courts to the level of the High Court.

Non-Moslems in Malaysia have become generally assured of the good that Islam brings when they observe that Islamic alternatives do not prohibit their involvement. While Malaysia's success has gone a long way to alleviating racial and religious tensions, the maturity of the Malaysian government and the people in general must not be underestimated.

It is this maturity, in addition to the finesse and pragmatism applied in promoting religious understanding, that have smoothened the path for social cohesion.

Aidit bin Haji Ghazali is Chief Executive Officer of the Institut Minda, Malaysia.