It may be hard for the layman to understand the complexities and nuances of the region, especially with so much inaccurate or biased information available online. For those who would like to better understand the complicated history of the Middle East, local publisher Gerakbudaya has just the book for you.
Indeed, the recent launch of “The Middle East and the Malay World: Contemporary Issues and Further Challenges” is timely given the current state of geopolitics.
Consisting of the writings of over 20 experts from Malaysia and the Middle East – among them Bahareh Saszmand, Asif Shuja, Mohammad Ali Nazari, Rizwan Rafi Togoo, Muslim Imran, and K S Nathan – this book provides valuable insights into the affairs of the region.
Parts of it discuss Malaysia’s links with the Middle East and how modern-day superpowers exert their influence over it. And relevantly, the book also addresses Malaysia’s long-standing support of Palestine.
In fact, one of the writers is Palestinian academic Mohammed Jamil Alzaanin who, sadly, was killed with his family by Israeli bombs on Oct 8, making this contribution among his last works.
Present at the launch were editors Abdolreza Alami, co-founder of the KL-based Asia West East Centre, and Islamic studies professor Muna H Bilgrami. The centre was founded in 2016 by Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian academics to improve cross-regional ties.
Abdolreza noted that the Middle East has long had a historical connection with Malaysia, which in turn has had “so many effects” on local culture and religion.
“Our mission is to bridge the gap in understanding and cooperation between Western and Eastern Asia, ultimately creating a better future for both,” he said.
Sharing that work on the book began last year, Abdolreza highlighted sections dedicated to Malaysian-Palestinian relations, such as an essay co-written by Jamil on the efforts of local NGOs in advocating for Palestinian freedom.
“Malaysia stands out as a nation with a strong and vibrant civil society that has taken up the mantle of advocating for the Palestinian cause,” the segment reads.
“The country’s geographical distance from Palestine does not diminish the deep-rooted empathy and solidarity that Malaysians feel towards the Palestinian people.”
‘A question of humanity’
Muna, meanwhile, told FMT Lifestyle that she had been recruited as co-editor by a fellow contributor, Syed Farid Alatas, who brought her on board alongside other academics.
“My interest in Islam predates my interest in Islamic studies as it is my inherited faith,” she shared, adding that she is now motivated to examine “what Muslim peoples have done with Islam the religion”.
On the topic of the crisis in Palestine, Muna advises against the use of the word “conflict” to describe the situation. “It is too flimsy a word to accurately explain what is happening there. The obvious reasons are historical and religious,” she said.
She pointed out that while Malaysians may stand behind Palestinians out of religious solidarity, there are humanistic reasons, too, behind that support.
And given that Malaysia, too, had once been colonised, there is further common ground between the two states, even though the colonisation of Palestine continues to this day.
Concluding that the situation must thus be reframed accordingly, Muna said: “The Palestine issue is not a matter of a religious war; it is a question of humanity.”
Get your copy of ‘The Middle East and the Malay World’ from Gerakbudaya’s retail outlet or online store.
Gerakbudaya
2, Jalan Bukit 11/2,
46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor