IIU Asst Prof Maszlee Malik said this in calling for the office of state muftis in Malaysia to be wisely studied with a possibility of reform, due to the influence they hold on religious matters.
“The mufti has a crucial and powerful role. He is both the adviser to the rulers on religious matters and the reliable reference for common folk on religious issues.
“In many contexts, he is seen as the state’s most-learned religious scholar,” Maszlee said in a paper published by the Iseas Perspective under Singapore’s Yusof Ishak Institute.
Naming the mufti of Perlis, Penang and Federal Territory (WP) as examples of religious leaders who were academically more qualified and more diplomatic in their public announcements, Maszlee said these men were also more willing to engage in inter-faith dialogue.
“Both the mufti of WP and Penang have held discussions at work with leaders of other faiths. Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, meanwhile, has expressed opinions that many see to be contradicting the expressed thought of mainstream religious authorities.
“This includes his thoughts on khalwat, child custodianship, and the ineffectiveness of Zakat distribution,” the Visiting Fellow at the Iseas–Yusof Ishak Institute said.
Aside from reforming the office of state muftis, Maszlee also proposed for religious authorities to popularise an inclusive Islamic discourse.
“For a deeper and more lasting effect, there is a need for an inclusive Islamic discourse to be practised, and for universal values and ethics to be embraced.
“It should be quite clear to Muslims that the call of Islam is not towards the homogenisation of society into a single culture, identity or faith, but for the observation and practice of good conduct and civility so as to ensure that diversity will nurture peace and serve the common good,” he wrote in the paper entitled Turning Malaysia off Inter-Faith Strife.
Towards this end, he said that any discourse should be on a neutral non-governmental and non-political platform with the participation of Muslim scholars, intellectuals and like-minded academics with a background in Islamic studies.
“Malaysia has many moderate, open-minded Islamic scholars, intellectuals and academics, but they have not enjoyed the space or the opportunity to bring into the mainstream their inclusive discourse of Islam.”
Mutual respect
Maszlee explained that religious hegemony and intolerance in a pluralistic society will invariably result in conflict and nullify the claim that Islam is a religion of compassion, peace and freedom.
“Logically, therefore, mutual respect and the recognition of other believers and their beliefs should be sacred to Muslims. Peaceful co-existence and harmonious cohesion with other religious communities are well documented in Islamic history, beginning with the Prophet’s call in Mecca,” he said.
Maszlee also suggested a new core subject, “Introduction to religions and cultures in Malaysia”, be introduced in schools and campuses, so that young minds would become aware of the plural nature of Malaysia and be sensitive to other faiths, and be respectful of them.
“It was not very long ago when the multi-ethnic composition of classrooms in the country facilitated a spirit of togetherness and muhibbah (Arabic for goodwill) among various communities.”