Nearly 45 years after fully immersing myself in the Islamic reformation movement, I now have many misgivings.
I find myself questioning whether or not the Islamic reform agenda is workable, or whether it was simply a mistake.
Being an academic, I tend to revisit positions I have taken in the past to reassess its validity in current times. And this is what I would like to do with the Islamic reform agenda.
Firstly, what was the Islamic reform agenda all about?
Now, I do not have an Abim-like booklet or an Ikram-like website but I would like to interpret what I understood from the many “usrah” or small learning groups and Islamic reform seminars I had attended throughout the last 45 years of my life— beginning in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and then the mountains of Edinburgh, in Scotland, before coming back to Malaysia.
Firstly, I was taught through books, discussions and lectures that Islam was the saviour of mankind.
How? Well, Islam would not consider any person white or black as it abhors racism and tribalism or what the movement calls “assabiyah”.
Secondly, Islam would bring compassion to all Muslims and this would aid in tolerance, understanding and would lead to a positive and progressive form of global co-existence.
Thirdly, Islam would eliminate corruption and wrongdoing as it interprets work and one’s career as an extension of worship or “ibadah”, and that lawbreaking, especially when driven by selfishness, is a greater sin compared to drinking alcohol or other vices.
Finally, Islam promotes critical thinking and the exploration of new ideas which would benefit mankind and the world.
A Muslim is the vicegerent of Allah. He or she is on this earthly plane to do good and ensure future generations benefit from their existence and are rewarded in the hereafter.
That was the gist. The Islamic agenda was never about punishing people who were said to insult Islam, the Prophet, or Allah; it was not to demonise other faiths; it was never to deprive children of education, or families of all faiths from putting food on the table.
For me, the Islamic reform agenda played a vital role in doing away with Malaysia’s communal politics that espouses Malay supremacy, which ironically weakens Muslims, most of whom are Malays.
Thus two-time prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s idea of working hard, reading and learning are in fact religious values to strive towards.
The idea of raising the dignity of the Malays was given credence by virtue of the claim that Muslims were morally superior and therefore best placed to lead the nation.
But after 45 years, what did we get?
We have many “madrasahs” and “tahfizs” whose conservative syllabus revolve around a single race and their relevance. These religious schools churn out popular preachers or muftis with the narrowest of thinking about humanity and the history of civilisation.
We also have our grandchildren calling for the death of those they do not even know, and teachers airing a sense of racial superiority as part of the dictates of a so-called Islamic resurgence.
We also have Islamic universities that bar academics and restrict discussions that purportedly contradict Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah or for even questioning religious authorities.
We have a committee vetting books and saying what we can read and what we should not read, despite us having the ability to read or listen to the same authors online.
We have political parties who accuse our citizens, without concrete evidence or facts, of attempting to Christianise Muslims.
We have a young politician who brandishes a Samurai sword, while warning others against insulting Malays or Islam.
Then we have those in need who are denied entrance to a hospital or police station because of their attire, a policy which I suppose is the pinnacle of Islamic achievement.
And then we have those justifying corruption because it was allegedly never mentioned in Islamic law. Better yet, these people would claim that a corrupt Muslim was still a hundred times better than a clean “kafir” (infidel).
What hurts me the most is the silence and inaction from those who had helped kickstart the reformist agenda.
Abim (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia), Ikram (Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia) and other NGOs champion Islamic causes but refuse to mitigate race and religious issues or even help cool temperatures.
From the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims to labelling Hindu temples “haram”, not a squeak did I hear from these NGOs.
Finally, there is “Madani” , the epitome of Islamic reform. Wonderful as it is in writing, it has failed miserably and has only inspired people to make songs parodying the concept.
As a person who supported the Islamic reform agenda, I feel that it has failed in its original vision and that the proponents are now part of the conservative group that would stunt Malaysia’s growth in all sectors.
The more religion is being pushed forward the more I feel we go backwards. It is not due to Islam but its interpretation by the Malays from the villages to the higher institutions. I see conservatism and extremism everywhere.
At this time I see no prominent personality intent on resetting Islamic reform. If no one steps up, then we will only tumble into further disrepair.
Is Malaysia beyond repair and saving?
We need to rebuild our nation with the values of our founding fathers set before the Islamic reform burned our bridges to growth and prosperity for all.
How then do we change and reset? When and where there is a will, there will be a way.
Each of us must have the will to change ourselves, in our own time, and using our own unique platforms.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.