Bulletin on Islam and Contemporary Issues
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
IAIS MALAYSIA BULLETIN ON ISLAM AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES No. 4, Sept-Oct, 2011 (Syawal-Dhul Qaedah 1432) ISSN 2231-7627 FREE PEACE AND SECURITY - ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES PEACE & SECURITY: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES, hosted by IDFR and IAIS-Malaysia. This joint effort by our two institutes marks our common commitment to Malaysia’s concern in promoting realistic engagement with the neglected topic of Islamic Perspectives on Peace and Security. It is our first public event in a collaborative effort joining IAIS and IDFR working towards a realistic appraisal of Islam’s relevance for human wellbeing and security. The results of our Forum will be published in a monograph, and would include a working list of policy–related goals applicable to Malaysian and other Muslim societies. (Read more p. 6) PEACE, SECURITY AND ISLAM Interview with Dr Chandra Muzaffar For millennia classic diplomacy was conceived as projecting the security interests of ruling polities, using violence as the basis and ultimate sanction of power politics. But our globalised world requires exchanges and co-operation on a higher level. (Read more p. 3) SEMINAR REPORTS • Forum on Peace & Security: Islamic Perspectives (p. 6) • Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum (KLIFF 2011) (p. 9) ADDRESS International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies DELEGATIONS AND VISITS (IAIS) Malaysia, Japan, Afghanistan, Iran (p.10) Jalan Elmu, Off Jalan Universiti, 59100 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia ARTICLES www.iais.org.my • Peace and Security between Islam and ‘the West’? (p. 4) All rights reserved • Amnesty and Reconciliation in Islam (p. 7) • Islamic Art (p. 8) Focus: Interview with Dr Chandra Muzaffar “Peace, Security and Islam in the Post-US Hegemony Era” Part 1 Interviewed by Tengku Ahmad Hazri Chandra Muzaffar is a Malaysian political scientist and one of the country’s leading public intellectual and social activist. Currently he is Professor of Global Studies at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and President of O GOD: YOU are Peace, YOU are the source of Peace, Peace belongs to YOU. So welcome the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), a Malaysia-based us (in the hereafter) O LORD with the salutation of ‘Peace!’, and admit us into Paradise the Abode of Peace. Blessed and Exalted are YOU our LORD, Possessor of Majesty and international NGO with a distinctive philosophy towards global affairs Reverence. informed by universal spiritual and moral values and sustained critique of (Text from al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa’i) global hegemony. Bulletin team IAIS Malaysia Announcing the 2nd Conference on Higher Education Q1: What would you regard to be the internal dichotomies will become global peace. But many observers, Chairman main challenges of peace-building for less and less significant because of including yourself have also observed Professor Mohammad A two day conference jointly organised by the 21st century? Do Muslim countries other developments, meaning by that the US as the dominant global Hashim Kamali have any distinct role in this endeavor? which as a result of globalisation power is dwindling. What then would International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS Malaysia) and new technologies for example, be the implication and significance of Advisor The Pahang State Foundation A1: The biggest obstacle to global peace which facilitates the dissemination of this decline? Professor Emeritus Osman IKIP International College is global hegemony. Muslims have a role knowledge, we understand our own Bakar International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) East Asia. because it seems to me they are perhaps position and the position of other A3: Sad to say the most significant most conscious of hegemony and people better and become more aware implication is this: that as the US Editor Eric Winkel Theme: “The Empowerment of the Muslim Communities in Private Higher Education” the importance of resisting it. There’s of the commonalities that bind us. declines in power it’s going to be more Date : 14 - 16 November 2011 (Monday - Wednesday) a reason for this: in many instances Perhaps because of developments like vicious and more ferocious, meaning Time : 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM they are themselves the victims of this these there will be a change in the long by which it is going do all it can to Contributors Venue : The Pahang State Foundation Complex, Kuantan, Pahang hegemony. It’s Muslim lands that have run. preserve and perpetuate its hegemony. Christoph Marcinkowski Speakers include: been invaded in 2001 and 2003, and of We have already seen it. If you look at Karim Douglas Crow •Professor Dr. Sultan Abu-Orabi, President, Yarmouk University, Jordan. course, there is Palestine, a land that is But I don’t see, for instance, these what’s been happening in West Asia Sheila Ainon •Professor Dr. Anis Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Riphah International University, Pakistan. occupied partly because of the support different groups coming out at a and North Africa (WANA), South Tengku Iskandar Tengku Hazri •Professor Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Founding Chairman & CEO, IAIS Malaysia. that Israel receives from the United meeting, ironing out their problems Asia, Pakistan, the problems between •Emeritus Professor Datuk Osman Bakar, Deputy CEO, IAIS Malaysia. States. They are also conscious of the and producing a joint communiqué US and Pakistan. Even if you look at fact that, in their belief, they represent or through meetings and dialogues! South East Asia and North East Asia a way of life that is different from Perhaps what we can do at this stage and so on, it is obvious that the US is Technical what the western global hegemony is—those of us who are troubled by, going all-out to retain its dominance. Norliza Saleh represents. And Islam itself has a vision say the violence between the Sunnis This is a challenge to all of us. We have Qamar Siddique EDITOR’S NOTE of a universal human family and global and Shi’ites in say Pakistan, or Iraq at perhaps three choices before us. We can peace. For that reason they don’t want one time—we could perhaps appeal adjust to the situation and say, “Well, Welcome to our fourth bulletin! Our feature interview is with to be overwhelmed by hegemony. to both communities or at the same you’re the dominant power and we Published by: time we could perhaps strengthen want to go along with your dominant International Institute of Dr Chandra Muzaffar who is addressing the issue of Peace Q2: Notwithstanding that, the Muslim the mechanisms for reducing conflict power”, which is what many countries, Advanced Islamic Studies and Security in Islam. We also had a number of gatherings (IAIS) Malaysia, world itself is fraught with its own and violence which are not unique to social movements, civil society groups, Tel: 03 - 7956 9188 talking about Peace in Islam. IAIS Malaysia is taking the internal rivalries. What prospects Islam or Muslims. Maybe that’s the intellectuals and others are doing. They Fax: 03 - 7956 2188 opportunity to project the centrality of peace in Islam with are there for these to be transcended only thing we can do, just minimise are just going along with the dominant www.iais.org.my these efforts. This issue also features an article on “Amnesty towards better engagement with the the violence at this stage. power. That’s one choice before us. global community? and Reconciliation in Islamic Law” by Professor Mohammad ERIC WINKEL Editor Q3: Even if these conflicts and violence The second choice is to just not Hashim Kamali, and then excerpts from two speeches on A2: This is undoubtedly one of the are reduced, that still leaves us with the confront them but not going along Islamic finance delivered at the th8 Kuala Lumpur Islamic most vexatious challenges confronting challenge of global hegemony, which either: sort of doing one’s own thing Finance Forum. the Muslim world. Perhaps these as you said is the greatest obstacle to and hoping that it doesn’t matter, 2 Sept - Oct 2011 Sept - Oct 2011 33 they are there, we won’t trouble them that means in certain areas for instance America; to both South America and Likewise, many in ‘the West’ – especially and they won’t trouble us but we won’t you have to get together with others, Central America; the Caribbean Islands, in the United States, but not only there endorse them, we won’t send paeans to cooperate and work together, we which are part of Latin America. – seem to proceed from the misguided and praises to the Empire and the should not hesitate to do this. Very assumption that Muslims are anyway ‘all rest of that, just be ourselves and not good examples of countries which are And internally, they would strengthen the same’ and inherently unable to come really bother. This is not an option doing this at the very practical level their own position. If land reform up with some sort of government system really because by keeping quiet you are are the Latin American countries. A is required, they have to expand the that is not dictatorial and based on actually strengthening hegemony. number of them are totally opposed participatory base of their society. corruption – again, as if the ‘Arab Spring’ to US hegemony but at the same time They have to get rid of those laws that never happened. The third option is to stand up to they’ve decided to do something about hold back segments of their society. Similar is the case, for instance, with these hegemonic forces but doing it. So they’ve come together at various They are making all these changes the term ‘Islamophobia’ which is seen it strategically and intelligently. We cooperative efforts now under, say, internally but more importantly they by some Muslims as connoting a ‘social Christoph Marcinkowski may have to be pragmatic but remain ALBA [Alianza Bolivariana para los are cooperating and as a result of their anxiety’ about Islam and Muslims, principled at the same time.