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Intellectual "revolution " needed in the ummah - Malaysian Deputy PM |
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Written by Samira Ali Gutoc
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Monday, 20 October 2003 |
The crisis or "crossroads" in the Islamic world is the lack of knowledge. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Bawadi said that while there was a need to be critical of the West, "fundamental to our efforts would be not the challenge of the West or of Europe, but of our mindset."
Badawi, keynote speaker, at an international conference of Muslims at Putraya Jaya just a week before the OIC summit called on the Muslim world for a whole new ummah (community) "in the wake of the construct of globalism." " What we now see is not knowledge and cultural imperialism, but the imperialism of knowledge and cultures by the powers of globalization." Batting for a more active OIC, Badawi cited that the organization must "lead the ummah to create and transform the present for the future."
The conference, with the theme, "The Ummah at the Crossroads: The Role of the OIC," gathered academe and Ngo organizers in the Putra Jaya World Trade Center on October 13-14. Among the prominent speakers were Chandra Muzaffar, Chairman of JUST WORLD, Prof. Osman Bakar, Chair of Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and Dr Syed Alattas, Lecturer at the National University of Singapore.
"Muslims should not be revengeful of Europe and the West." In acknowledging such resentment in the Muslim world, Badawi proposed "a resolve in the wake of extremism and global terrorism" to be knowledge. "We have to study the West. In them, we see our reflection. The Ummah must envision a new intellectual tradition - and recognize the point in history having ramifications on science, technology, knowledge. We need creativity and philosophy."
He critiqued the ummah's reactive attitude. "In the diversity of the ummah's social and cultural existence, we should come to a point of not being defensive. Paranoid inationalism needs to be eliminated for it just unIslamic as the notion of imperialism and hegemony."
Citing the effect of 9-11 to be a "tragedy" in dividing the line between Us and Them, he said "Muslims have not been able to represent themselves," citing their poorness in creativity, in the invention of technology and how they portray themselves. Acknowledging there to be power in who makes representations, Badawi referring to global media being controlled by the West said "If there is any kind of representation, it is the West that has always represented us."
While both Muslims and West have stereotypes of each other, Badawi said both have "historical and cultural affinities." "True, Europe and the West are different from us. But we are also similar in many ways. We share a general humanity." Citing the importance of Islamic civilization to world history, Badawi critiqued the lack of knowledge of Muslims of their own history. "Muslim thinkers and intellectuals must be aware that out problem in not knowing our "other" only reflects our plight in NOT knowing ourselves, our thoughts, our culture, our religion, our history, and even our soul because for so long, we have been looking at ourselves through an alien prism."
Muslims must be at Peace with themselves
In confronting the 9-11 "fortresses being built - that of the West and of Islam," Badawi proposed the following:
- foster and enhance the incter-civilizational dialogue. At the same time, Muslims must find ways to unite to understand themselvews, life and the world.
- Muslim nations and communities must seriously think and act toward an inter-religious dialogue within Islam itself. This is crucial for communal and world peace and peace between Islam and the West. Muslims must be at first of all be at peace with themselves.
"Muslims must lead, at least learn to lead in the creation of a new society devoid of hatred and violence. Dislocation, atomization and alienation have become the breeding ground for collective hatred."
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