Islamic movements must move from survival to contribution: Dr. Fai
Kuala Lumpur: Chairman of the World Forum for Peace and Justice, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, has said that Islamic movements must move from survival to contribution by investing in knowledge, scholarship and engagement with contemporary challenges.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing an international conference on “Islamic Movements in the New World Order: Building a Resilient Pluralistic Society Based on Malaysia Madani” in Kuala Lumpur, jointly organized by WADAH, ABIM and PKPIM on September 26, Dr. Fai said the world is entering a multipolar era marked by diversity, rapid technological change and challenges to global governance, and Islamic movements must ask what they can contribute to humanity.
He termed the Malaysia Madani vision championed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with its emphasis on humanity, good governance, inclusivity, consultation, transparency, reform and social harmony, as a worthy framework for reconciling diversity with national unity.
“The commitment to Islam need not be placed in opposition to pluralism. Religious identity and responsible citizenship can coexist,” he said, adding that sustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust and compassion can form the basis of cooperation among diverse communities.
Referring to the impact of colonialism on Muslim societies and the intellectual crisis it produced, Dr. Fai recalled the contributions of Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Professor Khurshid Ahmad, Anwar Ibrahim and Dr. Hassan Turabi, and said the task is neither to imitate the West nor to reject it blindly but to understand, engage and contribute. He stressed the need for Muslims to become producers rather than subjects of global discourse by developing institutions capable of addressing issues like artificial intelligence, environmental protection, poverty, inequality, family, conflict, humanitarian law and human rights.
Urging greater engagement with the global Muslim diaspora as a reservoir of knowledge and expertise, Dr. Fai said the goal should not merely be Muslim survival in the West but Muslim contribution to the West and the wider world. He said faith and citizenship are not mutually exclusive and called for reviving ijtihad, building bridges through initiatives like the UN Alliance of Civilizations, and confronting Islamophobia through scholarship, dialogue and institution-building.
Emphasizing human dignity as a universal principle, Dr. Fai said Islamic movements must consistently oppose fraud, falsehood, corruption and injustice and demonstrate that religious conviction reinforces respect for every human being.
The conference was also addressed by Religious Affairs Minister Dr. Zulkifli Hassan, Turkish Ambassador to Malaysia Navzat Uyank, Osman Nuri Kabaktepe, Dr. Ahmed Muhammady, Dr. Nor Salimah Abu Mansor, Dr. Muslim Imran, Dato Ahmad Azam Ab Rahman and PKPIM President Ahmed Fahmi Muhammad Samsuddin.
