[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 9, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1189-S1191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MODERATE ISLAM MOVEMENTS
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, 2 weeks ago when I talked about relief for
the victims of the tsunami in Indonesia and what we are doing there, I
said there was much more I wanted to call to the attention of my
colleagues and the people of the United States. One area that is
extremely important is the enormous effort that is underway in
Indonesia's mainstream, moderate Muslim population to promote a
moderate, pluralistic, democratic Islam, both in Indonesia and
throughout the region.
Unlike the Middle East, in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, Islam and
Muslim organizations have been at the forefront of the country's
struggle for a democratic society.
And Muslim groups and leaders in Indonesia have been among the
world's pioneers in driving inter-faith dialogues.
During my recent visit to Indonesia, I met Yenny Zannuba Wahid, one
of the latest leaders in this movement. Yenny is the daughter of His
Excellency Abdurraham Wahid; a Muslim cleric, a leader in promoting
religious tolerance in Indonesia and one of Indonesia's first
democratically elected presidents.
Yenny has founded the Wahid Institute, an organization dedicated ``to
bringing justice and peace to the world by espousing a moderate and
tolerant view of Islam and working for the welfare of all.''
As Yenny noted in a recent speech, Islamist parties gained a sizable
vote in the 1999 and 2004 Indonesian elections; these developments
present the question of what role Islamic forces will play in setting
the direction of social and political evolution in today's Indonesia.
Will Indonesia, a democracy with Muslim population of over 200 million,
remain on the path of a moderate, pluralistic democracy or will a small
but increasingly influential minority of fundamentalistic Islamists
steadily gain ground with the masses?
Through the creation of the Wahid Institute, Yenny has chosen not to
allow these currents to flow without resistence. To be precise, the
goal of the WI is to expand on the intellectual principles of Gus Dur
to development of moderate Islamic thought that will promote democratic
reform, religious pluralism, multiculturalism and tolerance amongst
Muslims both in Indonesia and around the world. The institute has set
out to create a dialogue between the highest spiritual and political
leaders in the West and Muslim world.
The Wahid Institute has embarked on an impressive agenda of programs,
including an effort to facilitate communication between Muslim and non-
Muslim scholars on Islam and Muslim society and on the subjects of
Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism; through conferences,
discussions, publications and its website--wahidinstitute.org.
The Wahid Institute has plans to build a Muslim library, to serve
scholars, researchers, activists, built on the library and life work of
President Wahid. It is also planning to link Muslim NGOs and committed
individuals to build a network of individuals and groups dedicated to
promoting these ideals.
Just an importantly, the Wahid Institute will focus on the education
of young people, supporting opportunities for promising young men and
women in Indonesia to focus on progressive and tolerant Muslim
thinking.
But the Wahid Institute is the latest of the groups committed to
promoting moderate Islam. The Liberal Islam Network and International
Center for Islam and Pluralism have been hard at work at promoting a
peaceful and progressive Islam for sometime. I encourage all to become
familiar with these groups.
In neighboring Malaysia, a country with a majority Muslim population
of 18 million Muslims, recently elected Prime Minister, Abdullah
Badawi, has emerged as a strong voice in promoting ethnic and religious
tolerance and equality for women.
His own country struggled through times of violent race riots and has
made ethnic and religious tolerance an
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objective. Malaysia has been an economic success story and U.S.
businesses consider it a great place to invest and do business. But the
growing strains of fundamentalist Islam have emerged as a challenge.
The new Prime Minister has confronted them.
As noted in an excellent opinion piece in the Asian Wall Street
Journal written by Diana Lady Dougan, ``with senior positions held by
women in his government and a strong personal commitment to religious
and ethnic tolerance, . . . Prime Minister Abdullah walks the talk. If
he can combine his strong and vocal advocacy of Islam Hadhari with
continued progress in Malaysia's economic development based on a rule-
of-law government and market-based economies, he is well positioned to
become an inspiration far beyond the borders of Malaysia''.
I ask unanimous consent that a copy of Ambassador Dougan's op-ed be
printed in the Record at the end of my speech.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(See exhibit I).
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, in fact, the Prime Minister speaks
eloquently about Hadhari Islam, meaning ``civilisation Islam,'' meaning
religion should be directed toward good, toward progress and toward
development--all consistent with the Tenets of Islam.
The Prime Minister recently took this message in a powerful address
before the World Council of Churches.
I will quote a couple of topics in his speech.
He said:
Islam Hadhari is an approach that emphasises development,
consistent with the tenets of Islam, and focuses on enhancing
the quality of life. It aims to achieve this via the mastery
of knowledge; the development of the individual and the
nation; the implementation of a dynamic economic, trading and
financial system; and the pursuit of integrated and balanced
development to develop pious and capable people, with care
for the environment and protection of the weak and
disadvantaged.
Further, he said:
Malaysia's experience and our promotion of Islam Hadhari
also clearly demonstrate a progressive attitude towards
relations with non-Muslim minorities and between gender. Our
approach does not threaten the rights of non-Muslims. In
fact, we celebrate the diversity of our respective cultures
and heritage. Those of other faiths in Malaysia, although a
minority, have never been persecuted and there is no
tolerance in my administration for discrimination and
prejudice against any religious group. I am a Muslim, but I
am also a leader of all Malaysians--whatever their faith.
Similarly, we have tried to ensure that the rights of women
are protected and that they fulfil their potential without
having to face artificial barriers constructed in the name of
Islam. We know Islam to be just and fair, and that it honours
the position and rights of women. But there are clear
instances of prejudices being cloaked in religious teachings
in the Muslim world, aimed at passing off gender
discrimination as the accepted norm. This will simply not do.
Finally, Singapore, which lies between two great nations with
majority Muslim populations, should be commended for the valuable role
is has assumed in promoting a continental dialogue over these critical
issues.
Singapore Senior Minister, Goh Chok Tong, is leading the way to the
creation of the Asia-Middle East Dialogue. Bourne out of an extensive
trip to the Middle East, where he observed in many Middle East
countries a mainstream society both diverse and inclusive, the first
Asia-Middle East Dialogue, AMED, will be held June 2005 in Singapore.
An event of great ambition, AMED will bring together officials,
academics, religious leaders and opinion makers for some 50 countries
in the Middle East and Asia. As was noted to me, this is not a
government-to-government meeting, this is a meeting best described as
people to people.
Among many the goals: forging closer political, economic, and
security ties; a critical one is to improve the socio-cultural
relations between the peoples of the two regions. The platform will
provide a framework for the two regions to engage, to highlight to
reformist elements and give a voice to the changes taking place in the
Middle East.
The growth in economic engagement and the inter-regional linkages
will hopefully yield economic opportunities to push further the reform
and liberalization of the economies of the Middle East.
I think there is value in that approach.
Above all, AMED will provide a platform for moderate Muslim countries
to speak up and challenge the extremist strain of Islam. The threat
presented by global terrorism stems from a militant, extremist ideology
that uses religion to foment divisions between and within societies, to
foster terrorist acts and murders of innocent civilians, government
officials, and other leaders. The forum, among others, will elevate
elements to counter this movement.
In an encouraging sign, the Egyptian Government has offered to host
the next AMED. I commend the Senior Minister. I commend Prime Minister
Abdullah. I commend Yenny Zannuba Wahid, as well as the people of
Singapore, for this important effort, which will have, I think, long-
range benefits not only for the people of Islam and the people of
Islamic countries, but all of us who are concerned about the rise of
religious fanaticism misusing the peaceful religion of Islam.
I thank the Chair and my colleagues.
I yield the floor.
Exhibit 1
[From the Asian Wall Street Journal, Nov. 19, 2004]
Malaysia's Shadow Is Lifting
(By Diana Lady Dougan)
This week's very public reunion between Malaysia's new
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and former Deputy Prime
Minister Anwar Ibrahim may be cause for cautious celebration.
It is now six years since then Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad sacked Mr. Anwar at the height of the Asian financial
crisis, replacing him with Mr. Abdullah. Six years in which
the headlines generated by the controversial legal process
surrounding Mr. Anwar's conviction for corruption and sodomy
have cast a shadow over Malaysia's reputation as a rising
star among industrializing nations.
Now that shadow is starting to lift. The first step came in
September, when Malaysia's Federal Court overturned Mr.
Anwar's sodomy conviction, a step viewed by many as a signal
that Malaysia is back on the all-too-short list of ``rule of
law'' countries in the Islamic world. This week saw another
highly symbolic step. Mr. Anwar joined the head table of a
high-profile banquet hosted by Mr. Abdullah to celebrate the
end of Ramadan, the first meeting between the two men since
his jailing six years ago.
This signaled Mr. Abdullah's emergence from Mr. Mahathir's
shadow. Mr. Abdullah is secure in his position as prime
minister of one of the largest secular Islamic countries. A
leader of particular importance to the West because of his
unequivocal denouncement of terrorism and the hate mongering
of Islamic fundamentalists.
Despite many years in Mr. Mahathir's cabinet, including
five as deputy prime minister, Mr. Abdullah was a largely
unknown quantity when he quietly stepped into the departing
prime minister's shoes last year. When he assumed the role in
Oct. 2003, Mr. Abdullah did not wait long to lay the
groundwork for governmental reforms. Initially, his efforts
to tackle corruption, liberalize Malaysia's capital market
and increase business transparency were dismissed in some
quarters as predictable political posturing. But in the year
since Mr. Abdullah became prime minister, even Moodys and
Standard & Poor's have acknowledged Malaysia's efforts to
improve its economic fundamentals. Malaysia has jumped to
15th place this year from 23rd place in 2003 in the ranking
of attractive places for foreign direct investment among the
65 countries listed in the FDI Conference Index, according to
a recent report from management consultants A.T. Kearney.
Malaysia and its new prime minister have a lot going for
them. The Malaysian Central Bank reports a 7.6% growth rate
during the first half of this year, following growth of 5.2%
in 2003. Its foreign reserves leapt to a record high of 221.1
billion ringgits ($58.2 billion) in October.
Malaysla also has oil reserves. But unlike many oil
producing countries in the Muslin world, Malaysia has a large
and stable middle class. An enviable 82% of its population
live above the poverty line.
Nonethless Malaysia is often stigmatized as a Muslin
society where Islam is constitutionally enshrined as the
national religion. Although led by pragmatic and progressive
leaders today, the country has historically had its share of
radical Muslim activists. Indeed few Westerners recall that
Mr. Anwar got his political start as a Muslim firebrand
activist. And during his six years in jail, the former deputy
prime minister has deftly orchestrated the creation of a new
splinter party headed by Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, his
conservatively shrouded ophthalmologist wife and mother of
six. However since his September release, little had been
seen of Mr. Anwar until this week. And it remains to be seen
how much of the support for his political party will survive
now that Mr. Anwar is no longer a folk hero in prison.
Although not as colorful as Messrs. Mahathir or Anwar, Mr.
Abdullah has long enjoyed a personal reputation untainted by
scandal. He is a devout Muslim with a university degree in
Islamic studies reinforced by a father who taught the Koran
and a
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grandfather who ran a madrassa religious school.
Ironically Mr. Abdullah's reputation as a respected scholar
of the Koran has worked to Mr. Anwar's advantage in the past,
and the two men have ties that go back far beyond this week's
reunion. In 1980, when Mr. Anwar eloped to Thailand with his
now wife, his father-in-law dramatically refused to
acknowledge the marriage and disowned his daughter. The young
couple recruited Mr. Abdullah as intermediary who was
credited with using quotes from the Koran to successfully
intercede on Mr. Anwar's behalf and convince his
fundamentalist father-in-law to accept the marriage.
Armed with ethnically Arab heritage as well as Arabic
language fluency (the name ``Badawi'' means ``Bedouin'' in
Arabic), Abdullah Badawi comes with a credibility in the
terror-plagued Middle East that Asian Muslims seldom have.
And as a well-respected expert on the Koran, he cannot easily
be yanked around nor intimidated by fundamentalist zealots
who are distorting the Islamic faith and the world view.
Mr. Abdullah is starting to gain attention in the Arab
world for his vocal and eloquent championing of ``Islam
Hadhari.'' Roughly translated as ``Civilizational Islam,''
Islam Hadhari is not a new religion. Rather it is a rallying
point for progressive Muslims in Malaysia. Islam Hadhari is
committed to promoting ethnic and religious tolerance,
equality for women, protecting the religious as well as
political rights of minorities, and pursuing economic
development based on education and fairness.
With many senior positions held by women in his government
and a strong personal commitment to religious and ethnic
tolerance embedded in his Chinese, Arab and Malay heritage,
Prime Minister Abdullah walks the talk. If he can combine his
strong and vocal advocacy of Islam Hadhari with continued
progress in Malaysia's economic development based on rule-of-
law government and market-based economics, he is well
positioned to become an inspiration far beyond the borders of
Malaysia.
As chair of both the 118 country Non Aligned Movement and
the 57 country Organization of the Islamic Conference until
2006, Malaysia under Mr. Abdullah's leadership can command an
international spotlight--especially in the Muslim world.
Clearly no single person can single-handedly defeat the
distorted logic and deadly forces being unleashed in the name
of Allah around the world, much less the debilitating
economics that plague much of the Muslim world. But Mr.
Abdullah is clearly working to turn the tide in the most
important battle we are facing. For all our sakes, let's hope
both Malaysia and its new prime minister take advantage of
their unique opportunities.
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