Friday 29 Mar 2024
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TODAY, with the growing concern over racial and religious intolerance and the fight against violent extremism, more people are looking at moderation as the answer.

This is indeed positive. But this is also the time to ensure the term is properly understood and not misinterpreted, misappropriated or hijacked in the fight against violent extremism, where the moderates are also wiped out or labelled as less Islamic/Malay. We also do not want the extremists to be given impunity and end up being called moderates.

When mooting the idea of the Global Movement of Moderates in his  United Nations speech in 2010, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made reference to the term “wasatiyyah”, which comes from the Quranic verse, “Thus We have made you a community justly balanced that you might be witness over the people and the Messenger a witness over yourselves (al-Baqarah:143). Wasatiyyah is translated as “justly balanced”.

According to Islamic scholar Mohammad Hashim Kamali, the portrayal of wasatiyyah occurs in an inter-civilisational context, as the address is to the Muslim community in juxtaposition with other communities and nations.

The community (as witness) is conditional to its commitment to moderation and truth, is a forgiving and just community, with the capacity to mediate between people and demonstrate the mercy and justice of God, be truthful and upright, and has the courage to say the truth when it serves the cause of justice.

Wasatiyyah is closely aligned with justice, and means opting for a middle position between two extremes, often used interchangeably with words such as average, core, standard, heart, non-aligned, the best choice, the middle path and balance. The opposite of wasatiyyah is tataruf, which denotes an inclination towards the peripheries, extremism (including violent extremism), radicalism and excess (and its opposite: inferior).

Moderation is to be applied to all spectrums of our lives: belief, morality and character, in the way we communicate and interact with others, in the social, economics, politics and governance systems and institutions, and in international relations and foreign policy.

Individually, for example, a Muslim is to choose a justly balanced course between the affairs of this world and the Hereafter in a way that does not compromise other concerns. The spiritual and the physical, form and substance and other types of equilibrium should be justly balanced.

In the context of Malaysia, there should be a just balance between the pillars of the nation (Federal Constitution, Rukunegara, social contract) and the New Realities (ICT/social media, new social consciousness/movements, third phase of democracy), between freedom and responsibility, between the state and other stakeholders in decision-making processes, and inclusive policies that promote cohesiveness and equality while preventing unfair discrimination among the people.

The Federal Constitution was written in a justly balanced manner, taking into consideration the historical background, the social contract and the way to govern the nation. It should be interpreted and implemented in a justly balanced way. One cannot expect the Constitution to do what it was not designed to do. Neither can one expect the Constitution to do less than what is required of it.    

For example, how do we address the position of Islam as the religion of the federation, although other religions can be practised in peace and harmony (Article 3)? As a Muslim, I would focus on being a good Muslim.

In this context, the Quran provides sufficient guidance. Islam is “a mercy to all (Muslim and non-Muslim)” (al-Anbiya:107). Islam acknowledges and celebrates plurality and diversity. Because if Allah so wills, “He could have made you all one people” (an-Nahl:93). But Allah “has created you from male and female, and made you peoples and tribes that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other)” (al-Hujurat:13).

Islam upholds the principle of religious freedom: “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (al-Baqarah:256). Islam forbids Muslims from causing discomfort to peoples of other faiths: “Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides Allah” (al-an’Am:108).

In fact, “It is part of the mercy of Allah that you deal gently with them” (al-Imran:159). Islam encourages the use of “wisdom” and dialogues “in ways that are best and most gracious” (an-Nahl:125). And even if there is dispute, “let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety” (al-Maidah:8).

So, if we fully understand the meaning of moderation, we could have avoided many controversies, including those pertaining to the use of the word “Allah” and the seizure of Bibles.


Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah is CEO of the Global Movement of Moderates and former Deputy Minister of Higher Education. He is active on twitter: @saifuddinabd.

This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on February 23 - March 1 , 2015.

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