OXFORD, 3 October 2004 — Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has outlined his vision for the Muslim world and its relationship with the West with an informed frankness.
Perhaps it was fitting that he was speaking on Friday in the surrounds of the historic Magdalen College at Oxford University. Malaysia, he said, continues to support the war against terrorism and condemns terrorist acts committed by Muslims. Even though Saddam Hussein was brutal and oppressive, Iraq still “was illegally invaded”.
The climate of fear created by a doctrine of pre-emption and predominance is equally oppressive. Israel continues its brutal occupation of Palestinian lands, which the US in particular, continues to support under the guise of Israel’s right to self-defense. Above all, unless these root causes, including the dire state of poverty in the Muslim world, are addressed, the war against terrorism is doomed to fail, he said.
He rued the deteriorating situation in Iraq, and stressed the need to move toward free and open democratic elections as soon as the security environment was conducive so that Iraqis could be ruled by an elected government.
He pledged Malaysia’s support in the reconstruction of Iraq but only in a climate of security and democracy.
Badawi is perhaps more qualified to speak out than most of the contemporary Muslim heads of government. Not only is he a technocrat with almost 22 years of experience in perhaps the most successful Muslim government and economy in modern times, but he is also an “alim” (Muslim scholar), like his father and grandfather were before him.
In a passionate but forthright address to mark the opening of the new headquarters of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Badawi, who is also the current chairman of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), stressed that Malaysia is prepared to go that extra mile and suggested three areas of commitment to help the cause of the Muslim and developing countries and their discourse with the West. These include a greater role in conflict resolution; in intra- Islamic trade and investment promotion; and Malaysia as a “focal point for promoting a more open and diverse Islamic discourse”.
He lamented that “the sheer weight of the problems that face the Muslim world today is tremendous. Many Muslim countries are synonymous with poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition.
Some stand out because of oppression, tyranny and injustice. Globally Muslim countries are devoid of a common voice that is taken seriously.”
The statistics of achievement are dire.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) classifies only five out of 57 Muslim countries “as having high human development” with the majority having a low human development. Similarly only five Muslim countries enjoy a per capita GDP above $10,000 — some 30 Muslim countries have one below $1,000.
Against this background and the continuing carnage in both Iraq and the Palestinian territories, Badawi threw down the gauntlet to both the Muslim world and the West.
“Malaysia,” he confirmed, “will continue to support the war against terrorism. We will condemn terrorist acts committed by Muslims. We will continue to confront those who claim to fight in the name of Islam but are not worthy to be called Muslims. We will encourage reforms in the Muslim world. But at the same time Malaysia will continue to use our resources and goodwill toward pressing for substantive changes in the way the world works. What is more important, however, is a willingness for the West to meet us halfway, and demonstrate that their policies can change accordingly.”
Muslims through the concept of a collective Ummah, irrespective of class, education and economic background, have a great empathy with other Muslims.
“This is why Muslims who are not affected by poverty or have nothing to do with Palestine feel so strongly about this issue. This is why without addressing the root causes, the war against terrorism will not succeed,” he explained.
Malaysia, he committed, is keen to play the role of honest broker by setting itself up as a center for conflict resolution, “since peace is at the heart of the Islamic faith, I believe that we should demonstrate our commitment to peace in a formal, structured and institutionalized manner.”
Malaysia is also prepared to take the lead in “energizing trade and services in the Muslim world.” Intra-Islamic exports account for less than 10 percent of total Muslim exports. If trade and investments are seen as necessary ingredients for development, Kuala Lumpur wants to encourage the rich capital available in some Muslim countries to be allocated and invested in potential growth markets in the Muslim world. He singled out two areas such as the global market for halal foods worth $150bn annually, and the global Islamic financial services industry worth about an estimated $650bn.
