JAWI IS PART OF OUR HERITAGE

While this may not be the time to focus on the change from RUMI to JAWI as we have far more crucial matters with regards to education, but to out rightly deny JAWI as part of our history and tradition shows a poor and shallow understanding of our history. We did not pop out of the ocean in 1957 and 1963. We have a history. JAWI is part of it. Prior to late 1960s, we were using JAWI - even for beer advertisements! I remember my late father who was able to read the English and Jawi newspapers.

To me it was a mistake to change into RUMI as JAWI is a more superior written tool in delivering not just the Malay language, but many other. Furthermore, most of us are completely unable to go through our manuscripts that was written in JAWI that spans almost 800 years. Imagine, we cannot read our nation's history!

I have written several times about why we must look at our history inclusively. Let me paste a few here.

Firstly,

" We have been a nation for more than 50 (now 62) years. Yet we have not agreed on our history. We are like the six blind men and the elephant. Each one sees history narrowly instead of seeing it as a whole.

To move forward we need to agree on our history. We need to accept certain fundamentals and understand how we have evolved to be who we are today.

We need to look at history from a larger perspective and use wisdom to accept our history whether it suits our liking or not. We have to look at the facts. We need to form a history with truth as a guide. To do that, we need to ponder these questions.

When and where does our history start?

What is the importance of the Proto-Malays to our history?

How have the early Hindu and Buddhist influences affected our history?

What are the significances of Old Kedah Sultanate and the evolution of all the other Malay sultanates?

What is the role of Islam in shaping the Malay sultanates, culture, and traditions?

How did the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese colonisation affect us; especially the British era leading up to the formation of our modern nation?

What about the history of Sabah and Sarawak? How do they form a part of our current history?

Where do we place the history of ordinary folks, every community; be they the majority or the minorities?

Why did 1957 and 1963 happen? What is the meaning of 1957 and 1963? How do 1957 and 1963 colour our recent history?

What does our Constitution say about our historical framework? How does our Constitution capture our history and make it into a social contract for us to create new history?

We are who we are today because of our shared history. To live in peace and progress, we need to agree on a shared history and understand it. Only then we can create a better and united future.

As we reflect on history, we are still creating it. In creating history, we must decide what we want for our children and our children’s children. Our decision today will create our tomorrow. Let us be wise.

Second,

" It is crucial that we do not hold a myopic and naïve view that our nation simply emerged out of the blue in 1957 and thereafter in 1963 without accepting and appreciating its long illustrious history that spans thousands of years. This attitude will rob and negate the history of the land and its people.

To do so, one will need to pretend that everything about Semenanjung Tanah Melayu before 1957 and Sabah and Sarawak prior to 1963 as irrelevant. This is the main obstacle in putting together a balanced, fair and truly inclusive national history and consequently impacting how we see and interact with each other as its people.

What must we do?

1. Understand, accept, absorb and immerse our history wholeheartedly from the beginning of human migration to our evolution: from hunter-gatherers who practiced animism, shamanism and ancestor worship to the time when we were Hindus, Buddhists and the last many hundreds of years till the present, Islam as our main narratives. When we do these with vigor, we will be able to appreciate how our early beliefs, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and even Christianity have left socio-religious and cultural imprints towards our ways of life and common shared values today.

2. Look at our national history in at least in two main parts. Firstly, our history before 1957 and 1963, the Malay World, the history about the people of Malay Archipelago that includes the Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak – which rightly has to be Malay-Centric. At the same time, we must accept that the immigration history of our people from the east and the west is as real as the Malay-Centric experience and forms part of our national history, too. Secondly, our modern history that starts at 1957 and expanded, gained depth and breadth in 1963 when Malaysia was born. Our new history as its people.

3. Hold our constitution as the just and balanced center of reference that connects the dots to our past, present and the future. The constitutional provisions recognize the special position of the Malays and other natives the Orang Asli, Sabahans and Sarawakians while at the same time the rights and legitimate interests of the other communities. Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.

Without constitutional provisions to ensure that their interests are protected, natives across the world will be helpless against the demand for ‘equality’ because the descendants of the colonial and immigrant communities tend to have a bigger advantage. Equality in the loose sense will favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and weak be it for economic justice or in drawing the historical chronicles of the people."

As for Khat, keep it at the ART class. When the Non-Muslims are trained to write Khat, get them to express their own religion using it. In 50 years time, Malaysia will be the center of the most beautiful Khat centre that not only produces Islamic, but also Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and perhaps even Indigenous Religion Khat artwork.

Peace.

Anas Zubedy 
Malaysian Movement For Moderates

HISTORY AS PLATFORM FOR UNITY

 

My friend Eddin and KJ launched a very pertinent podcast recently. It deals with our history. I hope you will support and watch them. This is the first episode. I consider this podcast more important than KELUAR SEKEJAP.

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=l0_SQ59vhcE

Why?

We have been a nation for almost seven decades, yet we have not agreed on our history. We are like the six blind men and the elephant — each one sees history narrowly instead of seeing it as a whole.

To move forward, we need to agree on our history. We need to accept certain fundamentals and understand how we have evolved to be who we are today.

We must look at history from a larger perspective and use wisdom to accept it — whether it suits our liking or not. We have to look at the facts. We need to form a history with truth as our guide. To do that, we need to ponder these questions:

• When and where does our history start?
• What is the importance of the Proto-Malays to our history?
• How have the early Hindu and Buddhist influences affected our history?
• What are the significances of the Old Kedah Sultanate and the evolution of all the other Malay sultanates?
• What is the role of Islam in shaping the Malay sultanates, culture, and traditions?
• How did the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese colonization affect us — especially the British era leading up to the formation of our modern nation?
• What about the history of Sabah and Sarawak? How do they form a part of our current history?
• Where do we place the history of ordinary folks from every community — be they the majority or the minorities?
• Why did 1957 and 1963 happen? What is the meaning of 1957 and 1963? How do 1957 and 1963 colour our recent history?
• What does our Constitution say about our historical framework? How does our Constitution capture our history and turn it into a social contract for us to create new history?

I hope this podcast will deal with these questions in one way or another.

AGREEING ON OUR SHARED HISTORY

We are who we are today because of our shared history. To live in peace and progress, we need to agree on a shared history and understand it. Only then can we create a better and more united future.

As we reflect on history, we are still creating it. In creating history, we must decide what we want for our children and our children’s children. Our decisions today will create our tomorrow. Let us be wise.

It is crucial that we do not hold a myopic and naïve view that our nation simply emerged out of the blue in 1957, and thereafter in 1963, without accepting and appreciating its long, illustrious history that spans thousands of years. This attitude will rob and negate the history of the land and its people.

To do so, one would need to pretend that everything about Semenanjung Tanah Melayu before 1957, and Sabah and Sarawak prior to 1963, is irrelevant. This is the main obstacle to putting together a balanced, fair, and truly inclusive national history — and consequently affects how we see and interact with each other as its people.

WHAT MUST WE DO?

Let us understand, accept, absorb, and immerse ourselves in our history wholeheartedly — from the beginning of human migration to our evolution: from hunter-gatherers who practiced animism, shamanism, and ancestor worship, to the time when we were Hindus and Buddhists, and through the many hundreds of years till the present, when Islam became our main narrative.

When we do this with vigour, we will be able to appreciate how our early beliefs, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and even Christianity have left socio-religious and cultural imprints on our ways of life and common shared values today.

Let us look at our national history in at least two main parts.

Firstly, our history before 1957 and 1963 — the Malay World — the history of the people of the Malay Archipelago that includes the Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, which rightly has to be Malay-centric. At the same time, we must accept that the immigration history of our people from the east and the west is as real as the Malay-centric experience and forms part of our national history too.

Secondly, our post-Merdeka modern history that starts in 1957 and expanded, gaining depth and breadth in 1963 when Malaysia was born — our new history as its people.

We need to hold our Constitution as the just and balanced centre of reference that connects the dots between our past, present, and future. The constitutional provisions recognise the special position of the Malays and other natives — the Orang Asli, Sabahans, and Sarawakians — while at the same time safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of the other communities. Islam is the religion of the Federation, but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.

Without constitutional provisions to ensure that their interests are protected, natives across the world will be helpless against demands for “equality,” because the descendants of colonial and immigrant communities tend to have a bigger advantage. Equality in the loose sense will favour the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and weak — whether in terms of economic justice or in drawing the historical chronicles of the people.

Peace,
Anas Zubedy
Penang

Have A Meaningful Deepavali - Friday in The STAR

“How is history taught? Is it taught as a living background to contemporary things as a clue to contemporary evolution…”

- Sarojini Naidu 1879-1949

Back to basics: Let’s agree on our history 

We have been a nation for more than 50 years. Yet we have not agreed on our history. We are like the six blind men and the elephant. Each one sees history narrowly instead of seeing it as a whole.

To move forward we need to agree on our history. We need to accept certain fundamentals and understand how we have evolved to be who we are today.

We need to look at history from a larger perspective and use wisdom to accept our history whether it suits our liking or not. We have to look at the facts. We need to form a history with truth as a guide. To do that, we need to ponder these questions.

When and where does our history start?

What is the importance of the Proto-Malays to our history?

How have the early Hindu and Buddhist influences affected our history?

What are the significances of Old Kedah Sultanate and the evolution of all the other Malay sultanates?

What is the role of Islam in shaping the Malay sultanates, culture, and traditions?

How did the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese colonisation affect us; especially the British era leading up to the formation of our modern nation?

What about the history of Sabah and Sarawak? How do they form a part of our current history?

Where do we place the history of ordinary folks, every community; be they the majority or the minorities?

Why did 1957 and 1963 happen? What is the meaning of 1957 and 1963? How do 1957 and 1963 colour our recent history?

What does our Constitution say about our historical framework? How does our Constitution capture our history and make it into a social contract for us to create new history?

We are who we are today because of our shared history. To live in peace and progress, we need to agree on a shared history and understand it. Only then we can create a better and united future.

As we reflect on history, we are still creating it. In creating history, we must decide what we want for our children and our children’s children. Our decision today will create our tomorrow. Let us be wise.

At zubedy, our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Let us be first and foremost Malaysians.

Let us add value,

Have A Meaningful Deepavali.

Why some Muslim scholars are opposed to Yoga?

It is a norm today for the majority of Muslim scholars and Muslims generally to view Islam as an exclusive way of life. The need to differentiate Islam and Muslims from people from the other faiths is getting more and more pronounced. This has led to the need to draw the line clearly on what is Islamic and what is not.

The Yoga controversy is one more from a long list of matters that stems from this exclusive framework. Earlier this year, it was about the monopoly of the term Allah, ie. That it cannot be used in the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible to refer to God (refer my earlier blog post for a detail explanation - http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2008/06/can-we-use-term-allah-to-represent-gods.html )

How did the Muslims become exclusive about Islam?

The root of the problem is the general understanding and how Muslims today view the history of religions and Islam.

Contrary to Quranic hidayah (guidance), Muslims today seems to not see Islam as a long lineage of religion starting from Adam and concluding with Prophet Muhammad. Muslims today equate Islamic history with the advent of Prophet Muhammad thus making Islamic history almost synonymous with the history of the Arab people – negating all other spiritual traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc as emanating from the same Creator.

The Quran on the other hand suggest an all inclusive approach stressing that all religions came from Allah as He has sent messengers everywhere in the course of history; a few are named in the Quran, mainly those from the Abrahamic line while the rest are not mentioned at all. But definitely there were other messengers sent to other geographical areas like India, China, The Americas etc although the Quran strategically remain silent of any geographical areas so as to be all inclusive (Quran 4 : 164, 40 : 78, 21:25, 17:77, 43:6).

In fact, the Quran is so stern of this all inclusive approach that it decreed that any Muslim, who does not accept even one of the messengers, named or unnamed, ceased being a believer! Muslims also cannot make any distinction between any of them. (Quran 4 : 150-153, 2 : 136, 3 : 84).

Thus, to the Quran, Islam’s history is world history, not the history of the Arabs. The Quran’s version of the history of mankind started with Adam the first civilized homo-sapient (one who is endowed with the power of conceptual thoughts and language Quran 2:31) (Quran 7:70, also refer Quran 7:31, 17:70, 2:33, 2:37, 7:27 and 7: 35).

To stress this all inclusive approach further, the Quran made it very clear that Islamic and Muslim history must not be seen as starting from Prophet Muhammad as the Prophet himself was made to declare that he follows the religion of Abraham (Quran 16:123, also refer Quran 16:20, 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, and 6:61).

To make it final, the Quran points out that it is Allah not Prophet Muhammad who named Muslims, Muslim; long before the birth of the Prophet (Quran 22:78).

Almost all of the history books on Islam whether written by Muslims or Non- Muslims that usually record Islam with the coming of Prophet Muhammad and making the Prophet as the founder of Islam run contrary to the Quran. At best they are relating the history of the Arab people and how the Arabs impacted the world and built an empire base on their new faith, Islam. (Here is where the historian Albert Habib Hourani got it right by calling his book “A History of the Arab Peoples”).

It is this myopic view and basic assumption of Islam’s history that over the years has steered Muslims to deviate from having a universal all inclusive approach towards Islam and hence grew to be more and more exclusive rather than inclusive of all the other communities and spiritual traditions. This in turn makes Muslim society monopolistic towards God and the Heavens negating anything with a trace of other traditions and seeing them as being opposed to Islam. Consequently, since Yoga could be traced to Hinduism, it is deem as wrongful.

The Quran however ruled that all who worship in the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques are in essence venerating Allah (Quran 22:40) and anyone who “believe, and those who follow the Jewish, and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” (Quran 2 : 62, also refer to 5 : 69). The Quran declared and confirmed all previous scriptures and dictate itself as a ‘watcher’ over them ( Quran 5:48).

Early Arab Muslims and those earlier converts since the advent of Prophet Muhammad understood this all inclusive Islam. They saw Islamic history as world history and connected their generation with all the earlier generations of Adam’s descendents, absorbing human history as theirs.

Viewing history and Islam as all inclusive, they became God’s children in true sense. They developed into universal beings. With that framework, they became free of myopic, bigoted and narrow mindedness; free to learn, borrow, modify, rejuvenate, innovate and built upon knowledge, technology and life skills from all over the world be they from the east, the west the north or the south and made them their own. Creating a civilization of excellence at a time when Europe was still slumbering in the Dark Ages.

A simple example is in many Muslim’s hands: the prayer beads. Widely used long before the advent of Prophet Muhammad but modified to suit the Muslim worship. Muslims most likely learn to use beads from the Hindus and the Buddhist as they moved eastwards. You may want to do the same with Yoga :)

What does the Quran say about HUMAN HISTORY?

Contrary to popular understanding, Islam did not start in Arabia and Prophet Muhammad is not the founder of Islam. Arab history is just a small part of Islamic history. Let me explain.

From the Quranic standpoint Prophet Muhammad is not the founder of Islam. He was the seal, the final one, the prophet who came to conclude a long string of messengers from the very beginning of human history (Quran 33:40). In fact, the Prophet himself declared that he follows the belief of Abraham at Quran 16:123 (Also refer 2:135, 3:95 and 4:125).

The Quran declares Islam’s inclusive history by suggesting that it is Allah – not Prophet Muhammad – who named Muslims, Muslim (those who have surrendered themselves to God); long before the birth of the Prophet. (Quran 22:78)

Based on the Quran, almost all of the history books on Islam, whether written by Muslims or Non-Muslims, that usually record Islam with the coming of Prophet Muhammad and making the Prophet as the founder of Islam run contrary to the Quranic stance. Many even erroneously call Muslims Mohammedans!!! The Quran specifically said at 3:144 that the Prophet is just an apostle like the many that had passed away before him.

At best these history books are relating the history of the Arab people and how the Arabs impacted the world and built an empire based on their ‘new faith’, Islam. The Quran’s version of the history of mankind is inclusive and universal. It started with Adam, the first civilized homo sapiens - one who is endowed with the power of conceptual thoughts and language: our ability to talk and define reality (Quran 2:31). Islam’s history as far as the Quran, is world history, not only the history of the Arabs. (Here is where the historian Albert Habib Hourani got it right by calling his book “A History of the Arab Peoples”.)

The Quran is not a history book but the Quran tell stories of the past. Interestingly though, the Quran has an uncanny way to make the past as though it is ours. In many verses when dealing with old events, the Quran tell us the story in a style as though those events are our own – be it the creation of the universe or old civilizations. The stories, become our story. (There are so many examples, here’s a few – Quran 1: 7, 12:7, 10:13-18, etc.)

How does the Quran do that? The Quran brings back historical events to the current - compressing hundreds if not thousands or millions of years to the present-day and make us feel and get closer to the happenings. In other words, the Quran engaged us as if these events exist within our own memories. We become ONE with the history of the world – be they good or bad. The Quran makes all of history belong to us. We thus become connected with forlorn people no matter who they are or where they were from. As such, we are linked to world history – not just our community’s history -  the history of every child of Adam (Quran 17:70)

However, as I stated earlier, today, Islamic history seems to be confined to Arab history. This myopic view of Islam is tragic and has cause Muslims to be exclusive, sectarian and constricted, unlike the Muslims from the 7^th to 14^th century – known as the Golden Age where the Muslims read, studied, learn and relate to the history of all over the known world. A most magnificent renaissance.

I hope this post can help you attune to the Quranic version.

All emphasis are mine to help readers focus on a particular message.

1.    And He imparted unto Adam the names of all things; then He brought them within the ken of the angels and said: "Declare unto Me the names of these [things], if what you say is true." - Quran 2:31

2.    AND WHENEVER thy Sustainer brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: "Am I not your Sustainer?" - to which they answer: "Yea, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!" [Of this We remind you,] lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, "Verily, we were unaware of this"; - Quran 7:172

3.    O CHILDREN OF ADAM! Whenever there come unto you apostles of your own, conveying My messages unto you, then all who are conscious of Me and live righteously - no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve; Quran 7:35

4.    And who could be of better faith than he who surrenders his whole being unto God and is a doer of good withal, and follows the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false - seeing that God exalted Abraham with His love: 4:125

5.    Say: "God has spoken the truth: follow, then, the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false, and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God."- Quran 3:95

6.    And strive hard in God’s cause with all the striving that is due to Him: it is He who has elected you [to carry His message] and has laid no hardship on you in [anything that pertains to religion, [and made you follow] the creed of your forefather Abraham. It is He who has named you in bygone times as well as in this [divine writ] – “those who have surrendered themselves to God”, so that the Apostle might bear witness to the truth before you, and that you might bear witness to it before all mankind. Thus, be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and hold fast unto God. He is your Lord Supreme: and how excellent is this Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of Succour! Quran 22:78

7.    Verily, We have sent thee with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner: for there never was any community but a warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst. - Quran 35:24

8.    NOW every community has had an apostle; and only after their apostle has appeared [and delivered his message] is judgment passed on them, in all equity; and never are they wronged. Quran 10:47

9.   [And as for thee, O Prophet,] nothing is being said to thee but what was said to all [of God’s] apostles before thy time.  Behold, thy Sustainer is indeed full of forgiveness - but He has also the power to requite most grie­vously! Quran 41:43

10. AND MUHAMMAD is only an apostle; all the [other] apostles have passed away before him: if, then, he dies or is slain, will you turn about on your heels? But he that turns about on his heels can in no wise harm God - whereas God will requite all who are grateful [to Him].- Quran 3:144

Peace, anas

REFLECTING ON MALAYSIAN HISTORY THIS MAAL HIJRAH

 

REFLECTING ON MALAYSIAN HISTORY THIS MAAL HIJRAH

I am beginning to appreciate more and more the reorganisation of our school history syllabus to place greater emphasis on Malaysian and Southeast Asian history. Let me explain.

Many years of speaking with educated Malaysians - lawyers, doctors, academics, professionals, and business leaders - have led me to a rather troubling observation. Despite having studied history in school, many Malaysians possess only a limited understanding of the deeper history of our country and region. For many, Malaysian history appears to begin with Parameswara and the founding of Melaka. Everything before that seems vague, distant, or altogether absent. It is almost as though the Malay Peninsula, Sabah, and Sarawak were empty lands waiting to be discovered.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The Malay Peninsula was home to organised communities, trading centres, kingdoms, and civilisations long before Melaka emerged. Kedah Tua, for example, was already a thriving centre of trade more than a thousand years ago. The Kedah Sultanate traces its origins centuries before the rise of Melaka and is among the oldest continuously existing royal institutions in Southeast Asia.

Likewise, the Batu Bersurat Terengganu, dated to the early fourteenth century, predates the Melaka Sultanate. Yet many Malaysians know little about its significance. The inscription is far more than a stone monument. It demonstrates the existence of an organised political authority, a functioning legal system, and the application of Islamic principles within society. Such a document could not have appeared in isolation; it points to an established state structure already in existence and suggests the presence of a literate administrative and religious culture.

Unfortunately, many Malaysians never fully appreciate these historical findings. The result is a simplified understanding of history where Melaka appears almost suddenly, disconnected from the centuries of developments that preceded it. We learn about the greatness of Melaka, but often not enough about the foundations upon which it stood.

The same challenge exists when discussing Sabah and Sarawak. Many Malaysians possess only a superficial understanding of Sabah and Sarawak’s rich historical landscape. While Sabah and Sarawak did not develop centralised sultanates in the same way as parts of the Peninsula, they were home to vibrant societies with their own political systems, customs, trade networks, and cultural traditions. Parts of coastal Sabah and Sarawak also came under the influence of the Brunei and Sulu Sultanates, further enriching the region's historical complexity.

The histories of the Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, Kelabit, Kadazan-Dusun, Bajau, Murut, and numerous other indigenous communities deserve far greater attention. These communities are not peripheral to Malaysian history. They are Malaysian history. A deeper appreciation of Sabah and Sarawak would also help Malaysians better understand the role played by the Brunei Sultanate and the Sulu Sultanate in shaping the political and cultural development of northern Borneo. These historical connections are essential for understanding the region as a whole.

More broadly, we need to understand that the Malay world was never confined by modern national borders. The Malay Archipelago functioned as a vast interconnected civilisational space. People, ideas, goods, languages, cultures, and rulers moved across the region for centuries. Movement between Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Malay Peninsula, and other islands was normal. It was not migration in the modern sense of crossing rigid national boundaries; it was movement within a shared world.

This is why some contemporary debates sound rather strange when viewed through a historical lens. Occasionally, one hears claims that Malays in Peninsular Malaysia originated from Indonesia because Parameswara came from Sumatra. Such arguments reveal a misunderstanding of how the archipelago functioned historically. To describe Parameswara as coming from "Indonesia" imposes a modern national identity upon a fifteenth-century world where such borders did not yet exist.

By that logic, one might argue that the people of Negeri Sembilan are somehow less Malay because of their historical links to Minangkabau society. Yet nobody familiar with Malay history would seriously make such a claim. The institutions of Negeri Sembilan, including the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Undang system, preserve historical connections with Minangkabau traditions dating back centuries. These connections are celebrated, not disputed. They are part of the richness of Malay civilisation within the wider Southeast Asian archipelago. History teaches us that identities evolve, cultures interact, and societies develop through continuous exchanges. The modern nation-state is a relatively recent development. The peoples of the archipelago interacted with one another for many centuries before the borders of Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and the Philippines came into existence. Understanding this reality allows us to move beyond simplistic narratives.

Perhaps it is time to revisit how we approach Malaysian history. While our current history syllabus has many strengths, there may be value in giving greater attention to the histories of individual states, indigenous communities, regional kingdoms, and the wider archipelago. Students should learn not only about Melaka, colonialism, independence, and the formation of Malaysia. They should also understand in greater detail Kedah Tua, Langkasuka, the Batu Bersurat Terengganu, the development of Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor, Pahang, Perlis, and Kedah, as well as the histories of Sabah and Sarawak's indigenous peoples and how these societies interacted with one another. Most importantly, they should understand that the Melaka Sultanate did not emerge from a vacuum. One must also understand how Melaka interacted with existing states such as Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Brunei, and others, rather than imagining it as developing in isolation. Our story stretches back centuries. It is a story of civilisations, kingdoms, sultanates, traders, scholars, indigenous communities, and interconnected peoples spread across the archipelago.

I find these shallow understandings similar to how many people assume that Penang was an empty island before the arrival of Francis Light, when in reality it was already inhabited and linked to the Kedah Sultanate. Likewise, many people speak of Philippine history as though it began in 1521 with the arrival of Magellan, overlooking the rich societies and political entities that existed long before European contact.

Speaking of the Philippines, Rafael Palma titled his famous biography of Jose Rizal, The Pride of the Malay Race. Palma deliberately chose that title because he believed Rizal represented the highest potential of the Malay peoples - not only Filipinos, but the broader Malay-Austronesian world stretching across Southeast Asia. When Palma used the term "Malay race", he was employing a concept common in his time that referred broadly to the peoples of the archipelago rather than the narrower ethnic definition often used today.

Maal Hijrah is not only a time to reflect on where we are going. It is also a time to remember where we came from. A people who do not understand their past will struggle to navigate their future. By understanding the long journey of the peoples, societies, and civilisations that shaped Malaysia, we strengthen the foundations upon which we build our shared future. The more deeply we understand that story, the more confidently we can understand ourselves.

For Malaysia to become more united, we must first understand, appreciate, and develop a shared understanding of our common history.

Peace,

Anas Zubedy

 

Have a meaningful Christmas - Thursday in The Star

Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin (10 October 1939 - 6 June 1976) was a minister in the government of Tun Fuad Stephens. He was a man of high principles and beliefs. The rakyat was his priority - truly The Golden Son of Kadazan.

NEW MALAYSIA : What is to be done?

Accept and appreciate our History

It is crucial that we do not hold a myopic and naïve view that our nation simply emerged out of the blue in 1957 and thereafter in 1963 without accepting and appreciating its long illustrious history that spans thousands of years. This attitude will rob and negate the history of the land and its people.

To do so, one will need to pretend that everything about Semenanjung Tanah Melayu before 1957 and Sabah and Sarawak prior to 1963 as irrelevant. This is the main obstacle in putting together a balanced, fair and truly inclusive national history and consequently impacting how we see and interact with each other as its people.

What must we do?

1. Understand, accept, absorb and immerse our history wholeheartedly from the beginning of human migration to our evolution: from hunter-gatherers who practiced animism, shamanism and ancestor worship to the time when we were Hindus, Buddhists and the last many hundreds of years till the present, Islam as our main narratives. When we do these with vigor, we will be able to appreciate how our early beliefs, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and even Christianity have left socio-religious and cultural imprints towards our ways of life and common shared values today.

2. Look at our national history in at least in two main parts. Firstly, our history before 1957 and 1963, the Malay World, the history about the people of Malay Archipelago that includes the Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak – which rightly has to be Malay-Centric. At the same time, we must accept that the immigration history of our people from the east and the west is as real as the Malay-Centric experience and forms part of our national history, too. Secondly, our modern history that starts at 1957 and expanded, gained depth and breadth in 1963 when Malaysia was born. Our new history as its people.

3. Hold our constitution as the just and balanced center of reference that connects the dots to our past, present and the future. The constitutional provisions recognize the special position of the Malays and other natives the Orang Asli, Sabahans and Sarawakians while at the same time the rights and legitimate interests of the other communities. Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony.

Without constitutional provisions to ensure that their interests are protected, natives across the world will be helpless against the demand for ‘equality’ because the descendants of the colonial and immigrant communities tend to have a bigger advantage. Equality in the loose sense will favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor and weak be it for economic justice or in drawing the historical chronicles of the people.

At zubedy, we do not preach what we do not do. Contact us when you want to get your team to appreciate and work together practicing diversity and inclusion. Our programs and activities draw strength from our shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, every Malaysian want good things for themselves and their brothers and sisters, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Let us add value,

Have a Meaningful Christmas.

WHY MANY MUSLIMS HAVE FORGOTTEN THE UNIVERSAL MESSAGE OF ISLAM AND PRACTICE AN 'US AND THEM' ATTITUDE

HISTORY OF ISLAM – A QURANIC PERSPECTIVE.

What does the Quran say about the history of Islam?

To put things in perspective, we must first understand the Quranic worldview about religion and Allah.

The Quran suggests that all religions came from Allah as He has sent messengers everywhere in the course of history; a few are named in the Quran mainly those from the Abrahamic line while the rest are not clearly mentioned at all. But definitely there were other messengers sent to other geographical areas like Asia, Europe and the Americas, etc. although the Quran strategically remains silent about the other geographical locations so as to be all inclusive. Here are clear examples.

“Of some apostles We have already told thee the story; of others We have not;- and to Moses Allah spoke direct;” - Quran 4 : 164

“We did aforetime send apostles before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee. It was not (possible) for any apostle to bring a sign except by the leave of Allah…” – Quran 40:78. Also refer to 21:25, 17:77, 43:6.

In fact, the Quran is uncompromising about this all-inclusive approach that it decrees that any Muslim, who does not accept even one of the messengers, named or unnamed, ceases to be a believer! Muslims also can’t make any distinction between any of them.

“Those who deny Allah and His apostles, and (those who) wish to separate Allah from His apostles, saying: “We believe in some but reject others”: And (those who) wish to take a course midway They are in truth (equally) unbelievers; and we have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment, To those who believe in Allah and His apostles and make no distinction between any of the apostles, we shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” - Quran 4:150-152. Also refer 2:136, 3:84

To stress this all-inclusive approach deeper, the Quran makes it very clear that Islamic and Muslim history must not be seen as starting from Prophet Muhammad as the Prophet himself was made to declare that he follows the religion of Abraham.

“So We have taught thee the inspired (Message), “Follow the ways of Abraham the True in Faith, and he joined not gods with Allah.” - Quran 16:123. Also refer to 16:20, 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, and 6:61

From the Quranic standpoint Prophet Muhammad is not the founder of the religion. He was the seal, the final one, the prophet who came to conclude a long string of messengers from the very beginning of human history.

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” – Quran 33:40

To make it final that Islam must be inclusive, the Quran stressed that it is Allah – not Prophet Muhammad – who named Muslims, Muslim; long before the birth of the Prophet.

“And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discip-line). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before (and in this Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer, give regular Charity, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protector - the Best to protect and the Best to help!” - Quran 22:78

If we use the Quran as its own witness, almost all of the history books on Islam, whether written by Muslims or Non-Muslims, that usually record Islam with the coming of Prophet Muhammad and make the Prophet as the founder of Islam run contrary to the Quranic stance. At best they are relating the history of the Arab people and how the Arabs impacted the world and built an empire based on their ‘new faith’, Islam. (Here is where the historian Albert Habib Hourani got it right by calling his book “A History of the Arab Peoples”.)

The Quran’s version of the history of mankind started with Adam, the first civilized homosapien, one who is endowed with the power of conceptual thoughts and language: our ability to talk (Quran 2:31). As such Islam’s history is world history, not the history of the Arabs.

“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): “Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?”- They said: Yea! We do testify!” (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: “Of this we were never mindful” - Quran 7:172. Also refer to 7:31, 7:70, 2:33, 2:37, 7:27

“O ye Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you apostles from amongst you, rehearsing My signs unto you, - those who are righteous and mend (their lives), - on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.” - Quran 7:35

It is this myopic view and basic assumption of Islam’s history as beginning from the time of Prophet Muhammad, that over the years has steered Muslims to deviate from having a universal approach towards Islam and hence have grown to be more and more exclusive rather than inclusive of all the other communities and spiritual traditions. This in turn makes Muslim society monopolistic towards Allah and the Heavens, creating a clear dichotomy and an ‘us’ and ‘them’ approach negating the Quranic position that all who worship in the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques are in essence venerating Allah.

“They are those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- (for no cause) except that they say, ‘our Lord is Allah..’ Did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure. Allah will certainly aid those who aid his (cause);- for verily Allah is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).” - Quran 22:40

In short, in the study of the history of Islam, we must not miss this very important verse,

‘And, verily, this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: remain, then, conscious of Me!” - Quran 23:52

Thank you and Peace.

Anas Zubedy.

Kuala Lumpur.

(Re-hatched from one of my books)

Working Together for Global Justice and Peace

Sometime in July, I was one of the panelists in an International Conference organised by USM's Centre for policy research (CenPRIS) - below is my write up on the talk. Another of my fellow speaker's article i posted earlier, he spoke from a Buddhist perspective ( http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2008/09/lets-learn-about-other-traditions.html )

This one is a little long for a blog, but do read on :)


Religious Communities Working Together for Global Justice and Peace
by Anas Zubedy

Default Settings and Framework

I attended a seminar on Islam and Scholarship recently. As one of the speakers mentioned about Shia Muslims, the person who sat behind me, another Muslim spontaneously uttered the words “Shia lak’nat’tul Allah” meaning “the Shias, may Allah curse them”. Now, this chap is a decent looking man, educated and holds a respectable position in his organization. Yet his spontaneous reaction to a fellow Muslim who does not belong to his mazhab or school of thoughts is one of hate not peace. What would his spontaneous reaction to people of the other faiths like Christians, Hindus and Buddhist be? How would he dispense justice?

Spontaneous reactions are important indicators as they act as a summary to what we have in our hearts and minds. An indication on how our brains are wired. Our spontaneous reactions are behaviors that have become habitual, when our minds respond without thinking. If our spontaneous reaction is always in the positive, we may lead a life with a positive outlook. And vice- versa. In short, spontaneous reactions are like a default setting.

Default setting is an end result. It has its beginning with our framework or worldview, the spectacles we use to see the world, how we see reality, a set of beliefs which we take as the truth. Our framework is almost always culturally constructed. Every society and culture has its own theory and set of beliefs which it takes as the truth. With time and practice, a particular behavior generated from the initial framework will form habits and default settings.

This article will argue that for Religious Communities to work together for global justice and peace, we need to have a practical step by step approach to change the framework and default settings of many people of the various faiths. A setting that has been set for centuries, accepted without much contest or reflections. Yet, this article will show that to be successful our change endeavor must start at the micro level - our focus is with the Individual – changing people one at a time. Starting with ourselves!

Approach and Limitations

Guide us the straight way (Quran 1:6)

Firstly, my aim is to sell that central to the idea of working together towards justice and peace is the need to first reframe our worldview towards God, religion and the hereafter from one that is exclusive to one that is all inclusive.

Secondly, we need to bear in mind this need to find a framework where we can work together for global justice and peace not just between people of different faiths but also intra-religious membership. As the example in the beginning of this article has shown, the problem has an intra-religious flavor that may sometimes prove to be more vicious. History has shown that this intra-religious failing towards justice and peace is not confined to the Muslim community alone.

Thirdly, as a base for the discussion, I limit myself to the Muslim community. Therefore to support my arguments I will use the Quran as the authority. This is the logical approach if we want to change a Muslim’s point of you as ultimately a Muslim must judge by the Quran (Quran 6:19, 16:64, 7:158, 5:44). In other words, my reasoning and claim will follow a Quranic perspective in order to deal with its Muslim subjects. As I draw my case from the Quran, I will offer some clues on how Muslims missed the central message of the Quran- that Muslims must follow an all inclusive world view. It is my deepest hope that our brothers and sisters from the other faiths will also follow suit in drawing similar conclusion from their respective traditions, history and religious sources. You will find that this framework to be not just crucial in our modern world but also the most practical.

Fourthly, this article will follow a change approach usually found in change management work in business organizations. While the aim is to change society, the focus will start with the individuals. The mantra of thinking small usually brings more sure profit in the longer run than big plans. Business people especially those marketing oriented ones see this approach as crucial. It is like this, if you buy my idea, you start practicing the ideas in your daily life, your family, your circle of influence – then we have already moved a step forward.

Finally, a short article as this cannot do justice to a topic with such a large import. We will not be able to discuss key issues in change like resistance to change, change processes, nature and agents of change. At best this article can serve as a trigger point to those who read and share its ideas to reflect and initiate personal change.

The Core Message

“There are many lamps, but there is only one Light”

My take is this: A framework that seeks to monopolize God ie the need for the various groups/religious communities to be exclusive is the core problem that hinders justice and peace. This exclusive framework towards God and way of life lead to the belief that only those who are belonging to their own groups will be saved.

This framework slowly procreates a deeper necessity to differentiate between one group from the other and at the end will lead to the need to draw clear lines between them. This gives birth to an ‘us and them’ approach– A precursor to ‘us versus them’ attitude that will give birth to injustice and war.

To work together towards justice and peace we must first provide a new framework, an all inclusive one that binds all of us at the final count as one single community.

VERILY, [O you who believe in Me,] this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: worship, then, Me [alone]! But men have torn their unity wide asunder …(Quran 21:92-94).

Thus my core message is this.

If religious communities want to work together towards global justice and peace we must agree to adopt, practice and promote that;-

“NO ONE RELIGIOUS TRADITION OR GROUP HAS A MONOPOLY TOWARDS GOD AND THE HEAVENS.”

In other words, we must first agree that we are all venerating the same God in our own ways. Rumi summarize this framework nicely when he suggested, “While there are many lamps, there is only one light”.

The objective here is to make righteousness, faith and deed and not religious affiliation to any particular group as the criteria for salvation (Quran 5:48, 22:67, 7:26, 2:177).

In the next section I will attempt to show proof that this message is the message of the Quran. Later I will show that this awareness and knowledge of the Quranic message will form the initial steps to affect change towards working together for justice and peace.

The Quranic case for an all inclusive Islam.

“THE UNITY OF RELIGION AND THE QURAN – This great truth forms the primary basis of the Quranic call. Everything else that the Quran presents rest on it. If this fundamental is discarded, the entire framework of the Quranic message will get out of order. But the vagaries of history are strange. The greater the emphasis that the Quran lays on this truth, the stronger has been the inclination on the part of the world to sidetrack it. In fact no other truth of the Quran has been kept so deliberately out of sight than this”

Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad – (Tarjuman Al-Quran; the Opening chapter of the Quran pages 152-153)

And say: "The truth has now come [to light], and falsehood has withered away: for, behold, all falsehood is bound to wither away!" (Quran 17:81)

The Mawlana is right. Contrary to Quranic hidayah (guidance), Muslims today seems to not see Islam as a long lineage of religion starting from Adam and concluding with Prophet Muhammad (Quran 3:144). Instead Muslims today equate Islamic history with the advent of Prophet Muhammad thus making Islamic history almost synonymous with the history of the Arab people – negating all other spiritual traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc as emanating from the same Creator. The first step to an all exclusive Islam – a brand of Islam that breeds Muslims who slowly but surely draws clear lines with others to the point of cursing and branding even fellow Muslims who are not from their same school of thoughts as infidels not worthy of the Heavens.

Among those who have broken the unity of their faith and have become sects, each group delighting in but what they themselves hold [by way of tenets]. (Quran 30:32)

The Quran on the other hand suggest an all inclusive approach stressing Allah has sent messengers everywhere in the course of history; a few are named in the Quran, mainly those from the Abrahamic line while the rest are not mentioned at all. But definitely there were other messengers sent to other geographical areas like India, China, The Americas etc although the Quran strategically remain silent of any geographical locations so as to be all inclusive.

“We did aforetime send apostles before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee. It was not (possible) for any apostle to bring a sign except by the leave of Allah …”(Quran 40:78 Also refer 4 : 164, 40 : 78, 21:25, 17:77, 43:6).

In fact, the Quran is so uncompromising of this all inclusive approach that it decreed that any Muslim, who does not accept even one of the messengers, named or unnamed, ceased being a believer! Muslims also cannot make any distinction between any of them.

Those who deny Allah and His apostles, and (those who) wish to separate Allah from His apostles, saying: "We believe in some but reject others": And (those who) wish to take a course midway They are in truth (equally) unbelievers; and we have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment, To those who believe in Allah and His apostles and make no distinction between any of the apostles, we shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful - (Quran 4 : 150-153 also refer 2 : 136, 3 : 84).

Thus, from the Quranic angle, Islam’s history is world history, not the history of the Arabs. The Quran’s version of mankind’s history started with Adam the first civilized homo-sapien - one who is endowed with the power of conceptual thoughts and language(Quran 2:31 – 33).

When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): … (Quran 7:172)
And,
NOW, INDEED, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam, and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favoured them far above most of Our creation (Quran 17:70 also refer 7:31,2:33, 2:37, 7:27)

To stress this all inclusive approach deeper, the Quran made it very clear that Islamic and Muslim history must not be seen as starting from Prophet Muhammad as the Prophet himself was made to declare that he follows the religion of Abraham

We have inspired thee, [O Muhammad, with this message:] "Follow the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false, and was not of those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God; …(Quran 16:123 also refer Quran 16:20, 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, and 6:61).

From the Quranic standpoint Prophet Muhammad is not the founder of the religion. He was the seal, the final one, the prophet who came to conclude a long string of messengers from the very beginning of human history.

[And know, O believers, that] Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but is God’s Apostle and the Seal of all Prophets. And God has indeed full knowledge of everything (Quran 33:40)

To make it final, that Islam must be all inclusive, the Quran stressed that it is Allah not Prophet Muhammad who named Muslims, Muslim; long before the birth of the Prophet

And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive, (with sincerity and under discipline). He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); … (Quran 22:78)

If we use the Quran as its own witness, almost all of the history books on Islam whether written by Muslims or Non- Muslims that usually record Islam with the coming of Prophet Muhammad and making the Prophet as the founder of Islam run contrary to the Quranic stance. At best they are relating the history of the Arab people and how the Arabs impacted the world and built an empire base on their new faith, Islam. (Here is where the historian Albert Habib Hourani got it right by calling his book “A History of the Arab Peoples”).

It is the myopic view and basic assumption of Arab history as Islam’s history that over the years has steered Muslims to deviate from having a universal all inclusive approach towards Islam. Hence Muslims grew to be more and more exclusive rather than inclusive of all the other communities and spiritual traditions. This in turn makes Muslim society monopolistic towards God and the Heavens creating a clear dichotomy and an’ us and them’ approach negating the Quranic positionthat all who worship in the monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques are in essence venerating Allah.

… if Allah had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, [all] monasteries and churches and synagogues and mosques - in [all of] which Allah’s name is abundantly extolled - would surely have been destroyed … (Quran 22:40)

and anyone who “believe, and those who follow the Jewish, and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” (Quran 2 : 62, also refer to 5 : 69). The Quran declared and confirmed all previous scriptures and dictate itself as a ‘watcher’ over them (Quran 5:48).

What are the effects of this myopic framework?

A myopic ‘us and them’ worldview translates into day to day actions that can breed injustice. The inability to be fair to the other side as since they are not like us, they don’t deserve what we deserve – for example in distributing of the zakat, non-Muslims who are poor and entitled to zakat by Quranic ruling (Quran 9:60) are excluded as beneficiary when Muslims draw a line between a Muslim poor and a non-Muslim poor.

This narrow view governs the daily lives by default setting to the point of absurdity. For example, one may feel more emotional pain when a tragedy occur to their ‘own kind’ as compared to the ‘other’ – like when a child is murdered in a foreign land by gunmen. In fact it is a norm that when hearing news of a tragedy, an accident, the default setting is to ask which community does the victim belong to, and, the depth of the reaction is then apportion based on affiliation! This default setting without doubt is not confined to Muslims alone. Can such a setting nurture justice and peace?

We need to facilitate individuals to move towards an all inclusive framework. When one has a more inclusive framework, the ‘us and them’ barrier falls apart fostering ways to share common values that can promote justice and peace. In fact, it is practical to say that with globalization, we can work towards the formation of a global society in the true sense of the term. It is no longer pragmatic to cocoon oneself into an exclusive society devoid of an international community sharing the same destiny. We need to view everyone’s history, each community’s problems, joys and achievement as our own. A collective past, present and future, a shared destiny where we work together towards justice and peace.

This approach is not new and has precedence in history. Take for example early Arab Muslims and earlier converts after the advent of Prophet Muhammad. They understood this all inclusive approach. They identify Islamic history as world history and become one with the earlier generations of Adam’s descendents, absorbing human history as theirs.

Viewing history and Islam as all inclusive, they became God’s children in true sense. They developed into universal beings. With that framework, they became free of myopic, bigoted and narrow mindedness; free to learn, borrow, modify, rejuvenate, innovate and built upon knowledge, technology and life skills from all over the world be they from the east, the west the north or the south and made them their own. Creating a civilization of excellence at a time when Europe was still slumbering in the Dark Ages.

Change and making it a lasting change – The Four Steps plus One model

In order to change and to make it a lasting one we will need to first help the target group reframe their current exclusive worldview into one that is all inclusive. Subsequently, we need to reset and rewire how the brain work to the point that at the default setting level one will have a positive spontaneous reactions towards both his or her inter and intra religious communities. One of peace and justice. This will need some time and will need to cover Four Steps plus One model of change.

Step 1 - Knowledge

The first is change in Knowledge. Without knowledge one will remain ignorant and know not about inclusiveness, about shared values and common grounds. This is the easiest stage as a book, seminar, multimedia presentations (videos, movies, and audio programs) can provide change in knowledge. These channels can be made available without much difficulty. In short, immerse ourselves with the knowledge about our own and the other communities to know and understand them. Make inter and intra religious knowledge abundantly available to fellow religious communities.

Step 2 – Attitude

The second step gets a little more difficult, attitude change. This is because attitude can fluctuate and it depends on situations. For example, a Hindu may have a positive or neutral attitude towards Muslims in general but the recent bombing by terrorist in Mumbai may alter his or her attitude towards the community. As such there is a need to build a mechanism for resilience in order to help maintain a positive attitude. This can happen when the motivation is internal, coming from within without allowing external stimuli to affect us. In the Mumbai terrorist example we can equip the Hindus with the Gandhian attitude of hating the sin and not the sinner or with knowledge and understanding (from step 1) that Islam does not permit such killings in the first place (Quran 5:32) and the terrorist is not being Islamic in the act.

Step 3 – Individual Behavior

The third endeavor gets much harder. The act to change behavior, how people act, react and do things. Attitude is at a mental stage; behavior translates what is hidden in the minds and hearts into actual practice. There is a difference. One may have positive attitude towards someone or something but yet fail to take positive action. An easy example is the act of keeping fit. One may have the knowledge to exercise like walking, jogging swimming, yoga etc (Step 1) and be positive about the benefits of working out (Step 2) but may fail to take action by actually applying knowledge and the positive attitude in doing exercises three times a week.

This step will take more time, energy and hard work. While we may have the knowledge and positive attitude and feel greatly towards our goal of an all inclusive world view, we may not be able to take action due to old habits or patterns that we are so familiar and so very comfortable with. It is at this stage that we need to check how much intensity we need to expend and add value to the task, be persistent stay on course and find alternative actions to meet the target. It is at this stage that we need to push ourselves. This is a crucial stage as only by repeated action can we create new habits and new default settings that will make us have a positive inclusive default setting.

Step 4 – Group Behavior

Step four is the hardest part. Changing the group behavior, like changing a church, the Malaysian government, a Hindu or Buddhist sect, an NGO, etc. Changing group behavior is the most demanding and complicated task as it requires a behavior change of every individual in the group. The effort required to change group behavior increases with the group size and the differences among the members of the group.

Plus One – Awareness, to complete the Four Steps plus One Model.

The first job of any change agent is to trigger awareness. Without awareness there will be no catalyst to change and we will remain stagnant. Awareness opens our eyes and we help us see new truth, new framework, and new worldviews. It provides us with new hope and new roads, new future.

Awareness provides an opportunity towards experiencing new realities and makes us mindful of things that we are not conscious of. It has the ability for infinite growth. For example, an awareness of a new worldview may in itself trigger further awareness in infinitum making our life experience richer and richer.

Awareness can take place in many ways. Step 1, Knowledge can trigger awareness. A Muslim who reads this article and become aware of the Quran’s call for an all inclusive message may be moved to change. A non-Muslim who reads it may change their viewpoint on Islam too. Step 2 can also trigger awareness; when a community starts to accept another in an all inclusive manner, with empathy; it may trigger an attitude change by the receiver community to act in similar manner.

Verily never will God change the fate (condition) of a people
until they change it themselves (Quran 13: 11)

Religious Communities who wants to work together as change agents for global justice and peace must trigger awareness towards an all inclusive worldview – and the best way to do so is self practice. Stop monopolizing God and stop preaching that only those who belong to a particular community that will be saved. The focus of change should be inward, our own selves. While it is tempting to demand others to change, it is more productive to be inwardly focused.

Like this, to move forward and make change effective, we can cluster our change efforts to three segments or groupings. The first group is at the macro level which includes the governments, inter-governmental groupings and international based organizations eg The Malaysian government, the OIC or the Roman Catholic Papacy.
Secondly, we can focus on the organizational level which includes groups like the church, temple, mosque, national level NGOs, societies, government bodies, work place formal and informal organizations (like the surau committee and cell groups etc.)

Finally the personal level; focus on changing our own default setting and working within the circle of people that is closest to us like our family, friends, colleagues, neighbors or anyone whom we meet on a personal basis. It is this third level that we need to give emphasis on. When the focus is at the personal level, we will be working at our most effective sphere of influence. The act can be immediate. It’s very productive.

In Conclusion

Unto every community have We appointed [different] ways of worship, which they ought to observe. Hence, [O believer,] do not let those [who follow ways other than thine] draw thee into disputes on this score, but summon [them all] unto thy Sustainer: for, behold, thou art indeed on the right way
(Quran 22:67)

In conclusion, I have suggested that the prerequisite of working together towards justice and peace, religious communities must first accept that not one community or tradition have a monopoly of God and the Heavens. That we all worship the same God in different ways. We may argue that our ways are more efficient but, all ways of life ought to be respected.

As agent of change we must first create an awareness of a need to not monopolize God. This we can do as I did here by going back to the religious text of the Quran. As I suggested earlier, I hope my Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and brothers from all the other traditions will do the same. Once we can trigger awareness, it is imperative that we provide knowledge, help change attitude, behavior and in the long run, group behavior.

I also suggested that it is best to start somewhere closer, by first changing ourselves.

O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do. (Quran 5:8)

O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in upholding equity, bearing witness to the truth for the sake of God, even though it be against your own selves or your parents and kinsfolk. Whether the person concerned be rich or poor, God's claim takes precedence over [the claims of] either of them. Do not, then, follow your own desires, lest you swerve from justice: for if you distort [the truth], behold, God is indeed aware of all that you do! (Quran 4:135)

Anas Zubedy

References and suggested reading;
1. The Message of The Quran ( A translation and explanation of the Quran) by Muhammad Asad
2. In Search of Human Nature – Mary E Clark - (2002)
3. The Opening Chapter of The Quran – Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad – (1962)
4. Major Themes of The Quran – Fazlur Rahman – (1980)
5. The Life of Muhammad – Muhammad Hussein Haykal – (1976)
6. Managing At The Speed Of Change – Daryl R. Conner – (1992)
7. Management: Task, Responsibilities, Practices – Peter F. Drucker – (1973)
8. The Concept of Belief in Islamic Theology – Toshihiko Izutsu – (1965)