Anwar Ibrahim:"MUSLIMS must tackle injustices and corruption in their own countries before they can point a finger at the West"

Muslims urged to accept minorities
BARNEY ZWARTZ
December 6, 2009

MUSLIMS must tackle injustices and corruption in their own countries before they can point a finger at the West, former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said in Melbourne yesterday.

''How Islam treats minorities is excessive, no question - Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jews. We cannot condone injustice. We must condemn atrocities against minorities in Muslim societies and against Muslims in Christian societies,'' he told the Parliament of the World Religions.

Now a leading opposition leader, Mr Anwar said Muslim countries faced huge Islamophobia, including an unequal American approach to Israel and Palestine and concerns about nuclear non-proliferation with some countries but not others (a reference to Israel).

But he told the key session on Islam and politics: ''You can't talk all the time about the injustice of the West if you have injustice in your own land, such as Christians and Hindus in Muslim countries.

''Muslims were upset about the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib [in Iraq], but what about conditions in Muslim prisons. If you refuse to talk about that you have no standing to talk about the first.''

Mr Anwar said there was no reason why Islamic parties should not contest elections. ''There is suspicion that Islamic political parties will use democracy as a vehicle and, when they come to power, marginalise other groups and cancel elections. There will be a 100 per cent vote, one time.''

But there were Christian Democrat parties, Hindu parties and Buddhist parties, while Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey had clear constitutional guidelines. ''So why must Muslims have a secular fundamentalist position? What is important is to ensure that Islamic parties are not factional or unjust when in power.''

Abdullah Saeed, professor of Islamic Studies at Melbourne University, said the question of Islam and politics had been one of the most hotly debated topics for Muslims since the middle of the 19th century.

''At one end of the continuum is the view that it's absolutely essential for Muslims to establish an Islamic state, that Islam is a religion and a state, though Muslims have never experienced this ideal.

''At the other extreme, Islam is simply an ethical and moral system, a relationship between the person and God, with no need for politics.''

Professor Saeed said critics pointed out that an Islamic state was not a traditional idea but a 20th century construct, while Muslim governments tended to oppress women and non-Muslims, were autocratic and did not respect rights.

Tariq Ramadan, one of Europe's leading Muslim spokesmen, said democracy and Islam were fully compatible, but many Muslims misunderstood secularism as meaning no religion. Secularism in Muslim-majority countries did not mean democracy, but the opposite: dictators.

''It's a question of authority. When it comes to the private sphere, the authority God has over you is private. When it comes to the public sphere, it should be negotiated among the public.'' Dr Ramadan said the idea of collective negotiated authority went back to the prophet Muhammad, who more than once followed the majority against his own opinion.

Iranian delegate Mahdi Mostafavi said governments should fulfil the main purpose of man's creation and ensure society was obedient to God.

He said Muslims should not be subservient to any power that went against the will of God, who gave governments their legitimacy.

''The government should strive for material prosperity but also for man's exaltation in his humanity. Unfortunately this is neglected by most governments. Within the framework of God's laws, people should be free.''

Questioned by a leading Melbourne Muslim, Rachel Woodlock, about the treatment of Baha'is in Iran, Dr Mostafavi simply denied that any minorities in Iran faced ill-treatment. Ms Woodlock replied: ''You have no credibility at all.''