Islam and Global Peace

The Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW) Asia Pacific Region hosted the International Seminar on Islam and Universal Justice in conjunction with the 21st General Assembly of the Supreme Council of the UNIW.

This event attended by 60 world Islamic leaders from 140 NGOs worldwide and 500 local participants was co-organized by the Sabah Islamic Council (MUIS), Department of State Islamic Affairs, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia (WADAH), Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), Sabah Islamic Future Network (SIFN) and the Coalition of Sabah Islamic NGOs (CONCERN).

The theme ‘Islam and Universal Justice’ has been selected in this year international seminar. Facing the challenges of modernization and world development, we are experiencing a critical clash between religion and culture in a pluralistic society. Series of brutality, oppression and prosecution around the world and the denial of human rights show that we critically need greater understanding and efforts to uphold universal justice. Quest for peace and justice becomes a core issue and concern.

Some of our key speakers were as follows:

1. Av. Ali Kurt, Secretary-General, Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (UNIW)

2. Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, President of Persatuan Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia

3. Prof. Abdelrahim Ali Mohamed Ibrahim, President of Islamic Call Society Sudan

4. Bungsu Aziz Bin Hj. Jaafar, Mufti of Sabah State Government

5. Professor Dr. Osman Bakar, University of Brunei

6. Dr. Amin bin Senin, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Education Malaysia

7. Professor Dr Suresh Kumar P. Govind Chairman, Friendship Group for Inter Religious Service

We present UNIW General Secretary Atty. Ali Kurt’s speech below,

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على رسولنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه احمعين

First of all, I would like to thank to Sabah State Government, respected managers and all other Organization who arranged and contributed this meeting, to ABİM Organization which is member of UNIW and to Ahmad Azam who is Assistant General Secretary and thank you all for having us.

As we all know, Islam is a religion of peace, religion of salvation. Our Prophet (saw) was sent as a mercy to the world. The fundamental dynamics of our religion always command us to be peace, to be fair, to do good things. We follow a religion that declares; “One person’s death unjustly is equal all the children of mankind’s death”.

In this respect, Islam presents not only happiness in the world but happiness in the hereafter as well.  We name this “to be in glory in both word”. (Saadat-i Darayn)

We have a member organization in Malaysia, they mention about İslam to the tourists that comes to mosques. They say they distinguish people in two part: Muslims and potential Muslims.

We as well call the same, Ummah al ijaba and ummah gayr-i ijaba. This is such a perspective that we do not disregard non-Muslims, we look them as a prospective Muslims, try to work for their salvation.

That is the spirit of Medina civilization.

The justice as the reflection of “Ism-i Adl” that we observe of all sizes in the universe manifests great balance available in everything. And Allah, Adl-i Hakiki (genuine justice provider to everything) orders us justice.

In the Versus Rahmân’,

﴾٩﴿ الْمِيزَانَ تُخْسِرُوا وَلَا بِالْقِسْطِ الْوَزْنَ وَأَقِيمُوا ﴾٨﴿ الْمِيزَانِ  فِي تَطْغَوْا أَلَّا ﴿٧﴾ الْمِيزَانَ وَوَضَعَ رَفَعَهَا وَالسَّمَاء

indicate four degrees and four sorts of balance, showing its immensity and supreme importance in the universe. Yes, just as there is no wastefulness in anything, so in nothing is there true injustice or imbalance.

Islamic civilization prioritizes “justice” in all levels.

Think about Khalifa Omar bin Hattab. He was a hot blooded person. He gave a sermon and asked the people around: “If I do something wrong, what would you do?” The companions said: “Oh Omar, if you do something wrong we would force you to do the right thing with our swords!”

That hot blooded strong person would not get angry to this statement and he thank to Allah that he has that kind of people around.

This point of view, reflects the importance Islamic Republic gives meaning to social initiatives and justice. However, universal justice is one of the most wanted value at the moment.

As Muslims, we believe justice is foundation of order as Omar indicated once. As an idiomatic expression nowadays, disbelief continues but not tyranny. According to divine wisdom, disbelief is permitted somehow but not cruelty.

We are the posterity of the culture assigned to deliver justice to all world.  We are the Ummah of a prophet who never shown any injustice.

During Islamic history, justice has been practice in two manners as pointed out by Bediuzzaman.  First, “justice pure” (adalet-i mahza) which is pure and genuine, second one is “justice relative” (adalet-i izafiye) which is sometimes ignore the rights of a person on behalf of the public.

Pure justice and relative justice may be explained as follows: according to the allusive meaning of the verse,

If anyone slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people,(5:32)

the rights of an innocent man cannot be cancelled for the sake of all the people. An individual may not be sacrificed for the good of all. In the view of Almighty God’s compassion, right is right, there is no difference between great and small. The small may not be annulled for the great. Without his consent, the life and rights of an individual may not be sacrificed for the good of the community. If he consents to sacrifice them in the name of patriotism, that is a different matter.

As for relative justice, a particular is sacrificed for the good of the universal; the rights of an individual are disregarded in the face of the community. The attempt is made to apply a sort of relative justice as the lesser of two evils. But if it is possible to apply pure justice, to apply relative justice is wrong and may not be undertaken.

Besides, justice can be considered in two categories as “positive” and “privative”. Positive justice implies delivering justice those right and privative one implies correction towards those unjust.

However, today the International Power Groups want to break the countries up into small pieces, and design places which are open to external effects, map the plot of ground, share underground treasures such as raw materials and energy and rule the world.

5 permanent members in UN Security Council set up the world order according to their benefits.

Unfortunately, our İslamic region was the target of this world order.

Think about Hifulfudul! Even our prophet (saw) said; “Even they were operated in this day and time I would support them”. Where is that organization that stand against oppressed people and protect them, and where is UN that cover injustice and oppression?

Beware that we seek being on the “right” path in all time during our worships and while at the end of the day during the last worship we pray as such:“Ve nahleu ve netrukü men yefcuruke!”

Meaning, Yaaa Rab, “we destroy the sovereignty of those in power who show tyranny and leave them alone.” Yes, every day we pray like that.

Where we stand now? Where we are against these basic reference model?

Omar was anxious about the justice of Allah when wolves kill sheep by Tigris. Although we know that Omar cannot control those wolves individually. However, human being is Khalifah on the surface of this Earth. He is the leader. If human being makes mistakes divine wisdom allows other creatures make mistakes. Unfortunately, we ended up falling in this trap that Omar was always afraid.

The Islamic world, is in need of unity and cooperation as it was never before in its history. The member of the religion of Tawhid, have been dispersed like the beads of a broken paternoster since the last century despite the fact that they have several common points in the axis of one god, one messenger and one book!

Ustaz Bediuzzaman explain this unfortunate situation in the light of a Hadith.

There is a narration which says: سَنَةٍ  أَلْفَ مِقْدَارُهُ كَانَ يَوْمٍ فِى “If my community advances on the straight path, it will have one day.” That is, in accordance with the meaning of the verse,

On a day the space whereof will be as a thousand years of your reckoning,⁴

it will have rule and splendor for a thousand years. If it does not proceed on the straight path, it will have a day of five hundred years, and will be dominant and victorious for only five hundred years.

Allah knows best, this narration is not giving news of the end of the world, but of Islam’s victorious rule and the sovereignty of the Caliphate, for miraculously, that is exactly how it turned out. For because towards the end of the ‘Abbasid Caliphate its politicians lost their sense of direction, it continued only five hundred years. But because the Umma in general did not deviate from the straight path, the Ottoman Caliphate came to its assistance and it took over the rule of the Umma, which has continued in existence for one thousand three hundred years. Then because the Ottoman politicians were unable to maintain their direction, its Caliphate survived only five hundred years (as the Caliphate), and with its demise it confirmed the Hadith’s miraculous prediction.

The dead Umma badly needs a new spirit and a passion of resurrection.  Our Lord decreed, “you are the preponderant, if you believe”

In this vein, we are in the days of revitalizing our values and rebuilding our own dynamics instead of complaining of deplorable conditions surrounding us. There too many problems around us but we know that none of them is unsolvable. We are the ones who will open the way out, not the others.

Three Elifs have the value of three if they are separate. But if the same Elifs come together in same line, their value and power will be in 111.

The idealist followers of this ummah have to come together in way of the same objective, and direction and reunite the two ends of the rosary.

Because Islamic Unity, which is always a religious obligation, is especially a must in this period. Our duty should be, providing the unity and solidarity between our distinguished members, and create global synergy. This İslamic region need to know each other more, should develop sustainable projects together, should do something about its future. That was the aim of establish of UNIW which now has 300 members from 63 different countries.

Elhamdulillah, the inheritors of a magnificent civilization from Jakarta to Istanbul; from Astana to Baghdad, Damascus; from Mecca and Medina to Cairo, Troublous, Dar-ı Beyza take care of the trust given to them with this spirit against all these obstacles.

We hope that Cenab-ı Hakk will help us to succeed in this endeavor of unity and cooperation despite all centers of evils.

I thank you again you respected members all.

We know that unity and solidarity create the power.

مُّسْتَقِي  صِرَاطٍ عَلَى رَبِّي إِنَّ

Esselamü aleyküm ve rahmetullah ve berekatühü.

Please follow this link to open Declaration of Conference