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Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : THE DYNASTY HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 06/09/96
Tajuk/Title : THE RISEAP 9TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY/
15TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
1. I am honoured to be given this opportunity to
address the General Assembly of the Regional Islamic
Da'wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific
(RISEAP) again after a lapse of 10 years during
which it had been held in several centres in the
region - Kuching (1988), Sydney (1990), Singapore
(1992) and Bangkok (1994). The decision to return
to Kuala Lumpur after moving about the region is all
the more significant because this biennial General
Assembly coincides with the celebration of the 15th
anniversary of the founding of RISEAP in Kuala
Lumpur. In doing so let us remember that if it had
not been for the vision and initiative of the late
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, the first Prime Minister
of Malaysia, RISEAP might not be around today. It
was his idea that there should be an organisation to
instil greater unity and foster effective
cooperation among Muslim organisations and Muslim
communities in this region, and especially to
promote and protect the interests of the minorities.
Today as we commemorate Tunku's great service to
Islam and inter-religious tolerance let us pray to
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala to shower His blessings on
his soul and reward him for all that he had done in
the cause of Islam.
2. As we all know, in this region of Southeast
Asia and the Pacific, only three countries have
Muslim majorities i.e Malaysia, Indonesia and
Brunei. In the other countries of the region, the
Muslims form minority communities living under non-
Muslim rule. In most of these countries, the Muslims
have by and large integrated themselves into the
local societies while maintaining their faith and
identity as Muslims. They have also formed their
own organisations not only to maintain contact among
themselves but also to build mosques, schools and
welfare institutions for the benefit of the Ummah.
In some of these countries, the governments have
been considerate and helpful towards the Muslims
through providing land for building mosques and
facilities for the teaching of religion to the
children. It would seem that the only problems they
have are with themselves. Divided along ethnic
lines, they have yet to learn to live together and
cooperate as true Muslims in accordance with the
teachings of Islam. Much, of course, depends on the
leadership of the community. If they can find
people with the dedication and commitment to serve
in the path of Allah free from other considerations,
there will be greater unity and cooperation among
the different communities which will make the unity
of the Ummah a reality.
3. In the few countries where the governments
previously restrict religious freedom we are glad to
note that there are already signs of a change of
policy on the part of the governments concerned
which hopefully will lead to a more liberal attitude
over religious matters. Let us hope and pray that
this change will not take too long to happen and
that in the meantime, the Muslims in the countries
concerned will prepare to rebuild their faith and
the institutions underpinning them so that Islam can
regain its rightful place in society.
4. Today, RISEAP has grown in strength, in terms
not only of its membership but also in the resources
that it can mobilise to support its programmes.
There are now 50 Muslim organisations spread out in
18 countries of the region which are affiliated to
RISEAP. What is interesting is that, among the new
requests for affiliation, quite a few are from
outside the region - Europe, America and Africa.
While this may seem complimentary to RISEAP, the
present constitution of RISEAP does not permit their
admission. Nevertheless, it should be possible for
RISEAP to enter into ties of friendship and
cooperation based on the spirit of brotherhood of
the Ummah, without formally admitting them as
members. I think it would be wrong for RISEAP to
take the attitude that because an organisation is
from outside the region, therefore it cannot have
any kind of relationship with it. As we all know,
Islam transcends ethnic and geographical boundaries
and all Muslims are brothers. As such, they should
be willing always to cooperate whether during times
of difficulties or when times are good. Such
cooperation will strengthen them and enable them to
face any crisis when it comes.
5. Thus, although Bosnia-Herzegovina is not in the
Pacific region RISEAP did not hesitate to give a
helping hand to the refugees seeking refuge in
Malaysia. Together with other NGOs, RISEAP helped
to provide not only support and shelter for them but
also education for their children and jobs for the
adults so that they could be self supporting.
Later, it found itself having to provide basic
teachings of Islam to the new converts from Africa
and other countries in Europe. These people had
come to Malaysia, because of the peace and harmony
prevailing in the country. And when the Chechens
were being slaughtered by superior Russian forces,
RISEAP and other Muslim NGOs in Malaysia took a firm
stand in demanding that the international community
help stop the carnage and provide humanitarian
assistance to the victims.
6. Today as RISEAP and its members commemorate its
15 years of existence, a new approach to dakwah is
being launched. It is called Da'wah Bil Hal and it
stresses on action - good deeds which anyone with
the right attitude and inclination can do to help
his immediate neighbours and fellow-men in times of
distress or trouble. The objective is not
proselytisation as much as it is to display the true
teachings of Islam and its practice. This will help
to correct the wrong impression of Islam that
prevails among non-Muslims in particular. Even
Muslims are under the mistaken impression that their
help and sympathy should be confined only to Muslims
and that the distress and misfortunes of non-Muslims
are not of concern to them. On the other hand,
Muslims are not against receiving help and sympathy
from non-Muslims. Indeed in many instances we find
only non-Muslims are actively helping Muslim while
Muslim apparently ignore the fate of their co-
religionists.
7. All these do not help to give Islam and Muslims
a good image. Muslims must know that it is their
duty to help other Muslims and that the misfortunes
of non-Muslims too should attract their sympathy and
active help. While Da'wah Bil Hal may not be
intended to proselytise, it should at least help to
generate greater understanding and appreciation of
Islam and what it means to be a Muslim.
8. Non-Muslim lack of understanding and sometimes
outright antagonism towards Islam is not entirely
due to their fault. We Muslims are often to be
blamed.
9. Once upon a time the Muslim Civilisation was
highly respected. Muslims were economically wealthy
and very learned in all fields, in the sciences and
mathematics, in navigation and astronomy, in
engineering and in construction. Muslim countries
were united under one Khalifah and were powerful.
They never foresook Islam even when they were
successful, in other words they were as enjoined by
the Quran equally attentive to the well-being in
this world as they were to the next, to akhirat.
10. But then came those who preached exclusive
dedication to akhirat. They even condemned this
world as being created by Allah only for the
infidels who they said would enjoy life in this
world but will be damned in the hereafter. As this
teaching spread Muslims began to lose interest in
learning other than those subjects designated as
religious. Over the centuries Muslims began to lose
their skills and knowledge and eventually their
strength. Today they are totally weak, dependent
upon and often subservient to the big powers. Gone
are the glorious days of the Muslim Empire, and with
it the respect for Islam by the non-Muslims.
Indeed some Muslims have also lost their faith in
Islam.
11. If we wish the world, the Muslim Ummah and the
human community to once again respect Islam and hold
in high esteem its teachings, Muslim countries must
recover their strength and their superiority in all
fields, in modern knowledge, in administrative
skills, in the conduct of their relation with
themselves and with others, in industry and
commerce. In other words, they must be successful
in this world as much as they believe they will in
the next world. And I would like to repeat that
this will be in accordance with the teachings of the
Al Quran. Non-Muslims cannot be impressed by what we
tell them will be our glorious life in the hereafter
especially when they see us weak and cringing before
the worldly powers, disunited, even fighting each
other and generally not practising what we loudly
proclaim to be the teachings of Islam.
12. The best form of Da'wah is to demonstrate
through practice the goodness of Islam, the
tolerance and sympathy for the less fortunate
members of the Ummah and also those not of our
faith, the peace and stability and consequently the
prosperity of well administered Muslim nations. For
the faithful the rewards and the punishments in the
after life will be meaningful but it is too much to
expect those who do not even believe in the
afterlife to be awed by hell and heaven and to
appreciate Islam because of it.
13. This is what is really meant by Da'wah Bil Hal.
It is not just doing good deeds to others such as
helping the poor, building schools and hospitals but
it must also be the demonstration that Islam is
actually not an obstacle to worldly progress, to
skillful administration and to development, to the
wealth generated by skills in industry and commerce
and to the strength to defend those in need of help
be they Muslim or not. The success of the Muslims
and their nations will prove more convincing of the
essential goodness of Islam than all the preaching
about Islamic teachings and beliefs especially when
Muslims often do not practise what they preach.
14. This emphasis on Da'wah Bil Hal has come at the
right time. If Muslims believe that they can be as
good as others in all fields and they set out to
achieve this, then they will surely be able to bring
a return of their past glory and greatness. And in
doing so they will in fact be practising true Da'wah
Bil Hal. Insya-Allah, if we Muslims are dedicated
to explaining Islam in this easily understandable
way, through deeds and demonstrable achievements, we
will succeed in our mission. We will all be true
missionaries, not just by calling upon all to do
good and reject evil, but by actually doing good and
rejecting evil ourselves.
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