Set aside ideology, forge understanding among Muslims: Council

PUTRAJAYA: The Islamic Consultative Council (MPI) today suggested that political parties have a common understanding towards forging unity within the Muslim community.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also MPI chairman, said in facing the current challenges, the political parties should be in the same mould in the interest of Muslims without disrespecting the other religions.
He said although difficult, this must be done if there was realisation on the importance of Muslim unity be given priority, not their political background.
"The time has come for this unity be forged...but not necessarily just in the form of tahaluf siyasi or political cooperation.
"Instead, it could be created in the form of understanding and comprehension of each other's tasks and field without sidelining the basic objective, that is, forging unity of the ummah (Muslim community)," he said at a press conference after attending the MPI cluster lab discussions at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, today.
Ahmad Zahid said his statement was part of the proposals during the MPI's Political Cluster discussion, one of the seven clusters which gave their views at the lab meeting.
The others involved is the discussions were the Dakwah (Islamic Propagation), Economic, Education, Social, Islamic Law and Islamic Thoughts Clusters.
He said the Economic Cluster proposed that focus be given to the question of corporate wakaf (endowment property) and the importance of the Halal Global Auditing System, which the government could study.
Ahmad Zahid said the Islamic Law Cluster's suggestion that the Islamic law philosophy be recreated in line with the existing legal system was also interesting, besides the proposal to strengthen the role of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission by bringing in new eminent figures to replace the current ones.
He said he was also attracted to the views of the Islamic Thoughts Cluster which suggested that Islam be seen with a soft image and as tolerant, and not as one that created Islamophobia among non-Muslims.
The Education Cluster proposed a new thinking and approach be used in Islamic education, especially in the spiritual leadership area and no longer to focus on formal learning in the conventional way like now.
Meanwhile, the Social Cluster during its discussion saw the need for social ills be tackled immediately and wanted their proposals be implemented as part of the policy of the National Social Action Council.
The MPI comprises eminent figures such as religious scholars, academicians, corporate leaders and non-governmental organisation leaders as a think tank in assisting the government with ideas and proposals in the implementation of the
nation's development agenda based on Islamic law.— Bernama