Berikut adalah liputan daripada Netherlands Institute For Multiparty Democracy
Anwar Ibrahim: ‘With education comes tolerance’
28 June 2007
‘Islam and democracy go together just fine,’ according to Professor Anwar Ibrahim. The Malaysian Muslim democrat recently spoke at two NIMD co-hosted public lectures about Islam and democracy in the Netherlands.
[Mr Anwar Ibrahim and NIMD's Director of the Multilateral Programme Mr Alvaro Pinto Scholtbach, who chaired the lecture about Islam in the public domain at the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations in The Hague on 19 June 2007] In the West it is widely held that Islam and democracy are incompatible or at least a problem. Speaking at a NIMD co-sponsored conference on Islam and Democracy at the Free University of Amsterdam on 18 June, the former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia conveys a different view. ‘Just look at Indonesia, the biggest Muslim country, and India or Turkey’, he says: ‘all countries with long democratic traditions and a large Muslim population’.
Of course there are concerns about the rising popularity of Islamic fundamentalism – also in these countries. However, according to Mr Ibrahim, this has more to do with poverty and lack of education than with the alleged anti-democratic radical nature of Islam. ‘With education, people will become more tolerant.’ Also corruption and the exclusion of groups from access to power and information may lead people to turn their back against society: ‘We have a battle for democracy, not with Islam.’
He is not afraid that democratic institutions will be undermined once radical Muslims come to power through democratic elections. In a strong democracy with freedom of speech and independent media excesses will be corrected by the people, he argues. ‘This fear of Islam hijacking democracy is hypocrite and merely shows a lack of belief in the strength of our democratic institutions.’
As for work of democracy assistance by organisations such as NIMD, Mr Ibrahim believes they ought to focus their support on democratization processes in Indonesia and Turkey. For the success of democracy in the Islamic world these countries are much more important than Afghanistan and Iraq, he says, adding that the international community should also reconsider its focus on the minority of (secular, liberal or non-Muslim) democrats in these countries. ‘You cannot disregard the Muslim majority. You have to engage them.’
Moral consistency
Mr Ibrahim has been actively involved in the dialogue between religions and within the Muslim community itself. Ibrahim stressed the need for continuous debate and engagement of all Muslim groups. ‘Muslims should talk together. The moderate voices must have the courage to confront the radical Muslim brothers. And in the global debate we should speak with a consistent moral voice. We should not just point at the atrocities of the Americans in the Abu Greib prison camps, but also confront our leaders with situation in our own prisons.’
Opposition leader
In his home country, Anwar Ibrahim is one of the most critical voices of the government. In 1997, he was fired as deputy Prime Minister and jailed for 6 years after for charges of corruption and sodomy. The trial was highly controversial and seen as politically motivated, because of Ibrahim’s strong stand against corruption by government authorities and the suppression of democratic rights in the country. In 2004 he was released after the High Court repealed the verdict.
Today, he is not allowed to be politically active till 2008 and cannot speak in public in his country. Therefore it needs to be seen how his People´s Justice Party will perform in the next elections in December 2007. But his political agenda for democracy and transparency is clear. ‘Malaysia is no democracy. Europe should speak out and use its influence to push for democratic elections with access to the media for all political parties.’
On 18 and 19 June 2007 Anwar Ibrahim visited The Netherlands for three public lectures. The SID Lecture at the Free University was co-sponsored by NIMD. On 19 June Mr Ibrahim was the key note speaker at the NIMD co-hosted lecture on Islam in the public domain at the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations. Also, Mr Ibrahim met with NIMD staff and representatives of political parties at the NIMD office in The Hague.
Saya rasa kurang enak sikit bila Dato’ Seri menjaja negara kita tidak mengamalkan demokrasi dan perlu penglibatan negara Eropah dan luar kerana ini ada risikonya jika negara berpemimpin syaitan seperti US mengalih pandangannya dari Asia Barat ke Asia tenggara. Saya harap Dato’ Seri bijak membawa issue ini supaya kedaulatan negara kekal tidak dicabar setelah 50 tahun merdeka.Jangan sampai mereka kata kita tidak demokrasi.
Memang benar penguasaan media, mahkamah dan juga SPR nampaknya tidak demokratik dan menjijikkan, tapi majoriti Melayu masih tak ambil peduli kerana yang memimpin sekarang ni orang Melayu, mereka hanya mampu cakap-cakap belakang shj.
Kita tidak boleh cakap kita tak demokratik bila PAS juga diberi peluang memerintah sebuah negeri.
Adapun demikian, apa yang saya harapkan dan Dato’ Seri harapkan ialah peluang yang sama rata dan pilihanraya yang bersih kerana pilihanrayalah sahaja jalan kita mengubah nasib. Jika badan seperti institut Netherland Multi Party Democracy boleh bertapak dan mengajak semua parti di Indonesia duduk semeja dan menandatangani persefahaman bersama mengapa tidak negara kita. Jika badan ini berpengaruh dan boleh mempengaruhi perjalanan pilihanraya dan juga mendidik SPR, saya bersependapatlah dengan Dato’ Seri membawa issue ini ke luar walaupun ada risikonya.Bila peluang sama rata, gelanggang bersih, hakim bersih. Maka keadilan dan demokrasi boleh dirasa walaupun anda pembangkang.
kenyataan pertama saya tadi cuma risau kerana cintakan negara, bangsa dan agama dan tidak bersetuju sepenuhnya bila kata negara kita “no democracy”, negara kita practice democracy tetapi tiada badan yang betul-betul bebas yang mengawalnya.
saya suka Dato Seri kerana karisma kempimpinan yang ada pada Dato Seri dan juga sbb kes Dato Seri dulu tu bull-shitlah mcm altantuya sekarang ni. Tetapi saya tidak menyokong parti Dato’ Seri kerana saya mempunyai pendapat bahawa hanya Majoriti Melayu dapat bertakhta.Kalau Dato Seri buka satu lagi party Melayu mungkin saya beralih.Cakaplah saya berpandangan sempit tetapi hakikatnya itu, kata kuncinya itu, MALAY, melayu. Tetapi saya juga kecewa dgn tampuk kepimpinan atasan yang bermaharaja lela sekarang ni di UMNO.Saya tak tau lah apa nak pilih pilihanraya akan datang.
Jika perlu dikembalikan kuasa Raja seperti cadangan jenglots disini:
http://anwaribrahimblog.com/?p=844#comment-10078
Bila dulu-dulu Raja orang takut dan tunduk, sekarang pemimpin biasa di bawah raja lebih berkuasa. Kuasa raja dah lama hilang.Maka pemimpin -pemimpin yg memegang tampuk kuasa ini besar diri kerana tiada siapa yang dapat mengawal mereka mahupun undang-undang.
Saya kerap mengikuti kisah Anwar Ibrahim sekadar untuk menjadi peka pada persekitaran dan ada satu ketika saya menghadiri ceramahnya di Damansara beberapa hari selepas dia di pecat dari jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Pada pendapat saya Anwar Ibrahim ini tidaklah bagus sama sekali dan secara peribadi saya melihatnya sebagai seorang yang temberang saja, an average politician dan saya tidak langsung tertarik dengan cara beliau berpidato yang membuat saya terus berangkat pulang ketika itu. Dia tidak punya calibre dan juga dia hanya mempunyai kelulusan akademik yang biasa-biasa sahaja barangkali sesuai untuk menjadi guru sekolah yang kekurangan guru. Walau saya tidak berpihak kepada kerajaan atau kepada pembangkang saya melihat dia seperti berkempen untuk agenda diri sendiri dan tidak lebih dari itu.
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