"Progressive Style of Islam is Practical"

This year's general election has highlighted Malaysia's acceptance of the ruling party's so-called "progressive" style of Islam. The election went ahead without incident, showing that the country's religious mix of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism can be stomached. Ben Fajzullin reports from Langkawi

 

photo: AP
A Muslim woman at the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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German tourist operator on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, Jürgen Zimmerer, says any Westerner wary of the Muslim world is soon swayed by Malaysia's amazing mix of religious cultures, which seems to work without hitch.

"We can be an icon and a sample of how this world with various races, various religions can live together. And I think Malaysia is moving into the right direction."

Religion as a focal point of politics

There had been concerns of violence in the lead up to the general elections in March, with religion having become a focal point of the campaign. The government and opposition both placed a high importance on the role of Islam in Malaysia.

The conservative Islamic party, Pas, heralded a vote for them as the mark of a person headed for paradise, while they claimed a vote for the government meant a one-way ticket to hell. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi countered this by describing Islam as a religion of development where hard work, hunger for knowledge, science and technology are all encouraged.

Progressive Islam popular in Malaysia

In this year's elections, he went on, along with the Barisan Nasional, to take the country by storm, demolishing the main opposition party Pas. There were no clashes during the shortest campaigning period Malaysia has ever seen and no major incidents during the poll itself.

According to the New Straits Times there is little doubt that it was the widespread acceptance of the prime minister's brand of "Islam Hadhari" – or progressive Islam – that helped to propel the party to victory.

Kuala Lumpur resident Hymier Kamarudin says the election win means a lot for Malaysians.

"It shows that the people of Malaysia basically have rejected the Islamist Pas and their views. I think quite a lot of people have heard so much about the Pas and what they stand for and maybe over the last few years they've decided that they've had enough of that."

Fathi Ahmad Shah from the Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort says the government's progressive and moderate views are very popular among the people, as well as tourists.

"As you know Malaysia is an Islamic country, but this type of Islamic country is very modern and liberal", says Ahmad Shah. "Islam is our official religion, but we also have Christianity, we have Buddhism, we have Hinduism and we have other small religions that believe in all kinds of things, but they are free to practice their religions, and every religion is respected regardless whether Muslim or not Muslim."

Changing stereotype view of Islam

Spending her honeymoon on Langkawi and in Kuala Lumpur, 25-year-old Scottish tourist Joanne McKiernan says her views on Islam have changed since travelling to Malaysia.

"We had one encounter where we went off on a tour in Kuala Lumpur to do a firefly trail and the guy who we were in the taxi with was talking to us a lot about the religion and the situation here and it was very refreshing to hear him talk about the progressive style of Islam. The way people in the world view Islam these days as this threat and then hearing this guy talk so openly about the different cultures and his culture, but how they're all mixed together was very nice to hear."

An experiment in social engineering

Deputy Director General of Tourism Malaysia, Mirza Mohammed Taiyab says Malaysia is taking the world spotlight, when it comes to religion and politics.

"Malaysia being multi-racial becomes the perfect example today, particularly in this world agenda of finally working towards the differences between different religions, different cultures et cetera – which is posing a major threat today", Mohammed Taiyab tells us. "But in Malaysia we have learnt to understand each other's need and we have put that into practice. Today our multicultural society has become a model for the rest of the world – it is an experiment in social engineering."

As the sun sets on Langkawi, throwing splashes of pink and purple above the surrounding jungle-covered mountains, followers answer the call to prayer. One elderly man arrives at the mosque on a motorbike, dressed in typical attire, wearing sandals, sarong and badju – a traditional shirt. He said he was happy to see the coalition retaining power, claiming that the practical style of religion they push allows for a wide array of cultures to live together in peace.

"The Islamic politics of the ruling party looks after the welfare of all races, irrespective of religious beliefs", he says. "The (conservative) Islamic opposition is okay, but they seem to be criticised more and more, and the Islamic principles promoted by the ruling party are practical. The various racial communities, Indians, Chinese, Malays can sit together and discuss issues."

Before being sworn in as Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi told reporters that the setbacks suffered by the opposition at the polls show that the coalition managed to contain the onslaught of a party which uses and, according to critics, abuses religion to garner support.

Ben Fajzullin

© DEUTSCHE WELLE/DW-WORLD.DE 2004