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Umno must avoid PAS’s old blinkered views, says Asri

By G. Manimaran (Bahasa Malaysia Editor)
The Malaysian Insider
October 24, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Umno must be practical in its approach and must shed its narrow views which were no longer relevant now, Islamic scholar Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said.

The former Perlis Mufti described Umno’s tackling of issues now was similar to PAS’s approach in the 1980s, noting that the Islamist party has progressed by presenting itself as a moderate alternative.

In the past two years, PAS has been seen as becoming more progressive and this was highlighted by Umno delegates during the party’s recently concluded annual general assembly, which also tabled a motion on religion and education.

Asri stressed that Umno and other political parties must consider the country’s multi-racial composition when expressing their views on religion or risk Islam becoming politicised.

“In my opinion, it is sad to see that Umno has recently played up issues that made it look like PAS in the 1980s. When PAS is beginning to assert itself as a moderate party, Umno instead are trying to play up issues that are unnecessary.

“Like issues where Muslims cannot enter mosques, cannot pray for non-Muslims, the issue of gambling money, [these] have made Umno seem to have views which are narrow and not relevant to a government [of a country] with different races and religions,” he wrote in his blog.

Asri added that pro-Umno media have also highlighted extreme religious opinions by certain Islamic scholars, which he described as unfavourable to Barisan Nasional.

“Finally Islam has become the victim, Umno must be regarded as dangerous.

“Political ideas with knowledge should be promoted. Political yes-men without thinking must be avoided. This happened when Islam Hadari was propagated and others just nodded without giving critical view. The slogan then finally buried Umno itself,” he said, referring to the concept introduced by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Asri was grateful, however, that he was invited to attend Umno’s assembly, but insisted that he will not join any political parties in the near future.

“Our politics should go further than just filing in forms. Politics should not be about affiliations but be based on thoughts and ideas. Politics are measured by views and ideas and this is what I have been trying to do,” he said.

But he noted that there was still space to have difference of opinions in Umno compared to other political parties and was impressed with Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s call for open politics in a new political era.

“I am sorry but the [the party’s] other wings are still following to the beats of yesterday and have yet to mirror a new political era,” Asri said.

The Islamic cleric added that the public today wanted the political parties to compete in healthy manner.

“They (political parties) should be a market of ideas that benefit the country. They should be an open market which provides fresh and quality products, and anyone who manages to provide with the best products will [get] the people’s vote,” he said.

According to Asri, it was not a party’s role to merely expose the weaknesses of its opposition when they themselves do not provide any new ideas.

“Politics is not simply talking about others but forgetting yourself and not be able to bring us anywhere.

“The greatness of a political speech is not in cursing your opponents but it is great when you are able to give views and ideas that can develop the country,” he said.

Asri said narrow political interpretations of Islam must be rejected because political Islam offered great breadth and was widely-based on public interest.

“Political Islam is very broad, flexible and practical but it is always underpinned by the revelations. Not all that is said by Islamic teachers can be accepted. Politics has its unique discipline that requires Islamic knowledge for the benefit of the people and country.

“Just learning a few things in religion does not guarantee a deep understanding of politics in Islam,” he added.

9 Replies to “Umno must avoid PAS’s old blinkered views, says Asri”

  1. From the little I know of Dr Mohd Asri and what he says he represents the truly moderate and democratic face of Islam. I respect him an Islamic intellectual. We can judge from his stand on various issues.

    • He is against spying (Tajassus),and therefore against moral police snooping around couples for khalwat;

    • He has no problem with Muslim receiving a greeting of Salaam from a non-Muslim;

    • He has no problem in naming a child after the father even if the father is a non-Muslim, or building a mosque for the Chinese;

    • He defends Teo’s surau visit to the mosque;

    • On democratic politics he says, “They (political parties) should be a market of ideas that benefit the country. They should be an open market which provides fresh and quality products, and anyone who manages to provide with the best products will [get] the people’s vote,” he said. The greatness of a political speech is not in cursing your opponents but it is great when you are able to give views and ideas that can develop the country”;

    • Contrary to popular belief I believe he is Ok with East Malaysian Christians using Allah word for bahasa version of bible . He is only against using the name “Allah” in reference to an idol, a stone, an object or other human as “Allah”. In his words “If this happen, it is rightful for the Muslims to denounce it. For people to call the true God as Allah is indeed appropriate as this also proves that Islam is correct when it teaches us to call God as “Allah”. Therefore, it is acceptable; moreover it should be encouraged for everyone to say “Allah is the Creator of this universe”, “Allah sends down rain”, “Allah instructs us to do good” and others regardless of their religion. These are truly words of truth.”

    • On alcohol & gambling, in his words: “when a Muslim ruler gives his permission to the non-Muslims to do something that run contrary to the teaching of Islam, such as the consumption of alcohol and gambling within their own premise, it does not mean that the said ruler is making those acts ‘halal’. That permission is given in accordance with the rights that they, as non-Muslim citizens, possess, in terms of freedom to practise religion and a particular lifestyle”.

    He represents the moderate face of Islam. He questions conventional strictures and doctrines and helps reconcile Islamic tenets with modernity and practicality. It is quite politically savvy of Najib (maybe on APCO’s advice) to invite to address the UMNO assembly. Maybe he has his promises to US investors in mind that Malaysia should not go to extreme. There is a cost: conservative Islamic establishment and clerics are unlikely to agree with what So far Dr Asri has not joined as member UMNO or PAS, same like RPK not joining any political party. Though each speaking their version of truth RPK sees more political hope in PR, whilst Asri the opposite in UMNO, since PAS is ‘no no’ to him (I think). I agree with Asri that compared to his views, PAS’s is “Blinkered”. If Najib gets Asri to support his administration, he scores points here.

  3. ///“In my opinion, it is sad to see that Umno has recently played up issues that made it look like PAS in the 1980s. When PAS is beginning to assert itself as a moderate party, Umno instead are trying to play up issues that are unnecessary.///

    Let UMNO build their own grave!

  4. If you read what Dr Mohd Asri says you find that he does not follow just the literal interpretation of sacred religious text but he reasons (with a liberal bias) based on rationality and weighs the consequences of one course over another. He evinces distrust for blind dogma. What he says shows he is a thinking man and at 32 dares to speak outside conventional wisdom of older clerics – and thats what is important!

  5. Dr Mohd Asri is an independent man with mind and sou.A truly rational,wisdom and respectable muslim man of right mind.
    But watch out!Umno goons will twist your facts and ideas;saying your are pengkianat bangsa and agama.

  6. I wish to correct my statement per my earlier posting #1 – that “RPK sees more political hope in PR, whilst Asri the opposite in UMNO, since PAS is ‘no no’ to him (I think). I agree with Asri that compared to his views, PAS’s is “Blinkered”.

    Its not accurate because Dr Mohd Asri’s advice to UMNO is to avoid PAS’s “old” blinkered views. Asri did not say anything about PAS’s ‘present’ views being blinkered. Accordingly my statement that “PAS is ‘no no’ to him (I think)” could be inaccurate as he has not always said recurrent negative things about the ‘present’ PAS.

    But what PAS thinks of him appears conflicting and ambivalent – both positiv and negative depending on the particular issue or from which section of PAS.

    For exampl: his views are congruent with Nik Aziz on there being nothing wrong about Teo’s surau visit to the surau.

    For his criticism of some clerics/ulamas responsible for “closing” the minds of Muslims, Harakahdaily.net described him as an alat Umno (an Umno stooge). Yet PAS Youth has defended him before against allegations from a government (UMNO) cleric that his views could lead to extremism.

    In a way he is taking independent course of advocating “change” in conservative and rigid Islamic discourse arena dominated by religious cleric and scholars (whether in PAS or UMNO) of a more conservative cast/mould of mind. Though he would be an asset to either UMNo or PAS to recruit him amongst its members/ranks, he appears, from his daring to speak his mind based on certain principles, independent of the conventional or politically partisan opinions (on matters relating to religion), not likely inclined, just like RPK, to be a career politician that requires him to speak with forked tongue to different audiences for popular votes…

  7. Its a sure sign that UMNO has forgotten what being Malay means. Its failure has forced it to look inward and their insecurities to take over their nature and reason forgetting that its the insecurities and failures of those that does not have a voice they should represent.

    This is very good timing to remind UMNO what Malay actually means..

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