‘GOVT COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING ISLAM’
It will be done according to Quranic teachings and hadiths, says PM
PRIME Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering Islam according to the teachings in the Quran and hadiths.
He said this at a special meeting with 37 ulama and Muslim intellectuals at his office here, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa after the twohour event yesterday.
Mujahid said during the meeting, Dr Mahathir shared the government’s aspirations to make Malaysia a model of the best contemporary Muslim nation.
“Islam is often linked to violence, war and economic weaknesses.
“Dr Mahathir wants ulama and Muslim intellectuals to make use of the openness of the Pakatan Harapan government to show a more compassionate Islam.”
Present were Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, Islamic Studies lecturer at Oxford University’s Faculty of Theology Datuk Dr Muhammad Afifi Al-Akiti, Ulama Association of Malaysia former president Ustaz Ahmad Awang and the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisation president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid.
Mujahid said Dr Mahathir also discussed ways to empower Islamic institutions by focusing on science and economics at the meeting.
He said Dr Mahathir wanted to focus on religious extremists, especially in the issue of labelling Muslims as infidels, as well as the government’s commitment to combating extremist ideologies.
He said the ministry would subsequently hold monthly follow-up meetings to focus on other issues.