NGO to expand ‘wasatiyyah’ course to students abroad

AMMAN (Jordan): The Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF) will expand its information programme on wasatiyyah (moderation), especially in addressing extremism to Malaysian students abroad.

Its executive chairman and chief executive officer, Datuk Dr Nasharudin Mat Isa, said following the success of the Seminar on Countering Violent Terrorism jointly organised with the Student Representative Council Malaysia Jordan (MPPMJ) last Friday and Saturday, a similar programme would be organised in countries with many Malaysian students.

He said discussions had been held with representatives such as those in the United Kingdom, Indonesia and China to conduct the programme, which promoted moderation to prevent them from being influenced by extremists.

“After this, we will go to Indonesia. We have discussed with the (Malaysian) embassy and Education Malaysia in the country to organise programmes in Jakarta, Medan and Makassar. We will then move on to other countries,” he said during a seminar at the University of Jordan here on Saturday.

He said GMMF wanted the public, especially youth, to be aware of efforts in dealing with extremist ideologies, either through soft or hard approaches.

The two-day seminar attended by over 400 Malaysian students in Jordan held in conjunction with the 11th All Jordan Malaysian Students Annual Conference was aimed at promoting moderate values to combat extremist ideologies among Malaysian youth.

Apart from Nasharudin, Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division assistant director, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Faculty of Islamic Studies dean Professor Dr Wan Kamal Mujani also presented their papers at the seminar.

GMMF was established as a main reference point for the coordination, and dissemination of information and campaign materials to those interested in fighting extremism.

The intellectual foundation focuses on the establishment of common peace, governance and the rule of law, finance and economics, education, conflict resolution, managing Islamophobia and countering terrorism.

At the seminar, Nasharudin launched the Jordan GMM Club, which he described as a GMMF preliminary effort in creating more of such clubs in universities.

“We will establish it in UKM and Universiti Utara Malaysia. Students in Laos, particularly from the international law faculty, have also expressed their interest. We will use these clubs as our contact points,” he said. Bernama