Voice of Islamic Moderation from the Malay World

Abstract

Mohd Kamal Hassan’s Voice of Islamic Moderation from the Malay World presents a selection of eleven essays written over the past decade in response to the challenges from a globalization steeped in the post-9/11 climate. Intended mainly for a non-Muslim audience, it seeks to represent the voice of Islamic moderation (al-wasaṭīyah) from the multi-ethnic, multi-religious Malaysian context. One hopes that discussions on this important character of Islam will provide a collective vision of holistic wellbeing and, at the same time, recognize Malaysia’s pluralistic nature. The Islamic perspective on the unifying theme of moderation’s universal ethos pervades its three sections – “Promoting the Common Ground amongst Religions and Cultures,” “Changing the Muslim Mindset: A Civilizational Approach,” and “The Meaning and Implications of Islamic Moderation” – with a focus on the search for its progressive integration into all aspects of life. The first section opens with an analysis of “The Expanding Spiritual- Moral Role of World Religions in the New Millennium.” This chapter raises multiple social, moral, environmental, political, and economic concerns related to pursuing an aggressive economic agenda within the folds of globalization while ignoring religion-based ethics and the human need for a spiritual guiding vision. Under the siege conditions of globalization’s “swiftness, totality and irreligious mission” (p. 83), there is an urgent need for world religions to play – as well as be given – a more assertive role in formulating holistic action plans. States are thus urged to allow religious-based ethics and spiritual values to expand into public life, from business to international trade and relations, politics and educational institutions. Hassan, however, notes that both proponents and opponents of the separation between spiritual values (private) and this-worldly affairs (public) need to fully understand each other’s position in order to appreciate the ...