Malaysia's Mahathir : A moderate voice for Islam
International Herald Tribune
December 6, 2002
Michael Backman  

Where in these troubled times should we go to find an accurate picture of contemporary Islam? The Middle East, where the religion was born? Certainly not. Nearby North Africa? Wrong again. Try Malaysia.

Although often portrayed as being on the periphery of Islam, Southeast Asia and South Asia are in fact its emerging core. In terms of population density, the countries in these regions are global Islam's center of gravity. They include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Approximately 60 percent of Malaysians are Muslim; by and large, Malaysia is an Islamic state. The practical application of Islam by most Malaysians and by the prime minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad, is probably closer to the true spirit of the religion than the Islam that we now see in much of the Middle East.

The Middle Eastern version has become corrupted by politics. It has been distorted by the intransigence and belligerence of the Palestinians on one side and Ashkenazi Judaism in Israel, backed by the American Jewish lobby, on the other. After all, it is not Islam but politics that creates a monster like Osama bin Laden or suicide bombers in the West Bank.

With the terrorist attacks on the United States, its citizens and interests in different parts of the world, the recent bombings in Kenya and Bali and dozens of other outrages, Islam is fast becoming synonymous with terrorism and murder. This is not an accurate view. But where are the moderate Muslims who can present themselves as counterpoints to the avalanche of bad news and bad public relations?

One such figure might be Mahathir. Under his long rule, Malaysia has modernized and prospered. Of course, the country is not perfect. The professionalism of the judiciary remains open to question, and the media are insufficiently free of government influence.

Mahathir himself can be as self-serving and as solicitous of his domestic audience as any Western leader attuned to the ballot box. But, compared with much of what passes for government in the Middle East, Malaysia is a paradigm of tolerance and civility.

Mahathir's Malaysia shows that it is possible to be both Muslim and modern; to be pro-development and outward-looking. Malaysia also shows how a society that is significantly Islamic can accommodate other beliefs and ideas. It reminds us that the basic tenets of Islam, when stripped of Arab tribalism and politics, include peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect.

It is too easily forgotten that Arab Muslims and Sephardic Jews existed in relative peace as neighbors for centuries; that Christians and Arabs, too, coexisted peacefully. Is it not the case that 24 of the 25 Islamic prophets are also Christian figures? That the Jesus of the Christians is the Isa of the Muslims?

The way in which multicultural and multiethnic issues are managed in Malaysia is world class. Around 58 percent of the population are Malay Muslims or other indigenous ethnic groups, while the remainder are mainly non-Muslim descendants of immigrants from China and South Asia. There are few tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Nor is Malaysia a place in which women are repressed. A woman heads Bank Negara, Malaysia's central bank. Little fuss was made in Malaysia when Zeti Akhtar Aziz was appointed to head the bank. No woman has ever been appointed to head the central banks of, say, the United States, Britain or Australia. One can imagine the media attention when one is.

Rafidah Aziz, another prominent Malaysian woman, serves as the country's trade minister. She is one of the world's longest serving and most aggressive trade ministers. Not for her the traditional "nurturing" ministerial portfolio of social affairs, health or education that women typically are given in the West.

Perhaps the best test of Mahathir's success as a nation builder and as a modern, moderate Muslim is to ask Malaysians who come from non-Malay and non-Islamic backgrounds what they think of the country and its leadership. The answer is nearly always the same. Excluding the gripes of the day, the typical response is: "We are fortunate to live in Malaysia."

Now more than ever, the world needs an Islamic leader who can articulate the modern voice of Islam, a voice that is both moderate and balanced. The chair of the Organization of the Islamic Conference could serve as a suitable platform for such a voice. Such organizations have been dominated for too long by Middle Eastern Muslims. The vast majority of the world's Muslims live not in the Middle East but in Asia.

Mahathir has announced that he will step down as prime minister in October. His plans beyond that are unclear. The world needs to be reminded that the overwhelming majority of Muslims are peace-loving, sophisticated and keen on succeeding in the modern world. Mahathir might be just the candidate for the job.

The writer, co-author of "Big in Asia" and author of "Asian Eclipse," contributed this comment to the International Herald Tribune.

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