KUALA LUMPUR: A veteran politician and respected Islamic scholar, Nasharudin Mat Isa is no stranger to big challenges.
Prior to his appointment as the chief executive officer of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMM) in October last year, Nasharudin was once a high-profile Pas leader. He was Pas deputy president from 2005 to 2011.
Today, as the new face of GMM, Nasharudin is championing Malaysia’s cause to help spread the message of moderation globally.
In an exclusive interview with the New Sunday Times, the 53-year-old Nasharudin outlined plans to revitalise the four-year-old foundation and reach out to a greater target audience around the world.
Nasharudin says the events that unfolded during the Jan 14 terror attack in Jakarta, which he witnessed first-hand from his hotel room window, have only strengthened his resolve to counter extremism through dialogue and public diplomacy.
Speaking in polished English, Nasharudin says it is imperative for the global community to act against the rising trend of extremist tendencies and Islamophobia, or risk having the voice of moderates being drowned out by hate.
Driven by his passion for the Arabic language, during his formative years, Nasharudin furthered his studies in India and Jordan, before completing his master’s degree in Comparative Laws in Malaysia. He also holds a degree in Islamic Jurisprudence from the
University of Jordan.
Before entering active politics, he was a lecturer at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. In 1999, he left academia to take up the post of Pas secretary-general.
Hand-picked for the position by the then party president Datuk Fadzil Noor, Nasharudin was one of the central figures who helped modernise Pas during the late 1990s and in the 2000s.
A two-term mem-
ber of parliament, Nasharudin eventually gave up active politics in 2013 to work with various non-governmental organisations on Islamic matters.
He says politics will take a back seat for now.
Question: Could you explain to us the idea behind GMM and its objectives?
Answer: The idea to set up GMM was originally conceived by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during his speech at the Umno general assembly in 2010. In 2012, GMM was founded as a platform to promote moderation around the world as well as strengthen foreign relations.
I think the formation of GMM is timely as we are currently facing the threat of religious extremism and radicalism. With that said, the moderate approach should be applied not only to religious matters, but also political and sociocultural issues. We want to provide a balanced approach in handling the various threats around us.
Question: Since taking over the helm in October last year, what have you accomplished so far, and what are some changes you plan to introduce?
Answer: When I first started, I had to do some housekeeping, which included the restructuring of GMM’s administration. After that, I started engaging various sectors, both on the local and international fronts. For example, GMM has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with three local universities.
I have introduced an interaction programme with university students. The first group of students that visited the GMM office recently was from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). We will host an international conference on religion and global peace at UKM in May.
We are also working with Universiti Utara Malaysia to come up with a barometer to measure the level of moderation in Malaysia. The third university we are working with is Universiti Islam Malaysia, a research-based institution.
GMM is also exploring areas of cooperation with the Australian government in many fields, including countering violent extremism. We are getting connected with various institutions and universities there to get them to share their idea of moderation. During my visit to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation headquarters in Jeddah recently, we agreed to sign an MoU to work closely on the issue of Islamophobia. GMM has also renewed relations with several countries, including Russia, China, and India.
Question: What is your main task as CEO of GMM and what are some of the challenges you have faced so far?
Answer: My main task is to promote the idea of moderation. The prime minister also wants us to promote Malaysia as a good example of tolerance, without denying the fact that we, too, have our issues. Nonetheless, I feel that Malaysia is in prime position to promote tolerance and moderation.
One of the fears during the start of my tenure was that I would “Islamise” GMM. Given my background, I cannot deny my involvement in the Islamic world, but I always reiterate the importance of upholding the Federal Constitution with Islam as the religion of the federation.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, moderation does not just concern religion, but also matters relating to politics and economics. For example, during an international halal festival in China two weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to explain what moderation is all about to an international audience. I was even interviewed by CCTV News on the topic of moderation.
Question: What is your definition of moderation and can it be compared to the concept of wassatiyyah in Islam?
Answer: Until today, I can’t find the right definition for the word moderation as it is relative. There are two Arabic words to describe moderation: wassatiyah and i’tidal. The word wassatiyah has a religious connotation and is commonly used when talking about religious matters. The word i’tidal, however, covers a broader area of the concept of moderation.
What I can say is that moderation is a balanced approach in handling issues. By that, I mean we do not swerve too far to the right or left when taking a certain action.
Question: What are your thoughts on religious extremism and what will GMM do to address the issue?
Answer: Extremism is a very subjective term and comes in many forms. If you are talking about militant extremism, that is beyond GMM’s control. Our priority now is to educate the public on the need to shed extremist thinking. For example, we need to talk about the wrong interpretation of jihad.
The extreme interpretation of jihad is all about killing. But jihad is not about killing at all. Jihad is about striving to be the best. It’s not an easy task, but, hopefully, GMM can help spread the right meaning of jihad. This is why Islamophobia should be one of the most important topics discussed by GMM.
This is something new on GMM’s agenda. When I was first appointed as CEO, I wanted Islam to be discussed and to let the public know what words like jihad, qital, and syahid actually mean.
Question: What other measures are GMM taking to curb the spread of extremism in the country?
Answer: I’m thinking about cooperating with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to instruct mosques to touch on the threat of terrorism during the Friday khutbah (sermon). GMM can get a standardised text ready, while Jakim can help ensure that all mosques in the country use the text during Friday sermons.
One of the reasons I am engaging university students is because I feel that they are a very vulnerable group. I’m thinking about talking to the education minister (Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid) to see if we can promote moderation in the national curriculum. These are ambitious ideas, but I am confident it can be done with proper cooperation.
Question: Is the threat of Islamophobia getting more serious?
Answer: It is getting more serious, not in Malaysia, but in the Western world. With what happened in Paris, Istanbul and Jakarta, I am beginning to look at these attacks from a different perspective.
Why is this happening?
No wise Muslim would say that these terror attacks reflect the true nature of Islam. Then why are these groups calling themselves Muslims? Are they forced to promote a foreign agenda in the name of Islam, by making use of ignorant, frustrated and oppressed individuals?
Question: What can GMM and like-minded bodies do to counter Islamophobia?
Answer: At this stage, at least, we need to start cooperating with other institutions that share the common value of moderation. However, we will face the tough challenge of disseminating the message of moderation. We have been thinking about recruiting moderate leaders as GMM’s ambassadors, but the cost will be very high.
The thing is, extremist groups have an agenda and you cannot just ask them to stop because their agenda includes the belief of being able to go to heaven. The reward they expect is huge and they are not
going to trade it for a few minutes at the negotiation table.
I think GMM should concentrate on talking to the silent majority of moderates. We are the majority, but we are largely silent compared with the minority. We need to unite the silent majority and promote the idea of moderation on a more prominent stage because the extremists are gaining prominence just by detonating a bomb.
Question: What is the root cause of religious or, in this case, Islamic extremism?
Answer: There are many individuals in the Muslim community who thirst for Islamic knowledge but get their information from the wrong source. That is how people wrongly interpret Islam, the hadith and jihad. In the Middle East, where the centre of terror is, people are driven by the need to survive and combat the oppression they are facing. Everyone has different reasons to turn to extremism.
On the home front, there is no cause for panic, but if we do not spread awareness and curb extremism, we could turn out to be like the Middle East.
Question: Will it be harder for Malaysia, as a multiracial and multireligious society, to promote moderation?
Answer: Malaysia has been able to handle differences in an honourable manner. I think we are in prime position to promote moderation because we resolve our differences peacefully, not by killing each other. Incidents of religious violence are few and far between, compared with other countries where places of worship are destroyed and people are killed.
Question: As the former Pas No. 2, how will your political experience help GMM move forward?
Answer: I have been promoting and will continue to promote the idea of moderation. We should not leave it to political parties to do it. If the people, including non-governmental organisations, unite, the silent majority of moderates can silence the voice of extremism.
However, there was scepticism when I first joined GMM. In the past, I had called for Pas and Umno to sit down and work things out.
I’m not saying they should merge and I have never mentioned the idea of a unity government. I don’t mind being criticised because I am now immune to criticism.
Now, I have the platform and space to talk to many people and agencies.
Yes, GMM is funded by the government, but I am not working for Umno or Pas. I am given a free hand to promote the idea of moderation to the public.
Question: Are you planning to make a comeback to politics?
Answer: Well, I am quite happy with where I am now because I can function better in promoting moderation. I am still in frequent contact with Pas and Umno leaders. I’m not saying I’m well accepted by both sides, but then again, there is no way to please everybody.