How does Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad define moderate? GMMF is a Malaysian organisation so the word moderate must be harmonious with the Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution that says Islam is the religion of the Federation. Therefore the word moderate must be defined through the perspective of Islam which means the concept of wasatiyyah and not liberal. A liberalist is actually an extremist because a liberal person wants to be free from the law of the religion and the nation.
Below is an article from Rakyat Post (in red) and my answer will be in blue.
If you don’t have it, you can’t give it,” says Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) strategic director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, quoting an Arabic saying.
He was commenting on the appointment of Nasharudin Mat Isa as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF).
Is Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad saying that the new GMMF CEO is not good enough to lead GMMF? I guess Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad does not really understand the real meaning of moderates from the Islamic perspective.
Nasharudin was up until 2011 PAS deputy president and better known as a conservative. He is still PAS member.
“The person to lead this (GMMF) should be someone who is moderate by nature, inclusive, with a moderate world view and tolerant.
Does a moderate Muslim means to be only partly Muslim and a real Muslim is called an extremist? Moderate means not extreme, so if Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad thinks that a conservative Muslim is an extremist, then he misunderstand Islam and he seems to view Islam in a negative way because as a Muslim, I see Islam in the Islamic perspective and the more a Muslim understands and follows the true teaching of Islam, the person will become a better person. So, I believe that a conservative Muslim is a pious Muslim. How could Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, as a Muslim implies a conservative Muslim as an extremist?
“I wish him (Nasharudin) well and we’ll see if he can truly be moderate,” said Dr Dzulkefly when contacted by The Rakyat Post.
InshaAllah, Uncle Nasha understands the concept of the wasatiyyah and he is not a liberal Muslim. Being moderate does not mean being liberal and dares to humiliate Islam because a true Muslim is not an extremist. It is the liberal Muslim who is the extremist.
“If you don’t have true, genuine moderation in you, if your DNA is racist, you can try to show moderation, but your true colours will come out, showing up in possible racial slurs.”
What does Dr. Dzulkefly mean by ‘your DNA is racist’? Is he calling Uncle Nasha a racist because Uncle Nasha is a good Muslim? Only a racist likes to calls others racist. Islam teaches us to be fair to everybody but fair does not means equality and total freedom as what the human right activists are fighting for.
He added that former GMMF CEO Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who resigned from his post after defecting to PKR recently, was the true embodiment of moderation, cutting across culture and religion.
Saiduddin Abdullah understands moderation as liberal. He does not practice moderation as in wasatiyyah. It is a humiliation to Islam and the Muslims when Saifuddin Abdullah openly supports Eric Paulsen who maliciously accused that a JAKIM’s Friday sermon spews hatred – please click here for the article. Does Dr. Dzulkefly thinks that being a moderate means that we do not only let others humiliate Islam but we too should find ways to humiliate Islam, follow and interpret Islam the way we wish and be free from our responsibilities as a Muslim?
Amanah vice-chairman Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa agreed with Dzulkefly, questioning Nasharudin’s appointment as the latter was still a member of Islamic-based opposition party, PAS.
Why can’t A PAS member be appointed as the CEO of GMMF when Mujahid himself heads a NUCC’s working committee when he is an opposition leader? Is it because he is now a leader of Amanah and not anymore a PAS leader?
However, Mujahid also stated that in the current circumstances, Nasharudin, a former Bachok lawmaker, fitted the bill for the position.
“It’s not just that he is conservative, but his stand on our multiracial society is racially biased.
“How is he going to present moderation when he himself is not?
Well, Mujahid is another liberalist who loves to make weird statements regarding Islam. When he was still a PAS leader, he made a statement that PAS won’t keep silent as the Christians are bashed when it was his DAP friends who keep on calling UMNO/BN and the Malays as racist, extremists, low-class and other bad names and try hard to bashed them. Mujahid also said that a bill that supports LGBT as Islamic.
“His appointment in the current handicapped situation is appropriate as his qualification itself is handicapped.”
I am glad that PM Najib has chosen Uncle Nasha as the new CEO of GMMF. GMMF needs a leader who understands the concept of wasatiyyah and not a liberal who defines moderate as being liberal and fail to represent the concept of being a true Muslim to the world.
Nasharudin’s appointment was announced by GMMF chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail who said the former would start his tenure as CEO on Nov 1, replacing Saifuddin.
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