ARABISATION of Islam in Malaysia has recently become a widespread issue. It stems from a Malaymail article on Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir’s opinion that Malaysia is undergoing Arab colonialism. Marina touched on several different issues including the growing conservatism and institutionalisation of the religion, loss of Malay culture to the Arab culture, conformity and restriction of individuality, Muslim women’s rights, and a boldly made statement that Islam’s biggest problem in Malaysia is fear of knowledge of the religion.
As you can see, each of these issues is broad and complicated by itself. But I think it is important to connect the dots to understand how Marina developed her point of view. First of all, I appreciate Marina’s effort in trying to preserve the Malay tradition of baju kurung. I agree with her on this and I think it is important to distinguish culture and religion. But Marina went on to interpret the current situation by Arabisation of Islam and relating it to institutionalisation and growing conservatism of faith. Marina also criticised the lack of intellectual basis in Islamic education and calls for conformity to Islamic laws enforced by Islamic leaders. I think it is fair to conclude that Marina was questioning the foundation of religious belief and practice among Muslims in Malaysia.
True Freedom
Let’s first discuss conformity and individuality. Marina gave examples of restriction of individuality and freedom of the Muslim women in headscarves to hug Korean artists and touch a dog and also the female BFM journalist to question hudud. The world with the power of the mass media has ingrained in us to think that freedom is the way forward. Of course the heroic guy or now more commonly the heroic girl had to free himself or herself from a form of restriction by the parent (for younger audience) or the government (for older audience) before accomplishing great things.
Islam cherishes freedom. But the reality of being a Muslim is that we submit ourselves to God and therefore we are bounded by the sharia law which are clear guidelines in the Quran and hadith. Surely calls for conforming to these guidelines by Islamic authority are a part of calling people to submit to God and become better Muslim. They are not to promote conformity to the norm and clearly are not issues of individuality.
The individuality that Islam seeks to value is based on the virtues of a person. Hence the need for the restrictions and guidelines of body image, social life and interactions between men and women. Unfortunately, individuality in these superficial aspects of life overshadow a person’s virtues in the minds of too many Muslims, moulded by post-colonial, secular and materialistic view of individuality.
“Women always get attacked,” added Marina, a member of Sisters in Islam on the issue of conformity. This has now become an issue of women’s right in the eyes of the Muslim feminist. Now, let me list the general Muslim feminist doctrines. First, they opposed misogyny and oppression of Muslim women. This we could all agree on. Then they started questioning the interpretation of the Quran by Muslim scholars, demanding a feminist reinterpretation. Some of them even considered rejecting verses of the Quran that do not fit their feminist worldview. Here Marina is claiming issues of obedience to Islamic laws which apply to all Muslims as women’s issues. The pattern will usually follow, and Muslim feminists have questioned the Islamic laws themselves.
Despite claiming to be Islamic, all these show is that the Muslim feminist movement is no longer advocating women’s rights based on Islamic principles. What solutions are they calling for? Why are they are questioning the credibility and intellect of Islamic scholars?
When I first read the article, I find Marina’s comment that Islam’s biggest problem in Malaysia is fear of knowledge of the religion somewhat bizarre. She then mentioned domination of Sunni Muslim and unacceptance of minority groups. And then the examples of Muslim women criticised for going against the norm. I think they all fit the same equation. Muslim feminists are calling for Islamic reformation or in other words a more secular and liberal Islam.
Respect for knowledge
Yes, we have intellectual concerns with regards to Islamic education. And yes, we should embrace the knowledge of Islam, not fear it. The Muslim feminists argue that they have the right to condemn Islamic laws implemented by those in authority, and that they are not questioning the texts as revealed by God. Certain issues of fiqh necessitates consensus of Islamic scholars in addition to the Quran and hadith. And of course there are prerequisites to be involved in these scholarly discussions.
When it comes to matters of sharia and fiqh, or commenting on the Quran and hadith, we should humble ourselves to the people of knowledge. Not everyone is qualified to make a medical diagnosis despite having access to the information of the medical conditions. Similarly, not everyone is qualified to make conclusions about Islamic laws and texts and then pass judgements on Islamic scholars. I am not denying the right of Muslims to speak about Islam. But you and I need to have respect for Islamic scholarship and qualification.
I agree that we need a stronger intellectual emphasis in Islamic education in order to build a stronger foundation of faith. Indeed we are in need of great Islamic thinkers. I think that it is a valid concern that Islam will one day be nothing more than a cultural practice. On the other hand, I also worry that we might put too much value on our intellect and forget that being a Muslim essentially means to submit ourselves to God and His commands. I worry that we might disregard the value of intellectual humility and the position of Quran and sunnah in our lives. Islam is comprehensive and balanced in its justice for both men and women and its emphasis on both intellect and spirituality. Let us Muslims strive to appreciate the beauty of its comprehensiveness and balance.
Arfa Ayob
2nd Year Medicine, Cardiff University
Isma Eropah Activist
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, and should not be attributed to, Isma or Ismaweb.
