PM tells Muslims: Preserve brotherhood

(Ed: Yesterday's after-khutbah speech by Pak Lah at the Masjid)

Penang: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants Muslims in the country to preserve the Islamic brotherhood that has prevailed all along to ensure continued harmony.

He said they should avoid conflicts and work together to bring the community and nation to greater heights.

The matter should be pursued vigorously as any disunity among them would only hamper their progress, he said.

"My grandfather (Abdullah Fahim)'s advice to the Malays was that they are Muslims who belonged to the Shafie sect.

"Now we follow the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah teachings and in reality there is not much difference between the two because the religion is the same and so too the practices," he said when speaking to some 3,000 people who performed their Friday prayers at the Al-Mukhtar Mosque in Balik Pulau, here.

He told the congregation of how foreign leaders were in awe of Malaysia for being able to preserve peace and harmony among its multi-racial population.

"Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in giving a talk in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night, said in his country there were frequent inter-religious conflicts and accusations that Islam is a violent and extreme religion," he said.

Abdullah said this was not the case in Malaysia because of the understanding that existed among the various races.

The Prime Minister said through the Islam Hadhari (civilisational Islam) concept which emphasises moderation, Malaysia managed to accomplish great progress in various endeavours for the benefit of the people.

"Although Kofi Annan's country (Ghana) achieved independence much earlier than us, we are two or three times more advanced than that country because of the understanding we (Malaysians of all races) had," he said.

Abdullah also said the independence the nation had been enjoying for 50 years should be valued and that each citizen must do his or her part to preserve harmony and contribute to the growth of the nation.- Bernama

Muafakat ummah elak kehancuran negara: PM

Oleh Fazli Abdullah Faiza Zainudin

BALIK PULAU: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengingatkan umat Islam sentiasa memelihara persaudaraan dengan mengukuhkan permuafakatan bagi mengelakkan perselisihan yang boleh menghancurkan negara.

Perdana Menteri berkata, permuafakatan dan kerjasama amat penting kerana semua umat Islam adalah bersaudara dan berpegang kuat kepada ajaran agama, walaupun berlainan fahaman.

“Tanpa kerjasama dan muafakat, kita tidak akan maju dan berkembang. Jadi kita kena muafakat kerana masing-masing tidak boleh hidup seorang diri.

“Dalam Islam, perpaduan amat penting kerana seluruh umatnya dianggap bersaudara,” katanya dalam ucapan ringkas selepas menunaikan solat Jumaat di Masjid Al-Mukhtar di sini, semalam.

Selepas majlis itu, Perdana Menteri bersama pemimpin Umno negeri termasuk Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Pulau Pinang, Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah menyertai kira-kira 1,000 orang pada majlis jamuan rakyat di pekarangan masjid.

Turut hadir Setiausaha Parlimen Kementerian Kewangan, Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya yang juga Ketua Umno Bahagian Balik Pulau.

Terdahulu, Abdullah yang juga Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Pulau Pinang mempengerusikan mesyuarat Umno negeri, di Kompleks Sukan, di sini.

Perdana Menteri berkata, Allahyarham datuknya, Abdullah Fahim pernah berpesan bahawa Melayu itu agamanya Islam dan mengikut Mazhab Imam Shafie.

“Ketika ini, kita mengikut Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah dan sebenarnya kedua-duanya tiada beza kerana agama dan amalannya sama. Oleh itu, kita mesti berpegang kuat kepada agama.

“Seseorang itu tiada perbezaan, baik agama dan amalannya, semuanya sama, yang kita usahakan selama ini adalah untuk mengukuhkan perpaduan antara kita,” katanya.

Abdullah turut memberi contoh negara lain seperti Ghana yang berlaku pergaduhan antara agama sehingga masyarakat dunia menganggap Islam sebagai agama yang ganas dan melampau.

Katanya, walaupun negara itu merdeka lima bulan lebih awal daripada Malaysia, negara ini lebih maju tiga empat kali ganda daripada negara berkenaan.

“Bekas Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB), Kofi Annan, dalam ucapannya di Kuala Lumpur malam tadi (kelmarin) berkata, di negaranya (Ghana) sering berlaku pergaduhan antara agama,” katanya.

Perdana Menteri berkata, kerajaan memperkenalkan Islam Hadhari yang semua aspek berteraskan kepada kesederhanaan, termasuk prinsip pembangunan ummah yang menanamkan aspek kecintaan keamanan dan kedamaian.

“Kita tidak mahu pergaduhan, kita mahu menuju zaman kecemerlangan dan menerusi pendekatan ini, kita dapat bangunkan negara dengan aman,” katanya.

Another related article on The Star Online: "Preserve spirit of brotherhood"