El-Mesawi, Mohamed El-Tahir

English

The International Islamic University Malaysia Repository

INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE, 2010VOL 18, NO 1, 173-176The question of minorities in their different manifestationsthroughout the world has always been a sensitive one, bearing far-reaching social, cultural, economic, and political implications inhuman relations, nationally, regionally and internationally. This ismore so in the case of Muslim minorities at a time when worldpolitics and culture have been dominated by a secular-materialistparadigm, that is, to say the least, not favourable to peoples assertionof their religious identities and struggle to abide by the requirementsof their faith. With this in mind, the Muslim World League (MWL)and the International Islamic University Malaysia (through theInternational Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization and theDepartment of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh) conceived and organised theabovementioned conference. The conference was held on 9-11November 2009 at the Renaissance Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.The objectives of the conference consisted mainly inreconsidering the theoretical constructs and legal formulations ofthe question of minorities in the light of the higher objectives andfundamental principles of the SharÊah in order to formulate a soundtheoretical framework and develop a realistic and dynamic Maqasid-based jurisprudence capable of generating viable solutions to theproblems of minorities in the context of the modern nation-statesystem as well as international conventions and institutions thatwould enable them to strike a happy balance between thepreservation of self-identity and integration in their respectivecountries.Conference ReportThe International Conference on Jurisprudence ofMinorities in the Light of the Objectives of IslamicLaw (MaqÉÎid al-SharÊah): Identity andIntegration-174     INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE, VOL 18, NO 1, 2010For this purpose, the organisers invited over 50 scholars andexperts from all the regions of the globe to address various aspectsof the conference theme. They succeeded to secure the participationof 30 paper presenters from Malaysia, Thailand, China, SaudiArabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Korea, Sri Lanka, Fiji Islands, India,Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Argentina.The submissions of those scholars and experts covered a wide rangeof topics pertaining to the life and dynamics of Muslim minorities.They included philosophical and theological issues, and legal andjuristic matters dealing with the fundamental principles and universalspiritual and ethical values that constitute the core of the Islamicapproach to the question of majority-minority relationships. Theyalso included surveys of the history and conditions of some Muslimminorities (such as in Korea, Argentina, China and Sri Lanka),focusing on the problems they face with regard to education, familylife and personal status, economic opportunities, politicalparticipation and representation, etc. Some of the paper presenterstouched on issues of the representation of Islam and Muslims in themedia and cultural productions in non-Muslim majority countries.One key issue that ran through the different submissions concernsthe proper approach and process that should be developed andadopted in the issuance of fatwas (legal Islamic verdicts) tacklingthe problems of Muslim minorities. That is, a more systematic andinstitutional framework is needed to address Muslim minority issuesbased on a comprehensive and well-informed approach dealing withsuch issues not as problems of isolated individuals but as part of thewhole presence and dynamics of those minorities. Another importantissue that was recurrent in the submissions and discussionsthroughout the conference sessions pertains to the ways in whichIslamic international and organisations such as the Organization ofIslamic Conference (OIC) and the Muslim World League (MWL) aswell as Muslim governments could and should discharge their dutiesin addressing effectively the problems of non-Muslim minoritiesinternally within Muslim countries and of Muslim minoritiesexternally in non-Muslim majority countries.Attended by over 300 hundred people at the opening ceremonyand not less than 150 participants throughout the 10 presentation CONFERENCE 175sessions, the conference was officiated by His Royal Highness theSultan of Pahang, Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Mustain Billah Ibn Al-Marhum Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah, who graced theopening ceremony with an important speech in which he pointed outthe significance and timeliness of the conference, and highlighted thecrucial importance of its theme. He drew the participants attention tothe far-reaching implications of globalisation for all communities,especially Muslim minorities. The Sultan also expressed his appreciationof the Leagues special concern with such important issues such as thequestion of minorities.    Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdelmohsin Al-Turki, the Secretary Generalof the MWL, also addressed the Conference opening ceremony. Inhis speech, he expressed his high regard for Malaysias progressand great achievements and thanked the Malaysian government forallowing the conference to be held on its soil. He also stressed theMWLs special concern with the issues relating to Muslim minoritieswho constitute an integral part of the Muslim ummah. Finally, theSecretary General reiterated the fact that dealing with the issues ofminorities and helping to solve their problems is one of the MWLstop priorities. On behalf of the conference organisers, Prof. Dr. Syed ArabiIdid, Rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM),gave a welcoming speech in which he lauded the efforts made bythe MWL to promote the cause of Islam and Muslims in the world.He emphasised the importance of the conference theme about mutualunderstanding and peaceful coexistence between different peoplesand nations not only for Muslims in Malaysia and around the worldbut also for everyone concerned. The Rector also thanked the MWLfor its willingness to collaborate with the International IslamicUniversity Malaysia on such an important topic and expressed hishope that the conference will pave the ground for more forms ofcooperation between IIUM and the MWL.The conference final statement, which was read during the closingceremony conducted at IIUM main campus in Gombak, includedrecommendations that consisted of six main clauses including 36items concerning different aspects on the question of minorities.One central idea running through the different recommendations-176     INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE, VOL 18, NO 1, 2010concerned the problem of follow-up in the spirit of the conference,and developing of the pertinent insights and positive thoughts thatemerged in the presentations and discussions into applicableprogrammes and action plans.       Mohamed El-Tahir El-MesawiDepartment of Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh

The international conference on jurisprudence of minorities in the light of the objectives of Islamic law (Maqasid al-Shari'ah): identity and integration

The international conference on jurisprudence of minorities in the light of the objectives of Islamic law (Maqasid al-Shari'ah): identity and integration

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The International Islamic University Malaysia Repository