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After roundtable meetings in Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and
Bangkok, efforts to build closer cooperation between and among
Muslim leaders and Muslim communities of Asean came full circle.
The Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy [PCID]
played host to the First Southeast Asian Forum on Islam and
Democracy (SEAFID) held at the Manila Hotel on December 10 to 12,
2007. The delegation of 44 experts and leaders representing various
think tanks, universities, religious, and civil society groups came
from of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the
Philippines.
The 2007 Manila conference gathered Muslim
advocates of democracy, human rights, and peace in what could be the
first platform that could represent the multifaceted voices of the
Muslims in Southeast Asia—the region that is home to the largest
Muslim community in the world with more than 200 million adherents
of Islam.
Welcome Banquet
Gracing the forum’s welcome dinner was former
President Fidel V. Ramos. In his keynote speech, Ramos congratulated
the participants for the regional forum which he felt was a vital
step toward addressing concerns on issues such as security, human
rights and democracy in the Southeast Asian region. According to
Ramos, regional efforts such as SEAFID are necessary to stress the
fact that “Southeast Asia is not a hotbed of terrorism nor is the
region teetering on the brink of anarchy and sectarian violence as
is sometimes suggested.” He adds that political will,
democratization, and regional strategies would be the most effective
strategies in addressing the problems in the region. Ramos noted
that the rich experiences of South East Asian Muslim communities in
democracy should be shared with the Islamic world.
Organized by the PCID with support from the
Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Australian Embassy, The Asia
Foundation, and the Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc., the forum is
actually the fifth in a series that has been organized for the
region, according to the PCID’s lead convenor and chair of the
Manila conference, Amina Rasul. “The first roundtable discussion
was held in September 2005 in the Philippines, and then subsequently
held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; and finally in
Bangkok, Thailand in September of 2006. We hope this will evolve
into an effective forum that contributes to democratization in
Muslim coimmunities.”
Regional platform for cooperation
“This is a strong commitment of Southeast
Asian Muslims to enhance democracy, pluralism, human rights and
justice” says Dr. Syafi’i Anwar from the Jakarta-based
International Center for Islam and Pluralism (ICIP). Haji Maarof Bin
Haji Salleh from Singapore’s Center for Contemporary Islamic
Studies expressed their happiness to participate as it gave them
“an opportunity to share success stories of how the minority
Muslim community in Singapore has contributed to nation-building in
the context of their multiracial and multireligious society.”
According to Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Awang of the
International Islamic University of Malaysia, the forum is “an
excellent platform for the Muslims in the region to exchange views
and share experiences on Islam and Democracy,” with Dr. Sukree
Langputeh of the Thailand Center for Muslim and Democratic
Development states that this exchange of experiences and success
stories is an important part in spurring the democratization process
in each country in Southeast Asia.
Islam, democracy and peace
“Islam is often associated today with
terrorism or violence. This is not a true reflection of Islamic
values. Muslims, particularly Muslims in Southeast Asia, firmly
believe in human rights, tolerance, and equality, as do the majority
of Muslims in the world. We want a mechanism by which we can
systematically engage and educate the world to the true tenets of
the Islamic faith,” said former Senator Santanina Rasul, one of
the co-organizers of the event.
In an unprecedented move, after only two days of
discussions, the participants approved a draft charter. A work in
progress, the draft charter would guide the process of
institutionalizing the forum as a platform from which Muslims in the
region would promote, among others, peace, tolerance, mutual
understanding, economic opportunity, good governance, sustainable
development, human security and human rights.
Rasul, praised the efforts of the participants
in not allowing their political, historical and social diversities
to get in the way of organizing the historic forum. She described
the forging of the charter, despite debates and contestations, as
proof of the possibility of democracy in Muslim communities.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo,
who delivered the closing speech on December 12, congratulated the
group for their landmark act, highlighting the need for interfaith
initiatives and strengthening pluralism in the region. Manalo
stressed the need for collaboration bridge the gulf of
misunderstanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Philippines is
a leader in UN led global interfaith dialogues.
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