PETALING JAYA: In order to counter the negative perception on Islam and threats posed by extremists groups, Muslims must become and prepare wise leaders with great integrity.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said such was a duty for the Muslim world to create leaders who would be able to lead by example and could be followed by people of all creed and races.
"The more trust we create, the more opportunity we have to combat ignorance," he said at the 3rd World Muslim Leadership Forum here today.
Najib also said that one of the major challenges faced by Muslims today was the barbaric and violent acts by terrorists and extremists who claimed to act in the name of Islam.
"These have, unfortunately, skewed the perception of our religion. These negative perceptions are then magnified to the public by the media.
"Fear is a terrible, crippling emotion that is instilled in order to control people. Let us in turn stop its spread and stand against such actions in solidarity and strength," he said, in a speech read by Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
Najib said today's forum was a platform not only to facilitate dialogue between generations, but also to facilitate dialogue across borders and cultures.
"This is our opportunity to learn from and to share with each other, to see what others are doing right, and what we can do better for our respective nations, especially in terms of peace, security and prosperity.
"We should also appreciate that despite our differences, we are all human beings, created by Allah, and it is that commonality that helps us realise that ultimately we have the same basic concerns and needs.
"We need to embrace these distinctive identities and at the same time derive solutions from an Islamic point of view that will work for everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim alike."
Najib added that it was important to encourage open dialogue to comprehensively understand the challenges faced by Muslims, and identify how to meet them.