KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia, through the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), aims to promote the country’s ‘Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin’ (Mercy to all creations) model at the international level at top universities worldwide.
MAIWP has been tasked with promoting the concept on the global stage while the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) will do so at the national-level.
MAIWP chairman Datuk Seri Syed Hussien Alhabshee said the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom had sent a letter to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, requesting for Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa to explain the concept and Malaysian model of leadership and governance through the ‘Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin’ principle on Nov 11.
“It will be held at the Simon Sainsbury Centre at the Cambridge Judge Business School,” he told a press conference, here, today.
He said Mujahid would deliver a keynote address on the topic.
“Following that, we plan to engage with other top universities, including Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford and Columbia,” he said adding that they would be assisted by edu360, a consultancy group that helped with the networking between MAIWP and the universities.
Syed Hussien said effort had already been made to promote the concept.
In February, MAIWP hosted a dinner for ambassadors from Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries for that purpose.
Earlier this month, 18 ambassadors from European Union countries also attended a dinner where Mujahid explained the concept in detail.
This will be followed by a similar session with 28 Asia Pacific heads of mission in December.
“With this, we have introduced the concept to most foreign representatives in Malaysia, especially the ambassadors.
“If they are interested in the concept, they could also introduce it to other countries,” he said.
Syed Hussien said MAIWP was keen to collaborate with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) for a dialogue on diversity.
“Previously, the agency had organised a Muslim-Buddhist dialogue. We would like to explore this interfaith dialogue further at the international level,” he said.
Syed Hussien said, besides an invitation to Cambridge, Dr Mujahid had also received an official invitation from Azerbaijan for a conference of religious leaders.
Syed Hussien said another seminar was held at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), where several resolutions were passed, including the promotion of the concept to Asean nations.
The ‘Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin’ concept, he said, promoted universal values of loving and compassion among mankind as well as God’s creatures.
“‘Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin’ was taken from the Al-Quran and the positive universal values are not specific to Muslims only,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jakim director-general Datuk Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim said the book on the concept of ‘Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin’ was launched last month.
“Jakim is the lead agency in promoting this concept and making it a culture,” he said, adding that it would be introduced to administrative groups, policy makers and last line such as civil servants and private workers.
Mohamad Nordin said other efforts included publicity on television and social media, launch of other books relevant to the concept in several subjects, including education, welfare, social, and governance.
“We also have trained about 200 people from various backgrounds to explain the messages,” he said.