KUALA LUMPUR: Islam is vulnerable to threats because Muslims and Islamic nations are divided, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
He said divisions among Muslims and Islamic countries were severe and that it had become impossible for the community, as well as Muslim nations, to unite to counter attacks.
The prime minister illustrated his points by comparing the present situation to the times of the Prophet Muhammad.
“During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, there were no Sunnis or Shias. Islamic scholars can tell me this.
“There is only one Islam. The Quran forbids us from teaching Islam in such a way that it breaks ourselves into different sects.
“Today, we have many Islamic sects.
“We are divided so much so that there are quarters who make use of our antagonism towards each other to achieve their objective of controlling the Muslims.
“These people (leaders belonging to different Islamic sects) teach their versions of Islam,” the prime minister said.
During a question-and-answer session at the colloquium on “Demystifying Islamophobia: Towards a Deeper Understanding of Islam” here today, Dr Mahathir also called on the Muslim community to know enough about their religion and reject all deviant teachings to remain united.
“What you see in certain countries is the constant fighting for centuries between Shias and Sunnis because each of them considered the other of being not Islam enough, as being infidels.
“However, these people are the ones who professed the declaration of faith (in Islam): “La ilaha ila Allah, Muhammadur-rasul Allah” (There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
“Nowadays, we are giving new criteria for becoming a Muslim. If you go back to the true criteria of becoming a Muslim that you believed in one Allah and that the Prophet Muhammad is his Prophet, then there will be no division amongst us.”
Dr Mahathir said in the past the Muslims were able to build great civilisations far ahead of others.
“We need to study, find where the civilisation went wrong and we need to have good governance in our country.
“Nothing like good governance can contribute to the strength of a nation. “And, a nation is naturally capable and Muslims are capable as everyone else.”
He also pointed out that Islamic nations were facing problems related to brain drain, that would halt the development and progress of the respective countries.
“There are capable Muslims who are not given a chance to show their abilities to the point where many migrated to other countries.
“This resulted in their originating countries beleaguering with brain drain stemmed from capable Muslims migrated from Muslim nations to non-Muslim countries.”