Kuala Lumpur, December 11, 2024 – The Europe Today: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged for a unified global effort to embrace the values of compassion, justice, and humanity in order to tackle the rising issues of intolerance, racism, and Islamophobia. Speaking at the Meeting of the Strategic Vision Group: Russia-Islamic World on Wednesday, Anwar emphasized that these challenges, including the ongoing tragedies in Gaza and the rise of fascism and racism, have become persistent problems for both the Muslim world and humanity at large.
Anwar highlighted the importance of the principles of As-Samud, Rahmah, and Ehsan — which represent the values of tolerance, compassion, and humanity — in guiding the Muslim world to address these global issues. He pointed out that, despite advances in development, progress, and knowledge, intolerance and dehumanization continue to persist across the globe.
“We thought that with development, progress and knowledge, there would be more wisdom and tolerance. Yet, this is not the case,” said Anwar. “This is a period of great tragedies, befalling humanity at large and in most Muslims, in particular, from Gaza, from past Europe, the growing rise of fascism, racism, the intolerance, the dehumanizing actions, atrocities perpetrated to people, not only in Palestine and Gaza in particular but also many parts of the world.”
The Prime Minister emphasized the significance of platforms like the Russia-Islamic World Meeting in promoting these values to the international community. He called for collective action to counter hate and intolerance and to foster a world where humanity can thrive through mutual understanding and respect.
“We must work together to counter hate and intolerance, fostering a world where humanity thrives through mutual understanding and respect,” he urged.
The meeting, attended by over 200 representatives from 32 countries, serves as a platform to explore opportunities for global collaboration in addressing critical issues faced by Muslim communities and beyond. Among the attendees were the Chairman of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group and Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov; Malaysia’s Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, and Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan. Other notable attendees included Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko, Director-General for Political Affairs at the OIC Mohamed Salah Tekaya, and Rector of the International Islamic University of Malaysia Osman Bakar.
Anwar also underscored the role of religious and political leaders in addressing these global issues. He praised Malaysia’s swift action in combating local incidents of religious intolerance, emphasizing the country’s commitment to upholding the dignity of all faiths, despite being a Muslim-majority nation.
“Although Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country and Islam is the religion of the Federation, it exemplifies the practice and upholding of the value of tolerance,” Anwar noted. “Our recognition that every single citizen has a right to practice their faith, what we are calling for is a consistent, coherent message by other countries.”
The Prime Minister reiterated that Malaysia takes all necessary measures to ensure Muslims can practice their faith, while also demonstrating extreme tolerance, patience, and respect for the dignity of people of all faiths.
