From: Nurul Izzah Anwar Subject: Re: DSAI'S SPEECH AT THE US-ISLAMIC FORUM QATAR 2005 Dear friends, Please find attached the latest speech presented by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Doha, Qatar. Please forward this speech to others as well. Yours sincerely, Nurul Izzah Anwar Forging A New Symbiosis in Democratization Anwar Ibrahim, Senior Associate, St Anthony's, Oxford University, and Distinguished Senior Fellow, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, 10th-12th April, 2005, Sheraton Hotel, Doha, Qatar. Some forty five years ago when I was still attending junior high school, someone read to me Churchill's "This was their finest hour" speech. Of course he didn't sound like Churchill but who cares? My mother tongue is Malay and till today I can never speak like an Englishman. But what really mattered was that that short speech was so powerful in its appeal to my adolescent idealism that it inspired me to want to know more of other cultures and histories. As I relate this, I am aware that mine is not really an exceptional case. Like many other Muslims of my time, I grew up in an environment steeped in tradition and religious rituals. At the same time, I was often exposed to other faiths and cultures including Western civilization and values. In the process, it was only natural that apart from the Quran and the Ahadith, I was also familiar with the works of Dante, Shakespeare, and T.S Eliot (which, by the way, had kept me company during my six years of solitary confinement). At High school, it was not considered unusual for Muslim students to be able to quote from memory, verses from Shakespeare, or the speeches of Churchill or Abraham Lincoln. While we were familiar with the Arabic songs of Ummi Kalthoum and Fairuz and the music of Abdul Wahhab we were also very much at home with the ballads of Bing Crosby and the rock and roll numbers of Elvis Presley. There were some constraints of course. Those pelvic gyrations of Elvis were strictly prohibited in school concerts. We were only allowed to vocalize, not to tantalize! This was not a Muslim reaction. It was universal. I believe that in America as well, similar strictures were in force against Elvis. Well, the point of all this is that growing up in a traditional Malay Muslim family in a predominantly Muslim country back in the sixties did not mean that the door to Western culture, art or learning was slammed shut in our faces. The winds of change from autocracy to democracy have been blowing across various parts of the Muslim world for some time now. The Iraq war, though still mired in controversy, has yielded the country's first democratic elections. In this regard, I must say that though I remain opposed to the war in principle, I must concede that the voices of freedom in Iraq are now finding expression after decades of oppression and being forced into silence. I dare say that given half a chance, Muslim societies not just in Iraq but throughout the world, will seize the opportunity to enjoy democracy. Conditions for democracy But a major concern in our deliberations is whether the mere phenomenon of elections means that democracy is being practiced the way it is being preached, or are there still certain fundamental issues to be resolved. I think it is obvious that among the first will be that elections must be free, fair and transparent. Free as in free from interference from all extraneous factors in the determination of the electoral outcome. Candidates to be elected must be the choice of their own electorate. And as to fair elections, by some basic reckoning the starting point would be the so called "level playing field". And this would include equal access to a free media, open debates and a conduct of elections that can stand up to international scrutiny. Institutions of civil society It is not enough just to have civil liberties guaranteed in a document which represents the seal of the people's will. The other basic institutions of civil society must be in place. If not in place at the time of the elections, then they must be as soon as possible put in place once the democratic process gets started. There must be an independent judiciary that will function as an effective check and balance against the powers of the executive and the legislative branches of government. Essentially, the judiciary must be the bulwark of fundamental liberties. Complementing this, the position of the state prosecutor should be protected by the constitutional guarantees as to security of tenure and also be made accountable to a nonpartisan parliamentary committee. Need for vibrant opposition The argument that encouraging democracy in the Muslim world would only create instability is therefore clearly untenable. Already, significant progress has been made in the area of civil liberties in Qatar's new constitution. And undoubtedly, the Doha Declaration for Democracy and Reform resonates well for the prospects of political reform in the region. But I believe that a vibrant democracy needs a vibrant opposition. The "Pandora's box" syndrome that is being raised runs counter to the fostering of true democracy. Civil liberties entrenched in the constitution become pious platitudes when the voices of dissent are not allowed to be heard. Soul searching This forum could not have come at a more opportune time and I pray it will pave the way for more concrete and direct ways of engagement. None of us from the Muslim world can honestly say that America has not left a lasting imprint on us. Conversely, America will be equally dishonest if it fails to acknowledge the vast impact made by the Muslim world. It is true though that recent events have widened the chasm. All the more reason then to heed the call for dialogue and active engagement. Why can't we give more due to the ties that bind us rather than those which separate us. Why then should we lend our ears to those who continue to beat the drums of discord? But Muslims are prone to pride themselves as being the followers of a religion where the principles of justice, equality, fair dealing and tolerance are paramount. Yet, between the idea and the reality falls the shadow. The reality is that the contradictions are shockingly glaring: For isn't it true that Muslim leaders are among the greatest perpetrators of injustice? Can we, in all honesty, deny that Muslim regimes are in fact among the most blatant violators of human rights, and that their leaders have the dubious distinction of being the most corrupt and having the most tenacious grip on power? And when confronted with these issues, these self-same leaders are not averse to citing chapter and verse to justify why changes can only be brought about gradually, that Muslim societies can only take democracy in small doses, and that freedom will bring about anarchy. And with the war on terror, it is indeed ironic and even tragic for the cause of democracy, that these regimes are allowed to persist in their errant ways with impunity. Allow me to elaborate. It is said that the underlying causes for the current progress of political reform in the Muslim world are to be found in the aggressive foreign policy initiatives embarked upon by the Bush Administration. This is the policy that was launched following the tragic events of 9-11, a policy marked by a so-called "forward strategy of freedom". To my mind, while it cannot be denied that the pro-reform initiatives under this policy have indeed contributed positively to current developments, yet sometimes the rhetoric may be more convincing than the reality. For certain countries, this policy is marked by what I would characterize as "a strategy of selective ambivalence". In reality, it means constructively aiding certain countries to resist the tide of reform by a process of omission rather than commission. Prompted no doubt by the dictates of expediency, this policy has meant turning a blind eye to blatant human rights violations and other kinds of abuses which clearly fly in the face of this forward strategy of freedom. In return for the support to the United States in the war against terror, these countries are conferred the status of strategic partners. To my mind, this is a case of conditionality working backwards. It is a case of allowing repressive regimes to don the cloak of legitimacy simply because they raise the specter of terror. Indonesia, the largest Muslim nation in the world, stands out as the single most significant political development in the recent history of democracy. When the East Asian financial crisis broke out, Indonesia underwent major socio-political upheaval but emerged from the storm a new nation. In place of oppression and dictatorship, she is now secured by freedom and democracy. Indeed, Indonesia can serve as a model of democracy for the world. The press there is absolutely free and the fairness in the conduct of elections is unsurpassed. The phenomenal changes brought about through Reformasi should provide an enduring lesson on peaceful transition from autocracy to democracy. But if we go beyond the rhetoric, it would not be an exaggeration to say that for the last two centuries, the Islamic world has been dazzled by the wealth, power and technological prowess of the West. Under the bondage of colonialism, the Muslim nations developed a deep-rooted sense of self-resentment and inferiority and the natural upshot was an almost total erosion of confidence in their own traditions. Confronted with centuries of traditional thinking and submissiveness to the past, Adonis, arguably the foremost contemporary Arab poet, denies his roots in the following verses: My Gospel is rejection, And my map A land without a creator In literature and the arts, Arab writers could not resist the allure of European existential influence. From Baudelaire, Proust, Joyce and Kafka to T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, Brecht and Beckett, the theme of the predicament of modern man's loneliness and sense of futility and the inequities of political oppression fitted in perfectly with the angst of the Arab writers. Combine this with the effects of the politics of dispossession, we get the overpowering emotional outburst of the Palestinian poet, Tawfiq Sayigh: I drag myself from place to place, Destitute except for Daylong remembrances of a home That was mine yesterday Only yesterday. The point is that it is just as reckless for the Muslim world to generalize that Americans are the best example of a morally depraved nation as it is for America to lable the Muslim world as a civilization full of menacing fundamentalists. We must unequivocally reject this kind of stereotyping. We must also learn to break free from the anxiety of historical influence and not succumb to the allure of bigoted and racist chantings wherever they may issue from, in whatever shape or form. To Muslims this will not be just a matter of choice. I believe this search for greater understanding in a diverse world is a Quranic imperative: Oh mankind! Verily we have created you all from a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes that you may come to know one another. The challenge before us is indeed enormous. For the Muslim world, together with authoritarianism, extremism and terrorism are the greatest impediments to the formation of civil society. The war in Iraq rages on with increasing ferocity. Suicide bombers continue to blow themselves up murdering innocent people. Just three weeks ago, this nation was the victim of such an outrage. As for America, to many in the Muslim and Arab worlds it still carries the tag of arrogant power and Metternichian machinations. To merely dismiss this as a manifestation of hatred of modernity or envy of technological progress is to miss the point entirely. That there should be a war against terror is not in dispute. But this military war must be subsumed under a war of ideas. To my mind, the issues of modernity and democracy; and fundamentalism and autocracy will loom large across the battle horizon. Even as America has not understood Islam, Muslims have also failed to grasp the spirit of America. Where are the Muslim Tocquevilles? America has countless centres for Christian and Muslim understanding. Can we say the same about Muslim countries? Why is the Muslim world so reluctant to reach out and learn more about the Christian and the Jewish faiths? I believe that active engagement through sustained dialogue will not only help us erase our mutual prejudices borne of ignorance but will also help us to discover this universal dignity and common humanity hidden by deep seated fear and distrust. Failure to pursue active engagement only serves to fortify the prophecies of soothsayers of impending doom. It is also a wanton dereliction of moral responsibility to our future generations. We have much to do together. That we are all gathered here is indeed a good sign that a new chapter has begun. But we shall need to work harder to understand each other, and to give the past a decent burial. Only upon that can we confidently forge ahead with concrete strategic action plans and translate ideals into reality. Let us take the road not taken. It may not be tomorrow that we shall relish the fruits of our labour. But if we do not cast aside our fear of uncertainty and walk through the storm together, there may not even be a tomorrow to wake up for. This is our collective responsibility. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Would you Help a Child in need? It is easier than you think. 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