Efforts hailed in preserving moderate Islam

KUALA LUMPUR: Attendees of the first Conference of ASEAN (Association of South Eastern Nations) Muslims hailed King Salman’s directives to cooperate with these countries and organize an annual conference under the slogan “A Moderate Nation.”
They also hailed the efforts of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia in preserving moderate Islam, promoting moderation, fighting extremism, spreading religious teachings based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and activating the role of fiqh and fatwa councils in achieving a conscious, moderate understanding of Islam.
They stressed that extremism, terrorism and violence are a global phenomenon that should not be associated with a certain religion or country.
This came in the final statement and the participants’ recommendations during the conference, which concluded on Monday in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, under the patronage of Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammad Najib, and Sheikh Salih Al-Shaykh, the Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call, and guidance.
The closing ceremony was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The attendees pledged their support for Rohingya Muslims, who are enduring hostility, murder, forced displacement and racial discrimination, and called upon the international community to take immediate measures to protect them, and upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and ASEAN to resolve this crisis.
Participants highlighted the importance of holding such conferences in Malaysia and other ASEAN countries because of their significant role in encouraging communication and exchange of experiences, as well as finding solutions for new challenges facing Muslims, instilling moderation, and facing security and stability threats.
In their recommendations, the participants also called for the promotion of a culture of peace and dialogue, stressing the need to respect human rights and international conventions and treaties, and the importance of treating non-Muslims well to achieve social stability.
Moreover, they highlighted the importance of cooperation between parties concerned with the Sunnah, such as the King Salman Complex for the Prophet’s Hadith and the National Committee for Correcting the Hadith in Malaysia.
The conference was organized by several official and civil bodies in Malaysia, including the Special Affairs Department, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Al-Khaadem Organization, the Malaysian Scientific Association, and the University of Technology, with the support of the Religious Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, and in cooperation and coordination with the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawah and Guidance.
The conference was attended by more than 1,200 academic and religious figures from ASEAN and other Asian countries. Saleh bin Mohammed Al Talib, imam of Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah, and a number of Saudi scholars and researchers were also present.