Former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, in his keynote address at a conference in Karachi, said that the root cause of backwardness among the Muslim Ummah was deviation from the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). "Islam is not responsible for our failures and misfortunes, it is because we have deviated from its true teachings,'' he said.
Therefore, he said, it was imperative for Muslims to acquire knowledge and hone their skills to build their capacity to defend the Ummah and Islam, serve suffering humanity and ensure the rule of justice to enable Muslims to effectively face global challenges. "This will also help develop our countries, defend our territory, people and dedicate our lives to the service of Islam and the Ummah," he said. "Muslims should practice tolerance by eschewing differences in order to become united and strong again." His address was delivered at the International Conference on "Muslim Ummah in the Modern World Challenges and Opportunities" organized by Shura Hamdard Pakistan.
He felt the task was difficult and would obviously take time, but it would be enough if only a few Islamic countries tried to practice and implement the fundamental teachings of Islam. "There is only one challenge facing the Ummah - admitting truth that we have strayed from the teachings of our religion. It is our fault, not Islam's, and it is for us to correct," he said. Dr Mahathir Mohamad maintained that differences in interpretations could not be so severe that Muslims began to accuse each other of not being Muslims. "If we accept accusations against others for not being Muslims, then there will be no Muslim left in the entire world," he said. |