‘Muslims don’t understand their own religion’

National Inter-faith committee member Dr Mohammad Nawar Ariffin believes there is a lot of 'confusion' over Islam and the 'quality of Muslims have begun to deteriorate.'

KUALA LUMPUR: The quality of Muslims in the country have deteriorated and younger Muslims have lost sight of the ‘original ways’ of their forefathers, said Malaysian Assembly of Mosque Youth chairman Dr Mohammad Nawar Ariffin yesterday.

“Who are the Muslims? If you study the history of Malaysia. Why have we lost the generation that can mingle together regardless of religion?

“I see the quality of Muslims have started to deteriorate. We have deviated. It is very dangerous. I do not want to start the blame game. But I just want us to see our humanity and love again,” said the orthopedic surgeon, who is also member of a national inter-faith committee that reports to the Prime Minister’s Department.

“In those days, because of the understanding of the religion, my father and his father actually did wonderful things to understand others.

“If everyone of us in Malaysia do not protect Islam then we will be in trouble.”

“Now we have a different understanding of Islam. We have a lot of confusion of Islam. That is why they cannot understand the non-Muslims. We can only expect disaster. Let’s bring back the original Islam.

“Now we think in terms of ‘you are less religious, we are more religious’. We are the majority, you are the minority, let’s not do all that because that is not the original teachings,” said Mohammad Nawar during a public forum entitled “Religion and Unity in a Multi-ethnic Society” organised by MCA think-thank INSAP.

Confused Muslims
Mohammad Nawar said that many Muslims don’t even understand their own religion and some who claim to speak for the religion contradict each other.

“If we of the Muslim faith are confused, how do we expect the non-Muslims to understand this?”

“Please don’t concentrate on what you should do and not do as a Muslim. We should actually practice what the Prophet Muhamad taught, which is love.

“He has stories that he has actually fed a Jew on one occasion. This shows to me that he could cut across boundaries of religion and race. Why can’t we practice that?”

Mohammad Nawar said the youth now want to act and be immobilised and be involved in volunteer programmes.

“Come let’s go and help an old folks home. They ask me, that is Chinese or Indian. So what? No problem.”

Choking back tears, Mohammad Nawar said “I still remember a Chinese boy who helped carry an older Muslim man to the mosque and he said ‘I just want to help him pray’. Isn’t that what is good in our hearts?”