Zahid Hamidi says the actions of terrorist organisations are against the concept of ‘jihad’.
IPOH: Insufficient information on true Islamic teachings has led people to have negative opinions about the religion and Muslims, says Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is also home minister, said Islam sought to protect the rights of every individual in society and promoted love, tolerance, equality, justice, as well as peace in legislation, practice and doctrine.
“If you notice, when Muslims meet each other, they will greet Assalamualaikum and Walaikumussalam, which mean peace be upon you and peace be upon you too.
“This shows that the idea of peace is deeply rooted in the daily life of Muslims,” he said in his speech when closing the Fourth World Conference on Islamic Thought and Civilisation (WCIT 2017), here, today.
Themed “Global Peace”, the two-day conference which began yesterday, was organised by Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah, with participants coming from more than 15 countries.
“In order to understand what Islam teaches about peace, it is very important to understand the concept of ‘jihad’ as mentioned in the Quran,” Zahid said.
“Jihad doesn’t refer to a holy war, as is commonly perceived, but it means to struggle or strive.
“Intentionally harming an innocent person, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, is highly condemned in Islam. It is not part of jihad or anything close to that as it is sometimes made out to be.
“What the terrorist organisations did and are doing now are completely against the concept of jihad in Islam.”
Zahid said the government had taken various measures to curb terrorism, one of which was denying them access to funding.
“We are also setting up the King Salman Centre for International Peace in Putrajaya, aimed at deflecting the influence of extremism and terrorist activities, as well as promoting universal peace.
“Besides the military aspect, the centre will also focus on academic elements with the main role of combating terrorist threats and the spread of extremism and terrorist propaganda and ideologies.”
Zahid said global peace was not merely a state of non-violence or absence of wars, but also about food for all, education, jobs and houses.
“It is an ideal state of happiness, freedom and peace within and among all people and nations,” he added. -FMT
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