‘Fellow citizens’ a better term than ‘kafir’, says Mujahid

Graffiti labelling former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama as a ‘kafir’ (infidel) in a district in Jakarta. Indonesia’s influential NU group says the term ‘kafir’ is derogatory and should not be used on non-Muslims. (AFP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya’s top policy maker on religious matters has called for scholarly discussions on the justness of using the word “kafir” when Malaysian Muslims refer to their non-Muslim compatriots.

Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the minister in charge of religious affairs, told FMT he believed it would be appropriate for local ulamas to discuss the question in the context of nation building.

He said Amanah, the political party he belongs to, had held academic discussions on the matter “and we think the term ‘fellow citizens’ would be an appropriate one to use” by Muslim officials in reference to non-Muslims.

Mujahid’s remarks followed a call by Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisation, to end the use of “kafir” in official discourse. The word is usually translated as “infidel”.

Nahdlatul Ulama, which has about 140 million members, proposed that the term “muwatin” be used instead. “Muwatin” is Arabic for “citizen” in the legal sense of the term. It implies the sharing of rights and responsibilities.

“I think it’s high time that we discuss the issue within the framework of citizenship,” Mujahid said. “We should deliberate on this in the context of nation building.”

He appeared to be distancing himself from the Perak and Pahang muftis, who had earlier told FMT there was nothing wrong with using “kafir” and that they believed no other term was available to refer to non-Muslims.

Social activist Chandra Muzaffar lauded Nahdlatul Ulama’s call but said he doubted that Malaysian ulamas would readily follow suit.

He told FMT there was a need for public education to instil appreciation of the “common citizenship” concept.

He noted that “kafir” is often used in the Quran to refer to someone who is ungrateful for the blessings of life.

Activist group Sisters in Islam (SIS) also welcomed Nahdlatul Ulama’s call and lamented that the “supremacist and exclusivist narratives” coming from political and religious leaders had prevented a similar gesture in Malaysia.

“Malaysia’s call for the application of Rahmatan lil ‘Alamin (mercy to all creation) has yet to resonate with our nation’s political and religious leaders,” said SIS executive director Rozana Isa.

“As such, Malaysia lags behind the Indonesians in actively influencing an inclusive and comprehensive discourse of harmony, unity and equality.

“We look forward to learning from constructive conversations of Indonesia’s experiences and hope that these will inspire confidence for us here in Malaysia to understand and appreciate what it means to have equality as Malaysian citizens and as fellow human beings.”

Novelist and historian Faisal Tehrani said he would not support the use of “kafir” on non-Muslims but would use the word on “those without morals, integrity and ethics”. - FMT