MALAYSIA: Education is key to end Muslim poverty
Updated
Education is under the spotlight in Malaysia as a means of revitalising the Islamic world and eradicating poverty. An international conference underway in Kuala Lumpur is looking at the role of Islamic states in a globalised world, and has education as its particular focus.
Presenter: Girish Sawlani
Speakers: Dr Greg Barton, Professor of Indonesian studies, Deakin University; Muhammad Sani Badron, academic coordinator, Role of Islamic States in a Globalised World conference.
SAWLANI: The two day conference that began yesterday is being officiated by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who says that Muslim countries need to invest more in education in order to curb poverty and backwardness, which he says are the biggest threats they face in modern times. Dr Greg Barton, professor of Indonesian studies at Deakin University describes the poverty and backwarness in Muslim countries.
BARTON: Well one only has to look at a map of the world, a globe, 1.5 billion people throughout the Muslim world - most living in parts of the world having high levels of poverty and low levels of employment, or lots of under employment. It's not just a question of economic development but also good governance. These socioeconomic issues are some of the greatest challenges facing the Muslim world.
SAWLANI: Dr Barton believes that Islam has the much to offer in terms of curbing poverty.
BARTON: Islam has the same things to offer that Judiasim and Crhistianity have to offer int he West, which is to say a clear moral framework, a clear sense of the individual worth of a human being, their equality, a clear sense of the need to focus on sacrifice for the longer term, and to be disciplined and to work for the greater good, not just for oneself but for society.
SAWLANI: The Role of Islamic states in a globalised world conference offers an opportunity for Islamic scholars to discuss the role of education in alleviating poverty. Academic coordinator of the event, Muhammad Sani says that in order for education to play that role, institutions in Malaysia and other Muslim countries need to be upgraded.
SANI: The most significant effort must be done to upgrade the equality, for instance the universities, libraries, the resources, the manpower too - the lecturers, the teachers. The focus must be on the education as wlel as the manpower, rather than military or other matters.
SAWLANI: The need to enhance education is also an issue that needs to be addressed by the world's largest Muslim nation Indonesia as Dr.Greg Barton explains
BARTON: One of the drivign factors there has been very lwo levels of investment in education. It's true that under Suharto, basic literacy and basic education was attended to, but Suharto didn't take the nation beyo0nd a basic level of education. It's singificant that the current governmetn is investing a massive amount of its annual budget in education, and that's clearly a strategic and pressing need. Indonesia's got a long way to catch up.
SAWLANI: Another significant issue that is being discussed during the conference is the critical evaluation of the administration of justice in contemporary Islamic states. Conference academic coordinator Muhammad Sani
SANI: Our concern is whether our legal system safeguards the rights of everybody and we have to safeguard the rights of non-Muslims in our country. Because with rights and responsibilities, we also try to emphasise the theoretical means of legitimate opposition. We have to evaluate whether our present system is sufficient enough.
SAWLANI: With a contingent of more than 70 local and international journalists, Mr. Muhammad hopes that the conference can project a good image of Islam during a period where Islamic extremism is being heavily scrutinised.
SANI: One of the reasons for the conference is to create a real picture of the majority of Muslims. This conference will be a showcase that extremism, terrorism, is done by a very, very small group. We have a big majority of Muslims who are very balanced in their view.
