KUALA LUMPUR: At this small mosque on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur the message is tolerance and understanding. In a country where religious conservatism has grown in recent years, Sheikh Yussif hopes that through dialogue, Malaysians can come together for a better future. “We all want the same things in Malaysia, a better life, a peaceful one,” he told Bikyamasr.com as he sat welcoming the worshipers for the afternoon prayer on Monday. For him, tolerance is the center of Islam. “I know a lot of people, especially in the West, don't see Islam as tolerant and understanding, but here at this mosque we are very serious about reaching out to other communities,” he added. It comes as Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to hold an annual meeting for ministers in charge of Islamic religious affairs to bolster ties and cooperation. For Yussif, he hopes the ministers can agree to speak to the world with a unified voice that espouses the positives of Islam. “Islam is a religion of peace and while much of the world doesn't understand this, it is the duty of our leaders to deliver that message,” he argued. The two countries also agreed to forge stronger cooperation between ulama, as well as exchanging views on contemporary issues and Islamic television programmes on Malaysia's television channel, TV AL-Hijrah. Those decisions were reached at a meeting between Minister in the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and Indonesian Islamic Religious Minister Suryadharma Ali on Monday evening. Jamil Khir and Suryadharma Ali also agreed that the ministry in charge of Islamic affairs in Malaysia to be invited to attend the inter-religious civilisation dialogue organised annually by Indonesia. Jamil Khir, who is here for a three-day working visit, said the proposed annual meeting for ministers in charge of religious affairs, proved Indonesia's commitment to spread the message of Islam. The minister said cooperation between ulama from Malaysia and Indonesia would open more rooms for discussion about Islam, beyond the issue of Islamic laws. Meanwhile, Suryadharma said Indonesia would also ensure that whatever decisions reached at the meeting would be put into action. “I welcome the idea of having an annual meeting for religious ministers from both countries. We also want ulama from both countries to exchange their views in line with the current development,” he said. Suryadharma also expressed his admiration on the efficient way haj pilgrims were managed by Tabung Haji. “We think Malaysia managed to handle haj pilgrims in a very good way. The experience must be shared with Indonesia as we handle 226,000 haj pilgrims annually,” he added. Still, Yussif and other Malaysian Muslims are hopeful that the renewed cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia can help boost the understanding of Islam and its tenets through dialogue and not violence. “The violence created by Islam is wrong and almost all Muslims are against it, so it is time to use these platforms as a means to create better understanding of what Muslims believe,” he added.
