Speech by Anwar Ibrahim at the Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz International Integrity Conference, Penang, 7th August, 2010
More than three decades ago, one of the most progressive of Muslim thinkers of our time, the late Professor Fazlur Rahman, called for the reform of Islam's oldest university, al-Azhar. This created a major stir among academic circles which culminated in his being castigated as a 'liberal' out to shatter Islam's intellectual foundation.
What the detractors failed to grasp was that al-Azhar was not his real target. What he was trying to shake was the stagnation among Muslim scholars and jurists alike in not being able to move beyond so-called consensus-bound views of the Shari'a.
Several decades before him, poet-cum-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal had called for a paradigm shift in rethinking the Shari'a, that is, to break free from past interpretations. It was not a reckless call to reject old interpretations simply because they happened to be in the past but because blindly following old practices had led to the stagnation and intellectual slavishness of the age of taqlid. He called for a discourse through a disciplined and scholarly ijtihad.
But, alhamdullillah, this conference as with several other initiatives of late, is testimony to a commitment to learn from the lessons of history and to move beyond the self-imposed constraints of our previous ways and signifies a bold endeavor to face the challenges ahead.
The very theme of the conference speaks volumes about the orientation that will be taken at the various sessions. And while vigorously debating on the issues that arise, I imagine that you will be able to chart your strategic paths in your respective areas of expertise.
They say that success does not come from merely repeating doctrines of past sages unless they are given fresh interpretation in the light of new knowledge. But better still, chart new frontiers of knowledge and be at the cutting edge in coming out with solutions to the problems faced by the umma.
One must therefore guard against being content with mere validation of existing theory or merely debunking it because this could lead to intellectual paralysis or dogmatism. The time is certainly ripe if not altogether overdue for Muslim scholars to get out of their comfort zone and establish new paradigms.
But while this is inherently good, paradigms are of limited use unless and until they are translated into practical use. Social scientists refer to this process as "operationalizing" abstract constructs into quantifiable hypotheses. In my own humble view, this simply means putting ideas into action.
This is not to castigate anyone for making references to the old masters. If that were so, I would be among the first of those guilty of such practices. No, indeed, quoting and summarizing past great scholars is well and good. But to be really useful, one must endeavor to find concrete answers from their ideas in the face of real problems faced by society.
Islam enjoins that while society may pursue commerce to its fullest, justice and fairness in dealings must remain the chief criterion. Compulsory acquisition must therefore be done in accordance with equity and fair dealing. And this can only happen if those who hold power exercise it with integrity. In other words, the powers of the state cannot be exercised in an arbitrary manner.
This is also invariably linked to the issue of social justice which enjoins a more equitable distribution of income. In this regard, governments should undertake integrated plans for poverty reduction in the long run while ensuring a comprehensive support system for the poor and economically marginalized. The late John Galbraith has succinctly summed this up as "the empowerment and public protection of the powerless."
Yet, it is most unfortunate that we continue to see those in power and public office not just reneging on their promises of social justice and equity, but doing exactly the opposite by abusing their power and engaging in corrupt practices.
Leaders hold this power as a trust reposed in them by the people so that they may govern properly. As power can corrupt, leaders need to be reminded of this trust or else they may abuse it. This brings to mind a famous saying attributed to Khalifa Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz on an occasion when addressing his umma:
"Rulers appoint people to keep a close eye on their subjects. But as for me, let me appoint you to watch over me and my conduct. If you find me at fault either in word or in action guide me and stop me from doing it."
More than anything else, I believe that among the hallmarks of Umar's caliphate was governance of the highest integrity. It was because of this integrity that he could implement radical changes to the administration of the state.
Because of this sense of integrity, he waged not so much a war for territorial expansion but an internal war against corruption. He abolished the jizya tax and with more than adequate wealth in the state coffers he could redistribute it to the needy and the marginalized.
Zakat, being a clear Shari'a injunction, was maintained but because of a strong commitment to the principle of trust in handling the people's money, the treasury was so well administered that there was a time when there were no takers for public charity.
The point is that the integrity of those in power is of utmost importance in governance. Without integrity or when integrity is weak, corruption rears its ugly head and eventually becomes the trademark of governance and all the attendant ills that come with it.
Integrity is not an abstraction or some intellectual construct that is floating in the air. It can be measured by a host of factors. Accountability for example is one of its manifestations. Can we imagine a government said to be built on integrity but remains unaccountable to the people?
Unfortunately, we get that very often: we are bombarded day in and day out by the information arms of those in power about their commitment to fight corruption and make leaders and civil servants develop a greater sense of integrity in the performance of their duties. This is what they tell us.
Yet, when the people point out the irregularities and improprieties in matters of governance and try to hold certain people accountable, they are branded as trouble makers or opportunists out to get political mileage. This is not a hypothetical issue. And if truth be told, these are not mere irregularities or improprieties but scandals of epic proportions. Suffice it to say that at stake here is the integrity of those who have been entrusted with power and the betrayal of this trust destroys the foundation of good governance.
I believe that in our discourse on the subject, the other essential pillar of integrity such as transparency in the exercise of state powers particularly in matters of finance will also feature prominently. Transparency as we know is one of the best foils against corrupt practices and abuse of power. Transparency during the process would of course be the ideal situation but where this is not possible for whatever reason, transparency after the fact can still be an effective deterrent.
In this regard, the call for legislation to compel access to information cannot be overemphasized. The continued resistance by the powers that be to the people's effort at spearheading the passage of such legislation is therefore most regrettable. It is regrettable because it betrays a stark failure of commitment to fight corruption which in turn casts a long shadow over the question of integrity.
And going beyond that, it is a symptom of the larger issue of governance. By failing to heed the call for transparency, by refusing to be accountable for the errors of their ways, and by leaving integrity by the wayside, those in power forfeit their legitimacy to govern.
The desperate attempts to cling on to power exert an enormous toll on the people, on the nation's economic well being and on her constitutional foundations. The upshot is a democracy only in name. It is a democracy that reeks of utter corruption, a democracy mocked by the abuse of executive power, and a democracy where the judiciary is at be beck and call of the political overlords.
It is a democracy dominated not by a free press but by the muffling of the voices of dissent, the deprivation of public discussion and the trampling of the people's fundamental freedoms.
Yes, these are not the best of times, but nevertheless, I am confident that in the fight for justice, the people's resilience knows no bounds and their spirit remains indomitable.
And on that note, let me conclude with a famous axiom of the 12th century Sicilian Arab Muhammad ibn Zafar al-Siqilli:
"He who has waged great injustice shall not flourish. Whoever has become rich through plunder shall waste away; whoever rules by treachery shall be overthrown; the army of the unrighteous shall be defeated and the noose of tyranny shall be broken."
Thank you.