MALAYSIA: IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS FOR ISLAM AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 001363 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/MTS, G: JFERRAO, S/P: KVOLKER E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2027 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA: IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS FOR ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY DISCUSSION REF: A. STATE 116583 (PROMOTING COMPLEMENTARY NATURE OF ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY) ¶B. KUALA LUMPUR 560 (MUFTI PROMOTES TOLERANCE AND REFORM) Classified By: Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) Post recommends one Malaysian scholar and one influential Islamic cleric as possible candidates for ref A events. -- Professor Emeritus Osman Bakar, of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC),is an outstanding scholar of Islam who has published articles on various aspects of Islam and democracy. He is a former visiting professor at Georgetown's Center of Muslim-Christian Understanding with a Masters in Comparative Religion and PhD. in Philosophy of Science/Islamic Philosophy from Temple University. Highly respected in Malaysia, he has spoken previously at forums on subjects such as pluralism in Malaysian society and terrorism in Southeast Asia. He has accepted Embassy-sponsored speaking engagements in the past. -- Mohammad Asri Zainul Abidin, the Mufti of Perlis, is an outspoken liberal Islamic leader in Malaysia (ref B). He is the first Mufti appointed by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and reflects the Prime Minister's views on the importance of tolerance in Islamic practice. He has excellent Middle Eastern and Malaysian educational credentials. Asri advocates for individuals' rights to interpret their religion and propagates approaches to the Quran in line with modern circumstances. However, he would very likely avoid public linkages with the USG. Ref B provides further background on the Mufti of Perlis. ¶2. (C) Post recommends ISTAC as an institute that is working on initiatives that support the compatibility of Islam and democracy. ISTAC is a key local partner of the Asia Foundation in the context of the current DRL-funded project on Islam in Malaysia. ¶3. (C) Post has queried the Foreign Ministry as to Malaysia's anticipated delegation to the November Community of Democracies meeting. Our Foreign Ministry contacts were unaware of the event. Post requests information on how the information for the November CD meeting has been or will be conveyed to the Malaysian government, so that we may follow up in an effective manner. LAFLEUR