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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 12, 2005
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| February 13, 2005 |
Dispelling the Myths about Islam – Dr. Chandra Muzaffar |
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| Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST)
(Photo by Jeff Kennel) |
Like many religions practiced in the world today, there are a great number of myths and misconceptions about Islam. There are many people in non-Muslim countries whose only exposure to the Muslim world comes from the mass media, which is often colored with bias and stereotypes. Because Islam does not play a large role in Japanese culture or society, many Japanese know little about Islam and the Muslim experience. In order to address this problem, Peace Boat was pleased to welcome Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, a noted Muslim scholar from Malaysia, to Peace Boat’s 48th voyage. |
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| Peace Boat participants were eager to learn from Dr. Chandra. |
In his first time onboard, Dr. Chandra served as a guest educator and Global University navigator. Dr Chandra has had a distinguished career as a scholar and educator. As the current president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), he is dedicated to educating people about the injustices in the international economic and political systems that have emerged over the past sixty years.
In his first open presentation to Peace Boat Participants, “Truth and Fiction About Islam: Is it Really Scary?” Dr. Chandra gave attendees a more accurate picture of Islam, including its beliefs, customs, and historical relationship with the Christian world. Of particular interest to many were Islam’s views on terrorism. “The dominant image of Islam today is linked to violence and terror; this is especially so after 9/11. Some Muslims, like Osama Bin Laden, have chosen to kill innocent people in the name of Islam, but… (this) is prohibited….” Dr. Chandra told presentation attendees. “In Islam, a person or a group can defend itself if it is the victim of aggression or oppression … but even when you defend yourself, you are not supposed to kill innocent people.”
This view of Islam is drastically different from that which the mass media conveys. Citizens of non-Muslim countries are often subjected to portrayals of Muslims as violent terrorists; something Dr. Chandra says is not representative of the majority of Muslims. “For Muslims, peace is very important,” Dr. Chandra explained, “because the very name ‘Islam’ means peace through submission to God.” |
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In addition to educating Peace Boat participants about the reality of Islam, Dr. Chandra also spoke about his concerns about the global hegemony exercised by Washington D.C.?@ “Hegemony is control or dominance by a center of power over others,” he told Global University students in a special lecture. “We regard hegemony as a negative phenomenon because it is a direct challenge to human dignity. In an increasingly globalized world, we should be concerned about global hegemony.”
Dr. Chandra said that steps must be taken to overcome global hegemony, but stressed that violence should not be one of them. Instead, he said that countries should strengthen their own societies, enhance regional cooperation, reinforce multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, and strengthen global civil society. By doing this, societies will be better able to stand independently and protect the dignity of their people.
While the differences between people, societies, and governments often seem insurmountable, Dr. Chandler believes that there is hope. “The most famous Muslim philosopher by the name of Jallaluddin Rumi once said that the lamps may be different, but the light is the same.” Dr. Chandra shared. “Friends, for those of us who are here on the Peace Boat and are committed to peace and our common humanity, there is perhaps no greater message than this: that despite our differences, we are members of the same family.” |
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