KUALA LUMPUR, May 17- Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa today repeated his call for Umno and PAS, the two parties representing the Malays and Muslims in the country, to reconcile for the sake of Islam.
Nasharudin, who is also chairman of Al Quds Foundation Malaysia, said for that, leaders and members of Umno and PAS should be brave enough to set aside party interests.
“The failure of Umno-PAS reconciliation all this years was due to the fact that they had refused to set aside personal interests and power,” he said when answering a question from a participant at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) Peace and Security Forum 2013 here.
Nasharudin said political leaders were more keen to gain power in Putrajaya and to rule the country than to think about the impact on the unity of Muslim ummah.
Earlier, Nasharudin in his talks themed ‘In Search of Human Security – Islamic Diplomacy and the Way Forward’ said Prophet Muhammad managed to congregate various tribes and societies under his magnificent diplomacy and leadership.
“They (various tribes and societies) were bounded in a single agreement that became the first written Islamic constitution, comprising with the Ansar, the Muhajirin and also the Jews.
“This really showed that the societies united by the Prophet at that time agreed to be ruled based on the Syariah Law of Muslim,” he said.
The one-day forum was organised in collaboration with the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) and the Cordoba Foundation, United Kingdom, Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF), the state of Qatar and the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar.
It was aimed at advocating greater understanding by the global community on the Islamic perspective on peace and moderation to resolve conflicts.
It also emphasised that diplomatic approaches including negotiations remain critical tools to peaceful solutions as well as reconciliation and peace building.
– BERNAMA
