{"id":4992,"date":"2026-03-29T06:47:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T06:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/?p=4992"},"modified":"2026-03-29T10:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T10:14:04","slug":"practicing-moderate-and-friendly-political-islam-a-path-forward-for-muslims-of-myanmar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myanmarmuslim.news\/en\/2026\/03\/29\/practicing-moderate-and-friendly-political-islam-a-path-forward-for-muslims-of-myanmar\/","title":{"rendered":"Practicing Moderate and Friendly Political Islam: A Path Forward for Muslims of Myanmar \u1019\u103c\u1014\u103a\u1019\u102c\u1037\u1019\u103d\u1010\u103a\u1005\u101c\u1004\u103a\u1011\u102f\u1021\u1010\u103d\u1000\u103a \u101b\u103e\u1031\u1037\u1006\u1000\u103a\u101b\u1019\u101a\u1037\u103a\u101c\u1019\u103a\u1038\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dr Ko Ko Gyi @ Abdul Rahman Zafrudin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muslims of Myanmar \u2014 whether Bamar Muslims, Rohingya, Kaman, or any other community \u2014 face a unique and delicate challenge: how to preserve their faith, identity, and dignity while living as a minority in a deeply plural and often fractured society. The answer, I believe, lies in the deliberate and conscious practice of moderate Political Islam<\/strong> \u2014 an approach grounded not in compromise of faith, but in wisdom, compassion, and strategic coexistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not a new idea. Islamic scholars from Al-Ghazali to Ibn Khaldun to the contemporary scholars of Wasatiyyah<\/em> (the Islamic middle path) have consistently argued that Islam is a religion of balance. The Quran itself declares: “And thus We have made you a justly balanced community.”<\/em> (Al-Baqarah 2:143). Moderation is not weakness \u2014 it is a Quranic command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Duties: Faith, Family, and Fellow Muslims<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are, first and foremost, Muslims with earthly responsibilities. We must work, earn, and provide \u2014 for ourselves, our families, and our fellow Muslims in distress, especially our Rohingya brothers and sisters<\/strong>, who continue to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body.”<\/em> (Sahih Muslim). Helping the Rohingya is not merely charity \u2014 it is a religious obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, our religious duties to Allah remain non-negotiable at a personal level. The question is not whether we practice Islam, but how<\/strong> we practice it in the public and political sphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Deeper Meaning of Political Islam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our recent work to support the medical treatment of injured monks \u2014 including those who had previously been associated with anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya campaigns \u2014 may have surprised some of our community. But this is precisely the spirit of moderate Political Islam in action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are not the enemies of Buddhist monks, the Bamar people, the Rakhine, or Myanmar’s democratic forces. We are neighbours, citizens, and fellow human beings who share one country. By extending a healing hand even to those who have opposed us, we send a powerful message: we are not defined by hatred, and we refuse to be reduced to it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is consistent with Islamic teaching. The Quran instructs: “Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes \u2014 from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them.”<\/em> (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8). Compassion toward non-Muslims who are not actively oppressing us is not just permitted \u2014 it is encouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accepting Plurality: The Right to Agree to Disagree<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important \u2014 and perhaps most difficult \u2014 lessons for any Muslim community operating in a pluralistic environment is the practice of accepting plurality<\/strong>, both within Islam and outside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the Muslim community itself, there are many schools of thought, many interpretations of fiqh, and many valid traditions of Islamic practice. The Hanafi, Shafi’i, and other madhabs have coexisted for centuries. Tablighi Jamaat, Salafi movements, traditional Ulamas, and Islamic council frameworks all contribute something meaningful. None has a monopoly on truth, and none should be permitted to bully others into silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is entirely legitimate to hold a strong opinion, to express it, to teach it, and to invite others to accept it. This is da’wah<\/em>, and it is honourable. But there must be a limit. If another Muslim, having heard your argument, chooses a different path \u2014 that is their right before Allah.<\/strong> It is not your right to relentlessly impose your Fatwa upon them, to manipulate them, or to treat disagreement as a declaration of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Quran says: “There shall be no compulsion in religion.”<\/em> (Al-Baqarah 2:256). This verse does not merely describe tolerance toward non-Muslims \u2014 it reflects a broader Islamic ethic of respecting conscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Note on Civil Discourse and Personal Attacks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It must be said plainly: character assassination, deliberate spreading of false news, and attacks on the families of opponents<\/strong> \u2014 whether in emails, blogs, or on Facebook \u2014 are not acceptable behaviour. This applies to Muslims, Buddhists, Bamar nationalists, military affiliates, or anyone else. Hitting below the belt discredits the attacker far more than it damages the target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we are to build a Myanmar where all communities can live with dignity, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard of civic discourse. Political disagreement should be fought with ideas, evidence, and persuasion \u2014 not slander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Strict Interpretation to the Wisdom of Moderation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was raised under the firm and devout Islamic guidance of my late father \u2014 may Allah have mercy on him and grant him a place in Jannah. He was a man of deep piety who regularly joined Tablighi gatherings and deferred to the Ulamas in all religious matters. I honour his memory and his sincerity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, in my own journey, I have come to understand that the strict, narrow application of religious rules \u2014 however sincerely intended \u2014 can sometimes make it impossible to build coalitions, serve the community, or navigate the realities of minority life<\/strong>. I once wrongly looked down upon the Islamic Council’s approach. I now recognise that their orientation is often far better suited to the demands of Political Islam in Myanmar’s context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not a criticism of Tablighi or traditional Ulamas. They serve an essential spiritual function. But Islamic teaching is rich enough to be interpreted in moderate, contextual, and pluralistic ways<\/strong>. There is no compulsion in Islam; there are different grades of ijtihad<\/em> (scholarly reasoning); there is room for a rainbow of interpretations when approached with sincerity and wisdom. Moderation, plurality, and peaceful coexistence are not foreign imports<\/strong> \u2014 they are deeply embedded in the Islamic tradition itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political Islam for a Minority Community<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myanmar’s Muslims are a minority. This is not a cause for despair \u2014 minorities have shaped history, built civilisations, and contributed immeasurably to the societies in which they live. But minority status does demand a particular kind of political wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot afford the luxury of purity politics \u2014 of refusing to work with anyone who does not share our exact theological or political position. We must build bridges: with Buddhist leaders who are willing to dialogue, with democratic forces, with civil society, with international organisations like the OIC and ASEAN bodies that advocate for Muslim rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should each be free to practice our personal faith in our homes and preferred mosques, with our chosen communities. But in the public and political sphere<\/strong>, we must present a face of Islam that is principled, open, compassionate, and strategically wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Message to Our Buddhist Neighbours and Fellow Citizens<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To our Buddhist friends \u2014 Bamar, Rakhine, and others \u2014 and to Myanmar’s democratic forces and all citizens of goodwill: we love Myanmar.<\/strong> We want peace. We want prosperity. We want a future where our children do not have to choose between their faith and their citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We ask only for the same: to be recognised as full and equal citizens of this land we all call home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Day, Together Again<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To my brothers and sisters in Islam \u2014 including those who have left our group or taken a different path \u2014 I say this with sincerity: I believe you are all working for Islam and for the Muslims of Myanmar, each in your own way. The differences between us are real, but they need not be permanent. I hope that one day we can join hands again \u2014 for the sake of our faith, our community, and our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us practice moderate, mild, and friendly Political Islam. Not because we are weak. But because wisdom is strength<\/strong>, and because Islam, rightly understood, has always been a religion of mercy, balance, and peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ameen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

References:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n