IIUM President speaks on “the need for conviviality among Muslims”

By Puteri Balkish

GOMBAK, 24 February 2017: IIUM President, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais bin Yatim, stood in front of about 400 international students from China at the Banquet Hall here to deliver a thought-provoking speech driving the need for conviviality among Muslims.

He reckoned that it is vital for the students to remember their alma mater, and said, “During your four years in IIUM, you must know a little about Malay culture and language.”

Believing that the Chinese and the Malays have had a long association in terms of history, he urged the students to appreciate modern day living as “we belong to an era of greatness.”

“Our brotherhood and sisterhood among Muslims are owed to each other, but are we really practising this?,” he asked, as he touched on the skewed perception of Islam as a threat to civilisation.

The 75-year-old IIUM President, who is also a Special Adviser to the Malaysian government on socio-cultural matters, began his speech by explaining some parts of the history of China and their dynasties.

“Since we are known as the Garden of Knowledge and Virtue, let us practise the virtue part. We cannot be like the Prophet as he is maksum but we can become like scholars,” he added.

He said, “Let us build a life of virtues on this university. Take ten virtues of Islam. Let’s practice it. Let’s take ten good things from the Malay culture and ten Chinese idioms for us to practise.”

Tan Sri Rais also addressed issues brought forward by the international students such as the expansion of the halal industry in China, immigration and student pass issues and the cultural communication between China and Malaysia.***

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