Malaysia and Turkey: A Strategic Partnership of Moderates

February 28, 2011

Najibs Foreign Policy: Strategic Partnership of Moderates with Turkey

by Azmi Anshar@www.nst.com.my

FOLLOWING up on the celebrated Malaysia-Turkey hook-up this week, enter this intriguing correlation 28 years in the making and whose maturation may have a marked influence on how Muslim countries, especially those in the Arab world, govern themselves in the wake of their blood-spattered but remarkable revolution to fundamentally seize back their pride and dignity.

The correlation is this: Malaysia is determined to deploy its Islamic authority to counteract the rise of religious extremism and violence on a global scale while Turkey emerges from decades of relentless secularism to craft a benign Islamic character that excludes horrific stereotypes associated with the Arab world.

It was as if Malaysia and Turkeys forward march is steadily aligned by a natural sociopolitical gravitational pull, a unique union forged with an eye on an international peace initiatives that will trigger tantalising consequences, one of them being the compassionate middle path that embraces spiritualism and modernisation in equal gusto without tripping over ill-conceived edicts prescribed by religious hardliners not too fond with what Datuk Seri Dr Najib Abdul Razak and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan are trying to accomplish.

The two brothers, which Najib and Erdogan affectionately referred to each other in official public outings during the Malaysian Prime Ministers thre! e-day of ficial visit to Turkey this week, have signed and sealed a slew of business, tourism, defence, transportation and construction deals designed to boost Malaysia-Turkey bilateral ties and trade.

However, the most fruitful deal is perhaps one that is officially undocumented and unsigned but fully understood and reported the mutual enterprise to at least dampen, if not neutralise, violent religious extremism, the scourge of the world.

Now, imagine Malaysia and Turkey as an intriguing wrestling tag team combination, one small but strong, ambitious and determined, the other big but nimble, embracing and worldly.In a contest against other tag teams, this practical hybrid has unique advantages, especially in dissenting against super powers bent on imposing their military might and economic leverage against weak nations.

Years before last weeks historic diplomatic rendezvous, a Malaysia-Turkey amalgamation had been unwittingly at work, notably in spotlighting the ill-conceived 2003 American invasion of Iraq as an aberration in good governance and human dignity.

On the Asian side of the world, Malaysia capitalised on its inherent influence on the world stage to persuade other countries to abhor the invasion while on the European stage, Turkey stoutly denied American pressure on wanting to traverse Turkish air space and borders deploy strategic military sorties into Iraq.

Last year, the Malaysian-Turkish consolidation throttled again, this time in unison to deploy the humanitarian Mavi Marmara flotilla in international waters to supply aid to Palestinians in Gaza, in which the initiative by Malaysian and Turkish activists was repelled brutally by Israeli soldiers, resulting in the killing of several Turks.

Government and opposition members of parliament in Malaysia, in a rare united voice, roundly supported Najibs resolution to condemn Israels bald fac! edness, a gesture appreciated by the Turkish government. And this was all done unwittingly before the prime ministers historic get-together.

Now stop imagining and regard the Malaysia-Turkey tag team as a realistic and potent combination, a duo whose combined resources can be harnessed to promote international armistice and friendship while dissuading Western Islamophobia that engaged in wholesale demonisation of Muslims.

As Najib pointed out in a speech last year at the United Nations General Assembly, the seeming clash of civilisations between the Muslim world and the West is not between Muslims and non-Muslims but between moderates and extremists of all religions Islam, Christianity and Judaism included.

Its uncanny that his call for a global movement of moderates from all faiths was presciently cemented in Istanbul, where he repeated his stance that all future governments, even those about to be formed in the tumult of the Arab revolutions, shun violence and opt for negotiations and good governance although they might lean towards electing shady groups whose background are riddled by repression and denunciation of enlightenment and advanced knowledge.

But in Turkeys case, their decades of secularism fathered by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk did not exterminate their Islamic faith. On the contrary, Islamic practices now are rising, the example being the call to prayers soaring contrapuntally when once it was silent.

Mosques are being filled as Muslim Turks demonstrate their Islamic rebirth in many forms of Islamisation taken for granted in Malaysia. But thats as far as the Turks are willing to concede. What they wont concede to doggedly are permitting extremists with long beards managing their country and running down their modern progressive European lifestyle to suit some fanatics vision of the Dark Ages. Just ask any Muslim Turk in Istanbul. Just visit the Blue Mosque.

This bode! s well f or Najibs middle path movement and Erdogans push for benign Islamisation as twin forces to superior democracy, geared to showcase how one should govern ones country in embracing technology, innovation and development while holding steadfast to an unfaltering Islamic faith.

To the nascent democracies in the bloody aftermath of getting rid of tin-pot Arab despots, there cant be many Muslim nations the eager new democrats can emulate other than the prime examples offered by Malaysia and Turkey.

In the months or years to come, the new Arab century will look back and conclude that getting rid of the geriatric dictatorship was the easy part, the tough part is to squelch the hard and soft terrorism embedded in their psychological make-up and opt for social, economic and political reforms fully embraced by Malaysia and Turkey.

Conclusively, to NOT be converted to the Malaysia-Turkey tag team force of nature and way of life if any newly emerged Arab leaders are unable to grasp the benefits is to deny opportunities in long-term social cohesion, economic prosperity and political stability.

In this regard, Malaysia and Turkey might want to trademark their brand of compassionate Islamic evolution towards greater nationhood and internationalist pride.