Following are the personal notes by Secretary General of ABIM, Muhammad Faisal Abd Aziz on dialogue with the young leaders of DAP through REFSA and Sekolah Demokrasi. The dialogue were on Maqasid Syariah and the concept of citizenship in Islam. “Invited by Democratic Action Party to share views with the young generation of DAP leaders and activists in sSekolah Demokrasi Workshop. ABIM consistently views that we should stand with the concept of citizenship (muwatinun) to replace zimmi and harbi which are inapplicable in our time and were previously only implemented during the time of war. In Malaysia, the non-muslim citizens did not attain citizenship after going through war- as a matter of fact they had been regarded as part of the co-founders of this country at the time of our independence. Thus the concept of equal citizenship is more appropriate and just. How can we move forward to collectively discuss the future of our country if we remain stuck with the obsolete kafir zimmi and harbi arguments which have been deemed irrelevant by contemporary scholars?
