Prof. Akgunduz, from MalaysiaNur Advisory Board, has been invited by Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak to International Conference on Global Movement of Moderators, Kuala Lumpur 17-19 January 2012. Akgunduz will join inshaallah with a paper under the title “Islam has established Zakat and Waqf Bridges between Profits and Greed”.

This inaugural conference of the Global Movement of the Moderates seeks to promote an enduring and just blueprint in achieving peaceful co-existence in the realm of international order. The increasing tendency of distrust and wariness among people different religions and cultures has subdued the way forward for the rest of the global population. In balancing between the rise of extremism as well a…s the increase of obtuse generalisation among Western scholars and institutions, this pertinent problem needs to be elucidated at its roots rather than rallying naively around the symptoms.

During the 65th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Sri Najib Tun Razak delivered a speech calling members and leaders of world’s major faiths to censure and reject their own extremists and jointly support a “movement of moderates”. The speech so reflects that religions and cultures have for countless times seized by extremists and radicals such as in the myriad of instances across Iraq, Afghanistan as well as the recent Norway attacks. Hence the issue was never between Muslims and non-Muslims but was between the moderates and the extremists of all religions, sects and ideologies. Across all religions, extreme voices of the periphery drown out the many voices of reason and common sense. This intricate state of affairs which has led to a halt in dialogue would instigate serious civilizational implications that further risk the possibility of peaceful co-existence among diverse groups of different religions, sects and ideologies.

The International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates seeks to reaffirm that all nations, no matter how large or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, have a common responsibility towards creating a better world for tomorrow, a better world for future generations. This conference which has its theme compelled on the the notion of enduring peace would enlarge upon and redefine the need for moderation in domestic as well as international affairs.  To conclude, the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates wishes to be an annual setting for the convergence of thoughts and ideas which are usually silenced by the bellicosity of the few.