Welcome address by Chief Executive of MUIS, Mr Kadir Maideen at the Conference on Fatwa in Contemporary Societies 2024 welcome dinner

Mr Masagos Zulkifli,
Minister for Social and Family Development,
Second Minister for Health, and
Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs

Mr Mohamed Sa'at Abdul Rahman,
President of MUIS

Ustaz Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir,
Mufti of Singapore

Distinguished Speakers, Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamualaikum wr wb,

May peace be upon you and a very good evening to everyone. It gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone to the second edition of the "Fatwa in Contemporary Societies" conference from 2 to 3 February 2024. The first was in 2017.

I am very delighted to extend a warm welcome to our esteemed guests and delegates from different parts of the world, namely

a. our distinguished speakers who will be delivering their keynote presentations tomorrow

     i. His Excellency Prof. Dr. Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt

     ii. Prof. Dr. Amany Lubis, Council Member of the UAE Council for Fatwa

     iii. Prof. Dr. Koutoub Moustapha Sano, Secretary-General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Saudi Arabia

b. members of the Forum for Research and Studies on Fatwas for Muslim Minorities,

c. scholars from international universities and organisations such as the University of Jordan, Al-Qarawiyyin and Dar al-Hadith,

d. officials from Majlis Agama Islam Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (MABIMS).

MUIS CORE FUNCTIONS AND ROLES

MUIS is committed to serving the community and engaging our partners and stakeholders to address issues holistically. MUIS oversees numerous functions within the social welfare spectrum of the Muslim community. Among the principal functions that MUIS undertake include the management of mosques, administration of Zakat, Wakaf (endowment), halal certification, pilgrimage affairs and development of Islamic Education, among others.

Besides these, one of MUIS' key functions is to issue religious guidance to the community, which is communicated through fatwas. Amid unprecedented challenges and hardships, members of the Muslim community may struggle to ensure that their lives align with Islamic requirements and teachings. Often, unique situations arise, prompting the need for religious guidance and advice from our scholars and religious institutions.

To ensure the well-being of the Muslim community, we have the Fatwa Committee, which is managed by MUIS, and operates under the Office of the Mufti. The Fatwa Committee assists the Mufti in the process of fatwa deliberation and ensures comprehensive consideration of fatwas. The Fatwa Committee also issues fatwas emphasising on enduring principles and ethical and universal values. Essentially, the process of issuing a fatwa can be quite complex and intricate, especially when dealing with highly multifaceted issues. This highlights the crucial role that the Fatwa Committee plays in the issuance of fatwas.

Additionally, the fatwas aim to foster a community that is confident, resilient, and empowered through its strategy and approach. Hence, this conference aims to empower the community in addressing challenging and complex issues through fatwas.

Besides these, MUIS also conducts programmes and initiatives to keep the Singapore Muslim communities updated with important discourses and latest developments impacting Islam and Muslims. Previously, MUIS hosted the International Conference on Communities of Success (ICCOS) in 2022 and the Communities of Success Programme (COSP) in 2023. These programmes advocated for the positive role of religion in a diverse world by creating an innovative framework for understanding religious values through a contextual approach that addresses the community's needs.

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION

In addition to these, a crucial aspect of the Singapore experience in fostering a successful community has been the collaboration of Malay-Muslim organisations, interfaith leaders, and religious institutions towards achieving positive outcomes. These parties are integral to our social fabric as they strive to embody and reinforce the religious values they preach.

Allow me to share some of the partnerships MUIS has established with fellow religious leaders and organisations who are present in this room. The Fatwa Committee, Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB), Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), and MABIMS, among others, work hand in hand with MUIS to achieve positive and collaborative developments for the Muslim community.

Earlier, I provided a brief overview of the International Conference on Communities of Success (ICCOS). As a result of ICCOS, MUIS initiated the Communities of Success Programme (COSP) led by the Rahmatan lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF). Last year during COSP, community leaders from Cambodia, New Zealand and Thailand exchanged ideas in fostering cooperation and capitalising on opportunities to thrive in today’s diverse society. Singapore and the participating countries have certainly benefited from the programme.

MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING

Building on this, Singapore is committed to enhancing our fatwa expertise through international partnerships as we navigate the complexities of the global landscape. One of the key strategies we use to achieve this is by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

These MoUs demonstrate our commitment to nurturing strong and mutually beneficial relationships with our international counterparts. Through these agreements, we aim to collaborate, share knowledge, and work towards common goals that will benefit not only our nation but also the global community.

Tonight, I am pleased to announce that two MOUs will be undertaken:

     i. Firstly, between the Dar al-Ifta al-Masriyya - General Secretariat of Fatwa Authorities Worldwide based in Cairo and MUIS. The participants will cooperate in the field of research on fatwa in the contemporary world by, among others:

          a. Exchanging academic visits and expertise of scholars and experts, whose scholarship and research focus is on issues relating to fatwa in the contemporary world;

          b. Exchanging scholarly studies related to legal opinions and jurisprudential sciences to enhance their respective fatwa methodologies; and

          c. Exhanging expertise through organising and conducting training for religious practitioners or any appropriate academic programme for students of Islamic studies.

     ii. And secondly, between the International Islamic Fiqh Academy based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and MUIS. The participants will cooperate in the field of research on fatwa in the contemporary world by, among others:

          a. Exchanging academic visits by scholars whose research focus is on issues relating to fatwa in the contemporary world;

          b. Exchanging scholarly studies related to legal opinions and jurisprudential sciences to enhance their respective fatwa methodologies; and

          c. Exchanging expertise through organising and conducting training for religious practitioners or any appropriate academic programme for students of Islamic studies.

APPRECIATION

Ladies and gentlemen, this conference would not have been possible without your strong support. On behalf of MUIS, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to:

     i. Firstly, our esteemed speakers for being an integral part of this conference. We eagerly anticipate your insights and perspectives during the panel discussions tomorrow.

     ii. Secondly, our distinguished guests, thank you for your support and participation in nurturing the shared vision of successful communities. May this conference further strengthen our ties and partnerships.

     iii. And finally, to our industry expert partners and asatizah for bringing this important vision and conference to life for our Fatwa Lab.

CALL TO ACTION

Before I end, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that MUIS remains committed to actively engage our partners and stakeholders to come together, so that we can collectively realise this vision to be a Communities of Success. Let us use the Fatwa Conference to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and build bodies of knowledge so that we can become successful citizens and communities.

I look forward to the exchange of ideas and practices as well as exciting conversations and discussions that we will have tomorrow and the day after. I wish you an enjoyable evening and a successful conference ahead. Thank you.