In Asri Umno sees the next Anwar
By The Malaysian Insider
ANALYSIS, June 21 — The courtship of Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin suggests Umno hopes to ride on the respected Islamic scholar’s influence among both liberal and conservative Muslims and unite Malay voters behind the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin.
And if Umno succeeds in luring the fiercely independent Asri into its fold, it could also be a case of history repeating itself as it would bear striking resemblances to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s shocking entry into the BN party in 1982.
Anwar was a rising firebrand in the early 1980s and had been widely tipped to join PAS because of his leadership position as Islam was thrust into the country’s political mainstream.
By joining Umno, Anwar helped Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad contain the influence of PAS.
Yesterday, Umno executive secretary Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusoh confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that Asri was expected to join Umno this Friday along with a number of other ulama in what would be a major coup for BN.
Ab Rauf was also quoted by Umno Online as saying Asri’s entry would boost the confidence of Malays in Umno.
But Asri did not confirm the reports.
In a statement, the scholar who has also been courted by PAS said he had not made a final decision yet on the matter.
Asri’s decision is likely to hinge on what kind of role Umno expects him to play.
For Umno, Asri’s entry would suggest the party wants to go after the puritan vote associated for so long with support for the Islamist PAS.
But Asri also brings an added dimension with his influence among more liberal elements of Muslim society, many of whom are still suspicious of PAS while attracted to Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) reformist agenda.
Many liberals have praised Asri for speaking out against khalwat raids and for recently saying he did not see anything wrong with Christians referring to God as “Allah”.
But he has also spoken out against problems like “transvestites, prostitutes or even Muslims gambling” and is also of the opinion that it is compulsory for Muslim women to wear the tudung.
In an interview in 2007, Asri dismissed the idea that he is either a conservative or a liberal.
“I am not a liberal. I am a modernist who wants to shake things up,” he had said.
The similarities with a young Anwar are striking.
Like Asri, the young Anwar was also considered a breath of fresh air who was respected by conservatives and liberals.
During his time in Umno and even now as PR leader, Anwar had the ability to reach out to both the Muslim world and the liberal West.
In Asri there is potential to do the same.
The young scholar has said previously that he wants to bring “to the centre” liberal groups like Sisters in Islam who he says have misunderstood Islam, and close-minded conservatives.
If he decides to join Umno, as is widely expected, he could bring back an air of respectability to a party tainted by corruption and a lack of integrity.
