US envoy praises Brunei's leadership
Special visitor: US special envoy to the OIC Sada Cumber during his brief visit to Brunei as part of a regional tour. When he was here, he met with His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna, the State Mufti and the Minister of Religious Affairs. Picture: BT/Zamri Zainal
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM is showing a lot of leadership in practising moderate and tolerant Islam, said Sada Cumber, the US Special Envoy to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) yesterday.
"I admire and appreciate Brunei's way of experimenting a moderate and tolerant Islam, which is in line with how we can create a society that is knowledge-based and I think Brunei is showing a lot of leadership in that area," said Cumber.
Cumber, who was appointed as the first Special Envoy to the 56-member Islamic organisation by US President George W Bush on February 27 this year, was on a two-day working visit to the sultanate as part of a regional tour.
The former Pakistan-born entrepreneur and investor met with Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Ambassador-at-large Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna, the State Mufti and the Minister of Religious Affairs during his brief visit.
Cumber said of his meeting with Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna yesterday that there is "a very strong empowerment" for women in Brunei, pointing out that about 40 per cent of the workforce in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade consist of women.
"I was seeking her leadership to see if she can take it to the OIC and then engage the rest of the programmes under leadership like her," he told local press at the Brunei International Airport prior to his departure.
As the US representative to the OIC, Cumber seeks to promote improved dialogue and understanding between the United States and Muslim communities around the world. During his audience with His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed, they discussed the mistreatment of Muslims from Brunei and other countries at US airports.
"What we have done now is that we have made sure that in America, everyone — Muslim or non-Muslim — when they come in, it is imperative that they are received with dignity and respect," he said.
"And there are also people from Brunei, who have been in America for three to four years now and have applied for a green card, but their names are stuck (because of their Muslim names) with the FBI for clearance. So we have come up with a response now that Insyallah in the next few months, all these names will be cleared, so that these good citizens who are living in America can get their green cards and become part of the society."
Cumber called on His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed for Brunei to participate and show leadership in interfaith dialogues, which the US government encourages.
"We would like to see the OIC to be more inclusive, because right now it is very exclusive. In Brunei you have a very open society, it's a free society like America. We want to make sure that Brunei is able to participate and show leadership in the interfaith dialogue," he said.
He added that it is also important that Brunei recognise the state of Kosovo, pointing out that the majority of its citizens are Muslims.
"It is important that we do not see Kosovo fail. Because when a country fails, then you see all these extreme elements, very radical elements, penetrate the society. So it is important that Muslim countries around the world are able to recognise Kosovo so it becomes a successful country."
Brunei is the 24th country the US special envoy has visited since his appointment five months ago. He departed the sultanate for Jakarta yesterday, and will follow with a meeting with OIC secretary-general Dr Abdelouahed Belkeziz of Morocco in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Brunei Times
"I admire and appreciate Brunei's way of experimenting a moderate and tolerant Islam, which is in line with how we can create a society that is knowledge-based and I think Brunei is showing a lot of leadership in that area," said Cumber.
Cumber, who was appointed as the first Special Envoy to the 56-member Islamic organisation by US President George W Bush on February 27 this year, was on a two-day working visit to the sultanate as part of a regional tour.
The former Pakistan-born entrepreneur and investor met with Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Ambassador-at-large Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna, the State Mufti and the Minister of Religious Affairs during his brief visit.
Cumber said of his meeting with Her Royal Highness Princess Hjh Masna yesterday that there is "a very strong empowerment" for women in Brunei, pointing out that about 40 per cent of the workforce in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade consist of women.
"I was seeking her leadership to see if she can take it to the OIC and then engage the rest of the programmes under leadership like her," he told local press at the Brunei International Airport prior to his departure.
As the US representative to the OIC, Cumber seeks to promote improved dialogue and understanding between the United States and Muslim communities around the world. During his audience with His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed, they discussed the mistreatment of Muslims from Brunei and other countries at US airports.
"What we have done now is that we have made sure that in America, everyone — Muslim or non-Muslim — when they come in, it is imperative that they are received with dignity and respect," he said.
"And there are also people from Brunei, who have been in America for three to four years now and have applied for a green card, but their names are stuck (because of their Muslim names) with the FBI for clearance. So we have come up with a response now that Insyallah in the next few months, all these names will be cleared, so that these good citizens who are living in America can get their green cards and become part of the society."
Cumber called on His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed for Brunei to participate and show leadership in interfaith dialogues, which the US government encourages.
"We would like to see the OIC to be more inclusive, because right now it is very exclusive. In Brunei you have a very open society, it's a free society like America. We want to make sure that Brunei is able to participate and show leadership in the interfaith dialogue," he said.
He added that it is also important that Brunei recognise the state of Kosovo, pointing out that the majority of its citizens are Muslims.
"It is important that we do not see Kosovo fail. Because when a country fails, then you see all these extreme elements, very radical elements, penetrate the society. So it is important that Muslim countries around the world are able to recognise Kosovo so it becomes a successful country."
Brunei is the 24th country the US special envoy has visited since his appointment five months ago. He departed the sultanate for Jakarta yesterday, and will follow with a meeting with OIC secretary-general Dr Abdelouahed Belkeziz of Morocco in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Brunei Times
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