The 2006 CDI Annual Address was delivered by the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, to an audience of over 400 packed into the Great Hall in Parliament House, Canberra, on 20 July 2006. Mr Ibrahim, who was imprisoned for six years after a dispute with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has risen to international prominence following his release as a leading spokesman on Islam and Democracy, the subject of his CDI address.
Mr Ibrahim's speech covered a wide range of subjects, including the essential compatibility between traditional Islamic scripture and the basic freedoms and liberties on which representative democracy is based. He also discussed at length the importance of contemporary Indonesia as a model of Islamic democracy, and one which needed to be nurtured by the West as a successful example of a state which was both Muslim and democratic.
Australia needed to be sensitive in its relations with Indonesia, Mr Ibrahim suggested, and avoid being seen as pushy or condescending. At the same time, the East Asian countries should ensure that Australia, along with India and New Zealand, were included in plans for an East Asian community, which should be based on common interests rather than ethnic criteria.
Much of Mr Ibrahim's talk dealt with the need for honest and objective treatment of the Muslim world, both by outsiders and fellow Muslims. The situation in the Middle East was one subject of such straight talking, as was the need for some Muslim societies to look honestly at their own internal difficulties.
The overwhelming message from the talk was that democracy's values were universal, not Western, and that they consisted of much more than just having free and fair elections. The need for checks and balances, separation of powers, credible judges and lawyers, and a free media were all essential components of a functioning democracy, and collectively helped to ensure the basic liberties and human rights that are the hallmark of truly democratic societies.
Click on the links below for the video of the CDI 2006 Annual Address; 'Universal Values and Muslim Democracy', 'an essay by Anwar Ibrahim in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Democracy which draws on 2 of his recent speeches in New York and Istanbul which addressed similar questions and issues to those he covered in the CDI Annual Address; and the invitation for the event. Follow the link above right to view a selection of photographs of the event.
