KUCHING: A Petra Jaya Education Foundation will be set up in efforts to produce people who are not only experts in the field of science and technology but also to interpret the Holy al-Quran scientifically.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof emphasised that to be a Muslim as portrayed in the al-Quran, the followers must be seen as an icon with a balanced viewpoint on academy and religion.
“For example, if we talk about halal, the western world will not recognise Islamic slaughter because in the western context, it is (seen as) torturing of animals,” he explained.
“But the Islamic way of (halal) slaughtering is sacred to ensure the animals are safe and clean for consumption,” he said.
“However, this is from the religious point of view which needs to be proven scientifically because without scientific evidence, the Islamic way of slaughtering will not be accepted by the west,” the Petra Jaya MP added.
Fadillah highlighted this dichotomy in society’s consumption of meats at the Parental Seminar and Gathering of SMK Agama Sheikh Othman Abdul Wahab (SHOAW) yesterday.
He pointed out that due to the lack of mastery in science, the Islamic community was unable to interpret the content of the al-Quran based on science.
For that reason, he said SHOAW can play a role to produce not only academic scholars but who are also balanced in the aspect of religious education.
“At the Petra Jaya level, we will establish the Petra Jaya Education Foundation because I believe that if we are to become a successful Islamic nation, we must master the entire field of either economics, politics, science and religion,” he said.
At the event, Fadillah also advised parents to enhance their IT skills to communicate better with their children.
Being tech-savvy, he said, was important so that parents can supervise the activities of children on the social media where predators lurk.
“There are many among the community who have fallen victim to fraud in the cyber world and more worrying is that it could involve children as young as 12 years old,” he added.
As such, Fadillah called on parents to keep abreast with technology to communicate better as well as supervise children.
Also present were SHOAW principle Norlela Bujang, Teacher-Parent Association head (PIBG) Mohd Salleh Hamdin, parents, as well as some 780 secondary students.