KUALA LUMPUR, The willingness of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to attend the 9th series of the Sunnah Village Programme at the Alwi Mosque in Kangar, Perlis, upon the invitation of the Perlis Mufti, Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, has been described as magnanimous and exemplary. Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Islam Hadhari, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Prof Dr Zaid Ahmad said attending an event directly associated with Mohd Asri, who had been critical in expressing his views, including towards Anwar's own leadership, was evidence of the Prime Minister's openness to differences of opinion. "However, despite differing views, criticisms, and rebuttals, Anwar harbours no negative feelings towards Mohd Asri. Instead, he accepted his invitation to attend the recent 9th Sunnah Village Programme. "This demonstrates great magnanimity, statesmanship, and extraordinary inclusiveness shown by him as the country's leader," he told Bernama. Zaid said Anwar also made history as the fi rst Prime Minister who not only attended but delivered the keynote speech in front of scholars, thinkers, leaders and thousands of locals at the programme. He said when revealing the story of Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz's bravery and Sultan Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi's majesty in the aspect of war that led to the capture of Baitul Maqdis, Anwar also reminded the audience to emulate the firmness of the two figures in matters of governance and their hatred of corruption. "Prime Minister Anwar called for the translation of Sheikh Taha Jabir Alalwani's book entitled 'Ethics of Disagreement in Islam' to ensure that the quick-to-punish juristic mentality can be avoided, and fresh and ethical discourse can be fostered," he said. Apart from that, Zaid said Anwar also expressed his disappointment in his speech regarding the muted voices of Islamic leaders in demanding an end to the injustices of the Zionist regime of Israel against the Palestinian people. "Anwar, who had just returned from attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting in Riyadh, spoke about his advocacy in front of major powers, including US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, representing the Muslim world," he said. Meanwhile, Zaid said with the greatness of the speech, the power of knowledge on display, the articulation and strength of the arguments, as well as the breadth of topics covered, Anwar's keynote speech was enough to make an impact and satisfy the audience. Zaid noted that the impactful speech had also prompted Mohd Asri to comment, saying, "Anwar's speech was extraordinary. I don't think any leader of the country before him could speak like that. We are very grateful for his presence and openness." Source: BERNAMA News Agency