Islamic Institute and Soka Gakkai Malaysia Launch Research on Daisaku Ikeda's Peace Proposals
The library at ISTAC, officially named the Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas Library, houses rare books and manuscripts in various languages, including Arabic and Persian, from important Islamic civilizations.
On June 26, 2024, the International Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), a Malaysian public university founded upon Islamic principles, and Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) announced the launch of a collaborative research project on Daisaku Ikeda’s philosophy of peace.
The project, set to begin in August 2024, will analyze
the 40 peace proposals Mr. Ikeda authored annually between 1983 and 2022, aiming
to identify pathways to peace and promote intercivilizational dialogue. In these
proposals, Mr. Ikeda puts forward concrete ideas for addressing globally
significant issues such as nuclear disarmament, sustainability, human rights
education and the revitalization of the United Nations.
Professor Dr. Abdelaziz Berghout, dean of ISTAC-IIUM, will lead
the project team that brings together IIUM faculty and students. Over the
course of the year-long project, lectures and symposiums will be held to
present interim findings, and the completed research will be published in book
form.
SGM General Director Koh Sia Feai (second from right), IIUM President Tan Sri Samsudin bin Osman (third from right), ISTAC-IIUM Dean Abdelaziz Berghout (fourth from right) with others at ISTAC-IIUM
On the day of the announcement, to commemorate the
launch of the project and recognize their collaborative relationship, ISTAC-IIUM presented SGM
with a Best Partnership Award. The award ceremony was attended by President Tan
Sri Samsudin bin Osman, who presented the award to the general director of SGM,
Koh Sia Feai.
Collaborations between ISTAC-IIUM and SGM
have included organizing international conferences, a memorial lecture in honor
of Mr. Ikeda (1928–2023)
and the
publication of the Malay edition of The Wisdom of Tolerance: A Philosophy of
Generosity and Peace, a dialogue between former Indonesian President
Abdurrahman Wahid (1940–2009) and Mr. Ikeda, released by the IIUM Press in
2022.
Professor Dr. Berghout stated that Mr. Ikeda’s work and the ideas contained in his peace proposals have had a “lasting influence on numerous programs and initiatives globally.” He went on to say that the “intelligent and astute ideas of Dr. Daisaku Ikeda are in accordance with ISTAC’s aim to build civilizational bridges and promote world peace.”
[Adapted from an
article in the August 23, 2024, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan]
