Different, but still one

Born of Egyptian parents but having grown up in various parts of the world, including Malaysia, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf shares how he has been forced to identify and shape his personal practice of Islam based on its universal principles that work in any and all cultures. 

EIGHT hundred years ago, Malays practised a Hinduism probably akin to that of today’s Balinese. By the turn of the 20th century, Islam had become so assimilated into Malay ethnic identity that becoming a Muslim was referred to as “entering Malay-ness” (masuk Melayu).