AS Maarif Receives R Magsaysay Award 2008
The 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding CITATION for AHMAD SYAFII MAARIF Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremonies 31 August 2008, Manila, Philippines In Islam, authority rests in knowledge. In times of crisis and for guidance in day-to-day life, Muslims turn to scholars. It is their role to apply the truth of the Holy Quran and the lessons of the Prophet Muhammad to human life in matters large and small. Yet, Islam's religious scholars-who these days may be teachers or preachers or public intellectuals, and are often all three-do not always see eye-to-eye. Their debates over the centuries have produced the heterogeneous world of Islam today, with its various sects and schools of law. In such debates, the authority of individual thinkers weighs heavily. And in countries like Indonesia, with vast Muslim majorities, intellectuals such as Ahmad Syafii Maarif can influence millions and shape the character of national life. S