Monday, July 4, 2011

The Bersih rally from an Islamic perspective


Raja Petra Kamarudin

YADIM, an Islamic missionary movement, said that the planned BERSIH march of 9th July 2011 violates Islamic values and ethics. But then what are Islamic values and ethics?

In chapter Ali Imran, verse 104 of the Quran, it says: “Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity.”

Aziz Jamaludin Mohd Tahir of YADIM (right) just gave his personal opinion and view. And this personal opinion and view echoes that of Umno and the government.

Incidentally, 500 to 600 police reports have already been made against BERSIH with regards to the 9th July rally.

Aziz Jamaludin, however, did not offer proof or quote any verses from the Quran to support his opinion. And, as they say, opinions are like arseholes -- everybody has one.

Well, I have quoted a verse from the Quran -- chapter Ali Imran, verse 104 above -- and it appears that what the Quran says is opposed to what Aziz Jamaludin says.

So, is the Quran wrong or is Aziz Jamaludin wrong? If Aziz Jamaludin is right then definitely the Quran must be wrong.

The Quran, in the verse above, has clearly defined what are Islamic values and ethics. And these values and ethics are amr makruf, nahi munkar.

This means a group of us must arise to uphold what is right and oppose what is wrong. This is our duty as Muslims. Anywhere that we may see violations, transgressions, evil, fraud, abuse of power, corruption, persecution, racism, or whatever, we must expose it, shun it, avoid it, oppose it, fight it, eradicate it, etc. There is no compromise on the matter. There are no two ways about it. We must become an enemy of the enemy of the people.

Denying the people their right to free, clean and fair elections is a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

Denying the people their right to a government of their choice is a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

Denying the people their right to a just and corrupt-free government is a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

Violating the Federal Constitution of Malaysia is a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

Imposing Rule by Law instead of Rule of Law is a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

Persecution, selective-prosecution, racism, cronyism and nepotism are a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

Manipulation of the judicial system is a violation of Islamic values and ethics.

And the list goes on and on.

Is Aziz Jamaludin saying that all those Muslims who rose up to oppose their governments in the Middle East are un-Islamic?

Is Malaysia going to now declare that all those new governments in the Middle East are tahud governments and Malaysia will not recognise them and will not enter into any diplomatic relations with them?

Tahrir Square, Cairo, February 2011

Will the Ambassadors of the these countries be summoned to Wisma Putra to be told that they will have to close their embassies and their staff given 24 hours to leave Malaysia?

Will Malaysia close all its embassies in these countries and recall its diplomatic staff?

Will Malaysians be banned from travelling to these countries just like they are banned from travelling to Israel?

Note that these Muslim countries also had their own ‘BERSIH marches’ when they realised that the election system had failed and change can no longer come through the ballot box but only through taking to the streets.

The government is worried that the BERSIH march of 9th July may end up like the historical Tahrir Square of Cairo incident. I doubt it. The Egyptian government of Hosni Mubarak was evil. The Malaysian government of Najib Razak is not. Only evil governments can fall through street action. Just governments do not fall that way.

This article first appeared in the author's Malaysia Today website.


http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/articles/analysis-a-opinion/2981-the-bersih-rally-from-an-islamic-perspective.html

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