SURAU DILARANG DIBINA DI KAZAKHSTAN

POSTED BY ADMIN ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2011

ALMATY: Presiden Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, kelmarin meluluskan undang-undang ketat berkaitan agama, yang antara lain melarang surau dibina dalam bangunan pemerintah.Langkah itu dilihat bertujuan menyekat pengaruh militan tetapi dikecam ulama negara itu dan Barat.Undang-undang itu turut mensyaratkan semua institusi dakwah di negara itu mendaftar dengan pihak berkuasa setiap tahun.

Nazarbayev (gambar bersama PM Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak semasa Najib melawat ke negara itu beberapa bulan lalu), 71 tahun, telah memerintah Kazakhstan lebih 20 tahun sebagai pemerintah kuku besi sekular.

Sehingga tahun ini, negara yang didiami seramai 70 juta penduduk Islam berusaha mengelak daripada keganasan yang dilihat berlaku di tengah Asia, negara bekas Soviet seperti Uzbekistan dan Tajikistan.

Bagaimanapun, pengeboman nekad pada Mei lalu dan penahanan kumpulan yang didakwa merancang keganasan pada Ogos lalu meningkatkan kebimbangan kemunculan militan menyebabkan Encik Nazarbayev melaksanakan undang-undang baru bagi mengekang kelompok ekstremis.

Undang-undang yang diluluskan itu mencetuskan perdebatan hangat.

Ia antara lain melarang bilik solat di semua institusi negeri. Mufti Kanan Kazakhstan, Absattar Derbisali, berkata undang-undang ini akan mencetuskan kemarahan di kalangan umat Islam dan meningkatkan kegiatan militan.

Kumpulan hak asasi di Barat termasuk Organisasi bagi Kerjasama dan Keselamatan di Eropah melahirkan kebimbangan mengenai sekatan kebebasan agama.

Antara langkah terbaru yang diambil oleh pemerintah bagi mengekang golongan militan ialah menyekat sementara laman web asing pada Ogos lalu selepas mahkamah memutuskan bahawa mereka menyebarkan propaganda pengganas dan menyuntik kebencian agama.

Sebelum ini, di Malaysia, Kementerian Luar Negara telah mendedahkan bahawa lawatan dua hari Najib ke Kazakhstan pada bulan Jun lalu bernilai RM1 juta.Dewan Rakyat diberitahu jumlah keseluruhan sebanyak RM1,072,213.22 dibelanjakan bagi perdana menteri dan rombongannya menghadiri Forum Ekonomi Dunia Islam.

Lawatan itu yang berjaya memeterai lima perjanjian antara Malaysia dan Kazakhstan tetapi menimbulkan bidasan apabila timbul dakwaan ia juga digunakan oleh keluarga Najib bagi merisik bakal

http://www.kl-today.com/2011/10/surau-dilarang-dibina-di-kazakhstan/

HUDUD DALAM ERA HARI INI?

POSTED BY ADMIN ON OCTOBER 11TH, 2011

Walaupun ketakutan tentang hudud – undang-undang Islam kontroversi, mulai surut, debat dan daya tarikan tentang kerumitan dan kesannya mulai dirasai meninggi.Ini merupakan imbasan keprihatinan golongan cerdik-pandai Malaysia terutamanya golongan muda, yang sedang memenuhi senarai undid an akan dilihat memainkan peranan besar dan lebih terkehadapan di dalam masyarakat. Tidak seperti ibu-bapa mereka, golongan muda dan cerdik-pandai Malaysia tidak akan berdiam diri dan telah mempersoal kengkangan mengikut keperluan sosial dan norma-norma kehidupan, tanoa menerima bulat-bulat apa yang dihidangkan dihadapan mereka oleh generasi terdahulu.

Ini merupakan satu bentuk pembangunan yang dimainkan di dalam isu hudud –ahli politik dan ketua-ketua agama – perlu pengambil perhatian atau tunduk di bawah cengkaman sendiri, dan menjadi tidak relevan dan tidak boleh berkhidmat untuk rakyat.

Cukup sudah ahli politik dan agama berkisah

Beberapa hari yang lalu, Pegawai agama negeri Kelantan telah mencabar Perdana Menteri Najib Razak untuk mendengar nasihat dan pandangan dari Mufti Perak Harussani Zakaria untuk membenarkan Kelantan di bawah pimpinan PAS melaksanakan hukum hudud.

“ Kerajaan Persekutuan harus memastikan pandangan cendikiawan agama terutamanya mufti diambilkira kerana mereka lebih arif tentang isu-isu berkaitan agama. Dan sekiranya berhasil, peluang yang sama harus diberikan kepada mana-mana negeri yang mahu melaksanakannya,” kata Mohd Amar Abdullah, pengesuri Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Islam, Pendidikan dan Dakwah negeri Kelantan.

Beliau turut diminta mengulas kenyataan Harussani yang mahukan pentadbiran Najib membenarkan Kelantan di bawah pimpinan PAS yang mempunyai 95% orang Melayu Islam, melaksanakan hukum hudud atas mana-mana jenayah berkaitan Islam. Kalantan pada tahun 1993 telah memperkenankan Undang-Undang Hudud, tetapi tidak melaksanakannya kerana undang-undang jenayah turut berada di bawah perundangan kerajaan perseketuan.

Dokongan Harrusani terhadap hudud merupakan satu tamparan hebat kepada Najib kerana ia telah menghampakan golongan Islam konservatif negara. Seperti yang ditekankan oleh Harussani, hudud ialah keperluan di dalam Islam dan perlu dilaksanakan oleh Penaung yakni Sultan. Malaysia telah melaksanakan undang-undang Syariah atau hukum Islam yang diperlakukan ke atas orang Islam sahaja. Namun, sistem Syariah yang diperkenalkan oleh pertadbiran Najib-UMNO tidak termasuk hukum hudud yang menekankan enam hukuman jenayah termasuk hukuman berat seperti merotan, memotong tangan atau kaki dan direjam batu hingga mati.

Apa kata bangsa dan penganut agama lain?

Benar, walaupun Mohd Amar menyeru Kelantan digunakan sebagai kertas ujian dan model untuk perlaksanaan undang-undang Islam secara menyeluruh, dengan sistem yang dikhususkan untuk umat Islam, perdebatan hangat isu terus berlaku. Bukan sahaja orang Melayu-Muslim yang aktif memperdebatkan isu ini di dalam jaringan media sosial, bukan Islam dan bukan Melayu turut serta mengadakan proses perbincangan sehala mencari kebaikan dan keburukan pelaksanaan hukum hudud.

Memandangkan bukan Melayu sudah tidak takut akan hudud atau PAS, yang sebelum ini dilihat sebagai keterbelakang, parti ekstrem agama, mereka percaya hudud dimiliki zaman dahulu, seperti juga penguguran kandungan dan homoseksualiti.

“Penganut Kristian juga mempunyai taboo mereka sendiri. Gereja-gereja Katholik juga mengharamkan penguguran kandungan dan homoseksualiti. Pihak Vatikan turut didakwa hidup didalam penafian namun telah beralih arah. Jadi, agama itu satu perkara yang rumit maka dengan itu pemimpin penganut agama Kristian di negara ini tidak menolak perlaksanaan hukum hudud dan Bishop Paul Tan turut menyokong perlaksanaan itu asalakan ianya tidak melibatkan golongan bukan Islam,” ujar Anthony Chong, pemimpin penganut agama Kristian dari SFX berkata kepada Malaysia Chronicle.

Walaupun terdapat sedikit fahaman liberal diantara pemimpin Kristian di sini, golongan bukan Islam dan orang Islam sendiri, termasuk NGO Sistems in Islam (SIS), telah mengecam hukum hudud. Bagi mereka, ianya tidak mencukupi untuk golongan ulama Islam menjamin perlaksanaan undang-undang hudud hanya dilakukan sebagai jalan terakhir.

“Kenapa perlu ada dari mula? Ia tidak masuk akal sekiranya tidak digarap dan sedia diikuti dan termaktub di dalam kod cara, atau apakah ini hanya cakap kosong?” kata seorang akauntan wanita Melayu di sebuah bank, yang tidak mahu namanya disiarkan.

Realiti baru dan kembali kepada rakyat

Walaupun ramai orang Melayu yang kuat pegangan Islamnya, mereka turut terkesan daripada pelaksanaan hukum hudud yang keras itu. Ia hampir sama dengan kebanyakkan penganut agama Kristian, terutamanya Katholik, yang merasa belas kasihan terhadap ibu tunggal dan kesulitan homoseksual, terutamanya remaja gay. Namun ada beberapa yang berani telah bersuara dan memanggil untuk sebuah modenisasi, tapi masih ramai yang bersembunyi kerana takut dihina masyarakat, dan melawan perintah agama menerusi kitab Injil dan al-Quran.

Di dalam arena politik Malaysia, isu ini mungkin telah dipermudahkan menjadi satu taruhan untuk populariti. Parti MCA telah menuduh DAP sebagai simpatisan hudud, sebaliknya DAP menegaskan mereka akan menentang perlaksanaan hudud sehingga ke Parlimen walau apa pun yang terjadi di dalam gabungan Pembangkang atau menjadi kecoh di tingkat Kerajaan Persekutuan.

Anggota masyarakat mempunyai cara pendekatan yang berbeza. Mereka percaya isu ini perlua dilarikan daripada ahli politik kerana polelik hukum hudud, pengguguran kandungan atau homoseksualilti, sukar untuk dituntas. Mereka inilah yang berpandangan bahawa Mufti, pihak gereja dan para paderi sepatutnya menerima yang waktunya ialah untuk rakyat membuat keputusan sendiri.

Keinginan rakyat perlu dihormati kalaupun terdapat perbezaan zahir yang diputuskan oleh para agamawan.

“Kita berada di dalam dunia yang jauh dari Zaman Gelap, dari zaman Saladin atau Joan of Arc. Para ‘Crusaders’ dan perlawanan di Jerusalem dan di Timur Tengah berlaku gara-gara politik dan emosi, melebihi agama atau tekana agama itu sendiri. Di Malaysia, kita bernasib baik kerana tiada bom dilepaskan jatuh ke atas rumah. Kita boleh berfikir waras sekarang, jadi, saya rasa, kenapa tidak pada referendum untuk isu-isu berbangkit seperti ini, yang mana ia boleh dilakukan secara undi rahsia jadi tidak ada seorang pun yang takut akan hak mereka,’ ujar Peter, seorang perdakwah dan aktivis agama Katholik, yang meminta Malaysia Chronicle tidak menyiarkan nama penuhnya.

“Setiap orang termasuk para pemimpin agama terutama ahli politkm mesti mengelak dari sikap ‘ aku lebih baik darimu’. Bagi ahli politik, semua orang tahu permainan mereka yang keji dan berkepentingan peribadi. Untuk para agamawan, mereka harus sedar dan akur bahawa agama mana yang terbaik sekalipun di dunia ini tidak bermakna apa-apa tanpa penganut.”

Malaysia Chronicle

http://www.kl-today.com/2011/10/hudud-dalam-era-hari-ini/

Q&A: Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin

AUGUST 22, 2011, 12:49 AM ET

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Malaysian Muslim scholar Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin.

Malaysia is known for its moderate brand of Islam and has been touted as a model for other nations. But government officials have recently warned that more conservative strands of the faith -– especially the Wahhabi version of Islam prevalent in Saudi Arabia -– are on the rise.

Malaysian Muslim scholar Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin is drawing attention across Malaysia for talking openly about conservative Islam, with his speeches drawing big crowds across the country. The Wall Street Journal’s Celine Fernandez recently spoke with Mr. Muhammad Asri about the changing role of religion in one of Asia’s key economies. Edited excerpts follow.

Q: Critics say your interpretations of Islam sets you apart from other Islamic scholars in Malaysia. What are your main religious beliefs and how are they different from Islam as defined by Malaysia’s religious establishment?

A: In Malaysia at the moment there aren’t many conservative Muslims — but they are in important government positions. While progressive groups have contributed a lot of significant reforms over the years, they are marginalized by conservative groups who control the institutions of religion in government and ensure that only their school of thought is given an opportunity. The government is probably concerned that members of the progressive movement will criticize things they see. Perhaps there is a tendency of certain parties to maintain elements of racism and extreme religious fanaticism to protect their political interests.

My grasp of Islam is that Islam is a religion that blesses everyone, regardless of race or religion. More than that, the blessing encompasses the entire universe. Any interpretation of Islam that leads to injustice, oppression, hostility to other people, ignorance, caste systems in society, racism, fanaticism that doesn’t respect the rights of others -– all of these must be rejected. Islam must be described as a religion of love for others, with a respect for rights, respect for knowledge, rejecting superstition and basing all practices on real arguments.

Q: A local newspaper quoted you as saying, “My duty is to present Islam in its modern face and get it out of the clutches of ultra-conservatives, who have made the religion look obsolete.” How do you propose to do this?

A: Some of the fundamental Islamic beliefs, ways of worship and principles of morality do not change. However, there are things that can be changed by factors of place, time and people. We must understand that some religious texts are actually based in a particular context during the Prophet’s time. We just have to take the spirit of texts only, not implementing the texts literally. Islam is not rigid. We live in a technological age. Islam has the approach and language to this age. Most of the texts of Islam have general meanings, and they are open to various interpretations because God knows people will live in a variety of conditions.

Q: You have said some of Islam’s traditions and rituals have no basis in the Prophet’s teachings. Some view this as extremist and allege that your views are linked to the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam. Is that true?

A: If the talk is about how to worship in Islam, yes, there are many things I agree with in the schools of thought against innovation in worship. I cannot accept practices of worship that are not based on evidence from the Quran and the hadith. (But) I am not a Wahhabi. I am not a follower of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhabi. In fact there are many fatwas from Saudi scholars that I do not agree with. But I still think they have their own distinctive contribution for Muslim societies around the world. We should appreciate all the parties.

Q: Why is the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam not encouraged in Malaysia?

A: If “Wahhabi” means inviting people to be fanatical, rigid, stern, uncompromising, and the like, I oppose it. In my opinion some religious views in some Gulf countries are rather narrow, especially on women, non-Muslims and political issues and a few other things. There are also a lot of sound and relevant opinions among them. However, even if we disagree with their views, that doesn’t mean we can accuse them of terrorism.

In the context of Western journalism, the word “Wahhabi” has many connotations. All of them lead to an understanding that it is an Islamic movement perceived as strictly following the legal opinions and evidences from al-Quran and as-Sunnah in their literal senses, while refusing to consider more modern or Western-influenced interpretations. In Malaysia, the word “Wahhabi” is quite a mysterious term. Many use the term or slander others by it, without a clue about its meaning. In some places, a person is accused of being a Wahhabi for disagreeing with superstitious rituals and beliefs. This includes hanging pictures of certain individuals like the sultan or a sheikh in the belief that it brings good charm or increases their earnings, or tying a black thread on a newborn’s hand in the belief that it will protect the baby from bad luck, and many other erroneous beliefs haunting parts of our society. When people begin to criticize the practices, they simply say, “you are Wahhabi.”

Q: What do you think about the current political/religious situation in Malaysia more broadly? Do you feel free to practice your beliefs? Is Malaysia heading in the right or wrong direction, and why?

A: Religious authorities in Malaysia should be more open-minded. Their attitude is to force others to think in only one way, and that is not the attitude of a civilized people. They should remember what happened to the church when they refused to change and suppressed people who wanted to change.

Q: What is your long-term goal for Malaysia? Where would you like to see it go in terms of practice of religion here?

A: We need “tajdid” in Muslim society in Malaysia. There are two different definitions that can be assigned to tajdid. The first definition is to restore the religion’s original look just as we would restore the condition of something that has gone bad or has expired. A practical example is the renewal of our driving license.

The second definition of tajdid involves the innovation of certain elements to fulfill contemporary needs, such as the innovation of a modern vehicle. In this instance we’re talking about something that has never been created before, but it serves the same basic purpose required by humankind. In the context of Islam, innovation should be performed such that it does not change the religion but rather satisfies the new understanding or views brought about by changes in circumstances, though it should not deviate from the essence and the requirement of al-Quran and al-Sunnah. A lot of the contemporary issues we are encountering these days were not known in the past. To ensure a continuous survival of society, various new opinions are required. The opinions of preceding theologians may not be wrong, but may have expired due to changes in time and circumstance.

http://blogs.wsj.com/dispatch/2011/08/22/qa-muhammad-asri-zainul-abidin/

China bans Ramadan, continues clampdown on Uyghur Muslims

Eurasia Review

BEIJING, Aug 12: China is placing restrictions on its Muslim Uyghur population during the fasting month of Ramadan, following a string of violent attacks in its northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Chinese Muslims face unnecessary restrictions from the authorities especially during Ramadan

Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, said Ramadan, which runs roughly from Aug. 1 to 30 this year, has brought a fresh clampdown on Muslims in the wake of violent attacks in the Silk Road cities of Kashgar and Hotan.

The group has said that more than 100 Uyghurs were detained in the wake of an attack on a market in Kashgar last weekend. Most of those detained as suspects were committed Muslims who attended mosque and whose wives wore veils, residents say.

Raxit said the chief restriction lies in a ban on mosques from advertising Ramadan-linked events or in encouraging people to observe the month-long fast.

“If any religious figure discusses Ramadan during the course of religious activities, or encourages people to take part, then they will lose their license to practice,” Raxit said.

“The more serious cases will result in arrests for incitement to engage in illegal religious activity,” he said.

Ramadan restrictions

During Ramadan, Muslims who are able should take no food, water, or cigarettes during daylight hours. Restaurants in Muslim countries close during the day, re-opening to break the fast after sunset.

However, government campaigns in previous years have forced restaurants to stay open, and required Uyghur government cadres throughout Xinjiang to sign “letters of responsibility” promising to avoid fasting, evening prayers, or other religious activities.

Officials have also targeted Muslim schoolchildren, providing them with free lunches during the fasting period.

Raxit said similar restrictions were in place for government cadres, who risk losing pensions and other benefits. Private companies are offering lunches to Uyghur Muslims, and any who refuse to eat could lose their annual bonus, or even their job, he added.

According to the Beijing-based Uyghur Online website, the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) has announced a ban on any religious activities during the Muslim holy month.

The restrictions were being imposed “to preserve social stability,” the website reported.

An employee who answered the phone at a local government neighborhood committee office in the regional capital Urumqi, which saw deadly ethnic rioting in July 2009, confirmed the restrictions.

“Fasting during Ramadan is a traditional ethnic custom, and they are allowed to do that,” she said. “But they aren’t allowed to hold any religious activities during Ramadan.”

And she added: “Party members are not allowed to fast for Ramadan, and neither are civil servants.”

Mosque guidelines

An employee who answered the phone at a mosque in Urumqi said people from out of town are banned from attending mosques in Urumqi for prayers during August.

Left: The Id Kah mosque in Xinjiang, China

Everyone attending prayers has to register with their national identity card, he added.

“They have to register,” he said. “[After prayers] they aren’t allowed to [congregate and] talk to each other.”

Foreigners have been barred from entering mosques in the region, mosque officials said.

A Uyghur resident of Beijing said students under 18 are forbidden from fasting during Ramadan.

And an employee who answered the phone at a Muslim restaurant in Urumqi said it would remain open all month.

Kashgar prefecture Communist Party chief Cheng Zhenshan vowed to fight “separatists,” “religious extremists,” and “terrorists” with “iron fists,” following the weekend violence in the Silk Road city that left at least 14 people dead and 40 others injured.

The attacks in Kashgar and those in the nearby city of Hotan two weeks ago in which 20 people were killed are the bloodiest violence in a year in Xinjiang, where Muslim Uyghurs chafe under Chinese rule.

Deadly riots in Xinjiang’s regional capital of Urumqi left at least 200 dead in July 2009 following clashes between Han Chinese and Uyghurs.

Chinese commentators say the slew of recent attacks in Xinjiang show that Beijing’s policy on ethnic minorities has gone badly wrong.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/world/3329-china-bans-ramadan-continues-clampdown-on-uyghur-muslims.html

Got questions about Islam? Call now

Houston Chronicle

NEW JERSEY, Aug 19: Like many American Muslims, Asim Khan is tired of the prejudice against his religion.

A billboard advertises a hotline that encourages people to call in and ask Muslims questions about Islam.

The president of the New Jersey chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America welcomes the curiosity. But he wishes those with questions about Islam would ask him or other Muslims before jumping to conclusions.

"Rather than absorb knowledge from Fox News, we invite people to come hear it from the horse's mouth. We invite them to ask us what our faith is about," Khan said. "There is a lot of curiosity about Islam but also misinformation, uncertainty and a sense of fear in approaching us."

As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, asking a Muslim about Islam is now as simple as making a phone call. Two new 48-foot billboards along the New Jersey Turnpike direct drivers with questions about Islam to dial 877-949-4752 — a 24/7 toll-free hotline sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America.

The New Jersey billboards are among more than 50 going up on highways across the country. The ads - which began appearing on the Aug. 1 start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan - encourage anyone with questions about Islam to speak to those who experience the faith firsthand.

One of the New Jersey billboards features a U.S. flag and a message: "Islam? Get the Facts -877-Why-Islam." The other reads: "Ramadan - 1.57 Billion Celebrating. Find Out Why."

Callers may find themselves on the line with Nahela Morales, a Union City, N.J., resident and one of eight volunteers answering the phone. Morales, 35, was born in Mexico City, grew up in California and moved to New York two months before 9/11. On that day, she began asking questions about Islam and searching for answers online.

"My curiosity started with 9/11. I couldn't believe that a religion that's called 'peace' could kill so many people," Morales said, referring to one of the meanings of the word 'Islam.' "I wish I had known about WhyIslam then."

Morales, who grew up Catholic, started befriending Muslim women on Myspace and turned her questions to them. She got answers and converted to Islam five years later.

Now Morales is the one taking questions, often from Spanish-speaking callers.

"Today I got a call from a woman asking what Shariah is," she said, referring to Islamic law. "She was very curious, and told me, 'I want to understand.' I told her that Shariah is a code of conduct. We have rules. Like, if you see a sign that says 30 miles per hour, you stick to it."

WhyIslam was founded in 1999. Calls to the hotline skyrocketed after 9/11 and later dropped to an average of 400 a month. One of the initiative's founders, Tariq Amanullah of Metuchen, N.J., was killed during the 9/11 attacks while working at the World Trade Center.

WhyIslam has launched similar advertising campaigns in the past with ads on subways, buses, radio and TV. The turnpike billboards are the first such initiative in New Jersey.

Every ad campaign has led to a huge volume of calls, Khan said. "We're not here to convert people," Khan said. "We're here to educate people."

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/world/3362-got-questions-about-islam-call-now.html

Bukan Islam lebih faham bila berkawan dengan PAS

Fakhri Ali

TASEK GELUGOR, 15 Ogos: Hubungan dengan PAS sejak kemenangan Pilihan raya Umum tahun 2008, banyak mengajar masyarakat bukan Islam, khususnya dalam DAP untuk mengenali dan memahami Islam dengan lebih mendalam.

Demikian dinyatakan oleh Bendahari DAPSY Pulau Pinang, Steven Sim, ketika menyampaikan ceramah bersama dengan Timbalan Ketua Pemuda PAS Pusat, Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz di Markas PAS Padang Menora malam tadi.

Menurut beliau lagi, jika sebelum ini pemikiran bukan Islam banyak diracuni oleh MCA dan Gerakan dengan membuat pelbagai dakwaan yang menakutkan, tetapi kini setelah menjadi rakan dengan PAS, bukan Islam telah banyak memahami Islam yang sebenarnya.

"Kerana berkawan dengan PAS jugalah, majlis berbuka puasa turut dianjurkan oleh pemimpin DAP seperti Lydia Kok di Berapit, Bukit Mertajam bagi meraikan sauadara-saudara Islam yang berpuasa.

"Dulu kita tidak diajar untuk memahami unsur-unsur baik dan harmoni ini. Kini, pemimpin di kalangan DAP bukan saja boleh turut sama untuk berbuka puasa bersama-sama seperti mana yang sering dilakukan oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, tetapi juga berjaya memahami konsep hubungan baik tersebut.

"Hubungan baik ini juga tidak berjaya diresapi oleh pimpinan MCA dan Gerakan, walaupun mereka telah sekian lama berkawan dengan Umno. Oleh kerana itu jugalah, kita melihat kecelaruan sentiasa ada dalam komponen parti tersebut," tegasnya lagi.

Turut hadir sama dalam majlis ceramah tersebut ialah Ketua Pemuda PAS Pinang Pinang, Yusni Mat Piah.

http://bm.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/4934-pas-banyak-beri-kefahaman-pada-bukan-islam

Talking about Islamic values to a non-Muslim

Sukhdev Singh

This exchange of messages took place on account of the news about the 15 year old schoolgirl who made RM30,000 by having sexual intercourse with five men a day during her school holidays.

Friend: RM30,000 / 5 men = RM6000 per man. So good biz? Aiyah, the government already has 'moral education' based on Islamic principles. Guess that's not doing much good too, huh?

Me: What use is education without supervision, laws and policing? Even patimokha (code of coduct for Buddhist Theravada tradition monks) has punishable laws, the worst sentence being disrobing. And what may I ask you are the effects of disrobing? Simple, plain humiliation.

Kota Bharu town centre

All religiously based laws have these common traits including the Muslim hudud. I wish, in the event the Kelantan state government gets a chance, that it makes itself as an experiment not just for Malaysia, but for the whole world to see the wisdom upon which religiously based laws act.

Friend: So, you support Hudud laws, which may also including chopping off the hands, stoning someone to death, etc?

Me: (Laughs) Excuse me? This Malaysia we are talking about and the state is Kelantan. The Menteri Besar is Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Whose head or hands are going to get chopped off and who is going to get stoned to death? What you are expressing is pure Islamophobia, though not of that chronic grade as expressed in the western media.

There was once this article I read in Harakah some time ago claiming that once Kota Baru was a real 'maksiat' entertainment centre which could easily rival KL’s once famous BB Park.

Nauseated, the residents pooled their political will and now decades later ‘Bandar Maksiat Kota Baru’ (BMKB) has been transformed into Bandar Islam Kota Baru (BIKB).

Now it just happens that this is Tanah Melayu, and their religion is Islam. (Jocular digression: I always thought that ‘Singapura’ was ‘Tanah Singh’. However, instead of Karpal Singh, Lee Kuan Yew turned out to be the PM!).

Okay, now you are a sincere Buddhist, rather a Theravadin, to be more specific. Let me ask you, would you like the country that you have adopted as your own to be run by people who are sincere followers of their religion or hypocrites who would twist and turn or interpret their teachings for material gain through corruption, unfair and one sided dealings. Basically, we are talking about all the problems we have been putting up with where our BN is concerned.

In my whole life (and I am in yours too) I have never come across an attempt to run a government out of the teachings of a Holy Book.

Yes, you may cite the few 'Islamic' governments today, you might even include the Islamic countries that are now undergoing violent revolutions at the moment, but if you were to read the Harakah the view of Islam that will build up in your mind will be radically different.

However, the only thing that you will be required to do mentally is to pretend that you are not non-Malay. If mentally, we are going to continually mistrust the Malay or Muslim Malay administration of this country, we as a country are never going to develop and get ahead.

Many, especially the entire opposition, already have the view that we are strategising to compete with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia for the 10th place.

Religiously speaking, now let’s talk Theravadin, okay, we have the Sigalavoda Sutta:

There are six ways one dissipates one's wealth:

1. Drinking and drugs
2. Carousing late at night
3. Wasting away your time at shows
4. Gambling
5. Keeping bad company
6. Laziness

What can we do to ensure that our citizens do not get caught up in the above and dissipate their wealth?

The 'reclining Buddha' in Tumpat, Kelantan

Buddhistically, nothing. We are not a Buddhist country. (Please, please, I have heard enough of education. The Road Transport Department has a Road Safety Department which is the educational arm. But without the Traffic Police and the Laws the Road Safety Department will be one nice wayang kulit.)

Next, administratively speaking how can we ensure that our government has the qualities as listed down here:
The Ten Duties of a King (from the Pali Jatakas):

But the common man or woman is not the only one for whom Buddha provides guidance...
1. Dana: Liberality, generosity, charity, concern with the welfare of the people.
2. Sila: High moral character, observing at least the Five Precepts.
3. Parccaga: Willing to sacrifice everything for the people -- comfort, fame, even his life.
4. Ajjava: Honesty and integrity, not fearing some or favoring others.
5. Maddava: Kindness and gentleness.
6. Tapa: Austerity, content in the simple life.
7. Akkodha: Free from hatred, ill-will, and anger.
8. Avihimsa: Non-violence, a commitment to peace.
9. Khanti: Patience, tolerance, and the ability to understand others’ perspectives.
10. Avirodha: Non-obstruction, ruling in harmony with the will of the people and in their best interests.

Again, Buddhistically nothing. We are not a Buddhist country. But as Buddhist, or Sikhs for that matter we know that no founder of any religion taught anything bad nor was he ever motivated by bad intentions or aspirations. So, why don’t we just trust Islam?

But, you will say that you have heard many scary things about Islam. That is what Islamophobia is all about. It happened because you listened to the wrong views about the wrong Muslims. You want to understand true Muslim administration read the Harakah.

* Sukhdev Singh is a Harakahdaily reader.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/articles/analysis-a-opinion/3035-a-chat-about-islamic-values-with-a-non-muslim.html