Comments on: How Indonesia’s Islamic Universities Are Different

By: bystander

bystander — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:55:49 +0000

if vote absention is haram, surely frog-hopping by the 3 malay assemblymen is haram as its against human principles

By: OrangRojak

OrangRojak — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:49:53 +0000

Pancasila … the things I learn on LKS blog. Thanks!

friday they will go to mosque and on sunday they will go to church ,they are confused society
That sounds like a very agreeable society to me.

By: sotong

sotong — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:08:26 +0000

Indonesia will have a great influence on our country.

For a poor country and with only 10 years of democratic reform, they are on a right path to become a great nation.

By: chengho

chengho — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:37:59 +0000

dr farish,

you are confused yourself , Indonessian religion is Pancasila not relevent to Malaysia , friday they will go to mosque and on sunday they will go to church ,they are confused society…what is important to them is a basic need bread and butter issue ,soya and tempe..give Malaysia a credit

By: isahbiazhar

isahbiazhar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:09:25 +0000

Indonesians had been influenced by Hinduism before they proffessed Islam.This had given rise to rational thinking in the way they interpret religion.They also came in contact with Christianity.A good number joined.This shows that Indonesians are far ahead of us.Even they could allow their citizens to use “OM” while meditating.Here we are fighting over the use of ALLAH and GOD.If the Christians want to use the word ALLAH we Muslims should feel elated as they have accepted that word as in the Quran.We must change.

By: OrangRojak

OrangRojak — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:03:47 +0000

Events in Indonesia are not unimportant to Malaysia. Indonesia is recently getting a lot of positive global reporting for some of its more progressive attitudes. I expect more and more articles like Farish’s will be holding up Indonesia as an example for Malaysia to follow.

I think writing off Islam-in-Indonesia articles as ‘unimportant’ is missing the wider picture. The majority of voters in Malaysia are Muslims, whether by choice, indoctrination, or government assignment. As UMNO and their friends in the local religious establishment lose credibility in the eyes of this majority, where are they going to look for guidance? It has to be remembered that Malaysia is populated by bigots. Words alone won’t persuade anybody to follow another, if they don’t look as though they share a recent ancestor or obtain their morals from the same book of popular spirituality.

I still believe there’s a historical gap separating many people in the world from modernity. People simply have to pass through the gate of critical thinking in order to fully appreciate what it means to have ‘first world mentality’. I think any attempts to identify the critical thinkers to emulate are laudable. We’re all bombarded non-stop by the propaganda of those who apparently choose not to think critically.

By: pulau_sibu

pulau_sibu — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 06:58:03 +0000

Not comparing with Harvard, Yale,…, but compare if we are the better among the worst. This is quite ashame

By: monsterball

monsterball — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:37:40 +0000

You will find in Jokja .. hundreds of Muslim students from Malaysia.
I wonder if this is partly due to the good Islamic lecturers there.
And yes..I agree with Mr. Smith.
This is not important .

By: Mr Smith

Mr Smith — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:02:30 +0000

This is one time I am giving Farish writing a skip. Sorry lah, no mood, no interest. I am too focused on the Perak turmoil.

I am too angry with UMNO, the EC, the Police, with BN, with MCA and with the media that I cannot read anything else.

I want to see UMNO and BN completely humiliated in the snap election which I pray will be called today. Amen to that.

By: LBJ

LBJ — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:19:12 +0000

This is a clear case of politicians hijacking religion. Politicians masquerading as Ulamas making fatwas for their own ends.