Archive for category Islam
Support for Anwar’s condemnation of Swedish-Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan for burning a copy of holy Quran in Stockholm
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Islam on Monday, 23 January 2023
I fully support the condemnation of the Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, of the Swedish-Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan for burning a copy of the holy Quran in Stockholm on Sunday.
It is not only a blatant defilement of Islam’s holy book, but an unacceptable hate speech which cannot find any justification as “freedom of speech” in any civilized society, just as there can be no justification for any act of arson.
Form a commission of Islamic and non-Islamic experts to report on whether there are political parties promoting Islamophobia and the problem of Islamophobia and the phobias of other religions in Malaysia
PAS President, Hadi Awang, accused the DAP of promoting Islamophobia.
The PAS publication Harakah today published an article headlined “Dasar secular DAP dan liberal PKR mewujudkan Islamophobia”.
Malaysians should dedicate the 15 days between Hari Merdeka on August 31st and Malaysia Day on September 16 every year as Malaysian Unity Season to emphasise and promote unity of diverse races, languages, regions, cultures and civilizations in Malaysia and avoid division and disunity
Posted by Kit in Islam, nation building on Monday, 16 September 2019
Malaysians of diverse races, religions and cultures are here tonight to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This year’s Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival is special, as for the first time, the Yang di Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah have conveyed Mid-Autumn Festival greetings to the Chinese community in the country.
This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival fell on last Friday on Sept. 13, and I was at Wisma Sambanthan in Kuala Lumpur to launch a Tamil book of short stories by my old friend and comrade, K. Siladass.
I do not understand Tamil, but before the function, I was privileged to be given a copy of Thirukkural with translation in Malay and English by Dr. Singaravelu Sachithananthan, former head and professor of Indian Studies, University of Malaya – which must the first book of its kind in the world.
The very fact that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I was launching a Tamil book was highly symbolic that Malaysia is a confluence of four great civilisations in the world – Malay/Islamic, Chinese, Indian and Western – and Malaysia must strive to become an example to the world of the success of the Alliance of Civilisations instead of being a failure because of the Clash of Civilisations. Read the rest of this entry »
Urge Zakir Naik to act positively on Anas Zubedy’s Open Letter to leave Malaysia voluntarily
I have read Anas Zubedy’s Open Letter to Zakir Naik yesterday giving four reasons why the latter should leave Malaysia voluntarily, and I cannot agree more with Anas.
Anas first praised Zakir Naik’s stand on the problem of Sunni-Syiah divide, that there is no Sunni or Syiah divide in the Quran and the Prophet was neither.
Anas said: “Your understanding of the Quran on this matter is par excellence and exemplary!
“It would be most beneficial to Muslim Unity in Malaysia if you can advise, explain and convince many of our local Ulama, even some muftis – many of whom you have shared a stage with, to stop this schism.
“For your information, it is a usual practice in many mosques all over Malaysia to paint the Syiah’s in a bad light especially during Friday sermons. If you advise them, they may listen to you. They respect you and want your approval. God-Willing they will pay heed.” Read the rest of this entry »
Proponents of klepto-theocracy in attack mode with more lies and falsehoods as accusing me of condemning Muslims as thieves and corrupt
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Islam, PAS, UMNO on Saturday, 27 July 2019
Yesterday, while supporting the idea proposed by Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in Ankara that Muslim countries like Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan pool their resources to make Islamic civilisation great again, I made the point that it is not possible to make Islamic civilisation great again based on klepto-theocracy – the political doctrine which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption.
This elicited an immediate attack by the proponents of klepto-theocracy, pouring out more lies and falsehoods as accusing me of condemning Muslims as thieves and being corrupt.
Only simpletons and the retarded will believe in such garbage, for there are Muslims who are thieves and corrupt just as there are non-Muslims who are thieves and corrupt.
A person becomes a thief or is corrupt not because of his religion but despite his religion – in fact if he is a pious follower of Islam or the great religions of the world, the last thing he would do is to become a thief or corrupt – as he had disregarded the basic teachings of Islam and the great religions of the world to be good, pious, virtuous and God-fearing.
Read the rest of this entry »
Is it possible to make Islamic civilisation great again based on klepto-theocracy which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and supports thievery and corruption?
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Islam, nation building on Friday, 26 July 2019
When I read the report of the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad saying in Ankara on the need for Muslim countries like Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan to pool their resources to make Islamic civilisation great again, the question that immediately struck me was:
Is it possible to make Islamic civilisation great again based on klepto-theocracy which misuses Islam to peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption?
This thought was prompted by another report which I had read – the reply of the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi to PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim which again confirmed Mahathir’s earlier remark about UMNO leaders becoming “dumb and dumber” over the years.
Zahid had earlier insinuated that Mahathir was my stooge and was only doing my bidding. In his reply to Anwar, he insinuated that Anwar has become my stooge. This would mean I have two stooges – Mahathir and Anwar.
How “dumb and dumber” can an UMNO leader get?
Can Islamic civilisation become great again based on such klepto-theocracy, which only peddle lies, falsehoods, distrust, suspicion, hatred and which supports thievery and corruption. Read the rest of this entry »
Klepto-theocracy is a political doctrine in Malaysia which misuses Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Financial Scandals, Islam, PAS on Wednesday, 24 July 2019
I have been asked what is the meaning of this term “klepto-theocracy” which I been using for the past week.
In a nutshell, klepto-theocracy is a political doctrine in Malaysia which misuses Islam to support thievery, corruption, intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods.
A most recent example of this new political hypocrisy is about the declaration of assets, with the PAS, UMNO, MCA and MIC MPs in both Houses of Parliament opposing the motion requiring MPs to publicly declare their assets.
The PAS President said declaring assets is a communist, socialist concept that may have been dreamt up by DAP while the PAS Deputy President said it was unIslamic to declare assets, until it was pointed out that the latter had in 2015 dared the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to declare his assets!
The misuse of Islam to support kleptocracy was best illustrated over the ICERD issue. Read the rest of this entry »
Support for new legislation to curb hate speech particularly relating to religion
Posted by Kit in Islam, nation building, Religion on Saturday, 25 May 2019
Sokong cadangan undang-undang baru untuk menangani ucapan berunsur kebencian berkaitan agama
Saya menyokong penuh cadangan daripada Timbalan Menteri Perumahan, Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin untuk menggubal suatu undang-undang yang baru untuk menangani masalah percakapan yang berunsurkan kebencian di media sosial, terutamanya yang berkaitan dengan agama.
Contoh yang paling baru adalah kenyataan daripada seorang pemimpin NGO Muslim berkenaan isu Pos Malaysia mengeluarkan setem yang memaparkan Gereja St George di Pulau Pinang.
Pemimpin NGO tersebut telah menyiarkan ketidakpuasan hati beliau di Facebook, mengakatakan yang setem ini adalah salah satu lagi contoh Islam dibuli sejak Pakatan Harapan mengambil-alih pemerintahan Mei tahun lepas dan mengatakan kejadian ini boleh mengelirukan orang asing untuk berfikir yang Malaysia sudah menjadi negara Kristian, walhal setem itu sebenarnya sebahagian daripada siri setem rumah ibadat di Malaysia yang dikeluarkan buat pertama kalinya pada tahun 2016, dua tahun sebelum pentadbiran Pakatan Harapan.
Dalam Malaysia Baharu, agama sepatutnya menjadi satu kuasa penyatuan dan sepatutnya tidak ada ruang untuk ahli politik yang menyalahgunakan agama untuk mempertahankan kleptokrasi atau ektremisme dalam sebarang bentuk sekalipun.
Memandangkan Malaysia adalah sebuah komuniti yang mempunyai pelbagai fahaman agama, sepatutnya menjadi kepentingan utama untuk semua rakyat saling menghormati semua agama, malahan, perkara ini adalah prinsip yang pertama di dalam Rukunegara — Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan, yang berasaskan kepada prinsip asas perlembagaan dimana Islam adalah agama rasmi persekutuan dan semua agama dan kepercayaan lain boleh diamalkan dengan bebas dan harmoni tanpa sebarang diskriminasi.
Read the rest of this entry »
PAS the biggest winner of the Anti-ICERD rally while UMNO the biggest loser
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Islam, PAS on Monday, 10 December 2018
The biggest winner in Anti-ICERD (Internatioal Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination) rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday was PAS, which managed to distract public attention from the fact that its President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang had reduced PAS from a national party achieved under the presidency of Fadzil Noor back into a regional political party in the 14th General Election.
The biggest loser of the Anti-ICERD rally was UMNO, as for the first time in 72 years, the UMNO President played a secondary role to that of the PAS President, with the UMNO President wooing PAS for an union while PAS played coy in the courtship.
Hadi’s ambition for PAS has increased exponentially before and after the 14th General Election.
Before the 14GE, Hadi wanted PAS to play the role of “king-maker” by winning 40 parliamentary seats, which would enable him to prop up Datuk Seri Najib Razak to continue as Prime Minister of Malaysia, heedless of Najib’s role in hurtling Malaysia in the trajectory of a rogue democracy, a kakistocracy, a failed state and a global kleptocracy.
Now, Hadi could not be satsified to be a “kingmaker” for UMNO to continue to rule Malaysia, as he would himself want to be Prime Minister in a political scenario where UMNO needs PAS more than PAS needs UMNO! Read the rest of this entry »
No reason why a competent, efficient and professional police force could not re-unite Indira Gandhi with her nine-year-old daughter Prasana Diksa three days after the Federal Court judgement
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Islam, Police on Thursday, 1 February 2018
Long-suffering mother Indira Gandhi has made a most heart-rending plea that she only wants to see and hold her daughter, Prasana Diksa, who was taken from her nine years ago when she was only nine months old when her ex-husband Muhammad Riduan Abdullah unilaterally converted Prasana to Islam.
Indira has said that she wants to put aside the issue of religion as her concern as a mother was to ensure her wellbeing.
Read the rest of this entry »
Is DAP “unclean” because it does not support Hadi as Prime Minister?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, DAP, Islam, PAS on Sunday, 17 December 2017
The attack by the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang that the DAP is unclean sets many Malaysians asking whether the DAP is unclean because it does not support Hadi as Prime Minister but would become instantly “clean” if DAP supports Hadi as Prime Minister.
For seven years from 2008 to 2015, Hadi led PAS to co-operate with DAP and PKR in Pakatan Rakyat to replace the UMNO/BN coalition in Putrajaya.
At which point Hadi found that the DAP was “unclean” and not worthy of co-operation?
Was it in 2012 when Hadi sought and failed to get the support of DAP that the Pakatan Rakyat candidate for Prime Minister should be Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and not Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim?
Was Hadi preparing to spring a surprise to use the quota of PAS MPs as the “kingmakers” to decide which coalition, Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional, should form the federal government after the 13th General Election, depending among other things on whether Hadi got his way on who would be the Prime Minister – with Hadi always preferring to be Deputy Prime Minister of a Najib-led instead of an Anwar-led Cabinet? Read the rest of this entry »
Najib should speak up on behalf of all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, to deplore US President Trump’s Islamophobic tweets
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, should speak up on behalf of all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, to deplore United States President Donald Trump’s Islamophobic tweets.
The is the time for Najib to rescue his “wasatiyyah” preachings in promoting the Global Movement of Moderates from utter irrelevance and inconsequence. Read the rest of this entry »
The Saudi Purge Isn’t Just a Power Grab
Posted by Kit in Corruption, International, Islam on Thursday, 9 November 2017
By Peter Waldman and Glen Carey
Bloomberg
November 9, 2017
It’s a go-for-broke upheaval. The question now, for hopeful investors, is whether the crown prince follows his corruption crackdown by opening up an economy dominated by plutocrats and royal cronies.
It makes sense to be cynical about Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ostensible crackdown on corruption in Saudi Arabia.
Among the 11 princes, 4 ministers, and dozens of well-known businessmen arrested were some of the 32-year-old’s last potential rivals to the Saudi throne.
The move also smacks of an asset snatch. Police nabbed 3 of the Arab world’s 10 richest men, including investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the billionaire best known for rescuing Citicorp in 1991 and making big bets on Apple Inc. and 21st Century Fox Inc.
But was it only a Machiavellian power play? Or is this the start of a dramatic, go-for-broke attempt to transform a country that’s resisted change for decades? Read the rest of this entry »
Call for a Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights whose terms of reference would include reviewing the ban of over 1,600 books in the past 40 years
Posted by Kit in Human Rights, Islam, Pakatan Harapan on Tuesday, 31 October 2017
It is an honour and privilege to be here to take part in the dialogue on “Maju Malaysia: Buku Sumber Kebijaksanaan atau Penggugat Keharmonian?” at Summit USJ Mall organized at the initiative of the Office of Hannah Yeoh, Selangor State Assembly Speaker and to have such a distinguished panelists of discussants, namely Pak Samad Said, Dr. Ahmad Farouk Musa, Art Harun and Al-Mustaqeem Mahmud Radhi.
Recently, there had been a spate of bans on books and publications, but the most shocking was the ban in July on the book produced by G25 titled “Breaking the Silence: Voices of Moderation ― Islam in a Constitutional Democracy” in a country founded on the principles of moderation, tolerance, openness and inclusivity and whose Prime Minister has gone to the United Nations General Assembly three times since 2010 to sell his international initiative of a Global Movement of Moderates, which has proved to be neither global, a movement nor moderate.
Early this month, the government banned the latest work of Malaysian cartoonist Junar, whose book “Sapuman: Man of Steal”, making a mockery of Malaysia’s commitment to human rights and freedom of expression. This follows earlier bans on Zunar’s other cartoon books – Gedung Kartun, 1 Funny Malaysia, Isu Dalam Kartun (Vol 1, 2, 3), Conspiracy to Imprison Anwar, Perak Darul Kartun and Pirates of Carry-BN. Zunar’s Ros in Kangkongland and other titles are also investigated under the Sedition Act.
Malaysia also banned the international best-seller “Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty” published in United States in 2011, just after an unpleasantly-enforced end to a lecture tour by Turkish author Mustapha Akyol, who suddenly found himself a “persona non grata” by the religious authorities in Malaysia, subjected to harassment and detention. Read the rest of this entry »
I will return Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam, says crown prince
Posted by Kit in International, Islam on Thursday, 26 October 2017
Martin Chulov in Riyadh
Guardian
Tuesday 24 October 2017
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has vowed to return the country to “moderate Islam” and asked for global support to transform the hardline kingdom into an open society that empowers citizens and lures investors.
In an interview with the Guardian, the powerful heir to the Saudi throne said the ultra-conservative state had been “not normal” for the past 30 years, blaming rigid doctrines that have governed society in a reaction to the Iranian revolution, which successive leaders “didn’t know how to deal with”.
Expanding on comments he made at an investment conference at which he announced the launch of an ambitious $500bn (£381bn) independent economic zone straddling Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, Prince Mohammed said: “We are a G20 country. One of the biggest world economies. We’re in the middle of three continents. Changing Saudi Arabia for the better means helping the region and changing the world. So this is what we are trying to do here. And we hope we get support from everyone.
“What happened in the last 30 years is not Saudi Arabia. What happened in the region in the last 30 years is not the Middle East. After the Iranian revolution in 1979, people wanted to copy this model in different countries, one of them is Saudi Arabia. We didn’t know how to deal with it. And the problem spread all over the world. Now is the time to get rid of it.” Read the rest of this entry »
Before Annuar continues with his tirades and lies about the DAP being anti-Islam, he should ask himself whether he is worthy to be a “warrior of Islam” when he is a walking example of the “curse of kleptocracy” in Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Islam on Sunday, 15 October 2017
Before the UMNO Information Chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa continues with his tirades and lies about the DAP being anti-Islam, he should ask himself whether he is worthy to be a “warrior of Islam” when he is a walking example of the “curse of kleptocracy” in Malaysia?
In recent years, Malaysia has suffered from the curse of the “kleptocratic culture” which has resulted in Malaysia becoming the object of world-wide scorn and ridicule as a “global kleptocracy”.
The most egregious example of this curse of kleptocratic culture is undoubtedly the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal.
Although not as egregious as the 1MDB scandal, the MARA and Felda/FGV scandals rank high on the list of corruption scandals constituting the “curse of kleptocratic culture” in the country which will be the subject of root-and-branch investigations by a Pakatan Harapan Federal Government if Pakatan Harapan can topple UMNO/BN in the 14th General Election. Read the rest of this entry »
Kassim Ahmad: The passing of a great Malay intellectual
Rosli Dahlan
Free Malaysia Today
10th October 2017
Today, we mourn the passing of a great Malay intellectual, a towering Malaysian who stood firm in his belief to his last breath. At 10am on Oct 10, Kassim Ahmad passed away in Kulim Hospital after slipping into a coma two days ago.
Kassim was known as a non-conformist thinker, who was seen as being highly critical of the religious authorities, and more recently of Jabatan Agama Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi).
His books were banned and Jawi considered him to be a heretic. It is unknown to many that Kassim who was born on Sept 9, 1933 was the son of an Islamic religious teacher, Ahmad Ishak. Kassim’s religious knowledge therefore was not skin deep.
On Feb 16, 2014, Kassim was invited to speak at the Perdana Foundation in Putrajaya. The topic was “Hadis: Satu Penilaian Semula” and “Hadis: Jawapan kepada Pengkritik”.
The media reported about his speech. And following the media coverage, Jawi proceeded to persecute Kassim relentlessly. On March 26, 2014, Jawi officers raided Kassim’s house in Kulim, Kedah. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian launderette owner stirs Asian hornet’s nest
By James M. Dorsey
Huffington Post
09/28/2017
Uproar about a launderette owner’s decision to bar non-Muslims from using his service has focused a spotlight on broader discriminatory attitudes in Malaysian society as well as elsewhere in Asia that are reinforced by Saudi-inspired ultra-conservative interpretations of Islam.
In contrast to many Asian leaders who have been reluctant to confront-ultra-conservatives head-on, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskander, the sovereign of the Malaysian state of Johor, did not mince his words in forcing the launderette owner to rescind his ban on non-Muslims and insist that Johor was “not a Taliban state.”
The silver-lining in the launderette owner’s controversial move is the fact that it sparked debate about discrimination in Malaysia. Malaysian opposition member of parliament Teo Nie Ching announced that she was considering introducing legislation to strengthen anti-discrimination in the country’s legal code. It was not immediately clear whether she would tackle Malaysia’s banning of the use of the word Allah by Christians and repression of the country’s miniscule Shiite community in any proposed legislation.
Similarly, Malaysian lawyer Syahredzan Johan asked on Twitter what the difference was between what the difference was between a launderette owner refusing to service non-Muslims and Malaysian Chinese accepting only Chinese roommates or Malaysians refusing to rent properties to Africans. Read the rest of this entry »
From My Detention in Malaysia, Thoughts on Islam and Tolerance
Mustafa Akyol
New York Times
SEPT. 28, 2017
I am writing this column from an airplane, on my way from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to my new home, Wellesley, Mass. I’m in a comfortable seat, and I’m looking forward to getting back to my family. About 12 hours ago, though, I was miserable, locked in a holding cell by Malaysia’s “religious police.”
The story began a few months ago, when the Islamic Renaissance Front, a reformist, progressive Muslim organization in Malaysia, invited me to give a series of lectures on Islam, reason and freedom. The group had hosted me three times before in the past five years for similar events and also published the Malay version of my book “Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty.” I was glad for the chance to visit Malaysia again.
I arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 22. The next day I gave my first lecture on the suppression of rational theology by dogmatists in early Islam, making the point that this “intellectual suicide” still haunts Muslim civilization. Read the rest of this entry »
A recent upsurge of race and religious issues over beer, shorts, launderette and Christianisation to compensate for the disastrous flops over Najib’s meeting with Trump and RCI on forex losses to target Mahathir and Anwar
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Constitution, Islam, Najib Razak on Thursday, 28 September 2017
There has been an upsurge of race and religious issues over beer, shorts, launderette and so-called Christianisation to compensate for the propaganda setbacks suffered by UMNO/BN over the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s meeting with US President Trump and the failure of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to target former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Cabinet should take heed of the call by the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) Chairman Tan Sri Razali Ismail – whose distinguished diplomatic service included a year as President of the United Nations General Assembly – that Putrajaya should “take stock of the drift towards religious extremism”.
The prospect of creeping Talibanisation is the concern of all moderate and patriotic Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, culture or region, who love Malaysia and want the country to be an oasis of peace and harmony in a very troubled world and be an example to the world of how a plural society formed out of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures could unite to build a harmonious, tolerant, moderate and modern nation which is just, democratic, progressive and prosperous. Read the rest of this entry »
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