Archive for category Islam
Baptising M’sia: PAS calls it hogwash
By Tarani Palani
May 9, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: PAS leaders have rubbished a media report regarding an alleged Christian plot, so much so that the Islamic party did not even bother seeking a clarification from its ally DAP.
Instead, they gave the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia, which broke the news on its front-page last week, a baptism of fire for peddling propaganda.
PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali said: “It is a propoganda designed to attack DAP and PAS at the same time. It will not work because we have an understanding between us.”
He said PAS also did not believe the report which claimed that DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and to eventually install a Christian prime minister. Read the rest of this entry »
No call to pray for Christian state, say pastors
Posted by Kit in Islam, nation building, Religion on Monday, 9 May 2011
By Susan Loone
May 9, 11 4:26pm | Malaysiakini
The Christian Federation of Malaysia has refuted allegations that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng or the DAP ever asked its pastors to pray for Malaysia to be established as a Christian state or to have a Christian Prime Minister.
Following a 90-minute meeting between Lim and the federation in Komtar today, both parties issued a joint statement saying Christian churches and pastors have always prayed for blessings for the nation.
“We have also prayed for peace, unity and harmony among the races and for a leadership that is honest and just,” said Lim, who read out the statement in the presence of about 50 representatives of the federation.
“Christian pastors and churches are aggrieved that such outright lies can be published in the mass media,” he said.
Read the rest of this entry »
PAS leaders put down right wing paper’s latest fire
Posted by Kit in Constitution, DAP, Islam, Pakatan Rakyat, PAS on Monday, 9 May 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, May 9: PAS leaders have come together to slam right-wing group Perkasa’s mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia in its latest claim against DAP of a ‘Christian conspiracy’ to make Islam the religion of the Federation.
PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang condemned the paper for being irresponsible in playing up communal issues to fan sentiments especially among the Malays Muslims.
Hadi reiterated that PAS, PKR and DAP have long agreed to defend the Federal constitution, among which makes Islam the official religion while ensuring freedom for other religions to be practised.
“This commitment is enshrined in Pakatan Rakyat’s common policy. Hence, the ploy played by certain media aiming to rouse the people’s sentiments especially among Malays Muslims that Malaysia would become a Christian state smacks of irresponsbile reporting,” Hadi told Harakahdaily. Read the rest of this entry »
Islam Under Attack? What about Christians?
By Emmanuel Joseph
Those who claim Islam in Malaysia is under threat should really spend a day trying to live as a Christian here. It is baseless, callous, slanderous, stupid statements such as these that are tearing this country apart far more than dinners for pastors or celebrating Deepa-Raya, or doing the poco-poco.
No religion encourages slander.Yet in this country, a newspaper that claims to be defending race and religion is allowed to slander politicians, political organizations, and now, even entire religious communities. In this country, organizations such as Perkasa are allowed to make sweeping racist statements with no merit, basis nor ounce of truth, and they are heralded as heaven-sent revelations, yet works to foster inter-racial harmony on the other side of the political spectrum are doubted, mocked, ridiculed and worse, outright denied. The low levels that some people sink to for political survival is sometimes surprising, but almost always sickening. Whatever happened to the burden of proof lying with the accuser?
Read the rest of this entry »
A ‘new McCarthyism’ on the rise, warns Bishop
Posted by Kit in Constitution, DAP, Islam, Religion on Monday, 9 May 2011
Terence Netto | May 8, 11
Malaysiakini
Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing warned of the rise of a “new McCarthyism” in Malaysia where failed politicians engage in “witch-hunts and “scaremongering” as diversions from the problem of their sinking popularity.
In comments made to Malaysiakini on the emergence of allegations that Christian groups were out to undermine the status of Islam as the official religion, the Bishop of Melaka-Johor, who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, said:
“The last time a calumny like this was visited on Malaysian Christians was in the early 1970s when a past president of Pas described us as greater national security threat than were the Communists,” recalled the Jesuit-trained prelate.
“Fortunately, that was a lone instance and reflected one individual’s fevered imagination. But now we see various groups of politicians intent on resurrecting this bogey to divert attention from the problem of their slumping popularity,” commented Bishop Paul Tan.
“Instead of dealing with the obvious causes of their sinking popularity, like widespread corruption, racism and intolerable economic inequities in society, they engage in witch-hunts against assorted scapegoats,” he continued. Read the rest of this entry »
Christian state: Utusan blowing hot air, says don
Posted by Kit in Constitution, DAP, Islam, Religion on Monday, 9 May 2011
Hazlan Zakaria | May 8, 11
Malaysiakini
Renowned constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari has dismissed Utusan Malaysia’s article on a supposed conspiracy to make Christianity Malaysia’s official religion as “ridiculous”.
“Constitutionally it is just illogical. It cannot happen, just impossible. Even if Pakatan controlled hundred percent of the Dewan Rakyat.
“Remember that the Senate which has similar powers to the lower house when it comes to constitutional amendments, is not under their control as some of the senators belong to Umno-BN.”
He argued that technically the upper house can block the amendment passed by the Dewan Rakyat.
Abdul Aziz contended that the provisions on the subject matters – monarchy, Islam and the Malays – are simply beyond the ordinary political process. Read the rest of this entry »
Utusan wants to set 1 Malaysia on fire, decries Lim
By Susan Loone
May 7, 2011
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has expressed outrage over a front-page report today headlined ‘Malaysia Negara Kristian?’ (Malaysia a Christian state?) in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia.
Lim turned his guns on the Malay daily for the false report which was based on a couple of pro-Umno blogs and accused Utusan of planning to “set 1Malaysia on fire” by playing up racial and religious sentiments.
According to Lim, the newspaper was playing a dangerous game by front-paging an article without verifying the allegations featured in anonymous blogs such as Bigdog.com and Marahku.com.
“Utusan wants to set 1Malaysia on fire… it is the most evil (jahat) and dangerous element in our country right now,” decried an angry Lim at a press conference in Penang today.
“I have asked my party leaders to lodge a police report on the matter. How can a lie be on the front page of a newspaper?” Read the rest of this entry »
Interfaith council: No one is questioning Islam
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Islam, Religion on Saturday, 7 May 2011
Malaysiakini
May 6, 2011
A religious council has rubbished allegations that the position of Islam in the country is “under siege”.
Saying that they are “concerned”, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is amazed by the remarks made by the Coalition of Muslim Organisations (Pembela) earlier this week.
“How could lslam’s position be under siege when all public institutions and other organs of government are under the control of Muslims?” asked coalition president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips.
He quoted Kita president Zaid Ibrahim who recently said in his blog that the Malays are already in complete political control.
The party president also said that various government-linked companies such as Maybank, Petronas, Telekom Malaysia are already in the government’s hand and managed by Malay-bumiputras.
“The G-20 group of largest listed GLCs alone possesses RM353 billion (around half) of the market capitalisation of the entire Bursa Malaysia,” Zaid had said.
Read the rest of this entry »
Christian leaders condemn claims trying to usurp Islam
By Debra Chong | TMI
KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Organisers of a Christian meeting in Penang denied today allegations from pro-Umno bloggers that they were conspiring with the DAP to supplant Islam’s position as the country’s official religion in a bid to take over Putrajaya.
The heated religious rhetoric from before the April 16 Sarawak election appeared to have died down immediately after, only to flare up again this week as right-wing Malay groups sounded the alarm over the rising popularity of the Chinese-dominant DAP.
The National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), together with partners Global Day of Prayer, Marketplace Penang and Penang Pastors Fellowship, said the claims against their community were lies and slammed the pro-Malay rights groups for driving a further wedge to create social disharmony in multicultural Malaysia apart from being seditious.
“The organiser vehemently denies such a claim as being unfounded and totally untrue aimed at creating division and social disharmony in multi-ethnic society of Malaysia and appears to be seditious,” the Christian group said in a statement this evening.
Read the rest of this entry »
Surely not another 50 years of Islamisation?
Posted by Kit in History, Islam, Najib Razak, UMNO on Wednesday, 4 May 2011
by Yin Ee Kiong | CPIAsia
Until now one can arguably say that the non-Muslims have not made a stand against the erosion of their constitutional right regarding freedom of worship. Neither have they done anything to protect the status of their religion.
The church has stood by while symbols of their religion were dismantled from mission schools. The church leaders were weak and complaint, and for being a ‘good boy’ many were made Datuks. The same can be said of the leaders of the other religions.
If ever they thought that ‘turning the other cheek’ would appease the Islamist fundamentalists then they were wrong. Appeasement only emboldened the religious ultras among the Muslims.
Now we’ve had churches being torched and corpses snatched, temples demolished and cow heads paraded to insult the religions of the infidels.
Read the rest of this entry »
The true spirit of the azan
By Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi | MalaysiaKini
Let us be clear on the purpose of the adhan in its original form. According to the hadith (recording of the sayings and actions) of the Prophet Muhammad as documented by Sirah Ishaq:
“When the apostle was firmly settled in Medina and his brethren the emigrants were gathered to him and the affairs of the helpers were arranged, Islam became firmly established.
“Prayer was instituted, the alms tax and fasting were prescribed, legal punishments fixed, the forbidden and the permitted prescribed, and Islam took up its abode with them. It was this clan of the helpers who ‘have taken up their abode (in the city of the prophet) and in the faith’.
Read the rest of this entry »
The debate on pluralism
Posted by Kit in Islam, Religion, Thomas Lee on Saturday, 18 December 2010
By Thomas Lee
MySinchew.com
2010-12-17
Over the last few days, a controversy has been brewing over a statement by the Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) that Islam considers that not all religions are equal, and that the concept of pluralism is antithetical to Islam.
The Umno-owned and controlled Utusan Malaysia daily has gone to town with stories suggesting that religious pluralism is a threat to Islam, and that Pakatan Rakyat supremo and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is pushing for other religions to be put on an equal footing with Islam.
According to the newspaper, those who question the position of Islam and the Malays are practitioners of religious pluralism, in what appears to be a claim that Anwar’s rejection of Umno’s “ketuanan Melayu” concept is unIslamic, or even anti-Islam.
I think we should not just jump at Ikim and unilaterally condemn its view about the exclusivity of Islam without some serious objective evaluation and understanding of the teaching of the religion. Read the rest of this entry »
Halal? Haram? Heck if I know…
It’s really surprising that people want to talk about halal and haram, but not just in Penang. It’s truly impressive, in Penang, how a bunch of geriatrics say that they don’t want money from any source that is considered haram.
It seems as if we are back to the same holier-than-thou mentality in politics that was visible in the 70s, where even graveyards and grieving for a dead relative were politically segregated. This was the age when Umno and PAS supporters were so passionate to the point that the arguments clearly extended after death.
There should be no paranoia when it comes to the question of halal and haram. Not in this nation where we are opening up to the rest of the world to prove that we are, in fact, truly a moderate Muslim majority nation that in all honesty respects the rest of the population as equals. That was the true Malaysian goal.
What we have now in the 1 Malaysia campaign, is a farce. A cover-up of gigantic proportions. All talk and no “meat”, per se.
Read the rest of this entry »
Why Islam And Democracy Are Destined to Coincide
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Islam on Wednesday, 6 October 2010
First and foremost, there is essentially no problem in terms of compatibility, not a foundational problem at least that would make it impossible for a country with a majority of Muslims to be governed according to the requirements of a constitutional democracy. In other words, the notion of Islam being diametrically opposed to democracy and its principles is a fallacy.
Islam enjoins the faithful to uphold equality, justice, and human dignity. If violence and terror are being spread by Muslims in the name of Islam then it is an aberration reflective of such people and the focus should rightly be on the underlying causes of such actions, not Islam. Blaming Islam won’t solve the problem as long as the underlying causes are not addressed and resolved.
But detractors say that Islam not only condones but urges the faithful to commit acts of violence in the name of jihad. This is nonsense. But they cite chapter and verse to support this view. Yes, but it is only by extreme distorting of the textual interpretation. On the contrary, the truth is that Islam prohibits violence and terror by virtue of the principles of moderation and the protection of life, limb and property.
This is subsumed under the doctrine of the maqasid al-Shari’ah, a most crucial and significant tool for the progress of Muslim societies, a tool which unfortunately has been much ignored. By virtue of this doctrine for example, jihad is a call to the faithful to fulfill the tenets of the religion by doing good and averting evil, establishing justice, promoting charity and helping the weak and the marginalized. It is not a battle cry for war, let alone one to justify mayhem and murder. Above all, jihad enjoins Muslims to maintain peace and harmony and safeguard the sanctity of life and property. These are ideals completely in consonance with the dictates of democracy. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar waves his magic and and thrills European audiences
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Islam, Pakatan Rakyat, Tunku Abdul Aziz on Tuesday, 5 October 2010
by Tunku Aziz
My Sinchew
4.10.10
I have had to come all the way to Brussels and Berlin to discover a side of Anwar Ibrahim that I was wrong about.
Reading the Barisan Nasional-owned newspapers that consistently portrayed him as a “traitor to Malaysia” who exaggerated the situation obtaining in the country given half a chance, I have, I must admit, tended to view him as a self-serving political demagogue who could not care less about the fate of his country as long as he achieved his ambition of becoming prime minister.
Anwar spoke last Monday evening (28 September 2010), on “Liberal Values in the Muslim World – Why Islam and Democracy are Destined to Coincide” to a packed hall of some of Europe’s powerful decision makers. These were men and women with wide international experience and could not be easily hoodwinked even if he had tried.
It was vintage Anwar, perfect smooth as silk delivery of a complex, serious subject to a critical audience. He knew his stuff. His was more than a speech; it was an intellectual journey mapped out by someone who knew the area traversed like the back of his hand. Read the rest of this entry »
Key political risks to watch in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, Corruption, Economics, Elections, Islam, Najib Razak, nation building, NEM, Sarawak, UMNO on Sunday, 3 October 2010
Oct 1, 10
Reuters/Malaysiakini
Malaysia has unveiled ambitious plans to boost its economy by mobilising hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment, although questions remain over whether the money will materialise.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s cut in fuel, gas and sugar subsidies in August triggered a political backlash that may see him holding off more reforms ahead of the next general elections due by 2013.
Najib has pledged to reform the country’s subsidy bill to tackle the budget deficit. But he is wary of upsetting the country’s majority ethnic Malays, a critical votebank whose support will be vital as he tries to revive his ruling coalition which was hit by record losses in general elections in 2008.
Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch:
Political conflict
Political tensions spiked after the 2008 general election when unprecedented opposition gains transformed the political landscape. BN coalition’s 52-year grip on the country was dented when it ceded control of five states and lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority to an opposition led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The political uncertainty has weighed on foreign investment with net portfolio and direct investment outflows reaching US$61 billion (RM188 million) in 2008 and 2009 according to official data. Money has since flowed into the bond market according to central bank statistics, but little has flowed into equities.
What to watch:
• Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial. Anwar says the case is a political conspiracy, and a contentious verdict would anger his supporters. Any marked increase in political tensions could see more foreign money pulled from stocks, bonds and the ringgit. But with limited foreign portfolio investment still in the country, the impact will be muted.
• Elections in the Borneo state of Sarawak, expected by the end of this year. The state’s chief minister has directed the ruling coalition to ready itself for state-wide polls, and analysts say nationwide elections could follow soon after. BN’s shock defeat in a May by-election in Sarawak raised doubts over its support levels in the state. Read the rest of this entry »
Syariah: ‘The law of the land’
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Court, Islam, Judiciary on Saturday, 25 September 2010
Clive Kessler
The Malaysian Insider
Sept 21, 2010
These days it’s not easy for a person of good sense to avoid being accused of sedition.
Especially if you have a basic grasp of modern political history and the nation’s constitutional foundations.
Voicing well-known facts and trite legal principles can get you into real trouble.
You question Ketuanan Malayu, for example, and you are told by those of a “Perkasa-ish” inclination, or lectured by Dr. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah in Utusan, that Malay political dominance is an agreed and foundational national principle. That it is inscribed in the Constitution.
What is in the Constitution? Here the champions of Ketuanan Melayu invoke Article 153.
That is the peg on which they hang the claim that enduring Malay ascendancy, even absolute political domination, is constitutionally enshrined. That it is an integral part of the “social contract” that made the nation and its Constitution possible.
But Article 153 is a small and dubious peg for such a big, even extravagant, claim. It merely provides for, or allows the government in its good judgement to institute, certain defined kinds of preferential treatment for Malays in certain identified and circumscribed areas.
It does not provide for, enshrine or constitutionally entrench Malay ethnic supremacy, enduring political domination.
But if you say this, you are likely to be challenged, and hit with a volley of police reports accusing you of sedition.
Of a triple sedition: against legitimate Malay political entitlement, as enshrined in Article 153; against the rulers who are the constitutionally-designated protectors of the Malay stake in the country; and hence also against the Constitution itself and the nation whose sovereignty it embodies. Read the rest of this entry »
Teo says surau row nadir in her life
Posted by Kit in DAP, Islam, nation building on Saturday, 4 September 2010
By Debra Chong
September 04, 2010
The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, Sept 4 — Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching has revealed that she broke down over her surau visit controversy because she thought she had done something to make the Malays hate DAP and caused terrible hardship to the surau committee members.
The young first-term MP told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that the row had been the lowest point in her life.
But yesterday, she looked the epitome of confidence in her bold red dress and big toothy smile as she strode into the DAP national headquarters.
It was in stark contrast to the abject figure she cut a week ago after national Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia , front-paged a picture of her — a non-Muslim — addressing a Muslim group from inside the inner sanctum of a surau, dressed in a kebaya reminiscent of the Singapore Girl uniform and with her head uncovered.
The stunt earned her the Sultan of Selangor’s wrath, the paper reported.
“I cried,” the 29-year-old lawmaker admitted plainly to The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview, after reading the report. Read the rest of this entry »
Door to any house of worship open
Posted by Kit in Azly Rahman, Islam, Religion on Tuesday, 31 August 2010
by Azly Rahman
“I sincerely and genuinely reiterate that my visit to the Surau Al-Huda was not politically motivated, and had no motive to put into question the sanctity of suraus and mosques,” Serdang Mp Teo Nie Ching said on Saturday…
Teo explained that she had visited the Kajang surau on Sunday, Aug 22, as their MP, in order to hand over to them the state government’s monetary contribution for repairs to the surau fence… She had timed her visit in order to break fast with the surau’s committee members and congregation…
“Since I was invited to say a few words, I in all sincerity gave a brief explanation of the state’s education programmes that benefit the people of Selangor,” she said, adding that she welcomed advice from all parties on better execution of her duties… (Malaysiakini report, Aug 28, 2010)
The Perkasa panic over Teo’s visit to a surau in Kajang intrigues me. The latter had gone there in humility to present a state donation to repair the fence. She is now a sensation and forced to mend fences. She may be meeting with the biggest religious head of the state – the Sultan. There will be repercussions. There has already been.
Read the rest of this entry »
Fully support Teo’s apology to Selangor Sultan over Surau Al Huda controversy
Posted by Kit in DAP, Islam, nation building on Sunday, 29 August 2010
I fully support DAP MP for Serdang Teo Nie Ching’s apology to the Sultan of Selangor for any unintended offence caused by her visit to the Surau Al Huda in her constituency in the course of her parliamentary duties to help her constituents.
Malaysians are shocked however at the intemperate language being used by some elements to foment disaffection.
I refer to the Malaysian Insider report today that Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali is calling for “strong action” to be taken against Teo, saying that she must be charged for “desecrating” the Surau Al Huda.
Even more shocking, the Perkasa chief “attempted to draw an analogy between Nation of Islam preacher Malcom X, who was gunned down at Manhattan Audubon Ballroom by three Black Muslims in 1965 and Teo’s surau visit which has been highlighted by Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia last Friday”.
Ibrahim was quoted as having sent the following SMS to Malaysian Insider: “In America, Islamic preacher Malcom X, who preached to Christians and entered their churches was shot dead but in Selangor an ‘unclean DAP politician’ was dragged into the surau’s prayer room”.
Read the rest of this entry »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Islam category.
