The Malay Dilemma

Ramadhan Al-Mubarak 1430H

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:12:00 +0000

Dalam diam, hampir satu minggu bulan ramadhan telah berlalu dan macam-macam juadah telah dijamu untuk berbuka. Walaupun tekak berselera makan juadah yang sedap-sedap, bubur dari masjid juga menjadi penyelera pada waktu berbuka. Kenanbyakkan masjid membahagikan bubur lepas asar tapi ada juga yang membahagikan lepas zohor. Jiran-jiran tertangga kita yang berlainan agama pun tidak terkecuali dari mengambil bubur masjid di bulan ramadhan. Maklumlah, Singapura adalah sebuah negara yang berbilang bangsa dan agama . Perbuatan sedemikian akan dapat memeratkan perhubungan antara agama dan mereka akan lebih memahami makna ramadhan untuk Melayu/Islam setempat.

Apa yang membuat saya bangga dengan Melayu/Islam di Singapura ialah semangat untuk menderma demi membiayai pembahagian bubur dan majlis iftar. Menderma di bulan ramadhan bukan saja melebihkan pahala bahkan perkara ini juga memdokong cadangan rapat umum hari kebangsaan PM Lee agar kita bekerja dengan keras demi mempertahankan harmoni keagamaan di Singapura. Ada juga kolong-kolong blok yang dijadikan tempat berterawih di bulan yang mulia ini. Ini bererti jiran tertangga kita yang berlainan agama dapat menerima peri laku agama Islam demi perpaduan sosial. Perkara yang sama dapat dilihat apabila mereka menyambut perayaan "Hungry Ghost" dan rakyat berlainan agama pula menerima segala peri laku mereka.

Semoga ramadhan ini berjalan dengan baik untuk membaca yang beragama Islam sekalian dan saya juga berharap agar perpaduan kaum di Singapura akan sentiasa tenang dan tiada pertelingkahan. Pelawalah teman-teman anda menghadiri program "Outreach" MUIS agar dapat mengeratkan perhubungan antara agama.

Singapore Malays Hold Special Position

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:34:00 +0000

This badge of honour is a dubious one. So there is supposed to be affirmative action in terms of status, but in other areas like Malays in the SAF, our community is sidelined. We don't even have free education anymore. The irony of this whole protection of the Malay community under Article 152 actually makes us more a subject of criticism although we don't have much real privileges.

Yes the GRC is supposed to protect the interests of the non-Chinese minorities but the GRC system seems more like a poltical tactic rather than a structure to protect Malay interests. The stereotype is that the PAP counts on the vote of the Malay community. Whether that is true now nobody will know. We are just like any other community in Singapore - some will be pro-PAP, some will be anti-PAP, and most would have mixed feelings. BN's inability to hold on to the Malay vote in the last Malaysian elections tells us that there is a limit to race politics and voting anyway.

August 20, 2009 16:38 PM
Singapore Malays Hold Special Position
Bernama

SINGAPORE, Aug 20 (Bernama) - The minority Malays in Singapore have a "special position" under the republic's constitution, according to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

He said the constitution of Singapore enjoined the government to give Malays a "special position" rather than to 'treat everybody as equal'.

Lee said this in Parliament on Wednesday when he rebutted as 'false and flawed' the arguments by Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan calling for equal treatment for all races in the city-state, the local media reported Thursday.

On Tuesday, Viswa tabled a motion for the House to reaffirm its commitment to principles in the National Pledge when debating national policies.

Lee, who is currently Minister Mentor, said the assumption of equal treatment for all races was "false and flawed" and "completely untrue".

According to government statistic for 2008, Singapore's population was about 4.8 million, with the Chinese forming the majority (76.7 per cent), followed by the Malays (14 per cent), Indians (7.9 per cent) and others (1.4 per cent).

He reminded everyone that Singapore's starting point was the racial clash and tense period of the 1960s after the republic was thrown out of Malaysia and until it got its independence.

Lee said the Malays in Singapore then were worried about the Chinese who formed the majority, and wondered whether the Chinese here would treat them the way the Malay majority in Malaysia had treated the Chinese minority there.

The minister also pointed to Article 152 of the constitution, which says that it is the responsibility of the government to "constantly care for the interests of the racial and religious minorities in Singapore".

In particular, it states that the government must recognise the special position of the Malays, 'the indigenous people of Singapore', and safeguard their political, economic and educational interests.

Lee mentioned how the United States handled the race issue, where despite a 1776 declaration that "all men are created equal", blacks did not get the right to vote until a century later, and racial segregation continued well into the 20th century.

For Singapore to reach a point where all races could be treated equally "is going to take decades, if not centuries', Lee said.

Winds of Change in the SAF?

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:34:00 +0000

Hopefully it is more than tokenism as a Malay MP suggested. Forty-four years after independence, a Malay-Muslim is finally appointed as a one star general in the SAF. He is in charged of the 6th Division and that does sound like a front line and sensitive appointment.

However, Khairulanwar makes a good point - to show whether the SAF has integrated Malays, perhaps it can release figures on statistics and representation of Malays in the SAF. This could be a better sign that Malays are now accepted as fellow defenders of Singapore. I sometimes wonder whether between choosing a naturalised citizen or a Malay for a sensitive SAF unit and all things equal, who would the SAF choose. I hope that the answer is an easy one for the decision-makers and someone who is born and socialised here, rather than some import, gets the job.

Nevertheless, I would not be sceptical and cast aspersions on why and how BG Ishak was promoted. I'm sure he rose through the ranks through his own merit and he is not some SAF tokenism. Instead, I am optimistic that the SAF will involve Malays more and more in our country's defence and the winds of change are here.

2009/06/26
Singapore military picks first Malay general

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will create history on July 1 when it appoints a Malay general.

Colonel Ishak Ismail, 46, a senior Malay officer who has served for 28 years in SAF, is being promoted to Brigadier General, local media reported today.

He was one of the five SAF colonels (the other four non-Malays) who received their appointment letters as Brigadier Generals and a First Admiral during a function at the Defence Ministry yesterday.

Singapore has been criticised by various parties especially the Malay leaders and communities in and outside the island republic including Malaysia for seemingly practising a policy of not giving Malay SAF personnel opportunities to rise to the highest ranks due to concern over their loyalty.

Col Ishak who is SAF Sixth Division Commander since August last year, is among 464 SAF full time and National Service officers promoted this year.

"If this promotion is seen as something that can inspire others, it will also indirectly motivate them to work hard and achieve excellence every time," he was quoted by Berita Harian Singapura as saying.

Member of Parliament Zaqy Mohamad was quoted by Today newspaper as saying that Col Ishak’s achievement was a milestone for the Malay community in Singapore.

"It’s been talked about that you don’t see Malays serving in the upper echelons of the SAF. Now you’'ve got one, so it dispels some talk," said Zaqy who added that Col Ishak’s promotion would pave the way for more capable candidates in time.

"I hope it’s not seen as a token appointment," he said.

Sedition Law Applied Again

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Sun, 31 May 2009 07:18:00 +0000

I have many friends who are Christians and I am fortunate that most of them are moderate and not pushy about their religious views at all. The only views we are all pushy about, relatively speaking, are political ones and those views cut across gender and religious lines. I am glad the government bothers to take such blatant deliberate attacks on Islam as serious provocation, and its recent position on the Aware controversy is comforting that secularism is the political direction of the day. Nevertheless, some of my Catholic friends find that although the government is nervous about any Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) cartoons circulated in Singapore some time back, it is less worried about films like the Da Vinci Code, which could be interpreted as having negative portrayals of the Catholic Church, kicking up a storm.

Christian couple convicted for anti-Muslim booklets

SINGAPORE (AFP) — A Christian Singaporean couple were found guilty of sedition on Thursday for distributing evangelical publications that cast Islam in a negative light, court officials said.

Ong Kian Cheong and his wife Dorothy Chan had been charged with distributing a seditious publication to two Muslims in October and March 2007 and sending a second such booklet to another Muslim in December that same year, a district court official told AFP.

The publications were found to have promoted feelings of ill-will and hostility between Christians and Muslims, the Straits Times said on its website.

A hearing was set for June 4 for mitigation pleas and sentencing.

The sedition charge carries a jail term of up to three years or a fine of up to 5,000 Singapore dollars (3,437 US) or both.

Singapore, a multi-racial island nation, clamps down hard on anyone seen to be inciting communal tensions.

In 2005, two ethnic Chinese men were jailed for anti-Muslim blogs.

The following year, a Singaporean blogger received a stern warning after posting cartoons mocking Jesus Christ on his online journal.

Ethnic Chinese make up a majority of the city-state's resident population but there are significant numbers of Malay Muslims, ethnic Indians and other groups.

Gaza's Children

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:26:00 +0000

Everyone must constantly be reminded that victims of any war would be civilians and children are the ones who suffer most. What would the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder be on children if adults themselves struggle to cope with it? Children would be psychlogically scarred if they survive the conflict physically. And sadly, as victims of violence, all they might understand is violence in future. Both sides should not continue to provoke each other and hopefully a ceasefire would occur very very soon.

300 Gazan Children Killed, 1,500 Wounded Since Tuesday

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- As of Tuesday, over 300 children have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded, since the Gaza crisis began on Dec 27.

United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) executive director Ann M. Veneman described the figures as not merely "cold figures" but those which interrupt the lives of children.

"No human being can watch this without being moved. No parent can witness this and not see their own child," she said in a statement on Thursday.

Ann said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was currently in the Middle-East, appealing for urgent compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1860.

The resolution calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire and the unimpeded provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza.

Another Racist Blogger Arrested

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:15:00 +0000

Why are there still racists? Because such ignorant people will always be around.

Acting on a complaint, the police arrested that racist and it is reassuring that some action is taken, and that they didn't just ignore the whole complaint. I presume they would take action on any racist regardless of her or his ethnicity.

Nevertheless, what is appropriate action now after the supposed arrest? Should that blogger be jailed, fined, issued a stern warning or do community service? Which is the action that is most beneficial to society and that blogger at the same time, without turning him more antagonistic towards other races and blaming them for the predicament he is in now somehow?

I think it should be community service as it is his chance to make things right.

Response to Islam in Singapore : Where to from here ?

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:21:00 +0000

Unfortunately, the comments section of this is deactivated and so I decided to post my comments here:
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I don’t quite get Dr Alwi’s rhetoric of Singapore’s by attempting to either dilute or modify Islam in order to integrate its Muslim community. As Singaporeans, we should just continue to practice Islam as it is and stop harboring thoughts that others are trying to impede our practices.

First of all, “Islam does not concentrate on filling men’s minds with philosophical ideas, or on excessive dream-like spirituality, or on physical training and perfection, or on self-serving materialistic philosophies such as exist nowadays. The personality of the Muslim is perfectly integrated and balanced, and no aspect of it is overtaken by others, as happens in other societies where man is brought up under imperfect manmade systems which all too often are governed by selfish desires, reprehensible innovations or deviant ideas.”

Secondly all Muslims are supposed to be on good terms with their neighbors, regardless of their religious practices and there isn’t a need to dilute the Islamic practices. “With his neighbor, the true Muslim is an example of good treatment and consideration of others’ feelings and sensitivities. He puts up with mistreatment and turns a blind eye to his neighbor’s faults while taking care not to commit any such errors himself. He always adopts the Islamic attitude whereby treating neighbors well was made a basic principle of Islam, so much so that the Prophet thought that Jibrail would make his neighbor his heir. Therefore he never does anything bad to his neighbor, nor does he fail in his duty towards him; rather, he does not spare any effort to do favors for his neighbor, without expecting any favors, reward or thanks in return.”

Muslims do not unjustly accuse others of ‘fisq’ or ‘kufr’ and should be modest at all times. Nothing can restore the health and authenticity of the Muslim identity except a sincere return to the eternal way of Allah and a deep understanding of the mission with which the Muslim has been entrusted. This will enable the Muslims to fulfill their duty of conveying this message to mankind, after they have adopted it for themselves as an ideology and way of life.

##############################
References:
http://www.crescentlife.com/articles/islam/ideal_muslim.htm

Foreign Domestic Workers restrictions on their religious practices in Singapore?

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:48:00 +0000

While blog-hopping, came across this http://nusms.blogspot.com/2008/03/religious-freedom-for-indonesian-maids.html.

For a mere SGD$200++ per month, some of these domestic workers need to work like labourers, deprived of food, salaries, religious freedom, and social contact. The full report is available here http://hrw.org/reports/2005/singapore1205/6.htm .

10 Facts abut Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore- http://www.scwo.org.sg/cms/content/view/111/29/

1. There are more than 140,000 foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore. Most are from Indonesia and the Philippines. The rest come from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh.

2. One in eight households in Singapore employs a foreign domestic worker.

3. The number of FDWs has increased almost thirty fold since the Foreign Domestic Worker scheme was introduced in 1978.

4. Each day, an average of 10 FDWs seek help and advice from their embassies because of problems such as physical and/or sexual abuse, non-payment of wages, not being given adequate food, and work-related stress.

5. In 2001, MOM banned 49 people from hiring FDWs. This was 12 times as many as in 1997.

6. Nine out of 10 people accused of maid abuse are women. This has been attributed to the stress of shouldering the household burden alone coupled with the lack of family support at home.

7. In the last four and a half years, 90 FDW’s, mostly Indonesians, have fallen to their deaths from high-rise buildings.

8. In 2001, less than 1% of the total population of FDW’s ran away from their employers and was not successfully repatriated.

9. Employers lodged 350 complaints against maid agencies in 2001, a 50% rise since 1998.

10. Only 19 of the more than 700 maid agencies in Singapore have been accredited under the Case trust scheme so far.

Sufiah Yusuf-A disgrace to the Muslim Society?

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:27:00 +0000

Memalukan apabila ada diantara anak gadis Islam yg cerdik menjadi sedemikian. Tidakkah dia menyedari bahawa lelaki-lelaki tersebut memperalatkannya? Apa nak jadi dengan dunia ini. I'm amazed that Sufiah Yusuf has yet to make it to Wikipedia unlike our infamous Annabel Chong.

Berita Minggu paid a tribute to Sufiah by dedicationg 1 whole page to her. Sex sells huh. A local Malay sex prodigy coming up soon?
~~~~~~
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/7/nation/20870201&sec=nation

Monday April 7, 2008
I have no regrets, says Sufiah
PETALING JAYA: Maths prodigy Sufiah Yusof, who is now working as a prostitute, claims she is living the life she wants without any regrets.

She does not think being an escort is sleazy and terrible and says her clients treat her like a princess in an interview with British tabloid News of the World.

“People think escorting is sleazy and terrible but I don’t see it like that,” she said in a no-holds-barred interview that was published with pictures of her in skimpy attire and sexy poses.

Sufiah: ‘People think escorting is sleazy and terrible but I don’t see it like that’
Sufiah claimed that she wanted to be in control of her life.

“I hate this stereotype society has of escorts as being exploited. It is so far from the truth. My clients treat me like a princess. One guy took me shopping on Bond Street. He bought me a beautiful black Gucci dress for £300 (RM1,920) and then took me to Selfridges, where I could pick a handbag I liked.”
Sufiah chose a £600 (RM3,840) Gucci clutch and later that night, she repaid him for his generosity .

The 23-year-old Sufiah, who passed her Maths A-level when she was only 12, was enrolled at St Hilda’s College in Oxford a year later.

She was working as an administrative assistant earning £16,000 (RM102,400) a year in Manchester when, about four months ago in a bar, she was asked by an “immaculate lady in a designer suit” to become an escort.
She found the offer appealing because she was running up debts of about £3,500 (RM22,400) in rent and credit card expenses.

“I have studied so intensely for so many years, I wanted to have some fun,” said Sufiah, whose Pakistani father Farooq Yusof forced her to study day and night.
The father is now in jail for sexually assaulting two pupils.

She sent her photographs to an escort website and the agency listed her. A few days later, she was offered a client.
She admitted being quite nervous, but excited as well.
Sufiah said the first client was a “lovely man” in his late 20s, tall and handsome.
“I left that night feeling totally elated having an amazing time with £250 (RM1,600) in my purse,” said Sufiah.
She has built a base of regular clients and saw between five and 10 men each week.

“I don’t believe my education had been wasted – in fact, I usually take problem sheets with me to solve before appointments,” she said.

Sufiah claimed she could earn more than £1,000 (RM6,400) a night by having dinner and staying over with a client.

“Now, I wonder if I could go back to a normal relationship, where you watch EastEnders and have boring sex. I’ve gotten used to being treated like a princess,” she said.

If Sufiah talked glowingly about her “career,” she was not so effusive when talking about her childhood and her father.

She recalled studying maths all the time. She did not have any friends or allowed to join any activities.

“As I grew older, I began to clash with my father. He was violent at times. He pushed me so far academically, I became more confident for any girl my age. I grew up too quickly.

“Oxford was an amazing place but I was too young. By the time I was 15, I wanted to be in control of my life. I fought back,” she said.
That was the year she ran away from university.

Sufiah told the News of the World she ran away with £200 (RM1,280). She found a hostel in London for £14 (RM89.60) a night. After a week, she moved to a hostel in Bournemouth.

When she was found in an Internet cafe, Sufiah refused to go home. She was placed in foster care.

When she was 18, Sufiah returned to Oxford to resume her studies. She fell in love and married fellow student Jonathan Marshall a year later.

“At that time, I thought we would be together forever, but we married too young and grew apart,” she said.

After the divorce, she moved back to London and taught maths in the evening.
Six months ago, she shifted to Manchester and became an escort.

“I still enjoy learning and I find it puts me in the right frame of mind for an
intelligent conversation with my clients,” she said.
Sufiah is adamant about continuing with her “career” because “I have a nice life.”

She also does not want much to do with her parents. Describing the relationship as estranged, she said she was in contact with them occasionally but “couldn’t speculate what they will think of my new life.”

“I have never felt so confident about my body and I’ve had some of the best sex of my life,” she said.

The End of Affirmative Action in Malaysia?

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Cleverly engineered by sour grapes defeated UMNO, shouts of "Hidup Melayu" erupted in Penang yesterday. The tumultuous Malaysian general election paved the way for Democratic Action Party's Lim Guan Eng to be sworn in as Chief Minister for Penang. The new opposition government in Penang announced a few days ago that state contracts will no longer be awarded based on NEP, an affirmative action policy inspired by Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution and the 1969 race riots which ignited when Malays were deemed marginalised by UMNO. Will the increasingly influential alternative coalition dismantle a bumiputra policy launched in 1971?

Playing the race card and preying on the potential insecurity of the rural Malay population, UMNO has cleverly shifted the arguments to one of the opposition coalition as anti-Malay.

This politicised argument is a seductive one. Very few people would like their privileges revoked and the idea that DAP and its partners will allow the rolling back of Malay supremacy is a sensitive one in Malaysia. If Penang backs down from its declaration that state awards will be based on market forces bidding rather than selective awarding to companies run by Malay elites, is it a victory for UMNO, Malays in Malaysia or all Malaysians in Malaysia in the long term?

The Syariah Law Controversy in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:20:00 +0000

Rowan Williams did not expect the storm he unleashed when he mentioned that it was inevitable that aspects of syariah law would be implemented in the UK. This sparked off a flurry of hostility and calls for his resignation as the leader of the world's Anglican community. The Western media has been playing up the parts about hand-chopping and discrimination against women. However, the current debate in modern UK on Syarian law is probably instead more intended for divorce, inheritance and business for Muslims trying to reconcile both their Muslim and British identities. The Archbishop of Cantebury is enlightened enough to open this topic up for debate despite the howls of his critics. Should there be only one law in a liberal democracy but if so, how does multiculturalism fit in? In Singapore there is a Syariah court which mainly handles marriage-related issues. Maybe the Archbishop had this model in mind.

Too bad that the Islamphobes in the UK are loud and pushy enough to drown out any constructive discussion.

LIDAH PENGARANG AKHBAR CINA, LIANHE ZAOBAO, TENTANG PENAHANAN ISD TERBARU, KELMARIN

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:40:00 +0000

BIARKAN AGAMA TERUS MEMBAWA MANFAAT BAGI MASYARAKAT
JABATAN -CyBerita(1 Feb 2008)

Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISD) telah memberkas dua lelaki Muslim radikal yang terlibat dalam kegiatan pengganasan dan mengeluarkan Perintah Sekatan ke atas seorang lagi baru-baru ini.

Insiden terbaru itu pula menyusuli penahanan seorang lagi lelaki Muslim yang mempunyai fahaman radikal pada Februari tahun lalu.

Penyelidikan telah menunjukkan golongan belia yang menjadi radikal dengan sendiri melalui risalah, video dan Internet mungkin menyimpan hasrat untuk ke luar negara bagi menjalani latihan dan menjalankan kegiatan sabotaj.

Malah ada sebahagian daripada mereka rela juga mati syahid.
Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis) telah mengeluarkan kenyataan menyokong langkah yang diambil ISD dan berharap ketiga-tiga lelaki itu akan berubah dan pulang ke pangkal jalan.
Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal Masyarakat Islam, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, juga telah berkata pihak berkuasa mahu mereka yang ditahan menyedari bahawa pengganasan dan fahaman radikal tidak sihat dan Singapura tidak boleh menyokong fahaman sedemikian.

Namun beliau tetap akur ia merupakan masalah jangka panjang dan satu cabaran penting bagi rakyat Singapura sentiasa berwaspada dan menangani isu tersebut sebagai satu masyarakat.
Kes ketiga-ketiga belia dengan fahaman radikal itu dapat dibongkar dalam tempoh kurang setahun menunjukkan kumpulan-kumpulan ekstremis yang cuba menyebarkan pengganasan masih merebak dan ia sukar untuk dibendung.

Keharmonian masyarakat harus diraih menerusi keharmonian agama dan rakyat Singapura harus berwaspada ketika waktu damai dan menggalak peningkatan fahaman antara berbilang kaum, agama dan budaya bagi mengukuhkan kesepaduan negara, supaya mereka yang mempunyai agenda tidak dapat mempengaruhi kita.

Harus ditekankan bahawa pengganas tidak dihadkan kepada satu bangsa atau agama.
Oleh itu, kekuatan untuk menjaga keamanan dan damai mesti datang daripada rakyatnya dan meliputi semua lapisan masyarakat, dengan orang ramai mengambil inisiatif sendiri untuk berbuat demikian.

Dengan itu, langkah bertepatan ISD itu diperlukan, juga seperti usaha berterusan pemerintah untuk menggalak keharmonian agama, seperti menganjurkan dialog-dialog agama dan perbincangan damai.
Yang paling penting sekali, sedang kita menjadi lebih berwaspada bagi membendung golongan yang mahu memperguna agama untuk menipu dan menyelewengkan belia kita, kita harus menyokong semua kegiatan agama yang berfaedah dan mempromosi semangat keihsanan setiap agama.
Di Singapura, adalah biasa jika kita melihat gereja dan kuil dibina bersebelahan.
Apabila tsunami di Lautan Hindi melanda beberapa tahun lalu, pelbagai kumpulan agama telah juga berganding bahu untuk berdoa dan mengumpul dana untuk mangsa bencana itu.
Semua ini menunjukkan bahawa asas keharmonian agama yang dipegang tidak cetek.
Beberapa kumpulan agama lain yang tidak mempunyai profil yang tinggi, juga secara senyap-senyap menyumbang untuk manfaat masyarakat umum.

Kita harus jelas bahawa sifat murah hati dan kebajikan adalah prinsip universal setiap agama dan tidak terhad kepada satu agama sahaja.
Sedang kegiatan agama yang dirancang harus digalak, mereka perlu mengamalkan disiplin dan ketelusan sewajarnya dalam perniagaan dan kewangan.

Untuk membendung pengganasan dilakukan atas nama agama dan membina masyarakat aman damai, berharmoni dan penyayang, selain membangunkan pertahanan psikologi yang kukuh, memberi kelonggaran kepada kumpulan agama menebar semangat kebajikan dan membenarkan kegiatan agama menjadi satu kuasa yang akan bermanfaat bagi masyarakat adalah satu pendekatan yang perlu diiktiraf.

Jihad is the Way?

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Warga Singapura Ditahan Bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negara (ISA)

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Tercetus lagi kes warga Singapura dipengaruhi pahaman radikal melalui alam maya. Jika dahulu kita digegarkan oleh berita seorang peguam dengan pahaman radikal, kes yang terbaru ini membabitkan tiga orang anak muda berusia 26 tahun.

Menurut liputan akhbar, dalang pahaman radikal ialah Zamri. Beliau telah menyebarkan pahaman radikalnya kepada rakan kenalan. Zamri dipercayai menuai pahaman radikal melalui lelaman-lelaman yang berlegar di alam maya. Kebanyakkan lelaman yang dilawatinya berunsur Jihad mengganas dan menpunyai penerbitan dan video yang bertemakan sedemikian. Kedua-dua rakannya yang ditahan telah depengaruhi oleh idelogi jihad mengganas Zamri.

Tatkala menerima berita ini semalam, saya cuba melungsuri dan mencungkil lelaman-lelaman kumpulan pengganas. Menemui lelaman tersebut tidaklah payah, malah terdapat ribuan lelaman sedemikian. Sebahagian besar lelaman sedemikian menggunakan ayat-ayat dari Al-Quran untuk pengaruh sedangkan masyarakat umum tahu Islam adalah agama damai. Persoalan yang berligar di benak saya adalah mengapa masih ada lagi separuh dari masyarakat kita yang terjebak dengan pahaman radikal ini?

Opresi terhadap penganut Islam memang berleluasa di Negara-negara seperti Palestine dan Chechnya. Bagaimanapun, haruskah keganasan dibalas dengan keganasan? Sedangkan Rasullullah(SAW) sentiasa mungkin menyelesaikan segala pembalahan dengan damai, mengapa umat Islam tidak mungkin mengikut contohNya?

Masyarakat damai Islam Singapura terjebak ke lembah syak wasangka sekali lagi apabila berita penangkapan mereka bertiga diiringi dengan penjelasan bahawa mereka cuba sedaya upaya mempelajari kegiatan pengganas. Salah satu daripada kegiatan mereka adalah menerima latihan luar Negara daripada kumpulan pengganas serantau.

Segala usaha untuk menjernihkan syak wasangka terhadap masyarakat Islam Singapura selepas 9/11 seperti sia-sia sahaja menyusuli berita buruk terbaru ini. Walaupun begitu, Kak Pah berharap jurang keretakan kepercayaan masyarakat lain terhadap Islam tidak akan menjadi lebih keruh. Semoga segala kekusutan diselesaikan dengan cepat dan segala keruh diperjenihkan.

From Holland, a Storm is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:37:00 +0000

Geert Wilders - Out to score political right wing points by inciting Muslim-bashing and Islamophobia.

In 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published the infamous Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) cartoons. This started a storm of reciprocal anti-Muslim and anti-Western anger. Was self-censorship expected of the Western media like Jyllands-Posten? Some of the Western media didn't think so and they imposed their cultural world view on an "anything goes" onto us Muslims. They hold nothing sacred except the idea of freedom of expression. When the protests against the cartoons intensified, some other European newspapers further reprinted the cartoons deemed offensive to Muslims to stir up unrest.

Muslims were right to be angry but whether we were right to resort to violence is something that is hard to defend. The Western media had the right to publish what they want but did they have the right to provocatively offend for the sake of controversy and publicity?

Now, it is now not the Danes, but right wing Dutch politicians who are out to incite and raise controversy. Hopefully, the controversy would not blind people to rage and calm would prevail abroad and in Singapore.

Politician to launch film denouncing Quran; Dutch govt fears violent protests

Monday January 21, 2008

AMSTERDAM The Dutch government is bracing itself for violent protests following the scheduled broadcast, later this week, of a provocative anti-Muslim film by a radical right-wing politician, who has threatened to denounce the Quran and broadcast images of the holy book being torn up and desecrated.

Cabinet ministers and officials, fearing a repetition of the crisis sparked by the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper two years ago, have held a series of crisis meetings and ordered counter-terrorist services to draw up security plans. Dutch nationals overseas have also been asked to register with their embassies and local mayors in the Netherlands have been put on standby.

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende told Dutch public television: "We have seen other crises but this is a substantial one."

Dutch diplomats are already trying to pre-empt international reaction.

"It is difficult to anticipate the content of the film, but freedom of expression doesn't mean the right to offend," said Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, who was in Madrid to attend the Alliance of Civilisations, an international forum aimed at reducing tensions between the Islamic world and the West.

Government officials are urging mainstream media not to show the film. An Interior Ministry spokesman said: "A broadcast on a public channel could imply that the government supported the project."

The politician at the centre of the storm is Mr Geert Wilders, from the extremist VVD (Freedom) party in the 150-seat Dutch lower house, whose anti-Islam comments have led to death threats. He has promised that his 10-minute film will be aired on television or the Internet regardless of any pressure.

In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and other towns with large Muslim populations, imams have been trying to "calm" growing anger. The Grand Mufti of Syria Ahmad Badr Al Din Hassoun warned last week that Mr Wilders was "inciting bloodshed" and it was the "responsibility of the Dutch people to stop him".

Benazir Bhutto: First Muslim Female Head of State

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:22:00 +0000

Two-times former Pakistan Prime Minister was assassinated a few days ago by unknown figures. Those behind the attack might be from within the government, a rival politician or even Al Qaeda-linked groups. Benazir Bhutto was a popular but not a perfect leader. Her ability to become PM twice is sign of her popularity. She could never dispel the rumours of her corruption and there is no smoke without fire especially in such countries where power, nepotism and wealth are rolled into one package. But what is inspiring about her despite all the controversy surrounding her and her family, Benazir Bhutto was the first female Muslim leader of a Muslim country and that is something to command respect. Her violent end only makes her a bigger political legend.

Obituary: Benazir Bhutto
BBC 27 December 2007

Benazir Bhutto followed her father into politics, and both of them died because of it - he was executed in 1979, she fell victim to an apparent suicide bomb attack.

Her two brothers also suffered violent deaths.

Like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, the Bhuttos of Pakistan are one of the world's most famous political dynasties. Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was prime minister of Pakistan in the early 1970s.

His government was one of the few in the 30 years following independence that was not run by the army.

Born in 1953 in the province of Sindh and educated at Harvard and Oxford, Ms Bhutto gained credibility from her father's high profile, even though she was a reluctant convert to politics.

She was twice prime minister of Pakistan, from 1988 to 1990, and from 1993 to 1996.

Stubbornness

On both occasions she was dismissed from office by the president for alleged corruption.

The dismissals typified her volatile political career, which was characterised by numerous peaks and troughs. At the height of her popularity - shortly after her first election - she was one of the most high-profile women leaders in the world.

Young and glamorous, she successfully portrayed herself as a refreshing contrast to the overwhelmingly male-dominated political establishment.

But after her second fall from power, her name came to be seen by some as synonymous with corruption and bad governance.

The determination and stubbornness for which Ms Bhutto was renowned was first seen after her father was imprisoned by Gen Zia ul-Haq in 1977, following a military coup. Two years later he was executed after a much criticised trial on charges of conspiring to murder a political opponent.

Ms Bhutto was imprisoned just before her father's death and spent most of her five-year jail term in solitary confinement. She described the conditions as extremely hard.

During stints out of prison for medical treatment, Ms Bhutto set up a Pakistan People's Party office in London, and began a campaign against General Zia.

She returned to Pakistan in 1986, attracting huge crowds to political rallies.

After Gen Zia died in an explosion on board his aircraft in 1988, she became one of the first democratically elected female prime ministers in an Islamic country.

Corruption charges

During both her stints in power, the role of Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari, proved highly controversial.

He played a prominent role in both her administrations, and has been accused by various Pakistani governments of stealing millions of dollars from state coffers - charges he denies, as did Ms Bhutto herself.

Many commentators argued that the downfall of Ms Bhutto's government was accelerated by the alleged greed of her husband.

None of about 18 corruption and criminal cases against Mr Zardari has been proved in court after 10 years. But he served at least eight years in jail.

He was freed on bail in 2004, amid accusations that the charges against him were weak and going nowhere.

Ms Bhutto also steadfastly denied all the corruption charges against her, which she said were politically motivated.

She faced corruption charges in at least five cases, all without a conviction, until amnestied in October 2007.

She was convicted in 1999 for failing to appear in court, but the Supreme Court later overturned that judgement.

Soon after the conviction, audiotapes of conversations between the judge and some top aides of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were discovered that showed that the judge had been under pressure to convict.

Ms Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999 to live abroad, but questions about her and her husband's wealth continued to dog her.

She appealed against a conviction in the Swiss courts for money-laundering.

During her years outside Pakistan, Ms Bhutto lived with her three children in Dubai, where she was joined by her husband after he was freed in 2004.

She was a regular visitor to Western capitals, delivering lectures at universities and think-tanks and meeting government officials.

Army mistrust

Ms Bhutto returned to Pakistan on 18 October 2007 after President Musharraf signed into law an ordinance granting her and others an amnesty from corruption charges.

Observers said the military regime saw her as a natural ally in its efforts to isolate religious forces and their surrogate militants.

She declined a government offer to let her party head the national government after the 2002 elections, in which the party received the largest number of votes.

In the months before her death, she had emerged again as a strong contender for power.

Some in Pakistan believe her secret talks with the military regime amounted to betrayal of democratic forces as these talks shored up President Musharraf's grip on the country.

Others said such talks indicated that the military might at long last be getting over its decades-old mistrust of Ms Bhutto and her party, and interpreted it as a good omen for democracy.

Western powers saw in her a popular leader with liberal leanings who could bring much needed legitimacy to Mr Musharraf's role in the "war against terror".

Unhappy family

Benazir Bhutto was the last remaining bearer of her late father's political legacy.

Her brother, Murtaza - who was once expected to play the role of party leader - fled to the then-communist Afghanistan after his father's fall.

From there, and various Middle Eastern capitals, he mounted a campaign against Pakistan's military government with a militant group called al-Zulfikar.

He won elections from exile in 1993 and became a provincial legislator, returning home soon afterwards, only to be shot dead under mysterious circumstances in 1996.

Benazir's other brother, Shahnawaz - also politically active but in less violent ways than Murtaza - was found dead in his French Riviera apartment in 1985.

Mahram needed for Singapore Women Performing the Haj

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:15:00 +0000

"He added that the challenge for Singapore pilgrims is that to perform the Haj, Singapore has to fulfil all requirements set by the Saudi authorities."

As Singapore becomes more modernised, some practices are harder to understand for some. Female pilgrims from Singapore now need a male family member to accompany them on the haj. On the other hand, a woman with no mahram has no obligation to perform the Haj and she should be patient for the time when a mahram can travel with her. Singapore enjoyed an exemption before for "unaccompanied" women because of MUIS but the Saudis are enforcing it strictly now. Which is sensible from their policy standpoint - how can there be double standards especially on haj issues. Besides, didn't the Prophet (pbuh) say

“No woman should travel except with a mahram.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1862)

Unaccompanied women under 45 years old cannot perform Haj
By Hisham Hasim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 December 2007 2035 hrs

SINGAPORE: From next year, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will no longer accept applications from women who are under the age of 45 and wish to perform the Haj without a close male relative.

This was confirmed by Minister in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, at a Haj send-off ceremony at the Changi Airport on Sunday morning.

MUIS has clarified that Haj authorities in Saudi Arabia have all along required women pilgrims below 45 years of age to be accompanied by their male relative – called Mahram – when performing the Haj so that the young women can be properly taken care of.

Dr Yaacob said although Singapore has assured Saudi authorities that MUIS will take care of each Singapore pilgrim, Saudi authorities did not accept this.

He added that the challenge for Singapore pilgrims is that to perform the Haj, Singapore has to fulfil all requirements set by the Saudi authorities.

Previously, pilgrims from Singapore had been exempted from this ruling after MUIS appealed on behalf of a small number of women from Singapore.

But last year, Saudi authorities decided not to exempt all 70 women applicants from Singapore.

And this year, all 56 women applicants were similarly unsuccessful. But five of them eventually managed to get their male relatives to accompany them.

MUIS said for the 51 of them, they had earlier been informed that their application to perform the Haj would be subject to the approval of the Saudi Haj authorities.

Haj agents had also been requested not to collect any payment from these applicants until consent had been obtained from the Saudi Haj authorities.

MUIS has asked the unsuccessful applicants to try and arrange for a male relative to accompany them or to postpone their pilgrimage.

Every year, women make up about 40 percent of pilgrims from Singapore.

Muslims Against Terror

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:45:00 +0000

A recent study on race and religion in Singapore was timely in checking the sentiments we harbour against “The Others”. In a survey of tolerance against other religions, Islam was listed as the least well received which probably due to the association with current global terrorism and the reluctance of the local moderate Muslims to speak up against the extremist teachings.

It’s a bit disheartening to know that the availability of various community engagement programmes does not eradicate the stigma associated with being a Muslim in Singapore. Making a clear distinction between the radical and moderate Muslim is baffling for a Muslim, what else to a non-Muslim.

In London recently, more than 130 Muslim scholars called for peace with the Christians but in Singapore we have yet to see the combined efforts by the religious leaders in addressing others misgivings on Islam. I personally believe that if all the local Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and moderate Muslims publicly declared their support for anti-terrorism, more faith will be place on the local Muslims. In the era of global terrorism, there are more avenues spreading radical views of Islam than countering them. Local Muslims community should collaborate intensively in countering the radical ideology and address the non-Muslims doubts.

Besides the Muslim Converts’ Association, there are no other avenues for a non-Muslim to learn about Islam. While the Muslims are discussing the correct interpretations of Islam, the non-Muslims are left out and therefore, the element of distrust and of associating Islam & terrorism is still rampant and spreading within the non-Muslims.

Muslim Orientations and Malay Identity

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 04:58:00 +0000

Agreeing with Syed Farid Alatas that there may be many orientations among Muslims during his recent talk at NUS, I wondered was it even necessary to question as to what constitutes a progressive orientation of Islam to define the Malay Identity.

There is a problem in assuming that all Malays are Muslims although we in Singapore see that the majority are. Lest we forget that some Malays embrace other religions such as Christianity and Buddhism, let me remind you that Muslim and Malay are separate entities which should not be intertwined in any discussions. Associating both is a big mistake which the Muslim scholars in Singapore overlooked most of the time. Moreover, Muslim culture and Malay culture is not the same.

I often get the curious nudge from my friends of other religions on the tattoos done on some Malays. Doesn’t Islam prohibit tattooing or even altering part of their body for aesthetic purposes? The answer is my friends; those are the atheists who have long forgone the teachings of Islam and non-practising ones who indicated “Islam” as a religion in whatever forms they filled up. They are the ones that bring the ill reputation to Islam.

It’s very disheartening to see the Muslim youth of today, I repeat Muslim & not Malay, forgetting their religious background and indulging in whatever Haraam activities they could participate in. It’s even more disheartening to see Muslims scholars, the ones who are supposed to guide and uphold the correct views of Islam, getting tight-lipped whenever someone bashes the Muslim community in Singapore.

In an area where there’s rampant globalisation and inter-racial marriages, pushing the Malays into a scholarly defined mould is no longer acceptable. It has been proven that the Malays are of largely mixed descent ranging from Javanese to Indians. Well, to keep my point short, if anyone were to discuss on Malay issues just keep to the track on the racial part and not interlinked it with Islam.

Digressing, I was blog-hopping and came across an entry on Syed Farid Alatas’s comments that “Muslims in Singapore don’t take a critical approach to their holy texts and history”. I was wondering where on earth the blog writer got the story that “the Prophet visited and had sex with all his wives in a few hours”. In fact this is my first time coming across such allegations and my dear friends, yes we Muslims do discuss the hadis and whatever holy texts available to study the past and present context. Reading that blog entry, I wasn’t sure if that idea came from the blog writer or Syed Farid Alatas. If it’s from the blog writer and knowing that he’s from different religion make up for all his dubiousness. I would suggest he attend any talks provided by the Darul Arqam to witness the lively discussions on hadis and sunnah.

Free Burma

noreply@blogger.com (The Malay Dilemma) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 03:24:00 +0000