Friday 7 November 2014
Islamic State crisis: The 13-year-old on 'righteous path'
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| Mohamed's brother was trained to fight by the al-Nusra group in Syria |
In a cramped living room in southern Turkey, a 13-year-old boy is training to join Islamic State.
As he welcomes us in, he appears a regular, happy-looking child: his hair is ruffled, his smile beaming, he wears a grey, hooded sweater.
But as we sit down to talk, he heads next door to change, returning in a black balaclava and military-style camouflage top.
He wants to be known as "Abu Hattab".
Born in Syria, he was first radicalised last year, joining the jihadist group Sham al-Islam.
'Behead them'
He had Sharia lessons and learned how to use weapons, proudly showing us pictures in which he takes aim with machine guns.
Now he spends his days online, watching jihadist videos and chatting on Facebook to IS fighters.
Within weeks, he says, he'll go to the IS stronghold of Raqqa in Syria to become a young jihadi soldier.
"I like Islamic State because they pursue Sharia and kill infidels, non-Sunnis and those who converted from Islam," he says.
"The people killed by Islamic State are American agents. We must behead them as Allah said in the Koran."
I ask whether he has disclosed his age to those to whom he talks online.
"At the start, I didn't," he says.
"But recently I told them - and now they contact me even more, sending me photos and news."
But why not simply enjoy his childhood, I ask?
"I don't want to go out with friends or have fun. Allah ordered us to work and fight for the next life - for paradise. Before, I went to the park or the seaside.
"But then I realised I was wrong - and I've taken the righteous path."
'Evil powers'
His family now lives in Turkey - so would he launch an attack here, or in Britain for example?
"Britain should be attacked because it's in Nato and is against Islamic State," he says, "but we would kill only those who deserve it. If they ask me to attack Turkey and give me a holy order, I would do it. Soon the West will be finished."
At home, he and his mother, who wants to be known as Fatima, lead a devout life.
She spends much of her time studying the Koran and admits strong sympathies for the militants.
Last year, she sent her son for training with Sham al-Islam - but denies brainwashing him.
"I never encouraged him to join Islamic State," she insists.
"I support some of their beliefs but not others. But I think they came to help the Syrian people - unlike the evil powers around the world."
'Future leader'
If she's not encouraging him, I ask, what is she doing to stop her son losing his childhood to extreme violence?
"I can't stop him if he wants to fight," she says.
"War makes children grow up fast. I want him to become a future leader - an emir."
Steadily her voice grows in intensity, her eyes narrowing in anger above the scarf she uses to cover her face.
"I would not be sad if he killed Westerners. I'm ashamed that my other sons are working peacefully for civil society groups - they must take up arms."
How would she feel, I ask, if he dies fighting for Islamic State?
She pauses. "I would be so happy," she replies, before bowing her head to cry.
Read More: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29921816
Afghanistan: Protect 10-year Old Rape Survivor from Honor Killing
Months ago, police removed Brishna from the Women for Afghan Women’s shelter and returned her to her family, where she is at grave risk of an “honor killing.” The director of Women for Afghan Women, Dr. Hassina Sarwari, has also been threatened by the girl’s family and powerful members of her community for protecting Brishna. She too fears for her life.
Discrimination against women is endemic in Afghanistan, and authorities routinely fail to protect survivors and human rights defenders or to ensure judicial due process. Join us in calling for full protection for Brishna and Dr. Sarwari, effective investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators, and criminalization of “honor” killings. Learn more
Please sign your petition here
Policeman uses axe to kill blasphemy accused: officials
LAHORE: A policeman used an axe to kill a man arrested for allegedly committing blasphemy, Tufail Haider, a 50-year-old member of the Shia sect, was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks toward the companions of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and brought to the Civil Lines police station in the eastern city of Gujrat on Wednesday.
“Tufail was kept in the lock-up but he continued uttering derogatory remarks and hurled abuse at policemen. He looked like a malang (wandering preacher) and seemed mentally imbalanced,” duty officer Ali Raza told AFP.
“Assistant Sub-Inspector Faraz Naveed, 36, became very angry on hearing the derogatory remarks against the companions of the Prophet (PBUH) and he killed the detainee with an axe in the lock up,” he added.
Naveed has been arrested and legal proceedings have been started against him, he added.
Around 1,000 Shias have been killed in the past two years in Pakistan, a heavy toll on the community that makes up roughly 20 per cent of the country’s 180 million-strong population, most of whom are Muslim.
There has been a recent surge in extra-judicial killings linked to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
A Christian bonded labourer and his pregnant wife were killed Tuesday for alleged desecrating pages of the Holy Quran in the eastern village of Chak 59, sparking condemnation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
A Christian woman, Aasia Bibi, who has been on death row since November 2010 after she was found guilty of making derogatory remarks about Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) during an argument with a Muslim woman lost an appeal last month.
The latest incident also has shades of the shooting in September of an elderly British man with severe mental illness, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy in January.
An internal investigation has found that the guard had been radicalised and goaded into the shooting by Mumtaz Qadri, a police bodyguard who murdered the Punjab governor in 2011 for suggesting reform of the blasphemy laws.
In Gujrat alone, three persons have been killed on the account of police torture.
Just last month, an individual on a Rawalpindi-bound train was beaten to death by police after a fight broke out between him and another passenger.
While on October 4, police allegedly tortured a woman to death during a raid in Sargodha.
Saiful a Barisan supporter who hated Anwar, Sri Ram tells court
The carpet where Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim allegedly sodomised his former aide was used to highlight more gaps in the prosecution's arguments in the defence's closing statement of Anwar's appeal against his sodomy conviction at the Federal Court this afternoon.
Lead counsel Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram began wrapping up the defence's closing statement by using the carpet to show that the complainant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was not a credible witness.
The carpet had been seized by police from a condominium unit, number 11-5-2, which was not where the alleged crime had occurred. The carpet also did not yield any forensic evidence to the alleged crime.
Saiful's charge against Anwar was that the opposition leader had sodomised him in unit 11-5-1 of a condominium in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.
Sri Ram said the carpet could have been moved from one unit to the other, but there was no evidence to this effect. The two units were also not connected from the inside.
In order for the alleged sodomy to have taken place, Sri Ram said, the carpet had to be found in the right unit or there had to be at least evidence that the carpet was moved.
He told the apex court's panel of five judges that the carpet had perhaps been moved by "flying cows", and added, "I don't believe in flying cows".
Sri Ram said that without the carpet, the prosecution had no case against Anwar as the carpet was central to Saiful's claim.
The retired federal court judge also submitted that Saiful was adding "salt and pepper" to his claims.
He said Saiful ultimately contradicted himself by testifying that the door of the unit was locked from inside while the alleged sodomy happened. Yet, he also testified that they had tea and curry puffs after the alleged incident.Sri Ram questioned how the food and drink had been brought to the unit if the door was locked from the inside.
He also rebutted the prosecution's claim that Anwar had used "Machiavellian" techniques to control Saiful, and also claimed that Saiful "idolised" Anwar.
Sri Ram submitted that Saiful "hated" Anwar, based on evidence from his posts on his Friendster account.
Saiful had put up posts which showed he was pro-Barisan Nasional, he told the court.
Saiful's friend, named Najwan, was also called to testify in the trial and he had said that Saiful could not be trusted.
"Najwan had even emailed Anwar to warn him of Saiful," said Sri Ram.
The prosecution, however, had dismissed this evidence, calling Najwan "jealous" of Saiful as he was working for the opposition leader.
Sri Ram urged the court to take Najwan's testimony seriously, as it debunked the prosecution's claim that Anwar and Saiful had a "relationship".
To the prosecution's claims that a luxury suit, perks and allowances given to Saiful were proof of a relationship, Sri Ram said that during trial Saiful produced in court what he claimed was the pants from a Brioni suit, but the pants had no label. The jacket of the supposed suit was also never produced.
"Evidence that he was given an expensive suit can no longer hold water," Sri Ram said, adding that all claims about perks and allowances had come from Saiful only, whose credibility was now in question.
The lead counsel also submitted that Saiful was not as innocent as made out to be and referred the court to the affair he allegedly had with a female public prosecutor during the trial.
"He seduced her to get confidential information," Sri Ram said.
Rebutting other points raised by the prosecution, Sri Ram cast doubt on the lubricant allegedly used during the sexual act, which had been cited as evidence that the sodomy took place.
Sri Ram said the investigating officer Supt Jude Pereira had at first refused the gel given to him as evidence by Saiful, but the next day took it for investigation purposes.
"Added to the fact was that no trace of the jelly was found on the carpet (where the alleged sodomy occurred)," he said.
On the lack of alibi witnesses called, Sri Ram said no adverse inference should be drawn against Anwar for this. The defence's 13 alibi witnesses initially named were not called after one was allegedly harassed by the police.
"We were unable to go forward because our witnesses had been scuttled," he submitted, adding that the prosecution could have produced video evidence of the police questioning to prove that there was no harassment, but they failed to do so.
Sri Ram said Anwar in his unsworn statement from the dock during the trial had denied committing the crime.
He reminded the court that Malaysian law recognised the right of the accused to make a statement from the dock, and no adverse inference should be made from this.
Sri Ram's last point this evening was to defend the first doctor who examined Saiful after the alleged sodomy, Dr Mohd Osman Abdul Hamid, who found that there was no evidence of penile penetration.
Dr Osman had instead found that a plastic object had been inserted into Saiful's anus, based on Saiful's own claim during the medical examination.
The doctor had no motive for fabricating that piece of information in his written report of the examination, Sri Ram said, as he was no longer in Malaysia having returned to Myanmar, his home country.
The defence has not finished making its closing reply and Sri Ram will continue tomorrow when the hearing resumes at 3pm.
It will be the eighth day of this hearing, the longest any criminal appeal has been heard at the Federal Court in Malaysia. – November 6, 2014.
*Reporting by Tarani Palani, The Edge Financial Daily.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/no-carpet-no-case-says-defence-in-anwars-sodomy-appeal#sthash.Da8pi4iS.dpuf
13-year-old among those killed in Cameron flood
The bodies of R Punesh, a student of Sekolah Menengah Kampung Raja, here, and an Indonesian vegetable farm worker, Anipan, 48, were found at 8.45am and 9.20am, respectively.
Cameron
Highlands district police chief Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu confirmed that
to date, only three people were killed while five others were injured
in the 6.30pm incident yesterday.He said the body of the student was found by a security team and villagers about five kilometres from where he drowned in Sungai Telom, Kampung Raja.
Meanwhile, Anipan's body was found buried under a metre of earth.
"The victim is believed to have failed in his attempt to escape from the landslide," he said.
Wan Mohd Zahari said during the incident, Anipan's wife, known as Tsunami, 41, managed to escape and was unhurt.
He said the landslide also buried the kongsi house occupied by Anipan and his wife.
According to him, the flash flood affected 203 people from 47 families in Kampung Baru and Lembah Bertam, with 20 houses and 20 vehicles damaged.
"The
management of the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam had announced to the police
about releasing water via Sungai Bertam when the water level reached
35.9 feet due to heavy rain."To avoid any untoward incident, the residents were evacuated to the community hall in Ringlet and the operation was completed at 8pm.
"At the moment, the situation is under control and the weather is fine," he said.
Yesterday, a Nepalese vegetable farm worker, Md Yousuf Miya, 66, who also died in the incident, was found buried in Jalan Ulu Merah, Ringlet, at 8.30pm.
Wan Mohd Zahari said heavy rain over the area from 6pm to 7pm yesterday also resulted in the kongsi house shared by Md Yousuf and his friend Iswandi Nahrowi, 40, buried.
He said Yousuf's body was successfully removed from the mound of earth while his friend suffered a broken leg.The dead bodies and those injured were sent to Sultanah Hajah Kalsom Hospital in Tanah Rata.
The search and rescue operation involved the police (37), Fire and Rescue Department (15), Civil Defence Department (24), Rela (35), Drainage and Irrigation Department (two), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (eight), and Cameron Highlands District Council (12), and would he aided by soldiers from the Tapah Camp.
Last year, Ringlet Lake in Lembah Bertam, here, overflowed, causing a mud flood, killing four people and damaging more than 100 houses.
- Bernama
Vell Paari: Enact 'Stupidity Act' to rescue Malaysia
According to Vell Paari, a 'Stupidity Act' will "rescue Malaysia from being ruined by ignorant imbeciles".
The MIC strategy director was referring to the police report by the Malaysian Muslim Consumer Association (PPIM) on mineral water bottles featuring the image of Batu Caves and Hindu deity Lord Muruga, supposedly next to the "halal" logo.
The image was one of numerous iconic locations affixed on the bottles as part of a tourism campaign.Vell Paari said the incident reminded him of a conversation he had with a foreigner who converted to Islam.
"When I asked him the reason for doing so, he told me that he was inspired after reading an English version of the Quran, which in a nutshell, he described as promising man that despite whatever nonsense happens, something good would emerge in the end," he added.
Similarly, Vell Paari said, "something good" had come to light from PPIM's "nonsensical" objection.
He described this as Hindus being alerted to the issue.
"Being a Hindu myself, I am outraged over the placement of the image of Lord Muruga on the bottles which would end up in trash bins after the contents are consumed.
"I would be similarly upset to find the images of other places of worship in trash bins as well.
"However, I do understand that the company had embarked on the campaign with the good intention of promoting Malaysia's tourism spots," Vell Paari added in a media statement.
He said perhaps the Muslim consumer group should also file a police report against the Tourism Ministry for citing Batu Caves as among the locations to visit or perhaps even urge it to exclude non-Muslims from tourism paraphernalia.
Belittling Muslims
As for the argument that placing Lord Muruga's image next to the "halal" logo might "confuse" Muslims, Vell Paari said this showed how "confused" PPIM is about the faith of Muslims.
"Its argument only serves to belittle Muslims by giving the impression that after drinking from the particular mineral water bottle, a Muslim might resort to carrying the 'kavadi' during Thaipusam in a state of 'confusion'," he added.
Vell Paari also expressed disappointment over the recent protest with regard to the construction of a church in Sunway.
"I
view these incidents as a sign of desperation among those who realise
that race and religion can no longer be used as tools of control."It is said that when a creature is under attack, that is when it is most ferocious.
"Similarly with moderate voices gaining ground (in Malaysia), the conservative and narrow-minded forces are clawing for survival," he added.
Vell Paari also pointed out that posters to promote tourism often depicted Malaysia as being rich in diversity with people of all races and faiths living together in harmony.
"But unfortunately, Malaysia is now making international news for being a land rich in intolerance with the constant playing up of an 'us versus them' agenda between the Muslims and non-Muslims as well as Malays and non-Malays.
"However, it would be foolish to think that change can be stopped," he said.
No Sedition Act on 'deity' bottle issue, says Nazri
After Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) called on the police to investigate the producer of the mineral water bottle, the tourism and culture minister called for sanity to prevail.
PPIM lodged a police report yesterday, saying that the printing of the image of a Hindu deity next to the halal logo is "seditious" and "insensitive" to Muslims.
"I don't know if the group wants to hang the manager, lah. I don't know, lah," Nazri said as he burst into laughter when asked to comment on the group lodging a police report on the issue.
"Let's be sane, people. We just withdraw it (the label). That's it."We are a country of sane people. The whole country is not an asylum, having insane people making lots of noise.
"You just register your unhappiness, that's it; we take action, we withdraw," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
He stressed the company that produced the controversial label had no ill-intention at all when it placed that image near the 'halal' logo.
"There is no intention at all to insult Islam. It was done to promote tourism in the country... surely, there are places of interest that are religious places."
To appease those who are unhappy with the image, Nazri said, the ministry would withdraw bottles with the deity picture and adjust the halal logo.
'In a denial syndrome'
On another matter, Nazri also said the numbers of Chinese tourists to the country declined after the MH370 tragedy.
This
situation was further worsened after several kidnapping cases took
place in Sabah, he added, and at the same time pointed out that many
people were reluctant to concede that Sabah was a dangerous place to go
to.Therefore, he described this to be a "denial syndrome" among Malaysians.
"I also do not dare to give promises that the places (such as Sabah) are safe and under control. The situation is still dangerous.
"We are in a habit of denying... please do not put other people's lives in danger," Nazri added.
Right to be offended
Meanwhile, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said calls for the company to be investigated under the Sedition Act proved the need for the Act to be repealed.
“Such calls (as those made by PPIM) are both worrying and farcical”
“It is the right of any group to be offended by the actions or words of others. However, this does not mean that every offending statement should be punishable by law,” said CIJ in a statement today.
As such, actions that do not advocate hatred and incite discrimination, hostility or violence should not warrant legal punishment, it added.
The CIJ thus called upon the government to stop “feeding unhealthy racial and religious sentiment and instead to demonstrate leadership by calling for understanding and respect”.
We are challenging the process, not the fatwa, says SIS
The group clarified its position after the Sultan of Selangor said that religious edicts in the state are issued with his consent.
The group's founding member Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir said that the judicial review the group has filed aims to get an explanation on the reasoning for the fatwa that declared the NGO as deviating from Islam
"We were not informed when the fatwa was passed or even after it was gazetted," said Marina at a press conference today.
"Once it is gazetted and if we don't challenge it, it becomes a law and if we contravene the law, it is a crime.
"How would we know we were contravening it if we didn't know about it, and it so happened that we came across it by chance, 10 days before the deadline," she said.
On Friday, SIS filed for a judicial review on a gazetted fatwa in Selangor that declared the group of deviating from Islam.
SIS executive director Ratna Osman said they were filing the challenge as the fatwa – which was gazetted on July 31 - was issued without the group being told or questioned..
The three-month grace period to review a fatwa ended the day SIS filed the judicial review.
The group named the Selangor Fatwa Committee, the Mais and the state government as respondents at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/we-are-challenging-the-process-not-the-fatwa-says-sis#sthash.Xd9Jv9DM.dpuf
Sultan on fatwas: Don’t question what I have approved
The Sultan says every fatwa issued in Selangor carries his personal stamp of approval.
FMT
SHAH ALAM: Making a firm stand about fatwas issued in Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said no one had the right to question or criticise a fatwa as each had his prior personal and full consent.
“A fatwa is only issued in Selangor after it has obtained my full approval and consent,” he said.
He added, “I urge Muslims to refrain from being too quick about criticising fatwas that are issued without first comprehending it fully.”
The Sultan said he offered this advice in order to prevent any untoward conflicts among Muslims in regard to the administration of Islamic affairs in Selangor.
He added, “…this is to preserve the dignity of Islam and prevent the religion from being easily ridiculed or disputed by irresponsible parties.”
Reminding the people that a fatwa was only issued after receiving consensus from all who sat on the National Fatwa Council, the Sultan explained that the Mufti of Selangor worked with scholars and professionals who were experts on not only Islamic matters but legal affairs as well.
“They discuss (fatwas) and determine the law, taking into consideration all the laws of the Quran, the Hadith and other related material.”
He added that he did not want the peace, unity and development of the people to be destroyed by those who were fanatical simply because they were influenced by external elements that were extremist in nature.
He said this in response to Sisters in Islam having filed a judicial review against a fatwa issued against them, branding them as deviant.
SHAH ALAM: Making a firm stand about fatwas issued in Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said no one had the right to question or criticise a fatwa as each had his prior personal and full consent.
“A fatwa is only issued in Selangor after it has obtained my full approval and consent,” he said.
He added, “I urge Muslims to refrain from being too quick about criticising fatwas that are issued without first comprehending it fully.”
The Sultan said he offered this advice in order to prevent any untoward conflicts among Muslims in regard to the administration of Islamic affairs in Selangor.
He added, “…this is to preserve the dignity of Islam and prevent the religion from being easily ridiculed or disputed by irresponsible parties.”
Reminding the people that a fatwa was only issued after receiving consensus from all who sat on the National Fatwa Council, the Sultan explained that the Mufti of Selangor worked with scholars and professionals who were experts on not only Islamic matters but legal affairs as well.
“They discuss (fatwas) and determine the law, taking into consideration all the laws of the Quran, the Hadith and other related material.”
He added that he did not want the peace, unity and development of the people to be destroyed by those who were fanatical simply because they were influenced by external elements that were extremist in nature.
He said this in response to Sisters in Islam having filed a judicial review against a fatwa issued against them, branding them as deviant.
Najib must censure Razlan for Chinese school remark
DAP says Chinese schools enjoy more diverse enrolment consisting of all races and there are statistics to prove it.
FMT
IPOH: Chinese national-type schools (SJKC) are open to all Malaysians and is the most diverse type of school, therefor making Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii’s accusations baseless, Perak DAP Economic Development Bureau chief Chong Zhemin said today.
Chong said Mohd Razlan was wrong when he said Chinese schools were “dangerous” if it created enclaves where people could get by without speaking the national language.
He said during the MCA annual general assembly last month, Prime Minister Najib Razak defended Chinese primary schools saying that SJKC were guaranteed and protected under the Federal Constitution.
“It is now time for Najib to walk the talk and immediately censure Mohd Razlan for launching a scathing attack on SJKC to prove that he is not a hypocrite and meant every word he said during the MCA annual general assembly,” he said.
He challenged Najib to “walk the talk” or risk being exposed as double-faced – saying one thing in front of MCA delegates but another in front of Umno members.
He said Chinese schools were not only open to all Malaysians regardless of race and religion but also the most diverse and inclusive Malaysian school.
According to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, there are 94% of Bumiputera students in national primary schools, 88% of Chinese students in Chinese primary schools, 100% of Indian students in Tamil primary schools and 100% of Bumiputera students in religious schools.
Chong said compared with 6% of non-Bumiputera students in national primary schools, Chinese primary schools had 12% of non-Chinese students which made it the most diverse and inclusive of Malaysian schools.
According to Jiao Zong’s survey conducted in December last year, there are 30 Chinese primary schools where more than 70% of the students are non-Chinese.
Out of 356 Chinese primary schools surveyed, there are 314 Chinese primary schools with non-Chinese students.
Chong said in a press statement all these statistics proved that Mohd Razlan’s accusation on Chinese national-type schools were baseless and unsubstantiated.
“I would like to remind Mohd Razlan that the Barisan Nasional education policy since Malaysia independence was to ‘stop’ vernacular schools. No new Chinese or Tamil primary schools are allowed to be built unless an old school was shut down.
“I call on Putrajaya to abolish this discriminative, absurd and unreasonable education policy and allow Chinese and Tamil primary schools to be built according to needs.
“There is nothing political in making this call as education needs must stand above politics,” he added.
IPOH: Chinese national-type schools (SJKC) are open to all Malaysians and is the most diverse type of school, therefor making Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii’s accusations baseless, Perak DAP Economic Development Bureau chief Chong Zhemin said today.
Chong said Mohd Razlan was wrong when he said Chinese schools were “dangerous” if it created enclaves where people could get by without speaking the national language.
He said during the MCA annual general assembly last month, Prime Minister Najib Razak defended Chinese primary schools saying that SJKC were guaranteed and protected under the Federal Constitution.
“It is now time for Najib to walk the talk and immediately censure Mohd Razlan for launching a scathing attack on SJKC to prove that he is not a hypocrite and meant every word he said during the MCA annual general assembly,” he said.
He challenged Najib to “walk the talk” or risk being exposed as double-faced – saying one thing in front of MCA delegates but another in front of Umno members.
He said Chinese schools were not only open to all Malaysians regardless of race and religion but also the most diverse and inclusive Malaysian school.
According to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025, there are 94% of Bumiputera students in national primary schools, 88% of Chinese students in Chinese primary schools, 100% of Indian students in Tamil primary schools and 100% of Bumiputera students in religious schools.
Chong said compared with 6% of non-Bumiputera students in national primary schools, Chinese primary schools had 12% of non-Chinese students which made it the most diverse and inclusive of Malaysian schools.
According to Jiao Zong’s survey conducted in December last year, there are 30 Chinese primary schools where more than 70% of the students are non-Chinese.
Out of 356 Chinese primary schools surveyed, there are 314 Chinese primary schools with non-Chinese students.
Chong said in a press statement all these statistics proved that Mohd Razlan’s accusation on Chinese national-type schools were baseless and unsubstantiated.
“I would like to remind Mohd Razlan that the Barisan Nasional education policy since Malaysia independence was to ‘stop’ vernacular schools. No new Chinese or Tamil primary schools are allowed to be built unless an old school was shut down.
“I call on Putrajaya to abolish this discriminative, absurd and unreasonable education policy and allow Chinese and Tamil primary schools to be built according to needs.
“There is nothing political in making this call as education needs must stand above politics,” he added.
Fatwas can wait, let’s talk first
Khalid Samad suggests there are better ways to work out differences in opinions rather than hastily issuing fatwas.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS’ Khalid Abdul Samad has said that instead of hastily issuing a fatwa against Sisters In Islam (SIS), it was better if the religious authorities engaged the NGO in a dialogue first.
He said this at a meeting between a few PAS members and SIS today.
According to Khalid, who is MP for Shah Alam, “Fatwas in Islam are issued following thorough investigation, not in a sudden manner such as this.
“SIS was never consulted by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) before the fatwa was released.”
Noting that SIS met with Mais two years ago to report that they were championing the rights of Muslim women, Khalid said that it came as a shock that a fatwa was suddenly issued declaring that NGO’s agenda deviated from the teachings of Islam.
Saying this was very “un-Islamic”, Khalid explained that Islam championed justice as was evident in a verse from the Quran that read “even enemies should be treated to a fair trial”.
He said that fatwas carried serious implications and thus should be issued only after thorough investigations.
“This kind of approach will make the public scared of Islam when actually Islam is a fair and peaceful religion,” said Khalid.
“How will Malaysians have confidence in Islamic governance if there’s a perception that fatwas, which carry serious implications, can be gazetted hastily without consulting the affected party and having a dialogue first?”
Referring to PAS Youth leader Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi’s labelling of SIS as a “growing cancer”, Khalid suggested that Khalil set a meeting with SIS and speak to its officials before making such a statement.
“I advice PAS Youth to be just and fair, not to mete out punishment without allowing an opportunity to a fair trial”.
“I don’t always see eye to eye with SIS on all matters but I meet them and we trash out our differences through dialogue,” explained Khalid.
Today’s meeting was initiated by Khalid’s PAS colleague, Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
Mujahid described the meeting as a step forward, saying it was better than banning SIS outright.
“The meeting appeared necessary to us, not as PAS representatives, but a few concerned PAS members wanting to give SIS a chance to explain their side of the story,” he said.
“After talking to them we have come to realise that the fatwa should be discussed further and be more specific for both the terminologies ‘pluralism’ and ‘liberalism’ are deep theological ideologies and SIS have never preached these ideologies in a theological context.”
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS’ Khalid Abdul Samad has said that instead of hastily issuing a fatwa against Sisters In Islam (SIS), it was better if the religious authorities engaged the NGO in a dialogue first.
He said this at a meeting between a few PAS members and SIS today.
According to Khalid, who is MP for Shah Alam, “Fatwas in Islam are issued following thorough investigation, not in a sudden manner such as this.
“SIS was never consulted by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) before the fatwa was released.”
Noting that SIS met with Mais two years ago to report that they were championing the rights of Muslim women, Khalid said that it came as a shock that a fatwa was suddenly issued declaring that NGO’s agenda deviated from the teachings of Islam.
Saying this was very “un-Islamic”, Khalid explained that Islam championed justice as was evident in a verse from the Quran that read “even enemies should be treated to a fair trial”.
He said that fatwas carried serious implications and thus should be issued only after thorough investigations.
“This kind of approach will make the public scared of Islam when actually Islam is a fair and peaceful religion,” said Khalid.
“How will Malaysians have confidence in Islamic governance if there’s a perception that fatwas, which carry serious implications, can be gazetted hastily without consulting the affected party and having a dialogue first?”
Referring to PAS Youth leader Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi’s labelling of SIS as a “growing cancer”, Khalid suggested that Khalil set a meeting with SIS and speak to its officials before making such a statement.
“I advice PAS Youth to be just and fair, not to mete out punishment without allowing an opportunity to a fair trial”.
“I don’t always see eye to eye with SIS on all matters but I meet them and we trash out our differences through dialogue,” explained Khalid.
Today’s meeting was initiated by Khalid’s PAS colleague, Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
Mujahid described the meeting as a step forward, saying it was better than banning SIS outright.
“The meeting appeared necessary to us, not as PAS representatives, but a few concerned PAS members wanting to give SIS a chance to explain their side of the story,” he said.
“After talking to them we have come to realise that the fatwa should be discussed further and be more specific for both the terminologies ‘pluralism’ and ‘liberalism’ are deep theological ideologies and SIS have never preached these ideologies in a theological context.”
Gopal takes court on a magic carpet ride
Anwar's lead counsel talks about 'moving carpets' and 'seduction'.
FMT
PUTRAJAYA: As Day 7 of Sodomy 2 came to a close, Gopal Sri Ram, head of Anwar Ibrahim’s defense team, took the court back to the crime scene, describing how investigators went into Unit 11-5-2 of the condominium where the alleged act took place and removed a carpet from the room, but the act supposedly took place in the unit next to it, 11-5-1.
Citing that from all accounts only Saiful Bukhari had testified to there being a carpet in unit 11-5-1, Gopal proclaimed, “My learned friend said the carpet moved from 11-5-1 to 11-5-2. My Lords, I do not believe in flying carpets. There is a gap, no evidence to show that there was a carpet in 11-5-1.”
Gopal told the court that no forensic material could be lifted from the carpet and thus “We go further to say that the act of sodomy never happened,” noting that Units 11-5-1 and 11-5-2 are not neighbouring units. When asked by a judge if there was evidence, Gopal replied that if there was no evidence of the carpet being moved, there was no carpet in 11-5-1, contrary to Saiful’s account.
When the judge asked what would be the forensic team’s reason for going to 11-5-2, Gopal replied, “No reason.”
Gopal went on to attack Saiful’s character, noting that the complainant’s friend Najwan described him as contradictory and showing a picture of Anwar that Saiful had posted to the social network Friendster, describing the opposition leader as ‘munafik’ (hypocrite). Additionally, the social network pictures showed Saiful campaigning for Barisan Nasional.
The lead counsel also brought up Saiful’s seduction of a member of the prosecution team, Farah Azalina, telling the court, “If my learned friend (Shafee) can tell tales, so can I. But my tales aren’t about flying carpets. The open scandal of the Deputy Public Prosecutor having an affair with Saiful. This boy is not an ordinary boy.”
He also defended the late Karpal Singh, saying “Mr. Karpal, the great man, knew what he was doing when he applied to impeach the witness. Shafee suggested that Mr. Karpal didn’t know what he was doing. In his defensc, he knew exactly what he was doing.”
The court reconvenes tomorrow at 3pm, with an additional 15 minutes given to Gopal to conclude his submission.
PUTRAJAYA: As Day 7 of Sodomy 2 came to a close, Gopal Sri Ram, head of Anwar Ibrahim’s defense team, took the court back to the crime scene, describing how investigators went into Unit 11-5-2 of the condominium where the alleged act took place and removed a carpet from the room, but the act supposedly took place in the unit next to it, 11-5-1.
Citing that from all accounts only Saiful Bukhari had testified to there being a carpet in unit 11-5-1, Gopal proclaimed, “My learned friend said the carpet moved from 11-5-1 to 11-5-2. My Lords, I do not believe in flying carpets. There is a gap, no evidence to show that there was a carpet in 11-5-1.”
Gopal told the court that no forensic material could be lifted from the carpet and thus “We go further to say that the act of sodomy never happened,” noting that Units 11-5-1 and 11-5-2 are not neighbouring units. When asked by a judge if there was evidence, Gopal replied that if there was no evidence of the carpet being moved, there was no carpet in 11-5-1, contrary to Saiful’s account.
When the judge asked what would be the forensic team’s reason for going to 11-5-2, Gopal replied, “No reason.”
Gopal went on to attack Saiful’s character, noting that the complainant’s friend Najwan described him as contradictory and showing a picture of Anwar that Saiful had posted to the social network Friendster, describing the opposition leader as ‘munafik’ (hypocrite). Additionally, the social network pictures showed Saiful campaigning for Barisan Nasional.
The lead counsel also brought up Saiful’s seduction of a member of the prosecution team, Farah Azalina, telling the court, “If my learned friend (Shafee) can tell tales, so can I. But my tales aren’t about flying carpets. The open scandal of the Deputy Public Prosecutor having an affair with Saiful. This boy is not an ordinary boy.”
He also defended the late Karpal Singh, saying “Mr. Karpal, the great man, knew what he was doing when he applied to impeach the witness. Shafee suggested that Mr. Karpal didn’t know what he was doing. In his defensc, he knew exactly what he was doing.”
The court reconvenes tomorrow at 3pm, with an additional 15 minutes given to Gopal to conclude his submission.
M’sia deports Sikh militant to India
The man alleged to be responsible for the 2009 killing of Indian politician Rulda Singh.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has deported a suspected Sikh militant wanted for the 2009 killing of an Indian politician, police said today.
Inpector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement that the man, 36, using a fake Nepalese passport, was arrested in Johor Baru on October 24 for immigration offences and deported yesterday.
He is alleged to be part of a Sikh militant group responsible for the 2009 killing of Indian politician Rulda Singh.
Rulda Singh was a former president of Sikh hardline group Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, which supports the Hindu nationalist grassroots organisation linked to country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Khalid said Malaysian authorities cooperated with their Indian counterparts to make the arrest, bringing to six the total number of militants believed to be linked to the group held since 2009.
– AFP
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has deported a suspected Sikh militant wanted for the 2009 killing of an Indian politician, police said today.
Inpector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement that the man, 36, using a fake Nepalese passport, was arrested in Johor Baru on October 24 for immigration offences and deported yesterday.
He is alleged to be part of a Sikh militant group responsible for the 2009 killing of Indian politician Rulda Singh.
Rulda Singh was a former president of Sikh hardline group Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, which supports the Hindu nationalist grassroots organisation linked to country’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Khalid said Malaysian authorities cooperated with their Indian counterparts to make the arrest, bringing to six the total number of militants believed to be linked to the group held since 2009.
– AFP
Lawyers want all sedition cases frozen pending constitutional review
Malay Mail
by ZURAIRI AR
by ZURAIRI AR
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Several lawyers urged the Attorney-General (AG) today to
put all ongoing sedition cases on hold pending the Federal Court’s
constitutional review of the colonial-era law.
Lawyers
representing Universiti Malaya law lecturer Dr Azmi Sharom, whose
application for review was transferred by the High Court to the apex
court today, noted that there are already many others facing sedition
charges who have filed or are filing applications for a stay of their
cases until the review is disposed of.
“It
would be best if all cases under the Sedition Act which are currently
pending also be stayed, pending the outcome of the Federal Court in this
reference.
“So
I hope the honourable Attorney-General will consider our request,”
lawyer Gobind Singh Deo told reporters outside the High Court here.
Last
month, a Kajang Sessions Court postponed hearing the sedition case of
Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, the president of Islamist group Ikatan
Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).
A
deputy public prosecutor had agreed to the stay, prompting
anti-Sedition Act lawyers and activists to call for a moratorium by the
Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Lawyer
Eric Paulsen, who was part of Gobind’s team today, said he welcomed the
decision of High Court judge Kamardin Hashim to refer Azmi’s challenge
to the Federal Court, as the Sedition Act has been “put into a serious
question”.
“Since
the Sedition Act has been used in widespread and indiscriminate manner,
I think it will only be fair and just to everyone involved for a
moratorium be imposed on the further use of the Sedition Act
“And
also for all proceedings to be stayed until a decision is made in the
Federal Court,” said Paulsen, who is part of the Lawyers for Liberty
group.
Justice
Kamardin told a High Court hearing today that he is invoking Sections
84 and 85 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to refer the case to the
nation’s apex court.
The
High Court also ruled today that all proceedings in Azmi’s case in the
Sessions Court has now been stayed pending the decision of the Federal
Court.
The
Federal Court will now hear whether Section 4(1) is inconsistent with
Article 10(2) of the Constitution, which allows only Parliament to
impose legal restrictions on the right of freedom of speech conferred
under Article 10.
The court will also hear whether the Sedition Act itself is valid and constitutional.
Azmi
was the first academic to be charged following a string of cases over
recent month where at least 20 anti-government dissidents, opposition
politicians and a journalist booked in the space of one month.
Khazanah Promises Transparency On MAS Privatisation, Says MSWG
KELANA JAYA, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Government investment arm, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, has promised to remain transparent on Malaysian Airline System Bhd's (MAS) restructuring process even after the airline's privatisation, Minority Shareholder Watchdog Group (MSWG) said.General manager of corporate services, Lya Rahman, said long-time shareholders had voiced out their views and concern and Khazanah should take note of all this.
"Khazanah should be transparent all the way in whatever they do as this is national interest. Let Khazanah do their job and let's pray that it is a successful attempt after the previous attempt failed," she told reporters after MAS extraordinary general meeting here today.
On the balloting process, she said Khazanah's offer to acquire the remaining shares they did not owned at 27 sen, received strong approval from 93 per cent of the shareholders.
"I think shareholders know that they should accept this offer because if this thing does not go through, then they may not get anything at all," she said.
She said MSWG was also satisfied with the response from MAS on its questions and questions raised by the shareholders.
"They responded well," she said.
-- BERNAMA
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