Censuring the confused in their erroneous reading of verse (2:256) in the Holy Qurʾān

Wan Ahmad Fayhsal bin Wan Ahmad Kamal
It is important to note that the true scholars of Islām (ʿulamāʾ, sing. ʿalīm) who are experts in the exegesis (tafsīr) of Qurʿān are ever consistent in their interpretation and understanding on the meaning “there is no compulsion in religion” (Q2: 256). One must be aware that such command by God in His Own Words in the Qurʾān does not apply with regard to the Muslims who are already in the state of submission (hence the very meaning of the name Muslim is total and willing submission based on the correct way as decreed by Him through His Last Messenger – Prophet Muhammad) in the religion of Islām. Instead the verse is informing the Muslims not to coerce people from other religions to be submitted into Islām and becoming Muslim unwillingly.
To make it clearer, this particular verse is intended to uphold the sanctity of Islamic missionary (daʿwah: literally means “making an invitation) and has proven to be imbued in the central tenets of Muslim ethics in conducting their missionary works for ages till present times – unlike, in contrast to the notorious Spanish Inquisition of the medieval time. The myth of Islam spread by the sword has long been dispelled even by the respected Orientalist – Sir Thomas Arnold (1864-1930) in his work “The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim faith” (1896). Any attempt to invoke the notion of “intolerant” has no relevance whatsoever with regard to the verse above.
From the authoritative exegesis attributed to Prophet Muhammad’s Companion – Abdullāh b. Ibn ʿAbbās, who is considered to be the most knowledgeable of the Companions in tafsīr, as narrated by al-Fīrūzabādī (1329–1414) in Tanwīr al-Miqbās min Tafsīr Ibn ʿAbbās in which the phrase “there is no compulsion in religion” (Q2: 256) is understood to be referring upon the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) and the Magians after the Arabs submitted themselves into Islām. The scholars of tafsīr clearly indicated that it is addressed to the Muslims with regard to their treatment upon the non-Muslims in matters of conversion to Islām. These views are resonated in many authoritative tafāsīr (plural of tafsīr – exegeses of Qurʾān). And it has never ever being rendered in the opposite direction as pandered by certain quarters of confused Muslims – the likes of Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) and Sisters in Islam (SIS) – that merely bantering upon uncouth slogans of enlightenment and reason in providing so-called alternative reading and understanding of the verse mentioned.
Furthermore many confused Muslims have distorted the established understanding of this verse as explained by authoritative exegetes of Qurʾān (mufassirūn, sing. mufassir) by reading it in piecemeal basis without having a recourse of reading the verse in its totality and organic whole via linking the verse with its precedents verses and the following verses which carrying the same theme of “truth and falsehood is clearly manifested.”
They tend to essentialise the command of God as rendered in Qurʾān – meaning to divorce the Qurʾānic injunctions and exhortations from its existential realities. This is wrong, as Islām is a religion that comprises both ideals and realities in which both are harmoniously linked in projecting the true image of the religion of Islam as perfectly exemplified in the living tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) and the heirs of Prophetic knowledge and duties - the true scholars of Islam. This worthy heir of Prophets (peace be upon them all) has been guaranteed by himself in his saying: al-ʿulamāʾ warith al-ānbiyāʾ - “Scholars (of Islām) are heir of Prophets”. Such endeavor of interpreting and rendering the best meaning of religious injunctions was first completed by the Prophet Muhmmad himself and followed through now by his apparent heir – the competent scholars of Islamic sciences who always ensure their efforts, to the best of their abilities, are complying to the basics of epistemology in Islām. It is not and can never be based upon mere personal speculations and conjectures that sprung out from the whims and fancy of its learned adherents i.e. Muslim scholars, what more from the laity Muslims like the confused lot of IRF and SIS.
True Muslims – that is true to its namesake of ‘being a Muslim’ – are conscious enough, furthermore willingly submit themselves under the established religious injunctions and will know his or her limits in negotiating the boundaries without ever transgressing the extremities or coming up short in fulfilling their religious obligations as what have been delineated by the Muslim scholars which have been deduced from and originally based on the established knowledge and perfect practices of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!)
Such religious rulings and injunctions (aḥkām, sing. ḥukm) could only be derived by the able and eligible scholars that have fulfilled the fundamental and necessary requirements to perform what technically is termed as ijtihād (deriving the injunctions from established sources of knowledge in Islam) – or issuing legal opinions (fatwā), as outlined in the pristine tradition of religious sciences in Islām.
Qurʾān is not a book of quotations that simply can be cherry-picked by any Muslims to form their own personal interpretation on religious rulings and injunctions. Laymen that have not possessed the right knowledge, mental and spiritual aptitude are not adept to put forth their views (in truth it is just their personal conjecture) without having recourse to the previous scholarships on the exegeses of Qurʿān.
To the inept – especially current politicians and poser-Muslim scholars who have not endured rigorous and specialized training of issuing Islamic legal opinions and interpretations – the depth and systematic intricacies of Quran will never be manifested upon them as God the Almighty have said in the the Qurʾān: “But none knows its true interpretation, save only God and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge (rāsikhūn fī’l-ʿilm)." (Q3:7)
Of course such exhortations above are not binding upon non-Muslims and they have total freedom in relation to the general precepts of the established Muslim scholarship with regard to the verse discussed here but it is a different case altogether for Muslims, as they must have recourse upon proper authorities in knowledge pertaining to it. One of the authorities that have untangled this confusion was Shāykh Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī (1904-1997), the celebrated author of Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān (“Pondering over the Qurʾān”), which made use of his late teacher Mawlānā Ḥamīduddīn Farāhī’s (1863-1930) scholarship on the idea of thematic and structural coherence in Qurʾān.
Referring to the verse 256 in chapter 2 of the Qurʾān, Iṣlāḥī is fully aware of the tendency for confused Muslims throughout the ages of using the notion of “there is no compulsion in religion” in making the religion of Islām conform to their fancy, whims and desires:
“Some people unfortunately take this verse away from this sense and try to use it for rejecting all legal constraints. They argue that since there is no compulsion in Islām, any attempts to invoke punishments for certain acts are invalid in Islām and are, moreover, mere fabrications on the part of ‘mullahs’ (note: Muslim scholar title that is widely used in India and Pakistan). If this line of argument is accepted as valid, it would mean that the Islamic Sharīʿah (i.e. Law) is without any prescribed punishments and penalties and that it allows people to behave and act as they please without imposing any restrains on them.” (pg. 601-602. Iṣlāḥī, Amīn Aḥsan, Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān, “Pondering over the Qurʾān”, trans. Mohammad Saleem Kayani, Kuala Lumpur: IBT, 2007)
Iṣlāḥī further explains such understanding is totally unfounded in Islamic tradition:
“This is a fallacious argument, because we all know that Islām has a whole system and a penal code of its own, the implementation of which is a most important and basic Islamic obligation. An Islamic government can punish a Muslim if he fails to observe Prayer (note: especially the obligatory communal Friday prayer for men) or fasting. And this does not at all contravene the principle that “there is no compulsion in religion”. Undoubtedly, Islām does not sanction the use of any compulsion to convert others. At the same time, however, it does not allow anyone entering its fold to behave in any manner they fancy without being questioned or held accountable for their conduct.” (pg. 602. Iṣlāḥī, Amīn Aḥsan, Tadabbur-e-Qurʾān, “Pondering over the Qurʾān”, trans. Mohammad Saleem Kayani, Kuala Lumpur: IBT, 2007)
This observation by Iṣlāḥī is not a mere theoretical exegesis but can be further corroborated with ample historical evidences on the real practices of the Muslim throughout the ages – especially in the past where Islamic government was firmly established. This legal injunction of delivering and maintaining religious practices falls under the rubric of maintaining public duties in Islām or technically called “Ḥisba”.
Such acts that falls under the rubric of ḥisba has strong Qurʿānic bases (Q3:104, Q3:110, Q3:114, Q7:157, Q9:71, Q9:112, Q22:41, Q31:17) and is considered to be one of the most important tenets after the Five Pillars of Islām (arkān al-Islām) and Six Pillars of Faith (arkān al-Imān) in Islām which is called “enjoining good and forbidding evil” (al-amr bi’l-maʿrūf wa’l-nahy ʿan al-munkar).
It is safer for us not to digress from our real discussion above on the issue of “there is no compulsion in religion”. For thorough reading on ḥisba, please refer to Muhtar Holland’s “Public Duties in Islam” (Leicester: Islamic Foundation, 1982) a translation of a legal treatise entitled al-Ḥisba fī al-Islām by the famed Muslim jurist of 13th century – Taqī al-Dīn Ibn Taymīyah.
Alas suffice here for us to be really aware that interpretations made on the discussed verse “there is no compulsion in religion” by certain quarters of the confused Muslim is not as simple as they think, especially when it comes to really grasping the understanding of a particular verse in relation to other preceding and posterior verses, what more reading that particular verse in the light of the gestalt of Qurʾān where the dictum “the whole is larger than the sum of its part” rings louder than any kind of book ever existed in the history of man – be it religious or secular.
If we want to understand Qur’ān correctly, one must resort to various other analytical tools not just limiting it to plain-dry modern notions of “analysis” that dicing things out beforehand in order to examine and arrive at the crux of the matter. Some of the analytical tools that are firmly established since day immemorial of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) resided in the science of interpretation (tafsīr) of Qurʾān. Such analytical and exegetical devices, the likes of the reasons of revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl) and abrogations (nasikh wa al-mansūkh) are strictly unique in the religion of Islām.
Those devices (some became science of itself, e.g. ʿilm al-rijāl - knowledge on evaluating the credibility of narrators of the hadīth) have been laboriously refined by Muslim scholars via countless numbers of commentaries (shurūh, sing. sharḥ), super-commentaries and glosses (ḥawāshī, sing. ḥāshīah) and the findings have been infused into many other Islamic sciences notably jurisprudence (fiqh).
That is why the learned scholar of Islām, Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas keeps emphasizing that the science of tafsīr is based on established knowledge not conjecture and it is not the same as hermeneutics; which means only the competent – not just among the lay Muslims but moreover among the Learned Muslim (ʿulamāʾ) whom themselves have mastered various branches of Islamic sciences – have the rights to deliver their interpretation upon such verses, especially on the subject of this discussion that falls under one of the most basic tenets of faith (imān) and deemed to be unclear to many especially in these modern times.
It is best for all Muslims especially the confused lot to pay heed to Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him!) saying (ḥadīth) – which is the second most important source of knowledge in Islamic sciences after Qur'ān – as narrated by al-Bayhaqī: “This knowledge (the religious) will be held in every generation by those who are just (meaning – the Learned [ʿulamāʾ]) and they shall protect it against the falsification of the extremists (taḥrīf al-ghālīn), the fabrication of the deceivers (intiḥāl al-mubṭilīn) and the misinterpretation of the ignorant (taʾwīl al-jāhilīn).
If the confused Muslims keep railing about this despite umpteenth times being censured by authoritative Muslim scholars on their reckless and half-truths (which is more dangerous than plain error!) interpretations, then they are no better than the extremists who took the verse: “kill the idolaters wherever you find them” (Q9:5) by decontextualizing and accepting it based on mere face value in order to justify their anger and the continuance of their act of manslaughter in the name of religion (God forbid!).
Indeed, if they continue to affirm and latch upon errors without having any thought to relinquish them and seeking the truth of the matter through proper ways and means – as explained above – they will go astray from the consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Muslim scholars in matters of creed (ʿaqīdah) where there has never been disagreement and indulgence whatsoever in matters of distinguishing and affirming the truth from the error. Verily Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him!) has stated, as narrated by Ibn Majāh: “My Community shall never agree upon misguidance, therefore, if you see divergences, you must follow the overwhelming majority of Believers (al-sawwād al-āʿẓam)”
The writer is a research fellow at Himpunan Keilmuan Muslim (HAKIM). He currently reads Islamic Thought and Civilization at Centre for Advanced Studies on Islam, Science and Civilization (CASIS-UTM) as well a lecturer at Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor (KUIS).

Stemming the incoherence of misguided Muslim pundits’: my response

Truth, error, good, bad, etc. are not absolutes. There are no ‘facts’ when we talk about truth, error, good, bad, etc., in religion. They are all relative and subject to time and place. And what is good/bad in religion may not be good/bad from society’s point of view. And what is good/bad from society’s point of view, yesterday, may not be good/bad from society’s point of view today.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It is truly shameful that the affairs of Muslims were being discussed without the guidance of scholars of Islām possessing true and correct knowledge of the religion.

How can one even be sure that they are speaking earnestly and truthfully on behalf of Islām?

Furthermore, a non-Muslim making ignorant statements about Islām may be excused on the basis of not himself being a Muslim and of being obstinate. Yet, a greater cause for concern is when a ignorant Muslim makes ambivalent declarations about the nature of Islām as a religion.

In fact, this betrays a categorical confusion on her part because from the Muslim understanding, Islām is the true revealed religion, and the affirmation of this fact has consequences both in this world and in the hereafter.

The religion of Islām requires both belief (imān) and submission (islām) from its believers. Both are not identical, but they are mutually inseparable and indispensable, which means that one cannot do without the other.

Those who argue along the lines of half-baked understanding of the Qur’ānic verse often do not even bother to read the second part of the verse that makes clear the distinction between Truth and error. There is no sense in holding on to that verse if this distinction is only mentioned in briefly or outrightly dismissed without equally serious consideration. The religion of Islām makes clear its claim to Truth, and this is why its content is cognitive to the human mind.

A person who is presented with a choice between what is good and what is bad and proceeds to choose the bad is not exercising real freedom. In truth, the person is trapped within his own ignorance, thus unable to make the right choice in choosing for the better, and in doing so, has committed a grave injustice to his or her own self and others.

If we allow the promissory note for such literal interpretation of the verse devoid of scholarly consensus and right guidance, then there would be nothing left to prevent the likes of fanatics, demagogues and even militant extremists from appropriating Islām in order to justify atrocities and perpetuate even further injustices.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER HERE:

http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/52703-stemming-the-incoherence-of-misguided-muslim-pundits

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Those are some of the extracts from the letter that Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, Muhammad Syukri Rosli and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal sent to Malaysia Today, and which we published today.

I suspect many of you were quite lost by the language used and could not quite make out what the authors were trying to say -- other than that only Muslim scholars should talk about Islam and that Islam is the true religion while all others are false.

Nevertheless, maybe I can respond to some of the salient points raised in that letter. And I am addressing my response to Muhammad Husni Mohd Amin, Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil, Muhammad Syukri Rosli and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.

When we debate an issue or argue a point, we must be very clear in our mind as to the intended audience. The audience, on the other hand, must be very clear as to what ‘platform’ we are standing on in presenting our arguments.

From your arguments, it is clear that you are speaking as Islamists and your audience is meant to be fellow Muslims. You do not care about the views of the non-Muslims. You are giving your views on Islam from the perspective of a Muslim and meant for the ears of Muslims.

In that case, those not of the Islamic faith will never accept what you say. What you say has nothing to do with the non-Muslims. You, a Muslim, talks about Islam, from the perspective of Islam, meant for a Muslim audience.

You have crafted your letter as if you are presenting facts. No doubt, to Muslims, you are definitely presenting facts. To the non-Muslims, however, what you say are not facts. These are merely opinions. And non-Muslims, for sure, will have a different opinion to you.

For example, to the Christians, Jesus is the Son of God, humankind was born with sins, and Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Hence if we accept Jesus we would be saved.

This is an indisputable fact to most Christians.

To Muslims, however, this is not a fact. In fact, Muslims may even consider this a lie. Hence non-Muslims would not regard this Christian doctrine as fact but merely an opinion (and a misguided one at that, too, Muslims will argue). Therefore, being an opinion, and an opinion that Muslims do not agree with, the Christian doctrine could be right or could be wrong (and certainly wrong from the Islamic perspective).

Hence, when you talk to a multi-cultural audience, you need to understand the proper way in doing so. For example, instead of stating ‘facts’, it would help if you say things like ‘according to the Muslim belief’, etc. Then we would be implying that this is what I, as a Muslim, believe, but I am not suggesting that you, too, believe what I believe.

Now, in that letter, are you discussing a matter of theology, philosophy, a legal issue, the Federal Constitution, issue of human rights and civil liberties, or what? From my reading of the letter, you are discussing theology, and Islamic theology in particular.

Would Muslims be interested in hearing someone talk about Hinduism or Christianity from the theological aspect? And would Muslims be convinced by these arguments and accept them as the truth?

This is the flaw in most arguments presented by Muslims. You have your beliefs and you present your beliefs as facts and you expect others to also accept them as facts. And when they cannot, you get upset and start screaming that these people have insulted Islam and therefore action should be taken against these people.

Maybe we can look at this issue not from the perspective of theology, in particular Islamic theology. Then, and only then, can we talk to a multi-cultural audience, which I suspect is what you are trying to do since you sent your letter to Malaysia Today.

You spoke about truth and error. You also spoke about good and bad. Now, I am going to address my comments not just to Muslims but also to religionists in general.

Truth, error, good, bad, etc. are not absolutes. There are no ‘facts’ when we talk about truth, error, good, bad, etc., in religion. They are all relative and subject to time and place. And what is good/bad in religion may not be good/bad from society’s point of view. And what is good/bad from society’s point of view, yesterday, may not be good/bad from society’s point of view today.

In other words, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ constantly changes. It changes according to the period. It changes according to the region. And it changes according to the society you live in.

For example, 100 years or so ago, any woman wearing a miniskirt in England would be vilified and maybe even accosted. Today, a woman can walk around town practically in her panties and nothing will happen. So what was bad 100 years ago in England is no longer bad.

Now, if a woman walks around town in a miniskirt in Saudia Arabia, she would be arrested and flogged. In Malaysia, she will not be arrested and flogged. However, if she walks around Kota Bharu in her panties she will, for sure, be in trouble.

Hence is wearing a miniskirt (or just your panties) good or bad? It depends on what period you live in and where you live.

So how can good and bad be taken as absolutes? Good and bad will change across time and across borders. Hence, when you argue about what you consider as good and bad, that is merely your opinion and that does not make it a fact or mean you are right.

Let me give you another example. Marrying off your daughter who already has her period (say at age 11) to a boy who has reached puberty (say age 12) is allowed in Islam. Since it is allowed in Islam then it must be good. But would society also regard that as ‘good’ just because Islam does not forbid it and therefore it is considered good?

Would you marry off your 11-year-old daughter to a man of, say, 45 (a millionaire Datuk)? There is nothing wrong with that. And since it is not wrong then it is good. However, you would probably not consider it ‘good’ although it is allowed in religion.

Let me take another example, this time regarding slavery.

Islam has never outlawed slavery. Muslims are allowed to own slaves and you can even have sex with your slaves. This is perfectly legal in Islam. But if I were to offer you some slaves to buy -- and pretty ones who have been ‘well-trained’ in how to please their master in bed on top of that -- would you consider that ‘good’? How can it not be good when Islam allows it?

The slave trade saw about 11 million Africans captured and sold. And many of these slavers were actually Muslim Arabs. The Arabs were still trading in slaves long after the west had outlawed slavery. Society had by then considered slavery as bad when the Arab Muslims slavers were still doing a roaring business in selling captured Africans.

To have an intelligent and intellectual discourse with decorum and civility is not easy in Malaysia Today. Many of the readers are crude and brash and do not understand how to be polite. Malaysia Today readers regard name-calling and mocking as debating. That is the problem we face in trying to build bridges between the different communities in Malaysia.

I have given up trying to civilise Malaysia Today readers. So now I talk exactly like how they talk. And, of course, they do not like it one bit. What they fail to realise is that when they talk like that others do not like it as well. But I will continue to give them a taste of their own medicine until they ‘vomit blood’.

Nevertheless, I welcome such letters and I hope you will continue sending them to Malaysia Today. The only thing is do not expect intelligent or intellectual responses to such letters. But in the spirit or dakwah do not let that discourage you

Keluarga kami sudah lali difitnah – Wan Azizah

KUALA LUMPUR 12 November: Presiden KEADILAN, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail berkata, beliau sudah lali dengan tuduhan dan serangan yang dilakukan terhadap keluarga, terutama suami, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan terbaru, ke atas anaknya.

Ini kerana katanya, serangan tersebut tidak berhenti, sejak dari dulu hingga sekarang dan hanya berserah kepada Allah S.W.T supaya diberi kekuatan.

“Pelbagai tuduhan dibuat ke atas kami terutamanya ke atas Anwar. Kami sudah lali dengan tuduhan dan serangan-serangan begini.

“Kami cuma boleh minta bantuan Allah dan minta kami boleh atasinya,” kata Wan Azizah dipetik Sinar Harian.

Anak sulungnya, Nurul Izzah Anwar menjadi mangsa serangan terbaru Umno BN apabila difitnah berhubung kenyataan beliau pada sebuah forum awal bulan ini.

Utusan Malaysia pada muka depannya minggu lalu memanipulasi kenyataan Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai itu dalam forum ‘Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Siapa Bertanggungjawab’.

Semalam, Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein mendakwa, kenyataan Izzah tentang kebebasan beragama disifatkan beliau sebagai mempolitikkan akidah dan menjadikan agama sebagai gadaian.

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad pula menyifatkan kenyataan Naib Presiden KEADILAN itu melampau.

Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dalam kenyataannya sebelum ini berkata, sebarang laporan perlu diteliti dan diperjelas 100 peratus sebelum menyatakan pandangan, apatah lagi ia dilapor Utusan.

Pandangan Hadi disokong Pengerusi Sekretariat Himpunan Ulama Rantau Asia (Shura), Abdul Ghani Shamsudin yang menjelaskan, semakin dekat pilihan raya ini, tahap kesiuman media Umno semakin rendah.

Senada dalam isu ini, juara program realiti Imam Muda musim pertama, Muhammad Asyraf Ridzuan berkata, ada pihak sengaja memperbesarkan isu murtad dan kebebasan beragama supaya nampak teruk dan dijadikan topik hangat sebagai platform untuk menyerang Pakatan Rakyat.

Penang police will thoroughly probe raped-in-station allegation

The Star
by DERRICK VINESH

BUTTERWORTH: The police will not be biased when investigating the three policemen who allegedly gang-raped a 25-year-old Indonesian at a police station in Prai.

Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said he would not “leave any stone unturned” .

“We will not tolerate any act that may jeopardise the sanctity of the police force.

“We will be firm and take the appropriate action,” he added.

On Saturday, DCP Abdul Rahim said the three policemen were arrested on Friday after the woman lodged a report at the Central Seberang Prai district police headquarters in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam.

They have been remanded until Nov 16 to facilitate investigations.

The woman, a restaurant worker, had approached Bukit Mertajam Barisan Nasional coordinator Lau Chiek Tuan for help on Saturday.

She claimed during a press conference that she was in a taxi near the Pacific shopping mall at about 6.20am on Friday when she was stopped by a police patrol car.

Because she had only a photocopy of her passport, she said the policemen then brought her to the station, where they allegedly gang-raped her in a room.

DCP Abdul Rahim said police recorded statements from the woman and the taxi driver yesterday.

He stressed that investigations would be carried out according to the police's standard operating procedures.

The taxi driver, identified only as Tan, was also present at the press conference at Lau's service centre in Taman Usahaniaga, Bukit Mertajam.

Lau said he was flooded with phone calls after the case was highlighted in the media.

He said many of the callers expressed concern over the incident.

Government Does Not Ignore Religious Importance - Maglin

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- The government has never ignored the importance of religion in the development of the country as it is the core to producing responsible, caring and successful citizens.

Deputy Minister of Information Communicationa and Culture Datuk Maglin Dennis D'Cruz said the religious aspect, as enshrined in the constitution and the first Principle 'Belief in God' in the Rukun Negara, proved that the government took religion very seriously.

"The government has assisted religious institutions through financial start-ups, providing prayer house sites and so on, because such places can also encourage unity and solidarity among the respective communities through their activities," he said at a fund raising dinner for the Wah Kong Temple at Taman Desa Ayer Hitam, Puchong here Monday.

Maglin also presented a RM20,000 contribution from the ministry for the fund.

1MOCC, One-stop Public Service Solution Centre Launched

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Monday launched the 1Malaysia Call Centre (1MOCC), a one-stop solution centre for people to ask questions, complaint or make suggestions on public service.

The prime minister said the centre would operate around the clock, seven days a week, including on public holidays in line with the principle of the people first and he believed that it could help improve the public service delivery system.

"I believe the 1MOCC can really make the public proud of the public service and the government.

"I sincerely hope that the 1MOCC is supported by all government departments and agencies through the spirit of being one entity," he said when launching 1MOCC here Monday.

Present were Chief Secretary to the Government Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, and Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) director-general Datuk Mohamad Zabidi Zainal.

The 1MOCC is a national flagship project under the National Blue Ocean Strategy as a conduit for the public to make enquiries, complaints or recommendations by calling 03 8000 8000, faxing 03 8000 8001, surfing www.malaysia.gov.my, e-mailing 80008000@1mocc.gov.my, or sending posts to facebook.com/myGovernment, and twitter.com/myGovPortal.

The prime minister said the initiative would ease the people in dealing with government departments and agencies for they need to remember only one number while the government could achieve its objectives at minimal cost.

"In this way, we have a revolutionary service that is unrivalled by other countries. We have achieved something out of the ordinary which we might not have thought possible and today it become a reality," he said.

At the same time, the prime minister called on civil servants to provide a better and effective service collectively to live up to the expectation and aspirations of the people.

He said civil servants should not do common things, instead they should use their ability to think creatively and innovatively to inspire cutting edge ideas.

"If we do not make significant changes and improvements, then we will be left behind in terms of global competition because what distinguish whether a country is successful or not is the ability to be competitive," he said.

Expressing pride in the latest World Bank Doing Business report that shows Malaysia is currently ranked 12th among 185 countries, Najib hoped the country would be in top 10 in the near future.

Do you have licence from God to lord over us, Nash?

By Haris Ibrahim,
“And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet” – The Book of Exodus, Chapter 7, verse 1, The Holy Bible.

Now, you can read this verse in many ways.

Literally, too, if you wished, and no one could fault you if you imagined Moses walking up to Pharaoh and saying, “I am your Lord. Do as I bid you do”.

I had wanted to stay away from this whole apostasy controversy sparked off by Nurul’s statements at a recent forum as we have bigger and more important battles to fight, but Malaysiakini’s report today really pissed me off.

This UMNO wolf in PAS sheepskin contends that what Nurul said about there being ‘ “no compulsion in religion” was tantamount to giving religious freedom to Malay Muslims as the verse which she quoted can only be applied to non-Muslims’.

The verse can only be applied to non-Muslims?
Let’s look at the verse again.

“There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in idols and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And God is Hearing and Knowing” – Chapter 2 verse 256, Holy Qur’an.

Now. like the verse in Exodus, you can read this in many ways, too, but if you’re not going to do a literal read, Nash, and read into it something that’s not there, you, oh scholarly one, ought to be mindful of this verse.

“So woe to those who write with their own hands, then say, “This is from God ,” in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn” – Chapter 2 verse 79, Holy Qur’an.

Whilst we’re on the scriptures, oh scholarly one, since you say Muslims have no choice, pray tell us, who was God addressing in the following verses, marked in red?

“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion, never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers. How shall God guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And God does not guide the wrongdoing people. For those, their recompense will be that upon them is the curse of God and the angels and the people, all together, abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved. Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful. Indeed, those who reject the message after their belief and then increase in disbelief – never will their feigned repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray” – Chapter 3, verses 85 to 90, Holy Qur’an.
Who, oh scholarly one, is God addressing in the words marked in red?

Seems to me that God was addressing those who had believed and bore witness to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and then were now professing unbelief.
No?

And seems to me God was saying He would take back those who sincerely repented but not the others.
And that means they had a choice, no?
Oh, scholarly one?

Now, oh scholarly one, you don’t have to answer this if you can produce a licence such as was given to Moses way back in the days of Exodus, in which event I’ll give you a Hi-5, prostrate before you and do a 2 : 131. ( For the non-scholars like me, the Qur’an narrates that God asked Abraham if the latter would submit to the former. In Chapter 2, verse 131 [ hence 2:131], Abraham is said to have replied : “I submit to the Lord of the Worlds” ).

If you cant produce that licence, and refuse to say who is referred to in the words marked out in red above, I am commanded by God in Chapter 6 verse 148, Holy Qur’an to say to you :

“Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying”.

Blogs: Pak Lah said Muslims can leave religion

Several Pro-Pakatan Rakyat blogs are now circulating a purported news clipping quoting former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as saying that those wanting to leave Islam should be allowed to do so.

The article was published by Channel News Asia on July 10, 2007. It reads, “Asked about the growing number of religious disputes dominating news headlines, he (Abdullah) clarified that Muslims can leave the religion but they must first bring the matter to the state religious authorities.

“Mr Abdullah says: ‘This is not something that cannot be done. It has happened before. Those who have decided to leave the religion for some reason, they don't want to be Muslims any more, what can you do? If they want to leave the religion, what are you going to do?

“But he stressed that religious officers must offer counselling and find out what was behind the intention to renounce Islam.”

The reproduction of the article takes place amid a media storm where predominately BN politicians have criticised PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar (right) for allegedly encouraging apostasy (murtad), and accuses them of hypocrisy.

“Don’t Pak Lah’s (Abdullah’s nickname) actions also encourage Muslims to be apostates as claimed by Umno lackeys when Utusan Malaysia reported that Nurul is opening opportunities to murtad?

“Pak Lah’s statements were not published in any Umno/BN-controlled press, but only a few foreign print and online media...

“Is it that when it is voiced by Umno itself, then it is not detrimental to Islam?” read the pro-Pakatan Rakyat blog Anak Sungai Derhaka, which reproduced the news clipping yesterday.

The issue started on Nov 3 when Nurul was asked at a forum whether Malays have religious freedom?
She replied in the affirmative, with the caveat “I am, of course, tied to the prevailing views.”

When her statement as construed as encouraging apostasy, the Lembah Pantai MP denied this, saying, “I do not accept nor encourage apostasy at all.”

“I stand by the general stance that after embracing Islam, a Muslim is subjected to syariah, just as a citizen is subjected to the federal constitution.”

MIC relegated to irrelevance

The Edge financial daily carried a two-part interview with SK Devamany, the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. He was saying that Indians should not blame MIC for all their problems but instead change their attitude and take advantage of the various programs launched by Najib Abdul Razak. He finally insists that Indians have no choice but to still depend on MIC to defend and carry on the community’s interests.

Let us look at what MIC and their fellow component parties are doing right now during the Deeepavali seaon.

As Indian Malaysians are celebrating Deepavali, MIC, Gerakan and PPP have started their main annual activity of giving bags of rice and provision hampers all over the country on behalf of Umno. In places where Umno is not welcomed due to unfulfilled promises and neglect, MIC, Gerakan and PPP will go and soft talk the people into accepting Umno.

Then to cement the strained ties with Umno, these Indian Malaysian parties in BN will give hampers and rice bags and in return get their pledge to vote for BN.     

As a case to mention, in a small town called Tenang in the Labis parliamentary constituency, the people are upset because of unfulfilled promises after the Tenang by-election in January 2011. The temple in Tenang was promised RM500,000 by the Menteri Besar’s Office but this has not been fulfilled till date. In another estate temple, a hall was promised but in actual fact a hall only a quarter of the original size was built.

Signatires collected and submitted to Devamany during the Tenang by-election were not even submitted to SAJ, the Johore water concessionaire. House-breaking, extortion and poor responses from police in arresting the culprits are hurting the people.

The current Member of Parliament for Labis, Chua Tee Yong, has not done anything for them. The MP gives MIC/MCA/PPP branches their annual allocations to appease them. MIC branches in Labis are dysfunctional, so the PPP branches have moved in to soft talk and sweet-talk these simple folk into accepting 5kg bags of rice and hampers and support BN. This is the case all over Malaysia. Umno and MCA know how to get Indian Malaysian votes.

Even though Indians have come a long way and are more politically aware, there are still some gullible people who run after hampers. BN component parties even take photos and publish them in Tamil papers that they have given 5kg bags of rice and hampers. Is this something we should be proud of? MIC has made Indian Malaysians addicted to rice bags and hampers. MIC will keep poor Indian Malaysians running after hampers.

Indian Malaysians have to be part of the decision-making process which they are not. MIC has made them politically irrelevant. To be relevant, Indian Malaysians must be informed, but BN controls the flow of information. Fortunately alternative media saved us.

Sad to say even the Indian Malaysian students in local universities are not spared by MIC. These students are misinformed and persuaded into believing that Indian Malaysians are taken care of by Umno/BN by MIC Youth. MIC leaders are mercenaries of Umno. Besides the 1Malaysia slogan-chanting, our PM could not walk his talk. Even the deputy premier doesn’t believe in the PM’s 1Malaysia slogan. 

Rice bags and hampers downgrade our image

These 5kg rice bags and hamper handouts to Indian Malaysians during Deepavali have downgraded our image in the eye of other communities. The years of deprivation have made the poor very short-sighted, insecure and self-centred. This also shows how easily Indian Malaysians can be satisfied and made contented.

Indian Malaysians have an image problem. Thanks to MIC/BN. The Indians in US, Europe and even Africa are well respected. But the long apartheid policy of Umno has robbed us of our self-esteem. Indian Malaysian working class children suffer from no self confidence and poor self-esteem.

Therefore what Devamany said is all hot air without any substance. It’s another attempt to keep Umno happy and make MIC relevant. But on the ground MIC have lost all credibility and respect from Indian Malaysians. It’s BN’s handout programmes that keep them relevant. In fact MIC may see its end in the forthcoming elections.

MIC/BN has become the past. The future has to be more inclusive politics where all are equal and we walk with our heads high. No more being treated as strangers in our own country of birth. Able and talented individuals regardless of our ethnicity and religion are called to serve this country. Only then will this blessed country see its day. People like Devamany can’t do it. Therefore they have to make way politely.    

Najib continues to sing 'nambikei' to Indians

Najib Razak has assured the Indian community that the government would fully honour its hopes and trust and walk hand in hand to help realise its dreams and aspirations.    

"We have been consistent in delivering on realistic and responsible promises made to the Indian community as we do not believe in promising the impossible just to gain power and popularity.    

"I sincerely believe that Malaysia's best times are ahead of us and to scale those great heights of progress and prosperity, we must all unite behind the vision of a just, fair and successful country.    

"As our transformation programmes begin to show results, we will ensure that every Malaysian, including Malaysian Indians, will have better incomes and importantly, a better quality of life for current and future generations," said the prime minister in his Deepavali message posted on the www.1Malaysia.com.my blog.    

Najib said all throughout this journey, the Indian community had played a pivotal role that all Malaysians recognised and cherished.     
"On the occasion of Deepavali this year, I take the opportunity to thank the Indian community for their selfless contribution towards building a safe, peaceful and prosperous Malaysia," he added.    

The prime minister said while the Indian community fully participated in nation building since independence, it also faced many challenges, especially as they adjusted to life in towns and cities throughout the country.    

"I am well aware of the problems the Indian community has and is facing, and that is precisely why the government has implemented many specific measures to address problems specifically faced by the Indian community.    

"In the last three and a half years, we have executed various new and innovative approaches towards resolving longstanding legacy problems faced by the Indian community.    

"This has resulted in real and positive impacts on Indian families nationwide. Many major challenges in various sectors involving the Indian community have received the attention of the government," he said.    

Najib said the celebration of Deepavali, which signifies the victory of light over darkness, most fittingly reflects the journey of our multiracial diverse country over the last 55 years.    

"Our journey from Merdeka to where we are now as a major developing nation on course to becoming a high-income developed nation by 2020 has indeed seen us overcome many obstacles to reach our objectives. 

"Our forefathers, and the generations that followed them, have worked together as one in fighting against the darkness and the challenges that faced our shared nation so that all Malaysians may enjoy better lives," he said.    

The prime minister said the government's transformation initiatives and efforts to uplift the Indian community would not have been successful without the trust or "nambikei" between the Government and the people.    

"Through this partnership which centred on mutual understanding and hard work, we have together brought the light of hope to families and individuals, enabling them to live better and happier lives.    

"The continued "nambikei" between the government and the Indian community will empower the government to continuously bring growth and progress to the community.    

"This will be done through various focused initiatives that will ensure our assistance and services reaches every Indian in Malaysia that needs some help to stand on their own two feet," said Najib.    

The prime minister said to achieve all shared ambitions for the Indian community, all quarters must realise that they still have a lot of work to do together.    

"I can't do this alone and only with the support and trust of the Indian community, and all other communities, can we make this journey of transformation a meaningful and successful one," he said.     
- Bernama     

Honour killing: Family murders daughter, lover

An Egyptian father, his two sons and their mother are all accused of the murder of the daughter of the house and her boyfriend in what is being called an ‘honour’ killing.

The family from Sohaj is accused of killing the girld and boy and dumping the bodies in a canal.

The Tahta Police station received a tip from the family of the man, identified as Sharif Ahmed Sharif, after his sudden disappearance several days ago.

The investigation showed that the victim was involved in a relationship with a young girl from Sohaj.

The girl’s family came to know about the relationship and decided to take act.

The father of the girl is identified as AWB, his two sons as Mahmoud and Abdul Rahman and his wife as HA.

According the investigation that the motivation of the crime was revenge for the honour of the family.

The daughter of the family was identified as Anwar Ahmed.

Bodies of Four Women Stoned to Death Show Marks of Torture

Bodies of four women stonned to death for adultry in Iran carriy marks of torture on them. It is believed that these scares are evidences of torture before stoning.

Mohabat News -- Freedom Messenger website said in a news story that according to the reports published on various Iran news sites , the bodies of four women who are said to have been "stoned", have been moved to Tehran forensic. In addition to injuries caused by throwing rocks, traces of torture are also visible on the head and faces of the women.
According to the report by Meli-Mazhabi website (a subsidiary to National-Religious opposition group of Iran) the corpses of four women who apparently had lost their lives following the execution of stoning decree, have been transferred by the judiciary security forces to Tehran forensic mortuary.

The report published on Saturday, November 03, 2012 quoting from a "reliable source" says: "Besides the traces remaining from collision of stones on the head and face of the women, traces of torture and severe beatings on their bodies ahead of the stoning is also visible. Based on the contents of their files, these four women had been convicted for illicit relations and drug abuse crimes."
It adds that no one has referred to the forensic for officially delivering the bodies during the past few days. It is not clear that on what date the trial has been held and whether or not their families are aware of their status.
News of stoning of these four women have been published while in the October 4, 2012, Allahyar Malekshahi, Law and Justice Committee chairman of Islamic Consultative Assembly (the Parliament) had spoke of determining alternative punishment for "stoning" in the new bill of "Islamic Penal Code".

Ahmed Shahid's Criticism of Stoning

Earlier, on Wednesday (October 24) the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Ahmad Shahid in a summary of his latest report to the Third Committee of the General Assembly, so-called the "United Nations' Human Rights Committee" criticized the new Islamic penal code of Iran saying that although changes have been made in the Stoning Code, the said decree still can be implemented considering the possibility of issuing Fatwa.

Stoning is the most violent sentences of Iran's penal code. Last year the UN Human Rights Committee blamed Iran for torturing, public executions and stoning as conventional methods in Islamic Republic of Iran.

Virgin Mary image draws Catholics to hospital

A stain on a window that some Catholics believe to be an apparition of the Virgin Mary is seen at the Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang November 11, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Catholic Malaysians have been flocking to the Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya to catch a glimpse of an image that has appeared on one of its windows said to resemble the image of the Virgin Mary, The Sunday Star reported today.

The mysterious image of the figure revered by Catholics who believe Mary to be the mother of Jesus Christ was reported to have been spotted a few days ago on a window pane at the hospital.

The image has been captured on camera and spread on Facebook. Yesterday, a group largely composed of Catholics visited the medical centre and sung hymns and prayed before the image.

“It is so wonderful that our Mother has come to us in a hospital, where many of the sick are crying out for her help,” Janet Tong, 45, told the English-language newspaper.

Sheree Rao, a businessman who was present at the hospital, reportedly said the image could not be seen from the inside of the window.

“I touched the glass, thinking it could be paint or something else. But there was nothing,’’ the 21-year-old was reported as saying.

A 20-year-old student, Nicole Jo Pereira, said she thinks it’s a sign for people to practise good deeds.

The hospital authorities and the editor of the The Herald, Malaysia’s sole Catholic newspaper have declined to give their comments, The Sunday Star reported.

No social protection for India’s elderly

Economic hardships and the faltering nuclear family system are drastically eroding the support base of aged people.
FEATURE

By KS Hari Krishnan

NEW DELHI: At midnight on Oct 12, 91-year-old George Puthenveettil, a widower living in Kalanjur village in the Pathanamthita district of the southern Indian state of Kerala, was brutally tortured and ousted from his own house by his only son for “not earning any money”.

The nonagenarian wandered the streets of his village for hours before he reached a shelter in Pathanapuram with the help of neighbours. Police said the son had often beaten and harassed the old man, who was financially dependent on his son.

For many people like George, the sunset years of life turn out to be a traumatic period, in which they find themselves entirely dependent on families or friends due to the absence of a good social security system or government pension plan in India.

Expressing concern over the increasing insecurity of elders in the country, Dr Irudaya Rajan, a prominent demographer and chair professor of the research unit on international migration under the Ministry of Indian Overseas Affairs, told IPS that income security is one of the most urgent needs of India’s aging population.

Years ago, “traditional values and religious beliefs were quite supportive of elderly people”, he said.

Today, economic hardships and the faltering nuclear family system are “drastically eroding the support base of aged people”.

“The majority of the elderly tend to work even after the age of retirement due to inadequate social security and financial resources,” Rajan added.

A report on the aging population in India, released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFP) in New Delhi, said that the country had 90 million elderly people in 2011, with the number expected to grow to 173 million by 2026.

Of the 90 million seniors, 30 million are living alone, and 90 percent work for a living.

Experts estimate that only eight percent of the labour force of about 460 million receives social security from an employer.

‘Informal’ labourers left out in the cold

Over 94 percent of India’s working population is part of the unorganised sector, which refers to all unlicensed, self-employed or unregistered economic activity such as owner-manned general stores, handicrafts and handloom workers, rural traders and farmers, among many others.

Gopal Krishnan, an economist in Chennai, told IPS “There is no social safety coverage for people in the unorganised sector, which accounts for half of the GDP (gross domestic product) of India”.

According to the World Bank, India’s GDP in 2011 was 1,848 billion dollars.
In 2006, the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector recommended that the Union Government establish a National Social Security Scheme to provide the minimum level of benefits to workers retiring from the informal sector.

Until now, the government has not been able to compile a comprehensive policy to address the issues of elderly people. The ministry of social justice and empowerment drafted a National Policy on Older Persons in 1999, which was never implemented.

Hardships abound

Analysts point out that India’s aging population is constantly grappling with health issues, economic stress, family matters, uncertain living arrangements, gender disparities, urban-rural differences, displacement and slum-like living conditions.

Dr Udaya Shankar Mishra, a senior demographer at the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, believes the current “profile” of the aging population of India can change.

“The (perception) of the elderly as a burden can, with suitable policies, be turned into an opportunity to realise active and healthy aging,” he told IPS.

“With limited resources, we need to adopt viable policy changes to manage the crisis of the aged. This calls for a detailed auditing of (all) the affairs of the elderly, primarily health, morbidity and mortality in addition to economic and emotional wellbeing.

“Research on geriatric health needs to (shift) towards ensuring a better quality of life among future elderly persons. Considering the demographic inversion and its associated challenges, it (is clear) that investments into healthy aging are necessary,” he added.

Data from the 2011 National Census revealed that the percentage of aged living alone or with spouse is as high as 45 percent in Tamil Nadu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala.

Healthcare experts have found that the elderly are highly prone to heart diseases, respiratory disorders, renal diseases, diabetes, hypertension, neurological problems and prostate issues.

The National Sample Survey Organisation calculates that one out of two elderly people in India suffers from at least one chronic disease, which requires lifelong medication.

The most recent data available, taken for the period 1995-96, revealed that 75 percent of aged individuals are affected by at least one disability relating to sight, hearing, speech, walking, and senility.

Dr Shanti Johnson, professor at the faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the Canada-based University of Regina, estimates that nearly eight percent of the elderly are immobile, while a disproportionately higher percentage of women are immobile compared to men.

“The average hospitalisation rate in the country per 100,000 aged persons is 7,633. There is considerable gender difference in the rate of hospitalisation, as a much greater proportion of men are hospitalised compared to their female counterparts,” she added.

Non-governmental organisations are advocating for more old-age homes, day-care centers, physiotherapy clinics and temporary shelters for the rehabilitation of older persons, with government funds allocated to the running and maintaining of such projects.

- IPS

[Photo credit: KS Harikrishnan/IPS]

Gejala Melayu murtad sangat mengkhuatirkan

“Kita boleh menegaskan bahawa orang Islam tidak boleh murtad mengikut hukum Islam tanpa dikenakan hukuman mengikut syariat Islam akan tetapi untuk selesa dengan hanya takrifan Perlembagaan mengenai definisi orang Melayu adalah berugama Islam adalah dangkal,” kata Setiausaha Agung Mapim, Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid.

(Harakah) - Sepatutnya kedudukan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu, walaupun mempunyai takrif yang tersendiri di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan namun ia tidak boleh memberi jaminan bahawa orang Melayu secara hakikatnya boleh kekal keislamannya.

“Kita boleh menegaskan bahawa orang Islam tidak boleh murtad mengikut hukum Islam tanpa dikenakan hukuman mengikut syariat Islam akan tetapi untuk selesa dengan hanya takrifan Perlembagaan mengenai definisi orang Melayu adalah berugama Islam adalah dangkal,” kata Setiausaha Agung Mapim, Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid (gambar) dalam satu kenyataan.

Kenyataan penuh seperti di bawah.

Majlis Perundingan Pertubuhan Islam Malaysia (Mapim) kesal dengan tabiat meraih ‘kesempatan politik’ (political mileage) dalam budaya politik di Malaysia. Dalam hampir semua tutur kata, ahli politik mengambil kesempatan untuk menyerang musuh politik walaupun maklumat yang sahih belum lagi diperolehi.

Cukup hanya melalui laporan akhbar, sudah memadai seluruh jentera media diguna untuk melancarkan kempen memburukkan imej seseorang yang menjadi musuh politik. Tidak cukup dengan itu agensi keselamatan juga diperalat untuk memberi tekanan kepada pihak yang dituduh.

Pemimpin politik pula bergegas mahu memberi komen tanpa menunggu maklumat sepenuhnya dan tanpa bersedia mendapat penjelasan dari yang dituduh. Malang sekali pemimpin politik yang mahu mencuri peluang menghentam lawan juga menunjukkan tahap pemikiran rendah dan murah bila memberi komentar sangat dangkal dan sarat dengan prejudis politik yang memualkan.

Inilah yang kami perhatikan di kalangan kumpulan yang terlalu obses dengan politik sehingga seluruh jentera, tenaga dan fikiran tertumpu kepada kepentingan politik dan bukan kepentingan umat dalam ertikata yang sebenar.

Politik di Malaysia nampaknya bukan lagi suatu aspek kehidupan yang bertujuan mengatur urustadbir dan membangun negara akan tetapi sudah menjadi suatu pertarungan, permainan dan percaturan yang sangat hodoh apabila aktor politik menyerang lawan dengan apa sahaja cara hatta menyebar maklumat palsu dan fitnah.

Media pencatur dan pencacar politik kian menonjolkan peranan menyebar fitnah tidak kira sama ada maklumat yang disebar itu betul atau di sebaliknya. Matlamatnya hanya satu. Rosakkan imej lawan atau paling tidak imej seorang musuh politik sekurangnya dapat dicalarkan. Itu sudah dianggap memadai untuk menjatuhnya. Walaupun ia termasuk menyebar fitnah.

Kini sentimen yang cepat dimanipulasi ialah sentimen agama kerana ia dianggap paling sensitif kepada orang-orang Melayu Islam. Pada hal matlamat yang tersirat bukan mahu membela Islam akan tetapi hanya untuk meraih peluang menghentam musuh politik.

Semua sudah sangat maklum betapa kerosakan agama sudah menjadi parah bukan sekarang akan tetapi sudah sedemikian lama. Soal orang Islam rosak aqidah pernah berkali-kali diungkap dalam pelbagai ceramah dan kuliah oleh para ulama. Namun pihak berkuasa tidak mempedulikan perkembangan yang berlaku sehingga kini keadaan menjadi sangat parah.

Sekarang apa yang sepatutnya menjadi tumpuan ialah bagaimana dengan ujudnya berbagai agensi agama yang punya kuasa yang diperundangkan, kedudukan Islam dan perlaksanaan hukumnya dapat dilaksanakan dengan berkesan. Sementara itu juga harus diberi perhatian bagaimana program pendidikan dan dakwah perlu diperkukuhkan.

Sebab itu bila pernyataan diungkap mengenai status Islam di kalangan orang Melayu, seharusnya yang perlu diberi tumpuan ialah bagaimana orang Melayu dapat mengatasi gejala terhakis keIslaman mereka. Di samping itu juga ditumpukan apa yang perlu digerakkan untuk menyelamatkan pegangan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu.

Semua pihak harus mengelak diri dari menjadikan ia sebagai polimik politik dan saling menuduh, jauh sekali dijadi modal politik dengan meletakkan kepentingan politik kelompok lebih utama dari kepentingan Islam itu sendiri.

Sepatutnya kedudukan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu, walaupun mempunyai takrif yang tersendiri di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan namun ia tidak boleh memberi jaminan bahawa orang Melayu secara hakikatnya boleh kekal keislamannya.

Kita boleh menegaskan bahawa orang Islam tidak boleh murtad mengikut hukum Islam tanpa dikenakan hukuman mengikut syariat Islam akan tetapi untuk selesa dengan hanya takrifan Perlembagaan mengenai definisi orang Melayu adalah berugama Islam adalah dangkal.

Tidak dapat dinafikan betapa gejala orang Melayu sudah longgar pegangannya kepada Islam kini sangat mengkhuatirkan. Secara umum gejala murtad bukan suatu perkara yang dapat dinafikan sama ada diisytiharkan secara rasmi atau tidak.

Oleh itu polemik mengenainya tidak seharusnya hanya tertumpu kepada persoalan undang-undang semata-mata tetapi juga kepada usaha yang berkesan untuk mendidik orang Melayu khasnya dan masyarakat Islam amnya mengenai bagaimana mengujudkan kehidupan Islamiyyah dalam semua aspek.

Kami dapati kini isu kebebasan beragama tersasar jauh dari apa yang sepatutnya dibincangkan. Sementara kita menegaskan bahawa orang Melayu tidak boleh bebas murtad dan boleh pilih agama lain, kini isunya terheret dalam arena pertarungan politik bukan untuk menyelesaikan bagaimana hendak memulihkan orang Melayu yang telah mengisytiharkan diri keluar dari agama Islam.

Kami sangat kesal isu ini berlarutan dibincangkantidak bertujuan untuk menangani isu melaksanakan apa yang sepatutnya untuk memulihkan pegangan Islam di kalangan orang Melayu tetapi menyerang lawan politik di luar batas kebenaran.

Padahal yang jelas menghina hukum hudud pula dilepaskan hanya kerana beliau berada dalam kem politik yang sama. Lebih malang lagi kami mendapati ada pula ahli agama menjadi jurucakap bagi pihak beliau untuk mengesahkan bahawa pernyataan beliau tidak salah akan tetapi disalahertikan.

Kami menuntut agar semua pihak menghentikan perdebatan yang merugikan Islam dan umat Islam sendiri. Pihak agensi agama Islam yang berwewenang hendaklah memperbetulkan persepsi orang bukan Islam terhadap Islam dan bekerja keras untuk mengangkat martabat Islam secara murni bukan hanya dengan mewujudkan program yang bersifat kosmetik.

Once a Muslim, always a Muslim

Dr. Marzuki Mohamed, ANU alumnus, and advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia recently argued that Malaysia is NOT a secular state.
The timing of Dr. Marzuki’s assertions of course fits a larger strategy undertaken by the ruling party: to use religion as a wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims in general, but also between the parties in the opposition coalition, especially the Islamist PAS, and the social democrats, DAP. Islam is also of course used to ensure compliance, and to stifle dissent.
Having next to nothing to rely on: suffering from massive deficits on the leadership and policy front, and with an increasingly debilitating track record in the economic, social and political front, this is indeed a sound strategy as there are sufficient number of Malaysians, and especially Malaysian Muslims to fall for this – that UMNO is the protector and the guarantor of the sanctity of Islam. To  paraphrase and slightly modify Samuel Johnson, “religion is indeed the last refuge of a scoundrel.”
Another ANU alumnus, Dr. Kikue Hamayotsu, give credence to the argument that Islam is used simply as a means to ensure the continuation of this corrupt regime. In her article, she argues that:

It is commonly assumed that greater enforcement of Syariah [Islamic law] is the result of growing Islamism in civil society and/or the state. This article investigates the most burning political issue relating to the state enforcement of Syariah in contemporary Malaysia, that of apostasy. The author argues that it is the electoral imperative of the secular Muslim ruling elites, especially prime ministers, to cultivate broader support to achieve political survival, not only among their traditional power base in the rural Muslim constituencies, as is conventionally argued, but equally importantly among the urban non-Muslim (especially Chinese) constituencies, which has also conditioned the state enforcement of Syariah. The author’s findings from Malaysia and observations on Indonesia further suggest that electoral competitiveness – rather than authoritarianism or theocracy – conditions state enforcement of Syariah, contrary to expectations.

In an earlier posting on New Mandala, Dr. Ahmad Farouk Musa had argued that Islam would flourish best only under a secular state.
It never ceases to amaze me, that there are still sufficient number of Muslims who actually believe that they can, and should be legislated to heaven!

‘Pemimpin Islam perlu sepakat dalam soal menjaga agama’

(Bernama) - Penasihat Agama kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Md Zin berkata pemimpin Islam di negara ini perlu sepakat dalam menjaga kepentingan agama Islam tanpa mengira perbezaan fahaman politik.

Katanya tindakan sesetengah pemimpin politik yang mengetepikan kepentingan agama demi kedudukan politik dan menyebabkan kecelaruan berpanjangan dalam masyarakat amat dikesalkan.

“Amat dikesalkan kerana pemimpin PAS seperti Nik Aziz dan Haji Hadi tidak mahu memperbetulkan kenyataan yang dibuat Nurul Izzah dalam soalan kebebasan beragama selain turut menyokong dan mengatakan perkara tersebut tidak penting,” katanya pada satu perjumpaan dengan media, di sini hari ini.

Katanya sebagai Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat jelas mengetepikan kepentingan Islam apabila menyokong Nurul Izzah sekalipun menyedari Naib Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat itu melakukan kesalahan besar.

“Nik Aziz jika tahu perkara itu salah sepatutnya jangan keluar apa-apa pandangan dan lebih baik menjadi syaitan yang bisu daripada syaitan yang berkata-kata,” katanya.

Beliau turut meminta Nurul Izzah memperbetulkan kenyataannya dan meminta maaf dengan mengakui tidak arif tentang bidang agama.

Pada 3 Nov lepas, portal berita Malaysiakini melaporkan Nurul Izzah yang juga Anggota Parlimen Lembah Pantai berkata rakyat tidak seharusnya dipaksa menganut agama tertentu dan perkara itu juga patut terpakai kepada orang Melayu.

“Apabila anda bertanya saya, tiada paksaan dalam beragama...bagaimana seseorang itu boleh berkata, maaflah, ini (kebebasan beragama) hanya terpakai kepada orang bukan Melayu, ia sepatutnya diguna pakai secara sama rata,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada forum bertajuk “Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Tanggungjawab Siapa?” di Subang Jaya pada 3 Nov.

Poll: 85 Percent Of Muslim Voters Picked President Obama

From Council On American – Islamic Relations
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/9/2012) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released the results of an informal exit poll indicating that more than 85 percent of American Muslim voters picked President Obama in Tuesday’s election.

[NOTE: A similar CAIR exit poll in 2008 showed that 89 percent of American Muslim voters picked then-candidate Barack Obama. Two percent of respondents said they voted for Sen. John McCain.]
CAIR’s email survey of more than 650 American Muslim voters indicates that just four percent of respondents cast their ballots for Mitt Romney.
Poll findings:

• 95.5 of the Muslim voters said they went to the polls on November 6.
• 85.7 percent cast their ballots to re-elect President Obama.
• 4.4 percent of respondents said they voted for Mitt Romney.
• Just over two percent (2.2) of respondents said they voted for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. The same percentage (2.2) of respondents said they voted for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. [NOTE: More than four percent of respondents declined to say who they voted for.]
• States with the highest number of survey respondents (in descending order) were California, New York, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Ohio.
• Of those who voted, 8.3 percent said they did so for the first time.
• 41.5 percent said they consider themselves Democrats. A similar number, 40.6 percent, consider themselves politically independent. Only 7.4 percent said they are Republican.

“The fact that more than 95 percent of Muslim respondents went to the polls is a clear indication that they are fully participating in our nation’s political process and are part of the fabric of America,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “Muslim voters in swing states such as Florida, Virginia and Ohio seemed to have played a critical role in tipping the balance in the president’s re-election victory.”

These results support the findings of a pre-election CAIR survey of 500 Muslim voters that rated jobs and the economy, education, health care policy, Medicare and Social Security, and civil rights as the top issues. That survey indicated that 1 in 4 Muslim voters remained undecided about their presidential pick.
“It appears that undecided Muslim voters broke decisively in President Obama’s favor at the polls,” said CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor.

Saylor also expressed appreciation that a number of anti-Muslim candidates were rejected by voters nationwide.

CAIR: American Muslims Celebrate Defeat of Congressional Critics
CAIR: How the Congressional Anti-Muslim Caucus Fared
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Let Deepavali 2012 usher in a festival of light over darkness and the triumph of truth, freedom and justice over all forms of corruption, discrimination and exploitation

Let Deepavali 2012 usher in a festival of light over darkness and the triumph of truth, freedom and justice over all forms of corruption, discrimination and exploitation especially in the impending 13th general elections.

Fifty-five years after Merdeka in 1957, many Malaysians have been left out of the mainstream of developments with the fruits of growth and progress hijacked by a small group of privileged people and their cronies, while the large majority of Malaysians regardless of race, religion and territory have been marginalised and discriminated against.

Deepavali 2012 will be most meaningful if it set into motion a train of developments culminating in the 13GE where these historic injustices and inequalities, whether political, economic, educational, social, cultural and religious, are put right.

Fight goes on despite court decision, say residents

Malay Mail 
by Andrew Sagayam

by Ikram Ismail

THE people will continue their fight against Lynas despite the Kuantan High Court’s decision to lift the stay on the rare earth plant’s temporary operating licence (TOL) yesterday.

“The public will fight until the end of this matter. I will stand by the people on this. Looking at the way things are going, this was not unexpected,” said Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice president Fuziah Salleh.

Fuziah, who is also the Kuantan MP, said the decision to allow Lynas to proceed with its two-year temporary operations would have negative effect on Barisan Nasional’s election campaign.

“The people are quite adamant about not wanting Lynas to operate. I think BN will lose some seats in Pahang. When they do, BN will think about whether they should have allowed Lynas in the first place,” she said.

Justice Mariana Yahya said yesterday it was still too early for Kuantan residents to argue on the status of the TOL granted by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB).

In her judgement, she said it was only proper to do so during the judicial review.

“It is not a case involving the minister’s decision alone onlyas Lynas will be adversely affected by the court’s decision. A more suitable solution is to have Lynas be a party and let the applicants seek an interlocutory injunction against Lynas,” she said.

She also dismissed the residents’ application for a stay on the TOL pending judicial review with costs.

Counsel for the residents, Datuk Bastian Vendargon, filed an oral application for an appeal against the court’s decision, saying the idea of his clients’ application was to prevent damage to the environment, their livelihood, lives, health and properties.

Zulkifli Omar — the Green Clean World chairman, Badan Bertindak Anti Rare Earth Refinery (Badar) adviser and Himpunan Hijau committee member — said they would review the court decision with the 80 coalition members with a view to issuing a summons to the related government agencies and Lynas.

“We will discuss with our lawyers and members in Himpunan Hijau on the legal action we can take against the related government agencies and Lynas itself,” he said.

Selangor BN Questions Seizure Of Yayasan Selangor's Land

KUALA LANGAT, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) has questioned the state government's decision in taking over of a 7.32 ha land belonging to Yayasan Selangor in Klang.

"I don't understand why the state government took over the land... We admit that Yayasan Selangor has failed to develop the land as stipulated in the agreement, but it shouldn't be seized," he said.

He said the reason given by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim that the land was repossessed following a company's failure to develop it was unwarranted for the land belonged to the foundation.

"As chairman of the foundation, Abdul Khalid should be more concerned and understanding that the land is still owned by Yayasan Selangor," Noh told reporters after launching the state-level Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen Day 2012 at Banting Square here Saturday.

He asserted that the foundation was still the rightful owner of the land according to the land grant, and it had been paying the land premium.

Periodical Review On Fair Returns To Artistes Needed, Says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called for a periodic review of the structure of the entertainment industry that denies a fair return to local artistes.

The prime minister said he would ask Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and the 1Malaysia Artiste Foundation (YA1M) to come up with proposals to enable the government to help the entertainment industry fairly and equitably.

"I understand that there are singers and actors who are getting relatively small royalties while others are receiving a sizeable amount. I think this situation is not balanced and unfair to local artistes, it should be corrected," Najib said when launching YA1M here Sunday night.

Present were his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Rais, YA1M president Datuk Irwan Shah Abdullah or DJ Dave, and YA1M adviser Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

Najib said a study should be made on an insurance scheme to protect local artistes when they get sick. "If they fall sick, really sick, not like falling sick in the film, we do not want them to beg for alms, artistes should be protected when they are sick," he said.

Najib proposed that the government provide a RM2 million allocation to YA1M this year and RM3 million next year to enable the foundation to carry out its activities.

He said with the setting up of YA1M and the support of the government, the well-being artistes would be well looked after.

The prime minister said artistes were held in high regard as icons, but only a fraction of the society realised that they were normal human beings experiencing a difficult time, and ups and downs as entertainers.

"This situation will surely be more complicated, maybe more depressing to artistes as they reach a certain age that they can no longer maintain their popularity.

"As they advance towards the twilight years, they will feel the insurmountable pressure to the extend that they are not able to make preparations for their future as senior citizens," he said.

Najib cited the late P. Ramlee as an example of an artiste who was not able to leave behind a fortune despite being a great entertainer.

The prime minister hoped that with the support of artistes towards the setting up of the foundation, the government would be able to lead the country towards a better future.

"If you support the government, I assure you of a nice story to tell the people," he said.

In his speech, Rais said YA1M would act as an umbrella for local artistes comprising actors, singers, entertainers and comedians.

He said the music industry experienced a downturn as consumers turned to digital media to download music instead of buying compact discs while new movies could easily be recorded through pay-television programmes.

"Maybe we can extend the screening period of films in cinemas and on television so that producers can yield better returns, but this has to be decided by the industry," he said.

Meanwhile, Irwan Shah said the idea of forming the foundation was mooted after he visited artistes who were sick and needed assistance.

Nasha: Nurul is wrong, Muslims have no choice

Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa insists that Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar’s statement that there was “no compulsion in religion” was tantamount to giving religious freedom to Malay Muslims as the verse which she quoted can only be applied to non-Muslims.

“When Allah has decided in matter of faith, Syariah and morals, we (Muslims) do not have a right to choose.

“Our right is only to listen and obey as it is clearly stated in the Quran,” he told the Sunday edition Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia in an interview published today.

As such, Nasharudin (left) said Nurul Izzah must justify her argument if she is now denying that it was tantamount to giving religious freedom to Malay Muslims.

Otherwise, he said, the PKR vice-president must retract her statement.

Responding to fellow PAS leaders who had defended Nurul Izzah, Nasharudin said they had no Islamic studies background.

Instead, Nasharudin urged the party’s top leadership to take Nurul Izzah to task as party members were uncomfortable with her remarks.

“They have been waiting for the leadership to make a statement but to date none has been made,” he said.

PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had declined to comment on the matter, citing that Utusan Malaysia was not a credible publication.

Malaysiakini on Oct 3 reported  Nurul Izzah’s statement in an article ‘Nurul: There should be no compulsion in choosing faith’.

Utusan Malaysia subsequently ran a story on Oct 5 called ‘Malays free to choose religion?’ to criticise the Lembah Pantai MPs statements, a report that the latter has complained "twisted" her statements.

MIC snubs Najib-Hindraf talk

Denying that Najib has lost confidence in MIC, Palanivel claims that the people are returning to MIC’s fold.

PETALING JAYA: MIC president G Palanivel was today left unimpressed that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has bypassed his party to approach harsh government critic Hindraf on a talk of issues plaguing the Indian community.

He also shunned the idea that such talk was a sign of the premier’s deteriorating confidence on MIC.

“Let it be within the PM and Hindraf. I don’t worry about (PM’s) confidence, MIC’s support has increased a lot among the public.

“I don’t worry what the Hindraf and PM are talking about. I am not going to interfere,” he said when met by reporters after a Deepavali celebration here today.

Palanivel’s comment came amid an announcement made by Minister of Prime Minister Department Nazri Abdul Aziz on Wednesday that Najib has invited Hindraf and other Indian groups for a discussion.

Yesterday, Hindraf cast aspersions on the sincerity of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s invitation, saying that it could be related to the general election. However it was willing to talk to the government for the sake of the Indian community.

Keeping mum on Batu Caves project

Meanwhile, the MIC president dodged questions on the 29-storey condominium project near Batu Caves Hindu temple, two weeks after Pakatan Rakyat leaders showed evidence that MIC councillors were involved in approving the project in 2007.

“No, we have already settled it now. Let me make no further comment on that. Now its Deepavali time, don’t talk about Batu Caves at the moment,” he said.

When asked again about his earlier call for a nationwide protest against Pakatan-led Selangor government, he replied: “We will be settling it. You don’t stir up a lot of things now.”

The Minister in Prime Minister Department also hit out at DAP for “talking rubbish” over its allegation that MIC has politicised the Deepavali celebration by using the Batu Caves temple to host its open house.

“We have been doing (open house) for so many years, and most of the time it was the people and not party members who come.

“DAP got no other works to do, they are jobless,” he said.

Palanivel also said that the Indian sentiment towards BN has greatly improved since 2008 as Najib was resolving many issues plaguing the community.

A Marathon Hindu Solidarity Protests Rally against atrocities committed on Hindus in all parts of the world

A Marathon Hindu Solidarity Protests Rally against atrocities committed on Hindus in all part of the world took place on the 16th September 2012 at the Indian High Commission London, Bangladesh High Commission London, Pakistan High Commission London, Malaysia High Commission London and at Marble Arch London for Hindu Prayer Vigil for Sri Lankan Tamil Victims.

I, Mrs Ano Rao, Executive Member of Hindu Council UK, participated along with Hindu Human Rights UK organisation Leaders and other Hindu members in the UK to show our solidarity with all Hindus in the United Kingdom. I as the HCUK representative went with my family members to support this rally. Everyone at the rally was happy that we joined them to show our solidarity for this demonstration.

I was interviewed by one of the HHR leaders of this rally at the Malaysia High Commission at 4.50 p.m. He asked me the reasons why we joined hands for this Marathon Rally? I told him that "what the Malaysian government is doing currently to the Hindus in Malaysia is unlawful". The cases of FORCED CONVERSION OF HINDUS in Malaysia are unlawful. Each and every citizen of their country should be given freedom of religion. However, as we can see from the below cases of forced conversion of Malaysian Indians, there seems to be no freedom of religion in Malaysia. Article 11 of the federal constitution of Malaysia states that every citizen is entitled to profess their own religion.

I have also given few examples of similar cases which happened in Malaysia on forced conversion into Islam. There were many court cases brought by the Hindu Mothers to get full custody of their children who were unlawfully converted into Islam and given Muslim names for their children. These cases were tried at Shariah courts eventhough the mothers of the children were Hindu. All the Hindu mothers requested their cases to be heard at civil courts with their legal representatives. However, the Government denied their rights and directed their cases to Shariah courts. At the end of the trial, the Shariah courts decided that, since the fathers converted into Islam, the children follows the father's Muslim name, and the Hindu mothers lost their court battles for custody of their own children who had been forced into conversion into Islam. Similar issues are happening in many parts of the world.

We therefore urge our British Prime Minister Mr. David Cameron to look into these serious issues and highlight these atrocities of forced conversion into Islam to the International communities. I have also pointed out that although Article 11 of the Federal Constitution allows every Malaysian citizen to practice their own religion; however, this constitutional right is not given fully to the Hindus in Malaysia as stated in the case of Mrs. Indra Gandhi, Mrs. Syamala, Mrs. Bangaramah and many other Hindus. Please see below weblinks for your information (101 East -Malaysian conversion Controversy- 07 Jun 07 - Pt-1 and Pt 2).

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vZTFAPRg_0&feature=relmfu

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nI5yZa9Jfg&feature=relmfu

3.http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2012/10/30/batu-caves-hindu-temple-condo-umno-proposes-pakatan-selangor-disposes-a-la-kg-buah-pala-in-dap-penang-by-stroke-of-selangor-m-bs-pen-can-cancel-29-storey-condo-which-blocks-worldrsq/

There were about 100 to 200 people who attended the Rally to support this demonstration against Religious Discrimination in many parts of the world. As we seen many Hindu Temples been demolished in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and many other countries. Indians in Malaysia been Marginalised and they been segregated in may aspects of their lives if we look from the past 54 years since the independence of Malaysia on 31st August 1957. Hindraf/ HRP Malaysia websites have established sufficient evidence to prove that Ethnic Cleansing taken place against the Poor Malaysian Indians for the past 54 years till today. The Hindraf Makkal Sakthi organisation’s survey shows currently the Malaysian Indians employed in civil service are 0.1%.

We can hardly see many top rank officers in civil service in Malaysia currently. The Poor Malaysian Indians are denied basic Human Rights and Constitutional Rights for example Art: 8 Equality before the Law, Article: 10 Freedom of Assembly/Speech, article: 11 Freedom of Religion. As regards to Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s survey, nearly more than 10,000 Hindu temples been Demolished by the ruling UMNO government and it is in contravention of article 11 of the federal constitution. Most of these Hindu temples were build before the independence and these temples are more than 100 to 150 years old. It also been noted from Hindraf/HRP's website survey that about 450,000 Malaysian Indians are still stateless. These poor Indians were not given Malaysian citizenship till today. This is incontravention of article 8 of the federal constitution of Malaysia. Further to this the second limb of article 153 of the federal constitution clearly states that the Honourable King in Malaysia have to safeguard the minority Rights,i.e the Indians, Chinese, Asli,Dayaks, Kadazans, Sabahans and Sarawakins.

The Chairman Mr. Waythamoorthy of Hindraf/Mr. Uthayakumar of HRP with other Malaysian Indians have filed an action in July 2012 against the British government at the Royal Court of justice London for their failure to safeguard the Indians Rights embodied in the federal constitution of Malaysia. As we know during the British Rule of Malaya, the British Rules brought Indians from mainly from South India and many parts of India to work as indenture labourers. The Poor Indians were promised that they will be given land of five to ten acres if they work and stay in Malaya for few years (600 days) in Malaya now Malaysia as settlement before the Independence 1957. However, these indenture labourers brought from India was not given their rightful entitlements by the British Rules and the Malaysian Government who were the trustees undertaken from the British before the independence 1957.

It also came to our attention recently, that the Hindraf leaders found that, the Malaysia’s Constitution was doctored.

Hindraf Chairman Mr. Waythamoorthy have gathered all the evidence to prove the Doctored Constitution at the forth coming case at the Royal Court of Justice in London against the British Government for their neglect on Poor Malaysian Indians. These vital documents/evidence been found by Hindraf Chair/ Legal Team in London archives.

During my speech when the HHR leaders interviewed me, they asked me in order to put things right for everyone in Malaysia what need to be done? In my opinion, I told the HHR leaders that Her Majesty The Queen Elizebeth II who is the Head of Commonwealth should revisit the Malaysia’s Constitution and rectify the doctored constitution so that each and every Malaysian citizen will enjoy the equal Constitutional rights in Malaysia.

We ended our rally at Malaysia High Commission at 5.30 pm. There were few police officers at the rally at Malaysia High Commission to observe our safety.

Finally, at about at 6.00 p.m. the team of Hindu Human Rights leaders and all other Hindu organisations members went to Marble Arch For Hindu Prayer Vigil for the Sri Lankans Tamil Victims of the Civil War which ended 18th May 2009. At 7.30 p.m. all of us ended our rally with final prayer. Everything went on fine with the blessings of God. At 7.40 pm the rally ended peacefully.