Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Dutch battle surge of desperate, violent Muslim refugees
Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party pushes government’s hard-line immigration stance
By Gordon Darroch — The Washington Times
THE HAGUE — Nasir Galid fled Somalia hoping for a better, safer life. Instead, he died in an Amsterdam hospital five days after being attacked in a garage where he was living with other homeless immigrants.
Galid, 26, was one of about 100 refugees who have been roaming the Dutch capital for more than two years, occupying empty offices, abandoned garages and a disused church. All of them were supposed to have left the country after Dutch authorities rejected their asylum claims.
Police arrested two men, both in their early 30s, shortly after Galid’s assault in August. It’s not clear why Galid was attacked, but Pim Fischer, a Haarlem lawyer who represents some of Galid’s fellow refugees, said many of them are desperate and violent.
“Many of them are traumatized by their experiences, and they are being offered no future,” Mr. Fischer said. “The risks are very high.”
The Dutch Refugee Council estimates that 100,000 people live illegally in the Netherlands. Many are asylum seekers who are supposed to leave the country within 24 hours after the government rejects their requests to remain. Instead, they take over abandoned buildings as squatters or set up makeshift shelters.
The problem is expected to grow. A record 137,000 people moved to the Netherlands from other countries in 2013, though most were legal immigrants in a country that hosts many European headquarters of multinational corporations.
Since 2008, the Dutch government has taken an increasingly hard line on immigration as officials try to allay public concerns about overcrowding in Europe’s most densely populated nation.
Right-wing populist leader Geert Wilders has played an outsized role in the debate.
Mr. Wilders‘ anti-immigrant Freedom Party has been the third-largest group in the past two Dutch elections, in 2010 and 2012. He has used that position to pressure the government to “de-Islamize” the Netherlands, where Muslims make up about 5 percent of the population of 16.8 million.
His latest campaign, announced last month, calls for everyone holding a passport from a Muslim-majority country to sign a declaration formally renouncing Shariah law.
“If they don’t do that, there should be no place for them in the Netherlands,” Mr. Wilders said in a parliamentary debate. “Shariah is hate.”
From 2010 through 2012, Dutch prime ministers have relied on the votes of the Freedom Party to stay in power. In return, Mr. Wilders has secured concessions in a range of policy areas, including immigration.
His proposals to block arrivals from Islamic countries, tax Islamic headscarves and impose a Swiss-style ban on new minarets at mosques failed, but he made his mark in other ways.
Three years ago, NATO asked the Netherlands to accept 250 Libyans wounded in the North African country’s civil war. After Mr. Wilders protested, the number was reduced to 52.
“I have no desire to put casualties from an Islamic country in a Dutch hospital,” he said at the time.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/19/dutch-battle-surge-of-desperate-violent-muslim-ref/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
By Gordon Darroch — The Washington Times
THE HAGUE — Nasir Galid fled Somalia hoping for a better, safer life. Instead, he died in an Amsterdam hospital five days after being attacked in a garage where he was living with other homeless immigrants.
Galid, 26, was one of about 100 refugees who have been roaming the Dutch capital for more than two years, occupying empty offices, abandoned garages and a disused church. All of them were supposed to have left the country after Dutch authorities rejected their asylum claims.
Police arrested two men, both in their early 30s, shortly after Galid’s assault in August. It’s not clear why Galid was attacked, but Pim Fischer, a Haarlem lawyer who represents some of Galid’s fellow refugees, said many of them are desperate and violent.
“Many of them are traumatized by their experiences, and they are being offered no future,” Mr. Fischer said. “The risks are very high.”
The Dutch Refugee Council estimates that 100,000 people live illegally in the Netherlands. Many are asylum seekers who are supposed to leave the country within 24 hours after the government rejects their requests to remain. Instead, they take over abandoned buildings as squatters or set up makeshift shelters.
The problem is expected to grow. A record 137,000 people moved to the Netherlands from other countries in 2013, though most were legal immigrants in a country that hosts many European headquarters of multinational corporations.
Since 2008, the Dutch government has taken an increasingly hard line on immigration as officials try to allay public concerns about overcrowding in Europe’s most densely populated nation.
Right-wing populist leader Geert Wilders has played an outsized role in the debate.
Mr. Wilders‘ anti-immigrant Freedom Party has been the third-largest group in the past two Dutch elections, in 2010 and 2012. He has used that position to pressure the government to “de-Islamize” the Netherlands, where Muslims make up about 5 percent of the population of 16.8 million.
His latest campaign, announced last month, calls for everyone holding a passport from a Muslim-majority country to sign a declaration formally renouncing Shariah law.
“If they don’t do that, there should be no place for them in the Netherlands,” Mr. Wilders said in a parliamentary debate. “Shariah is hate.”
From 2010 through 2012, Dutch prime ministers have relied on the votes of the Freedom Party to stay in power. In return, Mr. Wilders has secured concessions in a range of policy areas, including immigration.
His proposals to block arrivals from Islamic countries, tax Islamic headscarves and impose a Swiss-style ban on new minarets at mosques failed, but he made his mark in other ways.
Three years ago, NATO asked the Netherlands to accept 250 Libyans wounded in the North African country’s civil war. After Mr. Wilders protested, the number was reduced to 52.
“I have no desire to put casualties from an Islamic country in a Dutch hospital,” he said at the time.
Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/19/dutch-battle-surge-of-desperate-violent-muslim-ref/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Humiliation replaces fear for the women kidnapped by Isis
Widow with child sold for marriage after raiding Isis militants shot her husband and took them into captivity
Annabell Van den Berghe in Duhok
They sold Amsha for $12. Other girls and women went for more, much more. But Amsha had a small son and was pregnant with her second child. She had already seen Islamic State (Isis) militants execute her husband in front of her. Now the terror of that crime and the fear of captivity was to be replaced by the indignity and humiliation of being traded like cattle.
“A 50-year-old man with a dark beard came to buy me,” she recalls. “From that day on, I didn’t want to live any more.”
Amsha is one of hundreds of Yazidi women from northern Iraq captured during Islamic State’s rapid advance this year. Interviews with women who escaped reveal that Isis corralled the women into halls and other detention centres and gradually sold them off to fighters as the spoils of war.
Isis said in an online article that it was reviving an ancient custom of enslaving enemies and forcing the women to become wives of victorious fighters.
“One should remember that enslaving the families of the [non-believers] and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the sharia, that if one were to deny or mock, he would be denying or mocking the verses of the Qur’an and the narrations of the prophet,” the article said, adding that mothers were not separated from their young children.
For Amsha, the only mercy is that she managed to retain her son, who is 21 months old. He sits on her lap, holding on tightly, as she recounts the story of the past three months.
The fighters attacked her town in early August, around sunset. Thousands fled to nearby mount Sinjar, but those who weren’t fast enough faced a fate that was sudden and savage.
“When we heard that [Isis] was approaching, we left everything behind and started running,” Amsha says. She and her husband joined a group of tens of other families before they found themselves face to face with Isis.
“The men were then separated from their families and we were forced to follow orders from these men who had just captured the village,” she recalls. “They were told to lie down and face the ground. My husband and brother-in-law laid there shoulder to shoulder.”
Amsha’s voice cracks as she resurrects a terrible memory. “I thought they would rob them. Steal their phones or something like that.”
For a brief moment, Amsha looks up from under her headscarf. It is covering a face full of tears. She plays with the tips of the scarf between her fingers.
“But they killed them. They shot them in the head, one by one.”
After Amsha witnessed her husband’s death, she was forced alongside other women and girls into one of several minibuses that brought them to Mosul, the Iraqi stronghold of the self-proclaimed caliphate.
“I was held prisoner in a dark hall together with hundreds of other women, and girls. Some of them children who were not more than five years old.”
For Amsha, it was not the killing of her husband nor the imprisonment that broke her, but the marriage she would be forced to succumb to.
“Nobody was allowed to leave the prison, unless they were sold,” she says. “On a daily basis, men entered the room to pick out a girl. First the most beautiful girls, the young ones.”
Amsha remembers how mostly Iraqis, but frequently foreigners as well, entered the room to choose themselves a treat. “One day, a 10-year-old got separated from her mother, because a group of men decided to buy the girl. I am constantly worrying for that girl, and all the other girls that are still stuck in that prison.
“When the young girls were sold, I knew my time had come,” Amsha says. Her 50-year-old husband, a man called Zaid, was rough with her. “When I didn’t obey, he’d hit me. You can still see the scars on my back,” she says, pointing at her shoulder blades. “He humiliated me to the bone.
“I was forced to call my mother to tell her I was married. A shame for our family,” she says.
In a recent report, Human Rights Watch said the precise number of women being enslaved and sold into marriage was unknown. But it cited several escaped women saying they had personally seen hundreds in captivity.
The principal centres for the trade appear to be the main cities under Isis control – Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
Fred Abrahams, special adviser at Human Rights Watch, said his group had heard of forced religious conversions, forced marriage, sexual assault and slavery, with some of the victims being children. “The Islamic State’s litany of horrific crimes against the Yazidis in Iraq only keeps growing,” he said.
Dozens of women have escaped and are in hiding. Amsha is one of them.
“Muhanned was thirsty and didn’t stop crying,” she says. “I was banging the door but nobody answered. When I opened the door, I found the guards sleeping,” Amsha says. “I ran away with my son, as fast as I could.”
Without knowing which direction to go, she kept running until she met a man who offered his help. “I wasn’t convinced, but what could I do?” Amsha asks rhetorically. “I decided to put my fate in his hands, and he kept his word.”
The man smuggled her out of Mosul that week, using his daughter’s papers. But, for Amsha, the ordeal isn’t over.
“My parents are happy that I’m here. But I don’t have the courage to continue. At this moment, I only wish to die.”
Nancy Shukri must face up to her responsibility in Bible-burning issue, says DAP
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri cannot run and hide from her responsibility over the Datuk Ibrahim Ali Bible-burning controversy, DAP said.Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng took the embattled de facto law minister to task today for saying she had only read out the decision of the police and Attorney-General in her parliamentary reply on why Ibrahim was not charged with sedition.
"That is ridiculous. She is a minister but she said she was only following what the civil servant said.
"The A-G is not elected by the people... Are you (Nancy) saying that you have no power but it is the civil servant who is not elected by the people who has the power?
"It is a shocking admission that there is no point to elect Barisan Nasional because it is a government without power," Lim told reporters in Penang today.
It was reported on Saturday that Nancy said she would not advise the public prosecutor on using the Sedition Act against the Perkasa president.
Malaysiakini quoted her as saying that she did not want to interfere with the Attorney-General's job.
"(The investigation) is not done by me, so I have to read it out," she said, referring to her parliamentary written reply on October 7 that the police had concluded Ibrahim's call for Bahasa Malaysia Bibles to be burnt was in defence of Islam and directed at specific individuals, and not a threat to the larger society.
Last Friday, Lim said Nancy should redeem herself and get the A-G to review the decision and charge Ibrahim with the relevant law.
"She has to face up to the responsibility that she had failed to carry out.
"Whether she likes it or not, she had been willing to go along with what was decided by a civil servant.
"That is not leadership. That is not leading from the front, but leading from behind," said Lim, the Penang chief minister.
Ibrahim, who is Perkasa president, had made the call to burn Bahasa Malaysia Bibles that used the word “Allah” when talk surfaced that the publications were distributed at a school in Penang in January last year.
The government's decision not to charge Ibrahim has been slammed by Christian groups as well as Pakatan Rakyat politicians, with Nancy heavily criticised. – October 20, 2014.
Don’t over-simplify Islamic teachings, touching dog not ‘haram’, says Dr Asri
Touching a dog is not "haram" (forbidden) although the animal is categorised as "najis" (unclean), says Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.To conclude that it is "haram" was an over-simplification of the Islamic teachings, the former Perlis mufti added.
He said this is because Muslims scholars have agreed that touching a dry dog is not "najis" despite differing views when it comes to touching wet dogs.
Pointing out that the Shafie school of thought (which Malaysia follows) is strict on the matter, he said the views in other Islamic schools were wider and easier.
"The Maliki school of thought is the most flexible and wide when it comes to dogs,” he said, commenting on the controversy surrounding the "I Want to Touch a Dog" event held in Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
"One can touch 'najis' but there are rules that need to be adhered to that includes washing and cleaning.
"If it is 'haram' to touch 'najis', then it is 'haram' for a person to touch their own waste or that of their children or those under their care when in the process of cleaning them.
"What about those whose work involves cleaning toilets or working with blood or other bodily fluids?" he asked.
"What about veterinarians? So, all these are shallow conclusions," Mohd Asri said on his Facebook page DrMAZA today.
On keeping a dog at home, he said Muslims are not encouraged to do so except for certain purposes such as hunting, farming and security purposes.
He admitted there were scholars who forbid keeping dogs at home but said there was no hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) that said it was a sin.
"Only that it will effect our merit. Thus, many scholars agreed that it is 'makruh' (disapproved). The reasons for it has something to do with spirituality and societal impact," he said.
It was reported today that Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha told Bernama that the programme should not have taken place, adding that Jakim would investigate the matter immediately.
This came after the event received overwhelming response from Muslims in and around the federal capital yesterday.
Syed Azmi Alhabshi, a pharmacist in his 30s, had organised the event to help people overcome their fear of dogs and learn compassion for all animals.
The Kuala Lumpur native also said he wanted to help people overcome certain misconceptions and sensitivities surrounding dogs.
Over 1,000 people had attended yesterday’s event which saw Muslims and non-Muslims alike interacting with dogs of various breeds. – October 20, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dont-over-simplify-islamic-teachings-touching-dog-not-haram-says-dr-asri#sthash.SaF1Bps5.dpuf
Abused orangutan must be urgently relocated
Katarina is a victim of the illegal wildlife trade. She was kept as a pet and after she became too big to handle was given up to the Lipis zoo. She has now spent a few years at a zoo which clearly does not receive proper funding. Anyone who visits this zoo will be able to tell it it is not managed well. Many animals there require help, let alone and delicate species such as the orangutan.
Supervision of animals at this zoo, like in almost every Malaysian zoo, is virtually non-existent. Visitors can be seen feeding Katarina junk food and one visitor was stopped from tossing into the enclosure a lit cigarette hoping the orangutan would smoke it. Can you imagine what happens everyday at this zoo?
While the pandas at Zoo Negara receive daily enrichment without fail, Katarina receives none. She has nothing to keep her mind and body busy everyday in her almost barren enclosure.
Orangutans are extremely smart animals known to be as intelligent as young children and a lack of enclosure stimulation greatly effects their mental and physical health. Katarina’s night cage is also completely void of any bedding nor enrichment tool and she is forced to sit on cold concrete everyday for at least 12 hours. Horrible treatment of an ape species which generates tonnes of income from tourism.
Though orangutans are mostly solitary animals in the wild, they should never be forced to live all alone in captivity. Katarina has spent her days all alone for years now, with nothing to look forward to every day.
It is time she is relocated to the Matang Wildlife Centre in Sarawak, where the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) provides excellent captive care for orangutans at its sanctuary. Perhilitan, the wildlife department, has sent orangutans to Matang previously, and they can do it again for Katarina.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made it mandatory for all zoos in the USA to provide enrichment for all non-human primates. Zoos are also expected to show documentation of what enrichment they have been giving to a USDA inspector if they request it. Another USDA requirement is that if a zoo has a non-human primate living alone it has to document why as they also regulate that non-human primates have social contact.
If orangutans (and other primates for that matter) can be treated extremely well in a western country well out of its range, orangutans in Malaysia must be given equal if not better treatment. A mind-blowing RM60 million so far has been spent on two pandas from China. The least the NRE Ministry can do is to urgently relocate Katarina to provide her the best possible treatment in Sarawak. The world is looking, and waiting.
Friends of the Orangutans and our supporters around the world ask the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to immediately transfer Katarina the suffering orangutan to the Matang Wildlife Centre sanctuary in Sarawak.
UPRESHPAL SINGH is director, Friends of the Orangutana.
MCCBHCST wishes Hindus a Happy Deepavali
Dear friends of the Hindu faith,
In the name of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), we wish to once again extend to all of you our heartfelt wishes on the occasion of Deepavali.
Dear friends, your religious tradition inspires the conviction that friendly relations, dialogue and the respectful and harmonious exchange of views leads to the attitudes of kindness and forgiveness which in turn generate authentic and fraternal relations.
As co-religionists we live in a world all too often torn apart by selfishness, ethnic rivalry, violence and religious fundamentalism. Yet, we are called, in a spirit of cooperation, to defend our shared humanity in a variety of socio-economic, political and religious contexts.
Our world is witnessing a growing sense of our common humanity and a global quest for a more just, peaceful and fraternal world. But the fulfilment of these hopes depends on recognition of universal values. We hope to foster a revewed and deepened sense of unity and fraternity among all the members of the human family. Let us dialogue and meet each other in order to establish a culture of dialogue in this beloved nation of ours.
We pray that your celebration of Deepavali will be an occasion to rediscover fraternity anew, especially in our divided societies.
Once again allow us to express our heartfelt greetings and to wish all of you Happy Deepavali.
PREMATILAKA KD SERISENA is honorary secretary-general of MCCBHCST.
In the name of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), we wish to once again extend to all of you our heartfelt wishes on the occasion of Deepavali.
Dear friends, your religious tradition inspires the conviction that friendly relations, dialogue and the respectful and harmonious exchange of views leads to the attitudes of kindness and forgiveness which in turn generate authentic and fraternal relations.
As co-religionists we live in a world all too often torn apart by selfishness, ethnic rivalry, violence and religious fundamentalism. Yet, we are called, in a spirit of cooperation, to defend our shared humanity in a variety of socio-economic, political and religious contexts.
Our world is witnessing a growing sense of our common humanity and a global quest for a more just, peaceful and fraternal world. But the fulfilment of these hopes depends on recognition of universal values. We hope to foster a revewed and deepened sense of unity and fraternity among all the members of the human family. Let us dialogue and meet each other in order to establish a culture of dialogue in this beloved nation of ours.
We pray that your celebration of Deepavali will be an occasion to rediscover fraternity anew, especially in our divided societies.
Once again allow us to express our heartfelt greetings and to wish all of you Happy Deepavali.
PREMATILAKA KD SERISENA is honorary secretary-general of MCCBHCST.
Rain no hindrance to Deepavali shoppers - Malaysiakini
Shoppers have been thronging not only the regular hotspots at Jalan Masjid India, ‘Little India’ Brickfields, Sentul and Jalan Tengku Kelana in Klang but also the Deepavali shopping carnivals at the Bukit Jalil Stadium and the Melawati Stadium in Shah Alam.
A check by Bernama found that shoppers did not mind getting drenched in the rain just so that they could finish their preparations for this year’s Festival of Lights.
Visitors were seen in long queues at the carnivals, a shoppers’ haven where almost everything was available under one roof, such as clothing and food.
Shoppers were spoilt for choice with the availability of an array of colourful sarees, ‘lehenga’ suits and ‘jippas’ to choose from as well as delicacies such as ‘muruku’, ‘laddu’ and ‘atherasam’.
Besides performances by local artists at the carnival, traders also put on a ‘performance’ by blasting the melodies of Tamil music to attract buyers to their stalls.
According to N Gayathiri, 36, shopping in the rain was challenging as she had to find shelter every time it poured but continued with her hunt for Deepavali goodies whenever it stopped raining.
For Sugenthiran Ramachandran, 41, last-minute shopping was a norm for himself and family as traders offered lower prices at this time.
In SEREMBAN, Farhana Nabillah Zakaria reports that the ‘Little India’ enclave along Jalan Yam Tuan and Jalan Datuk Lee Fong Yee was a centre of attraction not only for the Hindu community but others, too, for their shopping needs.
Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan said the existence of the Little India there was advantageous to the large Hindu population in the city.
“With this Little India right smack in town, people can buy clothing, food and prayer items in one place without having to make many stops.
“To me, our Little India is something to be proud of as it attracts local and international visitors,” he said during a walkabout at the Deepavali bazaar in Little India organised by the Negri Sembilan Tamil Youth Bell Club last night.
Negri Sembilan Tamil Youth Bell Club chairperson K Murali said this was the fifth year they had organised the bazaar.
“We started with 17 stalls in 2010 but now we have 109 stalls for the Indian community and locals to shop at. We give priority to youths to trade and increase their income. I am confident that with support and guidance for these youths, they can do well,” he said.
He said goods sold at the bazaar were much cheaper compared to other places as they targeted the low- and middle-income groups.
- Bernama
More Perkasas and ISMAs will rise
Ridhuan Tee warns Chinese not to make too many demands.
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Controversial columnist Riduan Tee Abdullah has warned the Chinese community against pressuring the government with more demands, saying they would only be encouraging the rise of more extreme right Malay groups like Perkasa and ISMA.
Weighing in on the controversy over Chinese schools, he noted that while the government had decided to maintain vernacular education, it continued to be a hot topic at the recent MCA general assembly.
“And there were other things discussed that touched on sensitive issues like the special positions of Islam and the Malays,” he said.
“I earnestly hope that the Malaysian Chinese community will stop being too demanding or pressure the government too much. Otherwise, more Perkasas and ISMAs will surely emerge.”
In his latest column in Sinar Harian, the Chinese Muslim writer proposed that the government impose regulations aimed at making Chinese pupils learn Bahasa Malaysia to ensure their integration into Malaysian society.
He suggested a minimum of two hours a day for Bahasa Malaysia lessons and that history be taught in the national language.
“The MCA is still extolling a foreign country’s national language simply because their families come from that country,” he wrote, adding that the Chinese were scared of being assimilated like they were in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“In fact, foreigners from Bangladesh and Myanmar are more proficient in Bahasa Malaysia than some Malaysian Chinese.”
He also said Malaysian Indians seemed more successful than their Chinese compatriots in acquiring the national language.
“The Malays find it easier to associate with the Indians because they share a language and can therefore understand each other,” he added.
PETALING JAYA: Controversial columnist Riduan Tee Abdullah has warned the Chinese community against pressuring the government with more demands, saying they would only be encouraging the rise of more extreme right Malay groups like Perkasa and ISMA.
Weighing in on the controversy over Chinese schools, he noted that while the government had decided to maintain vernacular education, it continued to be a hot topic at the recent MCA general assembly.
“And there were other things discussed that touched on sensitive issues like the special positions of Islam and the Malays,” he said.
“I earnestly hope that the Malaysian Chinese community will stop being too demanding or pressure the government too much. Otherwise, more Perkasas and ISMAs will surely emerge.”
In his latest column in Sinar Harian, the Chinese Muslim writer proposed that the government impose regulations aimed at making Chinese pupils learn Bahasa Malaysia to ensure their integration into Malaysian society.
He suggested a minimum of two hours a day for Bahasa Malaysia lessons and that history be taught in the national language.
“The MCA is still extolling a foreign country’s national language simply because their families come from that country,” he wrote, adding that the Chinese were scared of being assimilated like they were in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“In fact, foreigners from Bangladesh and Myanmar are more proficient in Bahasa Malaysia than some Malaysian Chinese.”
He also said Malaysian Indians seemed more successful than their Chinese compatriots in acquiring the national language.
“The Malays find it easier to associate with the Indians because they share a language and can therefore understand each other,” he added.
Gerakan man suspended for ‘pendatang’ remark
Johor delegate Tan Lai Soon has to explain his position within 14 days.
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Is calling someone a “pendatang’ a racist remark? Gerakan thinks so and a Johor delegate to its national conference yesterday has to bear the brunt.
During the conference, party president Mah Siew Keong said he was against racism and would come down hard on anyone in the party showing racist tendencies.
During the debate on the president’s policy speech, Johore delegate Tan Lai Soon said, “Let me make the positions of Malaysians clear: Malays, Chinese and Indians are all pendatang. The Orang Asli, Sabahans and Sarawakians are the original bumiputera.”
For the remark, Gerakan today suspended Tan’s membership, issued a show-cause letter and asked him to explain his position within 14 days.
At a press conference, Gerakan deputy president Cheah Soon Hai said: “We apologise on behalf of the party to all Malaysians who have been hurt by his remark. He should go back and ask what is the feeling of his Malay neighbours.”
Cheah said Gerakan was a “party for all races” and Tan’s statement did not reflect its stand.
“It is not the party’s stand; we are all Malaysians and no Malaysian is a pendatang or an immigrant,” Cheah said.
As of yesterday, at least 14 members had lodged complaints to the party against Tan’s remark, added Cheah.
Pertubuhan Pembela Islam (Pembela), a coalition of 52 Malay-Muslim groups, said Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong should sack Tan.
Together with Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) and Pejuang Islam Melayu Malaysia (Pewaris), they went to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning, demanding that Tan be hauled up under the Sedition Act.
PETALING JAYA: Is calling someone a “pendatang’ a racist remark? Gerakan thinks so and a Johor delegate to its national conference yesterday has to bear the brunt.
During the conference, party president Mah Siew Keong said he was against racism and would come down hard on anyone in the party showing racist tendencies.
During the debate on the president’s policy speech, Johore delegate Tan Lai Soon said, “Let me make the positions of Malaysians clear: Malays, Chinese and Indians are all pendatang. The Orang Asli, Sabahans and Sarawakians are the original bumiputera.”
For the remark, Gerakan today suspended Tan’s membership, issued a show-cause letter and asked him to explain his position within 14 days.
At a press conference, Gerakan deputy president Cheah Soon Hai said: “We apologise on behalf of the party to all Malaysians who have been hurt by his remark. He should go back and ask what is the feeling of his Malay neighbours.”
Cheah said Gerakan was a “party for all races” and Tan’s statement did not reflect its stand.
“It is not the party’s stand; we are all Malaysians and no Malaysian is a pendatang or an immigrant,” Cheah said.
As of yesterday, at least 14 members had lodged complaints to the party against Tan’s remark, added Cheah.
Pertubuhan Pembela Islam (Pembela), a coalition of 52 Malay-Muslim groups, said Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong should sack Tan.
Together with Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) and Pejuang Islam Melayu Malaysia (Pewaris), they went to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning, demanding that Tan be hauled up under the Sedition Act.
We’re sorry Syed Azmi – some Malaysians are unreasonable
What started out as a noble cause has degenerated into hate and fear thanks to unreasonable Malaysians.
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Bravo Malaysia! You have expertly taken a meaningful and enlightening event organized by a brave, young man and turned it on its head so that it breeds more fear, hate and distrust among the people.
The event in question is called “I Want To Touch A Dog” and the said organiser, Syed Azmi Alhabshi.
Wanting only to overcome his own fear of dogs, Syed Azmi also felt the event provided a wonderful opportunity to let Muslims know that if proper cleansing rituals were observed, that Islam permitted them to touch and play with dogs.
Despite the event having the blessings of MAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Council) and attracting hundreds of dog owners, animal lovers and those genuinely wanting to overcome their fear of dogs, the event has now degenerated into an angry war of words replete with complaints, warnings and threats of punishment.
Speaking about the event yesterday to FMT, Syed Azmi said that when “haters got a whiff of it (on Facebook), they started sending me photos and WhatsApp messages that were very cruel. But that provided the fuel for me to soldier on.”
He added, “As a solo person I wanted to show that anyone can make good changes within the community.”
However Jakim’s (Islamic Development Department) director-general had a totally opposing view telling Bernama he regretted the irresponsible attitude of the organiser, who in his opinion, was not concerned with the sensitivities of the Muslims.
Apart from his harsh reprimand, he also said Jakim would investigate the case and penalise those involved.
Another who stepped forward to denounce the event was Mohd Kazim, who wrote on Facebook, ”There’s a finer agenda at play here. There is an attempt to liberalise and pluralise the religion.
Calling it “sinful”, he added, “The dog, under Islam, cannot be made a pet unlike the cat, chicken or other kinds of animals, as it will interfere with a Muslim’s prayer.”
Mohd Kazim stressed that the penalty for touching a dog was the same as that for touching a pig as touching both these animals was forbidden under Islam.
However despite these harsh views, many other Muslims took a more compassionate and liberal view of the event.
Muslim scholar Ustaz Mohd Iqbal who was present at the event Sunday, when interviewed by FMT, said there was a need for change in the perspective of our society “because there is space within Islamic teaching for Muslims to rear dogs, in particular guide dogs to assist the blind, even leading him or her to a masjid”.
Aishah Abdullah, a student who was thrilled to meet and pet dogs saw the event as a good exercise to expose the Muslim community to the joys of interacting with these animals. She saw it as highly educational since the Islamic scholars at the event gave helpful hints on how to perform “sertu and samak” after touching dogs.
“I believe this event will open up narrow minds, urging the public to treat dogs lovingly like any other of God’s creatures,” said Aishah.
Another animal lover, Azleen Ibrahim said this should be a regular event “so that everyone will have an opportunity to play with dogs every other week”.
Pet owner Moses Sin Voon Lon was of the opinion the event was a great way to bring the community together and for everyone to discover the joys of petting a dog.
“I think the phobia of Muslims over dogs can be put to rest now because most dogs are well trained and friendlier, not wild like the kampung days. The Muslims should be aware of that and this is what the event has achieved,” said Moses.
Syed Azmi himself was pleased with the turnout saying, “this shows the relevance of the issue to the general public.”
Be that as it may, the Facebook page set up to promote the “I Want To Touch A Dog” event has been pulled down and efforts by FMT to contact Syed Azmi today have been in vain.
The “I Want To Touch A Dog” event was held yesterday at Central Park from 8-10am.
PETALING JAYA: Bravo Malaysia! You have expertly taken a meaningful and enlightening event organized by a brave, young man and turned it on its head so that it breeds more fear, hate and distrust among the people.
The event in question is called “I Want To Touch A Dog” and the said organiser, Syed Azmi Alhabshi.
Wanting only to overcome his own fear of dogs, Syed Azmi also felt the event provided a wonderful opportunity to let Muslims know that if proper cleansing rituals were observed, that Islam permitted them to touch and play with dogs.
Despite the event having the blessings of MAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Council) and attracting hundreds of dog owners, animal lovers and those genuinely wanting to overcome their fear of dogs, the event has now degenerated into an angry war of words replete with complaints, warnings and threats of punishment.
Speaking about the event yesterday to FMT, Syed Azmi said that when “haters got a whiff of it (on Facebook), they started sending me photos and WhatsApp messages that were very cruel. But that provided the fuel for me to soldier on.”
He added, “As a solo person I wanted to show that anyone can make good changes within the community.”
However Jakim’s (Islamic Development Department) director-general had a totally opposing view telling Bernama he regretted the irresponsible attitude of the organiser, who in his opinion, was not concerned with the sensitivities of the Muslims.
Apart from his harsh reprimand, he also said Jakim would investigate the case and penalise those involved.
Another who stepped forward to denounce the event was Mohd Kazim, who wrote on Facebook, ”There’s a finer agenda at play here. There is an attempt to liberalise and pluralise the religion.
Calling it “sinful”, he added, “The dog, under Islam, cannot be made a pet unlike the cat, chicken or other kinds of animals, as it will interfere with a Muslim’s prayer.”
Mohd Kazim stressed that the penalty for touching a dog was the same as that for touching a pig as touching both these animals was forbidden under Islam.
However despite these harsh views, many other Muslims took a more compassionate and liberal view of the event.
Muslim scholar Ustaz Mohd Iqbal who was present at the event Sunday, when interviewed by FMT, said there was a need for change in the perspective of our society “because there is space within Islamic teaching for Muslims to rear dogs, in particular guide dogs to assist the blind, even leading him or her to a masjid”.
Aishah Abdullah, a student who was thrilled to meet and pet dogs saw the event as a good exercise to expose the Muslim community to the joys of interacting with these animals. She saw it as highly educational since the Islamic scholars at the event gave helpful hints on how to perform “sertu and samak” after touching dogs.
“I believe this event will open up narrow minds, urging the public to treat dogs lovingly like any other of God’s creatures,” said Aishah.
Another animal lover, Azleen Ibrahim said this should be a regular event “so that everyone will have an opportunity to play with dogs every other week”.
Pet owner Moses Sin Voon Lon was of the opinion the event was a great way to bring the community together and for everyone to discover the joys of petting a dog.
“I think the phobia of Muslims over dogs can be put to rest now because most dogs are well trained and friendlier, not wild like the kampung days. The Muslims should be aware of that and this is what the event has achieved,” said Moses.
Syed Azmi himself was pleased with the turnout saying, “this shows the relevance of the issue to the general public.”
Be that as it may, the Facebook page set up to promote the “I Want To Touch A Dog” event has been pulled down and efforts by FMT to contact Syed Azmi today have been in vain.
The “I Want To Touch A Dog” event was held yesterday at Central Park from 8-10am.
Of prostitutes, peace and chivalry
Dyana SofyaOCTOBER 20 — It is an interesting exercise to browse through the many comments on my Facebook fan page. Reading through them recently, I began to notice a pattern. Generally, there are three types of comments: positive, negative and commiserative.
The positive comments mostly take the form of motivating words of encouragement. These are my favorite, and I am eternally grateful for the constant show of support from Malaysians of all walks of life. They have never failed to fuel me with positive energy or pick me up when I feel down.
As for the negative comments, they are as colorful as one would expect them to be. From the usual name-calling, gender stereotyping to all kinds of discriminating attacks, I have learned to accept them as part and parcel of public life. In fact, I sometimes find it entertaining, as it takes a special breed of people to be able to be so shallow and perverse.
However, there is one more type of comment that has become a constant feature in almost every thread. I find these quite puzzling. Somehow, there seems to be quite a few people out there who find it necessary to convey their pity or sympathy because they feel I am being “used.” Often, they would also predict that I would one day “wake up” and realise that I am in the wrong struggle, and that I would eventually “return” to the true path.
While I thank them for their “concern”, I would also like to express my own concern about the patronising culture of our society. Why is it so difficult for people to understand that we young Malay women are able to think for ourselves and have the capability (and yes, the right) to decide what we want to do and how we want to do it?
God forbid if we choose to be different. This is something they cannot comprehend. If we do not conform to their idea of what a Malay woman should be, then we have either been fooled into doing it (poor us), or we are simply doing it out of gratuitous self-interest, be it for monetary or political gain.
This attitude perhaps manifested itself clearly when a recent DAP recruit, Jamilah Rahim or better known as Melati, was told that her decision to join the party was akin to prostituting herself and her religion, simply for the riches offered.
Let me make one thing clear. If we really wanted to prostitute ourselves for material gain, then we would have joined the most powerful and wealthiest party around. At least then we can be assured of gaining something through their well-known rent-seeking practices.
Instead, we have chosen to follow our hearts and stick to our principles by joining a party that we believe best represents our shared struggle to create a Malaysia for all Malaysians. And we did this despite knowing how we would be ridiculed, especially because of our race and gender.
The crux of the matter is the low level of respect that our society has towards women. Until and unless we address this widespread discrimination and stereotyping of women in our society, we will never progress.
For starters, although women make up half the society, we are barely represented. This becomes a self-perpetuating problem because policies and laws that are made by gender insensitive men would further suppress women.
Take India, as an example. In the aftermath of the gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi back in 2012, citizens gathered to protest the government’s response. Rather than working to address the failures of a system that has been unable to empower the fairer sex and proven ineffective at preventing sexual violence against women, the government’s approach was condescending, treating women as defenceless and weak creatures in need of protection.
The problem was not that the government did not try, but more that they could not understand, being themselves trapped in a patriarchal mind-set. This is why it is all the more important for women to be fairly represented in politics.
While the situation is not quite as critical in Malaysia, the same attitudes exist, as is evident by the reactions towards those of us who manage to find the inspiration to take the leap into politics. As Melati, Rara (Young Syefura Othman, another recent DAP recruit) or I can attest to, it is even worse when we dare to do anything “different.”
Be that as it may, this is part of the change we seek to bring to our country. And I believe the time is opportune, as many of our sisters the world over are beginning to show. Just last week, a 17-year-old Afghan woman became the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate ever for her struggle in championing women’s right to education in a country that severely limits the rights of women.
At the same time, another high profile woman was inducted to a most distinguished order of chivalry by the Queen of Britain for her efforts to combat sexual violence worldwide. Not only is this new Dame one of the youngest ever recipients of the honour, she also joins an eminent list of former recipients, most of whom are either royalty or heads of government. Who would have thought that a Hollywood actress like Angelina Jolie could achieve such an honour?
Believe it or not, every woman, whether a teenage girl in an oppressive country or an attractive starlet, has the capability and potential to rise to the greatest heights that some men can only dream of.
And instead of belittling or feeling sorry for us, Malaysian men would do well to know this.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
Malaysia And Indonesia To Join Forces To Make Asean Car A Reality
From Roslan AriffinJAKARTA, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia will soon join forces in the automotive industry to make the Asean car a reality, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said the project would be a dream come true as newly-appointed Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has expressed interest in pursuing the idea mooted by Malaysia.
National car maker, Proton Holdings Bhd, is expected to be involved in the project.
"A feasibility study of a possible joint production of the Asean car by Malaysia and Indonesia will be undertaken and it (the idea) was welcomed by President Jokowi who wants the idea to be pursued further.
"This means Proton and Indonesia will launch the Asean car as a viable project after in-depth studies," he told Malaysian journalists here today at the end of his two-day visit to the Indonesian capital to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Jokowi.
The prime minister also hoped Indonesia, under the new administration, would continue to adopt an open economy via its existing policies, to further expand bilateral trade between the two countries.
"I also hope the involvement of Malaysian companies in Indonesia will remain intact.
"And, if there are new laws (to be introduced) it should not affect existing Malaysian investments," Najib said.
The Prime Minister also hoped Malaysia and Indonesia could integrate not only people-to-people relationships but also on the political and economic front to maximise profits accruing from the cooperation.
Najib said Malaysia aspired to see the relations grow since it would assume the Asean chairmanship next year.
Jokowi got down to work today as the seventh president of Indonesia after taking his oath of office at the People's Consultative Assembly, the highest constitutional body, to lead the country of 250 million people.
The former governor of Jakarta took over from Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who had been the president since 2004.
Najib was accorded the honour of being the first of the foreign heads of government to arrive at the Istana Merdeka, the president's official residence, to call on Jokowi and convey his congratulations.
The prime minister arrived in Indonesia on Sunday at the personal invitation of Jokowi, 53, to attend the historic event for Indonesia with his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and joined 18 foreign dignitaries and nine heads of government during the ceremony.
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