Malay Provocation - New York Times

In reality, a government dominated by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is using spurious religious/linguistic arguments to shore up its support among a majority Malay electorate, which has been fed for years with preferences and privileges. Meanwhile, non-Malay money and talent exits the country.

By PHILIP BOWRING, The New York Times

One ought to be able to laugh at the absurdity of it. But the message is one of ignorance, religious and racial prejudice and political opportunism.

Last week, the Malaysian government declared that Christians in one part of the country could use “Allah” as the word for God when speaking Malay, but that those in most of the country could not. This is the same government that is currently running a public relations campaign called One Malaysia emphasizing the common identity of the nation’s racial and religious mix.

In reality, a government dominated by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) is using spurious religious/linguistic arguments to shore up its support among a majority Malay electorate, which has been fed for years with preferences and privileges. Meanwhile, non-Malay money and talent exits the country.

The government had earlier tried to stop the use of the word Allah by all Christians. This was successfully challenged in the High Court. But instead of letting the matter rest, the government declined to back down, setting the scene for the fire bombing of churches. While these could not be laid directly at the door of UMNO, hotheads in the party may well have taken their cue from what non-Muslims see as a deliberate attempt to stir up ethnic/religious issues for political gain. Last year it was Hindus who were the target of Malay provocation.

UMNO political calculation demands that the organization sticks to its demands about the use of the word Allah in peninsular Malaysia, where all Malays are deemed Muslims and where Christians are ethnic Chinese or Indian, but not in the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak where there are large communities of Malay-speaking Christians. The UMNO-led coalition needs the support of the multi-ethnic parties in those states.

The word Allah has always been used without Muslim objection by Christians in the Arab world, as well as those in Malay-speaking Indonesia, where there are 10 times as many Muslims as in Malaysia. The word is itself derived from pre-Islamic Semitic language roots. Even Malaysia’s strictly Islamist opposition party, Parti Islam (PAS), agrees that all Abrahamic faiths are entitled to use the word Allah.

But such facts are of little relevance to UMNO politicians determined to drum up any issue that can be used to show their commitment to defending Malay and Muslim privileges and thus retain the support of a Malay majority against the appeal both of PAS and the multi-ethnic Keadilan party of the former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.


UMNO cannot claim to be a party of the pious. Half a century in power has turned it into a vast patronage machine that enriches the Malay elite, providing support for luxurious lifestyles. Its insistence that all Malays are Muslims (and cannot convert) is an attempt to give religious backing to the message of Malay racial preference. That is barely in accord with the universalist notions of global Islam but keeps the loyalty of many Malays otherwise resentful of growing income gaps.


However, the racial and religious divides among the opposition still make an UMNO-led government seem a better choice than the alternatives — most likely ones in which the fundamentalism of PAS would replace the opportunism of UMNO. So despite the deterioration of communal relations in peninsular Malaysia, no major changes are in sight.

This carries two main dangers. The first is the continuing large scale exodus of capital and of talented non-Malays. Five years of generally good prices for its main commodity exports, oil, gas and palm oil, have delivered huge trade surpluses and a current account surplus of more than 10 percent of gross domestic product. But economic growth has been slow due to very weak private investment, only partly offset by large government deficit spending. Once a major recipient of foreign capital, Malaysia is now a source of flight capital. This is only sustainable while commodity prices remain at double levels of five years ago and three times those in 2002.

A longer term danger, at least as perceived by some leading Malays, such as the former Finance Minister Tunku Razaleigh, is that a combination of religious intolerance and resentment of federal exploitation of their natural resources will generate secessionism in the Borneo states. They joined Malaysia in 1963 without much enthusiasm but as the best option open to them as the British withdrew from empire. They do not want their traditions of racial and religious diversity to be poisoned by peninsular prejudices. Their separate treatment on the Allah issue will have some immediate benefits for Kuala Lumpur, but can only underscore just how different they are.

In short, the episode is sad commentary on a nation whose mix of races, its fine infrastructure and wealth of resources has held such promise. If only there really were One Malaysia.

http://malaysia-today.net/index.php...ation&catid=17:guest-columnists&Itemid=100130

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/opinion/20iht-edbowring.html

Govt flip-flops put M'sia's international standing at risk


The Malaysian government’s flip-flop responses and inability to co-ordinate swift and satisfactory solutions to internal crises may seriously hurt its standing with leaders of the first world countries, where importance is increasingly placed on transparency and security issues.

By Wong Choon Mei (Harakah)

Already, there is speculation that the United States may slap economic sanctions if Prime Minister Najib Razak’s administration is unable to explain how two F-5E jet engines could be stolen from a military base and purportedly sold to underground arms syndicates on Washington's blacklist.

The US is also unhappy over the recent spate of violence and vandalism against non-Muslim places of worship in Malaysia in retaliation over a court ruling that lifted a home ministry ban on non-Muslims using the word Allah.

“These are the two worrying topics that have caught the attention of the international community. But another one that is set to explode soon is the sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim when it begins next week,” Dr Syed Azman, head of PAS international bureau, told Harakahdaily.

“Actually, it will be Malaysia that will go on trial for the whole world to see. The corruption and the manipulation can no longer be hidden and first world leaders will surely want an explanation why they should condone and not condemn the actions of the Umno-BN government.”

Losing faith

Indeed, it may be too late for Najib, who has been accused of indecision and snail's paced responses.The business community - both domestic and international - have already reacted.

In 2009, Malaysia registered unprecedented capital flight - about 50 percent of its GDP, which in 2008 was worth some RM739 billion. According to a UBS Securities Asia report: “Question: which Asian country had the biggest FX reserve losses in 2009? The answer is Malaysia, and by a very wide margin; we estimate that official reserves fell by well more than one-quarter on a valuation-adjusted basis.”

So far, Najib who is also Finance Minister has not explained to the Malaysian public the reasons for the latest capital flight - which dwarfs the outflows recorded during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Even on the latest outbreak of religious bigotry, he has tried to downplay the incidents as a “minor aberration”.

"You can't blame people from overseas forming a bad impression. Even the Malays and the whole of Malaysia is fast losing faith in their ability to govern the country. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is saying one thing today and another thing the next day. Whilst the ministers within the PM's own department are making contradictory statements that further adds salt to the wound," Syed Azman chided.

Since the start of this year, 10 churches, a 100-year old Sikh temple and Catholic school have been hit by assailants, widely believed to have been encouraged by the inflammatory communal rhetoric from Najib and other top Umno leaders. Although they have denied instigating the attacks to rally Malay support for their party, no arrests have yet been made. Nor have they initiated any inter-faith dialogue to find a way forward.

Meanwhile, US Commissioner for International Religious Freedom, Leonard Leo, has warned: “How the Malaysian leadership deals with this issue will determine the political and economic future of the country”. The World Council of Churches has also expressed concern, urging "immediate action by both the government and civil society to resolve the conflict, in order to avoid renewed hostilities and escalation of violence".

Sodomy II

But it is the second round of sodomy charges against reform icon Anwar, which may tilt the balance and deepen the growing disaffection for the Malaysian administration.

Eleven year ago, Anwar, who was once the country’s deputy prime minister, was jailed on corruption and sodomy charges that he says were fabricated by the then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to kill his rising political career.

In September 2004, about a year after Mahathir’s retirement, the Federal Court cleared Anwar of the sodomy charges and freed him. However, in 2008, as he was about to make his parliamentary comeback, a junior aide in his PKR party accused him of sodomy. Despite two hospital reports, including from the government’s own Hospital Kuala Lumpur, that found no evidence of penetration in the 'victim's' anus, Najib’s administration has insisted on a full-blown trial.

“The new case replays an old script with new actors. The current script also shows the previous episode’s features of political interference, manipulation of officers in the AG’s Chambers and police, and falsification of evidence all arising from a political conspiracy to stop Anwar’s political career,” said PKR vice president Sivarasa Rasiah, who is also a member of Anwar's legal defence team.


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US threatens sanctions
over missing jets
and church attacks​

The United States may slap economic sanctions if the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government fails to resolve two key issues considered crucial by the international community, according to diplomatic sources.

The latest edition of the Pakatan Rakyat weekly, Suara Keadilan, quoting the sources as saying that the administration of President Barrack Obama (picture) is demanding a detailed explanation from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s government on the two missing F-5E jet engines and the series of arson attacks on churches and other places of worship over the last two weeks.

It also quoted Wisma Putra sources as saying if Najib viewed these issues lightly then Washington could slap economic sanctions on Malaysia.

The United States is Malaysia’s number one trading partner and in recent years has been ranked among the top three foreign investors. In 2008, it was the second largest investor, with investments totalling RM8.7 billion.

Any economic sanction will have a painful effect on the country, which is already suffering from a large deficit.

Wisma Putra sources said Washington’s diplomatic note reflects the seriousness of the Obama administration, which until now had only voiced their objections with statements.

“After this, if the government still dilly-dallies and takes no serious move to resolve the issues, heavier pressure will be instituted, including economic sanctions,” said one source.

In an SMS revert to Suara Keadilan, the US embassy’s media officer, Tina Malone, said Washington took a serious view of media reports of the missing jet engines, which were manufactured in the US.

“The US Government views seriously reports of the missing F-5E jet engines supplied to Malaysia,” said the SMS.

“The US Government has asked the Malaysian Government to provide a comprehensive report in relation to investigations into the matter.”

One of the Wisma Putra sources also confirmed that Waashington had sent a diplomatic note to the Malaysian Government over the petrol bomb attacks and vandalism on Christian churches.

America’s fear was underscored by its Commissioner for International Religious Freedom, Leonard Leo, who said: “How the Malaysian leadership deals with this issue will determine the political and economic future of the country.”



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http://freemalaysiatoday.com/english/?p=7902

Malay rights, Islam and royalty



HARDLY a year goes by in Malaysia without some kind of public dispute involving race and religion.

The issue for
2010: "Allah".
2009: Cow-head protesters and Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno's whipping sentence.
2008: Datuk Ahmad Ismail and his "pendatang" slurs against non-Malay Malaysians.
2007: Lina Joy's contentious conversion out of Islam.

These have all been issues of national importance, but attempts to resolve them through dialogue and discussion have repeatedly been thwarted by politicians and non-state agents. The conversation stoppers that have been employed have been, unsurprisingly, Malay rights; the religion of Malays in Malaysia, Islam; and every now and again, Malay royalty.

Why are arguments affecting public interest constantly linked back to Islam and Malay Malaysians by the most tenuous of connections? And why is royalty being invoked even when a public interest issue, such as the whipping of Kartika Sari Dewi Sukarno, is being debated by concerned citizens?

Perhaps it is because it is convenient to hide behind topics that are deemed to be unquestionable. The "special position of Malays" under the constitution has today been rephrased as inalienable "Malay rights". Islam is God's law and hence cannot be questioned. And to "raise discontent or disaffection" towards the monarchy would be seditious.

But hasn't the whole "this is a threat to Malays and Islam" argument just been one gigantic red herring to avoid discussing real issues with real facts and sound arguments?

Asli report


LimTake the 2006 Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) report, for instance. A study prepared by internationally recognised Malaysian academics revealed that bumiputera equity ownership could be as high as 45% and not 18.9% as claimed by the government. This was more than the 30% bumiputera equity target under the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Asli's then research director, Dr Lim Teck Ghee, also said there was clear evidence that bumiputera wealth had accrued in the hands of an elite group. His study advocated new policies to ensure sustained economic growth and more equitable distribution methods.

The study was soundly lambasted by the government, which declared that its methodology was wrong. Asli's president Mirzan Mahathir withdrew the report, and Lim resigned in protest.

As the "this is a threat to Malay rights" argument began, the factual debate on the matter ended.

"[Asli] should correct the facts and figures because it could confuse the Malays," said Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam.

"Let's not draw up a report that triggers anger [among many people] and then simply concede to having made mistakes. The damage is done already," said then Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaluddin.

"I am very sceptical about the study which has been carried out by a particular race. They (the race) usually have their own agendas," said Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political science professor Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin

"If we make baseless statements it just hurts people's feelings. Why would we do something like that?" said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Amid the furore, the real issues raised by the report were completely lost.

What was the government's methodology in calculating corporate equity ownership? Why was there a big discrepancy between the government's figure and Asli's? Why couldn't the government make fully public the methodologies, classifications and assumptions it relied on?

Certainly, it was far easier for Umno leaders to use the red herring of "Malay rights" than to actually justify and rectify its policies about the NEP. And that they did.

Suqiu memorandum


Or take the 1999 Suqiu memorandum by a group of Chinese Malaysian organisations, which the cabinet reportedly accepted unconditionally prior to the general election that year.

The memorandum called for the introduction of needs-based instead of race-based affirmative action. It also called for reforms to improve women and indigenous people's rights, to curb corruption, and for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act.

However, a few months later, reports said Suqiu was apparently intent on "abolishing Malay privileges". Then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad compared them to communists and extremists in his national day speech on 31 Aug 2000. Demonstrations were held to force Suqiu to retract its statements.

Any chance for rational debate on their proposal's merits was thereafter lost.

Short-circuit

It is becoming more apparent that the "threat to Malay and Muslim Malaysians" argument has really short-circuited our nation's thinking process.

When Sisters in Islam and other women's groups questioned whether it was fair, humane and just for Kartika to be caned for consuming alcohol, it was declared an insult to Islam. How showing compassion is insulting to Islam is, of course, never quite explained.

When civil society tried to organise interfaith dialogues to promote better understanding and harmonious living among Malaysians of different faiths, it was also an "insult to Islam".

When pop band Michael Learns to Rock was scheduled to perform in Malaysia during the fasting month, Umno's rival, PAS, branded the concert an insult to Islam.

And of course, when Catholic paper Herald sued the Home Ministry for banning the use of "Allah" in its publication, it was an insult to Islam.

An insult to Islam? A threat to Malay rights and the position of Malay royalty? Is that the best we can offer out of the contentious issues we face as a nation?



Holding on to power

When can we move beyond the constructed fear that non-Malay, non-Muslim Malaysians are hell-bent on threatening Islam and Malay rights, and that, by extension, the position of Malay royalty is also threatened?

Do our political leaders believe that by repeatedly silencing different views through fear-mongering rhetoric and feudalistic attitudes, they can hold on to power forever? Wouldn't it be more sustainable for power to be maintained through citizens' genuine support for government policies and actions?


For now, in the name of Malay rights, Islam, and Malay royalty, dissenting voices are being silenced. Problems affecting minority rights are dismissed. And long-festering differences are swept under the carpet of Malay superiority.

And while our politicians continue with these tactics, we should be troubled by the signs. How did Malaysia become a country where, in the name of Malay rights, Islam, and Malay royalty, a non-Malay citizen asking for equality or a Muslim seeking compassion is demanding too much?



http://malaysia-today.net/index.php...yalty&catid=19:newscommentaries&Itemid=100131

http://www.thenutgraph.com/malay-rights-islam-royalty

Sharia laws
have become
a weapon​

(Baltimore Sun) It is clearly stated in the Quran that there is no compulsion in religion and that there must be complete freedom of religion. Muslims Jews and Christians are all children of Abraham and people of the book. A believing Muslim must submit to the will of God. It is God’s will that decides our religion at birth.

Shaukat Malik is a Muslim-American Certified Public Accountant from Potomac. A native of Pakistan, he arrived in the United States in 1980.



We cannot name one country with Islamic laws that is a functioning democracy or a benchmark for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness except Turkey.

Muslim majority countries such as Pakistan have a history of thousands of years of customs and folklore shared with India that already plays havoc with the largely uneducated population in the rural areas. Unofficial patriarchal village juries made up of illiterate villagers will hand out and execute primitive punishments along the lines of a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. Add to this outdated Islamic laws and punishments for, for example, adultery, blasphemy and women’s rights and you have created a living hell for women and minorities.

Because of the Islamization in Pakistan, carried out behind the veil of training Mujahedeen to fight the Soviet infidel, Pakistan has a large number of Madrassas and religious charities that share and support Saudi Arabia’s brand of Orthodox Islam. This was on display during the Lal-Masjid standoff against the Pakistan army in July 2007. These Madrassas and charities openly support the Taliban and al Qaida. It is interesting to note that a majority of the terrorists in prison have received their training in Pakistan.

The recent unrest in Malaysia over the use of the name “Allah” by Christians when referring to God has more to do with fear over losing members of the congregation to the Christian church than to Muslim sensibilities. Separate Sharia laws for Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the population, could open doors for al Qaida types to make inroads into Malaysia’s Muslim population.

The conflict in interpretation between the bible and the Quran over the holy trinity and the oneness of God as stated in the Quran is exploited by Muslim clerics to foment prejudice against Christians. It is clearly stated in the Quran that there is no compulsion in religion and that there must be complete freedom of religion. Muslims Jews and Christians are all children of Abraham and people of the book. A believing Muslim must submit to the will of God. It is God’s will that decides our religion at birth.

Christians freely practiced their religion during Muslim rule in Jerusalem. Muslims have always respected freedom of religion. A bit of history will confirm this. After a brief and bloodless siege, Muslims seized control of Jerusalem from the Byzantines in February 638. Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab accepted the city's surrender from Patriarch Sophronius in person. Omar was shown the great Church of the Holy Sepulcher and offered a place to pray in it, but he refused. He knew that if he prayed in the church, it would set a precedent that would lead to the building's transformation into a mosque. He instead prayed on the steps outside, allowing the church to remain a Christian holy place.

Christians and Jews have used the name Allah to refer to God, especially in Arabia. When we say Allah we are referring to the same one God, notwithstanding the trinity of God argument put forward by Muslim clerics.
I quote from the Quran:

029.046
YUSUFALI: And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)."
PICKTHAL: And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our Allah and your Allah is One, and unto Him we surrender.
SHAKIR: And do not dispute with the followers of the Book except by what is best, except those of them who act unjustly, and say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our Allah and your Allah is One, and to Him do we submit.

It is ridiculous for any Muslim to claim a certain name to God as exclusively theirs. The Muslim majority in Malaysia is using religion to subdue the Christian minority. One solution is to have universal laws for all citizens in Malaysia that confirms complete freedom of religion, and not separate Sharia laws for Muslims.

Imagine the United States or Europe without freedom of religion, and Christianity enforced by the state. I think the Muslims of Europe and the United States, with populations of 37 million and more than 6 million, respectively, would find life a living hell. The same is true for minorities living in Muslim majority countries where Sharia laws are part of the constitution and enforced by the state.

Incorporating religious laws in a country’s constitution, no matter what the religion, will generally lead to religious persecution of the minorities. By invoking religious laws when writing any state's constitution, we can never create a vibrant society or culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.

In a theocratic state only one group of people, for example mullahs in Iran, will end up with complete and absolute control over everything. A theocratic state is a recipe for disaster. Iran and Saudi Arabia are basically fascist states. Either you are with the mullahs or they are against you. Oil-rich theocratic states like Saudi Arabia and Iran provide the funding and lifeline that all terrorist organizations need to foster their agenda of establishing a theocratic caliphate by uniting all Muslims under their banner.

A country with Islamic laws as part of its constitution can easily be transformed into a one-party dictatorship, as is the case in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Such is the power of religion that in Iran protesters against the current government for alleged election rigging publicly profess their allegiance to Imam Khomeni their supreme leader.

Theocratic states where religion becomes the rallying cry can easily lose rationality when faced with difficult decisions. Emotionalism and anger overrides all reasonable analysis and arguments. This is why we fear Iran’s nuclear bomb.

We should never forget that fifteen out of the nineteen 9/11 killers were from Saudi Arabia. This is a scary statistic. Osama Bin Laden is a product of Saudi Arabia’s theocratic dictatorship. He founded his al Qaida network after being deported from Saudi Arabia.

Islamic/Sharia laws are the rallying cry for extremists. In every Muslim country that has Islamic laws, extremists find it easy to organize, using the argument that the government of the day is not enforcing these laws in the true spirit of Islam.

The preamble to the al Qaida constitution can be interpreted as follows: “To set up a theocratic Muslim state with a Caliphate whose laws are based on the Sharia laws as stated in the Quran and unite the entire Muslim world under this state and to fight the infidels (read: Christians and Jews).”

Armed with this message, organizations like the Taliban and al Qaida can claim divine sanction from God to pursue their struggle. By labeling Israel and the West as enemies of Islam, they are able to easily recruit large numbers of fighters among economically disadvantaged populations in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world.


CONT...

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CONT...

Sharia laws
have become
a weapon​

It is ironic that al Qaida and the Taliban, who share Saudi Arabia’s religious ideology and method of punishments, have fashioned their flags after that of Saudi Arabia. By doing this they are symbolically holding themselves out as the true guardians of Mecca, Medina and the Kabbah, which are currently under Saudi Arabia’s control. An average Muslim identifies Saudi Arabia and its flag with the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Performing the Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam: “Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime if he or she can afford it.”

An uneducated Muslim can be easily taken in by this symbolism.

The al Qaida murderers are very cunning when it comes to playing psychological wars. The flag bears a very important prayer or saying for Muslims:

"There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah."

This prayer or saying is uttered by Muslims when embracing Islam and also when carrying the body of the deceased for burial.

Similar Flags are used in the background of beheadings and news conferences of al Qaida and the Taliban. When masked al Qaida men cut off heads of hostages, they display this prayer on thier masks and also display it on the wall behind them. Display of this very important Islamic prayer is intended to insinuate a sanction from God for their Heinous and barbaric acts.

Sharia laws, like the Ten Commandments, are given to humanity by God in order to create a just and fair society. Every Muslim believes that God is all-knowing and all-powerful. God would never wish these laws to violate inherent rights that God has given to every human being, namely the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The holy Quran is intended to be for all times, and hence its guidelines as provided by God must be reevaluated and reinterpreted in the context of the times we are living in. One cannot freeze all laws in the context that existed during prophet’s life more than 1,400 years ago. If the Prophet Muhammad were alive today, he would no doubt have a website with an e-mail address!

Much of Sharia law is man’s interpretation of laws that were given to Prophet Mohammed in the holy Quran. Some of these laws were given in response to issues that confronted people living in Arabia 1,400 years ago. There were many orphans and widows after wars and laws with respect to polygamy, et cetera, responded to the situation on hand.

Crafty clerics using self-serving translations and made-up sayings of the prophet have sanctioned themselves up to four wives and convinced the women to go along with this practice They have event prescribed a dress code to restrict and control women.
They equate their act of marrying more than one to that of the holy prophet, conveniently forgetting that the Prophet Muhammad’s marriages were in the context of his role as God’s messenger on earth to spread the word of God and to form political alliances. In fact, the Quran clearly states that since it is impossible for any man to treat two women equally in his relationship with them, he should only marry one.

Punishments such as cutting of heads for murder, hands and limbs for theft, stoning for adultery, et cetera, are out of step with today’s world. If Islam is a religion for all times, then for it to be applicable and relevant as God’s word for a just and fair society, it must be adapted to modern times. A crime of adultery is not a crime against the state but against one’s immediate family, yet in some countries the punishment is stoning to death.

To facilitate this transition, what should be done?

The western media and press must present Muslims in a positive light by not referring to terrorists as Muslims or Islamist fascists. These people cannot call themselves Muslims by simply displaying banners and shouting slogans of “God is great” while cutting off heads and murdering people. This is tantamount to referring to Nazis in Germany as Christian Nazis. Why not just call them terrorists and subtract Muslim from their respective names? This should not be difficult.

Economic development and education programs must be instituted in Muslim-majority countries, and dictators and despots, who create the environment for extremist behavior, should be phased out through elections.

Relgious parties organized on the basis of religion that support terrorism must be treated as enemies of the state and disbanded. This step should be taken in every Muslim-majority country and will go a long way towards neutralizing extremist groups, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Muslim-majority countries must break the linkage of Islamic or Sharia laws with terrorism by amending their constitutions and embracing complete freedom of religion along Turkish lines. This necessary act will deny the extremists and terrorists their reason for existing and over time marginalize them as nothing more than the thugs they are.

Pakistan must be encouraged to repeal its Hadood ordinance that clearly violates the rights of women and minorities and was cunningly imposed on the people of Pakistan through a fake referendum by a military dictator. Today, especially after all the murder and mayhem committed by the Taliban, Pakistan is ready for such a change. The Supreme Court of Pakistan should take a lead and remove these draconian laws from the statute.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference should adopt the Turkish model of moderate Islam that provides for freedom of religion as a benchmark for all its member states. The United Nations can support the OIC in this regard.

The constitution of most Muslim-majority countries contains a clause that no law shall be in violation of Islamic laws as laid down in the Quran, making Islamic laws superior to laws made by an act of parliament. This clause should be replaced by a statement that no law will be included in the constitution that violates the divine human rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness given to every human being by God, and that these rights include the freedoms of speech and religion. In summary, we are accepting that God’s law is supreme without the complications of confrontation.

We must educate our children in schools about the Muslim religion and its shared history and roots with Jews and Christians as children of Abraham. The fact that the Quran shares the prophets and stories with the Old and New testaments must be taught to schoolchildren to reduce prejudice, and vice-versa in Muslim majority countries.

There must be an international focus on education in Muslim majority countries to teach tolerance of other religions and shun extremists. Children must be taught that the Quran shares its stories and its prophets with the Old and New testaments and God’s will in determining someone’s faith. Islam’s overriding principle is to submit to the will of God.

The organization for Islamic countries must convince Saudi Arabia to embrace a moderate form of Islam, as has been in done in Turkey, that can then become a benchmark for the rest of the Muslim world.

The West and the United States must encourage Israel and the Palestinians to settle their dispute. Arab countries must accept the reality of Israel as God’s will and recognize Israel. In turn, Israel, by reaching a settlement with the Palestinians, can become an economic power in the Middle East and develop a large market for its goods and services. This will take away a major recruitment tool for religious extremists that have been successfully used in every Muslim majority country.

Iran has been around for thousands of years and is not going to go away. Iran’s largest trading partner is Europe, with over one-third of its exports going to Iran each year, in addition to its trade with China and Russia and Turkey. Sanctions against Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons will not work. Israel should sit down with the Iranian leadership to iron out their disputes. Iran’s one-party system is under strain and will yield to international pressure for adopting a moderate brand of Islam. A moderate Iran with nuclear weapons – if we cannot stop them – is a safer bet then a theocratic Iran.

Islam does not ban family planning. Family planning must be encouraged to reduce childbirths among poor parents whose children end up becoming a burden on family and society. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, many of the Madrassa children are a product of poor family planning. Unwanted and surplus, many have ended up becoming human bombs after brainwashing by evil clerics. There is some merit in China’s one-child policy. Space on earth and resources are limited. It is simple commonsense.

Europe went through the Inquisition, and after centuries of persecution of millions learned to embrace complete freedom of religion. The word Muslim means “One who submits to God.” For Muslims everywhere, the simple message is to accept God’s decision as to why someone belongs to a certain religion or is an atheist and to accept them as God’s people.

Jews and Christians as people of the books should reciprocate this sentiment in equal measure.

The founders of this great country were blessed by God to come up with the idea of inherent rights for all human beings namely the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Muslim countries should look for guidelines provided by the U.S. Constitution that is indeed Sharia compliant and use it as a template for their respective constitutions and defeat terrorists with the power of the written word.




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Silent majority of Muslims Malaysians must speak up against the ban on use of Allah by Christians to save Malaysia


By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor



THE SILENT MAJORITY OF MALAYSIAN MUSLIMS MUST SPEAK UP AGAINST THE RULING TO BAN CHRISTIANS FROM INVOKING THE NAME OF ALLAH

The government ban on the use of ALLAH by Christians does not have the support of the majority of Malaysian Muslims. as a matter of fact, my impression is that the Muslim ummah in Malaysia are by and large solid citizens loyal both to the country and to their religion Islam, and do not buy the argument that the use of Allah by Christians would confuse the ummah.

PAS and PKR leaders like Anwar Ibrahim and Hadi Awang have openly stated that the use of Allah by christians is correct and allowed by Islam.

Anwar has said “With regard to the use of the word ALLAH, it cannot be disputed that Arabic speaking Muslims, Christians and Jews have collectively prayed to God as Allah throughout the last fourteen centuries.”

Muslim scholars like Dr Yusuj al-Qaradawi and Sheikh Dr Wahban Az-Zuhaili concurred that Allah is a ‘terminology shared with the adherents of the Abrahamic faith – Jews, Christians and Muslims. That the usage of the word Allah has never been the monopoly of the Islamic creed”

In the Middle East, a noted author Anthony Shadid wrote in the NY Times that ‘the word Allah infuses virtually every salutation, greeting and condolence, spoken upon departure and arrival, and at birth and death, a centuries-long refinement of mutual social exchanges that ensures no moment is awkward. INSHALLAH, GOD WILLING, everyone says about everything in the future tense, from an appointment the next day to the sun rising in the east’

SO FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF HISTORY, CULTURE AND ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE, THE USAGE OF ALLAH IS A NON-ISSUE. THE MUSLIM WORLD CONSIDER IT AS A NON-ISSUE. WORLD OPINION CONCURS, AND THEY ASK ‘WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?’

It is Umno that is kicking up the fuss for their own political motives. They claim that allowing Christians the usage of Allah would confuse the Malay Muslims. The majority of Muslims in the country do not buy the Umno argument, for the simple reason that Jews, Christians and Muslims have called the Almighty as Allah for centuries, and the Muslims have not been confused, but have gathered strength and influence over the centuries. In the same way both Muslims and Christians in Malaysia will pray to Allah and ask for peace, harmony and prosperity.

If Umno persists in imposing the ban on christians, Malaysia will be the laughing stock in the Muslim world as well as to the world in general. The world will not look kindly on a country that denies religious freedom to its citizens. Foreign investors will stay away for fear there will be disturbances, and this will affect the economy, which will affect the daily lives of the people.

THE UMMAH IN MALAYSIA SHOULD REJECT THE RIDICULOUS BAN ON THE USAGE OF ALLAH BY CHRISTIANS. THE SILENT MAJORITY OF RIGHT THINKING MUSLIMS MUST SPEAK UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND MOVE INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF A MODERN GLOBAL WORLD WHERE THE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES AND RELIGIONS LIVE IN PEACE, HARMONY AND PROGRESS.


http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2010/01...lah-by-christians-to-save-malaysia/#more-7156

It's quite an amusing mess the Malaysians have got themselves into. It's OK for non-Muslims to use Allah for God in Penang, East Malaysia and Federal Territories, but it's not OK for those in the rest of Malaysia. One country two systems?

Ramseth said:

It's quite an amusing mess the Malaysians have got themselves into. It's OK for non-Muslims to use Allah for God in Penang, East Malaysia and Federal Territories, but it's not OK for those in the rest of Malaysia. One country two systems?

Click to expand...

One country, two systems and many sultans plus retinues of hangers-on.


The Malays will do well without their "imported" sultans and the pendulum is swinging that way and gaining momentum. This is the era when all their misbehaviours and shenanigans will be "Smile, you are on candid camera."


Datuk Onn Jaafar remarked right after WW2, that the Malays will in their own time, kick those leeches out. the Malays are not so shy with their rulers anymore.

Notice that the Allah-usage-approved areas (Penang, E. Malaysia and FT) have no sultans. Of the non-approved areas, all have sultans except Malacca (which used to have a sultan but was exiled southwards by the Portugese invasion to merge into the Johore sultanate).

The Chinese and Indians are normally aloof when it comes to matters pertaining to the palaces but the recent developements with the sultans showing their true colours and instead of inclusivities they chose to be exclusive and that didn't go down well with the more religious of them namely PAS because in their Islamic Teaching, those sultans are moral aberrations and deviants and descendants of pirates. The coup in the state of Perak shown that the sultan is not above opportunism and that in a stroke have downgraded the perception of the people in general toward those sultans.

A quote from blogger RPK in his write up will explains most of the schism that has since existed in the Malays' Muslim world. Interesting...

Go There For The Full Story

If I write about Islam there will be many who will question my credentials to talk about the subject. They will ask me to ‘go learn more’, or go speak to the people in UIA, and they will demand to know what my references are and which ulama I am quoting. Today, I am not going to write anything about Islam. Instead, I am just going to copy pages of a book by Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali with regards to Sultans, as translated by Dr Kamal El-Helbawy.

http://malaysia-today.net/index.php...-talking&catid=71:archives-2009&Itemid=100106

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The minority races in Malaysia will NEVER feel that they belong. Malaysia is just a 'hotel' for them. The rate of emigration by Malaysians is even MORE telling than the diaspora of Singaporeans to countries like Australia, NZ, Canada, USA, UK etc.

The Malays will never be satisfied even if every minority race were to vacate Malaysia-frenzied greed and xenophobia feeds on itself to eventually self-destruct. This is seen in IRAQ where SUNNIs attack SHI'ITES or Rwanda (Hutus vs Tutsi). Or the Malays will next turn on the IBANS and other indigenous groups in East Malaysia.

I see an eventual secession of East M from West Malaysia and the breakup of all the states just like the USSR.

kiwibird7 said:

The minority races in Malaysia will NEVER feel that they belong. Malaysia is just a 'hotel' for them. The rate of emigration by Malaysians is even MORE telling than the diaspora of Singaporeans to countries like Australia, NZ, Canada, USA, UK etc.

The Malays will never be satisfied even if every minority race were to vacate Malaysia-frenzied greed and xenophobia feeds on itself to eventually self-destruct. This is seen in IRAQ where SUNNIs attack SHI'ITES or Rwanda (Hutus vs Tutsi). Or the Malays will next turn on the IBANS and other indigenous groups in East Malaysia.

I see an eventual secession of East M from West Malaysia and the breakup of all the states just like the USSR.

Click to expand...

I have the same thought while reading this thread. I wonder if that really happens if it might be an "opportunity" for Singapore to "merge" with Johor and form some sort of greater Singapore sphere. No more water, land issue after that.