“We will win, because we are right, and because reason is on our side.”
“We will win, because we are right, and because reason is on our side.”
WATCH: "You could tell UMNO was scoping out the trouble aspects of it."
But eventually the ANWAR loses patience with UMNO.
Anda mungkin juga meminati:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
It is with great dismay that we watch the recent events unfolding in Malaysia. As much as we are not in the position to guess the motives or the truth behind the issue of the recent scandal we should, as Muslims, remind ourselves of how we should react when confronted with such news.
Our declaration of "There is no god worthy of worship except Allah" compels us to believe and abide by the word of Qur’an. A scandal is exciting but it blurs our judgment. As Muslims it is imperative that we remain lucid and not be swayed. Allah has revealed the Qur’an as our guide to distinguish between right and wrong.
When confronted with an issue, instead of following our whims, we must allow the Qur’an to be the final word. From then it determines how we react and move forward.
As in the lesson of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) the Prophet Muhammad’s wife (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to accuse someone of adultery, Allah says:
Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: "This (charge) is an obvious lie?" Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not produced witnesses! Then with Allâh they are the liars. (Chapter 24 – The Light, Verses 12-13)
Islam upholds the sanctity of human dignity and it is our obligation to defend our fellow brothers’ and sisters' honour. To accuse someone of adultery and to repeat it without evidence is a grave offence that infringes upon the rights of our fellow Muslim. To accept, judge the person and spread news based on stories or hearsay with no clear evidence is a form of oppression. Allah says:
When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great. (Chapter 24 – The Light, Verse15)
The media carries a heavy responsibility and burden for the public. We must be careful of what we hear and pass on. We might not be in control of the news but we are responsible for how we deal with it.
We must remember to also look at the implications of our actions. This incident has a much longer lasting and negative effect on the youth of our country. The terrible way news is featured in the media and the direct access teenagers and children have towards obscene news will shape their outlook on politics, leadership, and private and public sins.
We must also be cautious not to fall into the trap of backbiting. Backbiting is something we take lightly but in reality comes with grave consequences.
We are warned in the Qur'an about suspicion, backbiting and spying where backbiting is likened to eating dead flesh:
"Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting)" (Chapter Hujurat - The Dwellings, Verse 12)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) defined backbiting: "Do you know what is meant by backbiting?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "To say something about your brother which he dislikes." One asked, "Even if what I say is true about my brother?" He replied, "If such defects you say are true
about him, then you have backbitten him, and if he doesn't have what you say, then you have committed slander against him." (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Tirmidhi)
He also emphatically stated “The gossiper will not enter paradise”. (Bukhari and Muslim)
We have so many other pressing issues at hand. From corruption to poverty to unemployment and that's just to name a few.
During these times we must remind each other of the words of Allah so that the slandering does not perpetuate further and cause more harm to the society. We call upon everyone, our elders, our leaders, our brothers and sisters, and all Malaysians from all walks of life to always walk the moral high round when dealing with our fellow brothers and sisters in humanity.
Let us show our future generation exemplary conduct we can be proud of.
May Allah always guide us to the right path.
Young Worried Malaysian Muslims
When confronted with an issue, instead of following our whims, we must allow the Qur’an to be the final word. From then it determines how we react and move forward.
As in the lesson of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) the Prophet Muhammad’s wife (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), to accuse someone of adultery, Allah says:
Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: "This (charge) is an obvious lie?" Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not produced witnesses! Then with Allâh they are the liars. (Chapter 24 – The Light, Verses 12-13)
Islam upholds the sanctity of human dignity and it is our obligation to defend our fellow brothers’ and sisters' honour. To accuse someone of adultery and to repeat it without evidence is a grave offence that infringes upon the rights of our fellow Muslim. To accept, judge the person and spread news based on stories or hearsay with no clear evidence is a form of oppression. Allah says:
When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great. (Chapter 24 – The Light, Verse15)
The media carries a heavy responsibility and burden for the public. We must be careful of what we hear and pass on. We might not be in control of the news but we are responsible for how we deal with it.
We must remember to also look at the implications of our actions. This incident has a much longer lasting and negative effect on the youth of our country. The terrible way news is featured in the media and the direct access teenagers and children have towards obscene news will shape their outlook on politics, leadership, and private and public sins.
We must also be cautious not to fall into the trap of backbiting. Backbiting is something we take lightly but in reality comes with grave consequences.
We are warned in the Qur'an about suspicion, backbiting and spying where backbiting is likened to eating dead flesh:
"Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting)" (Chapter Hujurat - The Dwellings, Verse 12)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) defined backbiting: "Do you know what is meant by backbiting?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "To say something about your brother which he dislikes." One asked, "Even if what I say is true about my brother?" He replied, "If such defects you say are true
about him, then you have backbitten him, and if he doesn't have what you say, then you have committed slander against him." (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Tirmidhi)
He also emphatically stated “The gossiper will not enter paradise”. (Bukhari and Muslim)
We have so many other pressing issues at hand. From corruption to poverty to unemployment and that's just to name a few.
During these times we must remind each other of the words of Allah so that the slandering does not perpetuate further and cause more harm to the society. We call upon everyone, our elders, our leaders, our brothers and sisters, and all Malaysians from all walks of life to always walk the moral high round when dealing with our fellow brothers and sisters in humanity.
Let us show our future generation exemplary conduct we can be proud of.
May Allah always guide us to the right path.
Young Worried Malaysian Muslims
The Japanese people's quiet and dignified response to the natural disaster has been a much-discussed topic in the media. Few articles or TV reports have failed to observe just how admirably the Japanese have behaved in the face of this unparalleled adversity. Knowing so little about Japan, I was curious to explore the psychological and cultural background to what the media calls "stoic" orderliness and "restrained expression" of grief and mourning.
Seamless evacuation during the earthquake and patient waiting for the green traffic lights in jam-packed streets, where lining to cross the street was completely unnecessary, left me wondering: what motivates such people's behavior? "Faith in the system" was the immediate answer to my question from my friend who spent a year as an exchange student in Osaka. Even though he says he expected nothing less from the Japanese, he still marvels at the idea that the faith in the order was there despite the fact that the system had become apparently overwhelmed and malfunctioned.
So, where does this "blind faith" come from? Is it the national value system, where efficiency ranks high, and where there's no space for drama and emotionality? Or does it come from various religious influences, such as the Buddhist recognition that the situation is what it is, and that crying makes no difference? Confucian ethics imply the subordination of the self to the central power or government and a strong belief in nurturing personal virtuousness. Empathy for the weak, filial piety and awareness of the fragility of the human condition are not solely Japanese; they originate in the teachings of Zen Buddhism and Confucianism. A survey reveals that among the values that the Japanese people say they continue to hold, humility, etiquette and thoughtfulness take a prominent place. On an unprecedented occasion when the Emperor spoke to the nation, he said he hoped the people would overcome the tragedy by "engendering a sense of caring for other people."
The high educational level and collective values of the Japanese are said to be behind this admirable level of care for the other. Anybody putting himself first in the disaster or trying to jump a food queue would be socially punished, scholars explain. But I wonder if it's the fear of shame and shunning, or the internalized responsibility for public good that primarily regulates such behavior. In a recent NPR interview, a counselor from Tokyo said, "Japan has a shame culture. We are very much ashamed to behave in an irresponsible way in a public place ... That is demonstrated in some way in the way we express our grief. I use [the] term 'grief,' [but] some 15 years ago I don't even know that kind of term. And if I say 'grief' to quite well-educated people, [they say] 'What are you talking about? ... What is it?'"
A compelling image is that of a mother offering a reporter/rescue worker an armful of oranges and apples in gratitude for having driven her husband back home from the site where he was to find out if their daughter was dead or alive. Only after the mother bid her signs of hospice to the stranger did she ask for the faith of their daughter. Without idealizing, generalizing or blindly trusting often faulty media reports coming out of the country, I find such calm impressive.
The unexceptional man's ability to stay grounded at exceptional occasions, as I understand dignity can be defined in Japan, seems to overlap with the idea of pride. for example, the Japanese government refuses to take aid from other countries during ordinary circumstances, when things are going well. Japanese are also said to be ashamed of poor people or of admitting to being poor.
Moreover, when mentioning the Japanese notion of dignity, I cannot help but think about the widespread occurrence of suicides in Japan. I wonder whether dignity and pride, as perceived by the Japanese, might underlie seemingly disparate reactions to life hurdles: a remarkable sense of national strength, perseverance and kinship in the face of the disaster, on the one hand; and suicide as a result of a perceived personal failure and low tolerance for mistakes, on the other.
Media reports often cite dignity and pride in response to joblessness as a common reason behind suicides in the country. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with an average of almost 100 suicides per day or one every 15 minutes. Prime minister Naoto Kan said last year taht his primary political goal was to "minimize unhappiness." Studies show that the growing social inequality caused by recent economic upheaval has affected suicide rates in Japan more than in other countries.
On some occasions, suicide in Japan is considered to be a morally responsible rather than a sinful act, as Judeo-Christian faiths perceive it. Although the culturally-embedded, romanticized idea of a noble suicide is subsiding, it is nonetheless present in the modern Japanese society. A university professor and social commentator observed that the young in Japan feel a sense of deadlock since the society does not allow for minor mistakes.
Interestingly, some recent suicides are executed with highly poisonous hydrogen sulfide, which can cause significant harm to other people living in the same building as the person committing suicide. Suicide is therefore transformed from a private act, where the individual refrains from obstructing the workings of the system, into a public one. In comparison to quiet resignation and acceptance of what life may bring, it might be possible that some suicide, even when done in private, is also a loud rebellion.
Studies suggest that higher levels of social and national cohesion reduce suicide rates. Suicide levels are also known to go down during wars, although recent research questions this assumption. Perhaps this tragedy could have a similar effect, and the upcoming reconstruction efforts might reveal the implications of dignity in the Japanese culture.
CThere is much more we could say about the relational aspect of the image of God, but a second and no less important aspect is critical. In his wonderful work called The Liberating Image, Richard Middleton suggests that royalty is a primary expression of the image. He sees the image as “the royal function or office of human beings as God’s representatives and agents in the world, given authorized power to share in God’s rule over the earth’s resources and creatures.” Before the distortion of rule and the abuse of power, men and women, together, were given the royal ambassadorship (Gen. 1:28-30). In a world that sends muddled messages (men are perverts, men are power hungry, men are abusive, men are addictive, men are distant, men are emotionless), a man’s identity is regal, dignified, and purposeful.
When the younger son returns in Luke 15, the father races to him in order to bless him. Theirs is a relational reunion. But it is so much more. The father restores the son’s dignity. He gives him the family ring, signifying his royal sonship. He robes him, covering his old and tattered garments, his wounds, his nakedness, his palpable signs of undignity. He puts sandals on his feet. He organizes a celebration feast fit for royal dignitaries. It’s all very regal, and it’s all very important in the symbolic world of Scripture. Original hearers would have noted the resonances with the royal image in Genesis 1. This should have brought joy to all who heard it.
I had a client whose family modeled life after the hit 80’s and 90’s television show Married with Children. His Dad was much like Al Bundy, a bumbling idiot who lived for sex, beer, and television. Emerging into his 20’s, my client was unsure of what real masculinity looks like. He’s internalized something very real, however. He is unstable, unsure, even bumbling, at least in his own estimation. He critiques his every move. He lives mired in self-contempt. In front of women, he clams up and becomes immobilized, believing he has nothing at all to offer.
At his church, he’s told that self-esteem is not language that can be found in the Bible. He’s managed to find a church where all of his worst fears are confirmed. He’s reminded each week that he’s a sinner, that there is nothing good in him. The God he knows does not lavish love and bestow dignity. The God he knows barely tolerates him. He’s depressed. And confused. And has no sense, at all, of what it means to be a man.
Men like this work 8-6, and can’t wait for Fridays. They live the curse in Gen. 3, as they work not out of some inherent sense of dignity or royal ambassadorship in the world, but out of survival. They numb to and cope with the pain of life in any number of ways, some which are stereotypical (sex, alcohol, tv) and some not often discussed (suicidality, eating disorders, gender confusion). Or perhaps they can’t work. Self-sabotage plays itself out in constant job changes or instability. Or maybe they’re addicted to work, using it as a drug, unable to separate themselves from their accomplishments. No matter how it plays, it’s a different story than the one God intended, a different trajectory from that of royal dignitary to the King of Kings.
What does this mean for men? At a societal level, it means that part of what it means to see the Kingdom come and God’s will be done is seen in men becoming who they are – ambassadors of the King. We see ourselves caught up in a larger mission, a mission to see the reign of God expand in the world in which we live. This begins where we live, work, and play. It begins in our homes and our offices, on the playground and in the pub. It means that no action we can take is somehow neutral, unaffected by the King’s reign in our hearts and in our world. Our “faithful presence” in the world, to borrow J.D. Hunter’s language, manifests in lives of fruitfulness, flourishing, integrity, justice, wisdom, and love. Our strength, as men, becomes a source of blessing, not aggression or violence. Our vulnerability manifests itself in self-surrender, not passivity or avoidance.
I, for one, do not prefer this vision for men growing out of an ancient initiatory tradition manifesting today in the warrior man, championed by those who call men to their primitive wildness. There is an element of truth in this. But God bestows his image to men and women, and its particular royal manifestation in a man invites not wild, outdoorsy masculinity, but purposeful, engaged, and missionally-driven masculinity. Whether in the cubicle or in the wild, men are called in a particular way. You don’t find masculinity outside of yourself, but the Spirit reveals it as something born in you, bestowed to you in the original image. At a societal level, it could be extraordinary if men regained a sense of missional passion as royal ambassadors of the King.
At a personal level, this bestowed identity counters the narratives we learned in our homes growing up, or on the playground, or even in our subcultures. When a man asks, “Who am I?” his answer is generally derived from a combination of influences, not least from his father and other key relationships in his life. How masculinity was defined in your family or culture, at some level, influences your answer to the question, “Who am I?” I’m a nobody. I’m a failure. I’m a breadwinner. I’m a success. I’m a sissy. I’m a lawyer. I’m gay. I’m wealthy. No matter the answer, it does not touch the deeper identity as a child of the King, a royal benefactor called to bless, to love, to steward, to suffer. As men, we’re ruled by a variety of cultural scripts which we often bless as normative, in large part, because it is what our traditions taught us to be. But there is something deeper, our truest humanity anchored in God’s image, seeing restoration and renewal as we participate in the life of God through the Spirit. The most truly human person ever to live, Jesus himself, embodied this royal life as God’s kingly Son sent in love and for mission. He invites us to embody it in our time and place today, whether in a cubicle or on a cliff
Former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik said that it was love for his country that drove him to expose the controversial sex video implicating Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“I’m the most patriotic citizen, (I’m doing this) because I want the truth to prevail. It was my responsibility when I saw something that is bad for the nation,” said the Umno veteran.
“My purpose is to establish the truth… so that the people know the morality of the person who aspires to be prime minister. And they can judge for themselves, that is all. I have no ulterior motives, no vendetta,” said Rahim.
He said even though he was forced to resign his position as the chief minister of Malacca in 1994 by Anwar (then deputy prime minister), who he claimed had misled and cheated him, he accepted it willingly as he had “put national interest above all”.
“Now I’m not afraid of anything. The truth will be proven soon,” he said, adding that the authorities should rope in foreign experts to verify the authenticity of the sex tape.
Last week, Rahim, together with businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Perkasa treasurer Shuib Lazim, admitted that they were behind the screening of the sex video to the media at a hotel here.
The 21-minute video showed a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Anwar having sex with a Chinese-looking woman said to be a prostitute.
Calling themselves the ‘Datuk T’ trio, they claimed the man in the video was Anwar and demanded that he quit politics.
Anwar has denied he was the man in the video and police have since launched an investigation following his police report.
Rahim has come under fire as his own political career was brought down by a sex scandal in 1994. He was charged with statutory rape involving a 15-year-old girl but the charges were later dropped by the Attorney-General due to insufficient evidence.
‘I’ve become the victim’
Asked about public opinion that Rahim himself was hardly in a position to be leveling accusations against Anwar, he replied that his “bad reputation” were all caused by political conspiracies against him.
“My life is clean. After all these years, even after apologies from Time, Asiaweek and DAP, they are still making the same allegations against me. It is unfair,” said Rahim.
“I’ve become the victim. There are people who committed crimes, have all sorts of records, but are regarded as heroes, how can that be?” he asked.
Rahim, however, stopped short of naming his one-time nemesis and now Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, who was jailed for 18 months for offences under the Sedition Act and Printing and Publications Act for “exposing” Rahim’s sex scandal.
Ready to sue
Rahim warned those making “wild allegations” against him, including Anwar and bloggers, that he is planning on launching lawsuits against them.
“I cannot do much now to correct or rectify the past, I can only be delivered justice by a court of law,” said Rahim, adding that it was immoral for anyone to cast aspersions on someone who is innocent and was never prosecuted.
“I just want to ask. How can you judge someone based on rumours? People who do so do not have morals. There is no sense of respect for the rule of law, it has been trodden beneath their feet,” he said.
“Till today, I’m very angry. I have done nothing wrong. There was no prima facie case against me and I am clean of all criminal records.”
“I will be watching every single blog. I have appointed a lawyer to scrutinise every single word said against me whether in speech or writing,” warned Rahim.
“If you have no prove, you have to suffer the consequences and pay me. If you keep touching me. I will see you in court. “
