President KEADILAN DR WAN AZIZAH ISMAIL UMNO Go ahead Dig your own Grave
Prophet Muhammad said "A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim. He should seize it wherever he finds it."Muslim nations intent on legislating morality through force should instead consider a story from their own Islamic tradition. According to a famous account from the early Islamic period, a man asked Prophet Muhammad for advice regarding the three vices he suffered from: falsehood, alcoholism, and fornication. Despite his utmost efforts, he could not rid himself of them.Prophet Muhammad said that if he promised to first give up falsehood, he would guarantee that his other two vices would also be eliminated. When the prophet inquired about his progress a few days later, the man gave an interesting report. He told the prophet that he has been about to indulge in consumption of liquor but postponed the idea because he would have had to lie to his fellow Muslims in order to conceal the act. A few days later he was tempted by fornication but eschewed for the same reasons. He had indeed removed all three vices by giving up falsehood.And falsehood is the prime indicator being measured by the Transparency International report.Transparency International released its 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, a ranking of all countries based on level of corruption. Malaysia fell down on the ranking to number 143. And only four out of the 48 Muslim majority countries made it above 50 on the overall ranking.But why should the Muslim world care about this? Powerful extremists in the Muslim world are becoming increasingly enamored with a flawed understanding of sharia law, calling for strict punishments for alcoholism, adultery, or sometimes even for exercising basic freedoms.But if Muslim nations really want to find moral high ground, they should first fight the corruption that put most of them at the bottom of the index.So how badly did the Muslim nations do? The index uses a scale of one to ten, with ten being highly clean and one being highly corrupt. Malaysia's score dropped. The top five most populated Muslim countries (Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Egypt) scored in the miserable range of 2.3 to 3.1.The only four Muslim majority countries that ranked in the top 50 were Qatar, The United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain -- with only one, Qatar, in the top 20. The other 46 countries ranked in the top 50 were so-called infidels.Amid increasing calls to enforce a misunderstood concept of sharia law by the clergy in Pakistan and other Muslim countries like Indonesia, reports such as Transparency International's should give those proponents pause.what Prophet Muhammad said "A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim. He should seize it wherever he finds it."In this climate, one has to ask: Where are the laws against falsehood?When Malaysia's parliament is plagued with BN leaders with falsehood , and a billionaire PRIME MINISTER sits at the helm (who has been dubbed "Mr. 10 percent" for his alleged taking of kickbacks as a minister controlling government DEFENCE contracts, who can even implement such laws?Presenting poverty, war, or illiteracy as reasons for this high corruption within Muslim countries would be a cop-out. It could be argued that Muslims in the seventh century were ravaged with more poverty, constant war, and significant illiteracy. But they had honest leadership who showed them how to walk the walk.Perhaps the Muslim governments of today could learn a thing or two about giving up falsehood from countries like Denmark, New Zealand, and Singapore -- all sharing the first spot, each scoring a whopping 9.3 out of 10.But why should the Muslim world try to learn from these so-called infidels?Because of what Prophet Muhammad said "A word of wisdom is the lost property of a Muslim. He should seize it wherever he finds it."
KEADILAN is alarmed at the blatant antagonism shown by authorities towards the peaceful BERSIH rally planned on 9 July 2011. Strong statements bordering threats made by the highest echelon of the Home Ministry speak volume of Barisan Nasional’s zero tolerance policy towards freedom of speech and the right to assemble.
There is a much bigger and fundamental issue relating to BERSIH rally beyond the question of constitutional right for freedom of speech and the right to assemble. At the heart of BERSIH is the most pertinent issue that will determine whether or not we can progress as a society in tandem with rakyat’s expectation. BERSIH is about the integrity of our electoral system; the absence of which will continue to hamper any efforts to uplift our society economically and socially.
Barisan Nasional’s attitude that promises economic growth without the accompanying accountability and political integrity will continue to erode rakyat’s confidence in our national system. The ability and right of a citizen to elect a party of his choice independently and without manipulation is central to the political integrity that the rakyat now demands loudly of any political parties in Malaysia.
Therefore, KEADILAN considers BERSIH rally as a necessity to provide the early catalyst to our society to embrace progressiveness. BERSIH rally will be a test to its proponents and detractors – a test of resolve to gauge how important is electoral integrity for the former; and a test of tolerance and openness for the latter.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the organiser and participants of the rally to avoid any confrontation and not to be tricked by any provocation attempts to create chaos. I ask that the planning for the rally must take into account measures to quickly reduce tensions if there is a provocation. The onus is also on the participants to equip themselves with adequate knowledge on crowd control and safety precautions before joining the rally.
On the part of the authorities, we continue to hope that they will reciprocate the organiser’s offer to work together to ensure a smooth and peaceful rally. PDRM must ensure the safety of the participants first and take action professionally on any attempts to provoke or create chaos by any parties.
The BERSIH rally can be a new milestone in our country’s march towards a fully functioning democracy. The yearning for greater accountability in our electoral system is a permanent feature of our society; so it is best to manage it with reasons and level-headedness. In this context, our society does not need further provocative statements and threats issued at BERSIH rally organisers and participants. It is more matured for the groups opposed to the rally to respect the right of a sizeable voice in our society to gather and express their views, just as the same right has been exercised over and over again by these few Umno-linked groups previously.
KEADILAN has committed fully to the cause of improving our electoral system since its inception. BERSIH rally is the paragon of the cause and as such, KEADILAN will ensure our members to come in large numbers and join the expected hundreds of thousands of Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur on 9 July 2011.
For a start, KEADILAN has started to test our own mobilisation capacity this weekend in conjunction with our National Election Convention, throughout which the instruction for big mobilisation to our members will feature prominently.
I ask a similar openness and a little compassion from the authorities. By providing the proverbial safety valve in allowing BERSIH rally to proceed peacefully, this will hasten our society’s maturity to manage differing views and opinions. Such maturity is key to unlocking our society’s potential in future years.
DR WAN AZIZAH ISMAIL
President
KEADILAN
Barisan Nasional’s attitude that promises economic growth without the accompanying accountability and political integrity will continue to erode rakyat’s confidence in our national system. The ability and right of a citizen to elect a party of his choice independently and without manipulation is central to the political integrity that the rakyat now demands loudly of any political parties in Malaysia.
Therefore, KEADILAN considers BERSIH rally as a necessity to provide the early catalyst to our society to embrace progressiveness. BERSIH rally will be a test to its proponents and detractors – a test of resolve to gauge how important is electoral integrity for the former; and a test of tolerance and openness for the latter.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon the organiser and participants of the rally to avoid any confrontation and not to be tricked by any provocation attempts to create chaos. I ask that the planning for the rally must take into account measures to quickly reduce tensions if there is a provocation. The onus is also on the participants to equip themselves with adequate knowledge on crowd control and safety precautions before joining the rally.
On the part of the authorities, we continue to hope that they will reciprocate the organiser’s offer to work together to ensure a smooth and peaceful rally. PDRM must ensure the safety of the participants first and take action professionally on any attempts to provoke or create chaos by any parties.
The BERSIH rally can be a new milestone in our country’s march towards a fully functioning democracy. The yearning for greater accountability in our electoral system is a permanent feature of our society; so it is best to manage it with reasons and level-headedness. In this context, our society does not need further provocative statements and threats issued at BERSIH rally organisers and participants. It is more matured for the groups opposed to the rally to respect the right of a sizeable voice in our society to gather and express their views, just as the same right has been exercised over and over again by these few Umno-linked groups previously.
KEADILAN has committed fully to the cause of improving our electoral system since its inception. BERSIH rally is the paragon of the cause and as such, KEADILAN will ensure our members to come in large numbers and join the expected hundreds of thousands of Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur on 9 July 2011.
For a start, KEADILAN has started to test our own mobilisation capacity this weekend in conjunction with our National Election Convention, throughout which the instruction for big mobilisation to our members will feature prominently.
I ask a similar openness and a little compassion from the authorities. By providing the proverbial safety valve in allowing BERSIH rally to proceed peacefully, this will hasten our society’s maturity to manage differing views and opinions. Such maturity is key to unlocking our society’s potential in future years.
DR WAN AZIZAH ISMAIL
President
KEADILAN
Ambiga said Rais should know better than to make “wild accusations.” — file pic
Since spokespersons of B.N political parties spend a lot of time in the studios of noisy UMNO TV channels, they have all mastered the art of talking rubbish.Rais UMNO spokesman, who is sometimes on two TV channels at the same time (God knows how he does it!), decided to play Najib's sidekick as he took on civil society activists at his media briefing. Obviously, Raise had left his brains at home (probably he thought he was going to a TV studio). Spitting fire at without naming her (an art that can be learnt only in the stables of umno),slammed Ambiga the social activist when people like Najib Hitler and Mussolini grabbed power through manipulation -- blackmailing and violent threats -- in post-election scenarios. all fundamental rights of citizens were suspended, political leaders were thrown into jail, the press was muzzled, poor people were forcibly sterilized, human rights activists were tortured in jail, students were arrested and fired upon by the police. Yes, during that dark period, trains ran on time and telephones worked and government employees reached office on time, but the ISA was a big blow to Malaysian democracy as it shook the basic foundations of the institutions that make Malaysia a democratic country
US first lady Michelle Obama (right) and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hand Ambiga the Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage, on 11 March 2009
Ambiga Sreenevasan is a colossus of intellect and integrity in the Malaysian legal fraternity. Ask any lawyer and they will tell you. Here is what Wikipedia has to say: Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan (born 1956) is a Malaysian lawyer who served as the Malaysian Bar chairlady from 2007 to 2009.
In March 2009, she became one of the eight recipients for the 2009 Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage Awards. In the ceremony, the United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented, “… Ambiga Sreenevasan, has a remarkable record of accomplishment in Malaysia. She has pursued judicial reform and good governance, she has stood up for religious tolerance, and she has been a resolute advocate of women’s equality and their full political participation. She is someone who is not only working in her own country, but whose influence is felt beyond the borders of Malaysia. And it is a great honor to recognize her and invite her to the podium.”
References: “Remarks by Clinton on International Women of Courage Awards”. America.gov. United States. 11 March. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
.Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan denied today all links between the recent spate of cyber attacks on government websites and her electoral reform group raised yesterday by Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, saying his conjecture is an attack on Malaysians.
A group of hackers calling themselves Anonymous mounted an attack on at least 200 websites last Thursday, saying they are against censorship of websites by the government.
“It’s a wholly unfounded, unreasonable, preposterous suggestion made by a Cabinet minister who should really know better than to make such wild accusations,” she told The Malaysian Insider.
She added that Rais’s comment was an attack not just on Bersih but on Malaysian citizens’ constitutional right to assemble peaceably.
“I am entirely surprised by the raving of a few members of the government against Bersih 2.0 and their attempts to demonise Bersih; and I view Rais Yatim’s comments as one of these attempts.
“I consider this an attack on the people and it is a shame they chose to do this rather than listen to the people,” the former Malaysian Bar president said.
Rais, who is the information, communication and culture minister, had linked yesterday the mass attacks on some 200 local websites to the upcoming Bersih rally on July 9 after Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili told reporters initial investigations showed 90 per cent of the hackers were based in Malaysia.
Rais further described the cyber attacks as politically-motivated and intended to disrupt the workings of the government, but did not provide details as to how the denial of service attacks were related to the July 9 rally that is pushing for electoral reforms.
“If, for example, a land authority website is hacked, then property transactions will be interrupted. The same goes for banking and others; these cyber attacks are strange and, sadly, politically motivated,” he said in a news conference.
Ambiga lamented the extreme reactions to the Bersih rally and advised Putrajaya to rethink their approach to civil society.
“In my view, responding to people by demonising and branding people is the wrong approach,” she said.
She added that the Najb administration could learn something from the Singapore government, which had emerged slightly bruised from its recent general election and said it would listen to voters.
“I was impressed with the standard of debate by all parties, including the opposition, where they discussed and debated policy rather than descending into filth,” Ambiga said.
“What Bersih wants is a higher standard of elections. We want clean elections. Now, is that too much to ask?” she asked.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin told an inaugural business forum between Malaysia and Africa earlier today that changing social expectations was among the challenges Putrajaya must address in its bid for Malaysia to become a developed nation by 2020.
“From an economic perspective, there are many lessons that one can learn from these events — strong anti-bribery laws must be enacted and implemented; enforcement of these laws must be done without fear or favour; engagement of civil society to tackle abuses of power; and encouraging open communication to promote accountability,” he said, referring to what has come to be termed the Arab Spring
One day, you will find yourself outside this world which is like a mother's womb. You will leave this earth to enter, while you are yet in the body, a vast expanse, and know that the words, "God's earth is vast," name this region from which the saints have come.
--Jalal-ud-Din Rumi
Many of my fellow atheists consider all talk of "spirituality" or "mysticism" to be synonymous with mental illness, conscious fraud, or self-deception. I have arguedelsewhere that this is a problem -- because millions of people have had experiences for which "spiritual" and "mystical" seem the only terms available.
Of course, many of the beliefs people form on the basis of these experiences are false. But the fact that most atheists will view a statement like Rumi's, above, as a sign of the man's gullibility or derangement, places a kernel of truth amid the rantings of even our most gullible and deranged opponents.
Consider Sayed Qutb, Osama bin Laden's favorite philosopher. Qutb spent most of 1949 in Greeley, Colorado, and found, to his horror and satisfaction, that his American hosts were squandering their lives on gossip, trivial entertainments, and lawn maintenance. From this Dark Night of Suburbia, he concluded that western civilization was so spiritually barren that it must be destroyed.
As is often the case with religious conservatives, whatever ignorance and "death denial" didn't explain about Qutb, sexual frustration did:
The American girl is well acquainted with her body's seductive capacity. She knows it lies in the face, and in expressive eyes, and thirsty lips. She knows seductiveness lies in the round breasts, the full buttocks, and in the shapely thighs, sleek legs--and she shows all this and does not hide it.
(Sayyid Qutb, The America I Have Seen: In the Scale of Human Values, 1951)
These are not words of a man who has discerned the limits of romantic attachment. Being terrified of women, and yet as concupiscent as bonobo, Qutb is widely believed to have died a virgin. We can feel his pain. Needless to say, his puritanical attachment to Islam allowed him to make a virtue of necessity: What a relief it must have been to know that the Creator of the universe intended these terrifying creatures to live as slaves to men.
But Qutb was not wrong about everything. There is something degraded and degrading about many of our habits of attention. Perhaps I should just speak for myself on this point: It seems to me that I spend much of my waking life in a neurotic trance. My experiences inmeditation suggest that there is an alternative to this, however. It is possible to stand free of the juggernaut of self, if only for a moment.
But the fact that human consciousness allows for remarkable experiences does not make the worldview of Sayed Qutb, or of Islam, or of revealed religion generally, any less divisive or ridiculous. The intellectual and moral stains of the world's religions -- the misogyny, otherworldliness, narcissism, and illogic -- are so ugly and indelible as to render all religious language suspect. And I share the concern, expressed by many atheists, that terms like "spiritual" and "mystical" are often used to make claims, not merely about the quality of certain experiences, but about the nature of the cosmos. The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or that it presided over the birth of the universe. This is the spurious linkage between contemplative experience and metaphysics that pseudo-scientists like Deepak Chopra find irresistible.
But, as I argue in The Moral Landscape, a maturing science of the mind should help us to understand and access the heights of human well-being. To do this, however, we must first acknowledge that these heights exist.
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