"Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves."You can't Banned the People's Vote Let's March to keep alive Democracy

You can't Banned the People's Vote Let's March to keep alive Democracy keep alive in Malaysia.It is people and social movements

There is a verse in the Holy Quran that captures what is happening in the Arab world today.

"Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves." (13:11).

That verse was often cited by ordinary Muslims, scholars and apathetic youth before the revolutions; now it takes on a different meaning, as people all over the Arab world are demanding more rights and changing their societies.

During the secular, Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, protestors, hipsters, trendsetters, and individuals, filled the streets and TV screens, but that didn't deter protestors from praying in Tahrir or many others from shouting Islamic slogans as rallying cries, and in some cases calling for more religion in their societies. In the Arab world, religion and politics are intertwined. Take for example, The Muslim Brotherhood, which is the most organized opposition movement in Egypt, with influential branches in Tunisia, Libya and Syria. Their campaign to convince the west (and Egyptian voters) that they reject violence, support women and believe in democracy may make many Muslims and non-Muslims nervous, but it also might just signify a change in the Islamic philosophy of so-called extremist groups.

In Benghazi and throughout Libya, revolutionaries passionately cling to Islam as just and Gaddafi as unjust as they countered his phrase "Allah, Gaddafi, and Libya" with "Allah, His Messenger and Libya". Many Libyan refugees I speak with called Gaddafi's army "blind", referring to Quranic verse, "Whoever is blind in this life, he will be blind in the hereafter; straying further away from the path" (17:72).

In Syria and Bahrain "Allahu Akbar" or God is Great is used by Muslim protestors who believe God is greater than the crimes of their government. On Twitter and Facebook, young people profess their belief in Islam alongside their belief in democracy, and frequently post verses from the Holy Quran that reference injustice, oppression and patience.

There is a big difference between the terms Islamic and Islamist, which revolutionary youth are not, but their unhappiness and frustration is directly related to their desire for better treatment and dignity, which Islam preaches. Youth in the Arab revolutions demanded society stop pretending that the status quo is acceptable; the implications that has on religion cannot be overlooked.

At a discussion on sexual harassment in Cairo, women often brought up Islam, arguing that if Arab men followed it right, they wouldn't be groped in the street and Egyptian police would think before taking free passes to insult a woman's dignity-something not encouraged by Islam. During protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, women arrested by the Egyptian police were forced to undergo 'virginity tests.' According to Amnesty International, the women were "beaten, given electric shocks, subjected to strip searches while being photographed by male soldiers, then forced to submit to 'virginity checks' and threatened with prostitution charges."

In Libya, Syria, and Bahrain dictator's men ignore all aspects of Islam's emphasis on modesty, human dignity and and respect for women, as women are humiliated and raped and forced to flee to preserve their dignity.

In Yemen, niqab-clad women led protests and called for reform, squashing the male-dominated discourse. In Saudi Arabia, women speak of Islam to support their right to drive, even as the government misuses its authority to crack down on women drivers. Others in The Kingdom cite Islamic teachings of obeying a ruler to counter the revolution and calls to topple the king. "The best Jihad is speaking the truth to an unjust ruler," may be appropriately used to discourage people from taking up arms even as it completely ignores the government's crimes.

Islam will not find a balance in the changing Arab society, or with the modern democratic world, until Muslims take responsibility of their own lives. This is what the uprisings are about. The millions of youth protesting want control over their own life. And old autocrats addicted to power refuse to give it.

Islam (and religion in general) has always been manipulated by those seeking power, but the Arab Revolutions suggest that Muslims' perceptions of Islam are changing not only the power-struggle but the fundamental discourse- something we cannot continue to overlook.

Young Arabs, the ones that started the upheaval, the ones protesting in the streets, and the ones beginning to rebuild and actively engage in the affairs of their country, cannot accept the Islam that's been forced upon them by despotic regimes. They are more connected to Muslims in democratic societies around the world, who enjoy individual freedom, even as they choose to practice their faith collectively. Arab youth are simply more in tune with the rest of the world, and this connection -- the constant flow of information and ideas -- will directly influence the way Islam is understood in post-revolution societies.

In "Hill Diaries," my essay in the critically acclaimed anthology "I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim," I write about the dichotomy between religion and politics in Washington and its effect on individual identity. In the Arab world, the same dichotomy exists, and young Muslims, whether they realize it or not, are impacting the lives of Muslims and the understanding of Islam, in their societies and around the world.

MAIN SREAM MEDA DICKINESS IS A KIND OF ICON FOR THE DISAFFECTION THE REST OF US IN FLY-OVER MALAYSIA FEEL FOR MUCH OF THE NATIONAL MEDIA. MAIN STREAM MEDIA CONDESCENSION OF EDITORS AND JOURNALISTS WHO WANT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY TO KNOW THEY ARE SMARTER THAN THE REST OF US IS ANNOYING IN THE EXTREME. MAHATIR’S POLITICS, IN PARTICULAR, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THINLY VEILED. HE CANNOT HIDE HIS RACIST LEANINGS AND YOU NEED TO HEAR ONLY ONE INTERVIEW TO ASCERTAIN HIS PERSPECTIVE. THE SAME IS TRUE OF MOST “ANALYSTS.” THE ON-AIR BROADCASTERS AND POLITICAL THINKERS SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF THEIR TIME SITTING AROUND BREATHING EACH OTHER’S FUMES AND WAITING FOR ABSURD NOTIONS TO BECOME THEIR CONVENTIONAL WISDOM.

The police must get their priorities right; they are there to maintain public order in order for democracy to work. As of now it is just the reverse: the police are interfering with the political rights of the citizens.

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The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, moved to bring the country back from the brink of disaster tonight, advising the Najib administration and Bersih 2.0 to hold consultations over the issue of free and fair elections.

The constitutional monarch rarely issues edicts or statements but the heightened atmosphere over the past week has prompted Istana Negara's intervention.

“I urge that amid the political fervour of a section of the people to bolster democracy in our country, it must also be ensured that this demand on democracy does not bring destruction to the country,” the King said.

He added that the people “cannot be following too much the practices in other countries, as harmony and stability are vital foundations for a country and which all quarters must protect”.

“I also urge the government to carry out everything that is entrusted to it by the people in a just and wise manner, and it is important that I as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong do not want to see this country with a plural society in a situation where there is animosity among them or a section of the people being enemies with the government, on whatever grounds.

“When any problem arises, we as a civilised society must resolve it through consultations and not follow our emotions, as the Malay saying goes, “Yang Dikejar Tak Dapat Yang Dikendong Berciciran (Not getting what we chaste and spilling what we carry),” Tuanku Mizan added.

He pointed out that street demonstrations bring more bad than good “although the original intention is good, saying that the people should focus on “our main objective to develop this country, and not create problems that will cause the country to lag behind”

“Remember that there is no land where the rain does not fall, there is no ocean that is not turbulent.

“That is how important moderation and compromise is, which has been long been in practice by our nation’s administration,” he said, expressing confidence that Datuk Seri Najib Razak can handle the issue.

The ruler’s unprecedented intervention tonight, could well leave Bersih 2.0 and its supporters from Pakatan Rakyat (PR), in a lurch, for going ahead with the rally can be seen as a direct affront to the palace.

At the same time, the King’s text, which is usually prepared by the government, could also be an indication that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government remains unsure if its strong arm tactics in attempting to stop Bersih’s march had successfully spooked the group into backing out.

To date, more than 100 people, including opposition politicians and civil society activists, have been detained in connection with Bersih 2.0’s rally while six have been placed under Emergency Ordinance (EO).

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has outlawed the loose coalition while Najib himself has openly defended the EO arrests and accused Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan of having threatened Islam in the past.

Earlier today, six Johor DAP leaders were arrested during a gotong-royong exercise in Taman Pelangi as they were garbed in yellow shirts bearing the word “Bersih” on it.

This is a central dilemma: power is too lucrative for anyone to walk away without a shove from the electorate. UMNO have also begun to believe that they can purchase enough voters to ensure victory, but such are the illusions that money tends to induce.

Perhaps our politicians should learn to laugh. It is a good antidote to self-importance. Clemenceau, prime minister of France during World War 1 and a hero to his nation, said, wistfully, upon seeing a pretty girl when he was 80, "Oh to be 70 again!"

Like a good Frenchman, Clemenceau had interests that were larger than politics.

The corrupt militarised, totalitarian power of the corporate state is not democracy.
Peoples' vibrant movements fighting the concentration of economic and political power and the corrupt means used for concentration of that power, are at the very heart of democracy.

It is people and social movements who have kept, and will keep, democracy alive in Malaysia.

Could it possibly be true? Has Najib begun to believe what some admirers have started to suggest with incremental passion, that he is Malaysia's best-ever Prime Minister? The answer must be no. He is clearly not self-delusional.

His analogy is a historical.Mahatir and Najib a well-thought out policy position on record; they were, in a very real sense, creating precedence, administrative culture and an archive of an incubating government. To suggest that this was worse than the petty, ego-heavy squabbling for turf and lucrative territory that is the hallmark of the current coalition, is an extraordinary disservice to two founding Looters whose ideas and sacrifice shaped the new Malayland. Mahatir's whisper's to Najib  warning of ANWAR's plans to seize PRIME MINISTERSHIP by by default, and suggesting put Anwar in jail, would be Malaysia's strongest ally, is a classic of the genre. This generation was literate, and its natural forte 

The subconscious is the voice of the silent man. Ideas, issues, the temptations of pride and pitfalls of vanity, nestle in that nether region of the mind because better sense suggests that it would be inflammatory and self-defeating to let them rise to the surface. Some thoughts are incompatible with open air. But they tend to curl insidiously through the backdoor of a casual remark, or side-alley of a comparison. The less-than-laudatory reference to Nehru, Patel and Indira Gandhi was a revealing moment. No prime minister has, even through the slippery sinews of a breakfast conversation, placed his Cabinet above . There is neither irony nor consequence in the aftermath,

The anti-Anwar industry in our politics has a fertile past. The good that men do, as Shakespeare noted, is oft-interred in their bones; mistakes become an indelible national memory. Mahatir is chiefly remembered now for referring opperation Lalang No UMNO man is anti-MAHATIR, but a very strong faction has believed that MAHATIR was a flawed genius who failed in two critical areas — the economy and foreign policy. malaysia paid a heavy price, in this covert analysis, for mahathir's tilt to the Left, and his heirs did nothing to correct that inheritance.

 the first major electoral test for the Thai government since mass opposition rallies in Bangkok, the Thai capital, last year, which sparked a military crackdown that left at least 91 people dead.
Reporting from Bangkok, Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay said many Thais were taken aback by the scale of Pheu Thai party's projected win.

"Judging from past experience of last elections, yes, we are quite worried," Pithaya told Al Jazeera.
"We are afraid there might be vote-rigging [or] switching ballot boxes, so we are still monitoring the results."
In the event of a Pheu Thai landslide victory, Pithaya says, anti-democracy forces will have to "think very hard" before provoking a repeat of previous years' violence and election nullifications.
"We learned from our lessons. If the people give us a landslide victory if the people give us an overwhelming victory I'm sure the people who are trying to derail the election, who are trying to prevent democracy from working in Thailand, will have to think very hard," he said.

So here we go. The talking is over. Let the voters have their say. Thailand's much anticipated, and in some cases feared, general election is upon us.

It appears that negotiations between former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's people, the army and representatives of the palace about the result of the election and what seems a certain victory for Thaksin's opposition party, Pheu Thai, have been taking place for several months.

What many people are incorrectly assuming, however, is that a deal has been reached. From what I've been hearing, negotiations continue.

Anyway, history tells us that deals and promises in Thai politics mean little.

If a deal is struck, someone will lose face. If Thaksin's allowed to return to Thailand a free man, surely the army and those they represent will lose face, because they were the ones who removed him from office in the coup in 2006.

They have little choice other than to try to negotiate with a man who remains extremely popular in his homeland.

Any intervention in the electoral/democratic process designed to prevent Pheu Thai forming a government would be widely condemned domestically and internationally.

There would be an almost instant reaction from Thaksin's supporters, many of whom have promised to return to the streets of the capital.

So does Thaksin hold all the power because his party's seems headed for a big win?

Not yet. He's in a very strong position but it could still come unstuck for him. We must keep a close eye on the courts if Pheu Thai forms the government.

The allegations of perjury against his sister and perhaps the next prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, refuse to go away. Despite being banned from politics, Thaksin is quite clearly running and funding the party and he now makes little effort to hide or deny that fact.

I'm sure the election commission will be asked to go over every minute detail of the party's finances and Thaksin's media interviews he's conducted during the election campaign.

A Thaksin homecoming is likely to be a long way off. He would not jump on the next plane out of Dubai if his party is declared the winner.

The issue of amnesty for political offenses since the coup is likely to be put to a public vote in the form of a referendum and the definition of the term 'political offenses' is believed to be one of the key factors in the current negotiations.

Can corruption be a political offence?

This will be a fascinating and perhaps defining moment for Thailand. There will be many twists and turns over the coming days, weeks and months. Regardless of the outcome, everyone is hoping for peace to prevail.