In the lead up to Christmas, it appears that the season of goodwill has been replaced by the season of Christian bashing, at least in the state of Selangor.
During question time at the Selangor state assembly, the state executive councillor Dr Hasan Ali, who is also the PAS leader, claimed that the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) had discovered an audio device which had been used to proselytise Muslims in Selangor.
Hasan claimed that the solar-powered "hand-held audio Bible" had been discovered by JAIS during its investigation into the proselytisation of Muslims in Selangor.
He said, "The research also revealed several efforts by the Christian community to convert Muslims by setting up welfare groups, giving financial aid and other forms of assistance to single mothers, the poor and the elderly.
"The hand-held Bible was also used to preach", he declared and added that the word Allah had also been used in a Bahasa Malaysia version of The Bible.
Hasan Ali is no stranger to controversy. Last August, he defended an illegal JAIS raid on a thanksgiving dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) premises, because he claimed JAIS had found "evidence of proselytisation of Muslims."
In complete contrast was the Selangor Menteri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim who had expressed regret over the incident and ordered a detailed investigation.
But the ensuing result, outraged both Muslims and non-Muslims, and raised more questions than answers, because the Sultan of Selangor, who is defender of the faith in the state, decreed that "no one would be charged over the raid because of insufficient evidence". He then went on to say that Muslims present at the dinner, would have to be counseled.
Perhaps, if anyone should take heed, it would be the PAS deputy president, Mat Sabu.
At a Bagan Dapsy (Dapsy is the youth wing for DAP) fundraising dinner in Butterworth, in early October, Mat Sabu warned the crowd of BN’s propaganda machinations to try to undermine the opposition.
His allegations centred on BN’s strategy called the 3R program whereby race, religion and royalty would be used to propagate a culture of fear in the people and try to make them vote BN in GE-13.
Mat Sabu said, "If these discrepancies were found true after proper verification, Barisan Nasional would recapture Selangor in the next general election.
"BN now propagates various malicious lies using the 3R strategy to undermine Pakatan and woo voters using fear tactics."
Fresh in his mind was the cow-head demonstration, non-Muslims being banned from using the word "Allah", churches being fire-bombed and Penang Chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s comments about Johor which had upset its Sultan.
Mat Sabu probably did not realise, last October, that one of the greatest threats would be in the form of his fellow PAS member, the Selangor PAS leader Dr Hasan Ali.
Is Hasan Ali a rogue PAS member or is he in league with Umno?
Hasan used religion to instill fear and hatred in the Malays by claiming that their religion was under threat. He seems indirectly to be manoeuvering the Sultan of Selangor into an invidious position.
Hasan seems to have adopted Umno’s strategy of using the 3Rs to undermine the opposition and used all three elements in one fell swoop in the latest "solar-powered talking Bible" case.
One does not need the solar-powered hand-held device. Anyone who wishes to see the Indonesian/Malay versions of The Holy Bible can download a copy from the internet.
Nevertheless, Hasan Ali is more daft than he looks. He has insulted the intelligence and integrity of Malays and Muslims by his allegations.
What makes Hasan think that a Muslim can be converted to Christianity by listening to readings from The Bible? Did he listen to the recordings and think there was something in the readings of The Bible that made him question his own faith? Perhaps his own religious roots are not as strong as most Muslims.
The millions of non-Muslims who live near to a surau or mosque and who have no choice but to listen to Koranic tape-recordings blaring-out five times a day, have not become Muslims have they?
It appears that both Hasan and JAIS have little knowledge of what makes a person embrace a faith, whether it is one they are born into or one they adopt or discard, in later life.
For over a century, several hundreds of thousands of Malayan/Malaysian children have been indoctrinated in Mission Schools, but the non-Christians have remained staunch believers of their own faiths despite having to recite the Lord’s prayer at assembly every morning.
If Hasan Ali claims Muslims have been converted, how many are there, where are they and why did they convert?
The Hasan Ali diatribe appears to have popped up at a critical time, just when the public is angry about the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal involving the Women Family and Community Development Minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
Hasan Ali and his solar-powered talking Bible is a red herring to divert the nation’s attention from Shahrizat and her family’s abuse of RM250 million of taxpayer’s money.
The public is furious for many reasons; The project was awarded to her husband and three children and its been disclosed, in the Auditor-General’s report, that the project was a mess and failed to meet its targets.
No wonder the project failed. We have learned that RM800,000 was allegedly spent by Shahrizat and her family on overseas vacations, two luxury condominiums worth around RM7 million each were purchased and she awarded herself RM26,400 in expenses.
The Deputy Prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Shahrizat was not involved even though the money trail leads to her. What were her expenses if she had nothing to do with the project?
Never mind talking Bibles because if our faith is strong, no one can dislodge it.
However, the endemic corruption in our Cabinet and the lackadaisical, indolent attitude of our ministers must be dealt with urgently.
WHAT a sick joke and a mismatch! The MCA is organising a forum themed “Hudud and Its Implications on Non-Muslims in Malaysia” on Dec 4.
And of all the people, the scandal-tainted MCA president Chua Soi Lek, will be delivering the keynote address as well as the closing remarks.
In the first place, is Chua a Muslim? Has he converted? Does he really understand Hudud? What makes him an authority of Hudud? Is the word“zina” (adultery) in his dictionary?
Of course he is going all out to oppose and insult Hudud because, if he had embraced Islam, he would have been stoned to death for cheating on his wife and family.
But where are the defenders of Islam, where is Umno and Perkasa?
The fact is Chua and non-Muslims have no standing to oppose the practice of Muslims and Islam. The Muslims also have no right to oppose the practice of other religions.
It is only the rampant exploitation of race and religion by skewed politicians, especially those from Barisan Nasional that Malaysians are kept emotionally at their edge. That is exactly what the BN wants. Instil fear in everyone to serve its long-adopted divide-and-rule political strategy.
With all the degrading and insulting remarks coming from MCA, Chua and his cronies, where are the defenders of Islam?
Where are the likes of Perkasa and Umno? Are these two self-proclaimed champions of “Malaysia is an Islamic state” suddenly endorsing MCA’s stand? If so, then the Muslims in Umno do not really believe in Islam and Hudud. As Umno cannot come out to insult Islam and Hudud, it is thus allowing MCA to do it.
An insult for such an ignoramus to talk on such an issue
To allow a tainted-politician like Chua to even touch on Islam and Hudud is an insult to the Muslims. He has no standing and integrity to question any sacred religion and its laws. What is he going to say and how is he going to respond if the Muslims start telling the Christians and the Buddhists how they should practice their religion?
Isn’t the issue as simple as that? For those who continue to espouse the fact that Hudud will affect us, you can continue to argue the issue this way and Malaysians will never reach a consensus. Expressing fear is not a fact. The expressed fear is due to skewered implementation of the law, so don’t blame the law. Blame the enforcement and the idiots exploiting and abusing their power. Blame the government that you elected for allowing all this to happen.
OMG, MCA is anti-Islam
Malaysia is a multi-racial nation and unity hinges on religious and race tolerance. In the first place, religion and race should never have been politicised.
Politics should just be based on social and economic development for the country. It is the bad intentions of politicians who craze for power who are responsible for the country’s current shameful state of affairs – injustice, corruption and erosion of the democratic rights of Malaysians.
With Umno allowing MCA and Soi Lek to belittle the values of Hudud as an Islamic criminal law, thereby insulting Islam, are Malaysians wrong to say that MCA is staunchly anti-Islam?
If so, what is Umno and Perkasa doing about it? Have their tongues been severed?
Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society, comprising the Malays, Chinese, Indians and the Indigenous people, offers a good sample to study and understand ethnic identity dilemma. The Bumiputera ethnic category was introduced to slot in Muslim and non-Muslim indigenous population in Sabah and Sarawak when Malaysia was formed as having equal and special position along with the Malays in the country.
All Malays are considered Muslims and an individual born in a Malay family would be considered a Bumiputera. Majority of Indians in Malaysia are either a Hindu or a Muslim.
Some Indian Muslim families would try hard to classify their newborn child as Malay to benefit from the special position of the Bumiputera. Other Indian Muslims who have so much pride in their ethnicity would choose to retain their family roots and prefer to be known as Indian Muslim.
The most famous Malay leader with Indian ancestry is none other than Malaysia's longest serving premier, Mahathir Mohamad who ruled with a fist of iron from 1981 to 2003. Forthright in many ways, Mahathir was coy about his heritage, admitting it only recently. Some of the old-timers in the civil service still talk about how Mahathir purportedly sent his dad on a one-way ticket back to India when he began to hit the big boys league in Umno.
Politics of race and religion is much alive
For this reason, the political scenario in the country, after about six decades of achieving independence, is quite clearly charted out with their respective race-based political parties fighting for their cause and rights. Despite the many efforts to bring in politics of ideology into the scene, politicians on both political divides cannot absolutely escape from race and religion as their rhetorical implements to gain votes. Regrettably, politics of race and religion would still be much alive in the country for many years to come..
The political participation of one ethnic minority - the Indian Muslim community in the country - should not go unobserved. They do play a significant role in the Malaysian political pitch especially in constituencies where their population is quite large. The state of Penang, for instance, has a big population of Indian Muslims.
Penang Malays
A recent study among Penang Malays indicated that the “pure” Malays there are not quite happy that Penang UMNO is dominated by Indian Muslims or what they term here as “Mamak”. Apparently, some UMNO branches in Penang even conduct their meetings in Tamil.Indian Muslims who are much more resourceful, aggressive and prolific in business are more prominent among the Muslims in Penang as compared with the “pure” Malay ethnic group who are relatively less dominant in business but mostly work as government servants or are self-employed.
Their general feeling is that the Indian Muslims are more imposing in all fields in the state from business to politics. This, they sense, has to a certain extent encroached on their territory - the so-called bumiputera rights. Their perception is that the Indian Muslims are enjoying the privileges given to the bumiputera.
Penang has the highest concentration of Indian Muslims in the country. In most cases, studies have shown that they do face an ethnic Identity dilemma. It was found in a study that the average number of this ethnic group who do not have an identity dilemma was only 22 percent. High number of them (88 percent) having some kind of identity dilemma is probably due to the image associated with they being Indian Muslims.
Simply being a member of a group provides the Indian Muslims with a sense of belonging that contributes to a positive self-concept. Indian Muslims who leave the group by trying to pass as members of the dominant group or the mainstream ethnic group (Malay) may have negative psychological consequences on them.
This has indeed led to some complexity among this ethnic group. The Indian Muslims generally come under three categories when given a choice to identify themselves but this does not remain unvarying throughout due to their unpredictability if given an option to choose an identity.
Ethnic switching
In the case of a significant number of Indian Muslims in the country they change from Indian Muslim to Indian when they join MIC and become Indian Muslim again when they are associated to Malaysian Indian Muslim Association (KIMMA) and finally changes further to Malay when they join UMNO.
Socio-economic factors have led to this identity dilemma and ethnic switching among Indian Muslims in Malaysia. This is the fateful ethnic identity dilemma the Indian Muslims are facing. Ironically, they do not face this quandary when they live in other countries. For instance, when living in Singapore they are proud to be identified as Indian Muslim. They would never want to be identified as Malay in this flourishing state.
In a nutshell, their positive attitudes and contentment with their own ethnic group indicate an acceptance of their ethnic identity. On the other hand, sad to say, their negative attitudes towards their own ethnic group has led to a denial of their ethnic identity in Malaysia.
A study in Penang found that while almost 90 percent chose Indian Muslim as their self-reported identity, this percentage decreased more or less when they were asked to choose their ethnicity in five different socio-economic situations, in which, on average only 22 percent chose Indian Muslim as their ethnicity. This denial of ethnic identity appears to centre mainly around socio-cultural and socio-economic factors.
Economic reasoning has an influence on the choice of wanting to be identified as Malay. Socio-cultural reasoning has an influence on the choice of wanting to be identified as Indian Muslim or Indian. People change their ethnic identity if they could profit by doing so, which means that ethnicity is something to be played with or to be used for manipulation.
It’s the complexity of ethnic identity that has led to this phenomenon of ethnic switching or universally known as identity dilemma. This is a common trait among some individuals who are descendents of an ethnic group different from that of the residing country. This ethnic group – Indian Muslims - is actually facing this identity dilemma or identity crisis.
Overlaps of social and religious values
The Indian Muslim differs from the Indian in the aspect of religion but their way of lives and customs are more or less similar. There are overlaps of social values when it involves their socio-cultural preferences as they belong to the same roots. There are customs and tradition practised by the Indian Muslims that could be considered as inappropriate from the perspective of Islam and the factors that demarcate the Indian Muslims from the Indians and the Malays as a whole. The Indian Muslim apparently shares the same religion and faith with the Malay (Islam) but generally they differ culturally.
When facing this dilemma, the Indian Muslim would be facing a predicament on whether to choose between the two cultures, two conflicting identities or establish a bicultural ethnic identity. They are now living in a nebulous situation. Apparently, the Indian Muslims being an ethnic minority need to negotiate their identification with their own ethnic group and their identification with the mainstream culture of the society - due to their minority status and often racial or cultural distinctiveness. This is when they end up becoming more fuzzy and befuddled.
Labelled as opportunists
Ethnic identity is crucial to the self concept and psychological functioning of any ethnic group members. The situation in Penang seems to be where economic dominance, political and social status by the Muslims are not dominated by the ordinary “pure” Malay ethnic group but the Indian Muslims. It could thus be understood why the “pure” Malays are not too happy with the Indian Muslims in this state. They perceive ethnic identity - ethnic component of social identity - of Indian Muslims as not similar to that of theirs.
The identity choice among the Indian Muslim population in a multi-ethnic Malaysia is well understood by the Malays today and for this reason Indian Muslims who encroach their “territory” are often labelled as opportunists. They are perceived as a group ready to take advantage of the Malays.
It is a fact that, a significant number of Indian Muslims have some kind of identity dilemma and have decided not to choose Indian Muslim as their identity for some socio-political and economic reasons when in actuality they are ethnically Indian Muslims who have a culture of their own quite alien to the Malays.
Though both the Malays and Indian Muslims are of the same religion, they are defined as different groups of ethnicity. While both the Indians and the Indian Muslims are of essentially of the same race they are not of the same religion.
At the end of the day, those who could not find a place in UMNO or feel left out in MIC ended up forming a political entity of their own (KIMMA) and this set-up has led them to claim that they have been marginalized and suffering in silence for the past six decades!
By Dr. Abdul Ruff
Today, as a direct consequence of CIA engineered Sept-11 hoax, all intelligence teams, core media, militaries, polices, including Interpol, etc, are operating under the CIA. India closely coordinates all secret operations with USA, UK and Russia.
Former President of secular India Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, now aged 80-year, was frisked in New York on September 29 before boarding an Air India flight. Even after Kalam had taken his seat in the aircraft, the US security personnel forced the crew to open the door and took away the jacket and boots of the former president to check for explosives since they had forgotten to do so before his boarding. The items were later returned to Kalam.
But it took about two months for Indian state and its media to report to the public the tragedy of shame meted out to Indian former president Dr. Kalam, a distinguished missile scientist on whom India bestowed the award of Phartratna before he was made the president only to be removed quickly after the first term while Indian premier continues endlessly?
It is presumed that the Indian intelligence networks indoors and abroad keep a close watch on all developments around the world and it is strange India took time to decide the mater. Taking serious note of the incident, India seems to have “threatened” retaliatory action (a joke?) with External terror affairs Minister S M Krishna directing Indian Ambassador to US N. Rao to take up the "matter" in writing at the "highest level" with Washington.
And now after about two months, the Obama regime in US has apologized to former President A P J Abdul Kalam for subjecting him to frisking at New York's JFK Airport, an incident that had provoked sharp reactions from India which threatened retaliatory action.
The US Embassy in New Delhi said that it had the utmost respect for Kalam and US was actively working to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.In a written bogus apology to Kalam and the Indian government, the US said, "appropriate procedure" for expedited screening of dignitaries had not been followed. USA "deeply" regrets the inconvenience that resulted for Kalam as a result of the September 29 incident involving the security screening at JFK Airport in New York. The US said that subsequent to the frisking incident, US Charge d' Affairs Peter personally hand delivered a letter from the US to Kalam and a similar letter was delivered to the government of India regretting the incident. Maintaining that it "deeply values and appreciates" the strong relationship and partnership with India, the US said it is always confident that despite this regrettable incident, the Indo-US will continue working closely with India in the many areas of our strategic partnership".
Dr. Kalam a Muslim is not just 100% pro-India man, but more than that he is also a true 100% Indian. He, an innocent Muslim promoted Hindu interests in India and abroad, has now been shown his place in India by the secret operations by Indo-US rouges! This is a vital lesson for Indian Muslims aspiring for BIG things. .
If this what a person like Dr. Kalam can expect from the Indo-US terrocracies, what could be the fate of ordinary Muslims of India? Why did both India and USA acted too late on Dr. Kalam and why has Kalam not revealed the US insult focused on India through the former president? Or, alternatively, is the “frisking” is yet another fake affair? Is it the discomfort of adding extra insult to American insult or something else?
What is cruelly interesting is the fact that even after this anti-India snub on him, Dr. Kalam has been misused by India regime to go to all the way to Kudankulam to somehow dissuade the masses there protesting against the illegal nuclear terror project. And Kalam even collected a 40-page report prepared by the nuclear rogues from the project director on behalf of Indian military and announced it promptly and that is the true picture of Indian policy for Muslims.
The key issue here, however, is the secular claims of India. Had a Hindu been subjected to such insults? Would India have kept mum for months like this?
Indian regime led by an innocent looking terror premier, Manmohan cannot say it has no knowledge about what is happening to India's decorated president in airports of Indian and abroad and the foreign ministry cannot jointly pretend to be an innocent agency managed by fools and the like.
Had such thing happened, that too repeatedly, to Manmohan or Sonia, or Rahul Gandhi or Advani or Malyali military minister Antony or president Pratibha Patil or her chubby husband in Indian and foregoing airports, India would have certainly behaved differently, explosively. India's most pampered Tendulakr cricketer, pestered by military and sport ministry to appoint him a Pharatratna by package deals with other teams directly or through the coach or mafias, could occupy a bungalow in Mumbai recently without any approval of the Mumbai cooperation but then the officials themselves went running to his house and offered the relevant documents to be a "legalized" occupier.
Dr. Kalam is being treated by India like an orphan!
It looks the "body search" episode was an Indo-US Joint operation against Dr. Abdul Kalam and CIA might have have informed India about the latest position on the conspiracy India was well aware of this and was waiting that to happen. It is similar to the terror attacks taking place with full knowledge of the regimes- including Sept-11 and Mumbai Taj sky fire, Parliament attack, Hyderabad Mecca Mosque or Ajmir Dargah blast or London blasts or Moscow blasts.
After all, the world is passing through a era of GST (global state terror) operations to silence and terrorize the humanity. .
To hell with US imperialism and Indo-US fanaticism and joint conspiracies.
But now, is an apology from the Obama regime, engaged with invading Muslim nations for their resources, including corpses and blood, killed by the NATO terrorists, enough for such a serious offense?
Fanatic India with anti-Muslim instincts surely owes the humanity a proper explanation!
No comments:
Post a Comment