Nurul Izzah Anwar has called for “bold and radical” ways to check the ethical failings of the Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia . disclosures and the ‘paid news’ phenomenon, said mechanisms such as the Press Council of Malaysia had proved to be inadequate to meet the challenge, as had been shown by the manner in which the council was unable to publish its own inquiry report on ‘paid news’ on account t some solution for the menace was on the horizon. Press Council of Malaysia had been keeping a “conspiratorial silence” on ‘paid news’ despite said the time had come for a concerted effort to retrieve the media as a public space, to expand public interest, clean up the public broadcaster, introduce courses on media literacy, initiate anti-monopoly legislation, launch a small journal movement, strengthen journalist unions, fight the contract system, and assert that while “media are business, journalism is a calling.”
PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar today said the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) should also haul up Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia if it decides to go after her.
Nurul Izzah, has since denied that she had trivialized the issue of Islamic faith and that she supported apostasy.
The Lembah Pantai MP said she was disappointed that certain quarters were twisting her statements on the subject of religion being forced onto Muslims in Malaysia.
She said she had attended a forum titled ‘Islamic State: Which Version? Whose Responsibility?’ as a panellist on Saturday. In the question and answer session, one of the questions posed to her was on the issue of Islam being imposed on Muslims.
“My answer stressed on the phrase ‘there is no compulsion in Islam’. This was taken from verse 256 of the Surah Al-Baqarah in the Al-Quran. The phrase applies to all mankind,” she said.
Nurul Izzah added that she holds firm to the belief that after embracing Islam, a Muslim is bound by Syariah law, just as how a citizen is bound by the Federal Constitution.
“I am disappointed that there are efforts to twist my statement as if I had trivialised faith or easily accepted how Muslims can become apostates,” she said, adding that she has always been supportive of educational programmes to strengthen one’s faith and increase understanding of the religion.
Malaysiakini had on Saturday quoted Nurul Izzah as saying that people should not be compelled to adopt a particular religion, with the same applying to Malays.
“If you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion… how can anyone say sorry, this (religious freedom) only applies to non-Malays, it has to apply equally,” she was quoted as saying.
The report also quoted her as saying that her secondary school education, set amidst a Catholic school backdrop, did not influence her.
“Even me, being schooled in Assunta (secondary school) with a huge cross in the hall and an active singing Catholic society did not influence me,” she was quoted as saying. the report said she stopped short of saying that Malays should be legally granted religious freedom, saying: “I am, of course, tied to the prevailing views.”
The history of Islam is one of the most fascinating adventures of history. How less than 10,000 men “conquered” lands from the Indus to the Ibrarian cost within a span of 100 years after the death of the prophet Muhammad in 634 AD. The Romans used hundreds of thousands of soldiers to maintain their empire. For comparision, let us look at occupation today. 150,000 US soldiers are unable to keep Iraq, 75,000 soldiers are unable to quieten Afghanistan, and 800,000 Indian soldiers are unable to keep Indian Occupied Kashmir docile. So how did the Muslims do it?
It was because Islam was not spread by the sword. it was spread by word of mouth and becuase of the strenght of the message. Neither the Sassanide, nor the Roman, nor the Byzantine empire could withstand the message of Islam.
Islam was also introduced to America in the 7th century (during the reign of Hazrat Usman), in the 10th century (Mali ships from Africa), and the 15th century (Chinese Muslim Admiral Zeng He who reacdhed America before Columbus), in the 17th century (with the African Muslims who were slaves) and in the 20th century (immigrants from the Muslim world who came as students and as immigrants).
Before the time of the prophet Arabia was fractured by tribe, ethnicity and geography. Witin a short span of a few decades the Arabian peninsula was united under the banner of Islam.
It was because Islam was not spread by the sword. it was spread by word of mouth and becuase of the strenght of the message. Neither the Sassanide, nor the Roman, nor the Byzantine empire could withstand the message of Islam.
Islam was also introduced to America in the 7th century (during the reign of Hazrat Usman), in the 10th century (Mali ships from Africa), and the 15th century (Chinese Muslim Admiral Zeng He who reacdhed America before Columbus), in the 17th century (with the African Muslims who were slaves) and in the 20th century (immigrants from the Muslim world who came as students and as immigrants).
Before the time of the prophet Arabia was fractured by tribe, ethnicity and geography. Witin a short span of a few decades the Arabian peninsula was united under the banner of Islam.
The editorial voice of Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition of the Utusan newspaper considered to be Umno’s mouthpiece.mouthpiece.
UTUSAN is more Malay then Muslim. believe every religion teaches love instead of hate. Is this all about race. Are we not Malaysia. Have those non-bumi not assisted those lagging behind all this while? UTUSAN hope MALAYS will realize utusan a pariah .
Awang Selamat, the way I look at it, it’s you who are the real threat to the nation. You are a racist and I am terribly ashamed to call yourself a fellow Malay.
Tulisan Awang dalam ruangan ini bertajuk Malaysia menuju republik, minggu lalu mengundang reaksi balas daripada Naib Pengerusi DAP, M. Kulasegaran.Beliau membuat laporan polis terhadap Awang dengan mendakwa tulisan tersebut berbau fitnah, tidak bertanggungjawab dan boleh mencetuskan ketegangan kaum.Awang tidak kisah. Sesiapa sahaja boleh berbuat demikian atas nama demokrasi.Jika beliau mahu membuat 100 laporan polis sekalipun, tiada hal. Awang sedikitpun tidak gundah malah puas hati kerana mesej sudah sampai.Selagi pemimpin DAP mengelirukan rakyat dengan membuat fitnah terhadap konsep ketuanan Melayu kononnya menjadikan kaum lain sebagai hamba, Awang tidak akan berdiam.
Awang musuh ketat orang Melayu. Awang bertungkus lumus memperkasakan perjuangan perkauman UMNO semata-mata untuk UMNO terus jadi parti pemerintah dan secara langsung membenarkan UMNO memerah sebanyak-banyak wang rakyat. Tanya orang Melayu yang berpendapatan kurang dari RM3,000 sebulan. Apa yang mereka dapat dari UMNO ? Yang duit hilang berbillion-billion tu macam mana ? Duit itu sampai ke akar umbi orang Melayu ?
Awang pandai menggunakan Mingguan Malaysia untuk mengabur mata orang Melayu supaya UMNO terus berkuasa. Dengan ini, si Awang dapat terus tinggal di rumah mewah, kereta besar dan pejabat berhawa dingin. Inilah agenda si Awang. Biar tulisan beliau binasa bangsa sendiri tak apa. Awang begitu jijik dengan agenda persendiriannya. Sebagai seorang Islam, Awang sudah menderhaka terhadap agama dan bangsanya.Awang memang musuh ketat orang Melayu.Memalukan! satu nama yg amat menjijikkan, memalukan orang2 Melayu sendiri dengan tulisan2 yg jelas amat rendah mutu dan nilainya. Selama ini rakyat tidak hiraukan tulisan karut marut Awang Selamat, kerana tiada yg mempercayainya kecuali mereka yg kurang akal. Yg membaca Utusan hanyalah orang2 kampung atau orang2 yg ingin tahu apa putarbelit dan propaganda Awang. Itu sahaja. Orang2 cerdik pandai ramai yg baca The Star, Berita Harian dan akhbar2 lain. Bukannya Utusan Meloya itu. Tapi bila putarbelit, penipuan dan propaganda yg melampau nilai2 kemanusiaan, maka eloklah Kulasegaran membuat laporan polis dan mungkin mengheret Utusan/Awang ke muka pengadilan. Kalau hati dah penuh titik2 hitam, jahat, maka tak terkejutlah rakyat jika tulisan Awang sentiasa menjijikkan, memalukan. Itulah nilai dan sifat seorang yg busuk hati.
In ‘Apa muslihat MCA’ (What tricks are MCA up to?), Awang Selamat questionedthe motive behind a just concluded online poll in MCA president Ong Tee Keat’s website, which had 76% of the respondents voting that his party should leave BN.
Awang Selamat conjectured that the survey was a deceptive manoeuvre by MCA to pressure Umno but adding that such a strategy would not bear fruit as the flailing Chinese party is unable to counter the influence of DAP “which is so aggressive”.
“Even with MCA’s presence, there is no assurance that BN can win Chinese hearts (in the next general election),” commented Awang Selamat who also believed that it is of no consequence to Umno if MCA intends to withdraw and nor should the former attempt to prevent its departure – “why give face”?
Awang Selamat suggested that Umno might care to review the tried and tested BN methodology because “most importantly, Umno should not be so generous in trying to make a go of the power-sharing when the component parties are always applying pressure.”
“They [the disgruntled Umno satellites] only want what’s advantageous to them and are indeed ‘too much’. What need is there for a power-sharing that is more beneficial to others?”
‘Malays can’t be silent anymore’ Beer on one hand and the keris on other other: sheer hypocricy of the Umnoputras.
Muhammad, on the other hand, didn’t care so much about doctrinal purity. In fact, there’s a Christian monastery that’s been at the foot of Mount Sinai for the last 1,500 years, which cherishes a document that was dictated by Muhammad and transcribed by Ali (whom Shiite Muslims also revere) that promises Muslim protection for Christians and for Christianity, a promise they made binding on all Muslims everywhere till the end of time.
“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (the end of the world).”
Muslims in Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia in particular should take note.
Now, I think the reason why believers find themselves in conflict with other believers so often is a simple one: The one belief everyone shares, but that divides us from one another regardless, is that we’re right about what we believe and we think it matters.
But how much do we know about exactly what Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael believed about God, beyond believing God was One and, as such, above believer’s polytheistic playing-one-God-against-another manipulations? Did Moses think God’s covenant was only with the children of Israel, or did David think Jerusalem’s Temple was for Jews and Jews alone? Did Jesus need to indoctrinate either Samaritans or Roman Centurions before he served them? The answer to all those questions is a resounding “NO!” if you take the time to find out the answers for yourself.And I think it’s incredibly important that we all do so and soon. Not only does the belief that God cares WHAT we believe more than what we do about it divide us unnecessarily, it is also the belief that sits at the heart of the religious radicalism that’s currently plaguing us all.Thinking God cares more about your team jersey, about whether you play for the Saints or the Cardinals, the Servants or the Crusaders, than whether you play by the rules He’s set out is what allowed the 9/11 bombers to destroy the World Trade Centre and think they could still make it to Heaven, what allows Jewish settlers to abuse non-Jewish Palestinians and think they’ve serving God’s purpose for Israel and what allows Christian theologians to exhort Americans to vengeful conquest and still think they’re somehow serving the Christ.
They all sound equally crazy to me.
But I’m Muslim, and so I ask all my Muslim brothers and sisters around the world, and especially those who think they can or should abuse, mistreat or even kill non-Muslims: Does Allah really care so much what we believe, so much that He doesn’t care what we do? Al-Baqarah 177 says otherwise: “It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in the Lord and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the Prophets; and giveth his wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and who sets slaves free; and who observeth proper worship and payeth the poor what they are due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God fearing.”
Because honestly? I think thinking YOU can make God do something; like let YOU into Heaven no matter what YOU do because of what YOU believe, makes YOU bigger than God — at least in your own mind — and that’s the biggest sin in Islam!So what’s my bottom-line? Heaven can be as big as God wants it to be, even big enough for everyone if He chooses to make it so, and I think it’s my agnostic friends who so far have the best of it.. Because by not trying to put God into a box of their own making by way of their own believing they show God the most respect of all of us, regardless of their uncertainties, which quite frankly are mostly the fault of us “true-believers” because of the awful things we’ve done purportedly on God’s behalf anyways.
We Muslims and Christians and other believers, on the other hand, are well on our way to making earth a living Hell for all of us by pretending otherwise. We should put that sort of self-serving, short-sighted believing behind us, before it’s too late for all of us
The target of some serious envy every time we come to terms with one or the other low of our politicians, they succeed in showing us a new low in the bottomless pit that our polity To be a successful politician in Malaysia partically an individual must be blessed with attributes: the art of listening patiently, … Read more
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