Not what Islam teaches

THE Christchurch massacre (Al Fatihah) is a wake-up call – in all sorts of way. Innocents died for the misdeeds of others.

SITI THOTS

Sunday 31 March 2019

No barriers: People forming a ‘ring of peace’ around a mosque in Toronto, Canada, to show solidarity with victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand. The majority of whites and Christians in the West are against the white Christian supremacist ideology espoused by the terrorist who perpetrated the attack. — Reuters

I have always said I am for humanity first. If the lessons you take from your religion, politics or ideology puts you square against empathy for humanity, then those lessons are wrong. Absolutely wrong and despicable. You need to then re-look your religion, politics and ideology and make a change to those so-called “lessons”. God would never ascribe inhumanity to His religion.

At Christchurch, the terrorist was a self proclaimed “white Christian supremacist”. That is the ideology that he subscribes to and the motivation for his act. Such people fear the intrusion of the Muslim community into their land that is predominantly white and Christian. The same white Christian supremacy ideology in the United States and Europe is against Muslim immigration.

However, the majority of whites and Christians are completely against this supremacist ideology. That is why we have seen an outpouring of sympathy towards the Muslim community in New Zealand from all around the world. The white supremacist ideology is an anathema and an abomination to their way of life. By and large, Western civilisation believes in a liberal, inclusive, multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. That is the hallmark of its progress and the reason for its development and humanity.

The superiority of your religion or your race is in your behaviour and characteristics. It’s in your humanity. It is not what you may proclaim. No one cares what you claim. They care about your actions.

Therein lies the irony of Malaysian society, especially our Malay-Muslim community. While we condemn the vile white Christian supremacist ideology – that is in the minority in Western society – that led to the Christchurch massacre, we applaud, nay we promote with pride and arrogance, a Malay-Islam supremacist ideology in the form of ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) and/or ketuanan Melayu-Islam. And we do not even see how ironic nor how equally vile our ideology is.

This is not what Islam teaches.

Our Malay-based political parties, their leaders, members and supporters, from Umno to PAS to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, have no shame about shouting out ketuanan Melayu-Islam in Malaysia. And then they trot out the side corollary that “of course we accept other ethnicities too”, whatever that means. We have no shame not realising that ketuanan Melayu-Islam is the same strain of racist and religious bigotry as Nazism and the white Christian supremacy that we denounce in foreign lands where Muslims are minorities.

This selective amnesia and victimhood, this fear of the Other, has been perpetuated and promoted with glee by politicians and religious clerics, all for power and authority over the masses. The masses need to wake up to the fact that they are being used and abused. These people will vilify non-Muslims and non-Malays at every opportunity they get, condemning them as being too dangerous to even hold or share any power within this Malay-Islam land.

They even promote the idea that it is better to be led by a corrupt and criminal Muslim than a good, capable non-Muslim. How much more unIslamic can you get? “Malu apa Bos ku” (No shame, my Boss) indeed. What utter shameless people have we become?

This selectivism in victimhood and superiority complex – yes, absolute cognitive dissonance – is quite apparent in typical Malay-Muslim behaviour in groups. I know this because I and my Malay friends have been observing such aberrant behaviour in family or friends or alumni groups, especially in WhatsApp messaging groups.

Whenever there is an incident that victimises Muslims anywhere in the world, conversation becomes very active. Condemnation of Muslim victimisation and Islamophobia is high. Then cries of “why is this not called terrorism” will be heard. Some justified, some not. But most lack the awareness to realise that most media is calling it what it is, terrorism, when it warrants it.

Whenever non-Muslims come together to support Muslim victims, some will mention it and be thankful. But these mentions are usually very few. If these supporters are Jewish, most likely that piece of news will never be mentioned or shared in Malay WhatsApp groups.

But here is the piece de resistance: If there is any mention of terrorism or attacks by Muslims on others, bombings of churches or temples by Muslims, nary a word will be mentioned in such groups. Nothing. In fact, if one were to mention it, one would likely be accused of trying to make Muslims or Islam look bad. There will hardly be a mention of humanistic solidarity in sympathy with the victims of said attacks.

Don’t believe me? Ask any of our majority Malay-member groups to show where in their groups did anyone discuss the bombing of the church in Philippines earlier this year. Do any of them know how many were killed or injured? How about the bombings in South Thailand or the killings by Boko Haram or even the massacres by Islamic State and the taking of sex slaves by these self-professed Muslims?

How about closer to home: The tragic and vile murder and beheading by Abu Sayyaf militants of our own Malaysian saudara Bernard Then, God rest his soul? How many of our Malay-Muslim groups remember or even talked about it when it happened in 2015?

Why do Malays not discuss these and other abominations in the name of our religion and our God? To maybe see how such things could creep into our Malay-Muslim society in Malaysia and perhaps how to stop it in its tracks? Why the silence?

This is cognitive dissonance at its best. Then we claim victimhood even in a country where we are the majority. And in the next sentence we say we are the tuan in this land and no one else.

Let me remind everyone that there is no ketuanan Melayu or ketuanan Islam in the Constitution. There is an official religion, Islam. The way we have made the bunga raya the official flower of Malaysia. It’s no superior to any other religion in this country. It is superior to you, if you are Muslim, just as Christianity is superior to a person who is a Christian. That’s all.

What there is, is a special position for Malays and bumiputra, the way there is a special position for native Americans in the United States. It’s not out of superiority. It is out of empathy with natives and out of a legacy of weakness. So there, be humble.

If you still insist on shouting out that you want ketuanan Melayu or ketuanan Islam, do not blame others and the world for despising you, the same way you and they despise white Christian supremacy.

This is the biggest danger our nation faces today: the radicalisation, and normalisation of extremism, of Malay-Muslim society. We need to put a stop to this now. Instead, our Muslim leaders decry liberalism and inclusiveness, the very principles of our Rukunegara, saying they are a danger to our society. Maybe these “leaders” are the danger to Malaysia.

I have said it before. When you believe your religion is superior to those of others, and you judge those who are not the followers of yours as destined for abomination, then you will be easily radicalised. You will easily be inspired by those who sell dreams of glory in sacrifice to your religion. Forcing your religious beliefs upon others becomes a necessity. Even invoking terrorism to achieve your objectives is acceptable. After all, is not your life in the service of your God?

Just in case anyone has any doubts, Islam forbids terrorism. Ever. There is justified war to defend oneself and then there is terrorism. Terrorism is indiscriminate. It is not a defensive war. It is a vile, despicable, inhuman act carried out by vile inhuman animals.

The radicalisation of Malay-Muslims is the clear and present danger to the ummah (community), Malaysian society and the nation. Ketuanan Melayu-Islam has no place in Malaysia, just as white Christian supremacy has no place anywhere in the Western world.

It has come to a point where our society is actually on the brink of breaking apart.

Our economics are fractured not just because of thievery for the sake of greed but thievery to maintain power over radicalised masses. It cannot be sustainable.

Radicalised masses will not just be unproductive but also destructive. Society will implode when there is not enough largesse to spread around to those who do not contribute to the productive wealth of the nation.

In no uncertain terms, we are entering a new phase in this clash of civilisations. This is a war for the hearts and minds of the majority of our Malay-Muslim society and for the survival of this nation that we love. Who among the Malay leaders will step up to champion decency, unity, equality, progress and the Malaysian way of life?The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Sunday Star.

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/siti-kasim-thots/2019/03/31/not-what-islam-teaches

A plea to Pakatan Harapan’s Malay leaders

I AM going to start my epistle with this quote “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”

Siti Thots
Sunday 10 March 2019

Malaysia’s moral compass: The idea of a nation is enshrined within our Rukun Negara, a philosophy worthy to be repeated and reminded to all today.

This is why I am appealing to our Malay leaders in Pakatan Harapan to wake up from their slumber pronto or they will not wake up at all in the next general election.

By-election turnouts are usually fuelled by committed voters. Voter apathy contributes to much lower voter turnout compared to a general election. Dispassionate and disenchanted voters stay away from by-elections. Semenyih was no different, in this case about 14% lower voter turnout. That is, 7,633 less people came out to vote than in the GE. However, while Barisan Nasional/PAS posts a 7.7% lower vote than in the general election, PH votes dropped a massive 24%. The margin of victory by Barisan/PAS is 1,914 compared to the 1,998 GE14 margin by PH over Barisan/PAS total. However, 5,562 less people voted for PH compared to a drop of only 1,650 for Barisan/PAS. Considering this massive net 3,912 less votes for PH (if it were to drop an equal number of voter as Barisan/PAS did), I would postulate that had the swing of votes, which would be mainly Malays, went from PH to Barisan/PAS the margin of victory would have been much larger and Barisan/PAS would not see any drop in its vote total compared to GE14. 

It is therefore quite safe to assume that PH lost in votes were from its voters not turning up, not because of natural by-election apathy but out of disenchantment of PH performance thus far. 

This is a wake-up call not about Malay issues but Malaysian issues. 

I have been travelling around the country on various matters over the last few months and it has dawned upon me that by and large the Malays hate the corrupt and are not that easily persuaded by religious or racial extremism. But they are longing for a decent and compassionate leadership.  

By and large all these loud voices of extremism do not speak for them. Otherwise, I would be spat at everywhere I go.

Instead, I was always welcomed, even when some were a bit hesitant at first. But the minute the ice was broken, we knew all of us were the same. They want what every other Malaysians like you and me want. A safe, peaceful and prosperous Malaysia where they can earn an honest living, raise their children and embrace their fellow Malaysians of all shapes, colour and faith. They want honest leadership from their politicians. Honest capable leadership.

But PH has failed miserably where it matters. It has failed the eye-test of competency and honesty in its government, which it had promised to replace the old regime with. 

When you accept people with fake degrees in your leadership appointments, your message is:Integrity does not matter to you either.

When such leaderships show obvious arrogance to clear cut issues like logging awards, wives appointed to official positions and the likes, the message is “we are no different than those we have replaced”.  

Competency is a massive issue at present with ministers who seem to be talking without thinking. Black shoes, swimming pools and Finnish model when the basic of teaching and what is being taught cannot or would not be addressed. No tolls and then not really, no tolls and let’s have flying cars instead.

Compulsory vaccination, then later backtracked. Don’t even mention the ICERD. The word ICERD is so taboo that it is dangerous to even say it out loud in the corridors of powers. Every pronouncement they made seemed intent on destroying the credibility of competency of this new government we have elected.

The toll is a bread and butter issue. Treat your voters, nay, your citizens, with respect. Do not insult their intelligence. No one you talk to on a daily basis goes to work or send their kids to school after 11pm. Please. If you cannot do it, be honest about it. Minimum wage is about a decent living, not about what your work is.

Then there is the politicking. What is with the impatience and the backstabbing and the jockeying undermining sitting ministers?

Where are the voices of reason and leadership to counter extremists of religion and race?

Why the disquiet and the acquiescence in the face of religious extremist demands and voices of hatred? 

Should we not remind ourselves that on September 16, 1963, Malaysia was born? In 1970, the idea of a nation was enshrined within its Rukun Negara, a philosophy worthy to be repeated and reminded to all today:

WHEREAS OUR COUNTRY, MALAYSIA nurtures the ambitions of:

Achieving a more perfect unity amongst the whole of her society;

Preserving a democratic way of life;

Creating a just society where the prosperity of the country can be enjoyed together in a fair and equitable manner;

Guaranteeing a liberal approach towards her rich and varied cultural traditions; and

Building a progressive society that will make use of science and modern technology.

This is our moral compass and idealism. Where has all that gone? Why have we taken these sacred and profound ideas and replaced them with chauvinistic, bigoted, exclusive through scare and hate mongering rhetoric of supremacist politics and religious extremism? 

Indeed, I implore our politicians and especially the leaders of this nation – our prime minister and the ministers – where are your principles in upholding the aspirations and ideals of our Rukun Negara?  Malaysians need leadership. Instead we are getting appeasement towards the extremist elements in our society. 

Why can’t the Malay leadership in the PH Government step up, invoke and reiterate the need to uphold the ideals of our beloved Rukun Negara? Explain and exhort why the most important and critical value the nation must uphold, is unity of all races. To not listen to any voices that intend to divide but be the voice of reason, unity and progress for all Malaysians. 

Why can’t the Malay leadership in the PH Government take the lead, stand up and proclaim that the Malays have nothing to fear but fear itself? That we, the Malays, are a race capable of leading a progressive and developed nation, competing with everyone else on equal terms proudly. That is the reason we deserve to be in leadership, not because we are entitled to it. 

Who at PH has the character, courage and capability to show that he or she can lead the Malays and the whole nation as its leader for a modern Malaysia? Who among all of you elected representatives are going to stand up to be the leader for ALL Malaysians and not for specifically Malays first and then only for the rest? 

And what is this with the cowering to the extremist elements in the Malay-Muslim community?

I am appalled at the knee-jerk reaction of the so-called insults to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and Islam. Are we going to allow the Malay society to degenerate into a foaming in the mouth outrage community at the slightest hurt to its ego and so called sensitivity like in the Middle East and Pakistan? Do we intend to have government religious policing of citizens’ opinions based on extremists’ interpretations of what insults and whatnot entails? Isn’t it better to use the religious agencies we have to reform our institutions and to explain to the people that Islam is a peaceful and inclusive religion?

People challenging ideas and values are normal. It’s how we learn and grow. Having unusual, “radical” or “extreme” views does not mean that the person is insulting to Islam or others, but promoting citizens to snitch on others as a means to punish people is a concern. Instead of looking at the means on how to catch on people who allegedly “insulted” Islam, our leaders ought to look at the root cause of why these people appear to be so hateful of Islam. These people are angry. Some are lashing out but most have remained silent.

There are a number of factors that contributed to the shaping of anti-Muslim sentiment among some segments of the public.

While politicians who are riding on Islam to wrestle power are a big reason, segments of the media, and religious leaders have also played a role in stoking anti-Muslim bigotry. Just as other faith- based groups have a responsibility to lean in, Muslim communities also need to lean in. So, when Muslims see those preaching divisive rhetoric about Islam, they need to stop it.

Then, you have people in the administration and institutions who are closely connected to the established extremist elements of Islam.

Our leaders need to rein in these elements and make it right again.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, had non-Muslim neighbors and family members who he loved, cared for, and had strong bonds and relationships with. If Islam taught Muslims to kill and hate all non-Muslims simply because of their faith, then he should have been the first to do it. However, that was not the case.

The Quran clarifies the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims as being one that is based on love and compassion. The Quran states Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity. (Quran 60: 8).

The Prophet, peace be upon him, himself was insulted throughout his life but never once did he punish those who insulted him. Umar Ibnu Khattab was a most cruel opponent of Islam, who was intent on his murder. Did the Prophet, peace be upon him, ever made a condemnation against him? Never. Umar eventually converted and became the second Caliph of Islam.

In a healthy, cohesive society, contentious issues ought to be debated. But there’s a fine line between curiosity and ridiculousness, and all too often it seems that the questions we get – no thanks to some hysterical media and populist politicians –are of the latter kind. It is a false notion that Islam teaches Muslims to hate all non-Muslims. Instead of accepting sweeping generalisations of a religion that is over 1400 years old, it is advisable to examine the Quran and see what it teaches in this regard. Does Islam actually teach Muslims to hate and commit violence against non-Muslims?

To all those out there insisting and screaming for punishment for such insults towards the Prophet, peace be upon him, and Islam, you are bringing nothing but shame and disrepute to Islam. You are showing that instead of being a great religion of peace, Islam is intolerant, thin-skinned, draconian and harsh. 

So, dear Malay leadership of Malaysia, please wake up and lead as decent, unemotional but passionate leaders for all Malaysians. Be kind hearted, compassionate and progressive Muslims who can be admired by non-Muslims for that is what brings respect to Islam.

Great leaders are great listeners, and therefore my message today is a simple one - talk less and listen more. The best leaders are proactive, strategic, and intuitive listeners. They recognise that knowledge and wisdom is not gained by talking, but by listening. Being a leader should not be viewed as a license to increase the volume of rhetoric. 

The world has seen enough violence and hatred carried out in the name of our religion. We need to show that we are different and we are admirable human beings.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind and heartless.

TAGS / KEYWORDS:Politics , Siti Kasim , Siti Thots , Pakatan Harapan

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/siti-kasim-thots/2019/03/10/a-plea-to-pakatan-harapans-malay-leaders

Group: End use of ‘kafir’ term

Jakarta: Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, has issued a call to end the usage of “infidel” or “kafir” to refer to non-Muslims in state or citizenship matters, a move that may be aimed at calming religious tensions ahead of the presidential election.

Tuesday, 5 Mar 2019

Nahdlatul Ulama, with around 140 million members, said at its recent national conference that non-Muslims shouldn’t be referred to as “kafir” as they have equal standing in state affairs.

The conference concluded that non-Muslims should be referred to as muwathin, or citizens, possessing the same rights and obligations as Muslim Indonesians, according to Ahmad Muntaha, an Islamic scholar and secretary of the Nahdlatul Ulama’s East Java Ulema Assembly.

Muntaha said in a statement published on the group’s website on Friday that a Muslim shouldn’t address non-Muslims as “Hi, kafir” in any social context.

The conference also emphasised that as a state, Indonesia wasn’t established by Muslims only, the statement said.

Nahdlatul Ulama’s recommendation comes as citizens of the world’s largest Muslim-majority country prepare for a presidential poll on April 17.

Religious issues have fuelled divisions between supporters of incumbent President Joko Widodo and rival Prabowo Subianto.

Joko, known as Jokowi, has faced protests from some Islamic groups that allege he’s treated some Islamic clerics unfairly.

The president’s running partner for the poll, Ma’ruf Amin, is an Islamic scholar and head of a nationwide council of Muslim religious leaders, as well as chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama’s advisory council. — Bloomberg

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2019/03/05/group-end-use-of-kafir-term-dont-call-nonmuslims-infidels-says-indonesian-islamic-organisation/