You Kidding Us?: Fear

Showing posts with label Fear. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 April 2019

Brunei implements stoning to death under new anti-LGBT laws

The tiny South-east Asian country of Brunei is introducing strict new Islamic laws that makes gay sex an offence punishable by stoning to death.

3 April 2019

Men holding hands with rainbow-patterned wristband

The new measures, set to begin Wednesday, also cover a range of other crimes including punishment for theft by amputation.

The move has sparked international condemnation and outcry.

In a public address on Wednesday, the country's sultan called for "stronger" Islamic teachings.

"I want to see Islamic teachings in this country grow stronger," Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said, according to AFP news agency, without mentioning the new laws.

Under the new law, individuals will only be convicted of gay sex if they confess or are seen committing the act by four witnesses.

Homosexuality was already illegal in Brunei and punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Brunei's gay community has expressed shock and fear at the "medieval punishments".

"You wake up and realise that your neighbours, your family or even that nice old lady that sells prawn fritters by the side of the road doesn't think you're human, or is okay with stoning," one Bruneian gay man, who did not want to be identified, told the BBC.

Brunei, on the island of Borneo, is ruled by Sultan Hassanal and has grown rich on oil and gas exports.

The 72-year-old sultan heads the Brunei Investment Agency, which has some of the world's top hotels including the Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles in its portfolio.

This week Hollywood actor George Clooney and other celebrities called for a boycott of the luxury hotels. TV host Ellen DeGeneres also called for people to "rise up", saying "we need to do something now".

Students at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London have also called for a school building named the Brunei Gallery to be renamed.

Brunei's ruling royals possess a huge private fortune and its largely ethnic-Malay population enjoy generous state handouts and pay no taxes.

Muslims make up about two-thirds of the country's population of 420,000.

Brunei has retained the death penalty but has not carried out an execution since 1957.

Is this the first time Islamic law is being introduced in Brunei?

The country first introduced Sharia law in 2014 despite widespread condemnation, giving it a dual legal system with both Sharia and Common Law. The sultan had said then that the new penal code would come into full force over several years.

The first phase, which covered crimes punishable by prison sentences and fines, was implemented in 2014. Brunei had then delayed introducing the final two phases, which cover crimes punishable by amputation and stoning.

Sultan Hassanal, 2013 — Image captionSultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is also the prime minister of Brunei, is among the wealthiest people in the world

But on Saturday, the government released a statement on its website saying the Sharia penal code would be fully implemented on Wednesday.

In the days since, there has been international outrage and calls for the country to reverse course.

"These abusive provisions received widespread condemnation when plans were first discussed five years ago," said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, a Brunei researcher at Amnesty International.

"Brunei's penal code is a deeply flawed piece of legislation containing a range of provisions that violate human rights."

The United Nations echoed the statement, calling the legislation "cruel, inhuman and degrading", saying it marked a "serious setback" for human rights protection.

What is punishable under the changes to the penal code?

The death penalty would apply to offences such as rape, adultery, sodomy, robbery, and insult or defamation of the Prophet Muhammad.

Public flogging as a punishment for abortion would also apply, as well as amputation for theft.

Other changes including making it a criminal offence to "persuade, tell or encourage" Muslim children under the age of 18 "to accept the teachings of religions other than Islam".

The law mostly applies to Muslims, though some aspects will apply to non-Muslims.

How are people in Brunei reacting?

One 40-year-old gay Bruneian currently seeking asylum in Canada, said the impact of the new penal code was already being felt in Brunei.

The ex-government employee, who left Brunei last year after being charged with sedition for a Facebook post that was critical of the government, said people were "afraid".

"The gay community in Brunei has never been open but when Grindr (a gay dating app) came that helped people meet in secret. But now, what I've heard is that hardly anyone is using Grindr anymore," Shahiran S Shahrani Md told the BBC.

"They're afraid that they might talk to a police officer pretending to be gay. It hasn't happened yet but because of the new laws, people are afraid," he said.

Another male Bruneian, who is not gay but has renounced Islam, said he felt "fearful and numb" in the face of the laws being implemented.

"We ordinary citizens are powerless to stop Sharia law from being implemented," said the 23-year-old who did not want to be identified.

"Under Sharia, I would face the death penalty for apostasy."

One gay man was hopeful that the laws may not actually be enforced widely.

"Honestly, I'm not too scared as the government here often bluffs with the harsh punishments. But it can and will still happen even with it being rare."

Reporting by the BBC's Yvette Tan

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47769964

Sunday, 26 August 2018

The real Malay dilemma

The issue is whether any of the Malay leadership would be willing to change its society from a religious-centric one to one that is progressive and modern in character.

Siti Thots
Sunday 26 August 2018

Old politics: If the leadership keeps to the racialist, feudalist and religious-centric tactics and policies of the past, thinking this is what they need to do to keep the votes, it will just be the repeat of past mistakes of the Umno era.

A HIGH-level panel has been announced to review the administration of Islamic Institutions at the Federal level. Commendably, all views from the general public is welcomed. The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal is also quoted as saying, in the announcement of this Panel, that it was appropriate that the related institutions undergo improvement so as to protect the religion of Islam, as well as promote its universal values in the country.

So here is a short opinion - Islam does not need protection, nor does it need to be institutionalised.

As a Muslim, I believe in God Almighty. His religion does not need anyone’s help, least of all from fallible human beings. Islam and God has no need for anything, but human beings do. No one represents Islam. Everyone represents their version of Islam that suits their wants and needs. These include those in political parties that say it represents Islam but simply do not. They merely represent their personal human interest for power and authority.

We need our Government to protect us from people who want to wield powers upon others by using religion as their weapon. That is what we Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims need. I want to ask the political leaders of Malaysia, elected and unelected: What do you intend to do to protect us from those in power whose interest is to wield their religion over others?

In Malaysia today, we are obsessed with religion. Politicians and Ministers talk about religion and upholding religion. We have dedicated channels and programmes on religion on mainstream TV. Teachers force their religion and religious interpretations on children. Even the technical department, JKR (Public Works Department) for example, has set up sign boards espousing religious thoughts. Ever go to civil service offices? Observe just how many religious seminar banners and thoughts are plastered all over these places. Sometimes I wonder whether these are public services departments or religious propaganda functionaries.

Why this parade of religion in the public sphere? Is it because our people obsess on religion, as they personally have got nothing else of substance to promote that would enhance their work and the lives of the people they serve? Or that they have to cling to religion as that is their one and only part of their lives that provide them any sense of self-worth?

this parade of religion in the public sphere? Is it because our people obsess on religion, as they personally have got nothing else of substance to promote that would enhance their work and the lives of the people they serve? Or that they have to cling to religion as that is their one and only part of their lives that provide them any sense of self-worth?

Today, our Malay society has become a society so religiously judgemental that the sight of a woman without head-cover is practically blasphemous.

Think about this, after all the hue and cry of the 41 year old with 2 wives, from Kelantan who groomed his third, 11 year old child bride from the poor family in Thailand, the state religious authority penalised him for an unregistered marriage and then, instead of voiding it, basically approves the marriage. A significant portion of our Malay- Muslim society rejoiced!

Can a Malay society, more insular and superstitious in thought, that is now funding thousands of religious schools and Tahfiz centres/boarding houses than ever before in its history, create a population that is competitive to succeed in the 21st century?

Can it even compete on a fair footing with the rest of the Malaysian non-Muslim population? Malays have been given preferential places in universities, GLCs and the civil service for more than 40 years now, what have we got to show for it? Uncompetitive universities, a significant pool of unemployable Malay graduates and with most being employed by the civil service and the failed GLCs, and such corrupt administrations that a 93- year-old man has to come back to be the Prime Minister, that’s what. Would more religion help? Or would it make the population less competitive? Let us all be honest.

This has been the unintended consequence of the assimilation of Islamic values in governance (“penerapan nilai-nilai Islam”) instituted in 1985. The road to hell, they say, is always paved with good intentions. If nothing is done this nightmare is just beginning for the Malay society and Malaysian in general will suffer for it.

If we want to see where our nation is headed with this type of ideology and cultural religious mind-set besetting 60% of our population, we don’t have to look far to Saudi Arabia or Iran or even Aceh, we just need to see the state of governance and life in Kelantan. Democracy is only as good as an informed and intellectually challenging population. The Nazis in Germany and the Mullahs in Iran were all elected by the majority. Today, the Iranians are rebelling against their repressive theocratic Government but the Mullahs are not going to let go of power that easily. Thousands are in jail. But our Malays don’t seem to see or learn the lesson. Erdogan is taking Turkey on that road to already disastrous consequences and many of our Malays applaud.

The only reason the majority of the Malays today are satisfied with their lives to carry on being religiously obsessed, thinking non-stop of the afterlife and judging others, while the non-Malays are focused on bettering themselves in this life, is that the Malays, by and large, has been able to live off the teats of the Government in one way or another. It has been a fulfilled entitlement that will end sooner rather than later.

This gravy train has stopped. Mahathir and Robert Kuok, two 90-year-old plus statesmen, had to go to China almost in tribute with offerings, to extricate us from the mess our Malay leaders have created.

Unfortunately, Malays are oblivious to this fact. In fact, even most non-Malays are oblivious to the fact that if we do nothing, 30 to 40% of the population cannot sustain 100% of us. You need the remaining, at least, majority of that 60% to be able to truly contribute economically and not be consumers of tax from the minorities. And religion is not an economic contributor. It is an unproductive consumer of epic proportions with no returns.

Mahathir came to lead the Government in 1981 and transform an agricultural hamlet into an industrial one with liberal economic policies powered by an industrious non-Malay population and the liberal segment of the Malay society.

This was the population that made the country progress. Mahathir was not popular as a result of Islamisation. Mahathir was and is popular because he brought progress, prosperity and in-turn unity and pride in the country to everyone as Malaysians. He brought revolutionary change to real life. For all intents and purposes, he was a liberal progressive leader.

A progressive leadership will only be elected by a progressive society. The only reason the Pakatan Harapan government was elected was because the progressive societies of the non-Malays and the liberal Malay voted for it. We saved the nation, again. Unfortunately, that liberal segment is now forgotten and vilified. Malay liberals who are capable and focused on a productive life are labelled blasphemous and extremists, and shunned by the leadership in power, no matter who are in power.

The religious conservatives, on the other hand, are courted and coddled as if they will be the ever-lasting vote bank that must be assuaged. Think again on this paradigm. Malay swing votes are persuadable but only if the leadership shows the way.

If the leadership keeps to the racialist, feudalist, and religious-centric policies of the past, thinking this is what they need to do to keep the votes, they will just be repeating past mistakes of the Umno era. More of the Malay population will move to the right of centre towards the Mullahs. It is an inevitable outcome of such a policy. Islamisation was a counter to PAS, it only made Umno the old PAS, and PAS the new Taliban and a stronger party every year from that time onwards.

Religion by its very nature will always veer towards conservatism and fundamentalism, no matter how one wants to spin those words. Because institutionalised religion is about following. The attractiveness of institutionalised religion is the abdication of thinking to religious leaders with easy answers one shall not question. More so, when the population is uncompetitive against the outside world. In Malaysia, we have one of the most sophisticated array of institutionalised Islam in the world today.

So, without a change from the religious-centric environment the Malay society is currently in, and an education system that indoctrinates rather than enhance critical thinking, Malay society will continually drift towards the insularity of religious conservatism and away from progressive capabilities to succeed in the modern world. And population demographic will ensure that a progressive Government will eventually lose out.

Therein lies the real Malay dilemma.

Would any of the Malay leadership be willing to change its society from a religious centric one to one that is progressive and modern in character?

Do you want our Malay society to continue to regress and be uncompetitive? Do you want it to drag the rest of us down the road of conservatism and economic ruin?

As Malay leaders, do you placate or do you lead for change?

How do you lead that change?

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/siti-kasim-thots/2018/08/26/the-real-malay-dilemma-the-issue-is-whether-any-of-the-malay-leadership-would-be-willing-to-change

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Get down to the real job

Malaysia should deal with actual problems instead of manufacturing fear and threats.

SHARING THE NATION

Sunday, 1 Oct 2017

By Zainah Anwar

Zainah Anwar featured in Harvard Law exhibit

THE Malaysian Government better get its message right, fast. Just a week ago, the Foreign Minister told the UN General Assembly that Malaysia plans to introduce a resolution to “negate the propagation of extremism and radicalisation”; that a Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) should “douse the flame of hatred and stem the influence of extreme and myopic ideas of intolerance, xenophobia and racial hatred”.

He went on to state: “It is imperative for communities of different race, religion and culture to band together in seeking common peaceful aspirations and celebrate our diversity rather than be influenced, and enticed into extremist traps.”

Alas, on home ground, extreme and myopic displays of intolerance wreak havoc day after day. And this supposedly moderate government remains silent or is complicit.

First was the ban on the annual Better Beer Festival. City Hall said the decision was made “due to the political sensitivity surrounding the event”.

PAS had claimed such a festival was an affront to the religious sensitivities of the Muslims, would encourage immorality and lead to criminal acts, free sex and rape. And to boot, it would turn Kuala Lumpur into the vice capital of Asia! Never mind the lack of evidence.

This festival has taken place the last five years, and the little Napoleons in City Hall never saw it fit to first investigate the validity of the complaint before slapping the ban.

The outrage caused perhaps led the police to state that it was cancelled on security grounds as some militants planned to sabotage the event.

However, the Immigration director-general immediately undermined this reasoning by announcing that the Deputy Prime Minister had instructed him not to allow individuals to enter the country for the beer festival and a gay party.

What gay party? No one seems to know.

Perhaps the strategy was to manufacture yet another threat to the sensitivities of easily offended Muslims.

But we, the thinking rakyat, wondered how the Immigration Department, supposedly working together with Jakim, would identify these “undesirables” arriving at 137 entry points and serve them with the “Not To Land” notice? By the size of their beer bellies? Tattoos on their arms and legs? Sleeveless T-shirts and earrings in one ear? Pray tell.

Ah, but we are not supposed to question, challenge, think or use logic.

I wish they would also find answers and take serious action in dealing with the many social ills that afflict Kelantan disproportionately – drug addiction, incest, HIV/AIDS, deadbeat husbands and fathers.

It could very well be the vice capital of Malaysia – except that these vices are hidden from public view or take place across the border or out at sea.

And oh, how about dealing with the endless cycle of poverty?

Kelantan remains the poorest state in the country with a GDP per capita of only RM12,812. Even, Kedah, the second poorest state has a per capita income 50% higher.

See, if we are serious and sincere about caring for Islam, we will do more to deal with real problems taking place, instead of manufacturing threats and insults. Obviously, this PAS action is about politics, not Islam.

Then came the viral video of a man dressed in Arab-style jubah and skull-cap lecturing patrons at a coffeeshop on the sensitivities of the Muslim majority residents in Flora Damansara. No drugs, no alcohol, no sex, no “bare” dress, please, we are Muslims.

I wish they would show the same concern for Muslim teenagers, neglected by parents with no time, no money, no parental skills to bring them up with love and guidance, the dropouts, the drug addicts, the Mat Rempit.

Could their needs be met in more constructive and healthy ways at the community level? Could the mosque committee and the residents association be mobilised to provide support to neglected and troubled teenagers? Could the fire at the tahfiz in Kuala Lumpur be prevented if there had been more healthy community engagement with these delinquent teenagers, many of whom come from broken homes, obviously in need of support?

And if this was not enough, then came the viral post of a launderette in Muar that banned non-Muslims from using its facilities.

The owner said he was only trying to be a good Muslim; totally ignorant of the racial and religious slur such an action constitutes in a world where the gross injustices of apartheid in South Africa and segregation in southern United States, racial profiling, discrimination and exclusion on the basis of one’s skin colour or one’s religion remain topics of heated debate.

Right-minded Malaysians got worked up because we do not want to see our country plunge deeper into a black hole of segregation over race and religion.

To top it all, on Monday came the news that the renowned Turkish scholar and writer, Mustafa Akyol, was detained for speaking without a permit by the religious authorities.

All this bad news in a supposedly moderate Muslim country that wants to lead the world in a global movement to end intolerance, extremism and racial hatred?

All these events lead me to ask yet again, where and how did these Muslims study their Islam? How could someone who lives in a multi-racial society think that his big loud notice that non-Muslims are not welcome into his shop was him just being a “good Muslim”, and would not cause offence to those he has excluded for their lack of cleanliness on the basis of their religion.

How could a religion that teaches its adherents to seek knowledge – even if it was in China, that absorbed Greek logic into its tradition and exported it to the Latin West, that embraces pluralism and demands its believers to think and reflect, be so abused today that its adherents cannot deal with differences and diversity?

How could a country that had once embraced pluralism, that sells “Malaysia Truly Asia” to the world in recognition and celebration of the wealth that its diversity brings, create a space and a climate where bigotry rears its ugly head, seemingly on a daily basis?

The truth is new norms are deliberately and strategically being created to manufacture fear and insecurity for political gain.

Just look at the seminars organised by various units under Jakim on the threat of liberalism and pluralism and deviant thinking.

Taxpayers’ money is being used to preach intolerance and hatred and no one in authority is monitoring this, not even the GMM Secretariat that wants to export its moderation.

The Sultan of Johor’s immediate intervention that there is no place for such extremism in the state of Johor is critical. Someone in authority needs to speak out to stop this headlong plunge into racial and religious apartheid.

Perhaps the Sultans, as the heads of Islam and symbol of unity in their respective states, will provide the urgent leadership needed to take principled positions on what is in the best interest of Malaysia in matters of religion.

Given the way things are going in the name of Islam, it is obvious that those in political and religious authority have failed to curb the growing extremism and intolerance.

If leaders cannot lead, then the vacuum will be filled by others who are very willing to take the lead and force the politicians to follow.

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/sharing-the-nation/2017/10/01/get-down-to-the-real-job-malaysia-should-deal-with-actual-problems-instead-of-manufacturing-fear-and/

Monday, 16 April 2018

Rafidah quits Supermax board over MD’s apology

Former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz has resigned as chairman and director of Supermax Corp Bhd, saying she disagreed with convicted managing director Datuk Seri Stanley Thai’s apology for supporting Malaysia’s Opposition in 2013.

Monday April 16, 2018

Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz was appointed chairman of Supermax, the worldâs second-largest glove manufacturer, in 2015. â Picture by K.E. Ooi

Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz was appointed chairman of Supermax, the world’s second-largest
glove manufacturer, in 2015. — Picture by K.E. Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz has resigned as chairman and director of Supermax Corp Bhd, saying she disagreed with convicted managing director Datuk Seri Stanley Thai’s apology for supporting Malaysia’s Opposition in 2013.

According to news portal Malaysiakini, Rafidah said it was the right of all Malaysians and companies to support whichever political party they choose.

“Pursuant to the ‘apology’ by Stanley Thai to the (incumbent) prime minister for whatever he did during the 13th general election, I have resigned from serving as a director of Supermax Corporation and as the chairperson, with effect from April 14.

“While it is his (Thai’s) right to do what he feels he needed to do, I do not share the same sentiments,” she was quoted saying.

The former international trade and industry minister said she was a strong proponent of integrity and honesty as well as a believer in the individual’s prerogative to back the political party of his choice without fear of repercussions.

Rafidah was appointed chairman of Supermax, the world’s second-largest glove manufacturer, in 2015.

Thai, who was convicted of insider trading in 2014 and is currently appealing against his five-year sentence, called a press conference last Saturday where he formally apologised to Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He expressed regret for allowing himself to be influenced by the local Opposition in 2013, and said he has since formed the belief that businesspeople “should not be involved in politics under any circumstances”.

In a 2013 interview with Bloomberg, Thai said he was joining the local Chinese community in withdrawing its support from the ruling Barisan Nasional “to protect the future of his children”.

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rafidah-quits-supermax-board-over-mds-apology

Sunday, 1 October 2017

MUST READ: Get down to the real job

Malaysia should deal with actual problems instead of manufacturing fear and threats.

Sunday, 1 Oct 2017

Zainah Anwar