The Straits Times, July 15, 2010
BANDA ACEH - AN INDONESIAN court on Thursday jailed two Islamic policemen for gang-raping a young woman in custody, a case that has sparked outrage in the deeply religious province of Aceh.
Mohammed Nazir, 29, and Feri Agus, 28, were found guilty of raping a 20-year-old student in a police station in January after she was arrested with her boyfriend under local laws designed to enforce Islamic morals.
The eight-year jail sentence for the two men was lighter that the maximum penalty of 12 years demanded by prosecutors who said the defendants, as sharia police officers, should have better morals.
But the judge defended the punishment. 'The defendants have never committed any crime before, they were always polite during the trial and they are the breadwinners in their family,' chief judge Lukman Bachmit said.
'An eight-year jail term is considered quite heavy compared to other similar crime in Indonesia,' he said.
Indonesia's Muslims are mostly moderate, but Aceh has special autonomy, and one of the ways it differentiates itself is through implementation of sharia law, enforced by special Islamic police.
Rights activists called for the Islamic force to be disbanded after the incident, saying it did nothing but harass women about their clothes and humiliate young unmarried couples.
Extramarital sex causes earthquakes: Iran cleric
"Calamities result of people's deeds": Ayatollah Sedighi
The Islamic dress code is mandatory for all in Iran
A senior Iranian cleric has claimed that dolled-up women incite extramarital sex, causing more earthquakes in Iran, a country that straddles several fault lines, newspapers reported on Saturday.
"Many women who dress inappropriately ... cause youths to go astray, taint their chastity and incite extramarital sex in society, which increases earthquakes," Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi told worshippers at Tehran Friday prayer.
"Calamities are the result of people's deeds," he was quoted as saying by reformist Aftab-e Yazd newspaper. "We have no way but conform to Islam to ward off dangers."
The Islamic dress code is mandatory in Iran, which has been under clerical rule for more than three decades.
Every post-pubescent woman regardless of her religion or nationality must cover her hair and bodily contours in public. Offenders face punishment and fine.
But this has not stopped urban women from appearing in the streets wearing tight coats and flimsy headscarves and layers of skillfully applied makeup.
Iran is prone to frequent quakes, many of which have been devastating.
(from Al Arabiyah news channel)
The Islamic dress code is mandatory for all in Iran
A senior Iranian cleric has claimed that dolled-up women incite extramarital sex, causing more earthquakes in Iran, a country that straddles several fault lines, newspapers reported on Saturday.
"Many women who dress inappropriately ... cause youths to go astray, taint their chastity and incite extramarital sex in society, which increases earthquakes," Ayatollah Kazem Sedighi told worshippers at Tehran Friday prayer.
"Calamities are the result of people's deeds," he was quoted as saying by reformist Aftab-e Yazd newspaper. "We have no way but conform to Islam to ward off dangers."
The Islamic dress code is mandatory in Iran, which has been under clerical rule for more than three decades.
Every post-pubescent woman regardless of her religion or nationality must cover her hair and bodily contours in public. Offenders face punishment and fine.
But this has not stopped urban women from appearing in the streets wearing tight coats and flimsy headscarves and layers of skillfully applied makeup.
Iran is prone to frequent quakes, many of which have been devastating.
(from Al Arabiyah news channel)
In God, we trust — Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
JAN 9 — Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku,
These are the proud words that colour our love for the country.
Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,
These are our promise that unites us as one nation regardless of race, creed and religion.
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta.
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta
These are our prayers for the country’s past, future, and present.
Malaysia's history began hundreds of years before Parameswara sat under that faithful tree and the golden age of the Muslim Malacca Empire. The iconic empire which has been used to represent the Malay spirit was originally a Hindu dynasty and so were the other great kingdoms in the country.
Other great “lost” Hindu kingdoms include the second-century Gangga Negara in Perak, the ancient Langkasuka founded in Kedah, third-century Pan Pan in Kelatan and the old Kedah kingdom of Kadaram.
Only then came the Muslim sultanates of Malacca, Kedah, Johor and Sulu.
The rich history of Malaysia proves that the country has always been a centre of trade and culture where people of different religions lived together without prejudice. Even the great ancient Greek scholar, Ptolemy, referred to the Malay peninsula as the Golden Chersonese or golden peninsula.
The Malay culture is a testament of the early kingdoms and modern Malaysia, a mixture of different religious and cultural practices.
The traces of our history could be seen through the influence of Sanskrit and Arabic in Bahasa Malaysia. Such influences include the Sanskrit word Tuhan.
Therefore it surprised me when some Muslims argue that if the Christians use the word "Allah", it will deviate the religion and its followers.
If this is true then is it blasphemous for Muslims to use the word Tuhan which is used to describe the Hindu deity?
Are our young Muslim children in danger of deviating from Islam when they the sing “Negaraku” and pledge the Rukunegara during the morning assembly?
Or have the imams all over Malaysia sinned when they recite, “Ya Allah, Ya Tuhanku,” in their doa during Friday prayers?
The hardliners have also argued that the Christians cannot use the word "Allah" because Muslims would not be able to differentiate Islam and the other religions.
How is this so? Islam is not about the literal emphasis but a deeper understanding.
Revered Muslim scholars and founders of Islamic schools of thought have emerged from a region where both Christians and Muslims use the word "Allah". Both the Bible and the Quran use Arabic in the region but what differentiates the two?
The meaning and teachings from the sacred revelations.
I think the fear is not Islam but Malay supremacy because religion and race have been intertwined in the country that the community believes that Islam is their right.
The lines between race and religion have been blurred that the Malays believe that their culture is Islam itself to the extent that social acts which were Hindu in origin have become Islamic.
The extremists believe that the non-Malays will use Islam to jeopardise Malay rights and standing in the country.
But Islam is not for a few but for all and preaches equality. This is best illustrated in the Prophet Muhammad's last sermon.
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has superiority over an Arab.
"Also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has superiority over white except piety and good action."
Even if the problem is Islam and the word "Allah", why is there such fear?
One of the leaders during the demonstration explained that the use of the word "Allah" is only the beginning and that "they will use Prophet Muhammad."
As a Muslim, is it not an honour that any religion would use the word "Allah" and our beloved Prophet to preach love and compassion?
It saddened me when three churches were attacked yesterday because Islam is not hate.
Islam's love can be seen through the Prophet's father-in-law, closest companion, advisor and first Caliph. Before each battle, Abu Bakar would warned his generals not to disturb any saints and worshippers of other religions and not to destroy any places of worship.
But yesterday, a group of terrorists decided to desecrate several places of worship in the name of "Allah."
Their actions do not only insult Islam but belittle the beautiful religion.
I urge all Muslims to deplore these unIslamic acts and show the world the true meaning of Islam.Assamualaikum. May peace be upon you and all of us. Amin.
In God, we trust — Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
These are the proud words that colour our love for the country.
Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju,
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,
These are our promise that unites us as one nation regardless of race, creed and religion.
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta.
Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan,
Raja kita, selamat bertakhta
These are our prayers for the country’s past, future, and present.
Malaysia's history began hundreds of years before Parameswara sat under that faithful tree and the golden age of the Muslim Malacca Empire. The iconic empire which has been used to represent the Malay spirit was originally a Hindu dynasty and so were the other great kingdoms in the country.
Other great “lost” Hindu kingdoms include the second-century Gangga Negara in Perak, the ancient Langkasuka founded in Kedah, third-century Pan Pan in Kelatan and the old Kedah kingdom of Kadaram.
Only then came the Muslim sultanates of Malacca, Kedah, Johor and Sulu.
The rich history of Malaysia proves that the country has always been a centre of trade and culture where people of different religions lived together without prejudice. Even the great ancient Greek scholar, Ptolemy, referred to the Malay peninsula as the Golden Chersonese or golden peninsula.
The Malay culture is a testament of the early kingdoms and modern Malaysia, a mixture of different religious and cultural practices.
The traces of our history could be seen through the influence of Sanskrit and Arabic in Bahasa Malaysia. Such influences include the Sanskrit word Tuhan.
Therefore it surprised me when some Muslims argue that if the Christians use the word "Allah", it will deviate the religion and its followers.
If this is true then is it blasphemous for Muslims to use the word Tuhan which is used to describe the Hindu deity?
Are our young Muslim children in danger of deviating from Islam when they the sing “Negaraku” and pledge the Rukunegara during the morning assembly?
Or have the imams all over Malaysia sinned when they recite, “Ya Allah, Ya Tuhanku,” in their doa during Friday prayers?
The hardliners have also argued that the Christians cannot use the word "Allah" because Muslims would not be able to differentiate Islam and the other religions.
How is this so? Islam is not about the literal emphasis but a deeper understanding.
Revered Muslim scholars and founders of Islamic schools of thought have emerged from a region where both Christians and Muslims use the word "Allah". Both the Bible and the Quran use Arabic in the region but what differentiates the two?
The meaning and teachings from the sacred revelations.
I think the fear is not Islam but Malay supremacy because religion and race have been intertwined in the country that the community believes that Islam is their right.
The lines between race and religion have been blurred that the Malays believe that their culture is Islam itself to the extent that social acts which were Hindu in origin have become Islamic.
The extremists believe that the non-Malays will use Islam to jeopardise Malay rights and standing in the country.
But Islam is not for a few but for all and preaches equality. This is best illustrated in the Prophet Muhammad's last sermon.
"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has superiority over an Arab.
"Also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has superiority over white except piety and good action."
Even if the problem is Islam and the word "Allah", why is there such fear?
One of the leaders during the demonstration explained that the use of the word "Allah" is only the beginning and that "they will use Prophet Muhammad."
As a Muslim, is it not an honour that any religion would use the word "Allah" and our beloved Prophet to preach love and compassion?
It saddened me when three churches were attacked yesterday because Islam is not hate.
Islam's love can be seen through the Prophet's father-in-law, closest companion, advisor and first Caliph. Before each battle, Abu Bakar would warned his generals not to disturb any saints and worshippers of other religions and not to destroy any places of worship.
But yesterday, a group of terrorists decided to desecrate several places of worship in the name of "Allah."
Their actions do not only insult Islam but belittle the beautiful religion.
I urge all Muslims to deplore these unIslamic acts and show the world the true meaning of Islam.Assamualaikum. May peace be upon you and all of us. Amin.
In God, we trust — Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
6 jailed for 'erotic dance'
Click on image to enlarge it.
Belly dancing by scantily clad women in Saudi Arabia - the homeland of Islam - is a way of life, yet this reported 'erotic dance' is prohibited.
It looks like there is no uniformity among the practitioners in the interpretation of what's permitted or not.
The trouble with Islamo-tribalism
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Mustafa AKYOL
Nasty things are happening in Malaysia. Nine Christian churches have been vandalized or burnt just over the last weekend. Thank God, nobody has been hurt, yet, but the terror unleashed is terrifying enough for the Christian minority of this overwhelmingly Muslim nation.
Also thank God that the attacks were the work of a fanatic minority among Muslim Malays. Many others, including government spokesmen, denounced the barbarism. Some volunteers from Muslim nongovernmental organizations have even begun patrolling churches to protect them from possible future attacks. This is, of course, commendable.
Yet still, I think that Malays should deal not just with the radical symptoms of the problem. They should also deal with the problem itself.
A copyright of God?
The problem itself is a “copyright issue,” as Marina Mahathir, a Malay commentator, rightly put it. Christians in the country have been using the word “Allah” to refer to God in their services and publications, whereas the Malays believe that they have a monopoly on it. Hence the Muslim-dominated government recently put a ban on non-Muslims using the term. Yet last month the High Court overturned the ban. And hell broke lose.
As a Turkish Muslim, I strongly disagree with my Malaysian coreligionists who disagree with the Christians. The word “Allah” simply means “The God” in Arabic, and Arab Christians have been using it for centuries without any trouble. In Turkey, too, Bibles published by Turkish Christians used to have the term “Allah” until the recent “modernization” in their discourse. The change is their choice, and none of our business.
Most Muslims, in other words, don’t have a problem with hearing the word “Allah” from non-Muslim theists. And this is how it should be, because the Koran repeatedly says that Muslims worship the same God with Jews and Christians. "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you,” a verse orders Muslims to tell these fellow monotheists. “Our God and your God is one."
Whence, then, comes the Malay possessiveness of Allah?
The Malaysian government argues that making Allah synonymous with God may “confuse Muslims and ultimately mislead them into converting to Christianity.” Wow, what a great sign of self-confidence. Why don’t they rather think, one wonders, that the same thing might ultimately “mislead” Christians into converting to Islam.
Besides the obvious immaturity, what is really disturbing to me here is how Allah, the “Lord of mankind” according to the Koran, is reduced to something like a tribal deity.
This was all too obvious in the slogan of the protesters at the mosques of Kuala Lumpur: "Allah,” they said, “is only for us."
But who do you think you are, one should ask. Who gives you the authority to claim that the name of God of all men is your private property?
The answer, as you can guess, lies not in theology but politics. As a piece published in these pages yesterday (Gwynne Dyer, "In the Name of Allah") explained well, the Muslim Malays, despite making up 60 percent of Malaysia, “feel perpetually insecure.” They worry that if their numbers in population decrease so will their dominant role in the country.
Hence comes Malaysia’s tyrannical bans on apostasy from Islam, limitations on mixed marriages, and the current obsession with the Christians’ language. The main intention behind these is the preservation of the dominance, and the “purity,” of a certain political community – say, a big tribe. (The medieval Islamic ban an apostasy, which has no basis in the Koran, was similarly a product of political motives.)
But pursuing the perceived interests of a political community that happens to be Muslim, is not the same thing with upholding the religious values that God has bestowed on Muslims.
The difference between the two is subtle but crucial. It is the difference between serving God, and making God serve us.
Jihad, victory and empire.
The latter motivation, I suspect, is imperative in the makeup of the self-righteous, authoritarian and violent movements in the contemporary Muslim world. These movements always strive for some victory, some political dominance, which will elevate their very selves above all other men.
The words of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who tried to blow up a passenger airliner near Detroit two weeks ago, are quite telling. “I imagine how the great jihad will take place,” he reportedly said, “how the Muslims will win ... and rule the whole world, and establish the greatest empire once again!!!”
The yearning for glory here is not too different from what a revolutionary communist expects from the dictatorship of the proletariat, or what a chauvinist expects from an imperialist agenda that will make his nation the master of the world.
The Muslim thing to do, however, is to be more humble, modest and openhearted. The Koran tells Muslims that they are supposed to be “the best community that has been raised up for mankind.” Yet they really can’t serve that purpose if they begin by despising the rest of mankind, and claiming an ownership of God.
And Malaysia can’t really uphold the values of Islam through Islamo-tribalism.
Mustafa AKYOL
Nasty things are happening in Malaysia. Nine Christian churches have been vandalized or burnt just over the last weekend. Thank God, nobody has been hurt, yet, but the terror unleashed is terrifying enough for the Christian minority of this overwhelmingly Muslim nation.
Also thank God that the attacks were the work of a fanatic minority among Muslim Malays. Many others, including government spokesmen, denounced the barbarism. Some volunteers from Muslim nongovernmental organizations have even begun patrolling churches to protect them from possible future attacks. This is, of course, commendable.
Yet still, I think that Malays should deal not just with the radical symptoms of the problem. They should also deal with the problem itself.
A copyright of God?
The problem itself is a “copyright issue,” as Marina Mahathir, a Malay commentator, rightly put it. Christians in the country have been using the word “Allah” to refer to God in their services and publications, whereas the Malays believe that they have a monopoly on it. Hence the Muslim-dominated government recently put a ban on non-Muslims using the term. Yet last month the High Court overturned the ban. And hell broke lose.
As a Turkish Muslim, I strongly disagree with my Malaysian coreligionists who disagree with the Christians. The word “Allah” simply means “The God” in Arabic, and Arab Christians have been using it for centuries without any trouble. In Turkey, too, Bibles published by Turkish Christians used to have the term “Allah” until the recent “modernization” in their discourse. The change is their choice, and none of our business.
Most Muslims, in other words, don’t have a problem with hearing the word “Allah” from non-Muslim theists. And this is how it should be, because the Koran repeatedly says that Muslims worship the same God with Jews and Christians. "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you,” a verse orders Muslims to tell these fellow monotheists. “Our God and your God is one."
Whence, then, comes the Malay possessiveness of Allah?
The Malaysian government argues that making Allah synonymous with God may “confuse Muslims and ultimately mislead them into converting to Christianity.” Wow, what a great sign of self-confidence. Why don’t they rather think, one wonders, that the same thing might ultimately “mislead” Christians into converting to Islam.
Besides the obvious immaturity, what is really disturbing to me here is how Allah, the “Lord of mankind” according to the Koran, is reduced to something like a tribal deity.
This was all too obvious in the slogan of the protesters at the mosques of Kuala Lumpur: "Allah,” they said, “is only for us."
But who do you think you are, one should ask. Who gives you the authority to claim that the name of God of all men is your private property?
The answer, as you can guess, lies not in theology but politics. As a piece published in these pages yesterday (Gwynne Dyer, "In the Name of Allah") explained well, the Muslim Malays, despite making up 60 percent of Malaysia, “feel perpetually insecure.” They worry that if their numbers in population decrease so will their dominant role in the country.
Hence comes Malaysia’s tyrannical bans on apostasy from Islam, limitations on mixed marriages, and the current obsession with the Christians’ language. The main intention behind these is the preservation of the dominance, and the “purity,” of a certain political community – say, a big tribe. (The medieval Islamic ban an apostasy, which has no basis in the Koran, was similarly a product of political motives.)
But pursuing the perceived interests of a political community that happens to be Muslim, is not the same thing with upholding the religious values that God has bestowed on Muslims.
The difference between the two is subtle but crucial. It is the difference between serving God, and making God serve us.
Jihad, victory and empire.
The latter motivation, I suspect, is imperative in the makeup of the self-righteous, authoritarian and violent movements in the contemporary Muslim world. These movements always strive for some victory, some political dominance, which will elevate their very selves above all other men.
The words of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who tried to blow up a passenger airliner near Detroit two weeks ago, are quite telling. “I imagine how the great jihad will take place,” he reportedly said, “how the Muslims will win ... and rule the whole world, and establish the greatest empire once again!!!”
The yearning for glory here is not too different from what a revolutionary communist expects from the dictatorship of the proletariat, or what a chauvinist expects from an imperialist agenda that will make his nation the master of the world.
The Muslim thing to do, however, is to be more humble, modest and openhearted. The Koran tells Muslims that they are supposed to be “the best community that has been raised up for mankind.” Yet they really can’t serve that purpose if they begin by despising the rest of mankind, and claiming an ownership of God.
And Malaysia can’t really uphold the values of Islam through Islamo-tribalism.
Joys of Muslim Women by Nonie Darwish
I dont know enough about Sharia law to comment. But from reading this and others, it does seem inhumane and a cruel practice. Must prevent its introduction in other countries or societies.
Sharia law ... very scary ....
She is a real person folks so ..............
For "USA", read "UK" as well.
Be sure to Google Nonie Darwish ..... some very interesting reading. She is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity .... these revelations are from one who knows.
Nonie Darwish is real and widely published. This is sobering and disturbing material. Hard to figure how to deal with it. Reminds me of the disastrous takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban with newly imposed sharia law.
In the Muslim faith a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year old and have sexual intimacy with this child.
Consummating the marriage by 9.
The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as a toy.
Even though a woman is abused she can not obtain a divorce.
To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses. Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the family must return the dowry. The family has the right to execute her (an honor killing) to restore the honor of the family.
Husbands can beat their wives 'at will' and he does not have to say why he has beaten her.
The husband is permitted to have (4 wives) and a temporary wife for an hour (prostitute) at his discretion.
The Shariah Muslim law controls the private as well as the public life of the woman.
In the West World (America & UK) Muslim men are starting to demand Shariah Law so the wife can not obtain a divorce and he can have full and complete control of her. It is amazing and alarming how many of our sisters and daughters attending American Universities are now marrying Muslim men and submitting themselves and their children unsuspectingly to the Shariah law.
By passing this on, enlightened American & UK women may avoid becoming a slave under Shariah Law.
Ripping the West in Two.
Author and lecturer Nonie Darwish says the goal of radical Islamists is to impose Shariah law on the world, ripping Western law and liberty in two. She recently authored the book, Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law.
Darwish was born in Cairo and spent her childhood in Egypt and Gaza before immigrating to America in 1978, when she was eight years old. Her father died while leading covert attacks on Israel. He was a high-ranking Egyptian military officer stationed with his family in Gaza.
When he died, he was considered a "shahid," a martyr for jihad. His posthumous status earned Nonie and her family an elevated position in Muslim society. But Darwish developed a skeptical eye at an early age. She questioned her own Muslim culture and upbringing. She converted to Christianity after hearing a Christian preacher on television.
In her latest book, Darwish warns about creeping sharia law - what it is, what it means, and how it is manifested in Islamic countries.
For the West, she says radical Islamists are working to impose sharia on the world. If that happens, Western civilization will be destroyed. Westerners generally assume all religions encourage a respect for the dignity of each individual. Islamic law (Sharia) teaches that non-Muslims should be subjugated or killed in this world.
Peace and prosperity for one's children is not as important as assuring that Islamic law rules everywhere in the Middle East and eventually in the world. While Westerners tend to think that all religions encourage some form of the golden rule, Sharia teaches two systems of ethics - one for Muslims and another for non-Muslims. Building on tribal practices of the seventh century, Sharia encourages the side of humanity that wants to take from and subjugate others.
While Westerners tend to think in terms of religious people developing a personal understanding of and relationship with God, Sharia advocates executing people who ask difficult questions that could be interpreted as criticism.
It's hard to imagine, that in this day and age, Islamic scholars agree that those who criticize Islam or choose to stop being Muslim should be executed. Sadly, while talk of an Islamic reformation is common and even assumed by many in the West, such murmurings in the Middle East are silenced through intimidation.
While Westerners are accustomed to an increase in religious tolerance over time, Darwish explains how petro dollars are being used to grow an extremely intolerant form of political Islam in her native Egypt and elsewhere.
In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President by themselves! Rest assured they will do so... You can look at how they have taken over several towns in the USA .... Dearborn Mich. is one ... and there are others.
I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!
It is too bad that so many are disillusioned with life and Christianity to accept Muslims as peaceful .... some may be but they have an army that is willing to shed blood in the name of Islam .... the peaceful support the warriors with their finances and own kind of patriotism to their religion.
While America/UK is getting rid of Christianity from all public sites and erasing God from the lives of children the Muslims are planning a great jihad on America.
Sharia law ... very scary ....
She is a real person folks so ..............
For "USA", read "UK" as well.
Be sure to Google Nonie Darwish ..... some very interesting reading. She is a former Muslim who converted to Christianity .... these revelations are from one who knows.
Nonie Darwish is real and widely published. This is sobering and disturbing material. Hard to figure how to deal with it. Reminds me of the disastrous takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban with newly imposed sharia law.
In the Muslim faith a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year old and have sexual intimacy with this child.
Consummating the marriage by 9.
The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as a toy.
Even though a woman is abused she can not obtain a divorce.
To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses. Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the family must return the dowry. The family has the right to execute her (an honor killing) to restore the honor of the family.
Husbands can beat their wives 'at will' and he does not have to say why he has beaten her.
The husband is permitted to have (4 wives) and a temporary wife for an hour (prostitute) at his discretion.
The Shariah Muslim law controls the private as well as the public life of the woman.
In the West World (America & UK) Muslim men are starting to demand Shariah Law so the wife can not obtain a divorce and he can have full and complete control of her. It is amazing and alarming how many of our sisters and daughters attending American Universities are now marrying Muslim men and submitting themselves and their children unsuspectingly to the Shariah law.
By passing this on, enlightened American & UK women may avoid becoming a slave under Shariah Law.
Ripping the West in Two.
Author and lecturer Nonie Darwish says the goal of radical Islamists is to impose Shariah law on the world, ripping Western law and liberty in two. She recently authored the book, Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law.
Darwish was born in Cairo and spent her childhood in Egypt and Gaza before immigrating to America in 1978, when she was eight years old. Her father died while leading covert attacks on Israel. He was a high-ranking Egyptian military officer stationed with his family in Gaza.
When he died, he was considered a "shahid," a martyr for jihad. His posthumous status earned Nonie and her family an elevated position in Muslim society. But Darwish developed a skeptical eye at an early age. She questioned her own Muslim culture and upbringing. She converted to Christianity after hearing a Christian preacher on television.
In her latest book, Darwish warns about creeping sharia law - what it is, what it means, and how it is manifested in Islamic countries.
For the West, she says radical Islamists are working to impose sharia on the world. If that happens, Western civilization will be destroyed. Westerners generally assume all religions encourage a respect for the dignity of each individual. Islamic law (Sharia) teaches that non-Muslims should be subjugated or killed in this world.
Peace and prosperity for one's children is not as important as assuring that Islamic law rules everywhere in the Middle East and eventually in the world. While Westerners tend to think that all religions encourage some form of the golden rule, Sharia teaches two systems of ethics - one for Muslims and another for non-Muslims. Building on tribal practices of the seventh century, Sharia encourages the side of humanity that wants to take from and subjugate others.
While Westerners tend to think in terms of religious people developing a personal understanding of and relationship with God, Sharia advocates executing people who ask difficult questions that could be interpreted as criticism.
It's hard to imagine, that in this day and age, Islamic scholars agree that those who criticize Islam or choose to stop being Muslim should be executed. Sadly, while talk of an Islamic reformation is common and even assumed by many in the West, such murmurings in the Middle East are silenced through intimidation.
While Westerners are accustomed to an increase in religious tolerance over time, Darwish explains how petro dollars are being used to grow an extremely intolerant form of political Islam in her native Egypt and elsewhere.
In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President by themselves! Rest assured they will do so... You can look at how they have taken over several towns in the USA .... Dearborn Mich. is one ... and there are others.
I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!
It is too bad that so many are disillusioned with life and Christianity to accept Muslims as peaceful .... some may be but they have an army that is willing to shed blood in the name of Islam .... the peaceful support the warriors with their finances and own kind of patriotism to their religion.
While America/UK is getting rid of Christianity from all public sites and erasing God from the lives of children the Muslims are planning a great jihad on America.
How all Malaysians should be treated
This is a very good article from a younger generation and a great granddaughter of Tunku Abdul Rahman. A very well expressed opinion of how all Malaysians should be treated.
IF THIS IS THE VOICE OF YOUR YOUNGER GENERATION IN MALAYSIA , YOU WILL BE BLESSED.
Sharyn completed her Diploma in Advertising from Taylor's College, and then left motherland to pursue her BA degree majoring in Media Studies and Anthropology at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. While waiting for her graduation in May 08, she interned briefly at M&C Saatchi Wellington, a global advertising firm. Upon returning to Malaysia, jobless and relieved of rent payments, Sharyn stumbled upon Wild Asia through The Star which sparked her interest to learn more about nature and environmental causes. Armed with a communications background, Sharyn works on the Wild Asia website and editorial, translating geek terms into laymen language, easily accessed and understood by visitors regardless of their backgrounds, be it scientific, business, the arts or just plain interested.
By The Tunku's Great Granddaughter.
This is a great piece. She has all the qualities of her great grandfather. Tunku has reason to be proud of her!
Tunku Abdul Rahman's great granddaughter
Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, 24, Conservationist
Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a Chinese.
I'm happy that I don't have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up "Are you Chinese or Malay"
Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead.
There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don't have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn't define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or Ali and still be a Christian.
I've heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don't need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.
For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.
No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don't feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don't feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there.
I know some baby Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can't they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.
I think the main reason why we still can't achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.
For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.
I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of Malaysia truly Asia.
IF THIS IS THE VOICE OF YOUR YOUNGER GENERATION IN MALAYSIA , YOU WILL BE BLESSED.
Sharyn completed her Diploma in Advertising from Taylor's College, and then left motherland to pursue her BA degree majoring in Media Studies and Anthropology at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. While waiting for her graduation in May 08, she interned briefly at M&C Saatchi Wellington, a global advertising firm. Upon returning to Malaysia, jobless and relieved of rent payments, Sharyn stumbled upon Wild Asia through The Star which sparked her interest to learn more about nature and environmental causes. Armed with a communications background, Sharyn works on the Wild Asia website and editorial, translating geek terms into laymen language, easily accessed and understood by visitors regardless of their backgrounds, be it scientific, business, the arts or just plain interested.
By The Tunku's Great Granddaughter.
This is a great piece. She has all the qualities of her great grandfather. Tunku has reason to be proud of her!
Tunku Abdul Rahman's great granddaughter
Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, 24, Conservationist
Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a Chinese.
I'm happy that I don't have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up "Are you Chinese or Malay"
Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead.
There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don't have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn't define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or Ali and still be a Christian.
I've heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don't need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.
For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.
No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don't feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don't feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there.
I know some baby Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can't they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.
I think the main reason why we still can't achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.
For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.
I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of Malaysia truly Asia.
NOTE : I have deleted the paragraph that Ms Sharyn Shufyan had clarified on. Thank you Sharyn for the clarification.
Interesting Perspectives!!!
Can be scary even for true peace loving God-abiding Muslims themselves in the long run!!!
Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life.
Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components.
Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges.
When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.
Here's how it works:
As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be, for the most part, be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:
United States -- Muslim 0.6%
Australia -- Muslim 1.5%
Canada -- Muslim 1.9%
China -- Muslim 1.8%
Italy -- Muslim 1.5%
Norway -- Muslim 1.8%
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:
Denmark -- Muslim 2%
Germany -- Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7%
Spain -- Muslim 4%
Thailand -- Muslim 4..6%
From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats
for failure to comply. This is occurring in:
France -- Muslim 8%
Philippines -- Muslim 5%
Sweden -- Muslim 5%
Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago -- Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.!
When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris , we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam , with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in:
Guyana -- Muslim 10%
India -- Muslim 13.4%
Israel -- Muslim 16%
Kenya -- Muslim 10%
Russia -- Muslim 15%
After reaching 20% , nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:
Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8%
At 40% , nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:
Bosnia -- Muslim 40%
Chad -- Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7%
From 60% , nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax
placed on infidels, such as in:
Albania -- Muslim 70%
Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4%
Qatar -- Muslim 77.5%
Sudan -- Muslim 70%
After 80% , expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:
Bangladesh -- Muslim 83%
Egypt -- Muslim 90%
Gaza -- Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1%
Iran -- Muslim 98%
Iraq -- Muslim 97%
Jordan -- Muslim 92%
Morocco -- Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan -- Muslim 97%
Palestine -- Muslim 99%
Syria -- Muslim 90%
Tajikistan -- Muslim 90%
Turkey -- Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan -- Muslim 100 %
Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%
Somalia -- Muslim 100%
Yemen -- Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
'Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel. -- Leon Uris, 'The Haj'
It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim populations, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law. The national police do not even enter these ghettos. There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. The children attend madrasses. They learn only the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death. Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.
Today's 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world's population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers. Muslims will exceed 50% of the world's population by the end of this century at their current rate of reproduction.
Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book:
Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat
Islam is not a religion, nor is it a cult. In its fullest form, it is a complete, total, 100% system of life.
Islam has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. The religious component is a beard for all of the other components.
Islamization begins when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their religious privileges.
When politically correct, tolerant, and culturally diverse societies agree to Muslim demands for their religious privileges, some of the other components tend to creep in as well.
Here's how it works:
As long as the Muslim population remains around or under 2% in any given country, they will be, for the most part, be regarded as a peace-loving minority, and not as a threat to other citizens. This is the case in:
United States -- Muslim 0.6%
Australia -- Muslim 1.5%
Canada -- Muslim 1.9%
China -- Muslim 1.8%
Italy -- Muslim 1.5%
Norway -- Muslim 1.8%
At 2% to 5%, they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups, often with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs. This is happening in:
Denmark -- Muslim 2%
Germany -- Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom -- Muslim 2.7%
Spain -- Muslim 4%
Thailand -- Muslim 4..6%
From 5% on, they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. For example, they will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature halal on their shelves -- along with threats
for failure to comply. This is occurring in:
France -- Muslim 8%
Philippines -- Muslim 5%
Sweden -- Muslim 5%
Switzerland -- Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands -- Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad & Tobago -- Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves (within their ghettos) under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islamists is to establish Sharia law over the entire world.!
When Muslims approach 10% of the population, they tend to increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions. In Paris , we are already seeing car-burnings. Any non-Muslim action offends Islam, and results in uprisings and threats, such as in Amsterdam , with opposition to Mohammed cartoons and films about Islam. Such tensions are seen daily, particularly in Muslim sections, in:
Guyana -- Muslim 10%
India -- Muslim 13.4%
Israel -- Muslim 16%
Kenya -- Muslim 10%
Russia -- Muslim 15%
After reaching 20% , nations can expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings, and the burnings of Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, such as in:
Ethiopia -- Muslim 32.8%
At 40% , nations experience widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks, and ongoing militia warfare, such as in:
Bosnia -- Muslim 40%
Chad -- Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon -- Muslim 59.7%
From 60% , nations experience unfettered persecution of non-believers of all other religions (including non-conforming Muslims), sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon, and Jizya, the tax
placed on infidels, such as in:
Albania -- Muslim 70%
Malaysia -- Muslim 60.4%
Qatar -- Muslim 77.5%
Sudan -- Muslim 70%
After 80% , expect daily intimidation and violent jihad, some State-run ethnic cleansing, and even some genocide, as these nations drive out the infidels, and move toward 100% Muslim, such as has been experienced and in some ways is on-going in:
Bangladesh -- Muslim 83%
Egypt -- Muslim 90%
Gaza -- Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia -- Muslim 86.1%
Iran -- Muslim 98%
Iraq -- Muslim 97%
Jordan -- Muslim 92%
Morocco -- Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan -- Muslim 97%
Palestine -- Muslim 99%
Syria -- Muslim 90%
Tajikistan -- Muslim 90%
Turkey -- Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates -- Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of 'Dar-es-Salaam' -- the Islamic House of Peace. Here there's supposed to be peace, because everybody is a Muslim, the Madrasses are the only schools, and the Koran is the only word, such as in:
Afghanistan -- Muslim 100 %
Saudi Arabia -- Muslim 100%
Somalia -- Muslim 100%
Yemen -- Muslim 100%
Unfortunately, peace is never achieved, as in these 100% states the most radical Muslims intimidate and spew hatred, and satisfy their blood lust by killing less radical Muslims, for a variety of reasons.
'Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; the tribe against the world, and all of us against the infidel. -- Leon Uris, 'The Haj'
It is important to understand that in some countries, with well under 100% Muslim populations, such as France, the minority Muslim populations live in ghettos, within which they are 100% Muslim, and within which they live by Sharia Law. The national police do not even enter these ghettos. There are no national courts, nor schools, nor non-Muslim religious facilities. In such situations, Muslims do not integrate into the community at large. The children attend madrasses. They learn only the Koran. To even associate with an infidel is a crime punishable with death. Therefore, in some areas of certain nations, Muslim Imams and extremists exercise more power than the national average would indicate.
Today's 1.5 billion Muslims make up 22% of the world's population. But their birth rates dwarf the birth rates of Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and all other believers. Muslims will exceed 50% of the world's population by the end of this century at their current rate of reproduction.
Adapted from Dr. Peter Hammond's book:
Slavery, Terrorism and Islam: The Historical Roots and Contemporary Threat
Australian Prime Minister does it again!!
Thought you'd find this interesting, was picked up in Canadian press.
He's done it again. He sure isn't backing down on his hard line stance and one has to appreciate his belief in the rights of his native countrymen.
This man should be appointed King of the World. Truer words have never been spoken.
It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Austrilia's beliefs.
Whole world Needs A Leader Like This!
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, we will find the courage to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
He's done it again. He sure isn't backing down on his hard line stance and one has to appreciate his belief in the rights of his native countrymen.
This man should be appointed King of the World. Truer words have never been spoken.It took a lot of courage for this man to speak what he had to say for the world to hear. The retribution could be phenomenal, but at least he was willing to take a stand on his and Austrilia's beliefs.
Whole world Needs A Leader Like This!
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks..
Separately, Rudd angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote:
'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. '
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
'If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.'
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, we will find the courage to start speaking and voicing the same truths.
Good joke for year 2010
Guess you will know where this is coming from!!!!????
A man came home from work and his children ran to him and called out ‘Ayah! Ayah!’
His neighbor got very upset and said to him, “Can you please tell your children not to call you ‘Ayah’?”
The man asked, “Why?”
The neighbor retorted, “Because my children call me ’Ayah’ too. They might get confused and mistake you to be their father.”
Then the man told his neighbour, are you not ashamed to say that your children do not know who is their 'Ayah'. So you are saying by using the word 'Ayah' ,your children will call me Ayah too without knowing who is their father?
The neighbour said yes,only my children should use the word 'Ayah'.
The man said, then there is something wrong in what you are teaching your children.They are not sure and do not know who their 'Ayah' is !!
A man came home from work and his children ran to him and called out ‘Ayah! Ayah!’
His neighbor got very upset and said to him, “Can you please tell your children not to call you ‘Ayah’?”
The man asked, “Why?”
The neighbor retorted, “Because my children call me ’Ayah’ too. They might get confused and mistake you to be their father.”
Then the man told his neighbour, are you not ashamed to say that your children do not know who is their 'Ayah'. So you are saying by using the word 'Ayah' ,your children will call me Ayah too without knowing who is their father?
The neighbour said yes,only my children should use the word 'Ayah'.
The man said, then there is something wrong in what you are teaching your children.They are not sure and do not know who their 'Ayah' is !!
Man rapes ex-girlfriend's mother
The Straits Times, March 9, 2010
By Selina Lum & Sujin Thomas
He gets 25 years' jail and 24 strokes for tying her up for six hours, raping her in her bed
FOR six hours, a 27-year-old man tormented the mother of his former girlfriend whom he had bound and gagged.
He finished by raping her in her bed, and helped himself to $100 from her wallet and her cellphone before leaving the scene.
The fast-food delivery man was yesterday jailed for 25 years and ordered to be given the maximum 24 strokes of the cane, following Deputy Public Prosecutor Chua Ying-hong's argument for the 'harshest punishment' for his relentless attacks on the 48-year-old divorcee.
Ms Chua told the High Court: 'The accused had callously violated the sanctity of the victim's body and home, immobilising her for an extended period of almost six hours, during which he treated her as his personal sex slave.'
The man cannot be named because the court has barred the publication of any information that may identify the victim.
The court heard that he had already broken up with the victim's daughter, but had continued visiting her and her mother.
In the early hours of April 4 last year, he let himself into the flat, using the keys he had stolen from the premises five months earlier.
Knowing his former girlfriend to be out that night, he entered the flat at about 1am, wearing gloves and a T-shirt over his head to hide his face.
He made his way to the older woman's room, where he bound and gagged her with masking tape. He tied her arms to the bedpost and tried to rape her, but was unsuccessful despite several attempts.
The daughter returned at 4am and headed straight to her bedroom, oblivious to what was happening to her mother.
The man fondled and then raped the woman, who made repeated pleas to go to the toilet throughout her ordeal.
He eventually left at 7am with her money and her cellphone, leaving her tied up. She freed herself an hour later.
The man was arrested almost three weeks later, following police investigations.
His DNA matched that of the semen he left on the woman's body and clothes.
In court yesterday, the man, who did not have a lawyer, pleaded for leniency through a Malay interpreter, saying he had an aged mother and a seven- month-old child to support. He is not married.
In sentencing him yesterday on four charges, including aggravated rape and housebreaking, Justice Chan Seng Onn noted that the offences were pre-meditated.
'You terrorised the victim for a prolonged period of some six hours,' said the judge.
The woman declined to be interviewed yesterday, but her daughter, aged 25, said she rued the day she met the man in 2000.
She said they broke up after a short while, but could not recall exactly when.
He had once showered concern on her and her mother, and would at times bring them food.
But those days are long gone.
The daughter said: 'My mum wonders how he had the cheek to plan and do something like this.'
She added that what galls her was how the man's current girlfriend called her repeatedly after his arrest to persuade her to put in a good word for him and 'reduce' his punishment.
'Some people can change but he is one of those who cannot,' said the daughter.
Her mother has since returned to work and their lives have resumed a semblance of normalcy.
The daughter said: 'Her life has gone back to normal.
'But it's not easy to forgive and forget.'
By Selina Lum & Sujin Thomas
He gets 25 years' jail and 24 strokes for tying her up for six hours, raping her in her bed
FOR six hours, a 27-year-old man tormented the mother of his former girlfriend whom he had bound and gagged.
He finished by raping her in her bed, and helped himself to $100 from her wallet and her cellphone before leaving the scene.
The fast-food delivery man was yesterday jailed for 25 years and ordered to be given the maximum 24 strokes of the cane, following Deputy Public Prosecutor Chua Ying-hong's argument for the 'harshest punishment' for his relentless attacks on the 48-year-old divorcee.
Ms Chua told the High Court: 'The accused had callously violated the sanctity of the victim's body and home, immobilising her for an extended period of almost six hours, during which he treated her as his personal sex slave.'
The man cannot be named because the court has barred the publication of any information that may identify the victim.
The court heard that he had already broken up with the victim's daughter, but had continued visiting her and her mother.
In the early hours of April 4 last year, he let himself into the flat, using the keys he had stolen from the premises five months earlier.
Knowing his former girlfriend to be out that night, he entered the flat at about 1am, wearing gloves and a T-shirt over his head to hide his face.
He made his way to the older woman's room, where he bound and gagged her with masking tape. He tied her arms to the bedpost and tried to rape her, but was unsuccessful despite several attempts.
The daughter returned at 4am and headed straight to her bedroom, oblivious to what was happening to her mother.
The man fondled and then raped the woman, who made repeated pleas to go to the toilet throughout her ordeal.
He eventually left at 7am with her money and her cellphone, leaving her tied up. She freed herself an hour later.
The man was arrested almost three weeks later, following police investigations.
His DNA matched that of the semen he left on the woman's body and clothes.
In court yesterday, the man, who did not have a lawyer, pleaded for leniency through a Malay interpreter, saying he had an aged mother and a seven- month-old child to support. He is not married.
In sentencing him yesterday on four charges, including aggravated rape and housebreaking, Justice Chan Seng Onn noted that the offences were pre-meditated.
'You terrorised the victim for a prolonged period of some six hours,' said the judge.
The woman declined to be interviewed yesterday, but her daughter, aged 25, said she rued the day she met the man in 2000.
She said they broke up after a short while, but could not recall exactly when.
He had once showered concern on her and her mother, and would at times bring them food.
But those days are long gone.
The daughter said: 'My mum wonders how he had the cheek to plan and do something like this.'
She added that what galls her was how the man's current girlfriend called her repeatedly after his arrest to persuade her to put in a good word for him and 'reduce' his punishment.
'Some people can change but he is one of those who cannot,' said the daughter.
Her mother has since returned to work and their lives have resumed a semblance of normalcy.
The daughter said: 'Her life has gone back to normal.
'But it's not easy to forgive and forget.'
Life's a beach but it's no holiday
The Straits Times, March9, 2010
Parents' irresponsibility, greed and policy are depriving kids of homes
By Radha Basu, Senior Correspondent
MR I.B. YUSOF, a father of four young children, sold three Housing Board flats in nine years, netting $90,000 in profits.
Flush with cash after the first two sales, Mr Yusof, 44, took out a hefty bank loan and upgraded to a four-room flat in 2005. At the time, the sole breadwinner, who has a hearing-impaired wife, earned only $800 per month. He hoped to get a better job to pay for the new flat.
Then his fortunes dived. He lost his job as a technician in early 2006 and was unemployed for the next nine months. Living expenses ate up most of his savings. Unable to pay his loans, he was forced to sell his home in 2007.
The family stayed with relatives for nearly two years before being thrown out last June after his 13-year-old daughter was accused of theft. The beach became their home.
On Feb 21, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong advised Singaporeans not to sell their flats to make a quick buck. Days after his comments, two MPs told Parliament last week how, going by the cases they have handled, many families end up homeless because they sell off their flats and spend the cash.
The number of homeless people being picked up at beaches, void decks and parks has doubled in two years, with about 300 such individuals and families seeking help from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports last year alone.
Unlike in some countries, where people are often too poor to rent - let alone buy - their first home, homelessness in Singapore is often the result of personal irresponsibility, stemming from avarice or divorce and dysfunction.
Some, like Mr Yusof, commit to homes more expensive than they can afford. Others sell their homes for cash to settle gambling or credit card debts, and end up on the beach.
The HDB's move last week banning buyers of resale flats from selling them within three years of purchase will no doubt prevent some cash-strapped folk from churning their homes to pay off debts. But further changes - both at the personal and policy level - could help nip this nascent trend of homelessness in the bud. As the sorry sagas of Mr Yusof and others show, personal prudence is paramount.
Some wealthier folks who have alternative housing still try their luck at a highly subsidised rental flat, clogging up the queue for those genuinely without a roof over their heads. Some time ago, HDB discovered that one retired couple in the rental flat queue had no income, but owned nine private properties worth $6 million. Such people delay the truly needy from getting shelter.
At the systemic level, better credit assessment on the part of those who disburse loans can help weed out potential home buyers aiming to spend beyond their means. For instance, Mr Yusof was given a bank loan large enough to buy a four-room flat when his $800 a month was the only income for his family of six.
It's also time to ensure that irresponsible home sellers with no alternative accommodation don't fritter away profits - and waste the housing subsidies they receive from the HDB. For instance, those earning below a certain limit who have made use of HDB subsidies could be barred from selling their flats even after they have satisfied the HDB-stipulated minimum occupation period unless they can prove they have another place to live in the long term. The flats, after all, were subsidised by the Government so that they could be homes first, not assets to be pawned on a whim.
Meanwhile, families who are already homeless or on the verge of losing their homes also need more help.
The only two temporary shelters for such folk are packed, with dozens of families on the waiting list. More shelters are needed so that the children of the homeless, in particular, have a home, as social workers sort out the mess in their parents' lives.
The allocation of rental flats could also be made more flexible and fast for those who lose homes through no fault of their own - such as the elderly, divorced mothers and, above all, children. Contrary to popular belief, not all those in danger of losing their homes are feckless folk caught in an endless cycle of over-consumption.
One 27-year-old divorcee, who earns $800 a month and has never taken an HDB loan, was repeatedly denied the chance to rent or buy a resale flat with her six-year-old daughter because the child was born out of wedlock.
The duo shared a one-room flat with her siblings for a year. But the others drank and smoked heavily and brought home strangers at night. After this newspaper inquired about her plight with the HDB, she was told she would be given a rental flat on 'compassionate' grounds. She faces a year-long wait for a home - no thanks to those who could find some other place to stay but who try their luck for a rental flat.
The Government has so far shied away from automatically granting rental flats to mothers with young children for fear that the move will cause an explosion in divorce rates or illegitimate births. This fear is not unfounded. Britain, which offers the most generous welfare benefits for single mothers, also has the highest divorce rate in Europe. In a case that made headlines in Britain last month, a single mother of six rented a mansion in a London suburb for £7,000 (S$14,800) a month - fully paid for by taxpayers.
No one wants such excesses. But Singapore is probably near the other end of the scale at present, in terms of help for unwed or divorced mothers and their children. Shifting a step closer to the middle ground - like building more shelters for the homeless - would help.
A parsimonious approach that restricts help for the homeless for fear of moral hazard or 'abuse' actually creates problems in the long run if the children in homeless families do not get a chance to straighten out their lives.
Take the Yusof family. The elder daughter sat her Primary School Leaving Examination twice while the family shuttled between relatives' homes. She failed both times. I asked the reticent teen if the lack of a proper home had contributed to her poor performance. Her tears were the only answer.
Policies penalise parents for their reckless misdeeds. But their innocent children should be spared the consequences.
Egypt's Al-Azhar university to ban niqab in women's classes
Agence France-Presse
October 8, 2009
CAIRO - Egypt's Al-Azhar University, the most prestigious centre of religious learning in the Sunni Muslim world, said on Thursday it will ban the face veil from female-only classrooms and residences.
"The Supreme Council of Al-Azhar has decided to ban students and teachers from wearing the niqab inside female-only classrooms, that are taught by women only," a statement said.
The ban extends to women's dormitories and to schools affiliated with the university, it said.
The face-veil, or niqab, is worn by some devout Muslim women. Local press reported that Mohammed Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar, said last week that he intended to ban the practice in the university.
The supreme council's statement added that Al-Azhar does not oppose the niqab, which it said only a minority of Muslim scholars consider an obligation, but it opposes "imprinting it on the minds of girls."
The decision came after female students who wear the niqab were banned from the women's dormitory of the state-run Cairo University.
Most Muslim women in Egypt wear the hijab, which covers the hair, but the niqab is becoming more popular on the streets of Cairo.
The government has shown concern over the trend. The religious endowments ministry issued booklets against the practice, saying the niqab is not Islamic, and the health ministry wants to ban it among doctors and nurses.
In the Middle East, the niqab is associated with Salafism, an ultra-conservative school of thought practiced mostly in Saudi Arabia.
Most Salafis shun politics, but the creed has influenced Islamist militants such as al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.
From the Palestinian territories, a small Salafi group known as Jund Ansar Allah has called on Egyptians to strike out in reaction, according to a statement reported by the SITE Intelligence Group.
"We call upon our mujahedeen brothers to start crushing the fortifications of the government of the pharaoh of this age (President Hosni Mubarak) and to strike with an iron hand all the agents and traitors."
Al-Azhar has long enjoyed a reputation as Sunni Islam's eminent source of learning and edicts.
Salafists, who actively promote their creed, sometimes funded by wealthy patrons in Saudi Arabia, are opposed to Al-Azhar's theological teachings.
October 8, 2009
CAIRO - Egypt's Al-Azhar University, the most prestigious centre of religious learning in the Sunni Muslim world, said on Thursday it will ban the face veil from female-only classrooms and residences.
"The Supreme Council of Al-Azhar has decided to ban students and teachers from wearing the niqab inside female-only classrooms, that are taught by women only," a statement said.
The ban extends to women's dormitories and to schools affiliated with the university, it said.
The face-veil, or niqab, is worn by some devout Muslim women. Local press reported that Mohammed Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar, said last week that he intended to ban the practice in the university.
The supreme council's statement added that Al-Azhar does not oppose the niqab, which it said only a minority of Muslim scholars consider an obligation, but it opposes "imprinting it on the minds of girls."
The decision came after female students who wear the niqab were banned from the women's dormitory of the state-run Cairo University.
Most Muslim women in Egypt wear the hijab, which covers the hair, but the niqab is becoming more popular on the streets of Cairo.
The government has shown concern over the trend. The religious endowments ministry issued booklets against the practice, saying the niqab is not Islamic, and the health ministry wants to ban it among doctors and nurses.
In the Middle East, the niqab is associated with Salafism, an ultra-conservative school of thought practiced mostly in Saudi Arabia.
Most Salafis shun politics, but the creed has influenced Islamist militants such as al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.
From the Palestinian territories, a small Salafi group known as Jund Ansar Allah has called on Egyptians to strike out in reaction, according to a statement reported by the SITE Intelligence Group.
"We call upon our mujahedeen brothers to start crushing the fortifications of the government of the pharaoh of this age (President Hosni Mubarak) and to strike with an iron hand all the agents and traitors."
Al-Azhar has long enjoyed a reputation as Sunni Islam's eminent source of learning and edicts.
Salafists, who actively promote their creed, sometimes funded by wealthy patrons in Saudi Arabia, are opposed to Al-Azhar's theological teachings.
France set to move towards burqa ban
AFP Global Edition
2010-01-26 06:10:13
After six months of hearings surrounded by fierce public debate, a commission set up by parliament will publish Tuesday its findings on outlawing the full-face veil.
Despite a large Muslim presence, the sight of fully-veiled women is not an everyday occurrence in France. Only 1,900 women wear the burqa, according to the interior ministry.
Half of them live in the Paris region and 90 percent are under 40.
Nicolas Sarkozy backs a ban on the full Muslim veil
by Charles Bremner in Paris
From The Times January 26, 2010
Curbs on wearing the full Muslim veil come a step closer in France today with a report that will call for a ban on the dress in post offices, universities, hospitals and state-owned premises, as well as public transport.
Last night President Sarkozy was due to endorse the proposals, to be made by an all-party commission. Last week he called the niqab, the form of veil worn in France, “contrary to our values and to the ideals we have of women’s dignity”. Parliament is expected to act on the proposals in the spring.
If they become law women with covered faces would be refused public services such as transport, university classes and benefits.
The popular campaign for an “anti-burka law”, as it is known, is helping Mr Sarkozy after a series of political blunders in recent months that have robbed him of his aura of invincibility. In his appearance last night he sought to restore confidence in his administration. His format — questions from 11 hand-picked members of the public — was attacked by the opposition as “Berlusconi-style” propaganda.
Two out of three people want the veil, worn by a small but growing number of young fundamentalists, to be outlawed anywhere in public, according to opinion polls. Mr Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and a section of the left-wing opposition want that, too, but the President called for narrower measures and more thought. France should not stigmatise Muslims, he said.
After five months of testimony from religious leaders, human rights activists and others, the parliamentary commission closed its work in disarray. A limited legal ban and a parliamentary resolution condemning the niqab was the maximum consensus that could be reached. Even that is likely to draw criticism from outside France.
The Socialist opposition, divided among themselves over the veil, are to abstain from a vote on the report. They say that it has been polluted by a “great national debate” on French identity that Mr Sarkozy has staged over the past three months.
Some figures in Mr Sarkozy’s party are also uneasy over the way that the veil question has been blended with the national debate, which has focused on the integration of the country’s five million Muslims. Mr Sarkozy has contributed to the distaste, calling on French Muslims to be discreet about practising their religion. The critics see this as a crude play for votes before the regional council elections in March.
Muslim leaders told the commission that the full veil was not supported by most Muslims but that a law would add to the feeling of rejection.
Views on the veil
The Netherlands A proposal to ban veils failed in 2006 after lawyers said that it would be unconstitutional. The Government has since said that it will try to ban face-covering veils in schools and for government employees
Italy A law passed in 1975 required people to keep their faces visible in public but it is not usually applied to Muslim women. Silvio Berlusconi’s government said in October 2009 that it would try to add a specific ban on religious garments that cover the face
Belgium Full veils were banned in the town of Maaseik in 2004 but there is no countrywide ban
Germany Some states have banned teachers from wearing headscarves in public schools
Switzerland The Justice Ministry said that it would consider a ban after November’s referendum halting the building of new minarets
Turkey Islamic-style headscarves in schools, universities and government offices are banned
Sources: Associated Press; Reuters
Burka, niqab have no place in Denmark, PM says
Agence France-Presse
January 19, 2010
COPENHAGEN - The face-covering burka and niqab veils worn by some Muslim women have no place in Denmark, Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Tuesday, adding his government was considering restricting them.
Rasmussen stopped short, however, of calling for a ban on the veils, noting "legal and other limits".
"The government's position is clear: the burka and the niqab have no place in Danish society. They symbolise a view of women and humanity that we totally oppose and that we want to combat in Danish society," Rasmussen told reporters.
Denmark is "an open, democratic society where we look at the person to whom we are talking, whether it's in a classroom or on the job," he said.
"That is why we don't want to see this garment in Danish society," he added.
He said his centre-right government was "discussing ways of limiting the wearing" of the veils without violating the Scandinavian country's constitution.
The prime minister's comments came a day after the publication of a report which showed that use of the burka was "extremely rare" in Denmark, though no figures were given, and that the niqab was worn by "between 100 and 200" women.
The report was commissioned by the social affairs ministry and written by researchers at the University of Copenhagen.
It follows a heated debate on the burka that has divided the two-party coalition government since the summer amid pressure from its key parliamentary ally the far-right Danish People's Party.
Some 100,000 Muslim women live in Denmark, representing about 1.9 per cent of Denmark's total population of 5.5 million. Some 0.15 per cent of the Muslim women wear the niqab, according to the report.
2010-01-26 06:10:13
France was set to move one step closer to barring Muslim women from wearing the full Islamic veil with the release Tuesday of a report calling for a ban on the burqa in public institutions.
It is expected to call the burqa an affront to French values and make 18 recommendations, including adopting a ban on wearing the full veil in "public services" including hospitals, schools and transport.
President Nicolas Sarkozy set the tone for the debate when he declared the burqa "not welcome" in France and described it as a symbol of women's "subservience" which cannot be tolerated in a country that considers itself a human rights leader.
Hopes for reaching any sort of political consensus have evaporated, with the opposition Socialists, divided by those calling for a total prohibition and those opposed to stigmatising wearers of the full veil, planning to abstain from the vote on the report.
The leader of Sarkozy's right-wing party in parliament, Jean-Francois Cope, has already presented draft legislation that would make it illegal for anyone to cover their faces in public for reasons of security.
Home to Europe's biggest Muslim minority, estimated at about six million, France is heading into unchartered territory. No European country has adopted sweeping national legislation on restricting the full veil.
French support for a law banning the full veil is strong: a poll last week showed that 57 percent are in favour.
While lawmakers are divided on the scope of the restrictions, with many fearing that a draconian law would stigmatise Muslims who are already bristling at the anti-Islam rants heard during the government's national identity debate, they agree that some time will be needed to craft a solid text that would stand up to a court challenge.
Nicolas Sarkozy backs a ban on the full Muslim veil
by Charles Bremner in Paris
From The Times January 26, 2010
Curbs on wearing the full Muslim veil come a step closer in France today with a report that will call for a ban on the dress in post offices, universities, hospitals and state-owned premises, as well as public transport.
Last night President Sarkozy was due to endorse the proposals, to be made by an all-party commission. Last week he called the niqab, the form of veil worn in France, “contrary to our values and to the ideals we have of women’s dignity”. Parliament is expected to act on the proposals in the spring.
If they become law women with covered faces would be refused public services such as transport, university classes and benefits.
The popular campaign for an “anti-burka law”, as it is known, is helping Mr Sarkozy after a series of political blunders in recent months that have robbed him of his aura of invincibility. In his appearance last night he sought to restore confidence in his administration. His format — questions from 11 hand-picked members of the public — was attacked by the opposition as “Berlusconi-style” propaganda.
Two out of three people want the veil, worn by a small but growing number of young fundamentalists, to be outlawed anywhere in public, according to opinion polls. Mr Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and a section of the left-wing opposition want that, too, but the President called for narrower measures and more thought. France should not stigmatise Muslims, he said.
After five months of testimony from religious leaders, human rights activists and others, the parliamentary commission closed its work in disarray. A limited legal ban and a parliamentary resolution condemning the niqab was the maximum consensus that could be reached. Even that is likely to draw criticism from outside France.
The Socialist opposition, divided among themselves over the veil, are to abstain from a vote on the report. They say that it has been polluted by a “great national debate” on French identity that Mr Sarkozy has staged over the past three months.
Some figures in Mr Sarkozy’s party are also uneasy over the way that the veil question has been blended with the national debate, which has focused on the integration of the country’s five million Muslims. Mr Sarkozy has contributed to the distaste, calling on French Muslims to be discreet about practising their religion. The critics see this as a crude play for votes before the regional council elections in March.
Muslim leaders told the commission that the full veil was not supported by most Muslims but that a law would add to the feeling of rejection.
Views on the veil
The Netherlands A proposal to ban veils failed in 2006 after lawyers said that it would be unconstitutional. The Government has since said that it will try to ban face-covering veils in schools and for government employees
Italy A law passed in 1975 required people to keep their faces visible in public but it is not usually applied to Muslim women. Silvio Berlusconi’s government said in October 2009 that it would try to add a specific ban on religious garments that cover the face
Belgium Full veils were banned in the town of Maaseik in 2004 but there is no countrywide ban
Germany Some states have banned teachers from wearing headscarves in public schools
Switzerland The Justice Ministry said that it would consider a ban after November’s referendum halting the building of new minarets
Turkey Islamic-style headscarves in schools, universities and government offices are banned
Sources: Associated Press; Reuters
Burka, niqab have no place in Denmark, PM says
Agence France-Presse
January 19, 2010
COPENHAGEN - The face-covering burka and niqab veils worn by some Muslim women have no place in Denmark, Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said Tuesday, adding his government was considering restricting them.
Rasmussen stopped short, however, of calling for a ban on the veils, noting "legal and other limits".
"The government's position is clear: the burka and the niqab have no place in Danish society. They symbolise a view of women and humanity that we totally oppose and that we want to combat in Danish society," Rasmussen told reporters.
Denmark is "an open, democratic society where we look at the person to whom we are talking, whether it's in a classroom or on the job," he said.
"That is why we don't want to see this garment in Danish society," he added.
He said his centre-right government was "discussing ways of limiting the wearing" of the veils without violating the Scandinavian country's constitution.
The prime minister's comments came a day after the publication of a report which showed that use of the burka was "extremely rare" in Denmark, though no figures were given, and that the niqab was worn by "between 100 and 200" women.
The report was commissioned by the social affairs ministry and written by researchers at the University of Copenhagen.
It follows a heated debate on the burka that has divided the two-party coalition government since the summer amid pressure from its key parliamentary ally the far-right Danish People's Party.
Some 100,000 Muslim women live in Denmark, representing about 1.9 per cent of Denmark's total population of 5.5 million. Some 0.15 per cent of the Muslim women wear the niqab, according to the report.
Hairdos now in clerics' crosshairs
The Straits Times, January 21, 2010
JAKARTA - TO STRAIGHTEN or not to straighten? Women's hair styles have become a hot topic for Indonesia's Muslims after calls from some Islamic clerics to have the procedure banned on the grounds it invites moral danger.
On Wednesday, the council's Fatwa Commission said it had received a request from a group of clerics linked to a girls boarding school in East Java to issue a fatwa banning chemical hair straightening, a type of perm treatment known in Indonesia as rebonding.
The deputy secretary of the Fatwa Commission, Aminudin Yakub, said on Wednesday that the East Java Forum Musyawarah Pondok Pesantren Putri had requested a formal edict declaring rebonding a breach of Islamic law 'except for women who are married and have the permission of their husband.'
The boarding school clerics had also asked for a fatwa banning dreadlocks, punk do's and 'funky hairstyles' he said. 'For now, we are yet to make an institutional decision on this. So far, we have not seen strong evidence to ban it,' he said. 'It could be discussed in future but right now it is not a priority.'
Hair salons in downtown Jakarta were bustling with young Muslim women, bemused by the sudden interest in their hair. Eryanti, 21, a Jakarta-based accountant who is Muslim and has had her hair straightened four times, said she had no intention of stopping. 'I like my hair to look this way and if I stop, it will go back to the way it was before,' said Eryanti, who, like many Indonesians, has only one name. 'It looks better and it is easier to brush.'
AD Kusumaningtyas, a spokeswoman from the Islamic women's rights group Rahima, said women's hairstyle preferences could be the topic of discussion but were ultimately an individual choice. 'We don't need to (proscribe) everything as haram or not. Some injustices such as polygamy and female genital mutilation are more important' than rebonding,' she said. -- REUTERS
They were voted in by a population of idiots, or appointed by a government of idiots!
JAKARTA - TO STRAIGHTEN or not to straighten? Women's hair styles have become a hot topic for Indonesia's Muslims after calls from some Islamic clerics to have the procedure banned on the grounds it invites moral danger.
On Wednesday, the council's Fatwa Commission said it had received a request from a group of clerics linked to a girls boarding school in East Java to issue a fatwa banning chemical hair straightening, a type of perm treatment known in Indonesia as rebonding.
The deputy secretary of the Fatwa Commission, Aminudin Yakub, said on Wednesday that the East Java Forum Musyawarah Pondok Pesantren Putri had requested a formal edict declaring rebonding a breach of Islamic law 'except for women who are married and have the permission of their husband.'
The boarding school clerics had also asked for a fatwa banning dreadlocks, punk do's and 'funky hairstyles' he said. 'For now, we are yet to make an institutional decision on this. So far, we have not seen strong evidence to ban it,' he said. 'It could be discussed in future but right now it is not a priority.'
Hair salons in downtown Jakarta were bustling with young Muslim women, bemused by the sudden interest in their hair. Eryanti, 21, a Jakarta-based accountant who is Muslim and has had her hair straightened four times, said she had no intention of stopping. 'I like my hair to look this way and if I stop, it will go back to the way it was before,' said Eryanti, who, like many Indonesians, has only one name. 'It looks better and it is easier to brush.'
AD Kusumaningtyas, a spokeswoman from the Islamic women's rights group Rahima, said women's hairstyle preferences could be the topic of discussion but were ultimately an individual choice. 'We don't need to (proscribe) everything as haram or not. Some injustices such as polygamy and female genital mutilation are more important' than rebonding,' she said. -- REUTERS
They were voted in by a population of idiots, or appointed by a government of idiots!
3 more attacks on Malaysian churches
by Teo Cheng Wee, Regional Correspondent
The Straits Times, January 11, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: Amid tightened security, Christians in Malaysia attended Sunday service yesterday - the first since a recent spate of shocking assaults on local churches.
Although services proceeded uneventfully, three more attacks were reported around the country yesterday, including the first in East Malaysia.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein confirmed that a church in Sarawak has reported an arson attempt, making it the seventh attack on churches in Malaysia in three days.
A large number of East Malaysians are Christians who worship in Malay and have historically used the word 'Allah' to refer to God.
Churches in Malacca and Perak were struck yesterday as well, but no one was hurt.
In Perak, state police chief Zulkifli Abdullah told The Straits Times that Molotov cocktails were hurled at the All Saints Church in Taiping. The explosions left black marks on the wall.
Nearby, unexploded bottles were found at the St Louis Church and the guardhouse of an adjacent Catholic school.
The attack probably took place early yesterday morning and the police are investigating, he said.
In Malacca, the outer walls of the Malacca Baptist Church was splashed with black paint, according to The Star daily.
There were also reports that a brick was hurled at a small mosque in Klang, but officials have denied that this was a retaliatory attack.
Nonetheless, tensions in Malaysia remain high. The country saw a spate of unprecedented attacks on these places of worship last week, after the High Court ruled that Christians could use the word 'Allah' to refer to God.
The ruling had triggered unhappiness among a section of the Muslim community, culminating in the series of arson attacks. No one has claimed responsibility for them.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin told Malaysians yesterday that the situation was 'under control'.
He also told reporters that the situation was 'exaggerated' by 'the foreign media, SMSes and the Internet', adding that the attacks were not coordinated.
Many Christians attending services yesterday did not seem too bothered. Uniformed police were present at several churches.
Reverend Peter Bretaudeau from the Church of the Risen Christ said that, other than the presence of two police cars outside during their morning service, there was nothing unusual.
'The police advised us to be careful and we assured them that we always are. We have our own security guard,' he said.
Churchgoers told The Straits Times that services proceeded normally and that sermons did not dwell on the church attacks.
At the service of the Metro Tabernacle Church, the message was one of 'love, peace and acceptance of what happened', said church lay leader Peter Yeow.
The church was the most seriously damaged among all those attacked, as its ground floor was gutted by a petrol bomb. Its 1,000-strong congregation held its service yesterday at the Malaysian Chinese Association's headquarters.
Some pastors have advised their congregations not to believe or spread rumours about potential 'attacks'. Earlier, a rumour that cars with crosses or Christian rosaries were being smashed turned out to be untrue.
Political leaders who have been meeting Christian leaders the last few days to diffuse tensions continued to do their rounds yesterday.
The Straits Times, January 11, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: Amid tightened security, Christians in Malaysia attended Sunday service yesterday - the first since a recent spate of shocking assaults on local churches.
Although services proceeded uneventfully, three more attacks were reported around the country yesterday, including the first in East Malaysia.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein confirmed that a church in Sarawak has reported an arson attempt, making it the seventh attack on churches in Malaysia in three days.
A large number of East Malaysians are Christians who worship in Malay and have historically used the word 'Allah' to refer to God.
Churches in Malacca and Perak were struck yesterday as well, but no one was hurt.
In Perak, state police chief Zulkifli Abdullah told The Straits Times that Molotov cocktails were hurled at the All Saints Church in Taiping. The explosions left black marks on the wall.
Nearby, unexploded bottles were found at the St Louis Church and the guardhouse of an adjacent Catholic school.
The attack probably took place early yesterday morning and the police are investigating, he said.
In Malacca, the outer walls of the Malacca Baptist Church was splashed with black paint, according to The Star daily.
There were also reports that a brick was hurled at a small mosque in Klang, but officials have denied that this was a retaliatory attack.
Nonetheless, tensions in Malaysia remain high. The country saw a spate of unprecedented attacks on these places of worship last week, after the High Court ruled that Christians could use the word 'Allah' to refer to God.
The ruling had triggered unhappiness among a section of the Muslim community, culminating in the series of arson attacks. No one has claimed responsibility for them.
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin told Malaysians yesterday that the situation was 'under control'.
He also told reporters that the situation was 'exaggerated' by 'the foreign media, SMSes and the Internet', adding that the attacks were not coordinated.
Many Christians attending services yesterday did not seem too bothered. Uniformed police were present at several churches.
Reverend Peter Bretaudeau from the Church of the Risen Christ said that, other than the presence of two police cars outside during their morning service, there was nothing unusual.
'The police advised us to be careful and we assured them that we always are. We have our own security guard,' he said.
Churchgoers told The Straits Times that services proceeded normally and that sermons did not dwell on the church attacks.
At the service of the Metro Tabernacle Church, the message was one of 'love, peace and acceptance of what happened', said church lay leader Peter Yeow.
The church was the most seriously damaged among all those attacked, as its ground floor was gutted by a petrol bomb. Its 1,000-strong congregation held its service yesterday at the Malaysian Chinese Association's headquarters.
Some pastors have advised their congregations not to believe or spread rumours about potential 'attacks'. Earlier, a rumour that cars with crosses or Christian rosaries were being smashed turned out to be untrue.
Political leaders who have been meeting Christian leaders the last few days to diffuse tensions continued to do their rounds yesterday.
Malaysia's image takes a beating
by Leslie Lopez, Senior Regional Correspondent
The Straits Times, January 11, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: In 1990, the Malaysian government headed by then-Premier Mahathir Mohamad quickly cooled the anti- establishment fever gripping the country by tapping a very emotive issue - religion.
Facing a serious challenge from an opposition alliance headed by former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the government filled state-run television and newspapers with a photo of its rival wearing a native headgear with a cross-like design just days before a general election.
The not-so-subtle message was that Tengku Razaleigh, a prince from the north-eastern Kelantan state, would sell out the Muslims to the Christians if the opposition came to power.
The gambit worked, and the pro-opposition fever that gripped Malaysia died immediately and the government returned comfortably to power.
Malaysia today finds itself in a similar position with anti-government sentiments, particularly among the country's politically dominant Muslim Malay community, at their highest levels.
But if any group hoped that the 'Allah' controversy could be exploited for Umno's political gain, it may be disappointed. Instead of uniting the Malays against the country's minorities, the shocking events of the past week have put Umno on the defensive and split Muslim public opinion.
Early last week, government ministers had shrugged their shoulders and said they could not stop Muslims wanting to demonstrate at mosques after Friday prayers, to denounce a High Court ruling which declared that the Roman Catholic Church's weekly newspaper could use the word 'Allah' as a reference to God.
But hopes for massive nationwide protests at mosques did not materialise. At the Masjid Negara (national mosque) which typically has a congregation of more than 3,000 on Fridays, fewer than 300 - and they were from the organising group - stayed behind to wave fists and banners.
Tensions heightened after reports emerged that four churches were attacked in the early hours of Friday, leaving one place of worship gutted by fire. Three other churches and a convent were also targeted yesterday.
Many Malay-Muslims have quickly condemned the attacks, as has Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The Christians have not retaliated. The mood has been one of disappointment and anxiety all around, but what is certain is that no one wants to see tensions escalate and most people are seeking to calm things down.
It would appear that Malaysians, particularly the Malays, have matured politically and are able to easily spot tactless and crass political schemes.
Datuk Seri Najib has angrily rejected claims that elements within his ruling Umno party may have been involved in provoking last week's attacks.
But as Tengku Razaleigh, who has since returned to Umno, told a conference in Singapore last week, the government must take responsibility for allowing emotions to run high over the issue.
There is unhappiness among Muslims who see the court ruling as an encroachment of their religion and right to the word that has a special, evocative meaning to them.
There is also the fear that usage of the word by Christians may make it easier for them to proselytise among Muslims.
Rather than seeking to assuage or address such concerns, some have instead sought to fuel these anxieties and profit politically from them.
The controversy presents a major challenge for Mr Najib and the Umno party that he leads. It risks undercutting the major strides the Premier has made in pushing the central theme of his new administration - the 1Malaysia policy which is aimed at bringing the country's multiracial and multi- religious communities together.
There is also a longer-term political threat, particularly from the size- able Christian populations in the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where the strong electoral support for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition helped Mr Najib's Umno retain power in the 2008 general election.
The Arabic word 'Allah' has been used by Christians in Malaysia - particularly East Malaysia - and in Indonesia for centuries.
It is not clear whether the public debate over the reference to God in Peninsular Malaysia will influence public opinion in Sabah and Sarawak towards the government.
What is clear is that predominantly Muslim Malaysia, which is struggling to find its economic footing, is taking multiple blows to its image of being a truly multi-religious and inclusive country.
First, it was the planned caning of a Muslim mother of two for drinking beer.
That was quickly followed by the parading of a cow's head by elements linked to Umno over protests against the construction of a Hindu temple.
Last week, the 'Allah' controversy and the church attacks became major news for international broadcast and print news networks.
That is not Malaysia. The country deserves better.
Mr Najib's challenge will be to show that he is the Prime Minister for all Malaysians and will not be held ransom by the narrow vested interests who seek to undermine his 1Malaysia vision.
The Straits Times, January 11, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: In 1990, the Malaysian government headed by then-Premier Mahathir Mohamad quickly cooled the anti- establishment fever gripping the country by tapping a very emotive issue - religion.
Facing a serious challenge from an opposition alliance headed by former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, the government filled state-run television and newspapers with a photo of its rival wearing a native headgear with a cross-like design just days before a general election.
The not-so-subtle message was that Tengku Razaleigh, a prince from the north-eastern Kelantan state, would sell out the Muslims to the Christians if the opposition came to power.
The gambit worked, and the pro-opposition fever that gripped Malaysia died immediately and the government returned comfortably to power.
Malaysia today finds itself in a similar position with anti-government sentiments, particularly among the country's politically dominant Muslim Malay community, at their highest levels.
But if any group hoped that the 'Allah' controversy could be exploited for Umno's political gain, it may be disappointed. Instead of uniting the Malays against the country's minorities, the shocking events of the past week have put Umno on the defensive and split Muslim public opinion.
Early last week, government ministers had shrugged their shoulders and said they could not stop Muslims wanting to demonstrate at mosques after Friday prayers, to denounce a High Court ruling which declared that the Roman Catholic Church's weekly newspaper could use the word 'Allah' as a reference to God.
But hopes for massive nationwide protests at mosques did not materialise. At the Masjid Negara (national mosque) which typically has a congregation of more than 3,000 on Fridays, fewer than 300 - and they were from the organising group - stayed behind to wave fists and banners.
Tensions heightened after reports emerged that four churches were attacked in the early hours of Friday, leaving one place of worship gutted by fire. Three other churches and a convent were also targeted yesterday.
Many Malay-Muslims have quickly condemned the attacks, as has Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The Christians have not retaliated. The mood has been one of disappointment and anxiety all around, but what is certain is that no one wants to see tensions escalate and most people are seeking to calm things down.
It would appear that Malaysians, particularly the Malays, have matured politically and are able to easily spot tactless and crass political schemes.
Datuk Seri Najib has angrily rejected claims that elements within his ruling Umno party may have been involved in provoking last week's attacks.
But as Tengku Razaleigh, who has since returned to Umno, told a conference in Singapore last week, the government must take responsibility for allowing emotions to run high over the issue.
There is unhappiness among Muslims who see the court ruling as an encroachment of their religion and right to the word that has a special, evocative meaning to them.
There is also the fear that usage of the word by Christians may make it easier for them to proselytise among Muslims.
Rather than seeking to assuage or address such concerns, some have instead sought to fuel these anxieties and profit politically from them.
The controversy presents a major challenge for Mr Najib and the Umno party that he leads. It risks undercutting the major strides the Premier has made in pushing the central theme of his new administration - the 1Malaysia policy which is aimed at bringing the country's multiracial and multi- religious communities together.
There is also a longer-term political threat, particularly from the size- able Christian populations in the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, where the strong electoral support for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition helped Mr Najib's Umno retain power in the 2008 general election.
The Arabic word 'Allah' has been used by Christians in Malaysia - particularly East Malaysia - and in Indonesia for centuries.
It is not clear whether the public debate over the reference to God in Peninsular Malaysia will influence public opinion in Sabah and Sarawak towards the government.
What is clear is that predominantly Muslim Malaysia, which is struggling to find its economic footing, is taking multiple blows to its image of being a truly multi-religious and inclusive country.
First, it was the planned caning of a Muslim mother of two for drinking beer.
That was quickly followed by the parading of a cow's head by elements linked to Umno over protests against the construction of a Hindu temple.
Last week, the 'Allah' controversy and the church attacks became major news for international broadcast and print news networks.
That is not Malaysia. The country deserves better.
Mr Najib's challenge will be to show that he is the Prime Minister for all Malaysians and will not be held ransom by the narrow vested interests who seek to undermine his 1Malaysia vision.
Swift response sets country on right path
by Elizabeth Looi, Malaysia Correspondent
The Sunday Times, January 10, 2010
Kuala Lumpur: The swift conciliatory response by Malaysia's leaders and some Muslims has helped to pull the country back from the brink following an unprecedented attack on several churches last Friday, analysts said.
Three firebomb attacks were reported last Friday, with a fourth case - in Petaling Jaya - surfacing yesterday.
The attacks followed a court ruling on Dec 31 that Catholics have the right to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God, a decision that angered many Muslims who say the term is exclusive to Islam.
Shortly after the attacks, it appeared uncertain how Malaysia would pivot at such a turning point. But yesterday saw many political leaders coming out to condemn the violence.
Prime Minister Najib Razak, Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin and social activist Marina Mahathir, the daughter of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, all visited the Metro Tabernacle Church, the worst hit of the targets.
Ms Marina also started a petition with her friends urging Muslims to unite against violence towards non-Muslims.
Political analyst Ooi Kee Beng from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies said it was a positive sign that moderate Muslims were coming forward to help.
'I'm glad that so many Muslims are coming out, and I hope the number will escalate to show that the hooligans are not even a minority, they are just a few people,' he told The Sunday Times.
In a surprise twist, the same group of Muslims who had rallied on Friday against the court decision offered yesterday to protect Christians and their churches against further violence.
The 15-group coalition, believed to be taking the cue from top leaders, issued a statement to put on record their opposition to the arson attacks and their intention to foster better communal relations.
Another group, the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association, offered to work with the authorities to protect churches.
Law lecturer Azmi Sharom, who is pro-opposition, believes that more could be done. He hopes to see a greater response from the silent majority of moderate Muslims.
Serious change would not be possible if it was left to politicians and well-known personalities to denounce religious violence, he said.
The Sunday Times, January 10, 2010
Kuala Lumpur: The swift conciliatory response by Malaysia's leaders and some Muslims has helped to pull the country back from the brink following an unprecedented attack on several churches last Friday, analysts said.
Three firebomb attacks were reported last Friday, with a fourth case - in Petaling Jaya - surfacing yesterday.
The attacks followed a court ruling on Dec 31 that Catholics have the right to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God, a decision that angered many Muslims who say the term is exclusive to Islam.
Shortly after the attacks, it appeared uncertain how Malaysia would pivot at such a turning point. But yesterday saw many political leaders coming out to condemn the violence.
Prime Minister Najib Razak, Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin and social activist Marina Mahathir, the daughter of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, all visited the Metro Tabernacle Church, the worst hit of the targets.
Ms Marina also started a petition with her friends urging Muslims to unite against violence towards non-Muslims.
Political analyst Ooi Kee Beng from the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies said it was a positive sign that moderate Muslims were coming forward to help.
'I'm glad that so many Muslims are coming out, and I hope the number will escalate to show that the hooligans are not even a minority, they are just a few people,' he told The Sunday Times.
In a surprise twist, the same group of Muslims who had rallied on Friday against the court decision offered yesterday to protect Christians and their churches against further violence.
The 15-group coalition, believed to be taking the cue from top leaders, issued a statement to put on record their opposition to the arson attacks and their intention to foster better communal relations.
Another group, the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association, offered to work with the authorities to protect churches.
Law lecturer Azmi Sharom, who is pro-opposition, believes that more could be done. He hopes to see a greater response from the silent majority of moderate Muslims.
Serious change would not be possible if it was left to politicians and well-known personalities to denounce religious violence, he said.
Heinous, Najib says of hits on churches
by Elizabeth Looi, Malaysia Correspondent
The Sunday Times, January 10, 2010
PM Najib speaking to the press outside the gutted administrative block of a Catholic church in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He has rejected charges that his party was to blame for fanning emotions after the court ruling on the use of the word 'Allah'. -- PHOTO: AFP
Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday moved swiftly to calm religious tensions as news emerged that a fourth church had been targeted by arsonists.
The church attacks - following a recent High Court ruling that allowed Christians to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God - has stunned Malaysians unused to such violence.
'Acts such as the burning of the house of worship of other religions are a heinous act,' said Datuk Seri Najib who, along with several Cabinet ministers and their deputies, visited the Metro Tabernacle church here.
Exhorting all parties not to act emotionally, he also announced a RM500,000 (S$206,000) relocation fund for the church, the ground floor of which was gutted by the fire.
'This is a sincere contribution from the government,' he told reporters. 'The government is deeply committed to maintain harmony and cordial relations between the various races and religions in our country.'
Emotions have been running high since the High Court ruling on Dec 31 allowing the Catholic church's newspaper to use the word 'Allah'.
The church had argued that 'Allah' was a pre-Islamic Arabic word but many Muslims objected on the grounds that it was exclusive to Islam and that its use by Christians would sow confusion.
The government has appealed against the decision, which is currently suspended. Last Friday, Muslim groups held rallies in 10 mosques in several states.
But the rallies were overshadowed by the attacks, which badly damaged the Metro Tabernacle church. Three other churches in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, were also targeted.
Yesterday, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim blamed the violence on the ruling Umno party and accused the Umno-controlled Utusan daily of inciting hatred.
At a public forum in Petaling Jaya, Datuk Seri Anwar called for calm and said that the reactions to the 'Allah' controversy were an 'insult not only to Malaysians, but Muslims and Islam' as well.
The opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat backs the court decision. Datuk Hadi Awang, president of Parti Islam SeMalaysia, a member of the opposition alliance, condemned the attack on the Metro Tabernacle church as unIslamic during his visit to the church.
'Even in war, Muslims are forbidden from desecrating places of worships, what more now when we are living in peace,' he said.
Mr Najib yesterday rejected charges that his party was to blame for fanning emotions following the court ruling.
Police said yesterday that they received news of a fourth attack - on the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Petaling Jaya - in addition to the three last Friday.
The church suffered minor damage after unidentified attackers flung a homemade petrol bomb at it. It was unclear when the attack took place.
A pastor was also reportedly manhandled by several people in his church in Kuala Lumpur late last Friday.
The Council of Churches of Malaysia yesterday urged the government to ensure the safety of Christians to worship freely.
There have been no arrests so far, but Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the government would not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act against the culprits.
The Sunday Times, January 10, 2010
PM Najib speaking to the press outside the gutted administrative block of a Catholic church in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He has rejected charges that his party was to blame for fanning emotions after the court ruling on the use of the word 'Allah'. -- PHOTO: AFP
Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday moved swiftly to calm religious tensions as news emerged that a fourth church had been targeted by arsonists.
The church attacks - following a recent High Court ruling that allowed Christians to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God - has stunned Malaysians unused to such violence.
'Acts such as the burning of the house of worship of other religions are a heinous act,' said Datuk Seri Najib who, along with several Cabinet ministers and their deputies, visited the Metro Tabernacle church here.
Exhorting all parties not to act emotionally, he also announced a RM500,000 (S$206,000) relocation fund for the church, the ground floor of which was gutted by the fire.
'This is a sincere contribution from the government,' he told reporters. 'The government is deeply committed to maintain harmony and cordial relations between the various races and religions in our country.'
Emotions have been running high since the High Court ruling on Dec 31 allowing the Catholic church's newspaper to use the word 'Allah'.
The church had argued that 'Allah' was a pre-Islamic Arabic word but many Muslims objected on the grounds that it was exclusive to Islam and that its use by Christians would sow confusion.
The government has appealed against the decision, which is currently suspended. Last Friday, Muslim groups held rallies in 10 mosques in several states.
But the rallies were overshadowed by the attacks, which badly damaged the Metro Tabernacle church. Three other churches in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, were also targeted.
Yesterday, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim blamed the violence on the ruling Umno party and accused the Umno-controlled Utusan daily of inciting hatred.
At a public forum in Petaling Jaya, Datuk Seri Anwar called for calm and said that the reactions to the 'Allah' controversy were an 'insult not only to Malaysians, but Muslims and Islam' as well.
The opposition alliance Pakatan Rakyat backs the court decision. Datuk Hadi Awang, president of Parti Islam SeMalaysia, a member of the opposition alliance, condemned the attack on the Metro Tabernacle church as unIslamic during his visit to the church.
'Even in war, Muslims are forbidden from desecrating places of worships, what more now when we are living in peace,' he said.
Mr Najib yesterday rejected charges that his party was to blame for fanning emotions following the court ruling.
Police said yesterday that they received news of a fourth attack - on the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Petaling Jaya - in addition to the three last Friday.
The church suffered minor damage after unidentified attackers flung a homemade petrol bomb at it. It was unclear when the attack took place.
A pastor was also reportedly manhandled by several people in his church in Kuala Lumpur late last Friday.
The Council of Churches of Malaysia yesterday urged the government to ensure the safety of Christians to worship freely.
There have been no arrests so far, but Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the government would not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act against the culprits.
Muslims in France may be fined for wearing full veil
The Straits Times, January 2, 2010
A woman wearing a niqab shopping at a supermarket in France. According to the Interior Ministry, there are only 1,900 women in the nation who wear the full veil. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS: Muslim women who wear the full Islamic veil in France will face a possible €750 (S$1,500) fine, according to a draft Bill unveiled by the leader of the parliamentary majority.
Mr Jean-Francois Cope, head of the governing UMP party in the National Assembly, told Le Figaro newspaper's weekly magazine that men who force their wives to wear the burqa or niqab could face an even heavier fine.
'The law will address an issue of security,' Mr Cope told the magazine on Thursday. 'The proposed measure would prohibit the covering of the face in public places and on the streets, with the exception of special cultural events or carnivals.'
The draft legislation will be presented in the next two weeks and should come up for debate in Parliament after the March regional elections, he said. Once passed, the law could be held in abeyance for six months to allow 'discussions' with the Muslim community in France.
The majority leader, who is also openly campaigning to succeed President Nicolas Sarkozy as the right-wing candidate for the presidency in 2017, said the burqa must be banned to defend women's rights.
France's political establishment is divided on whether to ban the burqa, with the opposition Socialists this week saying it opposed a law even though Muslim women must be discouraged from wearing the full veil.
The burqa debate has heated up ahead of the release at the end of the month of a report by a parliamentary panel that has conducted six months of hearings on the issue. Politicians from the left and right have cautioned that a draconian law banning the head-to-toe veil would be difficult to enforce and probably face a challenge in the European rights court.
Mr Sarkozy has said that the burqa is not welcome in France but has not stated publicly whether legislation should be enacted. Critics argue that a specific law enacted to ban the full veil would be like using a sledgehammer to swat a fly. Only 1,900 women wear the full veil in France, according to the Interior Ministry.
In the interview, Mr Cope argued that a law would act as a deterrent by sending a 'clear message' that France will not allow women to fully cover themselves. Most moderate Islamic leaders have sharply criticised the burqa but suggested that it was such a limited phenomenon in France that legislation was unnecessary and might alienate moderate Muslims.
A study by the French internal security services last year suggested the total number of women wearing burqas and niqabs in France was around 2,000 - out of a population of about 1.5 million adult Muslim women.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A woman wearing a niqab shopping at a supermarket in France. According to the Interior Ministry, there are only 1,900 women in the nation who wear the full veil. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS: Muslim women who wear the full Islamic veil in France will face a possible €750 (S$1,500) fine, according to a draft Bill unveiled by the leader of the parliamentary majority.
Mr Jean-Francois Cope, head of the governing UMP party in the National Assembly, told Le Figaro newspaper's weekly magazine that men who force their wives to wear the burqa or niqab could face an even heavier fine.
'The law will address an issue of security,' Mr Cope told the magazine on Thursday. 'The proposed measure would prohibit the covering of the face in public places and on the streets, with the exception of special cultural events or carnivals.'
The draft legislation will be presented in the next two weeks and should come up for debate in Parliament after the March regional elections, he said. Once passed, the law could be held in abeyance for six months to allow 'discussions' with the Muslim community in France.
The majority leader, who is also openly campaigning to succeed President Nicolas Sarkozy as the right-wing candidate for the presidency in 2017, said the burqa must be banned to defend women's rights.
France's political establishment is divided on whether to ban the burqa, with the opposition Socialists this week saying it opposed a law even though Muslim women must be discouraged from wearing the full veil.
The burqa debate has heated up ahead of the release at the end of the month of a report by a parliamentary panel that has conducted six months of hearings on the issue. Politicians from the left and right have cautioned that a draconian law banning the head-to-toe veil would be difficult to enforce and probably face a challenge in the European rights court.
Mr Sarkozy has said that the burqa is not welcome in France but has not stated publicly whether legislation should be enacted. Critics argue that a specific law enacted to ban the full veil would be like using a sledgehammer to swat a fly. Only 1,900 women wear the full veil in France, according to the Interior Ministry.
In the interview, Mr Cope argued that a law would act as a deterrent by sending a 'clear message' that France will not allow women to fully cover themselves. Most moderate Islamic leaders have sharply criticised the burqa but suggested that it was such a limited phenomenon in France that legislation was unnecessary and might alienate moderate Muslims.
A study by the French internal security services last year suggested the total number of women wearing burqas and niqabs in France was around 2,000 - out of a population of about 1.5 million adult Muslim women.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Malay angst over pro-Malay policy
by Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief
The Straits Times, January 9, 2010
Mr Nik Nazmi believes any lasting change must be led by the Malays themselves. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
MR NIK Nazmi Ahmad is 27 and a product of Malaysia's controversial pro-Malay economic policies. He is also a promising politician with the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which wants to overhaul these policies.
A contradiction? Not to Mr Nik Nazmi, who sees both as fundamentally intertwined. And they are.
The graduate of King's College in London could perhaps be said to be the ideal outcome of the New Economic Policy (NEP).
The affirmative action policy, which came about after the race riots of 1969, sought to create opportunities for the majority community which had been shut out of the colonial economy of then-Malaya.
Mr Nik Nazmi benefited in that he got to attend the elite Malay College Kuala Kangsar and later received a government scholarship to study law in London.
He believes such an education helped shape his strong ideals and enabled him to develop a robust intellect. Moreover, it led him to see how outmoded or 'twisted from their original objectives' the policy had become.
'Some quarters might dismiss my views as being typical of a middle-class Malay youth who has reaped the benefits of the NEP and is now biting the hand that fed him.
'I cannot deny that I am a beneficiary of the NEP. Yet, it is a testimony of how far the NEP has succeeded that its beneficiaries are now arguing for change,' he wrote in his newly launched book, Moving Forward: Malays For The 21st Century.
The slim volume consists of essays on topics ranging from education to religion.
In the book, Mr Nik Nazmi writes about how the pro-Malay policy never intended for its beneficiaries' children to become yet another generation of beneficiaries.
He points to the irony that while NEP proponents insist the policy should continue because it has failed to uplift the Malays, those who point to its successes are denounced.
Along the way, he offers his thoughts on the Malay identity, which has become inextricably tied to the NEP, and the stigma and insecurity that the policy has created.
In this respect, the author sticks close to the PKR line, which calls for the current race-based economic policy to be replaced with a policy based on needs.
While these are not novel thoughts, it is significant that they have found their way into the mainstream political arena.
Mr Nik Nazmi's book is also available in Malay because he believes that any lasting change must be led by the Malays themselves.
'I wanted to speak to the Malays, as well as be a voice from the Malays. That's why I wrote it in English and Malay,' he told The Straits Times.
As political commentator Bakri Musa says in his review of the book: 'I am especially nervous when calls for eliminating the NEP come from non-Malays, and wrapped in a barely concealed sense of racial or cultural superiority.
'The political reality is that the constitutional provisions for NEP can only be amended with the consent of the super-majority, and that means with most Malays agreeing to it.'
Mr Nik Nazmi, who became an aide to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in 2005, won a state seat in Selangor in the 2008 general election. He was the country's youngest candidate, along with Datuk Seri Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah, who won a parliamentary seat.
Ms Nurul Izzah herself stirred debate last year with an essay in which she sought new bearings for the Malay identity.
'I sense the need for Malays to embrace a new paradigm on what it means to be Malay. Many indeed are doing so and this is heartening,' she wrote.
'Malay need no longer carry connotations of dependency on the state, insecurity or the crippling feeling of alienation and the lack of self-worth,' she added.
Lawyer and former Cabinet minister Zaid Ibrahim, 55, also explored the Malay identity in his book Saya Pun Melayu, or I Am Also Malay, which is published in Malay and English.
To Mr Nik Nazmi, this phenomenon reflects the success of the NEP.
'It created the Malay middle class whose outlook has changed because of education and exposure,' he said.
He noted that many Malays are now working in global cities such as London, Tokyo and Dubai, thus shattering the myth that they are unable to compete or are held back culturally.
Mr Wan Firdaus Mohd Fuaad, 27, a young Umno member who belongs to a small think-tank with a libertarian agenda, agreed that more Malay voices are speaking up on the Malay identity.
'Nik Nazmi's views are shared by many young Malays who have become successful because their fathers' generation was helped by the NEP. Many of them also have friends of different races because of their wider exposure,' he said.
But he disagreed that such a view is limited to opposition parties or to young people. He noted that many conservative Muslim-Malays also believe it is time for the country to move on. But this does not mean that race is no longer a consideration for them.
As Mr Nik Nazmi put it, people will always be conscious of their heritage, but it has been shown that it is possible to move beyond the obsession with race.
The Straits Times, January 9, 2010
Mr Nik Nazmi believes any lasting change must be led by the Malays themselves. -- PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
MR NIK Nazmi Ahmad is 27 and a product of Malaysia's controversial pro-Malay economic policies. He is also a promising politician with the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which wants to overhaul these policies.
A contradiction? Not to Mr Nik Nazmi, who sees both as fundamentally intertwined. And they are.
The graduate of King's College in London could perhaps be said to be the ideal outcome of the New Economic Policy (NEP).
The affirmative action policy, which came about after the race riots of 1969, sought to create opportunities for the majority community which had been shut out of the colonial economy of then-Malaya.
Mr Nik Nazmi benefited in that he got to attend the elite Malay College Kuala Kangsar and later received a government scholarship to study law in London.
He believes such an education helped shape his strong ideals and enabled him to develop a robust intellect. Moreover, it led him to see how outmoded or 'twisted from their original objectives' the policy had become.
'Some quarters might dismiss my views as being typical of a middle-class Malay youth who has reaped the benefits of the NEP and is now biting the hand that fed him.
'I cannot deny that I am a beneficiary of the NEP. Yet, it is a testimony of how far the NEP has succeeded that its beneficiaries are now arguing for change,' he wrote in his newly launched book, Moving Forward: Malays For The 21st Century.
The slim volume consists of essays on topics ranging from education to religion.
In the book, Mr Nik Nazmi writes about how the pro-Malay policy never intended for its beneficiaries' children to become yet another generation of beneficiaries.
He points to the irony that while NEP proponents insist the policy should continue because it has failed to uplift the Malays, those who point to its successes are denounced.
Along the way, he offers his thoughts on the Malay identity, which has become inextricably tied to the NEP, and the stigma and insecurity that the policy has created.
In this respect, the author sticks close to the PKR line, which calls for the current race-based economic policy to be replaced with a policy based on needs.
While these are not novel thoughts, it is significant that they have found their way into the mainstream political arena.
Mr Nik Nazmi's book is also available in Malay because he believes that any lasting change must be led by the Malays themselves.
'I wanted to speak to the Malays, as well as be a voice from the Malays. That's why I wrote it in English and Malay,' he told The Straits Times.
As political commentator Bakri Musa says in his review of the book: 'I am especially nervous when calls for eliminating the NEP come from non-Malays, and wrapped in a barely concealed sense of racial or cultural superiority.
'The political reality is that the constitutional provisions for NEP can only be amended with the consent of the super-majority, and that means with most Malays agreeing to it.'
Mr Nik Nazmi, who became an aide to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in 2005, won a state seat in Selangor in the 2008 general election. He was the country's youngest candidate, along with Datuk Seri Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah, who won a parliamentary seat.
Ms Nurul Izzah herself stirred debate last year with an essay in which she sought new bearings for the Malay identity.
'I sense the need for Malays to embrace a new paradigm on what it means to be Malay. Many indeed are doing so and this is heartening,' she wrote.
'Malay need no longer carry connotations of dependency on the state, insecurity or the crippling feeling of alienation and the lack of self-worth,' she added.
Lawyer and former Cabinet minister Zaid Ibrahim, 55, also explored the Malay identity in his book Saya Pun Melayu, or I Am Also Malay, which is published in Malay and English.
To Mr Nik Nazmi, this phenomenon reflects the success of the NEP.
'It created the Malay middle class whose outlook has changed because of education and exposure,' he said.
He noted that many Malays are now working in global cities such as London, Tokyo and Dubai, thus shattering the myth that they are unable to compete or are held back culturally.
Mr Wan Firdaus Mohd Fuaad, 27, a young Umno member who belongs to a small think-tank with a libertarian agenda, agreed that more Malay voices are speaking up on the Malay identity.
'Nik Nazmi's views are shared by many young Malays who have become successful because their fathers' generation was helped by the NEP. Many of them also have friends of different races because of their wider exposure,' he said.
But he disagreed that such a view is limited to opposition parties or to young people. He noted that many conservative Muslim-Malays also believe it is time for the country to move on. But this does not mean that race is no longer a consideration for them.
As Mr Nik Nazmi put it, people will always be conscious of their heritage, but it has been shown that it is possible to move beyond the obsession with race.
Deep wound that will take long time to heal
by Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief
The Straits Times, January 9, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: When Malaysians woke up yesterday to the news that a church had been fire-bombed as they slept, they found themselves in a country they had not seen before.
This is not their Malaysia, and their confusion was poured out on websites which buzzed all day with disbelief - from Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The most common refrain: 'What has happened to my Malaysia?'
No one can remember a church ever being attacked in Malaysia. Yesterday, it was not one church but three, while a fourth church reported receiving threats.
The Metro Tabernacle Church's ground floor was gutted in a fire-bomb attack, and the Life Chapel's porch suffered minor damage from a Molotov cocktail.
Homemade explosives were also thrown into the compound of the Assumption Catholic Church but did not go off. The St Francis Xavier Catholic church reported threats of an attack.
Police have yet to find those responsible, and it is not clear who is behind such violence. But the attacks are devastating as they come at a time when mutual suspicion is high.
Emotions have been running high since the High Court allowed Christians to use 'Allah' to refer to the Christian God in their publications.
The church had argued that 'Allah' was an Arabic word that predated Islam, but many Muslims saw it as being exclusive to the Muslim God.
Muslim anger grew, with Malay newspapers running page after page attacking the court decision. Demonstrations were held by Muslim groups after Friday prayers at several mosques yesterday.
No matter who is responsible, the attacks have driven a wedge into Malaysian society that will take a long time to heal. It crossed a line that some Malaysians had flirted with but never breached.
Malaysians were shocked last August when a group of Muslims stomped on a cow's head to protest against the building of a Hindu temple in their neighbourhood.
But an arson attack on a place of worship takes belligerence much further. Despite their disagreements, Malaysians have always held a tacit respect for places of worship, realising that they are places of peace.
That a place of worship is desecrated speaks ill of any society, more so Malaysian society which has lived together for three decades with only occasional verbal squabbles to mar communal ties.
A country that is built on the rule of law is deeply wounded when its sense of restraint, tolerance and civility fails as spectacularly as it did yesterday.
Many Malaysian Muslims have condemned the attacks. The Muslim Professionals Forum called it a 'cowardly and utterly senseless act of a group of misguided, chauvinistic bigots'.
'This act of arson, committed presumably in the name of Islam, desecrates the very religion it purports to protect. The Holy Quran unequivocally prohibits destroying the houses of worship of all religions,' it said in a statement.
Prominent personalities like Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, daughter of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin rushed to the site of the burnt church. Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim visited the affected churches as well.
But it was distressing that the Muslim groups' protests against the court ruling went ahead yesterday, hours after the attacks on the churches. The protests were relatively small and ended quickly, but they sent a wrong message.
Umno must also speak up louder than it has so far, because it must surely be aware that its reaction pales in comparison to that of its rival Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
Since the 'Allah' controversy begun, the opposition PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat have urged restraint - a stance reflecting confidence in their ability to hold the middle ground in Malaysia.
Umno must also be aware that its leaders are being blamed for fanning the flames. Former Cabinet minister Zaid Ibrahim, now in the opposition, said Umno has to take full responsibility for its handling of the use of the word 'Allah'.
'The irresponsible conduct of fanning the emotions by Umno leaders has brought about this dangerous situation,' he said in a statement.
Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday strongly denied that Umno had been irresponsible. 'Don't point the fingers at Umno or anyone else. We have always been very responsible. Don't say this attack is motivated by Umno,' he said.
Even so, the credibility of his 1Malaysia slogan - a unifying theme aimed at healing the rifts in a country divided by race and religion - is under strain.
The Straits Times, January 9, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: When Malaysians woke up yesterday to the news that a church had been fire-bombed as they slept, they found themselves in a country they had not seen before.
This is not their Malaysia, and their confusion was poured out on websites which buzzed all day with disbelief - from Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The most common refrain: 'What has happened to my Malaysia?'
No one can remember a church ever being attacked in Malaysia. Yesterday, it was not one church but three, while a fourth church reported receiving threats.
The Metro Tabernacle Church's ground floor was gutted in a fire-bomb attack, and the Life Chapel's porch suffered minor damage from a Molotov cocktail.
Homemade explosives were also thrown into the compound of the Assumption Catholic Church but did not go off. The St Francis Xavier Catholic church reported threats of an attack.
Police have yet to find those responsible, and it is not clear who is behind such violence. But the attacks are devastating as they come at a time when mutual suspicion is high.
Emotions have been running high since the High Court allowed Christians to use 'Allah' to refer to the Christian God in their publications.
The church had argued that 'Allah' was an Arabic word that predated Islam, but many Muslims saw it as being exclusive to the Muslim God.
Muslim anger grew, with Malay newspapers running page after page attacking the court decision. Demonstrations were held by Muslim groups after Friday prayers at several mosques yesterday.
No matter who is responsible, the attacks have driven a wedge into Malaysian society that will take a long time to heal. It crossed a line that some Malaysians had flirted with but never breached.
Malaysians were shocked last August when a group of Muslims stomped on a cow's head to protest against the building of a Hindu temple in their neighbourhood.
But an arson attack on a place of worship takes belligerence much further. Despite their disagreements, Malaysians have always held a tacit respect for places of worship, realising that they are places of peace.
That a place of worship is desecrated speaks ill of any society, more so Malaysian society which has lived together for three decades with only occasional verbal squabbles to mar communal ties.
A country that is built on the rule of law is deeply wounded when its sense of restraint, tolerance and civility fails as spectacularly as it did yesterday.
Many Malaysian Muslims have condemned the attacks. The Muslim Professionals Forum called it a 'cowardly and utterly senseless act of a group of misguided, chauvinistic bigots'.
'This act of arson, committed presumably in the name of Islam, desecrates the very religion it purports to protect. The Holy Quran unequivocally prohibits destroying the houses of worship of all religions,' it said in a statement.
Prominent personalities like Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, daughter of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin rushed to the site of the burnt church. Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim visited the affected churches as well.
But it was distressing that the Muslim groups' protests against the court ruling went ahead yesterday, hours after the attacks on the churches. The protests were relatively small and ended quickly, but they sent a wrong message.
Umno must also speak up louder than it has so far, because it must surely be aware that its reaction pales in comparison to that of its rival Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
Since the 'Allah' controversy begun, the opposition PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat have urged restraint - a stance reflecting confidence in their ability to hold the middle ground in Malaysia.
Umno must also be aware that its leaders are being blamed for fanning the flames. Former Cabinet minister Zaid Ibrahim, now in the opposition, said Umno has to take full responsibility for its handling of the use of the word 'Allah'.
'The irresponsible conduct of fanning the emotions by Umno leaders has brought about this dangerous situation,' he said in a statement.
Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday strongly denied that Umno had been irresponsible. 'Don't point the fingers at Umno or anyone else. We have always been very responsible. Don't say this attack is motivated by Umno,' he said.
Even so, the credibility of his 1Malaysia slogan - a unifying theme aimed at healing the rifts in a country divided by race and religion - is under strain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)