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Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
PM, YOU HAVE FAILED ME......
PM, you have failed me – Stephanie Sta Maria
JAN 8 2010 Malaysian Insider
Dear Mr Prime Minister, you have failed me.
This is not a letter to tell you where you went wrong. You should already know that by now and if you don’t, many will gladly bring you up to speed.
But this is a letter to tell you what you have done to an ordinary Malaysian like me.
I voted against your government in the last elections but when you came into power, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, I was wrong about you.
That, just maybe, this time, the perceived enemy would be an ally in disguise. That, just maybe, 1 Malaysia wouldn’t be the joke at which everyone laughed.
Change needs time and maybe, just maybe, that was what was necessary. So, against my better judgement, I let myself believe in possibilities.
Then racism reared its head and the moment of truth arrived in the form of cow-head protestors, BTN and the “Allah” issue.
You couldn’t have asked for more perfect opportunity to prove that you are more than just a string of clever words. It was your chance to leave a legacy by uniting the nation to stand up against the real enemies – ignorance and fear.
Instead you did nothing, and by doing that, you turned us against each other.
I’m sure you have your litany of reasons for acting the way you have but those reasons don’t interest me. All I know is that, when it really mattered, you made me feel like I didn’t.
When it came to delivering on your “People First” promise, you chose who those people would be.
When it came to “Performance Now”, you failed to see the sense of urgency.
You became everything you told us not to be. To me, you are nothing more than the wizard of Oz.
There was a time when I believed in this country. When I couldn’t imagine making a home anywhere else. When I was proud to hold a Malaysian passport. When I felt warmth each time I heard the pilot announce, “Welcome to Kuala Lumpur International Airport”. When I took pride in showing off my country to foreign friends who marvelled at how Malaysians lived so peacefully in diversity. Those days are gone.
So forget about how this will affect tourism and FDIs, and think instead about the damage it has done to an ordinary Malaysian like me.
You have made a mockery out of my trust, patriotism and faith. You have made me feel unwelcome in my own home. You have made me feel ashamed to be Malaysian.
My heart breaks at what you have done to my country. Then again, I’m not even sure if I can still call it my country anymore.
* Stephanie Sta Maria is a reader of The Malaysian Insider.
'I am surprised that we suddenly have a PM who is unable to stop protests when all this while the cops and FRU units are able to stand guard when it concerns the opposition parties.'
JAN 8 2010 Malaysian Insider
Dear Mr Prime Minister, you have failed me.
This is not a letter to tell you where you went wrong. You should already know that by now and if you don’t, many will gladly bring you up to speed.
But this is a letter to tell you what you have done to an ordinary Malaysian like me.
I voted against your government in the last elections but when you came into power, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, I was wrong about you.
That, just maybe, this time, the perceived enemy would be an ally in disguise. That, just maybe, 1 Malaysia wouldn’t be the joke at which everyone laughed.
Change needs time and maybe, just maybe, that was what was necessary. So, against my better judgement, I let myself believe in possibilities.
Then racism reared its head and the moment of truth arrived in the form of cow-head protestors, BTN and the “Allah” issue.
You couldn’t have asked for more perfect opportunity to prove that you are more than just a string of clever words. It was your chance to leave a legacy by uniting the nation to stand up against the real enemies – ignorance and fear.
Instead you did nothing, and by doing that, you turned us against each other.
I’m sure you have your litany of reasons for acting the way you have but those reasons don’t interest me. All I know is that, when it really mattered, you made me feel like I didn’t.
When it came to delivering on your “People First” promise, you chose who those people would be.
When it came to “Performance Now”, you failed to see the sense of urgency.
You became everything you told us not to be. To me, you are nothing more than the wizard of Oz.
There was a time when I believed in this country. When I couldn’t imagine making a home anywhere else. When I was proud to hold a Malaysian passport. When I felt warmth each time I heard the pilot announce, “Welcome to Kuala Lumpur International Airport”. When I took pride in showing off my country to foreign friends who marvelled at how Malaysians lived so peacefully in diversity. Those days are gone.
So forget about how this will affect tourism and FDIs, and think instead about the damage it has done to an ordinary Malaysian like me.
You have made a mockery out of my trust, patriotism and faith. You have made me feel unwelcome in my own home. You have made me feel ashamed to be Malaysian.
My heart breaks at what you have done to my country. Then again, I’m not even sure if I can still call it my country anymore.
* Stephanie Sta Maria is a reader of The Malaysian Insider.
'I am surprised that we suddenly have a PM who is unable to stop protests when all this while the cops and FRU units are able to stand guard when it concerns the opposition parties.'
TENGKU RAZALEIGH STATEMENT IN SINGAPORE, THU JAN 07 2010
Friday January 8, 2010
Tengku Razaleigh made these statements in Singapore, in a regional forum with all International Press Corps present. What kind of image the world will have on Malaysia from now on.
The question here is : Will UMNO dare to sack Tengku Razaleigh ?
Ku Li says an intolerant Umno is fanning racial sentiments
By Leslie Lau
Consultant Editor
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah lashed out at Umno today over its strident position on the “Allah” controversy, pointing out that the party was bent on fanning communal sentiment and digging itself into an intolerant hardline position with no parallel in the Muslim world.
He also suggested that racially-based parties should no longer be allowed to contest elections in multiracial Malaysia.
Speaking in Singapore today at the ISEAS regional outlook forum, his scathing remarks comes as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shored up Umno and the government’s position over the Allah controversy by backing the right of Muslim groups to hold a public demonstration tomorrow.
Umno and a number of Muslim NGOs have been in an uproar over the recent High Court ruling allowing the Catholic church’s Herald newspaper to use the word “Allah” to refer to God in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
The government has filed an appeal against the ruling and yesterday it won a stay of execution.
The Islamist PAS, however, has backed the court’s ruling by pointing out that the word “Allah” can be used by those of the Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Tengku Razaleigh suggested today that the rejection of Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) communal politics model by large swathes of voters in Election 2008 had led the Malay nationalist party to pursue racial issues more stridently.
“They think this will shore up their ’base’. They are mistaken about the nature of that base. As they do so, they become more extreme and out of touch with ordinary voters of every race and religion whose major concerns are not racial or religious identity but matters such as corruption, security, the economy and education.”
He cited as an example the “Allah” controversy
In a milestone moment, PAS, the Islamic party, is holding onto the more plural and moderate position while Umno is digging itself into an intolerant hard-line position that has no parallel that I know of in the Muslim world.
“Umno is fanning communal sentiment, and the government it leads is taking up policy lines based on ‘sensitivities’ rather than principle. The issue appears to be more about racial sentiment than religious, let alone constitutional principles,” he said in his luncheon address.
He said Umno’s response to the “Allah” controversy was “short of leadership and moral fibre.”
Tengku Razaleigh’s latest attack on Umno and the government is not likely to go down well with the hardline conservatives in his party.
But the Umno veteran has been unrelenting in his call for reforms in Umno. Recently, he also slammed the BN government’s position in refusing to give oil royalties to Kelantan, which is ruled by PAS.
On the “Allah” issue, the former Finance Minister is particularly scathing in his remarks.
“Sensitivities is the favoured resort of the gutter politician. With it he raises a mob, fans its resentment and helps it discover a growing list of other sensitivities. This is a road to ruin. A nation is made up of citizens bound by a shared conception of justice and not of mobs extracting satisfaction for politicised emotional states,” he said.
Tengku Razaleigh said that when the government began speaking the language of sensitivities, it was a mark of the country’s decline.
He said the controversy over the use of “Allah” should not be about managing sensitivities but about doing what was right.
“This is what government sounds like when a political system and its leadership have come unstuck from the rule of law. It goes from issue to issue, hostage to the brinksmanship of sensitivities. Small matters threaten to erupt into racial conflict.
“The government of a multiracial society that cannot rise above sentiment is clearly too weak or too self-interested to hold the country together. It has lost credibility and legitimacy. The regime is in crisis.”
Tengku Razaleigh said that while the prime minister had made what he called “helpful gestures” towards freeing up the economy and pursuing multiracial policies, Malaysia was still in need of fundamental reform.
He urged an overhaul of the political system to rule out racially exclusive parties from directly contesting elections; a restoration of the independence of the judiciary and the media; and an all-out war against graft.
Tengku Razaleigh made these statements in Singapore, in a regional forum with all International Press Corps present. What kind of image the world will have on Malaysia from now on.
The question here is : Will UMNO dare to sack Tengku Razaleigh ?
Ku Li says an intolerant Umno is fanning racial sentiments
By Leslie Lau
Consultant Editor
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah lashed out at Umno today over its strident position on the “Allah” controversy, pointing out that the party was bent on fanning communal sentiment and digging itself into an intolerant hardline position with no parallel in the Muslim world.
He also suggested that racially-based parties should no longer be allowed to contest elections in multiracial Malaysia.
Speaking in Singapore today at the ISEAS regional outlook forum, his scathing remarks comes as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shored up Umno and the government’s position over the Allah controversy by backing the right of Muslim groups to hold a public demonstration tomorrow.
Umno and a number of Muslim NGOs have been in an uproar over the recent High Court ruling allowing the Catholic church’s Herald newspaper to use the word “Allah” to refer to God in its Bahasa Malaysia section.
The government has filed an appeal against the ruling and yesterday it won a stay of execution.
The Islamist PAS, however, has backed the court’s ruling by pointing out that the word “Allah” can be used by those of the Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Tengku Razaleigh suggested today that the rejection of Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) communal politics model by large swathes of voters in Election 2008 had led the Malay nationalist party to pursue racial issues more stridently.
“They think this will shore up their ’base’. They are mistaken about the nature of that base. As they do so, they become more extreme and out of touch with ordinary voters of every race and religion whose major concerns are not racial or religious identity but matters such as corruption, security, the economy and education.”
He cited as an example the “Allah” controversy
In a milestone moment, PAS, the Islamic party, is holding onto the more plural and moderate position while Umno is digging itself into an intolerant hard-line position that has no parallel that I know of in the Muslim world.
“Umno is fanning communal sentiment, and the government it leads is taking up policy lines based on ‘sensitivities’ rather than principle. The issue appears to be more about racial sentiment than religious, let alone constitutional principles,” he said in his luncheon address.
He said Umno’s response to the “Allah” controversy was “short of leadership and moral fibre.”
Tengku Razaleigh’s latest attack on Umno and the government is not likely to go down well with the hardline conservatives in his party.
But the Umno veteran has been unrelenting in his call for reforms in Umno. Recently, he also slammed the BN government’s position in refusing to give oil royalties to Kelantan, which is ruled by PAS.
On the “Allah” issue, the former Finance Minister is particularly scathing in his remarks.
“Sensitivities is the favoured resort of the gutter politician. With it he raises a mob, fans its resentment and helps it discover a growing list of other sensitivities. This is a road to ruin. A nation is made up of citizens bound by a shared conception of justice and not of mobs extracting satisfaction for politicised emotional states,” he said.
Tengku Razaleigh said that when the government began speaking the language of sensitivities, it was a mark of the country’s decline.
He said the controversy over the use of “Allah” should not be about managing sensitivities but about doing what was right.
“This is what government sounds like when a political system and its leadership have come unstuck from the rule of law. It goes from issue to issue, hostage to the brinksmanship of sensitivities. Small matters threaten to erupt into racial conflict.
“The government of a multiracial society that cannot rise above sentiment is clearly too weak or too self-interested to hold the country together. It has lost credibility and legitimacy. The regime is in crisis.”
Tengku Razaleigh said that while the prime minister had made what he called “helpful gestures” towards freeing up the economy and pursuing multiracial policies, Malaysia was still in need of fundamental reform.
He urged an overhaul of the political system to rule out racially exclusive parties from directly contesting elections; a restoration of the independence of the judiciary and the media; and an all-out war against graft.
ALLAH HU-AKBAR! Allah is great!
Pic by Dave Li
Pic from writer.“Qur’an: Muslims and Christians worship same God”
6 Jan 10 : 7.00PM
By Ding Jo-Ann
dingjoann@thenutgraph.com
(Pic by Lorna / Dreamstime) PETALING JAYA, 6 Jan 2010: An American-based Islamic society has commended the 31 Dec 2009 High Court judgement that lifted the ban on the use of "Allah" by Catholic paper Herald.
The Islamic Society of North America (Isna) said the Qur'an was explicit that Muslims worshipped the same God as Christians.
"The Qur'an commands Muslims to declare that the God they worship and the one worshipped by the followers of revealed books, including Christians, is one," Isna said in a 4 Jan statement.
It cited the Qur'an (29:46): "... and say [to the followers of the Abrahamic faiths]: 'We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, and our God and your God is One, and to Him do we submit.'"
"We urge Muslim non-governmental organisations to respect Islamic teachings and long-held Islamic traditions, and to withdraw their opposition to the use of the word 'Allah' by their Christian compatriots," Isna said.
Isna disagreed with the argument that non-Muslim Malaysians usually translate God as "Tuhan" in Bahasa Malaysia, not "Allah". "This argument is contrary to both Islamic understanding and practice," said Isna.
"Christian Arabs have been using the word 'Allah' to refer to God in their religious sources since the inception of Islam, and have never been challenged by private Muslims or Muslim governments on this ground," it added.
It said Islamic law was clear that Christians have the right to practise their religion according to their own religious teachings.
Isna is an association of Muslim organisations and individuals that has been operating in the US and Canada for more than 40 years.
Today, the High Court granted a stay of its decision pending the Home Ministry's appeal of the lifting of the ban.
In the meantime, protests are reportedly being organised after Friday prayers on 8 Jan by Malaysian Muslim organisations to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the High Court ruling.
Malay-language newspapers have also been criticising the High Court ruling while Malaysian cabinet members, notably Muslim ministers from Umno, have been appealing for "calm", saying the matter was "sensitive".
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Marina Mahathir writes on the use of the word Allah..
JAN 4 — I found by chance this article the other day: “Prophet Muhammad’s Promise to Christians”.
The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even though it was penned in 628 AD it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person, says Muqtedar Khan.
Muslims and Christians together constitute over 50 per cent of the world and if they lived in peace, we will be half way to world peace. One small step that we can take towards fostering Muslim-Christian harmony is to tell and retell positive stories and abstain from mutual demonisation.
In this article I propose to remind both Muslims and Christians about a promise that Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) made to Christians. The knowledge of this promise can have enormous impact on Muslim conduct towards Christians. Muslims generally respect the precedent of their Prophet and try to practise it in their lives.
In 628 AD, a delegation from St Catherine’s Monastery came to Prophet Muhammed and requested his protection. He responded by granting them a charter of rights, which I reproduce below in its entirety. St Catherine’s Monastery is located at the foot of Mt Sinai and is the world’s oldest monastery. It possesses a huge collection of Christian manuscripts, second only to the Vatican, and is a world heritage site. It also boasts the oldest collection of Christian icons. It is a treasure house of Christian history that has remained safe for 1,400 years under Muslim protection.
The Promise to St Catherine:
“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
“Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
“No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
“Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
“No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
“No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”
The first and the final sentence of the charter are critical. They make the promise eternal and universal. Muhammed asserts that Muslims are with Christians near and far, straight away rejecting any future attempts to limit the promise to St Catherine alone. By ordering Muslims to obey it until the Day of Judgment the charter again undermines any future attempts to revoke the privileges. These rights are inalienable. Muhammed declared Christians, all of them, as his allies and he equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s covenant.
A remarkable aspect of the charter is that it imposes no conditions on Christians for enjoying its privileges. It is enough that they are Christians. They are not required to alter their beliefs, they do not have to make any payments and they do not have any obligations. This is a charter of rights without any duties!
The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even thought it was penned in 628 AD it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person.
I know most readers must be thinking so what? Well the answer is simple. Those who seek to foster discord among Muslims and Christians focus on issues that divide and emphasise areas of conflict. But when resources such as Muhammad’s promise to Christians are invoked and highlighted it builds bridges. It inspires Muslims to rise above communal intolerance and engenders goodwill in Christians who might be nursing fear of Islam or Muslims.
When I look at Islamic sources, I find in them unprecedented examples of religious tolerance and inclusiveness. They make me want to become a better person. I think the capacity to seek good and do good inheres in all of us. When we subdue this predisposition towards the good, we deny our fundamental humanity. In this holiday season, I hope all of us can find time to look for something positive and worthy of appreciation in the values, cultures and histories of other peoples.
Dr Muqtedar Khan is director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware and a fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
Now, when that delegation from St Catherine's monastery came to meet with Prophet Mohamad (pbuh), I suppose it's fair to assume that they spoke Arabic to one another. And when they were conversing, surely the word “God” must have come up. As in "May God Be With You" and such like. What word did the Prophet (pbuh) use for “God” I wonder? And what did the St Catherinians use in return? For monotheists like them, was there a “your God” and “my God” type of situation, or did they understand that they were both talking about the same One?
While some idiots are mourning over the “loss” of the word “Allah” and therefore basically telling the world that they are people easily confused by nomenclature, and others are predicting riots over what is basically a “copyright” issue, let me define what I think a confident Muslim should be:
1. A confident Muslim is unfazed by the issue of God's name. God speaks to all of humankind in the Quran and never said that only Muslims could call him by the name Allah.
2. A confident Muslim has 99 names to choose from to describe that One God. My favourites are Ar-Rahman (The All-Compassionate) and Ar-Rahim (The All-Merciful).
3. A confident Muslim never gets confused over which is his/her religion and which is other people's. For instance, a confident Muslim knows exactly what the first chapter of the Quran is. And it's not the Lord's Prayer.
4. A confident Muslim will not walk into a church, hear a liturgy in Malay or Arabic where they use the word “Allah” and then think that he or she is in a mosque. A confident Muslim knows the difference.
5. A confident Muslim is generous, inclusive and doesn't think that his or her brethren is made exclusive through the use of a single language. The confident Muslim is well aware that in the Middle East, all services of ANY religion are in Arabic because that's what they all speak.
6. A confident Muslim knows the basis of his/her faith are the five pillars of Islam and will not be shaken just because other people call God by the same name.
7. A Muslim believes in only One God. Therefore it makes sense that other people should call God by the same name because there is no other God.
ART THOU NOT aware that it is God whose limitless glory all [creatures] that are in the heavens and on earth extol, even the birds as they spread out their wings? Each [of them] knows indeed how to pray unto Him and to glorify Him; and God has full knowledge of all that they do: (Surah Nour, Verse 41) (Asad).
So I would ask those people demonstrating against the court decision, have you no pride? Are you saying you're easily confused?
And before anyone says I have no qualifications to say these things, read what Dr Asri Zainal Abidin (who does have qualifications no matter what JAIS says) has written about this very subject here.
And here's something interesting. In 2007, the Majlis Agama Negeri Perlis, which is a large majlis filled with people very learned in Islamic religious knowledge, discussed the question of the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims. Their unanimous decision? They issued a fatwa to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with non-Muslims using the word at all. (This was told to me by Asri but I cannot find the fatwa anywhere online because all the religious departments' websites are so useless.)
Are we now going to excommunicate the whole of Perlis? — rantingsbymm.blogspot.com
The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even though it was penned in 628 AD it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person, says Muqtedar Khan.
Muslims and Christians together constitute over 50 per cent of the world and if they lived in peace, we will be half way to world peace. One small step that we can take towards fostering Muslim-Christian harmony is to tell and retell positive stories and abstain from mutual demonisation.
In this article I propose to remind both Muslims and Christians about a promise that Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) made to Christians. The knowledge of this promise can have enormous impact on Muslim conduct towards Christians. Muslims generally respect the precedent of their Prophet and try to practise it in their lives.
In 628 AD, a delegation from St Catherine’s Monastery came to Prophet Muhammed and requested his protection. He responded by granting them a charter of rights, which I reproduce below in its entirety. St Catherine’s Monastery is located at the foot of Mt Sinai and is the world’s oldest monastery. It possesses a huge collection of Christian manuscripts, second only to the Vatican, and is a world heritage site. It also boasts the oldest collection of Christian icons. It is a treasure house of Christian history that has remained safe for 1,400 years under Muslim protection.
The Promise to St Catherine:
“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
“Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
“No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
“Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
“No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
“No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”
The first and the final sentence of the charter are critical. They make the promise eternal and universal. Muhammed asserts that Muslims are with Christians near and far, straight away rejecting any future attempts to limit the promise to St Catherine alone. By ordering Muslims to obey it until the Day of Judgment the charter again undermines any future attempts to revoke the privileges. These rights are inalienable. Muhammed declared Christians, all of them, as his allies and he equated ill treatment of Christians with violating God’s covenant.
A remarkable aspect of the charter is that it imposes no conditions on Christians for enjoying its privileges. It is enough that they are Christians. They are not required to alter their beliefs, they do not have to make any payments and they do not have any obligations. This is a charter of rights without any duties!
The document is not a modern human rights treaty but even thought it was penned in 628 AD it clearly protects the right to property, freedom of religion, freedom of work, and security of the person.
I know most readers must be thinking so what? Well the answer is simple. Those who seek to foster discord among Muslims and Christians focus on issues that divide and emphasise areas of conflict. But when resources such as Muhammad’s promise to Christians are invoked and highlighted it builds bridges. It inspires Muslims to rise above communal intolerance and engenders goodwill in Christians who might be nursing fear of Islam or Muslims.
When I look at Islamic sources, I find in them unprecedented examples of religious tolerance and inclusiveness. They make me want to become a better person. I think the capacity to seek good and do good inheres in all of us. When we subdue this predisposition towards the good, we deny our fundamental humanity. In this holiday season, I hope all of us can find time to look for something positive and worthy of appreciation in the values, cultures and histories of other peoples.
Dr Muqtedar Khan is director of Islamic Studies at the University of Delaware and a fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
Now, when that delegation from St Catherine's monastery came to meet with Prophet Mohamad (pbuh), I suppose it's fair to assume that they spoke Arabic to one another. And when they were conversing, surely the word “God” must have come up. As in "May God Be With You" and such like. What word did the Prophet (pbuh) use for “God” I wonder? And what did the St Catherinians use in return? For monotheists like them, was there a “your God” and “my God” type of situation, or did they understand that they were both talking about the same One?
While some idiots are mourning over the “loss” of the word “Allah” and therefore basically telling the world that they are people easily confused by nomenclature, and others are predicting riots over what is basically a “copyright” issue, let me define what I think a confident Muslim should be:
1. A confident Muslim is unfazed by the issue of God's name. God speaks to all of humankind in the Quran and never said that only Muslims could call him by the name Allah.
2. A confident Muslim has 99 names to choose from to describe that One God. My favourites are Ar-Rahman (The All-Compassionate) and Ar-Rahim (The All-Merciful).
3. A confident Muslim never gets confused over which is his/her religion and which is other people's. For instance, a confident Muslim knows exactly what the first chapter of the Quran is. And it's not the Lord's Prayer.
4. A confident Muslim will not walk into a church, hear a liturgy in Malay or Arabic where they use the word “Allah” and then think that he or she is in a mosque. A confident Muslim knows the difference.
5. A confident Muslim is generous, inclusive and doesn't think that his or her brethren is made exclusive through the use of a single language. The confident Muslim is well aware that in the Middle East, all services of ANY religion are in Arabic because that's what they all speak.
6. A confident Muslim knows the basis of his/her faith are the five pillars of Islam and will not be shaken just because other people call God by the same name.
7. A Muslim believes in only One God. Therefore it makes sense that other people should call God by the same name because there is no other God.
ART THOU NOT aware that it is God whose limitless glory all [creatures] that are in the heavens and on earth extol, even the birds as they spread out their wings? Each [of them] knows indeed how to pray unto Him and to glorify Him; and God has full knowledge of all that they do: (Surah Nour, Verse 41) (Asad).
So I would ask those people demonstrating against the court decision, have you no pride? Are you saying you're easily confused?
And before anyone says I have no qualifications to say these things, read what Dr Asri Zainal Abidin (who does have qualifications no matter what JAIS says) has written about this very subject here.
And here's something interesting. In 2007, the Majlis Agama Negeri Perlis, which is a large majlis filled with people very learned in Islamic religious knowledge, discussed the question of the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims. Their unanimous decision? They issued a fatwa to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with non-Muslims using the word at all. (This was told to me by Asri but I cannot find the fatwa anywhere online because all the religious departments' websites are so useless.)
Are we now going to excommunicate the whole of Perlis? — rantingsbymm.blogspot.com
Saturday, December 26, 2009
AGNES TEH (SACS '63) WRITES FRM THE REP.OF LAOS!
No Subject ]
Sunday, December 27, 2009 8:31 AM
From:
"agnes teh"
View contact details
To:
undisclosed-recipients
Dear friends,
Just to share with you my Christmas celebration.We attended the 'midnite' mass at 8pm.It started with a candle-light procession round the church.Many were dressed with red caps etc..so the scenerio was christmasy.There were many people and I think many were non xtians.There were also a few falangs (foreigners).
It was the noisiest C'mas mass I ever attended.Children were running around and adults talking as they wished.Some even used their handphones during the mass! Maybe they had calls from God.
On 25th nite,Chris threw a party at the convent for the sisters and the boarders.He also invited his staff.He gave them a very good treat,KFC,PIZZA and ice cream.He had to send the driver to Mukdahan to buy them earlier.The sisters also cooked for us a Loation dish.
The best part was when Santa Clause "flew" in after a call to Finland.He was all dressed in his red attire with bushy beard etc..The children were so excited.It was the first time they ever met Santa.The adults too were very happy and all wanted to pose with him for fotos.Everyone received some goodies and each child received a special gift.I think it was the best christmas for all of them.We too felt so happy to share the Christmas joy with them.
I hope you too had a good time celebrating the birth of Our Lord.God bless you all.
Now we wait for the New Year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Warmest regards,
Saturday, December 19, 2009
A LETTER FROM CHONG CHOK KUAN (CK)
Merry X'mas - Selamat hari Natal
Saturday, December 19, 2009 5:53 PM
From:
This sender is DomainKeys verified
"CK Chong"
View contact details
To:
"david lee"
Dear Dave,
Firstly, allow me to record my deepest appreciation to you and Teddy for the beautiful flowers and the kind words of comfort sent to my family during our recent bereavement. My sincere apology too for the delay in sending you all (The TREE) a thank you note. Indeed Kulim lost an old resident on 1st Nov 2009 and my father was quite a well known and loveable 'icon' judging from the number of people from all walks of life, young and old, multi-racial, religious and cultural groups who came to pay their respect, or rather to celebrate his life. He passed away at 92 years, definitely a ripe old age and more importantly without any illness or poor health. It was just that all the vital organs decided to call it a day or snapped despite the fact that he was fifteen minutes ago checked by a doctor who told us nothing serious except for his cough and slight fever.
Also, many thanks to all you Kulim folks for the support and words of comfort during the wake and funeral. I also hope that those ex-SBS and SPS folks who dropped by during the wake to 'salam' and pay their respect but we could not have spent time with them then, please try to contact me through my h/p 012-2979820 so that I will try to re-connect with them again during happier time.
I was also told by my brother, Choak Hua that he managed to play catch up with you and a few others through your blog. Keep it up Dave for the good work you are doing to connect the SPS, SBS & SAC students. From the messages you have posted and been sharing with us, you are truly a "Anak Malaysia" and deserve to be given a place of honour.
Best regards,
CK
Saturday, December 19, 2009 5:53 PM
From:
This sender is DomainKeys verified
"CK Chong"
View contact details
To:
"david lee"
Dear Dave,
Firstly, allow me to record my deepest appreciation to you and Teddy for the beautiful flowers and the kind words of comfort sent to my family during our recent bereavement. My sincere apology too for the delay in sending you all (The TREE) a thank you note. Indeed Kulim lost an old resident on 1st Nov 2009 and my father was quite a well known and loveable 'icon' judging from the number of people from all walks of life, young and old, multi-racial, religious and cultural groups who came to pay their respect, or rather to celebrate his life. He passed away at 92 years, definitely a ripe old age and more importantly without any illness or poor health. It was just that all the vital organs decided to call it a day or snapped despite the fact that he was fifteen minutes ago checked by a doctor who told us nothing serious except for his cough and slight fever.
Also, many thanks to all you Kulim folks for the support and words of comfort during the wake and funeral. I also hope that those ex-SBS and SPS folks who dropped by during the wake to 'salam' and pay their respect but we could not have spent time with them then, please try to contact me through my h/p 012-2979820 so that I will try to re-connect with them again during happier time.
I was also told by my brother, Choak Hua that he managed to play catch up with you and a few others through your blog. Keep it up Dave for the good work you are doing to connect the SPS, SBS & SAC students. From the messages you have posted and been sharing with us, you are truly a "Anak Malaysia" and deserve to be given a place of honour.
Best regards,
CK
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