a question of approach...

Just imagine, for one moment.

Press statement for immediate release by the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia.

"Fatwa 101/2009

The National Fatwa Council of Malaysia hereby announces a Fatwa passed on 25th November 2009. This Fatwa is passed unanimously by the members of the Council during its meeting on the same date. The full members of the Fatwa Council are as stated in the annexure to this announcement.

The Council is mindful of the highly stressful environment that many Malaysians, in general, and the Malaysian Muslims, in particular, are in at the present time. Work and family commitments, financial and business undertakings as well as various other factors tend to put a lot of stress on many of us, Malaysians. In the light of the economics meltdown which economists and analysts are predicting to take place in the near future, the Council expects the stress situation to get worse.

The Council acknowledges that as a  result, many Malaysians are now more conscious about their health and issues relating to the same. The mushrooming of fitness centres and health spas are testimony to the growing interest among Malaysians on health issues. The Council is of the opinion that this is a healthy development.

Islam encourages the "ummah" (the society) to live a healthy life. The mandatory prayers in itself consist a set of flowing movements which have  scientifically been proven to promote the well beings of its practitioners. The highly stressful environment that we live in in the present days  may result in high blood pressure, cardio vascular problems, stroke and a host of other health problems which could, if untreated, be fatal.

It is therefore necessary for all of us to look after ourselves and our health. A healthy body is after all necessary for a healthy mind. A healthy mind is would be able to effectively and positively contribute to the betterment of the "ummah" .

The Council notes that one of the various forms of exercises which are preferred by Malaysians, including Malaysian Muslims, is the practice of yoga. Concerns have been raised by some members of the public, as well as the members of the Council, that yoga is a form of exercises practiced by and originate from the Hindus and that such practices may include certain religious rituals which may be repugnant against Islamic principles.

The practice of yoga, to the Council's understanding, may consist of 3 elements, namely:

a) physical movements or exercises;

b) chanting or uttering certain mantras; and,

c) meditation.

It is therefore imperative that Muslims who practice yoga do not inadvertently  or unknowingly transgress Islamic principles which may cause them to commit unpardonable sin in Islam, such as the practice of idolising a god other than Allah s.w.t.

After much research and deliberation, including hearing the opinions of various yoga practitioners and experts - the references of the Council's research and the names of the various experts and yoga practitioners are annexed to this announcement -  the Council would like to encourage Muslims to continue engaging in physical exercises whenever possible in order to ensure good health. The Council would like to however remind that some yoga movements are complicated and may instead be hazardous to one's well being. The Council therefore advises Muslims to engage a proper trainer in order to ensure an effective and safe physical exercises sessions.

In so far as the yoga practices consist of mantras and chanting in the form as recorded in the enclosed compact disc, it is the Council's opinion that such mantras and chanting ought not to be practiced by Muslims as the same consist of words or phrases which is praiseful of idols or gods other than Allah s.w.t. Such practice, in the Council's opinion, should be immediately stopped as it is a cardinal Islamic principle that a Muslim ought to only worship one God, Allah s.w.t.

Other mantras or chanting, which may take the form as recorded in the enclosed compact disc (disc "B"), which consist of only words, phrases or sounds which are relaxing in nature may be uttered as the Council does not see any religious significance in them.

The Council wishes to impress on all Malaysians, especially our Hindu friends, that this fatwa is not intended to decry the yoga practices among Muslims. It is just intended to be a gentle advice to Muslims on a question of Islamic faith. Muslims may call the Council or e mail the Council at the numbers or address provided on the Council's web site if the need arises.

The Council wishes all Malaysians Muslims all the best in their pursuit of physical and spiritual health.

May God bless all of us and our good deeds."

The fatwa on yoga, as announced by the National Fatwa Council, in my opinion, was a top class failure in public relation. The Council gave a short statement. That was it. Till today, I have not read the actual "fatwa" or decree, which I, as a Muslim, am supposed to adhere. All I had read was newspaper reports. Many of us, me included, do not have a clue as to who the members are and quite how these members arrived at their conclusion that yoga is unIslamic. It might as well have been a decision by the Star Chambers for all we know.

And quite why all the fatwas issued by the Council have to be in the negative form (as in, Muslim cannot do this and Muslims shall not do that) is frankly beyond me. They sound so unfriendly. And they make Muslims sound so...stupid and recalcitrant, as if we have to be told what NOT to do all the time.

I am not going into the correctness or otherwise of the fatwa. What I am saying is, why can't a fatwa be issued in a positive light, like the one I have taken the trouble to write above? For once I think, Muslims would like to be told that what they are doing is alright but in areas where they might be wrong, they would be obliged for some tender guidance and fatherly advice. Not a stern "you SHALL NOT do this and that"!

I think, had the Council issued the fatwa on yoga in a more humane and friendlier manner - like the one above - it would endear itself to Malaysians and such fatwa would not have kicked up the totally unnecessary storm as it did.

Public relation. Have you all ever heard of that?

 

 

 

 

 

"Mubahalah" By Saiful - a fair trial is now impossible?

It is reported by Malaysiakini that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the man accusing Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy, had sworn on the Quran that Anwar Ibrahim had sodomised him without his consent. He had done so at the Federal Teritorry Mosque in Jalan Duta. During a press conference at a hotel on 15th August, a 2 minute video recording of the swearing - which is called "mubahalah" in Islamic term - was shown to reporters.

The process of "mubahalah" is a process whereby a Muslim would swear to the truthfulness of a fact asserted by him or her as true in the name of Allah and in front of the Quran. Muslims believe that if a Muslim dares to go through the process of "mubahalah" knowing that what he or she is asserting is not true, he or she would be a sure candidate for hell in the afterlife and that various hardship would befall him or her even before death. It would not be an understatement to say that "mubahalah" is almost the ultimate test to determine whether somebody is telling the truth or otherwise in Islam. Almost all Muslims would believe in a person who had asserted a fact through this process as no Muslim would even dare to swear by the Quran - let alone in a mosque and in the name of Allah - if he or she is not telling the truth. (In Chinese tradition, we of course would have come across the act of slaughtering a chicken in a temple to prove that one is telling the truth).

Anwar Ibrahim has been accused of sodomy by Saiful and he was in fact charged in the Sessions Court recently. The fact that there is a court proceeding pending against Anwar Ibrahim is therefore beyond any argument. It is last reported by Malaysiakini that the case is now fixed for mention on the 10th September 2008 on which date an application to transfer the case to the High Court would be made by the prosecution.

The question now is whether a fair trial of Anwar Ibrahim is possible in view of Saiful's "mubahalah". It is arguable that a fair trial of the case is now impossible. Should the case be fixed for trial before a Muslim Judge, with all due respect, it will always be in the mind of the Muslim Judge that Saiful, the accuser, had sworn in a mosque in the name of Allah and in front of the Quran. It would be reasonable to assume that the Judge woud find it difficult to disbelieve what Saiful had said in view of him swearing as such. By contrast, Anwar Ibrahim has not done so. It is not unreasonable to conclude that this would lead to an almost incontrovertible "proof" in the mind of any Muslim Judge that Anwar Ibrahim is guilty of sodomising Saiful without his consent.

In addition, I am sure there will be many Muslim witnesses who would appear for the prosecution or the defence. The same belief will always linger in the mind of these Muslim witnesses. These witnesses would include any expert forensic witness and any other witnesses who would appear in Court to support the prosecution's case or the defence. Regardless of who they are - and for which side of the fence they are appearing for - these Muslim witnesses may have trouble to be independent in view of Saiful's action. It would not be unreasonable for any of the Muslim witnesses to now change their intended testimony in view of the "mubahalah" by Saiful. It would not be surprising that even some of the Muslim Counsel appearing in the case to now have doubt about Anwar Ibrahim's innocence!

Under the law, the case is now sub judice (a latin phrase which literally means "under judgement"). When a matter is sub judice, any comment or action which could prejudice the fair trial of the case or which could obstruct the process of justice is prohibited. In my opinion, the "mubahalah" by Saiful is an action which unnecessarily prejudices the fiar trial of the case. In fact, it could be even argued that it amounts to an obstruction of justice in view of the fact that there would be many Muslims who are directly involved in the case.

Any party who makes any statement or commits any act against the principle of sub judice may have commiteed contempt of Court. Anwar Ibrahim's Counsel, I am sure, will now be looking at the matter closely. But if I were one of them, I would be filing contempt proceedings against Saiful by next week!

Is a fair trial of the sodomy case now possible? I will let all of you decide.

You No Watch Christian Movie Mister!

The other day I was just browsing through the movies being sold at Speedy Video at Atria, Damansara Jaya and came across a biblical series of movies. I was particularly attracted to the Samson & Delilah movie because, as you can see from the picture, it was the movie that which showed the most skin on the cover. Samson has that saucy look as he stands bare chested and looks into the camera as if to say, I'm getting it so good and you're not; while Delilah whose shoulders are clearly exposed, and thus sexually provocative in the local repressed culture and clinging to his pectorals for dear life appears either about to or has just completed a rousing bout of mutual pleasuring with Samson. If the content was anything like the cover, I was game.

With that, I was about to pick up the VCD when suddenly what felt like an electric jolt coursed through my body and open a closer inspection of the label on the cover I understood why.

The VCD was for non-muslims only! It is no wonder I felt that jolt when I tried to pick it up. It was then that I was so thankful to either the Ministry of Information or whichever agency whose responsibility it was to watch movies and judiciously assign them these highly important stickers. Who knows what would have happened if I watched that movie without heeding that warning! I may have watched it and become a Christian even before the opening credits finish and be declared an apostate (even though Christians and Muslims are 'People of the Book' according to the Quran and find their source from the same Abrahamic tradition). I may have been a proselytizer before I finished the movie and converted any animals that sat next to me from animal or plan worship to singing hymns to Jesus (Yessah!). I may have been singing Hallelujah all gospel style at full blast when the ending movie credits role. I would have abandon my faith after 2 hours of potent visual Christian imagery.

We should all be so thankful that we have our other Muslim bretheren looking out for us and taking great care and using government resources to keep the ummah together. We need lots of protection because we are very vulnerable Muslims. The slightest whisper of other religions would result in our immediate and fanatical conversion to the new faith and we wouldn't want that cos like Islam rocks and like we sure go to heaven if we're Muslim no matter how awful we are. Don't ask me where I got that, some Uztad told me that 3 years ago while he was drunk and am sure he was and is right.

God Bless Malaysian Government is Making Muslims Many Many Happy!

as yet untitled...

Islamisation in Malaysia is typified by the Iranian approach to drinking beers. We want to drink beers but beers contain alcohol. So we have non-alcoholic beers. That's it. The Islamisation of beers!

Last week, no less than the Institute of Islamic Understanding (Institiut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia or IKIM in short) had a brainstorming session. You know, sometimes these people would converge and talk about how big their LCD televisions are and how many horse power their office air conditioners have. And they would make nice glossy posters and call their meeting a conference, seminar, summit or whatever. Like the one in Perak previously where the ulamaks met and decreed that it was wrong for Muslims to celebrate non-Muslims festivities. Yes. That kinda thing. And so, IKIM had a conference last week.

And so what did they discuss? I mean apart from the size of their LCD sets and stuffs. Well, there's a hell lot they could have discussed and resolved on. The killing of the Muslims in Sudan. The suicide bombings in Pakistan by seemingly young and powerless Muslims. Maybe they could issue an edict on what really constitutes martyrdom in Islam. The Islamisation of the banking industry in Malaysia and the entire world. They could look into the various loan transactions being done by the banks under the Islamic loan banner and determine whether those loans are really Islamic in nature or are they just normal commercial loans with interests disguised and hidden as profits which are allowed by Islam. Or what about the independence of Kosovo? Yea, Kosovo after all is a country full of Muslims. The Muslims there were subject to genocide not a long time ago. And now they have declared independence, albeit unilaterally. The USofA has supported the independent declaration for whatever reason. Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country has objected, also for whatever reason. Malaysia has kept quiet -not for whatever reason- probably because nobody within our leadership, especially our PM, has noticed the significance of that event. What was even more astonishing is the fact that the Organisation Of Islamic Countries, of which our PM is the Chairman, did not even move a finger to support the Kosovo independence! As to what actually the OIC is interested in, nobody would ever know. Non alcoholic beers, may be. Elsewhere, Muslims continue to be outcast by westerners. Islam, the religion of peace and harmony, is now viewed by westerners, especially, - wrongly but somehow almost justifiably - as a religion which is anti-women, supports extremism and terrorism, promotes suicide bombings, primitive, medieval, intolerant of other religions, racist and anything but good. What could be done to put right this misconception? What could be done to tell the world that Islam is a religion which promotes harmony and peace. That Islam respects other religions. That Christians and the Old Testament followers are in fact "people of the books" who share the same origin as that of the Muslims. What could be done to promote a healthier and more acceptable views of Islam in the whole world especially. Hell, what could be done to promote Islam as a peace loving and tolerant religion in Malaysia? Haven't we realised that inter religious relations in Malaysia is at an all time low? What can be done?

And so IKIM met. I mean they conferred. The top guns of the Malaysian Muslims met and conferred. I would at least expect them to tackle the inter religious issues in Malaysia if not the world. I mean, these are the top guns we are talking about, no? Yeah. The met. They conferred. So, what did they talk about? KHALWAT! That was what they talked and make loud noise about! Awesome! Like totally awesome! Now they want the khalwators to be punished by strokes of the rotans. And not only that, the non-Muslims khalwatees must also be punished in the civil courts! That's what the wanted. How could a non-Muslim, who is doing nothing wrong under his or her religion, be punished just escaped their teeny weeny mind! Oh not only that. The also want beer drinkers to be get strokes of the rotan as well. Great! Cane them all. Just imagine. The gliterratis of the Malaysian Muslims met, conferred and came out with this. IKIM. Institiut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia or the Institute of Islamic UNDERSTANDING. Wonderful. Brilliant. I am sure, after the conference last week, many non-Muslims in Malaysia and the world at large, have now understood Islam better and are all to ready to embrace Islam or be more tolerant to Muslim ideas. Thank you IKIM.

I tell you what IKIM. I am going to Islamise a piglet for you. I am going to buy a piglet. Make it wear a green robe and grow beards. Then I am going to put a ketayap on its head. What do you think?

Meanwhile, the PM is still struggling with his cabinet. Not the one in the Sri Perdana's kitchen. I mean, the Malaysian cabinet! Bloody hell. This guy. He dropped Rafidah Aziz and then realised that the Wanita UMNO does not have a minister. So at the last minute he appointed Shahrizat as a special adviser with ministerial powers. That is like appointing another minister la Pak Lah! Then some of the deputy ministers rejected their appointments. And some who accepted later resigned. What the hell is happening la? And today it is reported that Sabah and Sarawak are now happy that the PM says they will get more people in the cabinet as Ministers. Jeez. You blinking klumptzoid!

I want to ask the PM. Do you read? Do you know the very purpose of the parliament and the government? If I may quote Edmund Birke. He says:

Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests, which interests each must maintain, as an agent and advocate, against other agents and advocates; but Parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole-where not local purposes, not local prejudices, ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole. (as quoted in Birch 1972, page 39)

You see Mr Prime Minister, the Parliament, and a fortiori, your cabinet, is supposed to work for the country as a whole. It is not a place where interests, whether based on geographical localities, or religions, or races, or whatever, are supposed to be represented and protected. It is supposed to represent the whole country. The whole people. Race and religion regardless! So, I don't for the life of me understand why it is so difficult for you to appoint people to be in your cabinet. It is not a matter of whether there should be a Wanita UMNO gal in your cabinet, or Puteri UMNO, or a guy from Sabah or Sarawak in your cabinet. Just select the best people. I mean, if all the best people who could propel this nation towards greatness happen to be in Perlis, then appoint them la. What is so freaking difficult? The problem is that you, and BN, all these while, are blinkered in this power sharing thing. You and your ilk seem to think that power sharing means that the ministerial powers are supposed to be shared by people from the parties within the BN. That would mean, if a party within the BN consists of klumptzoits, than you have no choice but to appoint a klumptzoit as a minister, just to suit your "power sharing" agenda. The country as a whole can be damned! Now, that is just not on! That is plain stupid. And unfair to the people. But then again, what do you all care about the people and their ideals? If you all care about the people, then your Minister, like Azalina, would not be canceling tourism contracts in the 5 states which are controlled by the opposition parties. God, that is so shallow.

So, what is next? Non alcoholic beers at UMNO general assembly?

In Defence of Islam?

Those who, stand either individually or in clumps, claim that they are defending Islam do not trust in Allah and thereby blaspheme. These people are of narrow minds and materialistic creed. Let us consider some of the more relevant and obvious repercussions of accepting Allah as the "The Originator of the heavens and the earth!" (Surah 6:101) which is basically this Universe, and the many billion other universes out there, all that space, and clutter in between. We, in truth, don't even make up an atom of a grain of sand in the entire scheme of things. And those are just His creations - so, in truth, we will never be able to even comprehend Allah. Whoever claims they do, makes false claims for godhood. And therefore sins.

Let us consider this starting point: that we are unfathomably small in His entire design. We die out just like all other living things on this earth. Our lifespan is short - a maximum of just over one hundred - with an average of about late 60s these days. We, as Homo Sapiens, only arrived on the scene relatively recently i.e. about 400,000 years ago, and our recorded history only stretches back to about 32,000 years ago with those cave paintings in Chauvet Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave, in southern France. The earth is estimated by scientists to be approximately between 4.5 - 6 billion years old. So that's how we are even compared to the earth. Nothing much. And the universe? Scientists currently estimate it to be about 13.7 billion years old. So in terms of times our Homo Sapien race existence compared to the universe - our significance is 0.0000029197080. Now you then divide that but all the many people, animals, etc. and you come through and we realize how insignificant any of us are.

When seen in this light, that Allah was long before us and shall be for ever, so what does it matter if some of his most insignificant creations on one of His billions, if not trillions, of galaxies and planet, does not believe in Him? What does it matter that there are these non-believers who speak ill of Him? The truth is that no one can harm Allah or his religion because we are in His realm. What is more, going by scripture, we are all answerable to him on Judgment Day, so why should we have to answer to someone lesser whilst we are alive? A comparative analogy of the relationship between Allah and mankind/His Universe would be as a computer programmer to his program. Whatever program a programmer programs into his computer can never harm him (assuming it is your usual standard desktop PC and not some robotic killer machine whose sole purpose is to annihilate any living thing) - he can manipulate it, change it, do virtually anything to it but the computer or its programs or the product of its program can never, ever harm the programmer. So when there is no threat, there cannot be a defence.

And Allah is Eternal and Creator of All - what possible threat can there be to the Supreme Being of the Universe? If even Satan himself cannot bring about such an event (because he will get his butt kicked in the End of Days), then what more the mere sons of Adam? And what do these ants think they can do in Allah's defence? That some of his sons thinks that Allah is in need of protection is to betray what they really think of themselves and Allah. The first is that they think too highly of himself and his worth to the Allah and the Universe and secondly, they think too lowly of Allah and his Creations. They do not say this explicitly, but there is no need to because actions have always spoken louder than words.

So what is this Defence of Islam really about then? It's the same thing that has happened over the centuries where religion is concerned: frustrated, unthinking, unlearned, morally and ethically corrupt human beings who want to achieve some control in his life and do so by piggybacking on a religion to establish a high moral position and to burn with righteous anger with supposed authority from God with which he can then carry out his psychosis. This Defence of Islam strategy is an attempt to play up their victimhood (defence presupposes an attack) to try and attract sympathy from unconcerned or unrelated parties. But then in banding together and claiming defence they then allow themselves the possibility of a pre-attack strike (because that is a defence too which America used as a justification in attacking Iraq). Ultimately, the entire strategy is geared towards confrontation and violence.

The truth of the matter is that the Defence of Islam was never about Allah. It was always about the corrupt Muslims who seek not to worship Allah in humility but to try reach His exalted status; and then in failing so miserably and ending up no better than Satan and his cronies, end up ultimately becoming a disgrace both to Islam and Allah.