1 Telor!

Yes. I am talking about the Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia or Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association (PGSM).

Malaysia Today cited a report in The Star this morning saying that PGSM  has apologised to Dr Asri, the former Mufti of Perlis over the contents of the memorandum sent by the former to His Royal Highness the Yang di Pertuan Agong recently. This is also confirmed by a MalaysiaKini report.

I will not repeat what was said in the memorandum. Suffice if I were to say that the contents are vicious enough to make a multi-million dollar defamation suit by Dr Asri a very viable exercise.

The thing is this. PGSM is the self proclaimed defender of the faith. Whenever there are people or party whom they disagree with on matters pertaining to Islam, they would be the first to shout and scream. On the Kartika issue, they were so loud in condemning Sisters In Islam, Joint Action Group for Gender Equality and WAO. They had a protest against these NGOs. They also lodged a police report against the organisations.

When these NGOs called for a review of Syariah Criminal offences, they issued a memorandum (they just love memorandums, don't they?)  imploring the government to prosecute these organisations.

Why not? After all, those orgainsations are unIslamic. They on the other hand are the protectors and defenders of the faith.

Now they are apologising for telling lies about Dr Asri. If I were advising Dr Asri, I would advise him to sue their proverbial kain pelikat off!

Don't they know what the Prophet - peace be upon him - said about telling lies and liars? Well, here it is:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: (1) whenever he speaks, he tells a lie, (2) whenever he is entrusted, he proves to be dishonest, (3) whenever he promises, he breaks his promise" (Sahih Bukhari)

"Narrated Anas: The Prophet was asked about the great sins He said, "They are:-- (1 ) To join others in worship with Allah, (2) To be undutiful to one's parents. (3) To kill a person (which Allah has forbidden to kill) (i.e. to commit the crime of murdering). (4) And to give a false witness."  (Sahih Bukhari)

Narrated Abu Bakra: The Prophet said thrice, "Should I inform you out the greatest of the great sins?" They said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "To join others in worship with Allah and to be undutiful to one's parents." The Prophet then sat up after he had been reclining (on a pillow) and said, "And I warn you against giving a false witness, and he kept on saying that warning till we thought he would not stop. (See Hadith No. 7, Vol. 8)  (Sahih Bukhari)

And about people who say things without being asked, in other word those who are Pak Sibuk, the Prophet - peace be upon him - said this:

Narrated Zahdam bin Mudrab: I heard Imran bin Husain saying, "The Prophet said, 'The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after (the second generation)." Imran said "I do not know whether the Prophet mentioned two or three generations after your present generation. The Prophet added, 'There will be some people after you, who will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy and will give witness (evidences) without being asked to give witness, and will vow but will not fulfill their vows, and fatness will appear among them."  (Sahih Bukhari)

Nice eh? The Prophet - peace be upon him - abhors people who defame others.

So, I am now waiting to see whether PGSM would lodge a police report against itself for acting against Islamic teachings. Or perhaps they would prepare and publish a memorandum against themselves.

As for JAIS, I would like to ask:

- why do you need to bring about 50 people to arrest Dr Asri?

- was the arrest necessary? Was he running away? Can't you take a promise from a former Mufti to appear at your office the next day to be interrogated by you on whatever offence that you were investigating?

- was there a report made to you about Dr Asri's wrongdoing BEFORE you proceeded to arrest him? Please be truthful on this. God does not like people who are liars.

- was there a reliable information about Dr Asri's wrongdoing BEFORE you proceeded to arrest him. Please also be truthful on this. God hates liars.

- why weren't any of your officers at the Court the after to charge Dr Asri when he was in fact told to be present in Court the next day to answer a charge?

- what are you all going to do after this? Charge him? Or what?

- are you sure that the requirement for a "tauliah" is not repugnant to Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of speech and which says only the Parliament can restrict the same?

Oh, I just remember what the Prophet - peace be upon him - say about spreading knowledge. No, I am not teaching. I am just saying I remember it. Here it is:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud: The Prophet said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others." (Fateh-al-Bari page 177 Vol. 1- Sahih Bukhari)

Hmmm...did the Prophet - peace be upon him - say get a license before teaching others?

1 World, 1 Malaysia...different planet

Imagine you are an alien being from some planet far far away in the globular star clusters M80, 23,000 light years away from Earth. You have just arrived on Earth after traveling in a space craft called Pro-Ton, your premier national space craft manufacturer. You have traveled 23,000 light years to be here.

You are tired, hungry and may be sleepy. But you are excited at the same time. You have read so much about this blue planet filled with strange gasses, minerals, matters and of course, strange and wild creatures of various forms. You can't wait to meet them. Interact with them. Probably even mate with some of them.

As fate would have it, you have landed somewhere in what your inter-stellar google map calls Kuala Lumpur. While landing, you have caused a bit of a landslide along the KL-Rawang road causing the road to be closed. You have also caused cracks to reappear all over the MRR2 prompting the former Minister of Works to shout at his wife "it's an act of God!!!!" out of sheer habit, forgetting that he is no more a Minister. But you are not worried. You and your craft are invisible of course.

You have come here prepared. You have studied the Earth and its entire history from day one, right from the day the Big Bang caused some dust, gasses and various matters to form Earth to the day Alexander the Great arrived in India and wished he had never been there and to the day Hitler was locked in a dungeon by an angry Jewish midget and the key thrown away. You have seen it all.

You have seen the Mayans drawing up their calendar up to 2012 before they committed mass suicide for no apparent reason leaving later generations to think that the Earth will come to an end in 2012. You have also known about Nostradamus, a guy who loved puzzles and riddles and whose entire goal in life was to ensure that the whole Earth population would be puzzled and riddled till Armageddon. And of course, you know all about Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Abraham, Isa, Mohammad, Mandela, Idi Amin, Robert Mugabe, Mahathir Mohammad, Clinton, Obama, Osama and others (in random order, not association or affinity).

As I had said, you came prepared. Also preset in your indefinite memory bank is humongous amount of data and information about all cultures, values and religions on Earth. Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Shintoism and hundreds more. You know them all.

After drinking about 88 gallons of toxic waste and pig poo from some rivers around KL for breakfast, you decide to catch up with some reading before you set out to explore Earth. You plug one end of your version of a USB cable into one of your three heads and the other end into your 1 iEverythingPod. Your mind then skims through the vast data and information available about the latest and most current happenings on Earth.

You would instantly learn about the call for 1 Malaysia of course. Your two mouths actually smile. Then you would learn about UMNO delegates voting for change. You then cross-refer the word "change" to one Barrack Obama, the President of a place where Hollywood and one Scarlett Johansen are. Ahh...similar, you note. Then you learn about Zaid Ibrahim taking leave. About one Zul Noordin defending his faith while in bed. About a creature known as MACC - quickly cross-referred to McDonald - planning to prosecute 35 government officers for abusing their office erasers and paper clips. About a bomb exploding in Kabul killing many - cross referred to Holocaust, World War 2, Bosnian conflict, war crimes, exhibition at PWTC, Dr Mahathir, Idi Amin, stop - and another in Baghdad.

You shake your 3 heads in disbelief.

Then you are transported to the fact that NASA had just successfully launched and tested the Ares I-X prototype rocket, which was designed to replace the old and aging space shuttle. And you think, ahhhh..I have travelled 23000 light years and these morons are still testing space shuttle. Lame!

Later, you become aware of the fact that the African Union had just backed a plan to create a special hybrid court for trying those accused of committing atrocities in Sudan's restive Darfur province. Hmmm...Sudan....Darfur you think. Cross refer, mass killing, 300000 people (mostly Muslims) killed, 2.5 million people displaced...genocide...further cross-refer, World War 2, Holocaust, Hitler, Karadzic, Idi Amin....you get the drift.

Then you learn of the swine flu. Of the race to come out with a vaccine. Of how China and the USA manage to create one. In the nick of time. Then you discover there were more than 70 deaths in Malaysia because of this flu. The 1 iEverythingPod then cross refer to 3rd world; Philippines; Botswana; Ethiopia. Oh no, you have landed in a third world country, you think. Mission almost a failure!

You also learn that the Noble prize has been awarded to that guy whose name is Obama, from that country where the women have silicon in their body. Cross refer, Pamela Anderson. Monstrous, you say quietly.

Jenson Button wins the F1. Ooops...what is this? You explore. Auto racing. You learn. Abu Dhabi. Nice day and night race. You see at one time during the race, there was the sun and the moon at the same time! Cross refer, Sepang F1 race, race stopped before it finished as it was getting dark. Cross refer Singapore night F1 race. Party. Beyonce. Cross refer, Black Eyed Peas, no Muslims allowed, then Muslims allowed, check identity card, Beyonce cancels her concert, Pemuda PAS Selangor protests, Michael Learns To Rock, protests again, Hassan Ali, Zul Noordin, mullahs on Ecstacy.

You explore deeper. Japan leads in hybrid powered cars. New water in Singapore. Financial world revamping. Melting ice caps. Globalisation. Peace treaties. Middle east unrest. Modern day slavery in Dubai. Fulham whacks Liverpool 3-1.

You then come back to news in Malaysia, the place where you have landed. The Prison department is awaiting order to cane Kartika. Cross refer, beer, alcohol, Kartika, cane, Islam. Then you learn about the call for award to be given to those who marry single mothers. Cross refer, Islam. Later, you are fed with a scheme where RM10000 is paid to each man who would marry an orang asli woman in order to keep her as a Muslim. Cross refer, Islam.

You check your memory bank on all the information and data about that religion called Islam. Just to make sure you are reading those news accurately. Hmmm...strange, you think. Then you are transported to an offer for honeymoon for married couple having marital problems. Then to divorce-hit Terengganu wants to spice up sex life of newly-weds. Cross refer, Islam.

Finally, you learn about one Dr Asri, a former Islamic Mufti of a state in Malaysia, being arrested for lecturing about Islam without a license. Cross refer, Islam, breach of fundamental liberties, freedom of speech.

By this time you are sure all the data and information you had been implanted with about Islam is wrong and inaccurate. You profusely push the communicator button. Call your planet. "No," they say, "the information are correct." "But," you say, "I am getting quite different reports here." "Where are you?" your home ask you.

"I am in a place called Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia," you answer.

"Oh, that place", exclaims your home.

"Listen up okay, access your memory bank, and click ignore once," direct your home.

Criminalise Human Rights Abuses National Conference and Exhibition

Caution: this post contains graphic depictions of atrocity. Viewers discretion advised.

"Killing is murder", screamed a headline in a Malay Mail online report yesterday. Under it, the sub-header reads, "Dr M calls for change of mindset and value system."

Dr Mahathir, in his keynote address at the “Criminalise War International Conference and Exhibition” which began yesterday at the PWTC, was quoted as saying:

“There must be a lot of things we have been doing for thousands of years which we don’t believe should be done now, such as abuse of human rights, discrimination against women, child labour, public executions, the gibbets (gallows), torture and slavery.

“Though there may still be places where some of these practices are carried out, generally the civilised world rejects them, even if they had been common for thousands of years.”

The report continues;

"So what makes war different from the mentioned practices? Why can’t we reject the act of war altogether?

“It is because we do not regard war as a crime, therefore the killings have not stopped,” said Dr Mahathir.

I suppose every sane and reasonable person, even more so those who would like to believe that they belong to a civilised society would agree with what Dr Mahathir said. Abuse of human rights, discrimination against women, child labour, public executions, the gibbets (gallows), torture and slavery are uncivilised, unacceptable and downright inhuman.

And when such acts are done and executed by the government itself, the repulsion an abhorrence against such acts would be of a different magnitude. This is because the citizens, in their social contract with the State, agree to give away some of their freedom and liberty to the government and State in exchange for greater societal benefits and security. Thus, when the government abuses its powers upon its own citizens, that is the greatest betrayal of all.

And when such acts go unpunished, - and in fact it continues from time to time - aided, abetted and executed by various governmental authorities, the people might as well surrender their fate to the Leviathan.

In conjunction with the "Criminalise War International Conference and Exhibition", ARTiculations hereby declare the opening of the first "Criminalise Human Rights Abuses National Conference and Exhibition."

Yes. Although these acts have been carried out for thousand of years, in modern times, they are acts which are not acceptable in any civilised nation and society. Every violent attack on the citizen's freedom and liberty should be criminalised although they may be common for thousands of years.

We have to change our mind set. We have to reject these abuses of human rights and fundamental liberties.

It is because we do not regard these abuses as crimes, therefore the abuses have not stopped.

Is this right?

As all of us would have experienced nowadays, in this beloved and blessed nation of ours, there are 3 types of news.

Firstly, there are news which make us laugh. These are news the comedic value of which might be slightly higher than 5 episodes of Blackadder put together. This genre is represented by the recent news about some bright spark in some education department coming up with the 1 Toilet program.

Secondly, there are news which make you cry. Like the news today about a 3-week old suspension bridge come a-crashing leaving one student dead and 2 others missing. This is sad because in this day and age - where we have the tallest twin tower in the world; we have sent a man to space; we have a F1 team etcetera - we can't even build a proper bridge for students to cross safely. A life is gone and 2 more lives are potentially in peril.

Thirdly, there are news which take the cake. These are news which make you unsure on whether to laugh or to cry. Or both. An example of this category of news is a NST report today. Among others, it says:

"THE state (Kelantan) government will continue to pay a RM10,000 incentive to Muslim preachers or missionaries who are willing to marry Orang Asli women to prevent them from leaving the religion.

State Islamic Development, Education and Dakwah Committee chairman Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said efforts had to be made to ensure that the Orang Asli people would not be easily influenced by missionaries of other faiths.
"We were told that certain Orang Asli settlements in the rural areas had been visited by non-Islamic missionaries and they had been spreading their faith to these people," Nik Mohd told the state assembly yesterday."

Is this the way to spread Islam? Is this the way to ensure that some orang asli women do not convert to other faith? By paying Muslim men to marry them? And what would happen after the marriage? What if the men take the money, marry them and then leave them?

What if the women do not want to get married? Or what if the women want to convert to other faith? Cane them? What?

Is this what God wants? Is this how God asks us all, as Muslims, to spread Islam? By getting payment so that we could marry the women and ensure that the women do not leave Islam? So, if I marry 4 orang asli women I could get RM40000.00 is it?

I thought God asks men to marry women out of love. And so that both the men and women could live happily and in peace. Not because of any other reason, like to force the women to remain a Muslim.

God s.w.t. says;

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ                                

[Yusufali 30:21] "And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect."

And God s.w.t.  wishes that the men treat their wife with respect and kindness;

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُواْ النِّسَاء كَرْهًا وَلاَ تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُواْ بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلاَّ أَن يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَى أَن تَكْرَهُواْ شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرا

[Yusufali 4:19] "O ye who believe! Ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness, that ye may Take away part of the dower ye have given them,-except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good."

The Prophet - peace be upon him - said, among others,  in his last sermon;

"Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers."

What respect and kindness, may I ask, do we have to the women whom we marry if we are actually paid incentives to marry them? And the real reason for us to marry them is not love but just to ensure that they do not leave the religion?

Instead of doing this, why don't the people who are so keen to spread Islam to the orang asli get out from their air-conditioned room and get to the ground and live with them for a while?  Show them the Islam way of life. Show them the kindness of Islam. Show them the "ad-deen." And persuade them with their actions and words to embrace Islam and remain a Muslim voluntarily, out of their love for God and not out of a marriage which is induced by monetary incentives!

If these orang asli women have no faith in Islam, it matters not whether they are married to a Muslim or otherwise. Deep down in their heart, they might not have the faith anyway.

Why are we so concerned with the externals when it is the internals which matter in the eyes of God?

This is just my opinion. Only God knows best.