It is so predictable.
Whenever Muslims discuss discrimination in Singapore, whether hijab, SAF, leadership, madrasah etc, the government and its tools will tell us…
Focus on drugs, on high rate of divorce and other social problems that Muslims are involved in.
We will always be told not to spend our energy and efforts discussing and overcoming discrimination. Instead, we are told, either by the PAP (whether the Prime Minister of the Malay MPs) or its supporters that there are more important issues to work on.
Sure, drugs, divorce etc are important social issues. But working on one does not mean we should exclude working on another.
But what PAP supporters tend to ignore (whether intentional or unintentionally) is that these issues are interrelated.
First, as I have discussed before, drug, divorce and economic disempowerment are systemic problems. Part of the problems can be traced to the PAP’s policies from the 1960s onwards.
Second, and more importantly is that the solution to these social problems are found in the same place that drives us to work on the hijab, the madrasah and Muslim community leadership.
The ban on hijab, the attempt to shut down madrasah and the denial of an independent Muslim community leadership are based on political and religious imperatives.
The attempt to remove Islam from the Muslim community as can be seen in these discriminatory policies are also at the root of these social problems.
What the Muslim community need is not less Islam. We need more.
A community that is dedicated and committed to their Islam will not be involved in drugs.
They will not create social problems.
They will not misuse or abuse the amanah and talent that have been granted to them.
A community that is dedicated to Allah will excel. Not because they want to be rich or have power.
But so that they can better serve Allah azzawajal.
A community that lives in Islam will be strong not for strength sake…
But so they can help the ummah.
The solution to our social problems does not lie in programs that negate Islam from our lives.
The solution lies with Islam.
And that is also why we defend our sisters who wear the hijab.
Source: Zulfikar Shariff
