Category: Agama

Myanmar Monk Builds Pagodas In Church And Muslim Areas

A Myanmar Christian leader appealed for calm Wednesday (Apr 27) after an influential Buddhist monk built pagodas within the compound of a church and near a mosque, in a country beset with religious tensions.

The incursions began last month when supporters of the monk Myaing Kyee Ngu erected a religious statue and planted a Buddhist flag on the church’s grounds in the eastern state of Karen.

They returned on Saturday to erect a pagoda, according to local Anglican Bishop Saw Stylo. The supporters have since moved on to build a pagoda near a mosque in a Muslim-majority village in the same township of Hlaingbwe, he said.

“That is why I asked all local young people, whether they are Buddhist, Muslim or Christian, not to do anything wrong,” said Saw Stylo, who oversees Karen state, Mon state and Tanintharyi region.

Myanmar, which was stifled for decades under military rule, has long bristled with religious tensions between majority Buddhists and minority groups.

These surged sharply after a 2012 outbreak of violence in the western state of Rakhine between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya left scores dead. Tens of thousands of Rohingya remain trapped in bleak displacement camps.

Buddhist nationalists have grown increasingly strident since then and their influence has been credited with swaying Aung San Suu Kyi’s party against fielding a single Muslim candidate in last year’s election, which swept her pro-democracy movement into power.

It is not clear what is behind the recent pagoda construction in Karen state. But the office of local MP Saw Chit Khin told AFP that Buddhist authorities had already written to the monk to urge him to cease building.

Images in local media showed dozens of people praying around the newly-erected white stupa.

“We feel very worried and sensitive about it. This might be political as well as religious,” said Saw Stylo.

“I am very interested in how the new government will bring Myanmar to a brighter future. That is why I requested everyone to stay calm in this case,” he added.

Christian communities in ethnic minority areas have for years complained of encroachments by zealous Buddhists, particularly through the presence of the military.

Christians and Muslims are each thought to make up over four percent of the population. But updated figures from a 2014 census in Myanmar – its first in three decades – have not yet been released amid fears that any perceived increases could further stoke animosity.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

April 28, 2016
Lelaki Dijel 24 Bulan Kerana Dakwa Diri Imam Mahdi

Seorang lelaki mengaku bersalah membuat dakwaan palsu dengan mengisytiharkan diri sendiri sebagai Imam Mahdi.

Dia dihukum penjara 24 bulan dan didenda RM4,900 (S$1,680) oleh Mahkamah Tinggi Syariah di Kuala Lumpur.

Hakim Syarie, Mohd Amran Mat Zain menjatuhkan hukuman itu terhadap Mat Alimin Abdullah, 36, mengikut Seksyen 6 Akta Kesalahan Jenayah Syariah (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 1997.

Mahkamah turut memerintahkan Mat Alimin dipenjara enam bulan lagi sekiranya gagal membayar denda tersebut.

Sebelum menjatuhkan hukuman, Hakim Mohd Amran berkata pegangan akidah merupakan satu daripada perkara dalam teras keimanan umat Islam, dan tidak boleh dicampur aduk dengan perkara-perkara lain yang membolehkan timbul keraguan dalam seseorang individu.

“Mahkamah berpuas hati dengan rayuan yang dikemukakan oleh tertuduh untuk tujuan meringankan hukuman dan hujahan pendakwaan untuk pemberatan hukuman.

“Sehubungan dengan itu, mahkamah menjatuhkan hukuman denda RM4,900 dan penjara 24 bulan,” kata hakim.

Mat Alimin didakwa melakukan kesalahan tersebut dengan melafazkan: “Sekiranya saya benar, siapa yang mempermainkan saya, mendustai saya, saya serah kepada
Allah, sebab orang yang bercakap pada hari ini Muhammad Al-Mahdi utusan Allah.

“Sekiranya benar saya utusan Allah, siapa yang mempermainkan saya akan dilaknat oleh Allah. Ini janji Nabi Muhammad akhir zaman nanti akan keluar umatku namanya seperti namaku, berasal dari keturunanku, nama bapanya seperti nama bapaku dan keluar dari arah Timur.”

Dia didakwa melakukan kesalahan tersebut di dalam bilik mesyuarat Pejabat Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan di Menara Pusat Islam, Jalan Perdana antara pukul 3.00 petang hingga 3.30 petang, semalam (26 April).

Terdahulu dalam rayuannya, Mat Alimin yang tidak diwakili peguam, merayu kepada mahkamah agar hanya dikenakan hukuman denda yang ringan kerana perlu
menanggung dua anaknya yang masih bersekolah dan kini hanya bekerja sendiri.

Ketika hakim bertanya mengenai latar belakang, sejarah kesihatan dan tahap pendidikannya, tertuduh berkata dia berpendidikan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
dan tidak pernah mendapat rawatan psikiatri dari mana-mana pusat perubatan.

Pegawai Pendakwa dari Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (Jawi), Zainol Rashid Hasin, berhujah bahawa tertuduh dalam keadaan kesihatan yang baik dan waras ketika melakukan kesalahan dan wajar mendapat hukuman berbentuk pemenjaraan.

Source: Berita Mediacorp

April 28, 2016
Zakir Naik Punca MB Terengganu Hilang Semua Darjah Kebesaran?

Mungkinkah ‘hadiah’ berupa tiga pulau di Tasik Kenyir yang diberikan kerajaan negeri Terengganu kepada pendakwah terkenal, Dr Zakir Naik, punca sebenar semua darjah kebesaran yang dikurniakan kepada Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman, dilucutkan?

Akhbar China Press mendakwa demikian dalam laporannya hari ini (27 April), menurut laman Free Malaysia Today.

China Press, yang menukil sumber-sumber tertentu, melaporkan bahawa pemberian ‘hadiah’ yang murah hati oleh Encik Ahmad Razif mungkin membangkitkan kemarahan istana Terengganu.

Menurut laman Free Malaysia Today, Menteri Besar itu menyambut Dr Zakir dengan amat mesra ketika penceramah kontroversil dari India itu mengadakan lawatan ke Malaysia untuk menyampaikan ceramah agama baru-baru ini.

Encik Ahmad Razif juga mengumumkan bahawa kerajaan Terengganu akan memberikan tiga pulau di Tasik Kenyir, yang popular dengan pelancong, kepada Dr Zakir supaya beliau dapat menubuhkan sebuah pusat kajian Islam di rantau ini.

Sementara itu, Encik Ahmad Razif kelihatan tenang ketika mempengerusikan mesyuarat mingguan Exco kerajaan negeri Terengganu pagi tadi di Wisma Darul Iman.

Mesyuarat itu berlangsung seperti biasa, di tengah-tengah khabar angin bahawa seorang tokoh politik akan mengambil alih kedudukan Encik Ahmad Razif sebagai Menteri Besar tidak lama lagi.

Bahkan, Bernama melaporkan, beliau kelihatan ceria dan turut menyapa wartawan yang menunggu sejak 8.30 pagi.

Bagaimanapun, Encik Ahmad Razif enggan mengulas mengenai kedudukannya sebagai Menteri Besar setakat ini.

Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Seberang Takir itu berkata segala hal berkaitan kedudukannya sebagai menteri besar diserahkan sepenuhnya kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Pada Isnin lalu, Sultan Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin secara mengejut melucutkan semua darjah kebesaran yang dikurniakan kepada Encik Ahmad Razif berkuatkuasa hari Jumaat (22 April).

Datuk Seri Najib dijangka bertemu dengan Sultan Terengganu berhubung isu pelantikan Menteri Besar yang baru, lapor Free Malaysia Today.

Menurut laman itu, dua calon yang berpotensi bagi jawatan itu ialah Anggota Parlimen Telemong, Datuk Rozi Mamat dan AP Permaisuri, Datuk Mohamad Jidin Shafee.

Source: Berita Mediacorp

April 28, 2016
Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia: Feminism Making Women Forget Their Place As Homemakers

Feminism does not belong in Malaysia as it is causing women to neglect their husbands and children, choosing instead to work and socialise, Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) said today.

It’s president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman said that while Muslim women are allowed to work, they should still prioritise the household before anything else.

“I believe that Asian women, especially Muslim women who still hold on to the principles, know that the main priority of the woman is at home,” he said during his keynote address at the Isma Women’s forum today.

“That (feminism) has a negative impact if it’s not filtered by culture or religion.

“The function of women, even though they can enter all career fields, they cannot prioritise it more than their basic roles because if this is to continue then there will be an extraordinary void in our family institutions where the children that need the love and attention of their mothers,” he added during a press conference, also noting that while feminism is appropriate in the West, it was not appropriate in Malaysia.

He explained that one of the most pivotal roles of women was maintaining a household and raising successful children, something that many are no longer seeing as a priority due to feminism.

“(Women) have a specific responsibility to educate their children. But the situation now needs to be re-examined as the lifestyle of women today are wholly influenced by feminism.

“(Women working) will create an emptiness in (children) that is very extreme for the next generation. And they will try to fill the void with other things that may happen irresponsibly and may affect the development of their character,” he said.

He added that feminism has also given women too much “space” and in turn robbed men of theirs as there no longer are gender-specific careers.

“Unlike before, when some fields are done by men and cannot be done by women, today women can enter all fields; in fact some women are considered more competent. Women can enter all fields and this constricts the space for men to function and there are no longer fields specially for men or specially for women,” he said.

He suggested that women instead only be allowed to work for half a day so that they can return to their families and prioritise the household.

“If we reduce their workday to 6 hours or half day but same salary we can save the family institutions,” he said.

Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

April 27, 2016
Indonesia Religious Affairs Minister: Men Become Corrupt To Appease Greedy Wives

AN Indonesian minister has blamed women for the scourge of graft in the country, saying that men become corrupt due to the greed and materialistic nature of their wives.

Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said men were driven to make more money out of guilt for not being able to spend more time at home with their families, and this leads them to corrupt practices.

“My message [to wives] is: do not demand excessively material things that are out of the ordinary, that would be an outstanding way for women to contribute,” Lukman said on Saturday as quoted in a report by Kompas which was translated by Coconuts Jakarta.

Lukman said although corruption was influenced by many factors, extraordinary demands from a man’s family could be one reason for graft “to atone for their guilty feeling” which made them act outside the norms.

“Often times corruption is motivated by many things. Among other things because there are extraordinary demands [from his family] so to atone for their guilty feeling, they act outside the norms,” said Lukman.

According to the report in Coconuts Jakarta, Lukman’s predecessor, former Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali, was recently sentenced to six years in jail for stealing billions of rupiah from the state’s haj fund.

Indonesia’s rank in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2015 rose to 88th from 107th position in the previous year, but public opinion views corruption as pervasive as ever.

Source: https://asiancorrespondent.com

April 27, 2016