Category: Agama

Malaysian Netizens Tell Bank Negara Scholarship Winner To Don Tudung

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 ― Hajar Nur Asyiqin Abdul Zubir, an 18-year-old who dreams of studying in Oxford University, is the winner of a prestigious Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) scholarship but to some on Facebook, the young Malay girl’s achievement has been shadowed by her failure to don the tudung (Muslim headscarf).

On the social media site, the chemistry student, upon winning the Kijang Emas Scholarship 2015 that allows her to pursue any field of study at top universities across the world, was told that her father would bear the sins of her not covering her “aurat”.

“Congratulations..but it’s a pity that the ‘aurat’ is not covered. Her father bears the sin,” a Facebook user called Rozaidi Jai commented on Friends of BN ― Barisan Nasional’s Facebook post Wednesday announcing Hajar Nur Asyiqin’s win.

Facebook user named Nazri Toushirou even called for conditions of the scholarship interview to mandate covering the “aurat”

“Don’t think it’s wrong, right?” he said.

Facebook user Mohd Sabri Hussien said: “Pretty looks, good at studies. It’ll be better if she wore a tudung”.

Another Facebook user, called Mohd Khairudzaman Bahaudin, said: “All right, congratulations, Allah hates His servants who do not cover their ‘aurat’, we succeed not because we’re clever”.

Other Facebook users, however, have since come to the 18-year-old’s defence, with one named Ag Sha saying: “It doesn’t necessarily mean that not wearing a tudung means you’re not religious..congratulations..prove to them that you’re not shallow in your religious knowledge”.

Islam as is practised in Malaysia is beginning to show signs of increasing conservatism, illustrated among others by the local boom in the tudung industry that was a rarity just several decades ago.

Friday sermons sanctioned by the government also repeatedly tell women to cover their aurat, with a Malay-Muslim gymnast recently getting backlash for wearing a leotard.

Local daily New Straits Times reported Monday that Hajar Nur Asyiqin ― who went to SMK Abdul Rahman Talib in Kuantan, Pahang, and is now doing her A-Levels at Tuanku Ja’afar College in Mantin, Negri Sembilan ― wants to study chemistry at Oxford University in the UK, one of the top universities in the world.

The paper reported that she scored 9A+s in SPM last year and that she had undergone group and individual assessments by Bank Negara before she was announced last April as one of four recipients of the Kijang Emas Scholarship.

According to Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz’s speech at the Kijang Emas Scholarship award ceremony last April, the central bank had received 212 applications for the 2015 Kijang Emas Scholarship and shortlisted the top 24 based on their SPM results and involvement in sports and co-curricular activities.

“The students then underwent a rigorous evaluation process under the Bank’s ‘Kijang Academy’ which assessed their technical and leadership competencies, as well as their values,” Zeti said in the speech made available on Bank Negara’s website.

Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

September 18, 2015
Saudi Health Minister: MERS Cases Are Reducing Before Haj

MECCA: A recent surge in cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a sometimes deadly virus, in Saudi Arabia has ebbed in the run-up to Islam’s annual haj pilgrimage, the kingdom’s Health Minister Khaled al-Falih said on Thursday.

As pilgrims poured into Mecca from around the world, the Health Ministry said it had confirmed two more cases of the disease in Riyadh on Thursday, but the number of cases has declined since last month, Falih said.

Most medical staffers touring hospitals and medical centers around Mecca on Wednesday covered their noses and mouths with masks, as did traffic policemen and army personnel deployed to secure the flow of busses carrying pilgrims into the holy city.

“With the help of God and then with the measures taken by the ministry of health we hope to prevent the virus from getting to the pilgrims,” said Falih in a news conference.

So far around 1.2 million Muslims have arrived in the kingdom for haj.

In past years it has drawn up to 3 million pilgrims, but authorities have limited numbers in the past two years because of construction work around the Grand Mosque.

Saudi Arabia has banned the slaughter of camels around the holy cities during the pilgrimage. The animals have been found to carry the virus and scientists say they are the most likely source of primary infections of people.

Seven people in the city of Medina who have been infected by MERS have been moved to Riyadh as a precaution to avoid any spread of the disease near the pilgrimage sites, Falih said.

“The spread has begun to shrink and we are optimistic the days of spreading are gone and are behind us,” said Falih.

The kingdom has mobilized 25,000 medical staff from different cities into Mecca for the haj season.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

September 18, 2015
All 3700 Livestock For Hari Raya Haji’s Korban Ritual Sold

Members of the public have taken up all 3,700 livestock for the Korban rites to be carried out on Hari Raya Haji next Thursday.

The sales of the 2,000 Australian sheep and 1,700 Irish lambs across all 25 mosques in Singapore have been “overwhelming”, Singapore Mosques Korban Committee chairman Rashid Ramli said yesterday.

The committee had secured 200 more animals for Korban this year and at a lower price, with each sheep priced at S$490, S$9 less than last year and each lamb at S$570, down S$5 from the year before.

“We thank the community for the continuous support in ensuring that the syiar (religious observance) of Islam continues in Singapore,” Mr Rashid said. “Preparations at all participating mosques are on track, and the committee seeks the blessings and prayers of the community that Korban rites will proceed smoothly.”

The act of Korban is an Islamic ritual that involves slaughtering livestock and distributing the meat to the needy to mark Hari Raya Haji.

Source: www.todayonline.com

September 18, 2015
Action Will Be Taken Over Racial Slurs During Red Shirt Rally

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has vowed that action will be taken over racial slurs made during the red shirt rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Malaysiakini reported today.

Khalid was quoted as saying that he regretted the racial slurs and provocative banners that were carried as tens of thousands gathered in a rally dubbed “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” purportedly to uphold Malay dignity, organised by the National Silat Federation (Pesaka).

“I warned them before the rally that they should not cross the line by making racial insults or carry banners that disparage other races and undermine peace,” he reportedly said.

He also told protesters to be prepared to face the consequences of their actions.

“So don’t kick up a fuss when we investigate.”

The portal reported Khalid saying that the organisers will be questioned over the incident at Petaling Street, where protesters had to be dispersed using water cannons after they refused to heed police orders and tried to enter the area.

He said he will not “tolerate” any harm caused to his personnel, following reports that some police officers were pelted with water bottles by participants.

The rally also saw racial slurs aimed at several ethnic Chinese journalists who were on duty.

The rally was organised to counter the Bersih 4 rally held a fortnight ago, which saw tens of thousands of Malaysians take to the streets to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and for institutional reforms.

Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com

September 18, 2015
Kapten Pasukan Bolasepak Wanita Iran Dilarang Suami Sertai Kejohanan Futsa Asia

TEHRAN: Kapten pasukan bola sepak wanita Iran tidak akan bersama pasukannya di satu kejohanan futsal Asia di Malaysia minggu depan.

Ini kerana suami wanita itu menggunakan haknya di bawah undang-undang syariah untuk menghalang beliau daripada membuat perjalanan ke luar negara.

Mehdi Tutunchi, seorang juruhebah sukan, berkata isterinya, Niloofar Ardalan, tidak dapat mengetuai pasukan bola sepak negara di kejohanan yang akan berlangsung pada 21 hingga 26 September di Nilai itu, kerana anak lelaki mereka yang berusia 7 tahun mula bersekolah pada hari itu.

Cik Ardalan secara terbuka merayu supaya dapat mewakili negaranya di perlawanan futsal wanita yang pertama dianjurkan Persekutuan Bola Sepak Asia tersebut – sesuatu yang menarik perhatian ramai warga Iran di media sosial.

Beliau merayu agar undang-undang negara itu yang tidak membenarkan wanita Iran meninggalkan rumah mahupun negara mereka, tanpa izin suami atau anggota keluarga lelaki mereka, supaya diubah. Undang-undang tersebut berkuatkuasa di Iran sejak Revolusi Islam pada 1979.

“Saya berharap pihak berkuasa akan meluluskan undang-undang untuk para atlit wanita supaya kami dapat mempertahankan hak kami dalam keadaan-keadaan seperti ini.

“Sebagai seorang wanita Islam, saya hanya mahu mewakili negara saya, saya bukan mahu ke sana (luar negara) untuk tujuan suka-suka,” kata Cik Ardalan kepada agensi berita Iran, NASIM.

Sebagaimana lelaki Iran yang belum tamat menjalankan perkhidmatan tentera perlu mendapatkan permit sementara untuk menghadiri acara-acara sukan di luar negara, “sesuatu perlu dilakukan untuk wanita juga,” ujar beliau.

Ramai rakyat Iran melahirkan simpati kepada Cik Ardalan dan mengutuk tindakan suaminya itu di laman Facebook.

“Untuk menghebahkan perkara ini secara terbuka di Iran… Wanita ini seorang yang sangat berani dan tidak mementingkan diri sendiri,” kata Atefeh Amin di sebuah laman Facebook yang memperjuangkan hak wanita.

Seorang lagi pengguna Facebook pula mengkritik suami Cik Ardalan. “Encik Tutunchi, anda melucutkan hak seorang insan untuk menjalani kehidupannya sendiri. Tidak kira apa sebabnya, anda tidak boleh berbuat begitu,” kata Samaneh.

Namun apabila kritikan terhadap tindakan suaminya itu kian lantang, Cik Ardalan kemudian berkata ia satu isu peribadi, dan beliau kesal bahawa “media anti-revolusi” mempergunakan kesnya itu.

“Saya seorang wanita Islam Iran, dan hal ini adalah hal peribadi dan keluarga saya. Saya hanya menceritakan masalah saya dan meminta ia dihuraikan. Ia bukan hal orang lain,” ujar Cik Ardalan kepada NASIM.

Tidak seperti di negara-negara Islam lain di rantau itu, wanita Iran dibenarkan memandu, keluar mengundi dan bekerjaya, malah kebanyakan pelajar di universiti-universiti negara itu adalah wanita.

Namun, wanita Iran diwajibkan mengenakan hijab dan tidak dibenarkan melakukan kegiatan tertentu, seperti menyaksikan acara sukan oleh atlit lelaki di stadium, bernyanyi secara solo di konsert, dan mengayuh basikal di jalan raya.

Presiden Iran, Hassan Rouhani, yang mula menyandang jawatan itu pada 2013, mempunyai tiga naib presiden wanita.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

September 18, 2015