Category: Agama

Thaipusam Shows Sensitivities Of Race And Religious Issues Remain

There have been recent instances where individuals had refused to heed attempts by police officers to keep the peace during the Thaipusam foot procession, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said today (Feb 13), in setting out why it imposes restrictions, including on the playing of musical instruments, for the religious event.

In 2013, nine people were arrested after they ignored advice to stop shouting secret society slogans and playing drums within the procession route, it said in a press statement. This year, one person was arrested for possessing offensive weapons, apart from the three men who are being investigated for disorderly behaviour and assaulting a police officer, it added.

In a separate statement, the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) also said it had received complaints over the years of “disamenities and disorderly behaviour that impede the progress of devotees in the procession and detract from the spiritual experience”.

The arrests at the Thaipusam procession this year have been in the spotlight recently, with a woman accusing police officers of pushing her at the event and a petition being started for the Hindu festival to be reinstated as a public holiday. The petition has garnered more than 19,500 signatures.

Cabinet ministers have come out to speak on the matter, with Second Home Affairs Minister S Iswaran urging calm over the incident, and Law and Foreign Minister K Shanmugam saying Hindus are given a special privilege not enjoyed by others, instead of being discriminated against.

Today, the MHA said the reactions to the incident in this year’s Thaipusam “show that race and religion continue to be sensitive issues”.

Noting that there have been misrepresentations and rumours circulating around relating to the Thaipusam procession, the MHA said today: “If such activities are deemed to incite enmity between different communities and races, the police will investigate and take firm action against anyone responsible for such offences.”

Investigations are ongoing on allegations that have surfaced after the arrests this year and on the woman’s allegation, it added.

The HEB also said it did not believe conditions for Thaipusam need to be tightened and that it had never asked the authorities to do so, contrary to misperception by some.

Separately, the Manpower Ministry said any move to reinstate any one festival as a public holiday will invite competing claims.

“Balancing the wishes of each community will not be a simple matter,” said its divisional director of workplace policy and strategy division Alvin Lim.

Although it is “impractical” to make all important festivals of all faiths public holidays, he encouraged employers to show understanding and flexibility in allowing workers to observe their respective religious festivals.

Source: www.todayonline.com

February 14, 2015
Imams In Xinjiang Forced To Swear That They Will Not Teach Religion To Children

URUMQI – In another crackdown on religious freedoms, China has forced the imams of eastern Muslim majority district of Xinjiang to dance in the street, and swear to an oath that they will not teach religion to children as well telling them that prayer is harmful to the soul.

During the incident, reported by World Bulletin on Monday, February 9, Muslim imams were forced to brandish the slogan that “our income comes from the CKP not from Allah”.

State Chinese news said the imams were gathering in a square in the name of civilization where they were forced to dance and chant out slogans in support of the state.

They also gave speeches telling youth to stay away from mosques, and that the prayer was harmful to their health, encouraging them to dance instead.The slogans included statements glorifying the state over religion such as ‘peace of the country gives peace to the soul’.

Female teachers were instructed to teach children to stay away from religious education and made to swear an oath that they will keep children away from religion.

Uighur Muslims are a Turkish-speaking minority of eight million in the northwestern Xinjiang region.

Xinjiang, which activists call East Turkestan, has been autonomous since 1955 but continues to be the subject of massive security crackdowns by Chinese authorities.

Rights groups accuse Chinese authorities of religious repression against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang in the name of counter terrorism.

Last November, Xinjiang banned the practicing of religion in government buildings, as well as wearing clothes or logos associated with religious extremism.

In August, the northern Xinjiang city of Karamay prohibited young men with beards and women in burqas or hijabs from boarding public buses.

Earlier in July, China banned students and government staff from observing Ramadan fasting, as officials tried to encourage locals in Xinjiang not to wear Islamic veils.

Source: www.onislam.net

February 13, 2015
John Allen Puji Kaedah Cendekiawan Muslim Singapura Menentang Fahaman IS

Jeneral pesara Amerika Syarikat, Encik John Allen, yang mengetuai utusan khas Perikatan Global bagi menentang ISIS, memuji golongan cendekiawan Muslim Singapura kerana mengambil langkah pencegahan dengan mendekati masyarakat menentang fahaman ISIS.

“Terdapat penekanan yang tinggi dalam cara Singapura bekerjasama dengan masyarakatnya untuk mendekati segmen tertentu, terutama golongan muda, dengan mengambil langkah-langkah pencegahan dalam masyarakat bagi membasmi kepercayaan ISIS.

“Tidak banyak negara secanggih Singapura dan saya dapati ia (cara mendekati masyarakat) sangat baik, dengan cara kerjasama para pemimpin,” katanya dalam sidang akhbar di Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat di sini semalam.

Encik Allen berada di sini sehari sebagai siri lawatan di rantau ini untuk menjelaskan usaha yang dilakukan Perikatan Global bagi menentang ISIS.

Sebelum ini beliau mengunjungi Kuala Lumpur dan Jordan dan hari ini beliau ke Australia bagi misi yang sama.

Menurutnya, dalam lawatannya ke Singapura semalam, beliau antara lain sempat menemui dan berbincang dengan para pegawai Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Muis) dan Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG) mengenai isu dan pergolakan ISIS.

“Para cendekiawan dan pemimpin Muslim di sini telah menyusun dengan cara yang penting sebagai suatu tanggungjawab bagi menghuraikan masalah ini.

“Itu merupakan satu mesej yang sungguh kuat,” ujarnya semasa menjawab soalan Berita Harian.

Menurut Encik Allen lagi, para pemimpin Islam di sini telah membuat kajian mengenai radikalisme dan turut berkongsi memberi nasihat dan panduan kepada negara-negara lain dengan kajian yang dilakukan di sini.

“Mereka juga membantu golongan yang menjadi radikal dengan sendiri agar pulang ke pangkal jalan,” tambahnya.

Encik Allen berkata bahawa tidak seperti kumpulan Al-Qaeda, kumpulan ISIS lebih tersusun dan untuk menentangnya akan mengambil masa bukan harian atau mingguan tetapi bertahun atau mungkin berdekad.

Namun menerusi laporan-laporan, beliau mendapati semakin ramai pejuang militan ISIS menjadi semakin hampa dan mahu pulang semula ke negara mereka.

Encik Allen berkata, beliau memahami bahawa perjuangan ISIS bertentangan dengan kepercayaan Islam dan doktrin Al-Quran dan Hadis.

“Ia bukan negara Islam tetapi mereka mendakwa demikian. Namun mereka yang bodoh dan terpengaruh menerusi Internet mahu mengaitkan diri dengan mereka (ISIS),” kata Encik Allen.

Menurutnya, buat masa ini sebanyak 62 negara termasuk Singapura telah menyertai Perikatan Global bagi menentang ISIS.

Source: http://beritaharian.sg

February 13, 2015
PAS Spiritual Adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat Passes Away

PAS and the Kelantan state have lost an influential leader today after Datuk Bentara Setia Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat passed away at the age of 84.

The former Kelantan menteri besar breathed his last at 9.45pm, an hour after he was sent home in Kota Baru after doctors took him off respiratory support at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian.

“His health deteriorated after the doctors treated the ulcer last night,” his son Nik Mohd Abduh had said earlier in a statement issued in the state capital Kota Baru.

A crowd has gathered at Nik Aziz’s house in Pulau Melaka after he was sent home at 8.30pm. Among them are PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa.

Nik Aziz was the longest-serving menteri besar for Kelantan from 1990 to 2013.

Husam confirmed Nik Aziz’s death to The Malaysian Insider.

The respected leader was also the PAS spiritual adviser.

Nik Aziz had been the strongest advocate of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance since its formation in 2008, and also rejected all possibility of PAS cooperating with Umno.

He had once warned he would spit in the face of any PAS leader who wished to form an alliance with the ruling Malay party, having personally experienced the bitterness of leading PAS after Umno ejected it from Barisan Nasional (BN).

He was the most respected leader among his colleagues in PR components DAP and PKR, including opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar often flew to Nik Aziz’s home in Pulau Melaka, Kota Baru, to consult the leader before PR made any major decisions or faced internal problems.

He also managed to earn the trust of non-Muslims nationwide, and, among others, supported their right to use the word “Allah” as long as they had no ill intentions.

Born on January 10, 1931, Nik Aziz obtained his early education from his own father, who was a religious teacher.

He later continued his studies in Darul Uloom Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, India, majoring in the Arabic language.

After earning his first degree, Nik Aziz pursued his post graduate studies in Al Azhar Univesity, Egypt, and graduated with a Masters of Arts in Islamic jurisprudence.

Upon his return to Malaysia, he worked as a religious teacher and contested in his first general election in 1967, the same year he joined PAS.

He won the Kelantan Hilir parliamentary seat (later renamed to Pengkalan Chepa) and retained the seat until 1986.

Nik Aziz was appointed the Kelantan PAS Commissioner in 1978 after the party lost the state. He and then-PAS President Datuk Asri Haji Muda did not see eye-to-eye, and the latter eventually resigned the same year.

Nik Aziz first contested a state seat in 1986. He was appointed the Kelantan menteri besar after PAS won the state in 1990.

The following year, he was appointed PAS spiritual leader after Haji Yusof Rawa, who had previously held the position, passed away.

Nik Aziz had stepped down as Kelantan menteri besar on May 6 2013, despite winning the Chempaka state seat in the 13th general election.

After he resigned from the post, his health gradually worsened, forcing him to spend many of his days warded at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian.

He leaves behind wife Datin Tuan Sabariah Tuan Ishak and 10 children, including Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohd Abduh Nik Aziz.

Today, the country as a whole has lost a great figure who cannot be easily replaced.

Source: www.themalaysianinsider.com

February 13, 2015
K Shanmugam: Hindu Endowment Board Should Find Out Wishes Of The People

Calls for musical accompaniment at the Thaipusam festival should be looked into, said Minister for Law K Shanmugam, speaking at the recording of MediaCorp’s Tamil current affairs programme Ethiroli.

“We should find out the wishes of the people. The Hindu Endowments Board will see how we can fulfil their wishes. They have to consult the people and see how to proceed,” said Mr Shanmugam.

Edited excerpts from the interview which will be aired on Wednesday at Feb 11, 9pm on Vasantham:

Foot processions have been banned since 1964, following riots. But the Hindu festivals Thaipusam, Panguni Uthiram and Firewalking have been exempted from this ban. Can you explain this?

Following the racial riots in 1964, it was thought that there should be no religious foot processions in a multi-racial, multi-religious society like ours. Hence a law was enacted to ban all religious foot processions.

However, Hindus were given an exemption, and since 1964 the government has allowed street processions during three Hindu festivals – Thaipusam, Thimithi and Panguni Uthiram.

Others have asked for similar permission for processions. The Catholics have asked. The Chinese have asked. We’ve received applications asking permission for processions during Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. The Government, the police have rejected these applications citing the ban. Only Hindus have been given permission.

At the same time, it’s fair that everyone expects the Hindus to conduct these foot processions in an orderly manner. We should find out the wishes of the people. The Hindu Endowments Board will see how we can fulfil their wishes. They have to consult the people and see how to proceed. The police have to agree to this.

Musical instruments were allowed during Thaipusam several years ago. Why not now? Can this rule be relaxed?

The ban on playing music during processions was imposed 42 years ago in 1973. Sometimes there has been music. They may not have enforced the rule very strictly. In some years, they would have enforced it strictly. But the ban has been there since 1973.

Over the last few years there has been a gradual relaxation of the restrictions. The Hindu Endowments Board relaxed some of the restrictions within the temple premises. And outside the temple, the police also have been assisting in whatever ways they can.

At the same time it is true that many believe that our Kavadi bearers should have music accompaniment. So it’s fair that many ask why music accompaniment is being banned. It’s something that we have to look into.

These restrictions are in place because there are concerns that in a multi-racial society, the lack of restrictions may lead to problems. In fact these restrictions are a result of incidents in the past. If we are confident that they will not happen again, if we are able to assess it confidently, then we should say it. The Hindu Endowments Board should consult with the people. It should then discuss with police.

Catch the full interview on Ethiroli at Feb 11, 9pm, on Vasantham.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

February 12, 2015