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Category: Agama

  • Prof Madya Dr Rafidah: ‘I Am A Malay Muslim Woman’ – A Response To ‘I Am A Malay Woman’

    Prof Madya Dr Rafidah: ‘I Am A Malay Muslim Woman’ – A Response To ‘I Am A Malay Woman’

    I AM A MALAY WOMAN.

    I am a Malay woman too.
    I subscribe fully to Islam.
    As I have believed in the ayat

    يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً
    “Oh you who believe, enter into Islam completely and perfectly”

    Therefore I do not pick certain ayatul Quran
    To suit myself.
    Or to what the world dictates.

    As I’m fully aware
    The Quran is a book of God
    and He knows His creation very well.
    That it’s impossible for one single ayat to contradict another.
    I will never pick which to object and which to follow.

    I am a Malay Muslim woman.
    And like many other Muslim women elsewhere
    We know Islam treats us with justice.
    That the men are commanded to treat us justly.
    That the best of them, are the best in ‘akhlak’ towards their wives.
    That mothers, are mentioned 3 times more than fathers to reaffirm our position to sons and daughters.

    I am a Malay Muslim woman.
    I know my rights are upheld in Islam.
    And I know these rights are not defined by equal numbers of everything.
    That bigger numbers do not necessarily mean privileges.
    They actually mean heavier responsibilities.

    I am a Malay Muslim woman
    I know that Allah SWT judge by those with the most sincere of ibadah
    And not by the position in prayer rows of separated men and women.
    Men can perform solat in the first row, but if their hearts are full of insincerity, they can never supersede women who pray at the back with full submission to her God .
    And when it comes to blessings, Allah SWT put us all at par, regardless of gender.

    I am a Malay Muslim woman.
    I know that Islam has granted women fairness
    In inheritance matter, Jointly Acquired Property, debts and Wasiat are duly settled first
    Before Faraid take its course
    A man takes more, but in his properties are the rights of others, his wife, his children and his parents
    A woman takes less, but all properties are hers, and hers alone.

    I am a Malay Muslim woman
    Let’s not emotions and testimonials blind us towards our religion, when many others obliging to the law of Allah SWT never once felt that Islam, creates caste among its followers.

    There are bad men and bad women and bad implementation by humans, that mar any good system.
    The pre-nuptial agreements so revered by the Western societies.
    Makes more men chose to not make women their wives
    Prefer cohabitation instead and in the process, the woman lose her rights.

    In this day of Israk and Mi’raj, let us be reminded of things that were given to the Prophet Muhammad SAW in Ascension as a result of the encounter in Miraj:

    1. Five daily prayers equal to the reward of fifty daily prayers.
    2.The last two verses of the chapter al-Baqara.
    3.The muqhimat (major sins) of the people from the ummah of Muhammad were forgiven except those who associated partners with Allah.

    On the perception that Islam discriminate man and woman, let’s again be reminded that the differences are only in worldly matters, that have interconnection with differences in responsibilities awarded to each man and woman.

    But as to whom shall be the best in the eyes of Allah SWT, WE ALL STAND THE SAME CHANCE.

    Al-Ahzab 35:

    إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا .

    VERILY, for all men and women who have sur-rendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for [all of] them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward.

     

    Source: Prof Madya Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar

  • I Am A Malay Woman

    I Am A Malay Woman

    I am a Malay woman. I only get half share of any inheritance of what my brothers get.
    I am a Malay woman. My testimony is only half that of a man.
    I am a Malay woman. During prayers, I cannot pray in the same row as my sons but must always be behind them.
    I am a Malay woman. Before I go out of my house, they tell me that I must first get my husbands permission to leave the house.

    I am a Malay woman. As a wife, my husband is entitled to marry 3 other women, but I can only be married to one, at a time.

    I am a Malay woman. As a wife, I am ordered to obey the husband.

    I am a Malay woman. As a wife I am only entitled to 1/8 of my husbands estate (thats if he only has one wife, otherwise I am only entitled to 1/32 of his estate if he has 4 wives.) But my husband is entitled to half of whatever I own upon my death, if I have no children, and 1/4 if I left children.

    I am a Malay woman. While the men can wear anything they want, I am required to cover my whole body save for my face and hands. Falsely conjectured.

    I am a Malay woman. I cannot divorce my husband unless he agrees. Unless I redeem myself through Khul’. Unless I fight for my right to freedom in the courts. Which take time.

    I am a Malay woman. My ex husband doesnt bother to pay for my childrens maintenance. It is not an offence. But if I fail to obey my husband to have sex with him, I am nusyuz. And the angels will not visit me for I am cursed for the night

    I am a Malay woman.
    Isn’t this caste system?
    *******************************************
    Update:
    Wow! I really didnt expect a post of truth to generate this much condemnations.
    As I do not have the benefit of time to respond to the hundreds of comments one by one, except suffice to say that most of those that condemned my post and viralised it, have not objectified it nor have they given me point to point which of my statement is a lie or misleading.

    However this particular response from a
    Prof Madya Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar deserves my response.

    This is what she has written: And my responses are in the square brackets.

    I AM A MALAY WOMAN TOO.

    I am a Malay woman too.
    I subscribe fully to Islam.
    *[So do I but I submit to Allah and his words from the Quran]

    As I have believed in the ayat
    ا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً
    “Oh you who believe, enter into Islam completely and perfectly”
    Therefore I do not pick certain ayatul Quran
    *[GREAT! ALHAMDULILLAH]
    To suit myself.
    Or to what the world dictates.
    As I’m fully aware
    The Quran is a book of God *[TRUE!]
    and He knows His creation very well.
    That it’s impossible for one single ayat to contradict another. *[ABSOLUTELY!]
    I will never pick which to object and which to follow. *[AGREED!]
    I am a Malay Muslim woman.
    And like many other Muslim women elsewhere
    We know Islam treats us with justice. [AGREED]
    That the men are commanded to treat us justly.[AGREED]
    That the best of them, are the best in ‘akhlak’ towards their wives. [AGREED]
    That mothers, are mentioned 3 times more than fathers to reaffirm our position to sons and daughters.

    *[I AM AWARE OF THAT HADITH] [BUT I am also aware that the Quran teaches us all to treat both our parents “Your Lord had decreed, that you worship none save Him, and (that you show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with you, say not “Fie” unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both, as they did care for me when I was young.” [Quran 17:23-24]
    We have enjoined on humankind kindness to parents.” [Quran 29:8 and 46:15]And (remember) when We made a covenant with the children of Israel, (saying): worship none save Allah (only), and be good to parents…” [Quran 2:83]

    “And serve Allah. Ascribe nothing as partner unto Him. (Show) Kindness unto parents… ” [Quran 4:36]

    “Say: Come, I will recite unto you that which your Lord has made a sacred duty for you; that you ascribe nothing as partner unto Him and that you do good to parents…” [Quran 6:151]

    I am a Malay Muslim woman.
    I know my rights are upheld in Islam.
    *[The Quran does say that]

    And I know these rights are not defined by equal numbers of everything.
    *[Its called Equity over Equality]
    That bigger numbers do not necessarily mean privileges.
    They actually mean heavier responsibilities

    I am a Malay Muslim woman
    I know that Allah SWT judge by those with the most sincere of ibadah
    And not by the position in prayer rows of separated men and women.
    *[Does not deflect from the fact that a woman cannot pray in the same row as men, and that even a male child has more right to stand infront of his mother]
    Men can perform solat in the first row, but if their hearts are full of insincerity, they can never supersede women who pray at the back with full submission to her God .
    *[Allah says that we are all equal in the eyes of God, so why am I being discriminated on the basis of my gender?]

    And when it comes to blessings, Allah SWT put us all at par, regardless of gender. *[Yes God never once in the Quran ordained that women shall stand behind males and male children in prayer.]

    I am a Malay Muslim woman.
    I know that Islam has granted women fairness
    In inheritance matter, Jointly Acquired Property, debts and Wasiat are duly settled first
    Before Faraid take its course

    ***
    [WITH due respect, this is not the case. Although God was very clear in surah Al Baqarah 180 and Surah al Maidah 106 that when dath approaches you, you are required to make a will/wasiat.

    “It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves wealth, that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable manners. (This is) a duty upon Al-Muttaqun (Surah Al baqarah 180)
    O ye who believe! When death approaches any of you, (take) witnesses among yourselves when making bequests,- two just men of your own (brotherhood) or others from outside if ye are journeying through the earth, and the chance of death befalls you (thus). If ye doubt (their truth), detain them both after prayer, and let them both swear by Allah: “We wish not in this for any worldly gain, even though the (beneficiary) be our near relation: we shall hide not the evidence before Allah: if we do, then behold! the sin be upon us!”(surah Al Maidah 106)

    Hence it is very clear that GOD demanded us to write a will to our parents and our nearest kins. And only after our wealth has been distributed after clearing the wasiat to our parents and our children, would faraid kick in.
    However, what has happened over the years was that Wasiats are now limited to 1/3 of the deceased estate and with a further condition that non of the heirs to our estate are to benefit from the will.

    A Muslim can bequeath up to 1/3 of his estate to non-Faraid heirs or for charitable purposes (after deducting all debts and liabilities). The remaining 2/3 of his estate will be distributed to the Faraid heirs, in accordance to Faraid proportions.
    So a Wasiat is duly settled only if the beneficiaries to the Wasiat are:
    1. not the heirs
    2. limited to 1/3 of the estate]

    *[Leaving a very peculiar situation where if I had 20 daughters and no sons nor any other heirs save for my 20 daughters, my 20 daughters are only allowed to inherit 2/3rd of my property. The rest is transmitted to baitul Mal. Now how fair is that? Why discriminate on gender? Although the Quran states that if there be more than one daughter their share is 2/3, if Wasiats were allowed to include heirs and no 1/3, then the daughters stand to benefit. This is equity.
    So if I left an estate worth RM3million, Baitul Mal snatches RM1 million off my estate. Which would have been resolved had a Will giving my daughters all my properties]

    A man takes more, but in his properties are the rights of others, his wife, his children and his parents
    A woman takes less, but all properties are hers, and hers alone.
    *[Could you kindly explain where in the Quran or in any Syariah law that a man “takes more, but his properties are the rights of others, his wife, his children and parents. A woman takes less, but all properties are her, and hers alone”?

    I actually have a few ongoing cases right now where the property of the wife that is clearly already stated in the Register of Titles are quietly being snatched away from her by the husband in the Syariah Courts under the pretext of the property being harta sepencarian. I would really love to sit down with Professor Dr Rafidah to discuss how Article 13 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees that
    13. (1) No person shall be deprived of property save in accordance
    with law.
    (2) No law shall provide for the compulsory acquisition or use of property without adequate compensation.

    However, sadly, the Syariah Courts have ordered properties already held in the wifes name to be surrendered to the husband on the grounds that the husband contributed to the purchase of the property and as such he is entitled to force his wife to surrender her share of her property.
    I would sincerely like to invite Prof Dr to sit in with me and review these cases and see if it is a just and equitable deal for the wife]Especially so in the Quran surah 2;229 and in Surah 4:20, ”
    But if you want to replace one wife with another and you have given one of them a great amount [in gifts], do not take [back] from it anything. Would you take it in injustice and manifest sin?”

    I am a Malay Muslim woman
    Let’s not emotions and testimonials blind us towards our religion, when many others obliging to the law of Allah SWT never once felt that Islam, creates caste among its followers.

    There are bad men and bad women and bad implementation by humans, that mar any good system.
    The pre-nuptial agreements so revered by the Western societies.
    Makes more men chose to not make women their wives
    Prefer cohabitation instead and in the process, the woman lose her rights.

    In this day of Israk and Mi’raj, let us be reminded of things that were given to the Prophet Muhammad SAW in Ascension as a result of the encounter in Miraj are:

    1. Five daily prayers equal to the reward of fifty daily prayers.
    2.The last two verses of the chapter al-Baqara.
    3.The muqhimat (major sins) of the people from the ummah of Muhammad were forgiven except those who associated partners with Allah.

    On the perception that Islam discriminate man and woman, let’s again be reminded that the differences are only in worldly matters, that have interconnection with differences in responsibilities awarded to each man and woman.

    But as to whom shall be the best in the eyes of Allah SWT, WE ALL STAND THE SAME CHANCE.

    Al-Ahzab 35:

    إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا .

    VERILY, for all men and women who have sur-rendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for [all of] them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward

    *[I also see that Prof Dr has not addressed my other concerns with regard to
    1. a womans testimony in only equivalent to half of males
    2. that it takes a miuch longer time for a woman to get her divorce whereas in many courts, a man can walk in to the courts today and be given an immediate date to pronounce talak in court – its called FAST TRACK TALAK.
    I have many cases that not only does it take time but costs money to the wife to seek divorce, custody, harta sepencarian, mutaah and nafkahs for children and nafkah eddah.

    Please Prof Dr, I would like to invite you to the realities of what it is like to be a Malay woman in Malaysia

     

    Source: Nik Elin Nik Aziz

  • Malaysia Youth & Sports Minister: Bumiputra University Quotas Insult Malays

    Malaysia Youth & Sports Minister: Bumiputra University Quotas Insult Malays

    KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malays should view the quota system for entry into local universities as “insulting”.

    “These quotas and all that, some of it is in Article 153 in the constitution. I have been telling my Malay community, I said, ‘You know, one day, you should actually aspire, even before 2050, aspire to be in the university without quota’,” the Umno Youth leader told a dialogue on the National Transformation Plan 2050 with Indian youths at the Putra World Trade Center here today.

    “We should start seeing this quota (system) as something that is a bit insulting, that we need quota to get somewhere.”

    His comments came after a participant said he hoped that the quota system for Bumiputeras in the country would one day be removed.

    “Just as there is a perception of discrimination amongst other communities, we also feel that maybe we are not that good, because other communities are saying that, ‘Hey you are here only because of the quota’.

    “I want the Malay community to complete on a level playing field. That’s my aspiration,” said Khairy.

    The dialogue session was organised by MIC Youth as well as several Indian youth NGOs.

     

     

    Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com

  • Female Supporters Of Ahok Fear For Their Lives As Islamists Claim It’s Halal To Gang-Rape Them

    Female Supporters Of Ahok Fear For Their Lives As Islamists Claim It’s Halal To Gang-Rape Them

    The conflicts related to the racially and religiously charged gubernatorial election in Jakarta have hit a new low when a supporter of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) claimed in a Facebook comment that it is Halal to gang rape female Ahok supporters.

    “Those who support Ahok are idiots and immoral.. it is halal to spill their blood and it is also halal if women are gang raped,” he stated in his comment.


    Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, the Christian and ethnically Chinese governor of Jakarta who is currently contesting to be re-elected, had earned a lot of praise for his exceptional commitment for clean government and against corruption.

    According to FPI, however, it is not permissible in Islam that a non-Muslim governs a city mostly inhabited by Muslims.

    After black campaigns, violent protests and threats coming from Ahok’s opponents, the level of extremism has now crossed the line for many Indonesians.

    Ita Fadia Nadya, a member of Indonesian Women Against Violence, said that her group filed a police report against the Facebook user for hate speech, as defined by Article 156 of the Criminal Code Procedure Law (KUHP), Jakarta Globe reported.

    “We want to raise concerns about the safety of women in general. We aren’t talking about the upcoming gubernatorial election in Jakarta; our focus is purely on safety,” she told reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters.

    According to her, the threat is especially harmful for women and compromises their safety.

    The FPI supporter with the Facebook username Dwi Ardika’s distasteful comment also reminded many Indonesians about the gang rapes that occurred during the anti-Chinese riots in 1998.

    “Before the massive gang rapes that occurred in 1998, there were sentiments and threats expressed [similar to this Facebook post].

    “In that period, there was no social media. Instead, threats were disseminated through posters targeting drivers of taxis and other forms of public transportation. We don’t want to see the actions of that year being repeated,” she said.

    The Jakarta riots in May 1998 saw 1,000 people killed and 87 women, mostly of Chinese descent, raped by rioters and rape squads, allegedly led by the army.

     

    Source: www.malaysiandigest.com

  • Jakarta Election Results A Victory For Prejudice Over Pluralism?

    Jakarta Election Results A Victory For Prejudice Over Pluralism?

    The long, divisive campaign for governorship of Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta is finally over, with unofficial results showing a decisive victory for the challenger Anies Baswedan over the controversial incumbent governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (popularly known as Ahok).The Conversation

    The election was the most politically significant regional election in Indonesia’s history because it wasn’t just about choosing the chief executive for the city’s 10 million citizens.

    Rather, it became a referendum on the future of Indonesia’s ethno-religious diversity and tolerance after unwanted intervention by a number of radical Islamist groups, most notably the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).

    The blasphemy campaign against Ahok

    These groups accused Ahok, a Chinese Indonesian who is Christian, of blaspheming last September by mocking a Qur’anic verse that allegedly calls for Muslims to reject non-Muslims as their leaders. Ahok criticised unnamed religious clerics (ulama) for using verse 51 of the Surah Al-Maidah that advises Muslims to avoid aligning with Christian and Jews.

    FPI and its allies managed to obtain a religious ruling (fatwa) from the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) declaring that Ahok was guilty of committing blasphemy against Islam. They then sponsored a number of anti-Ahok rallies in Jakarta, the largest of which, held in November 2016, attracted approximately 2.5 million protesters.

    Under pressure from these groups, the Indonesian government opened an investigation against Ahok and tried him for blasphemy. The trial was adjourned a week before the election.

    Anies, a very astute politician, quickly capitalised on anti-Ahok accusations, by seeking and receiving an endorsement from Habib Rizieq Shihab, FPI’s supreme leader. He also started to portray himself as an “Islamic candidate” to win the support of Jakarta’s Muslims, who comprise 85% of registered voters.

    The strategy seems to have worked, as an Indo Barometer poll in February indicated more than half of Jakarta’s voters would not vote for Ahok because they believed he had committed a blasphemous act against Islam.

    They reached this conclusion despite a number of Islamic scholars saying that the Qur’anic verse in question must be seen in the context of warfare between Muslims and non-Muslims during the early Islamic period. And that it had nothing to do with how Muslims should choose their leader.

    The race between the two contenders was very tight, as indicated by a reputable Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) poll, which showed Anies leading Ahok with a margin of 1% (47.9% vs 46.9%), with up to 5.2% of voters still undecided.

    The campaign took an ugly turn when an elderly woman, who had voted for Ahok during the first round and subsequently died, was allegedly denied a Muslim burial. And an Islamist activist made a Facebook post stating it would be religiously permissible for any women voting for Ahok during the run-off election to be gang-raped.

    Police had to tear down a number of banners placed in mosques across Jakarta discouraging their members to vote for Ahok during the runoff.

    Implications of the election results

    The election has serious implications for the future of Indonesian politics. Anies’ victory means he is in a stronger position to mount a challenge against President Joko Widodo in 2019, as a candidate of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), or with another opposition party.

    A young, telegenic politician who has widely touted his Islamic credentials, Anies is perceived by Jokowi as a more formidable opponent than “old guard” elite figures, such as retired General Prabowo Subianto and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who are both widely expected to be contenders during the 2019 presidential election.

    But more importantly, Anies’ victory is another sign of the growing Islamisation of Indonesian politics, which has been on the rise since the country made its democratic transition in 1998.

    This phenomena can be seen throughout Indonesian society, from the promotion of Islamist prayer groups (pengajian) and study circles (halaqah) in public university campuses throughout the country; the proliferation of Indonesian women wearing Islamic veils (hijab); and the rapid increase in local regulations restricting alcohol consumption and the rights of religious minorities.

    There seems to be an ideological and political convergence between Islamist groups such as FPI (an association of approximately 100,000 hardline Islamists with close ties to the Indonesian security apparatus) and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia. This latter is known for its advocacy for a global caliphate.

    Members of both groups are developing a close relationship with the conservative elements of the Nahdlatul Ulama NU) and Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s two largest Muslim organisations with generally moderate political leanings. They claim membership by 60 million and 30 million people respectively.

    The MUI fatwa against Ahok was signed by Maaruf Amin, who, apart from being the council’s general chairman, is also NU’s supreme leader (rais aam).

    The groups have also cooperated to demand the implementation of shari’a regulations (perda shari’a) by local governments throughout Indonesia. And there are now 442 such regulations in place in over 100 cities and districts.

    These regulations require women to wear hijab in public, prohibit the consumption of alcohol and prostitution, and declare a number of Islamic minority sects, such as Ahmadis and Shiites, to be illegal within their respective localities. The groups have also encouraged acts of violence against both minorities over the past decade or so.

    Rising Islamism and the renewed prejudice against ethnic and religious minorities pose a danger to the pluralist outlook enshrined in Indonesia’s official founding principles, which are collectively known as Pancasila. Made from the Sanskrit word for “five”, panca, and the Javanese for “principles”, sila, Pancasila states: “The one God system (monotheism), just and civilised humanity, the unity of Indonesia, democracy and social justice for all.”

    These principles have underpinned equality for all Indonesia’s ethnic and religious groups since the country’s founding in 1945. Indonesian founding fathers who created Pancasila meant to give equal political and economic opportunities to all Indonesians irrespective of their ethnic and religious background.

    Unlike Indonesia’s neighbour Malaysia, Pancasila grants no special status to Muslims and instead gives official religions status to a number of religions (Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism). It gives them equal legal recognition, and grants their members full religious freedom. Most significantly, adherents of all religions are free to run for and occupy any public office.

    By creating these accusations against Ahok, the Islamists have refused to recognise the legal rights of Indonesia’s ethnic and religious minorities to run for public office. Ahok’s loss means that Indonesia’s ethno-religious diversity is the biggest casualty of this highly polarising election.

    Alexander R Arifianto, Research Fellow, Indonesia Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University

     

    Source: www.theindependent.sg

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