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Zulfikar Shariff: Islam Is The Answer To Social Ills That Beset The Muslim Community Here

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

September 27, 2015
Halal Slaughter Is Most Humane Way, Education, Not Banning, The Way Forward.

Hi Nicole,

Just to help re-enforce some of the points made here ;-

I went to an Abbatoire in Turkey last year & took our kids (1 & 4 at the time), where they slaughtered 10,000 Qurb’an. Each one is done by hand.

To explain the pillars for the slaughter to be halal (permissible by God) are a) the person performing the slaughter must be Muslim b) he must pronounce the name of Allah c) he / she must use a very sharp instrument to cut the jugular in one swift cut, severing the jugular, windpipe / oesophagus.

When I watched the man performing the slaughter was constantly sharpening his blade on a slather around his waist. This ensured his instrument was razor sharp the whole time. He was extremely expert whipping around like a dervish, slaughtering at least 3-5 animals (sheep in this case) in a matter of seconds.

The animals is very unlikely to feel any pain, as the instrument is so sharp that by going straight through the neck & oesophagus it cuts off the oxygen to the brain and the animal passes out within seconds. A German scientist did a study comparing the Halal way of slaughter versus the stunning & other methods & he concluded the Halal method is far superior as the brain patterns show it is like the animal is falling asleep. The animals come out individually from a segregated enclosure & they are really not intelligent enough to figure out what is going on in that space of time.

Slaughter in this method is compulsory as the heart then pumps out all the blood & it is compulsory to drain out all the blood from the animal (they are hung up). There is a lot of science to back all this ancient wisdom up & it is to do with health reasons, as the blood can contain harmful bacteria.

The Western media in some cases may make it look like some sort of bloody occult ritual, as if people go to Makkah to bathe in the blood of camels & delight in the killing. They do have a habit of sensationalism, sometimes even turning things upside down to the confusion of the reader.

Halal slaughter is the most humane way to kill an animal. Whereas MNC animal slaughter has many cases where it is grossly inhumane & simply cruel in the extreme.

Part of Islamic teaching is to observe the act of halal slaughter, I have volunteered a number of times at the Mosque. It is very moving. On a smaller scale (80-100 sheep) a few of us will hold and stroke the animals to keep them calm. No animal likes to be manhandled, but it doesn’t mean they are in fear of being killed – they do not have awareness of this as they are segregated. When we witness the slaughter process we are less likely to take the steak & food we get served up on a plate for granted. It puts us in a higher state of gratitude. I encourage my children to see it and explain to them what it is about.

The Western MNC slaughterhouses are often really inhumane. The animals are backed up & stunned. They are in such shock & pain that the animals behind go into a state of fear & adrenalin is pumped through the body of the animal which hardens the meat. You can taste the difference with halal meat.

As a consequence of all this negative publicity animal rights movements have prevented people from being able witness this sacred ritual in Singapore, which is a great education for kids. In Singapore now for the past 4 years they have had to totally screen everything off, no observation points! How will kids learn to appreciate all this food they devour & take for granted? Isn’t it better they grow up to appreciate that an animal sacrificed it’s life so we can eat? In Singapore you never even get to see a cow or a sheep!

So as is often the case media critics have it wrong. The meat is distributed to the poor and needy as an act of alms giving. The act of slaughter is to represent the slaughtering of the ego.

I hope you will accept the invitation to come to Al Kaff Mosque, (next to where I live too) & we will be very happy to share more with you / answer all your concerns.

A last point is these animals are actually in submission. I can show you videos where animals will literally lie down and place their necks to be slaughtered. This is an act of obedience to God.

Have a blessed day.

Source: Tim Alden

September 27, 2015
Local Voluteer Group Plans To Go After Firms Involved In Causing Haze

As the season of haze returns to our shores, some Singaporeans may feel helpless about the smoky, unhealthy air blown our way from the south.

But a group of volunteers are determined to take up the fight against the haze, or those who had a hand in causing it.

The Haze Elimination Action Team (Heat), led by Professor Ang Peng Hwa of Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, is planning to sue and boycott the companies responsible for the fires.

Yesterday morning, PSI levels crossed into the hazardous range. At 6am, the 24-hour PSI was 257-318, and the three-hour PSI stood at 334.

Prof Ang told The New Paper yesterday: “We want consumers to know that there is something that we can do. We are not helpless.”

He and a few others set up Heat in 2007 – a year after Singapore experienced its worst haze in a decade, with the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) peaking at 150.

“What struck me most back then was when I read about a 40-year-old CEO who said how Singaporeans can’t do anything about the haze.

“This was a man empowered and in charge of a company, yet he was feeling helpless. I told myself that surely there was something we can do,” he said.

In 2007, Heat raised about $20,000 for a website and an educational effort in Jambi, South Sumatra.

Today, the group has about 800 members who include professionals, housewives and students.

It is also working with another haze awareness group, PM.Haze.

Prof Ang said that Heat intends to sue and boycott companies that are registered here but are involved, via intermediary or subsidiary companies, in starting the fires in Indonesia.

It is also “looking for someone or an organisation that has incurred losses of at least tens of thousand dollars or more due the haze”, or who has been hospitalised, to be an “ideal plaintiff”, he said.

Legal fees are estimated between $50,000 and $100,000 and the team is looking to get pro bono help as well as a lawyer with experience in corporate forensics to help trace the ownership pattern of the fires, he said.

Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said that this was an encouraging effort at self-help by Heat, but added that it would be a challenging task.

TOUGH TO PROVE

Firstly, there is the evidential burden of proof that these local companies have management control of the Indonesian companies that are legally responsible for the haze, he said.

Heat would then need to provide evidence to the court that these Indonesian entities were indeed causing the haze pollution, he said.

But he noted that this bottom-up approach, if successful, would hit the alleged companies where it hurts the most – their reputations and profits.

“It will send a signal to these companies to clean up their act. It can pressure Singaporean entities to insist on sustainable and responsible agricultural practices throughout their supply chains.

“It’s a case of consumers having a big say in how a company ought to conduct itself and being responsible to stakeholders,” he said.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said during a press conference yesterday that the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, which was passed in Parliament last year, will help those seeking legal action against those responsible for causing or condoning fires if burning results in unhealthy levels of haze in Singapore.

“Whenever possible, we will try to share as much information as possible with the public. I think they are entitled to take action. I think our demands for greater transparency and sharing of information will facilitate their action. Anyone who suffers losses as a result of this may be entitled to take action against errant companies pursuant to (the Act).”

Dr Balakrishnan also listed five companies that the National Environmental Agency has issued notices to. (See report,)

Prof Ang said the case could take years to build and is aware of the challenges ahead.

One of their plans is to gather pictures of the sites that are burning now and check back on these sites in a few years.

“We hope then to trace who benefited from these fires. To the companies suspected of starting fires, we are coming after you,” he said.

NEA serves notices on five Indonesian firms

The National Environmental Agency (NEA) has initiated action against four companies which might be involved in the fires that have resulted in the haze, under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan told reporters yesterday: “It (the haze situation) cannot be tolerated. It has caused a major impact on the health, society and economy of our region.”

NEA investigations showed that haze-causing fires may have occurred on land concessions held by four Indonesian companies: PT Rimba Hutani Mas, PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries, PT Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa and PT Wachyuni Mandira.

Under the Act, NEA asked the companies to carry out measures such as extinguishing or preventing any fires on land owned and occupied by them, discontinuing or not commencing burning activities and submitting to it a plan to extinguish or prevent recurrence of such fires.

FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS: Indonesian military troops and firefighters sourcing water from a canal to help put out fires on a vast burning peat land forest in Jabiren Raya district in Central Kalimantan province on Borneo island. PHOTO: AFP

NEA has also served notice to Asia Pulp & Paper Company, an Indonesian company with an office in Singapore, asking for information on its subsidiaries, as well as measures taken by its suppliers in Indonesia to put out fires.

All five notices were served yesterday.

NEA has also written to the Indonesian authorities asking for the names of other errant companies which might have been identified as causing the fires.

Dr Balakrishnan added: ” The Singapore Government is examining ways to apply more economic pressure against errant companies. We will share the results of investigations with public whenever possible.”

The maximum fine for companies found guilty of starting fires is $100,000 per day, capped at $2 million.

Q&A To clear the air

It looks clear outside and there is no smoke smell, but the PSI levels on the National Environmental Agency (NEA) website are above 300. What should I trust?

The public should not depend on the visibility and smell of the air because there are other contributing factors in the air besides the PM2.5 concentration, said an NEA spokesman.

Members of public should instead look at the three-hour PSI reading and the one-hour PM2.5 concentration level as a guide to adjust immediate activities like going outside for a jog.

“Don’t trust your eyes and nose because they are not what detect harmful substances in the air,” said air pollution researcher Erik Velasco of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology’s Centre for Environmental Sensing and Modelling.

Is the online site www.aqicn.org reliable?

On Sept 18, the Beijing-based environmental non-profit group Air Quality Index China released a real-time, interactive map displaying air pollution levels around the world.

The AQICN map, which automatically updates every 15 minutes, compiles verified data from official environmental protection agencies such as NEA.

But its values may differ from those on the NEA website because of a difference in the formula that it uses to calculate the PSI.

Dr Velasco said the NEA website is based on instruments that are approved by international standards and it would be safer to refer to it.

Which is a better gauge, the PSI or PM2.5 readings?

The 24-hour PSI forecast reflects the PSI trend. It is also a gauge for an individual’s total exposure to PM2.5 concentrations and should be used to plan ahead for activities, such as whether one should go to work or school. During haze episodes, health advice will be based on the 24-hour PSI.

The three-hour PSI reading and the one-hour PM2.5 concentration reading are based on more recent PM2.5 readings than the 24-hour PSI forecast. So these readings are better guides as to what one should do at a particular point of the day.

What is expected of the haze for the new few days?

The hazy conditions will continue over the next few days, but will gradually improve over the weekend, said NEA.

Wind patterns are expected to change – coming from the South-east instead of the South-west, where the fires and smoke are, Dr Velasco said.

Source: www.tnp.sg

September 26, 2015
Indonesia VP Jusuf Kalla Reiterates No Apology Required To Neighbours Over Haze

NEW YORK – Indonesia’s Vice-President Jusuf Kalla has reiterated that Indonesia need not apologise to neighbouring countries over haze from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Indonesia only needs to ensure forest fires that cause haze do not recur, he was quoted as saying on Indonesian news site kompas.com.

“Look at how long they have enjoyed fresh air from our green environment and forests when there were no fires. Could be months. Are they grateful? But when forest fires occur, a month at the most, haze pollutes their regions. So why should there be an apology?” he said during a dialogue session with Indonesians in New York at the Indonesian Consulate-General on Thursday.

He also claimed that companies from neighbouring countries are paying locals to clear lands using the slash-and-burn technique.

This was not the first time Mr Kalla has made such remarks. He made similar remarks between 2005 and 2007 when he was Vice-President to then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

On Sept 18 this year, he made the same point after meeting Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the vice-president’s office.

Mr Kalla said forest fires and destruction were started by foreigners who needed land in the 1960s and 1970s.

They later collaborated with Indonesian entrepreneurs.

“They taught us to destroy forests. As a result, using development as an excuse, our forests were felled. Our peatlands were opened up. Wet peatlands dried up, making them easier to burn,” he said, naming several foreign companies.

He said besides preventing forest fires from recurring, the government has also issued bans on logging and moratoriums on the use of land, including opening up lands for new plantations.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 26, 2015
K Shanmugam Rebukes Jusuf Kalla Over Shocking Statements

The ongoing haze crisis, which has affected the lives of millions across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, has started to draw strong comments from leaders here.

Foreign and Law Minister K. Shanmugam, in a Facebook post on Thursday night, expressed his unhappiness at what he referred to as “shocking statements made, at senior levels, from Indonesia, with a complete disregard for our people, and their own”.

“How is it possible for senior people in government to issue such statements, without any regard for their people, or ours, and without any embarrassment, or sense of responsibility?” wrote the minister.

Mr Shanmugam did not name any of his Indonesian counterparts or elaborate on the statement in question at the time.

His post on social media came after Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla had reiterated that Indonesia need not apologise to its neighbours over the haze.

Speaking at a dialogue at the Indonesian Consulate-General in New York on Thursday, Mr Kalla said Indonesia needs only to ensure that forest fires that cause haze do not recur, Kompas daily reported yesterday.

“Look at how long they have enjoyed fresh air from our green environment and forests when there were no fires,” said Mr Kalla.

“Could be months. Are they grateful? But when forest fires occur, a month at the most, haze pollutes their regions. So why should there be an apology?”

He also accused “companies from neighbouring countries” of paying locals to clear lands using the slash-and-burn technique, which have led to the blaze.

Mr Kalla had made similar remarks in previous years.

The most recent occasion was in March this year, when he rapped neighbouring countries for complaining about the haze, asking them to be grateful instead for the clean air they enjoy for the rest of the year.

“For 11 months, they enjoyed nice air from Indonesia and they never thanked us,” he said at the time. “They have suffered because of the haze for one month and they get upset.”

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday wrote a post on Facebook directed at Indonesia and the haze crisis.

“Merlion is mythical like the Garuda and will not be affected by the haze. But we humans will be, not just now but also in the long term if haze continues year after year,” he said. The Merlion and Garuda are associated with Singapore and Indonesia respectively.

“If Indonesia can stamp out illegal burning, they will gain investor confidence in their abilities to tackle other complex challenges. The haze is their litmus test for effective administration and regional leadership. We all see it, breathe it; and there is no hiding.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 26, 2015