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Zulfikar Shariff: Jangan Permainkan Hukum Allah

Allah dah cakap jangan buat. Nak buat juga.

Dah berfirman bahawa mengikut kaum Lut salah.

Nak juga buat.

Nabi dah bersabda orang yang didapati meliwat akan dihukum. Dah sebut hukuman yang patut dijalankan.

Masih lagi nak buat.

Lepas tu cakap, Allah Maha pengampun. Jadi Allah akan ampunkan dosa meliwat.

Memang lah Allah pengampun. Tapi janganlah take for granted pula.

Dah tentu dah diarahkan jauhi. Nak buat juga, tak boleh lah nak guna alasan pengampunan.

Kalau pencuri tak berhenti-henti mencuri janganlah nak assume hakim akan ampunkan je.

Sambil dia mencuri sambil dia cakap hakim akan ampunkan.

Ni bukan assume Allah akan maafkan. Ni saja nak permainkan hukum Allah je.

Allah cakap jangan buat…nanti Allah murka. Dia buat juga.

Permainkan lah kalau berani sangat. Api tu panas.

Source: Zulfikar Shariff

June 13, 2015
Alfian Sa’at: Nobody Cares About #Wearwhite

Dear ‪#‎WearWhite‬

Nobody cares.

About your antics to illustrate some kind of ‘pushback’ against Pink Dot. About your majoritarian argument of ‘look at us we are greater in number so we get to decide what kind of society we want for everyone’. You think looking like a bunch of hissy, reactive drama queens endears you to people? And why do you have to be so lazy? You have an entire year to organise whatever to set forth your position–you can stage a ‘One man, One woman, One family, One People, One Nation, One Singapore’ festival or a ‘Straight & Lovin’ It’ carnival or an ‘OMOW, no HOMO’ acronym slogan competition or even a mass wedding (why let the Moonies have all the fun?). Who’s stopping you? But you’d rather ride on the publicity for Pink Dot and squeeze your faces into the camera. Because who cares if 99% of the stuff in movies, TV programmes, magazines, advertisements etc all uphold and celebrate those heteronormative values you hold so dear? That one single day in a year when LGBT’s could appear in broad pink daylight in a safe, affirming space? No way, they must be bleached out like a stain! But I guess you’re kiasu and mean-spirited that way.

The problem with these kinds of manufactured clashes is not that Singapore is supposedly becoming ‘more polarised’. The problem is that it leads people to subscribe to binary thinking. Pink versus white. With us or against us. But gay people aren’t anti-family. Actual one man-one woman families (some bringing their kids) are, in fact, turning up for Pink Dot. And among those wearing pink there are many who are also religious. It’s not about a pink team on one side and a white team on the other in a tug-of-war for their souls. Because people know how to integrate their multiple identities and reconcile the contradictions within themselves. It’s what makes us human.

In writing two paragraphs it might seem like I actually give a toss about your chromatic sartorial tit-for-tat but getting back to my main point, nobody cares. Really.

Source: Alfian Sa’at

June 13, 2015
Eye-Popping Number Show That Americans Are Dead Wrong

According to the revealing findings of a recent Gallup survey, Americans are woefully misinformed regarding the percentage of their fellow citizens who describe themselves as gay or lesbian. Overall, those polled believe roughly one in four Americans belongs in that category.

A full third of all respondents believe that number is higher than 25 percent, while two in 10 think it falls between 20 and 25 percent. Fewer than one in 10 think less than five percent of Americans identify as gay or lesbian – which happens to be the correct category.

Gallup asked respondents in more than 58,000 interviews whether they personally “identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” a question that garnered an affirmative answer from just 3.8 percent of the sample group. While variants in polling methodology can lead to different results, Gallup reported it is convinced most Americans far overestimate the number of homosexuals living in the nation.

Though estimates vary regarding the precise percentage, Gallup’s report stated that “all available estimates of the actual gay and lesbian population in the U.S. are far lower than what the public estimates, and no measurement procedure has produced any figures suggesting that more than one out of five Americans are gay or lesbian.”

Separating responses based on demographic characteristics indicates certain groups – young adults, women, and those with less education – are more likely to give a wildly inflated response. Among those age 18 to 29, the mean estimate is more than seven times the actual percentage of gays and lesbians in America. The same result can be found among respondents with a high school education or less. With a mean estimate of 27 percent, women think homosexuals make up far more of the population than men, who believe the number is closer to 19 percent.

Gallup offered some insight into the potential cause of confusion, which it concluded could be due to “prominent media portrayals of gay characters on television and in movies” as well as “the high visibility of activists who have pushed gay causes, particularly legalizing same-sex marriage.”

Such factors might have had less influence than a review of the latest survey results might suggest, however. Gallup polling data as far back as 2002 indicate Americans shared similarly inflated estimates regarding the percentage of gay and lesbian Americans even then.

Source: www.westernjournalism.com

June 13, 2015
Malaysian Gymnast Get Brickbats For Showing Aurat

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Malaysian gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi has received a slew of criticisms from Muslims who attacked her for showing her “aurat” and the “shape of her vagina” in a leotard despite winning a gold medal at the SEA Games.

Several Facebook users slammed the 21-year-old Malay woman on Buletin TV3’s Facebook page that had uploaded Wednesday a photograph of her in the gymnastics outfit, along with a caption that announced her winning gold in floor exercise in artistic gymnastics.

“Until she’s dead too people can see the shape of her vagina and aurat,” wrote a Facebook user called Muhammad Nur Salam.

Facebook user called Amir Muhd said: “Just strip off your clothes lah… let everyone see.”

Another Facebook user said Farah Ann’s dressing was even worse than non-Muslims’ in terms of showing her “aurat”.

“This is the joy of the temporal world…even though our afterlife will be full of pain from Allah swt, what is it compared to the medal hung around that neck if our spirit in the afterlife suffer one day later,” wrote Addieputra Jentayu.

A screen capture showing the facebook post by Buletin TV3.Both Muslim women and men are prohibited in Islam from exposing their aurat, though criticisms are more often targeted against women.

Other Muslim Facebook users, however, have come to Farah Ann’s defence.

“So disgusting reading these religious comments from the so-called future members of heaven… just ignore them… Congratulations Farah Ann, it’s not easy to get a gold medal for Malaysia,” wrote Dina Nida.

A Facebook user called Siti Kasim congratulated the young athlete, saying: “Ignore those retards who can’t see beyond their limited brain capacity! Keep up the good work! We are proud of you!”

Singapore news website The New Paper reported that Farah Ann had pulled off a flawless floor routine to score 13.733, beating Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Malaysian athlete also reportedly won three bronze medals and a silver in individual events.

Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

June 13, 2015
MOE: TKPS Students Were On Simpler Via Ferrata Route

The Ministry of Education (MOE) clarified on Wednesday (Jun 10) that the Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) team was on a simpler route on Mount Kinabalu when the earthquake struck.

Compared with the regular Via Ferrata route, where the elevation of the starting point is 3,520m, the pupils, teachers and their guides began on a route at an elevation of 3,411m, stated the MOE.

Mountain Torq, which manages the Via Ferrata, added that this was also a shorter route – 281m (indicated in red below) instead of the original route (in green), which is 430m long.

An MOE spokesperson said: “This is a less steep route compared to the full Walk the Torq route.” She confirmed that the TKPS teams have been using the simplified route since 2010.

On Sunday, the MOE, based on its initial interviews with teachers and pupils who survived the trip, said the team were on the well-known Via Ferrata route.

A Via Ferrata is a mountain path comprising a series of rungs, rails and cables on the rock face. Climbers must wear helmets and harnesses to attempt this route and must be at least 10 years old.

The school has been sending teams to Mount Kinabalu for the past seven years, attempting the original route for the first two years, said Mountain Torq marketing director Quek I-Gek.

She said the simplified route was also only for a selected group of trekkers. Referring to the TKPS pupils who had taken the Via Ferrata, Ms Quek added: “They’re the best students we’ve guided. Consistently, they’re better physically and mentally.”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

June 12, 2015