Amos Yee in court,
Handcuffed and shackled,
Like a common criminal.
Yet, his head still high,
His spirit unbroken,
Integrity intact.
A boy with giant principles,
Rare here or elsewhere.
Source: Ismail Kassim
Blog
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Amos Yee Knew Blog, Video Contents Would Offend, His Ideas Shaped By SDP Member And Roy Ngerng
Blogger Amos Yee has pleaded not guilty to both charges on Thursday morning (May 7), at the start of his two-day trial. The teenager faced a charge of making offensive or wounding remarks against Christianity and another of circulating obscene imagery.
Yee’s lawyers had requested for an adjournment as they needed time to look through the evidence. The judge called for an end to the day’s hearing, and will hear further submissions on Friday, 2.30pm.
Lawyer Alfred Dodwell told reporters after the hearing: “(Yee) is in the highest spirits possible and he’s very happy with the conduct of the case and feels very confident about it.
“Amos is very positive; he believes there’s nothing wrong and stands by what he says and this is the very reason why he is in remand, because he refuses to be gagged.”
“Amos is in the highest spirits possible and he’s very happy with the conduct of the case”: #AmosYee’s lawyer, Alfred Dodwell, says that the blogger “knew what he was doing”. cna.asia/1bzfvsg
Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Wednesday, May 6, 2015
“In relation to the first charge, which is in relation to obscenity, it is a legal argument so there is no need for there to be a trial, because we have to submit on whether this image is, in law, found to be obscene. So there are legal tests to be involved and that’s what we will be submitting on in relation to this. And the court has to make a determination as to whether this image was and truly obscene,” said Mr Dodwell.
“In relation to the second (charge), the portion on the relation to Christianity, there’s a lot said that he attacked Christianity, in the context of the transcript of what he has said. The question really is, did he do so, and if so, then in what context did he say it as an analogy to Mr Lee Kuan Yew?” Mr Dodwell asked.
He added: “The question for us as lawyers is: ‘Has he violated the law? Is he criminal in relation to this?’ That is really the question. And Amos Yee knows about these things. He feels very strongly that he has the freedom of speech and expression in Singapore as provided for in the Constitution and he feels very strongly that he has done nothing wrong. So he’s in the highest of spirits.”
“I FULLY EXPECTED PEOPLE TO TAKE OFFENCE”
Court documents revealed that Yee knew that the contents of his blogs and videos would be offensive, but went ahead to post them. Before uploading his video on Christianity in December 2014, Yee said he was “aware that the content of the video was offensive and would promote feelings of disharmony and ill-will within the Christian community”.
“I noted that there were people who were offended by my video and I fully expected people to take offence,” he said, referring to comments after the video was uploaded.
Regarding his video posted on Mar 27, he said: “I was aware that the contents of the video were seditious in nature, in that they raised discontent or disaffection amongst people practising the Christian faith in Singapore, but was not sure if my actions would land me in jail.”
The Mar 27 video compared Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to Jesus Christ. “I was fully aware that this comparison was bound to promote ill-will amongst the Christian population, and would be offensive to a significant number of Singaporeans, because the general sentiment towards Lee Kuan Yew was very positive,” said Yee.
Court documents also revealed that Yee’s mother, when consulted, advised him not to upload the Mar 27 video, but he “disagreed with her and uploaded it anyway”.
“I do not have the intention to remove any of the videos that I have made,” said Yee according to Court documents, adding that he also would not remove the post involving Margaret Thatcher and Mr Lee Kuan Yew that was deemed obscene. “I refuse to do this because it would not appease the public, as the video and posts will continue to be circulated, and also because doing so would suggest that I was sorry for the videos and my post, which I am not.”
According to Court documents, Yee said his ideas were also shaped by meet-ups with members from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). An SDP member also introduced Yee to Mr Roy Ngerng’s blog, and Yee said he was convinced by what Mr Ngerng had published.
The teenager added that he drew evidence from Mr Ngerng’s blog posts for his video on Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
COURTROOM PACKED FOR TRIAL
Yee decided not to take the stand in court on Thursday. One of his lawyers later said this was because Yee had explained himself in the statement to police, after his arrest in March.
The teen’s parents attended the trial. Mr Ngerng, blogger Andrew Loh and lawyer Teo Soh Lung were also seen in the packed courtroom.
Yee has been in remand after his previous pre-trial conference on Apr 30, after his bailor, family and youth counsellor Vincent Law, decided to discharge himself. Mr Law had told reporters earlier that he had done so as Yee “refuses to abide” by the bail conditions. Mr Law was also seen in the audience on Thursday morning.
If convicted of making remarks wounding the feelings of Christians, Yee, who is being tried as an adult, faces up to three years’ jail, a fine, or both. For circulating obscene imagery, he could be jailed up to three months, fined, or punished with both.
A third charge, for his statements on Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was “stood down”. An AGC spokesperson said the charge has not been dropped, but that the prosecution will deal with the first two charges for the upcoming trial with the third charge to be dealt with later.
The 16-year-old saw his challenge on the conditions of his bail dismissed by Justice Tay Yong Kwang in a bail hearing on Wednesday. Yee also refused to go for psychiatric counselling in exchange for a lower bail amount, which remained at S$30,000.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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Malaysia’s Home Ministry Banned Four Books By Controversial Novelist Faisal Tehrani, Contain Syiah Elements
KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry has banned four books authored by controversial novelist Faisal Tehrani as they were found to have contained Syiah elements.
The books are Sebongkah Batu di Kuala Berang published by PTS Litera Utama Sdn Bhd, Karbala published by Abeerden Books World, Tiga Kali Seminggu and Ingin Jadi Nasrallah, both published by Al-Ameen Serve Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The books also contravened the teachings of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
The Publication Prohibition Order, which took effect on April 1, was gazetted on the four books because it contained elements detrimental to public order and safety, said the Ministry’s Publications and Quranic Texts Control Division secretary Hasmimah Nik Jaafar.
The ban was also in accordance with Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses And Publications Act 1984.
According to subsection 2 of section 8 of the Act, anyone found to have printed, imported, sold and in possession of the banned books in the country, can be jailed not more than three years or fined not exceeding RM20,000, or both. – BERNAMA
Source: www.thestar.com.my
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Religious Teacher Kills Divorcee Girlfriend Who Pestered Him To Marry
PETALING JAYA: A religious school teacher here allegedly stabbed and killed his girlfriend during a heated argument where she demanded that they get married.
The man was arrested at his home in Jalan Songket 4, Taman Bukit Bujang, several hours after the bloodied body of Nur Salina Nazir was discovered in her grey Proton Wira at about 9am on Wednesday.
The car was located outside Sekolah Rendah Agama Kuala Kubu Baru, where the suspect taught.
The victim, Nur SalinaNur Salina, who has four children, was found in the drivers’ seat with seven stab wounds to her body.
She was discovered by passers-by who then alerted the authorities.
It is learnt that the incident took place when the argument escalated and the suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed her repeatedly.
Hulu Selangor OCPD Supt R. Supramaniam confirmed the incident and said the case was classified under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
“She was stabbed four times on her chest, twice on the ribs and once on the left arm.
“Her belongings are also missing. We are trying to find the weapon that was used,” he said.
Supramaniam said the suspect confessed to the stabbing.
Nur Salina left behind four children – three daughters and a son – aged between seven and 14.
Source: www.thestar.com.my
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‘Generasi Muaz’ Mahu Lahirkan Pendakwah Fasih Berbahasa Inggeris
Berdasarkan pengalaman, setiap kali Jamiyah mempunyai acara syarahan, kebanyakan penceramah Singapura yang diundang selalunya bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu.
Secara tidak langsung, menurut Presiden Jamiyah, Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, para penonton yang hadir juga merupakan mereka yang berusia sekitar 50 tahun ke atas.
“Agak sukar bagi generasi muda yang kebanyakan lebih mesra bertutur bahasa Inggeris memahami apa yang diketengahkan pensyarah.
“Ada kekosongan di situ. Justeru kami amat berharap dapat melahirkan lebih banyak pendakwah yang mahir menyampaikan ceramah dengan yakin dalam bahasa Inggeris,” ujarnya.
Dr Hasbi amat berharap mereka yang mahir bersyarah di depan khalayak ramai dan mempunyai pegangan agama asas menyertai program Generasi Mu’az yang diinspirasikan daripada program mencari pendakwah berjudul Pencetus Ummah yang popular di saluran televisyen Malaysia, Astro Oasis.
Sejauh ini sudah 30 peserta daripada pelbagai latar belakang telah mendaftar.
“Mereka yang daftar bukan sahaja golongan pelajar dari peringkat madrasah sahaja.
“Pelajar sekular yang mengikuti kelas agama hujung minggu tetapi yakin berpidato juga boleh tampil mendaftarkan diri,” tambahnya yang menyasarkan 50 peserta.
Sebagai permulaan, program itu dibuka kepada kaum Muslim berusia antara 17 dengan 40 tahun.
Semua peserta akan dibimbing empat pembimbing dari Singapura dan Malaysia yang akan mengongsi selok-belok menjadi seorang penceramah berkesan.
Empat finalis terbaik juga akan diundang memberi ceramah semasa acara Pelayaran Islamik.
Menurut Dr Hasbi, meskipun program Generasi Mu’az ini akan dijalankan dalam bahasa Melayu, memandangkan bahasa Inggeris merupakan bahasa utama di sini, ia secara tidak langsung memberi kelebihan berbanding pendakwah lain di rantau ini.
“Di Canada, setiap tahun mereka sering mengadakan konvensyen agama yang dihadiri lebih 17,000 penonton.
“Antara penceramah yang diundang selalunya dari negara itu sendiri, Britain dan Amerika Syarikat.
“Jadi saya juga mempunyai impian agar satu hari nanti seorang pendakwah Singapura juga akan diundang dan menyampaikan ceramah selain mengongsi pandangan kepada penceramah dan penonton antarabangsa lain,” ujarnya yang pernah diundang ke konvensyen di Canada itu.
Tarikh tutup pendaftaran ialah hari ini, 7 Mei, dan mereka yang berminat boleh mendaftarkan diri menerusi talian 6743-1211 atau e-mel ke [email protected].
Source: http://beritaharian.sg
