Rilek1Corner

Blog

  • Singaporean Muslim Mum In London: How Can My Family Live Here Safely?

    Singaporean Muslim Mum In London: How Can My Family Live Here Safely?

    Late last year, just a month after our move from Eindhoven in the Netherlands to London, the city of Paris was shaken by a number of explosions that claimed hundreds of lives.

    What we saw on the news then just numbed us.

    My family and I just sat down for a moment and watched the television without uttering a word.

    We were shocked by what was shown on the news and immediately felt scared.

    You see, Paris was only three and a half hours from our previous residence in Eindhoven and we had, on a number of occasions, taken road trips over the weekend to enjoy Paris’ beauty and serenity.

    The places where the attacks took place somehow struck a chord of familiarity.

    Just four months later, the city of Brussels became the latest target of violence in Europe.

    Once again, we sat in front of the telly and went silent.

    If Paris was a three-and-a-half-hour drive from our previous residence, Brussels was only an hour and fifteen minutes away.

    Worse still, Brussels and Antwerp were the two cities that we visited on most weekends not only because of their close proximity to us then, but also because of the large number of Muslims in these cities that gave us the opportunity to explore the many halal restaurants and shops that catered to our needs.

    When these tragedies, so close to where we have been, happened, I always ask myself if I or we can live safely here.

    Every day when my husband goes to work and the children are at school, I’m afraid to go anywhere and will stay indoors.

    Perhaps this is just me and my mind playing the scary ‘what ifs’ scenarios, but I am a Muslim woman and I don the hijab.

    Also, we now live in an area where there are hardly any Muslims and I know each time something big like the bombings happen somewhere, people will start to look at me in a funny way.

    Although not much has been reported, when incidents of violence such as the Belgium bombings happen, hate crime or hate against Muslims will also be on the rise.

    Since the Paris attack, a number of incidents have been reported in London where Muslim women wearing the hijab had been targets of racial abusers.

    TALKING ABOUT HATE

    My children have also told me that in school, their teachers held special talks about what happened and also about hate crime.

    The head teacher also informed the students that terrorism and violence will not be tolerated and that it is not their Muslim friends or neighbours who commit these devious crimes, but the so-called extremist Muslims who do not follow the teachings of Islam properly.

    But I can’t help thinking that among these students there still might be some who think that all Muslims are the same, that we know about the terrorists among us even when truthfully we don’t and that we hate violence of any kind.

    What truly riles me are these so-called Muslim extremists who claimed the right to live in these European cities, often benefitting from financial, health and housing help from the government and even their livelihood from their adopted countries, and yet committing violence without batting an eyelid.

    Which part of this is the teaching of Islam I wonder.

    Is this what Islam is all about?

    Certainly not.

    Islam is a religion of peace and calmness and teaches, like all other religions, to love and respect one another.

    For example, in the Quran, we are reminded as many as 90 times to be patient. This shows how Islam is.

    We do not inflict violence on anyone even with our tongues, never mind weapons.

    These extremists have deliberately tarnished the image of Islam that we normal abiding Muslims love.The fear these attacks have inflicted on those of us who live near where they happened has also not yet faded. I do realise that we have to choose not to think about it and just carry on living.

    We have to appreciate what we have and must not succumb to just looking behind our backs each time we go out or stay indoors and avoid life altogether.

    But it is so very hard to do.

    So, in times like this, I cannot help but ask my husband: “Will you get a Singapore posting any time soon?”

     

    Source: The New Paper by Ida Suandi- Al Shara

  • Pelajar Tingkatan Satu Dakwa Dipukul Ustaz Hingga Patah Tulang Tangan

    Pelajar Tingkatan Satu Dakwa Dipukul Ustaz Hingga Patah Tulang Tangan

    Seorang pelajar perempuan tingkatan satu sebuah sekolah menengah mendakwa patah tulang tangan selepas dihentak dengan kerusi oleh seorang guru, Isnin lepas.

    Farah Izzati Mohd Rohaizad, 13 tahun, berkata dalam kejadian 8.30 malam itu dia bersama dua rakannya yang sebaya umur dipanggil oleh seorang ustaz ke dewan makan sekolahnya itu untuk mengaji Al-Quran.

    Ketika sampai di dewan, ustaz berkenaan bertanya sama ada mereka boleh membaca atau tidak tetapi Farah Izzati memberitahu dia uzur dan tidak boleh membaca Al-Quran.

    Semasa Farah Izzati mahu mengambil tempat di kerusi berdekatan dengannya di dewan makan itu, ustaz berkenaan secara tiba-tiba membaling kerusi plastik dan terkena bahagian pinggangnya dan dia terus beredar menemani seorang rakannya, untuk mengambil Al-Quran.

    “Selepas kembali ke dewan makan dan mendapati tiada Al-Quran di hadapan saya, kepala saya dihentak kali kedua dengan kerusi namun saya sempat menahan kepala sehingga kerusi berkenaan mengenai belakang tangan kanan saya,” katanya.

    Setelah melakukan pemeriksaan, doktor di Hospital Daerah Baling mengesahkan dua tulang belakang telapak tangan kanannya mengalami keretakan dan patah.

    Sementara itu, bapanya, Mohd Rohaizad Abdullah, 36 tahun, berkata, dia amat kesal dengan kejadian yang menimpa anak sulungnya itu kerana ia sepatutnya tidak berlaku.

    “Banyak lagi cara lain untuk diambil tindakan ke atas anak saya itu jika dia benar-benar bersalah, bukan dengan cara memukulnya sehingga mencederakannya,” katanya yang membuat laporan polis semalam (6 Apr).

    Beliau turut kesal dengan pihak sekolah yang didakwa tidak memaklumkan mengenai kejadian itu kepadanya dengan segera tetapi menunggu keesokan harinya untuk berbuat demikian.

    Ketua Polis Daerah Baling, Supt Shariffudin Yusof mengesahkan menerima laporan kejadian itu dan siasatan sedang dilakukan di bawah Seksyen 325 Kanun Keseksaan.

    Source: Berita Mediacorp

  • Pelajar Muslim Dikecualikan Berjabat Tangan Dengan Guru Wanita Di Switzerland

    Pelajar Muslim Dikecualikan Berjabat Tangan Dengan Guru Wanita Di Switzerland

    Tidak lama lagi, para pelajar lelaki Islam di sebuah sekolah di utara Switzerland tidak lagi perlu berjabat tangan dengan guru wanita mereka.

    Sebuah sekolah di Therwil, kanton Basel, mengambil keputusan yang kontroversil itu selepas dua pelajar lelaki Islam, berusia 14 dan 15 tahun, mengadu bahawa adat Swiss berjabat tangan dengan guru bertentangan dengan kepercayaan agama mereka, jika guru itu seorang wanita.

    Mereka berkata Islam melarang hubungan fizikal dengan individu berlainan jantina, kecuali anggota keluarga terdekat tertentu.

    Majlis tempatan Therwil tidak menyokong keputusan sekolah tersebut, “namun tidak akan masuk campur kerana ia adalah tanggungjawab sekolah itu untuk menetapkan peraturan,” kata jurucakap Monika Wyss kepada AFP dalam satu kenyataan.

    PERSPEKTIF-PERSPEKTIF BERBEZA

    Keputusan tersebut bagaimanapun mencetuskan kemarahan di serata Switzerland, hingga Menteri Keadilan, Simonetta Sommaruga menegaskan di televisyen Swiss bahawa “berjabat tangan adalah sebahagian daripada budaya kami.”

    Felix Mueri pula, yang menerajui suruhanjaya parlimen tentang sains, pendidikan dan budaya, menyifatkan adat berjabat tangan sebagai “tanda hormat dan budi bahasa”, menurut laman berita 20Minuten.

    Christoph Eymann, yang memimpin Sidang Swiss tentang Menteri-Menteri Pendidikan Wilayah, bersetuju dan berkata: “Kami tidak boleh membiarkan sama sekali golongan wanita dalam perkhidmatan awam diberi layanan berbeza daripada lelaki.”

    HURAIAN PRAGMATIK

    Pihak berkuasa wilayah Basel-County, yang berkuasa merubah keputusan Therwil, tidak memberikan respons kepada pertanyaan AFP.

    Namun ketua pendidikan di wilayah itu, Monica Gschwind memberitahu media bahawa beliau melihat keputusan sekolah tersebut sebagai pragmatik, namun bukan “huraian berkekalan.”

    Sementara itu, kumpulan-kumpulan Islam mencela polemik yang menyelubungi isu tersebut.

    “Seseorang akan menyangka bahawa kewujudan berterusan nilai-nilai teras Switzerland berisiko dihapuskan, padahal, kes tertentu ini pada hakikatnya melibatkan hanya dua pelajar sekolah tinggi yang berkata mereka berhasrat menyambut guru mereka dengan cara yang berlainan daripada berjabat tangan,” menurut Majlis Pusat Islam Switzerland dalam satu kenyataan.

    Kumpulan itu menarik perhatian bahawa “fiqh Islam dan kebanyakan ulama undang-undang kontemporari, menganggap bahawa cara bersentuhan ini (berjabat tangan) dilarang di antara individu jantina berlainan.”

    BERJABAT TANGAN “SECARA TEOLOGI DIBENARKAN”

    Persekutuan Pertubuhan Islam di Switzerland (FIOS) bagaimanapun menegaskan bahawa berjabat tangan antara lelaki dan wanita “secara teologi dibenarkan” dan biasa diamalkan di sesetengah negara Islam.

    Ia menambah bahawa isu ini tidak seharusnya menjadi satu masalah di Switzerland.

    Source: Berita Mediacorp

  • ComfortDelgro Sacks Cabby For Reckless Driving After Viral Video Shows Him Reversing Into Parked Car

    ComfortDelgro Sacks Cabby For Reckless Driving After Viral Video Shows Him Reversing Into Parked Car

    Taxi operator ComfortDelgro has sacked a taxi driver after a video that showed him reversing into a parked car at a Redhill carpark was circulated online. In a statement to The Straits Times on Tuesday (April 5), ComfortDelgro’s group corporate communications officer Tammy Tan said: “For driving recklessly, we have terminated the hiring agreement of the cabby.”

    Ms Tan added that the incident had occurred at around noon on March 26. The video, which shows a yellow CityCab taxi reversing at considerable speed into a stationary car, was first uploaded by Facebook user Evon Lim on Monday (April 4) evening. It has since chalked up more than 13,000 shares, with local community groups Beh Chia Lor, Road.sg and Singapore Reckless Drivers also posting the video on their respective Facebook pages.

    In the video, the impact of the crash was seen lifting the parked car partially off the ground, badly denting its left door in the process. The taxi then drove off immediately. The cabby’s “hit-and run” actions based on the video were criticised by the majority of social media users, who blasted him for shirking responsibility.

    But Ms Tan clarified that the cabby stopped his taxi further down the road before returning to the scene of the incident to pass his particulars to a shop owner who knew the car’s owner. “That was not captured in the footage,” she said.

    “We are thankful that no one was injured in this incident and are assisting the owner of the parked vehicle with all repairs.”

     

    Source: The Straits Times

  • 20,000 Lebah Serang Masjid Arizona, Jemaah Bertempiaran Lari

    20,000 Lebah Serang Masjid Arizona, Jemaah Bertempiaran Lari

    Para jemaah lari bertempiaran apabila sehingga 20,000 lebah berbisa keluar daripada sarangnya dan menyerang sebuah masjid di Phoenix, Arizona.

    Menurut laporan The Independent, lebah jenis amat berbisa itu menyengat 15 orang, dan salah seorang daripada mereka, lelaki berusia 24 tahun, dimasukkan ke hospital setelah diserang.

    Beberapa lagi orang dipindahkan daripada masjid itu dengan ambulans, sambil menutup kepala mereka dengan selimut, menurut laporan itu.

    Menurut ABC15, semua yang terjejas kini dalam keadaan stabil, namun pihak berkuasa mungkin boleh menjangkakan lebih banyak serangan kerana bulan April ialah permulaaan musim lebah.

    The Independent melaporkan bahawa pihak berkuasa menutup sebuah jalan raya yang sibuk dengan kenderaan berhampiran tempat itu, dan memberitahu orang ramai supaya duduk di rumah kerana lebah masih terus berkeliaran ke sana sini, bahkan sesetengah lebah itu masih hinggap kepada sarang lebah madu.

    DISENGAT 2,000 KALI

    Masalah lebah di Arizona merupakan masalah yang berlarutan, menurut laporan tersebut. Pada Jun tahun lalu, seorang lelaki berusia 84 tahun disengat lebih 2,000 kali di tamannya.

    Tiga ekor anjing dilaporkan disengat hingga mati pada musim panas yang sama.

    Lebah-lebah tersebut, menurut The Independent, merupakan hibrid lebah madu Eropah dan Afrika, iaitu hasil satu eksperimen baka kacukan di Brazil. Lebah-lebah itu membiak di iklim lebih panas dan berleluasa di negeri seperti Arizona, New Mexico dan Texas.

    Jika salah sebuah sarang lebahnya diganggu, lebah berkenaan boleh menjadi amat agresif.

    “Mereka bencikan sebarang pergerakan, bunyi, atau getaran. Mereka bencikan segala-galanya,” kata Encik Reed Booth, pemilik sebuah perniagaan penghapus lebah di Arizona kepada Associated Press.

    Source: Berita Mediacorp

deneme bonusu