Tag: Alfian Saat

Alfian Sa’at: Outrageous To Suggest Muslims Should “Own” The ISIS Problem

I don’t know how to ‘own’ this problem of ISIS.

And the simple reason is that ISIS has not, does not, will never own my allegiance. This is stating the obvious but there are people too thick to figure this out by themselves.

ISIS has killed more Muslims than non-Muslims. Some were killed for refusing to swear loyalty to them. Female Muslim doctors were killed for refusing to wear veils when treating patients. There is a whole catalogue of horrors that they have perpetrated, including the rapes of women and the killing of children. I can’t even bring myself to watch any of their execution videos because just the description sickens me to the core of my being.

I don’t know how to ‘own’ a problem in which there is every possibility that I will be one of those executed.

So those of you who insist on telling Muslims to ‘own the problem’, do ask yourself why you are doing it. Does it give you the bully’s pleasure to associate someone with the very worst of (in)humanity? Do you think that there is not enough self-criticism within the Muslim community and having a discussion about ISIS will force some soul-searching? (In which case you really haven’t hung out with enough Muslims.) Or do you just need some ‘moderate Muslims’ to ‘apologise’ so that you can seize the opening to go off on one of your Islamophobic rants?

I keep hearing all these demands about ‘moderate Muslims’ needing to publicly denounce what the extremist ones are doing. And very often these platforms are subsequently hijacked by those who go on to denounce Islam. So it’s not surprising that many of us would prefer to keep our thoughts–the sorrow at the senseless murder of innocents, the anguish at how verses are interpreted into an ideology we can’t even recognise–private.

If you know of anyone who endorses what ISIS is doing, then go ahead and ask them to ‘own the problem’.

Leave the other Muslims alone. We don’t owe you any explanation or statement on something which we can even barely imagine or comprehend, much less condone or justify.

Source: Alfian Sa’at

November 17, 2015
Alfian Sa’at: Government Can Do Much More For The Poor

Thank you for all the Ramadan well-wishes. One of the things I like about fasting is the sense of self-mastery over desire (something which is shared with the ascetic aspects of many other religions.) Yet another is this reminder that not having food or water for half a day—or longer—is a lived reality for many people around the world. It’s made me think a lot about the poor in Singapore too, and the verse in the Quran that says:

“Charity is for the poor who have been restricted in Allah’s cause, unable to move about in the land, seeking work or trade. An ignorant person would think them self-sufficient because of their modesty, that they are free from want. But you will know them by their characteristic sign. They do not beg persistently, or at all. And whatever you spend of good – indeed, Allah is knowing of it.” – Surah Al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, Verse 273

A recent survey commissioned by Mendaki revealed that two-thirds of low-income Malay-Muslim families do not seek help from social services despite being eligible for them. The researchers noted that though a main issue was lack of awareness of available schemes (and also the sheer volume of forms they need to fill) many among the needy also feared the stigma associated with ‘begging for help’. Because ‘welfare’ is so often articulated as a ‘burden to the state’, rather than a redistributive strategy included in the budget, those who should receive it become hesitant. Who wants to be a burden to anyone? It robs you of your dignity. This is distressing news indeed because apparently there are people in Singapore who, even in struggling conditions, think that there are others who are more destitute than they are and more deserving of welfare.

“They do not beg persistently, or at all.”

I’ve often felt frustrated that the government has been reluctant to define an official poverty line, on the pretext that those who are found to live above it might ‘miss out’ on assistance. But seriously, when two-thirds are not getting the help they need to get out of the poverty trap then it seems to me that the real problem is under-utilisation, NOT wanton abuse of the system. The problem with not having an official poverty line is that the poor remain invisible, even to themselves. How can the poor evaluate whether they really need help when they’re not given something to measure themselves against? At which point should they start realising that it’s beyond their capacity to cope—when three meals are reduced to two, when the loansharks start knocking, when chronic illnesses become catastrophic?

Welfare in Singapore has always been predicated on an inherent mistrust of those who might develop a ‘crutch mentality’. The ‘many helping hands’ are also intrusive ones, frisking bodies, pointing fingers at television sets and smartphones as welfare liabilities (even if they were gifts or hand-me-downs). There’s also a eugenic, Darwinian taint to it, where those who fall behind are seen as those on whom supposedly scarce resources should not be ‘wasted on’. It’s all very pithy to say that you’re providing a trampoline rather than a safety net but what kind of disapproving looks are you giving those in free fall? Something needs to change, and I hope the political parties make this part of their platform for the next elections. In the meantime, some pantuns on the rich and poor:

1) Kalau beli buah berangan,
Jangan lupa buah kana;
Orang kaya jangan diangan,
Orang miskin jangan dihina.

If you buy chestnuts,
Don’t forget to buy Chinese white olives;
The rich should not be envied,
The poor should not be despised.

2) Dari teluk pergi ke pekan,
Singgah bermalam di Batu Lima;
Sekalian makhluk Tuhan jadikan,
Kaya miskin dipandang sama.

From the bay one journeys to the town,
Spending a night at Batu Lima;
All beings are created by God,
The rich and poor are equal in His eyes.

3) Baju kebaya disulam kelimkan,
Dipakai mari dara berdandan;
Miskin kaya jangan bezakan,
Budi jadi satu ujian.

The kebaya is embroidered with silver,
And worn by fashionable maidens;
The poor and the rich are not to be distinguished,
The real test lies in their good deeds.

4) Kalau tuan merendam telur,
Jangan terlupa telur yang masin;
Kalau tuan sudah masyhur,
Jangan lupa keluarga yang miskin.

If you find yourself soaking eggs,
Don’t forget to soak the salted ones;
If you find yourself surrounded by wealth,
Don’t forget those families who are poor.

Source: Alfian Sa’at

June 22, 2015
Alfian Sa’at Reminds Critics Of Protection From Harassment Act

So I went to the ‘We Are Against Pink Dot’ page just to see what those folks are up to–especially after Pink Dot, when they’ll be going into overdrive. WAAPD has always clarified to me what the ‘white’ in ‘wear white’ stands for–the colour of rabid foam.

And I found that they’d been taking screenshots of my previous few status updates and my photos to upload. And here are some of the responses:

1) Nixam Loki: If we die we are shrouded in white…this softie is going to be shrouded in pink? LGBT ARE THE CAUSE OF NATURAL DISASTERS

2) Hanz Hann : These people are no different from mental patients or walking corpses.

3) Abdul Rahman: ‪#‎GayCancer‬ ‪#‎boycottAlfianSaat‬

(Can’t tag the above but his profile:https://www.facebook.com/aman.storyteller)

4) Nora Sa’at : Just the same as annabelle chong from rgs. Became a porn star in the USA.

5) Zeta Seshagiri : Ramadan is around the corner and he respects the Syaaban month like this…give him a punch he’ll never forget.

6) Mohd Shahrudin : Feel like beating him up when I look at this guy’s face

7) Nuraihan Mohamed : Just bring him to WWE. Unleash everything there. Haha remember. Stone cold stunner 1, choke slam 3 times. Then he’ll see the light.

8) Datok Serunding : Just douse him with acid.

9) Solihin Bin Manap : Isn’t it easier to use kerosene. ☺ ☺ ☺ Just burn him.

10) Dato Serunding: Or we just douse him in sugar water, and then we set fire ants on him.

And there was also a comment that I was ‘pro-Burma’ (I was in Yangon a few weeks ago), which I took a while to figure out. And then I realised if I was supposed to be pro-Burma then it meant I was anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim. (This person must hang out with Calvin Cheng because the logic quite similar.) And yes, there are people who believe that Muslims are always persecuted and victimised–Palestinians, Uyghurs, Rohingyas–but groups like ISIS, Boko Haram and the Taliban exist only in a fictional alternate universe called CNN.

I could throw a snarky comment at each remark that I’ve listed above, but I thought it’d be easier to copy and paste this from Singapore Statutes Online:

“Protection from Harassment Act (CHAPTER 256A)

Intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress

3.—(1) No person shall, with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress to another person, by any means —

(a) use any threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour; or

(b) make any threatening, abusive or insulting communication,
thereby causing that other person or any other person (each referred to for the purposes of this section as the victim) harassment, alarm or distress.

(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and, subject to section 8, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.”

It is not in my temperament to take legal action or make police reports, simply because I’d rather spend the time reading and writing. But this goes out to the admins and members of WAAPD (in case they don’t understand whatever I pasted above): you want to circulate unscientific garbage from conspiracy sites, fine. But keep your discussions to issues. I know it’s much easier to dangle some individual figure on your page and set off a spitting frenzy, but you’ll just have to rise above such base levels of ‘discussion’.

When you start making ‘threatening, abusive or insulting’ statements–not just directed at me but also at people like Olivia and Irene Chiong, or Munah and Hirzi–what you are doing is HARASSMENT. You can go to JAIL for such an OFFENCE. See what you made me do? Type in caps, just like you. Anyway, here’s telling you that your little corner where you’re frottaging each other to orgasmic spirals of hate is being monitored and screenshot. Don’t say that you weren’t given notice.

PS: I’m tagging those concerned so they know the consequences of their speech. Please do not kacau them, dear readers–you know you’re better than that.

Source: Alfian Sa’at

June 15, 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
Kembali Ke Fitrah: Mengapa Alfian Sa’at Ambil Hati Nasihat Dari Zulfikar Shariff?

Salam admin,

Semalam Cik Zulfikar Shariff ada post di Fb nya satu nasihat yang datang dari Pergas sendiri. Dalam post itu juga Cik Zulfikar menasihati bahawa barang sesiapa yang menghadiri majlis bermaksiat harus berfikir akan akibatnya bila berdepan dengan Allah swt kelak. Dia menyeru mereka yang berniat untuk menghadiri majlis sedemikian untuk berdoa agar ajal mereka tidak tiba ketika melakukan sesuatu yang dimungkari Alla swt.

Pada pendapat saya, nasihat Cik Zulfikar tepat pada waktunya. Ianya satu peringatan bagi semua masyarakat Muslim supaya menjauhkan diri daripada kegiatan-kegiatan maksiat. Para ulama, guru-guru dan juga ibu-bapa, pada pendapat saya, juga memberi nasihat sedemekian.

Tetapi Alfian Sa’at tidak dapat terima nasihat dari Cik Zulfikar. Kita semua tahu mengapa sebenarnya Alfian tidak setuju. Tetapi apa salahnya seorang Muslim yang lebih pakar menasihati masyrakat umum yang mungkin, telah lupa akan dasar sebagai seorang Muslim.

Alfian juga menuduh Cik Zulfikar sengaja menakut-nakutkan masyarakat.

Memang betul kata Cik Zulfikar. Kalau kita fahami yang dunia ini sementara, kita akan melakukan yang sebaiknya untuk megejar pahala untuk akhirat nanti.

Mengapa Alfian tidak dapat makan nasihat? Mengapa harus ditindas nasihat kata-kata Cik Zulfikar itu? Sebagai seorang yang dikenali ramai lapisan masyarakat, Alfian mempunyai tanggungjawab menjadi contoh sebagai kepada anak-anak kita. Memang diakui, Alfian seorang yang tersohor dalam bidang teater. Namun, itu bukan bermaksud yang dia itu manusia serba sempurna, tiada dosa, dan mengetahui segalanya.

Alfian juga berpendapat agar Cik Zulfikar lebih konsisten dalam menggunakan peringatan tentang kematian dan akhirat bila memberi nasihat tentang segala yang dimungkar Allah swt. Permintaan itu melampau. Apa tujuannya? Atau mungkin Alfian sendiri akur akan ketepatan nasihat Cik Zulfikar?

Mungkin, hati Alfian belum terbuka. Kita sama-sama mendoakan agar suatu hari nanti, Alfian diberi petunjuk dan kembali ke fitrah.

Buat masa ini, saya harap anak-anak muda kita berfikir dengan lebih kritikal tentang isu LGBT ini, berlandaskan ajaran Islam. Jangan terikut-ikut sangat, biarpun kita kagumi bakat dan karya seseorang itu.

Nasihat untuk membina, bukan untuk menghancurkan.

Rashid

[Reader Contribution]

June 10, 2015