Tag: Islam

Damanhuri Abas: I Protest Benjamin Netanyahu’s Planned Visit To Singapore

I read with great consternation that Singapore will be hosting the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu as a state guest.

The Israeli PM is directly responsible for the current continued oppression of the Palestinian people through its illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank as stated by numerous UN resolutions which Israel continuously ignores with the shameful backing of the US government. Its occupying forces conducts numerous crimes against Palestinian civilians and its forces have conducted many agressions in occupied Palestinian territories that are culpable to war crimes, as recent as the last Gaza incursion in 2014 that claims thousands of Palestinian lives through excessive use of powerful bombs on densely populated Palestinian residential areas.

The Singapore government may seem to think that it is acceptable to host the Israeli PM afterall the Israelis are the pioneering country that provided military assistance in terms of training and guidance to the Singapore Armed Forces when Singapore first setup its nascent military defence unit after independence.

It serves as no great solace to know that we had relied on Israeli military advice and guidance in the formation of our Armed Forces. This is especially so as a Malay/Muslim Singaporean who has felt direct discrimination towards his race in the Singapore Armed Forces.

This discrimination has most probably arisen from the advice and guidance of the Israeli military consultants who may have sowed distrust towards the Malay/Muslim citizens serving the Singapore Armed Forces likely rationalized and justified by their own experience and paranoia towards the Palestinan people (and the Arabs too) that they have kept under siege for 60 years encounting with no end to hostility nor nearing any peaceful settlement to the last remaining illegal occupation to exist on God’s earth.

Such inhumane treatment that the Israelis imposed upon the Palestian people in the occupied territories has resulted in extreme distrust between them and the Palestinians and overtime have led to a toxic unsustainable relationship based on fears and suspicion with no end in sight.

Likewise, a toxic relationship too may have emerged in our own land caused by our own policies for the last 50 years that blankets the entire Malay/Muslim population as suspicious and not to be fully trusted to be given full access to all military positions, especially so-called ‘sensitive areas’ in the Singapore Armed Forces. This unjustified and unproven fears that have shaped and colored policies preventing Malay/Muslim citizens full meritocratic access to all possible ranks and files in the military must end immediately.

Only when this happens will the process of correction and rapprochement begin to eradicate the poisoned perceptions that have developed overtime by the majority towards Malay/Muslim trustworthiness in and beyond the Military into other aspects of society. This disriminatory policy must stop for the sake of fairness, justice and a true harmonious multi-racial/multi-religious Singapore that we intend to build for this nation.

For all the above reasons, as a Malay/Muslim Singaporean I protest the coming of Mr Benjamin Netanyahu to my country. He is also an alleged war criminal.

I forward below an email from our very own Dr Ang Swee Chai from Medical Aid for Palestinian, a London based NGO, in support of my involvement in previous protest effort against the brutal acts of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people that the invited Isreali PM is currently heading.

—— Forwarded message ———-
From: SWEE ANG <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 3:08 AM
Subject: In support of your work
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
Cc: AimeeShalan <[email protected]>, stevenjames <[email protected]>

Dear Damanhuri Abas and FMSA,

Thank you for emailing me so that I can support what you and the Fellowship of Muslim Students Association are doing. As you know a ceasefire is in place after 150 Gazans were killed and nearly a thousand injured. As you know Gaza is half the size of Singapore and home to 1.7 million people, 80% of them refugees from the rest of Palestine. They were forced out from the rest of Palestine in 1948 and took refuge in Gaza. Since 2007 Gaza’s people are under constant military blockade. All her borders with Israel are sealed by the military and none can move in or out, except through Rafah which until recently was also closed by President Mubarak. The sea of Gaza is manned by Israeli warships and no one from Gaza can wander beyond 3 nautical miles. The targetting of fishing boats and killing and injury of fishermen by warships firing at them even with the 3 nautical miles are all too often.

Even before this recent assault, military helicopters regularly fly into Gaza and kill and injure civilians. When you hear the word targets mentioned by the BBC and the Western Press, you do not hear the cries of the mothers who lost their babies, who are sometimes just called collateral damage. The skies of Gaza are patrolled by drones and the whole of Gaza is under surveillance and drone attacks are frequent.

Electricity is scarce, many of the 21,000 homes and buildings destroyed from Cast Lead four years ago not rebuilt since there is also a blockade on building materials. The schools destroyed during Cast Lead are also not rebuilt and children are now crammed into whatever school buildings which are still functional. Many people are still living in tents or in temporary buildings. Unemployment is high since factories and workshops cannot function and even if they function the military siege makes it impossible to export their goods and import raw materials. It is the same with agriculture produce – all forms of trade is made impossible by the blockade. Hospitals are starved of medical supplies.

Water is also a problem in Gaza since Israel has dug deep wells and siphoned off the natural water from Gaza. The water from Gaza now is heavily polluted and contains high nitrates and unfit for washing and drinking.

You can find more facts from various sources including from the website of Medical Aid for Palestinians and Palestine Solidarity Campaign – I have only given you a very sketchy description.

So when F16s bomb Gaza the last 9 days, hitting hundreds of “targets” daily, those of us who know Gaza well can only cry out in shock and anger against this atrocity and injustice. Yet many of us are astonished by the courage of people in Gaza in resisting the assault. The ceasefire is agreed on mainly because Israel knows it cannot beat down Gaza despite pounding it incessantly with bombs. They had planned a land invasion but did not go through with it not because they are humane, but because they know they cannot win and do not have the stomach to go through with it. Hilary Clinton got to turn round from her visit to Burma to fly Cairo to support a truce called by the new Egyptian Government.

Your supporters need to know the following:

Israel is the sixth largest military power in the world. In 2009 it has –

200-300 nuclear warheads
300 F16s
60 military helicopters
60 warships
3650 tanks
Plus daily military aid of eight million dollars from the USA ( as opposed to non-military aid) and the huge support of the Western Press and governments.

Palestine has none of the above. Gaza has home made rockets.

But Palestine has truth on her side. Despite the killing and the suppression of truth, people from all over the world are beginning to find out. And I hope your meeting will help others understand what is going on. Up to 1982, I was the victim of lies against the Palestinians until I went out to work in Sabra and Shatilla. By God’s grace I have seen the truth and may this never depart from me.

I hope one day your Association will have the chance to visit Gaza and West Bank, and meet the people there. But until then take it from me that it is a great honour to be able to support them. For me it is a personal privilege that Medical Aid for Palestinians have been able to be partners to the humanitarian Palestinian institutions in Gaza, West Bank and in Lebanon. I hope your institution will be the same.

Best wishes
Dr Ang Swee Chai.
22 November 2012

Source: Damanhuri Abas

November 1, 2016
Puak Houthi Tembak Peluru Berpandu Ke Arah Makkah, Perbuatan Dikutuk Keras

Enam anggota Majlis Kerjasama Teluk (GCC) menerajui kutukan keras terhadap serangan peluru berpandu Khamis lalu (27 Okt) dilancarkan kumpulan militan Houthi Yaman ke kota suci Makkah.

Saudi Gazette melaporkan GCC menyatakan serangan Houthi terhadap Makkah adalah “bukti penolakan mereka untuk mematuhi masyarakat antarabangsa dan keputusannya”.

Menteri Ehwal Luar Amiriah Arab Bersatu (UAE) Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, seorang anggota pakatan Arab dan GCC, menyalahkan Iran, yang menyokong Houthi.

“Rejim Iran sedang menyokong kumpulan pengganas yang melancarkan roket ke Makkah. Adakah ini rejim Islam seperti yang didakwa?” katanya melalui Twitter.

Bahrain juga mengutuk perkara itu semalam (28 Okt) melalui satu kenyataan dihantar ke Al Arabiya News Channel dengan menyatakan “menyasarkan tapak suci itu melambangkan penghinaan secara langsung kepada golongan Muslim merata dunia dan melahirkan kebencian dan jenayah agama bagi kumpulan militan.

Qatar juga memberi respons dengan menyatakan pelancaran serangan peluru berpandu ke Makkah itu menghalang usaha untuk meleraikan krisis Yaman secara aman.

Laporan Saudi Gazette menambah Majlis Shura Saudi turut mengutuk serangan peluru berpandu itu.

Presiden majlis itu Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh berkata serangan yang disokong ejen-ejen rejim Iran di Yaman adalah pencabulan kesucian Tempat Ibadah Allah.

“Tindakan jenayah ini menyakiti perasaan lebih satu bilion Muslim merata dunia,” katanya sambil menambah tindakan sebegitu akan memperkukuhkan keazaman Kerajaan Arab Saudi itu untuk mengekang dan mengenal pasti sesiapa yang cuba untuk menyerang keselamatan negara dan rakyat negara itu.

Pakatan Arab yang berjuang di Yaman menyatakan pada Khamis lalu bahawa ia memusnahkan peluru berpandu itu 65km dari bandar suci tersebut sebelum ia dapat menyebabkan sebarang kerosakan, dan membalas serangan itu di tapak pelancarannya di Yaman, menurut kenyataan tersebut yang ditukil Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Gazette menambah Houthi mengesahkan melancarkan peluru berpandu Burkan-1 ke Arab Saudi dalam satu kenyataan menerusi agensi medianya, tetapi menambah ia disasarkan ke Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa King Abdulaziz di Jeddah.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

October 31, 2016
Pusat Khusus Hasilkan, Eksport Produk Halal Dalam Perancangan

Sebuah pusat khusus bagi para peniaga tempatan untuk menghasilkan dan mengeksport produk halal ke pasaran antarabangsa sedang dalam perancangan.

Ia juga akan menempatkan sebuah pusat kecemerlangan bagi menjamin mutu barangan halal yang dihasilkan di samping meningkatkan daya penghasilan perniagaan.

Rancangan itu dikongsi di majlis perasmian pasaraya My Outlets Global Halal Hub di Chai Chee Road pagi tadi (29 Oktober).

Pusat penghasilan yang dalam perancangan itu bakal mempunyai kilang-kilang makanan halal untuk pasaran tempatan dan luar negara.

Selain itu, ia akan menyediakan khidmat perkongsian dari segi sumber dan tenaga kerja bagi membantu perniagaan mengurangkan kos dan meningkatkan daya penghasilan.

Presiden Dewan Perniagaan dan Perusahaan Melayu Singapura (DPPMS), Encik Zahidi Abdul Rahman berkata: “Kita sedang melakarkan rencana membuat satu program perintis untuk membina sebuah pusat penghasilan makanan dan mengolah makanan halal.

“Kita juga akan mengadakan sebuat pusat kecemerlangan dan mengadakan sistem kawalan yang dapat menentukan proses halal itu adalah jelas dan dipatuhi.”

Untuk menolong para peniaga berkembang, syarikat My Outlets menubuhkan pasaraya My Outlets Global Halal Hub terbaru sebagai satu pusat sehenti untuk semua barangan makanan halal.

Encik Malek Mattar, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif My Outlets berkata: “Dengan satu hab yang lebih fokus, kita dapat memasarkan barangan ini dengan lebih berkesan lagi. Kesedaran di kalangan pembeli untuk mendapat barang yang betul-betul halal dan tulen memang ada.

“Lantaran itu kita sudah ada anjakan untuk menjadikan produk halal menjadi satu bidang perniagaan yang pasti boleh berkembang.”

Tetamu Terhormat majlis pelancaran itu, Anggota Parlimen GRC Marine Parade, Profesor Madya Dr Fatimah Lateef turut menyeru peniaga Singapura supaya berfikiran luas dan memanfaatkan bantuan pemerintah untuk mengembangkan sayap mereka.

“Inilah minda yang kita ingin pupuk dalam semua peniaga di Singapura. Ini adalah baik dan inilah caranya untuk SME dan perniagaan di Singapura kekal bertahan dan maju walaupun ekonomi lembab pada tahun-tahun yang akan datang ini,” kata Dr Fatimah.

Seluas 10,000 kaki persegi, My Outlets Global Halal Hub menjual lebih 8,000 barangan makanan dari 500 peniaga tempatan dan luar negara.

Syarikat My Outlets juga akan melancarkan wadah edagang tahun ini dan bercadang membuka dua lagi cawangan di utara dan barat Singapura tahun hadapan.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

October 30, 2016
Islamic Agency Says It Is Empowered To Probe ‘Ninja Joe’ Over Confusing ‘P Ramly’ Burger

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 ― The Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS) has powers under the law to investigate Ninja Joe over an allegedly confusing name for the latter’s pork burger, its senior officer has said.

The officer, who declined to be named, confirmed that JHEAINS had earlier this week inspected a Ninja Joe outlet in the state following public complaints on the “P. Ramly” burger being confusing, saying that the visit was done even without the presence of the officers from the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK).

“No, (not with KPDNKK) because the Islamic department’s officers have been given the powers as Assistant Controllers of Trade Descriptions,” the senior officer of JHEAINS’ halal management division told Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday.

The officer said JHEAINS’ officers holding the position of Assistant Controllers of Trade Descriptions have the “same powers” as KPDNKK officers and can enforce trade description laws ― which are under KPDNKK’s purview.

“Because halal is part of Trade Descriptions Act 2011, Jakim and the state Islamic councils are the competent authority to certify halal, so based on that, KPDNKK will appoint Jakim and the state Islamic councils’ officers as Assistant Controllers of Trade Descriptions so they can carry out enforcement duties related to halal,” the officer added.

Jakim is the acronym for federal religious body Malaysian Islamic Development Department.

The officer did not specify the provision under which JHEAINS officers could be appointed to such positions, but the Trade Descriptions Act 2011’s Section 3 states that the minister may appoint a Controller, Deputy Controller and Assistant Controllers “among public officers”.

The officer said JHEAINS’ visit to the Ninja Joe outlet was merely an “inspection for clarification and verification” that was done professionally to enforce the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, declining to disclose whether any seizure of evidence was made due to the ongoing matter.

When asked about the enforcement action on Ninja Joe as a non-Muslim owned business, the officer clarified that it was unrelated to the religious status of the operator.

“Even those with halal certification, many of them are non-Muslim; this is not an issue of Muslim or non-Muslim, it is an issue of halal or non-halal,” the officer said.

The officer said that JHEAINS could still probe Ninja Joe despite the latter not claiming to be selling products that are halal, explaining that the ‘halal’ term in the Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011 extends to phrases that are confusing.

“It doesn’t hold a halal certificate and it did not claim its product as halal, there are no such issues; the issue is just the use of a confusing name, so when it is confusing, we carry out inspections to see if the matter really happened,” the officer said, referring to Ninja Joe.

The officer cited the Trade Descriptions Act as the law which JHEAINS officer was investigating Ninja Joe under, specifically citing the Act’s subsidiary regulation of Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011.

While the officer did not specify the provision in the 2011 order, its Section 3 makes it an offence to breach a long list of conditions for foods or goods to be either described as halal or described in any other expression to show that they can be consumed or used by Muslims.

The officer said JHEAINS will be sending its investigation findings to both KPDNKK and Jakim, and may continue taking enforcement action if there are more complaints against Ninja Joe or if new information surfaces.

When contacted, Jakim’s Halal Hub division director Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee said the “P. Ramly” burger issue falls under KPDNKK’s jurisdiction.

“Because it is under the Trade Descriptions Act, it is not under the regulation of Jakim,” he told Malay Mail Online.

He said Jakim is merely the halal certification body, and is not carrying out its own investigation or coordinating investigations by Islamic departments from other states on Ninja Joe.

While Jakim and state Islamic departments’ officials can be appointed by KPDNKK to assist the ministry, the state Islamic departments that are probing Ninja Joe will be sending all their findings to KPDNKK, he said.

Malay Mail Online has contacted Ninja Joe but has yet to receive a response.

Despite Ninja Joe’s posters on the “P. Ramly” burger clearly stating that it contained pork, several Muslim consumers and the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia were earlier this week reported complaining about the name’s alleged confusing and disrespectful nature.

Ninja Joe yesterday published an apology on its official Facebook page, reiterating that it has taken down all posters advertising the “P. Ramly” burger and will be renaming it.

The burger chain previously told Malay Mail Online that the “P” in the “P. Ramly” burger launched on Hari Merdeka stands for pork, while the word “Ramly” was aimed at paying homage to the iconic Malaysian brand “Ramly Burger” and was unrelated to the late Malaysian artiste Tan Sri P. Ramlee.

October 30, 2016
Mufti Fatris Bakaram: Solat Kaffaratul Baul Bukan Solat Yang Disyariatkan

Baru-baru ini saya ditanya seorang kenalan mengenai Solat Kaffaratul Baul, atau di dalam Bahasa Melayunya: Solat Penghapus Dosa Kencing. Jawapan spontan saya kepadanya ialah itu kali pertama saya mendengar tentang solat sunnat bernama demikian.

Saya cuba mencari sumber atau asal usul kepada solat berkenaan. Usaha saya yang tidak seberapa membawa saya kepada sebuah kitab yang tidak pernah saya kenali sebelum ini, iaitu kitab Khazinah al-Asrar Jalilah al-Azkar. Kitab ini dikarang oleh seorang yang bernama Muhammad Haqqy al-Nazily, dan selesai penulisannya pada tahun 1320H.

Di antara perkara yang dibicarakan di dalam kitab ini ialah mengenai solat-solat sunnat. Di antaranya ialah Solat Kaffaratul Baul yang terdapat di halaman 38, seperti yang saya lampirkan gambarnya di sini. Terjemahannya adalah seperti berikut:

“Yang ketiga belas Solat Kaffaratul Baul, iaitu dua rakaat yang dikerjakan selepas Solat Dhuha. Dibacakan dalam rakaat pertama Surah al-Fatihah sekali dan Surah al-Kauthar tujuh kali, dan di dalam rakaat kedua pula al-Fatihah sekali dan Surah al-Ikhlas tujuh kali. (Beliau) berkata, “Barangsiapa mengerjakan solat ini dan diniatkan sebagai kaffarah (penghapus dosa) kencing, maka diampunkan Allah kencing yang telah mengenai tubuh dan pakaiannya”.

Tidak dinyatakan samasekali di sini siapakah tuan punya riwayat ini yang menyebut tentang fadilat dan kelebihan Solat Kaffaratul Baul. Walaupun bab ini dinamakan oleh pengarang sebagai “Bab Hadith-Hadith Sohih Yang Berkaitan Tentang Solat-Solat Sunnat Bagi Sebab-Sebab Yang Mendatang”, saya tidak pula berjaya menemui kata-kata di atas di dalam mana-mana riwayat hadith, baik sohih, hasan, dhoif, atau malah yang maudhu’ dan palsu sekalipun. Bahkan mencarinya di antara kata-kata para Sahabat Nabi juga tidak saya temui.

Saya berpegang dengan pendapat jumhur ulama yang menolak pengamalan sesuatu ibadat solat jika tiada sumber riwayat yang dapat dijadikan sandaran. Wallahu a’lam, mungkin ada riwayatnya yang saya tidak jumpa lantaran kekurangan saya sendiri. Tetapi setakat ini, pendirian saya kepada status Solat Kaffaratul Baul ini ialah ia bukan solat yang disyariatkan. Nasihat saya kepada semua ialah hendaknya kita melaksanakan ibadat solat sepertimana yang ada ajarannya daripada Rasulullah. Semoga usaha kita menghampirkan diri kepada Allah mendapat ganjaran kasih sayang dan keridhaanNya.

Allah jua Yang Maha Mengetahui lagi Maha Luas IlmuNya.

Source: Fatris Bakaram

October 30, 2016