Tag: Islam

Mass Anti-Muslim Protests In Rakhine

Myanmar’s bitterly divided Rakhine State saw mass protests yesterday as thousands of Buddhists, including monks, demonstrated in a show of opposition to a government edict referring to Muslim communities in the restive province, organisers said.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric has spiked across Myanmar recently, with two mosques torched by Buddhist mobs in just over a week in a country where sectarian violence has left scores dead since 2012.

Home to around one million stateless Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine State has been hardest hit by religious violence that has left tens of thousands of the persecuted minority in fetid displacement camps.

The Rohingya are reviled by Rakhine Buddhists who refuse to recognise any shared rights to the province and instead call them “Bengalis” – or illegal immigrants from nearby Bangladesh.

Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s new government has sought to defuse the row over the term Rohingya, ordering officials to refer instead to “Muslim communities in Rakhine”.

But protesters yesterday said that this term was also unacceptable as it handed Muslims recognition in a Buddhist state.

“We reject the term ‘Muslim communities in Rakhine State’,” protest organiser Kyawt Sein said, adding that more than 1,000 people, including monks, had joined the rally in the state capital.

Demonstrators there shouted slogans including “Protect Rakhine State”, while a protest in the town of Thandwe drew similar numbers.

“Bengalis should be called Bengalis,” said local Rakhine youth group leader Phoe Thar Lay, adding that 17 townships across Rakhine were participating in protests yesterday.

Most Rohingya live cut off from the Buddhist community in displacement camps or remote settlements since sectarian riots tore Rakhine apart in 2012.

Persecution and poverty have forced tens of thousands to flee by sea, but the dangerous trafficking route south through the Bay of Bengal was closed late last year during a Thai crackdown on people smuggling.

Ms Suu Kyi, a veteran democracy activist who championed her country’s struggle against repressive military rulers, has drawn criticism from rights groups for not taking up the cause of the Rohingya.

Instead she has carefully sought to sidestep controversy, urging the international community to give the country “space” to unpick its sectarian problems.

The Rohingya are not recognised by the government as an official ethnic minority.

After a 12-day visit to Rakhine and other conflict sites in Myanmar, a United Nations rights investigator warned last Friday that “tensions along religious lines remain pervasive across Myanmar society”.

Ms Yanghee Lee urged the country’s new civilian government to make “ending institutionalised discrimination against the Muslim communities in Rakhine State… an urgent priority”.

On Friday, a mosque was torched by a Buddhist mob in the town of Hpakant in the far north.

That incident came eight days after a crowd of Buddhists destroyed another mosque in central Bago, forcing the Muslim community to seek refuge in a neighbouring town.

Source: The Straits Times

July 4, 2016
UAE Tells Citizens To Avoid National Dress While Abroad After Man Held In US

The United Arab Emirates has urged men to avoid wearing the white robes, headscarf and headband of the national dress when travelling abroad, after a businessman visiting the United States was wrestled to the ground and held as an Islamic State suspect.

UAE media reported that the Emirati man was detained in Avon, Ohio, last week after a female clerk at a local hotel called 911 to report what she had described as a man affiliated to Islamic State, according to the Arabic-language al-Bayan newspaper. It only identified him by his initials.

The English language The National said the receptionist at the Fairfield Inn hotel called the police after she heard the man talking on his phone in the hotel lobby.

Gulf News, another UAE newspaper, published photos of the Emirati man in white robes being wrestled to the ground and handcuffed before being led away by police.

In a message on a Foreign Ministry Twitter account focusing on citizens travelling abroad, the ministry said on Saturday (Jul 2):

“For citizens travelling outside the country, and in order to ensure their safety, we point out not to wear formal dress while travelling, especially in public places,” the message dated July 2 stated, without referring to the Avon incident.

The Foreign Ministry, in a message posted on its website in Arabic and English, urged citizens to abide by the laws of countries they are visiting. It alerted women to countries in Europe whose laws prohibit wearing of face covers, also without referring to the incident in Avon.

Local newspapers said Avon police released the man after they realised their mistake, but he fainted and needed hospital treatment.

Al-Bayan reported that the citizen had hired a lawyer to pursue the case, saying he had received no apology from either the police or the hotel.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

July 3, 2016
Perusuh Bakar Masjid Di Myanmar, Ketegangan Agama Memuncak

Sekumpulan perusuh yang menghayunkan senjata membakar sebuah masjid di Myanmar, lapor media negara itu.

Ia merupakan serangan kedua terhadap sebuah masjid di Myanmar dalam tempoh hanya seminggu, sedang sentimen anti-Islam meluap-luap di negara yang kebanyakan penduduknya beragama Buddha itu.

Myanmar bergelut dengan insiden-insiden rusuhan agama berdarah sejak beberapa tahun ini. Ketegangan di antara suku kaum dan sentimen tegar di kalangan penganut Buddha yang kian meningkat menjadi cabaran yang sukar ditangani pemerintah baru pimpinan Aung San Suu Kyi.

Semalam (1 Julai), sekumpulan penduduk kampung di Hpakrant, kota perlombongan jed di utara wilayah Kachin, menggeledah sebuah masjid dengan “menghayunkan kayu, pisau dan senjata lain” sebelum membakarnya, menurut akhbar Global New Light of Myanmar.

“Kumpulan itu langsung tidak dapat dikawal. Bangunan itu hangus dibakar oleh kumpulan perusuh itu,” lapor akhbar tersebut, sambil menambah kumpulan tersebut mengamuk setelah satu pertikaian tentang pembinaan masjid itu.

Tiada orang ditangkap berhubung kes itu, menurut laporan itu.

Rusuhan itu berlaku selepas satu lawatan selama 12 hari ke negara itu oleh seorang penyiasat hak asasi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) yang memberi amaran bahawa “ketegangan antara agama terus berleluasa di kalangan masyarakat Myanmar”.

Dalam sidang media bagi menggulung lawatannya semalam, Yanghee Lee menyeru pihak berkuasa supaya menyiasat pemusnahan sebuah lagi masjid di tengah Bago lewat bulan lalu.

“Pemerintah mesti menunjukkan bahawa menghasut dan melakukan keganasan terhadap masyarakat minoriti etnik atau agama tidak boleh dibenarkan di Myanmar,” katanya.

Sikap tidak bertoleransi terhadap agama lain kian meningkat di negara itu sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, dan mengancam untuk menggugat demokrasi di negara itu sejak pemerintahan junta mengundurkan diri pada 2011.

Pihak berkuasa keberatan untuk mengenakan dakwaan kerana takut ia akan mencetuskan lebih banyak rusuhan.

Keganasan agama yang paling dahsyat berlaku di wilayah Rakhine pada 2012, yang meragut puluhan nyawa dan memaksa puluhan ribu warga Muslim Rohingya menetap di kem-kem lusuh.

Wilayah Rakhine kekal sebagai wilayah di Myanmar di mana hubungan antara masyarakat berlainan agama paling tegang, dengan masyarakat Islam disekat pergerakan mereka dan juga akses kepada khidmat-khidmat asas dan pekerjaan.

Cik Lee menggesa pemerintah baru negara itu supaya menjadikan usaha menamatkan diskriminasi terhadap masyarakat Islam di wilayah itu sebagai keutamaan yang genting.

Cik Suu Kyi, pemenang Hadiah Nobel Keamanan yang memperjuangkan usaha Myanmar menentang rejim tentera di negara itu, mengecewakan kumpulan-kumpulan hak asasi kerana tidak mengambil langkah lebih segera untuk menghuraikan isu masyarakat Rohingya.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

July 3, 2016
Mohd Khair: Learn About Islam From The Correct And Credible Sources

My Dear Non-Muslim Friends,

For any non-Muslim interested to know more about Islam, the Quran and its text, please seek assistance from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) or any nearby mosque or the Singapore Muslim Converts Association or the Singapore Islamic Teachers and Scholars Association (PERGAS).

Do not rely on online sources, especially those sites used by extremist or terrorist groups which subvert Islam by claiming to be Islamic or an authority in Islam whereas they are NOT.

Those online sites do not represent Islam nor the Muslim World.

And please remember that ISIS and its predecessor Al Qaeda are unIslamic groups. The entire Muslim World and entire Islamic Scholars have condemned all the terrorist acts by such groups.

And as far as suicide bombers and their actions are concerned, they are neither Islamic nor sanctioned in Islam and by its Scholars.

So, please do yourselves a favour. If you need more information about Islam. Muslims and interpretations of the Quranic texts, seek help from MUIS, Mosques or PERGAS or other Recognised Muslim Organisations like the Singapore Muslim Converts Association.

Do not ask Google Sheikh for it will only lead you astray and make you an extremist in your views about Islam and Muslims

Source: Mohd Khair

July 3, 2016
Mufti Perak: Syirik Cium, Junjung Barang Peninggalan Nabi Dengan Melampau

KUALA LUMPUR: Perbuatan bertabarruk iaitu seperti mencium atau menjunjung barang-barang peninggalan Nabi Muhammad dengan gaya melampau, boleh membawa kepada syirik.

Demikian menurut Mufti Perak, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria kepada akhbar Utusan Malaysia.

Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas program ‘Lantunan Mahabbah Rasulullah’ yang diadakan di Kedah pada Jumaat lalu (24 Jun), yang didakwa memberi peluang kepada orang ramai mencium, memegang dan menjunjung athar atau peninggalan Rasulullah S.A.W.

Bahkan kata Mufti Perak, belum tentu barang-barang yang dipamerkan itu adalah sahih dan benar-benar merupakan barang peninggalan Rasulullah.

Malah menurutnya lagi kepada Utusan Malaysia, Rasulullah tidak pernah menganjurkan umatnya melakukan perbuatan sedemikian untuk mengambil keberkatan daripada barang-barang peninggalan tersebut.

“Umat Islam tidak usah bertabarruk dengan peninggalan Rasulullah. Kalau ada pameran pun, pergi tengok sahaja, tidak perlu buat macam itu sekali kerana boleh membawa kepada syirik.

“Lagipun kita tidak tahu sama ada sahih atau tidak barang-barang peninggalan Rasulullah itu. Jadi tidak perlu berbuat begitu, banyak lagi amalan dan sunnah Rasulullah yang boleh diikuti,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia.

Ada satu hadith dalam sahih bukhari kitab al-Haj Umar al- khattab mengatakan حدثنا محمد بن كثير أخبرنا سفيان عن الأعمش عن إبراهيم عن عابس بن ربيعة عن عمر رضي الله عنه أنه جاء إلى الحجر الأسود فقبله فقال إني أعلم أنك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع ولولا أني رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبلك ما قبلتك Aku mengetahui engkau adalah batu ( hajar aswad) tidak memudaratkan dan tidak memberi manfaat. Kalau lah aku tidak melihat nabi mencium engkau maka aku tidak akan mencium engkau ( hajar aswad ). Inilah maksud Tauhid yg sebenar yg ramai umat islam tidak paham. Moga kita dijauhkan dari fitnah mereka.

Posted by Abdun Mujtahid on Monday, 27 June 2016

Sementara itu, Mufti Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Dr. Zulkifli Mohamed Al-Bakri, ditukil akhbar itu sebagai berkata, pameran sedemikian sepatutnya dielakkan daripada diadakan, jika barang yang dikatakan adalah peninggalan Nabi Muhammad itu tidak boleh disahkan oleh mana-mana sejarawan dan ulama yang boleh dipercayai.

Pameran ‘Lantunan Mahabbah Rasulullah’ itu dilaporkan dihadiri lebih 300 orang dan didakwa memberi mereka peluang mendekati barangan peninggalan Rasulullah seperti rambut, kesan tapak kaki dan pedang Baginda.

“Kita sewajarnya memahami sebarang perkara dalam berhukumkan nas-nas yang sahih, bukan semata-mata berdasarkan perasaan atau tanpa asas yang kukuh sehingga akhirnya melahirkan perasaan lebih kepada mengikut emosi semata-mata,” kata Dr Zulkifli kepada Utusan Malaysia.

(Gambar: Twitter/ElQowiyy)

MUFTI KEDAH NAFFI ADA KAITAN DENGAN PROGRAM

Jabatan Mufti Negeri Kedah pula menafikan mempunyai sebarang kaitan dengan program tersebut, dan menyatakan pihaknya tidak pernah mengeluarkan sebarang bentuk persetujuan atau sokongan dalam penganjurannya, menurut Astro Awani.

“Sebagai umat Islam, kita tidak digalakkan bertabarruk secara berlebih-lebihan seperti mencium, menjunjung replika athar Rasulullah S.A.W. dengan gaya melampau, ia dibimbangi dan dikhuatiri boleh membawa kepada khurafat atau syirik. Cukup sekadar mengambil berkat dengan berdoa serta salawat kepada Rasulullah,” menurut kenyataan itu.

SubhanAllah ni lah cth tapak kaki Nabi Muhammad SAW ..tapak kaki pun dah cukup buat rmai yg sebak bila tengok 🙁 pic.twitter.com/3mkTzho1Bc

— Amanda Haris (@Amandaxaris) June 16, 2016

Gambar-gambar dan video para hadirin mengucup apa yang didakwa adalah pedang dan tapak kaki Nabi Muhammad di majlis itu mengundang rasa kurang senang di lelaman media sosial, menurut Utusan Malaysia.

Program Lantunan Mahabbah Rasulullah adalah anjuran bersama MBAS, Yayasan Restu, Ibn Sina Institutes dan Majlis Mahabbah Rasul Malaysia.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

July 3, 2016