Tag: Islam

Walid J. Abdullah: Muslims Must Repond To Provocations In A Way That Helps The Ummah

Muslims must really learn not to let ourselves get provoked so easily; sometimes there is no need to glorify provocations with even a response. And when a response is needed, it must be done in a way that helps the ummah; not in a way that hurts it, and definitely not a response that is designed just to vent one’s frustrations. No doubt, we must feel angry about certain, or rather, many, things, but being angry does not mean we do not react intelligently.

Additionally, we must be fair in dealing with others. I really do not buy the idea that we must respect every single belief that differs from ours: there are many beliefs that we argue to be false, so it is ridiculous to say that we must ‘respect’ those beliefs.

Rather, a more appropriate call would be for us to respect the right of others to believe in whatever they wish to believe, even if we think their beliefs are ludicrous. Remember, many of our own beliefs are regarded as absurd by others, and we should not demand they respect our beliefs (if they did, they would be Muslim already); but we must demand they respect our right to believe in whatever we do.
By the same token, we must respect the right of others to disagree with us.

(How that disagreement should manifest itself, is clearly dependent on the social, political and cultural context of a nation/society.)

We must also remember one thing: if we do not display maturity in responding to differences and/or provocations, we are essentially giving the state fodder to justify its interventionist and muscular policies.

‘See, we told you religion can be a divisive force, that is why we must constantly keep a lid on it.’

If we persist in doing that, then we should not really complain when we witness the strong arm of the state everywhere.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

September 25, 2015
Daiso Japan Rejected Local Muslimah For Weekend Part-Time Job Because She Dons A Hijab

Saw and ad for Weekend part time cashier job.

Salary : $10/hr…(hmm not bad)

Happily went down for interview, fill in the Application form, and waited.

Minutes later, was called into the interview room and were told that for sales and cashiering job, TUDUNG IS NOT ALLOWED…

okay….smiled and left..

(1 pintu rezeki tertutup, 10 pintu akan terbuka in sya Allah)

Source: Malis Jais

September 23, 2015
The Hajj Pilgrimage

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from across the globe began the annual hajj pilgrimage on Tuesday (Sept 22).

The pilgrims began moving from Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca to nearby Mina for the start of the event.

The first day of the hajj is known as Tarwiah Day, when pilgrims traditionally watered their animals and stocked water for their trip to Mount Arafat, about 10km from Mina.

Pilgrims stay in specially-built fireproof tents in Mina, a city which only comes alive during the hajj season.

At Mount Arafat, they will pray and recite from the Koran during the climax of the hajj season on Wednesday (Sept 23).

Mount Arafat, a rocky hill on a vast plain, is where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon after leading his followers on the hajj.

Find out more about the hajj pilgrimage below.

Source: www.tnp.sg

September 23, 2015
The Birth Of Malay Radicalism

Associate Professor Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied, of the Department of Malay Studies at National University of Singapore, during his talk on ‘Radicals: Resistance and Protest in Colonial Malaya’.

Before the coming of Malay radicals, ordinary Malays in the peninsula had never imagined the idea of Merdeka.

Associate Professor Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied, of the Department of Malay Studies at National University of Singapore, said this had been a new way of looking at politics.

He added that many ideas that the radicals were talking about in the 1930s were out of the world for ordinary Malays at that time

“Radicalism brought people from different strata of life together as they tried, not only to redefine, but also question everything.

“Malay radicals embraced democracy, but hated the West for taking over Malaya. But a lot of ideas they developed had Western origins.

“They used these ideas to turn the tables on the very people who were oppressing them,” he said during his talk on “Radicals: Resistance and Protest in Colonial Malaya”.

He added that many ideas that the radicals were talking about were far out of this world for ordinary Malays at that time.

Syed Muhd Khairudin pointed out that these radicals also came from different backgrounds. Some were English-educated, others Malay-educated and there were also those who were Islamic-educated, adding that women also formed a big part of this group.

“They were also fighting each other on the strategy they should take. It was akin to being married then divorced, and it would repeat itself from time to time.

“This was one of the reasons radicalism failed to gain traction with rural Malays.”

He said some of the leading members if this movement were national laureate Datuk A Samad Ismail, Ibrahim Yacob, Baharudin Helmi, Samsiah Fakir and Tan Sri Datin Paduka Seri Dr Aishah Ghani.

Syed Muhd Khairudin said one badge of honour for this group was going to prison where they would regroup. At the same time, it was a place for them to get new “education” and develop new ideas.

He said the one thing that was very clear was that the Malay radicals were not sure of their end game plan, but they still went ahead promoting their ideas.

It should not be forgotten that women played a big part in being the agents of constructive change, he noted.

Syed Muhd Khairudin said all women wings and non-governmental organisations owed their formation to the radical wing of women as they were the first to have a proper organisation.

Source: www.therakyatpost.com

September 22, 2015
Maarof Salleh: Perjuangan Untuk Mendapat Kelulusan Hijab Satu Amalan Hak Asasi Manusia

Ini ialah komen saya akan posting En Maidin Packer berhubung isu tudung. Komen saya itu panjang, lalu saya pisahkan sebagai posting tersendiri.

“Isu asas di sini bukanlah mahu mendesak pemerintah mewajibkan pemakaian tudung utk muslimat. Isu sebenarnya ialah meminta pemerintah tidak mengenakan larangan pemakaian tudung bagi muslimat di beberapa sektor pekerjaan, terutama sektor pekerjaan beruniform dan di setengah-setengah ‘front-counter’ pejabat/badan pemerintah. Dan itupun hanya mahukan pemerintah ‘membenarkan’ mereka yg mahu memakai tudung, bukan menyebabkan semua pekerja muslimat mesti memakai tudung.

Dalam isu inilah, tindakan pemerintah utk terus mengekalkan dasarnya sekarang salah.

Dan alasan yg terus dipegang pemerintah utk mengekalkan dasar itu jelas tidak dapat dipertahankan jika perkembangan di tempat-tempat lain diteliti. Malah ganjil utk diterima sebagai munasabah.

Bagaimanapun, cara sebhgn pejuang tudung di sini mengetengahkan tuntutan mereka juga banyak yg salah.

Ini termasuk cara mendesak yg kasar. Sebhgnya mengambil pendekatan mencela org lain yg tidak sealiran dg pemikiran mereka.

Pendekatan mereka lebih merupakan pendekatan sebagai penghukum, sedangkan muslim tidak semestinya berada dlm kedudukan sebagai penghukum pd semua masa.

Satu lagi pendekatan yg dipakai ialah menuduh sesiapa saja yg dianggap bukan golongan pejuang tudung sebagai melawan Islam. Pendekatan ini tanpa disedari mengasingkan mereka yg sepatutnya tidak wajar sengaja diasingkan dlm perjuangan ini.

Pendekatan begini juga salah.

Jadi, perjuangan menuntut pemerintah tidak meneruskan sekatan bertudung yg ternyata salah dan sukar dipertahankan kemunasabahannya, mesti memakai kaedah dan pendekatan yg bijak.

Selain beberapa hujah yg sudahpun dikemukakan sejauh ini, yg perlu dibangkitkan ialah hujah bahawa membenarkan muslimat memakai tudung, misalnya dalam industri kejururawatan, tidak akan mengurangkan atau menutup peluang pekerjaan mana-mana pihak dlm industri berkenaan.

Juga, perjuangan ini tidak seharusnya memakai alasan itu hak beragama semata. Malah sebaliknya, ia lebih merupakan satu amalan asasi kemanusiaan yg wajar dihormati. Misalnya, jika wanita mendedah aurat dg berseparuh telanjang, yg lebih mengundang musibah, tidak menimbulkan sebarang kegusaran, mengapa dg pilihan utk menutup aurat?

Diharap pandangan ini tidak disalah anggap. Sebagai muslim, sikap dan pendirian saya tetap istikamah kpd prinsip: perintah dan sokong yg baik (amar ma’ruf), banteras atau bantah yg buruk (nahi mungkar).

Dan perjuangan berprinsip ini menjadi tanggungjawab semua.

Semoga kita terus sedar!”

Source: Maarof Salleh

September 21, 2015