Tag: jihad

HOAX: Wear Pro-Gaza T-Shirt To Mosque But Got Reprimanded by ISD Officer

EDITOR’S NOTE

Latest update on 17 July 2014 @ 7pm: Terawis Al-Shahid Ashraff has clarified on his Facebook that the posting was a hoax.

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Terawis Al-Shahid Ashraff

Rilek1Corner was informed of an incident that occur recently.

A Muslim brother who goes by the name Terawis Al-Shahid Ashraff had posted on Facebook that someone he knew wore #SaveGaza #FreeGaza T-Shirt to a mosque to perform his Terawih prayer in the evening.

Just like any Muslim, that Muslim brother was merely showing support for the oppressed state of Palestine, and he sympathised with innocent victims killed by the Israeli forces.

Unfortunately, that Muslim brother was told to remove the T-shirt by an unnamed ISD officer.

Furious, Terawis Al-Shahid Ashraff then asked what is MUIS take on this issue.

Earlier this week, another Muslim brother Gulam Yusuf who is a freelance worker in the oil trade industry, had hung a Palestinian flag — which was emblazoned with the word “free” — to spread awareness of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, notably the “mass killing of innocent civilians”.

Gulam who stays in Sims Drive, took the flag down after he was advised by the police.

Has anyone experienced a similar encounter too?

Contributed by NAZ

READ RELATED ARTICLES ON SINGAPOREAN’S TAKE ON GAZA/PALESTINE CONFLICT

Photo Gulam Yusuf

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July 17, 2014
DPM Teo: SG Woman and Her Children Fighting in Syria

SINGAPORE – The conflict in Syria now in its third year is a security concern for many countries, including Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament on Wednesday.

The Government already knows of Singaporeans who have gone there to take part in the conflict or who have plans to do so, he added. He revealed that a Singaporean woman is believed to have gone to Syria with her foreign husband and their two teenage children.

“The whole family is taking part in the conflict in various ways, either joining the terrorist groups to fight, or providing aid and support to the fighters,” he said.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed it was investigating another Singaporean, Haja Fakkurudeen Usman Ali, 37, for allegedly going to Syria with the intention of taking part in armed violence there.

Mr Teo said that the naturalised Singapore citizen of Indian origin had also taken his wife and three children, then aged between 2 and 11, with him.

Several other Singaporeans had also intended to take up arms in Syria, but were detained before they could do so. There are also others who have “expressed interest” to do so, who are under investigation.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, there had also been those who joined the armed conflict in Syria and Iraq, which is being rocked by an uprising of an extremist Sunni group trying to carve out a purist Islamic state across both sides of the Syria-Iraq border.

Mr Teo said: “The presence of former foreign fighters in our region – whether they originate from South-east Asia or elsewhere, is a security threat to us. This threat is magnified if these returnee fighters are Singaporeans.”

Drawing parallels with the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s, he said that the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation was spawned from that conflict, which had also attracted scores of foreign fighters. And the Al-Qaeda had planned attacks on Singapore after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US in 2001, through the regional terrorist organisation Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), he noted.

“Foreign fighters in Syria may similarly return from conflict proficient in terrorist activities in their home countries or overseas or provide logistical help to those they have befriended in Syria,” said Mr Teo.

Another worry is the impact of this on social cohesion, he added.

If support for the fighting in Syria becomes more widespread, he said, it could cause “disquiet on the ground” and mistrust between different communities.

To guard against these threats, Singapore will “continue to investigate persons who intend to engage in violence overseas, so as to prevent them from posing a security threat to Singapore and their fellow citizens”, said Mr Teo.

The Government will also work with religious leaders and community groups to counter the radical propaganda used by terrorists to recruit fighters.

Said Mr Teo: “At the core of the issue is an ideological battle, between those who distort Islam for their violent political ends, and those who uphold the tenets of Islam as a religion of peace.”

His speech comes amid growing concern about foreigners, especially from Europe and the United States, travelling to Syria to join rebels in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Mr Teo noted that the Internet and social media had been a “game-changer” in the conflict, allowing extremists to market their cause and also recruit foreigners to fight.

Some extremists have also been posting selfies online, attracting young people through the “jihad cool” factor, he said.

He urged Singaporeans to keep a lookout for family members and friends, and to bring them to the attention of authorities if there are any signs of them becoming radicalised.

“By intervening early…(we) would be saving these individuals from taking a course of action that would have caused them and others harm,” he said.

Singaporeans who want to help Syrian civilians who are victims of the violence, should check with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or Muis, to see if humanitarian organisations they are donating to are bona fide, and not just fronts for extremists to raise funds, he added.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/parliament-syrian-conflict-security-concern-some-sporean

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July 9, 2014
Who Are the Real Extremists?

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) spotted by media wearing a luxury watch

ISIL launched their own passport earlier this week

It is difficult to define someone who recognises no limits, if the definition of limits is constantly changing.

ACCORDING to the West, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), is the world’s most dangerous extremist. Is this a fair statement?

An extremist is a transgressor, who recognises no limit in his mind, speech and acts. He could be anybody. Defined as such, an extremist is not necessarily an Arab or a Muslim, as it is commonly portrayed in the media.

He could possibly be a Christian, a Buddhist, a secular democrat, a scientist, a human rights activist or a feminist.

What makes al-Baghdadi an extremist in the eyes of the West is perhaps his terror tactics, but the same could be said of George W. Bush and Tony Blair, who are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis.

Being elected through a democratic process does not give them the right to determine the life or death of the rest of the world. But that was precisely what Bush and Blair did to the Iraqis, and that has made them the extremists in the eyes of Iraqis and Muslims in general. In the definition above, it is assumed that there must be a limit for everything for it to be rendered good and acceptable.

So an extremist is not a good person because he trespasses what others consider as the limit, regardless of whether he does not know the limit or he simply does not want to honour it knowingly.

But the real problem is, what are those limits? And on whose authority are they to be accepted as the limit that everyone has to observe?

In the man-made system known as democracy, man is said to be the measure of everything, so the limit is determined by man. But what kind of man is actually determining the fate of the world today?

What is the idea that governs his actions and behaviour, like his idea about truth and reality? About right and wrong? And about happiness?

For a secular man, reality is limited to physical reality and truth to factual scientific truth. Based on that, he has developed a peculiar idea about happiness and morality that is basically in constant change.

A secular world view lacks permanence because of its affirmation and preoccupation only with the evanescent aspect of existence. In fact, it is the world view that is built upon the rejection of anything permanent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp7BF_rLhkE

So by nature this world view actually has no place for god and religion, because it insists that what is understood by “god” and “religion” must also be open to change and reinterpretation.

Coming back to our definition of extremism, we must conclude in the first place that secularism is itself intrinsically an ideology that recognises no limit. It is based upon the rejection of a permanent truth and reality, making it impossible to agree upon a definition.

Without an agreed upon definition, how are we to know that a limit has been trespassed, effectively making the trespasser an extremist? Yet the secular western world has been all too certain that they always “know” the limit and hence the transgressor.

A correct definition would tell the limit of the thing defined. An extremist is the person who does not know the definition, or he does but does not honour it because he believes that a definition of something could and should change with time.

Not knowing the definition is a simple ignorance that can be easily remedied by imparting the knowledge. But when the person is bent on believing that no definition is forever fixed, something is appallingly wrong with his way of thinking. It is an indication that his belief is characteristically similar to that of the secular man that we have described above.

The so-called jihadis are extremists by virtue of their ignorant rejection of important definitions agreed upon by Islamic scholars throughout the ages. Inspired by the misguided Wahhabi ideology, they have caused great confusion and disunity among the Muslims worldwide.

They are the ones portrayed in the Western media as the Sunnis, yet the title has nothing to do with Islamic orthodoxy known as Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. The term “Sunni” has been hijacked by the fanatic Wahhabis, who have neither respect towards nor affiliation with authentic Islamic tradition and scholarship. They are the ones who have caused a great anxiety to the West and the world today; yet both are similar in one respect: they do not know the limit.

> Md. Asham Ahmad is Senior Fellow of Ikim’s Centre for Shariah, Law and Politics. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/IKIM-Views/Profile/Articles/2014/07/08/Identifying-the-real-extremists/

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July 9, 2014
Time For SG Muslims To Break Free from MUIS

Credit: Guardian

Dear R1C,

I have been keeping watch on the recent developments in the Muslim community pertaining to several important issues like the halal certification matters, MUIS’s flaccid performance on hijab issue, and zero counter measures on Pink Dot SG event this 28 June 2014 which coincidentally falls on the first day of Ramadhan. As a result of the indifference of MUIS towards taking action in the interests of the Muslim community, this has further pushed Muslims into losing faith in the secular fabric of the country.

As Muslims, we are fully aware eating halal and tayyib food is an important as a matter of worship of God where general principle what is lawful and what is good (Tayyib) should be followed. The food service sector is deemed to be the final link in the entire food industry supply chain and as this industry experiences a rapid growth, the duty of ensuring the food is halal has been shifted to restaurant operators and this can be seen through the introduction of halal standard. However, many restaurant operators did not comply with this halal standard and led to halal fraudulent practices. Reports on halal fraudulent decrease the confidence level amongst the Muslims. What’s more saddening is the tacit approach taken by MUIS and its entirely owned Halal consultancy company known as Warees Halal.

When it comes to hijab issue, attempts to resolve the tudung/hijab issue by the MUIS and the government remained unsatisfactory. Religious attires do not contribute to social disharmony and disunity and the wearing of headscarves definitely does not contribute to social disintegration. Since late last year, there has been ongoing debate on how the Government should review its stand of not allowing the tudung for certain uniformed public sector jobs, to fit the community’s aspirations. Tudung is an important religious obligation and one which symbolises a woman’s dignity and decency. There is a growing number of the grievances of fellow Muslims who face difficulties in fulfilling the religious obligation in covering the aurat due to the tudung restriction in some workplaces. The Muslims in Singapore appreciate the willingness by some government agencies for allowing Muslim women to fulfill this religious obligation. Such flexibility should be extended to all government agencies as it will reflect the government’s effort in promoting multiculturalism, and be made an example for the private sector. In alignment with the principles of individual rights and religious freedom, Muslim women who are wearing the tudung should be given equal opportunities and treatment in their workplace or in finding employment. We heard murmurs from MUIS and PERGAS, but what has been done so far? The hijab issue has been swept under the carpet again.

While Muslims celebrate the coming of blessed month Ramadhan, unfortunately many Muslims will also celebrate with the LGBT during their annual PinkDot party at Hong Lim Park. If Muslims continue to sit back in our state of docility, the PinkDot movement will keep on pushing their agenda. However, this does not mean that Muslims must ostracize the strayed homosexual Muslims. Instead, Muslims should come together and take the steps to make them understand Islam even more, and create the necessary avenue or platform for them to interact with true Muslims who love Allah and strive to make amends to improve themselves. Without such avenue/platform, Muslims are alienating these pro-LGBT supporters and activists from any of our outreach efforts. It will be a tumultuous journey but we pray that the families and friends involved are taking steps in the right direction to help their strayed loved ones. We need help from a group of professionals to help these strayed Muslims, but who do we turn to when every single action needs authorization and clearance from the MUIS and the Government?

After such a long drawn out jihad on these issues with insignificant outcome, it is high time to call for the set up of a new independent ulama body that closely oversees matters of Muslims in Singapore. Something that works like PERGAS but free from government influence and control. Indeed, the Muslim community, has fallen into unIslamic ways and needs clerical leadership in order to return to the fundamentals of the faith.

Authored by Mohd Firdaus Samad

June 4, 2014
Singapore Murtad Association Pokes Fun at NUS Prof Syed Khairudin Aljunied on LGBTQ Issue
A friend of mine from NUS alerted me on the post below which was written by a FASS Associate Professor who teaches Malay Studies at her school.

Please bear in mind that this is an influential person who is supposed to educate students without foisting his religious beliefs on them. However, he has evidently transgressed his boundaries.

So here is my reply to Mr. Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied:

Dear Prof, are you aware that lesbianism has existed way before Islam? A religion which only began existing in the 610 AD? In the Code of Hammurabi, written circa 1750 BC, it was mentioned that women who were allowed to marry other women were called the “salzikrum” (“daughter-men”). If you think that this is an isolated case, let me further support it by mentioning that homosexuality has been observed in 1500 species, ranging from large marine animals to insects. It is clear from nature that there is more to sexual behaviour than one that is solely geared towards reproduction.

However, even if you are still convinced that homosexuality, especially lesbianism, is a choice, how does this relate to it being morally-incorrect? In what way does someone’s sexual preferences harms or infringes upon others’ rights? If I were to prefer asam pedas to curry and eat my food in solitude, while you on the other hand, prefer the latter and forces me to only eat curry because that is what the majority prefer, wouldn’t your action be considered as a form of bullying?

Yes, you will then proceed to rebuff my points by quoting anti-homosexuality verses from the Quran, but so what? I, as an ex-Muslim, question the book’s credibility since it is rife with incoherent chronological order for historical events (Quran states Virgin Mary as Aaron and Moses’s sister, when in actuality, both of them were born 1500 years apart), scientific inaccuracies (Earth is flat and Sun and Moon orbits around it) and mathematical errors (the calculation for the inheritance law did not amount to a whole number, it resulted in an improper fraction instead).

Are you sure you want to openly claim that lesbianism is a “wrongful ideology and practice” when your religion, Islam, is in fact, made up of layers upon layers of lies? But then again, in Islam, taqiyyah is totally “halal” and permissible in order to beguile the ignorant from the flaws of Islam. Not only that, your religion, Islam, preaches hate and intolerance in the name of Jihad.

In Surah 2: The Cow
1. Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. 191
2. War is ordained by Allah. 216

Can you now see the difference, Prof? Being in a fulfilling relationship with a woman is not harming others but actively persecuting others who don’t agree with your beliefs, is.

As evident from its violence-inducing scripture, Islam has no place in a multi-religious and secular country such as Singapore. But of course, not many non-Muslims or even Muslims, for that matter, know about their own religion, which is why I find it appalling that even when Muslims themselves are mired in ignorance of the true Islam, they have no qualms dictating others on how they should live. And how they should love.

Wake up. This is 21st century Singapore, if you prefer to bound your life rigidly to the teachings of the Quran, please time-travel back to 7th Century Saudi Arabia. I’m sure with your parochial mindset and stalwart need to assert what you believe as “morally-correct”, you will definitely “gel well” with the barbaric and tribal Arab men of that epoch.

Let’s face it: Lesbianism isn’t cancerous, your religion is.

Source: Singapore Murtad Association, Syed Khairudin Aljunied

Read the ENTIRE chronology of saga in category ‘AGAMA’:
February 27, 2014