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Tag: Malays

  • Madrasah Students Are More Than Just Future Religious Teachers

    Madrasah Students Are More Than Just Future Religious Teachers

    It’s funny when you hear people saying that madrasah students will eventually become religious teachers or even become jobless. The reality is somewhat different. Most madrasah graduates today are professionals in so many different fields. Many are graduates of top universities locally and globally, specializing in fields within the sciences and humanities. Their parents are in high positions in diverse sectors of the Singaporean economy (just for the record: my two daughters are in two different madrasahs).

    So the next time you encounter a madrasah student, do ask the kid in tudung or songkok what he/she wants to be someday. You will be surprised that their dreams are no different from any ordinary student in secular schools. Let’s keep our minds open and our biases closed.

     

    Source: Khairudin Aljunied

  • Family Of Man Arrested For Assault On Madrasah Students Apologises To Malay-Muslim Community

    Family Of Man Arrested For Assault On Madrasah Students Apologises To Malay-Muslim Community

    The family of a 48-year-old man arrested for assaulting three madrasah students has apologised to the Malay-Muslim community.

    The suspect’s older brother, Mr Muhammad Johan Koh, a 49-year-old relief security guard, contacted TODAY on Sunday to discuss the alleged attack, which took place on Friday morning.

    “After all that has happened, this is our way of apologising to the Malay-Muslim community,” said the elder Mr Koh, a Muslim convert.

    His younger brother, Mr Koh Weng Onn, is unmarried, works odd jobs, and lives with his other brother.

    According to the police, the attack on the madrasah students took place near the Paya Lebar MRT station on Friday morning.

    The three students, aged 14 to 16, were on their separate ways to the nearby Madrasah Al Maarif Al Islamiah when they were attacked by the suspect.

    Law and Home affairs Minister K Shanmugam has urged the public not to speculate on the motives behind the attack before investigations are complete.

    “In this case, we do not know the detailed facts, the motives, and should wait for the investigations to be completed,” Mr Shanmugam wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.

     

    Source: TodayOnline

  • Zufikar Shariff: The Difference Between Palestinians and Singapore Malays

    Zufikar Shariff: The Difference Between Palestinians and Singapore Malays

    A lot of Malays in Singapura feel sympathy for Palestinians.They worry about their brothers and sisters in Palestine. And denounce the aggression of the Israeli state. What a lot of them do not realise is that 17% of Israeli citizens are Muslims. And some of them are Zionists. There are some in the IDF. Some in politics.

    Palestinians are massacred and abused because they resist.

    If they did not resist, if they submit, if they accept Israeli domination without question… If they cry for Ariel Sharon and call him their father.. Or refer to Golda Meir as their mother… If they declare their love for the Likud Party.. they would not be treated this way.

    Some Muslim Israelis talk about the educational, economic, political opportunities available to them in Israel. They would still be discriminated and abused. But not the same way they are now. Yes, if Palestinians behave like Malays in Singapura, they would be treated like us.

    The main difference between Palestinians and Malays in Singapura is that…they continue to resist.

    While we surrender.

     

    Source: Zulfikar Shariff

  • Man Arrested For Attack On Three Madrasah Students At Paya Lebar MRT Station

    Man Arrested For Attack On Three Madrasah Students At Paya Lebar MRT Station

    A Singaporean man was arrested on Saturday (April 2) for attacking three students from a full-time Islamic religious school the day before, the police have revealed in a statement.

    Police were informed of a case at about 7.35am on Friday (April 1), in which a man allegedly caused hurt to three female students of Madrasah Al Maarif Al Islamiah in three separate incidents near Paya Lebar MRT station.

    The students, aged 14 to 16, were on their separate ways to the madrasah when the 48-year-old Chinese man hurt them.

    Said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations & Intelligence) and Director of the Criminal Investigation Department Tan Chye Hee in the statement: “The police take a stern view of acts that could threaten the racial and religious harmony in Singapore. Any person who caused hurt to others on the basis of their race or religion will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.”

    On Friday morning, the school’s discipline mistress made a Facebook post about the incident, saying that the three students had been physically attacked by an unknown middle aged man at Paya Lebar MRT Station at around 7.20am.

    The first victim was kicked on the left thigh, she said. The second was hit by a plastic bag containing a heavy item and the third was hit in the same manner on one of her eyes.

    In the post, which was widely shared on social media, the teacher added that a police report had been made and appealed for eyewitnesses.

    Police said it had received a call for assistance around 7.35am at Lorong 39 Geylang – the address of the victims’ school.

    In a separate Facebook post on Friday afternoon, the madrasah thanked all who had contacted it out of concern for the students’ well-being.

    “The affected students have been counselled and parents have been contacted,” it said.

    It was an incident that sparked strong condemnation online.

    On Friday, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam wrote on Facebook that he had asked the police to investigate the matter, adding that “the motives for the attack (were) not clear” at that time.

    Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin also posted on social media, calling it a “serious matter”.

    He added that he was worried for the affected students, urging the public not to jump to conclusions on the matter.

    The incident took place two days after Mr Shanmugam visited another madrasah, calling on Singaporeans to reach out to their Muslim neighbours and build social cohesion, following a recent string of terror attacks globally that threatens to fray the trust among communities here.

    On Saturday night, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Facebook that “we should stand together against all forms of violence against innocent persons”.

    Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim posted on Facebook earlier on Saturday, saying that he was “dismayed to hear of the attack”, which he called “totally unacceptable”.

    “We should never tolerate any forms of aggression towards anyone, especially the innocent. The perpetrator must be brought to justice,” he added. “We must stay calm and united and not let this incident divide us.”

    Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu wrote on Facebook: “An attack on the innocent can never be condoned.”

    She added: “My thoughts are with the young girls, and I hope they recover soon.”

     

    Source: Straits Times

  • Unjust Policies Against The Malay Muslim Community Perpetuate Misconceptions Against The Community

    Unjust Policies Against The Malay Muslim Community Perpetuate Misconceptions Against The Community

    Our law minister Shanmugam recently mentioned that Singaporeans are obliged to reach out to the Muslims to build social cohesion.

    While the government hopes to realise a society that can fully integrate in harmony, on the contrary it has unknowingly perpetuate misconceptions among Singaporeans, in particular towards the Malay/Muslims in Singapore by means of unjust policies.

    It would be better for Shanmugan to ask the government to take the lead and not passing the buck to the people and hope everything turns out fine.

    Although Singaporeans are obliged to reach out to each other, it is also the government’s responsibility to subserve social cohesion.

    A good start would be in school. Psychologist would agree that exposing children to diverse cultural practices at a young age would most probably remove prejudices and racial bigotry.

    1. Allow the tudung in school from kindergarten level – Children are naturally inquisitive. They learn and absorb much more in natural classroom settings. Exposing them to such occurrences will help these children to better understand the multi-racial society that we live in and leads to greater tolerance in future.

    2. Set up student exchange programme from the mainstream school with the Madrasah schools – We have overseas exchange programmes. So why not have it with the Madrasah schools? These students can benefit like any other overseas exchange programmes. It goes both ways. It helps both students from the mainstream and madrasah to understand our unique social settings.

    3. Remove discriminatory criteria for enrolling in SAP schools – We heard of how Malays are under represented in SAP schools. The criterion to speak Mandarin to be eligible for enrolling of one’s child, automatically exclude majority of the Malay/Muslims students to be eligible. This criterion unwittingly segregates the populace. There are students who went to SAP schools and study up to higher level without having the experience of associating themselves with other races and cultures except the one where they come from. How does that help to build social cohesion?

    4. Put an end to the unwritten policy that forbid the Malays/Muslim from entering certain restricted areas in the RSAF. We heard and read of many accounts even from the non-Malays of how they (Malays) were prevented from entering the premises just because they are of a certain race. At this level, continuing with such atrocious policies only seek to preserve the misconception the general masses have on the Muslims.

    5. Lift the ban on hijabs to be worn in uniformed groups – The narrative from the government is that allowing it will cause racial disharmony and harm social cohesion. On what basis does the Government has to support its claim? Policies that are discriminatory, when implemented must be of substantive reasoning else it runs the risk of creating ill-will between the people.

    I believe the above is a good start for the government to initiate in building greater cohesion among the people. Passing the buck to the populace is not going to help much when it actively maintain policies that prevents the society from integrating positively.

    The baton is now over to you Mr Shanmugam.

     

    Source: Khan Osman Sulaiman