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Tag: MUIS

  • Former Chairman Of Darussalam Mosque Charge For Criminal Breach Of Trust Involving $370,000

    Former Chairman Of Darussalam Mosque Charge For Criminal Breach Of Trust Involving $370,000

    Former chairman of Darussalam Mosque, Abdul Mutalif Hashim, was charged in court yesterday (Aug 3) on 14 counts of criminal breach of trust involving savings from money collected at the mosque, reported Berita Harian on Thursday.

    The donations amount to more than $370,000.

    Mutalif, 55, was accused of committing the offences between 2006 and 2013 while as chairman of the mosque (Masjid Darussalam) at Clementi, as well as head of the administration office (Lembaga Pentadbir Masjid – LPM) of the mosque.

    Mutalif is also president of Adam Association, a non-profit organisation to give support to men and a place for them to seek help.

    According to the report, out of the 14 charges, nine involve Mutalif allegedly misappropriated $353,600 worth of collections from Masjid Darussalam, which he divided and banked into several bank accounts. These actions were not known by the mosque’s administration office (LPM).

    According to the charge sheet which Berita Harian has obtained, he is accused of having committed the above offence over seven years, from Jan 2006 to March 2013.

    Apart from that, there are five charges which involve him allegedly siphoning $18,291 from Masjid Darussalam’s donations and using it for expenses in Adam Association. These actions were again not known by the mosque’s administration office.

    Mutalif is accused of committing the above offences over a period of four years, from Jan 2006 to Nov 2009.

    As a whole, he managed to siphon a total of $371,891 from the mosque, which he then placed in several bank accounts and used for Adam Association expenses.

    A spokesperson from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) condemned the act. It stated to Berita Harian that “such actions in mosques are not acceptable”.

    According to the newspaper, Muis had informed the police after they found inconsistencies. However, it did not provide details as the case is being heard in court.

    It is understood that Mutalif did not appear in court yesterday because he was sick. His case will be heard again in court on August 10.

    If found guilty, he can be jailed for life or up to 20 years and fined for each charge.

     

    Source: http://news.asiaone.com

  • Revising Your Studies? These Two Did It At A Mosque

    Revising Your Studies? These Two Did It At A Mosque

    Saw this secondary students from a neighbouring school near the mosque.

    The first reaction i felt was, “masyaAllah”. Two buddies, in a mosque, one is revising school work while the other is reciting the Quran.

    How having good companies around you play a major role in your struggles in this world.

    May Allah broaden their knowledge and love for each other and may they grow up to be a contributing role models for the betterment of our ummah.

    “The example of a good companion (friend) in comparison with a bad one is like that of one who sells musk and the blacksmith. From the first, you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell, while from the blacksmith you would either get burned or smell a bad scent.” Saheeh Al-Bukhari

    FB: Adzan Khairuddin

     

    Source: JOM

  • Bangladeshi Expat: Books With Militant Propaganda Being Distributed To Bangladeshis Working In Singapore

    Bangladeshi Expat: Books With Militant Propaganda Being Distributed To Bangladeshis Working In Singapore

    They write provocative things against Jews and people of other religions.

    In a place like Singapore, where there is no prominent Muslim organisation for Bangladeshis or any influential cleric who they can follow, many of the overworked expatriates struggle to find spiritual comfort in their everyday life.

    As the pent-up stress and frustration of living in a foreign culture continues to grow, Islamist radical groups swoop in to brainwash these vulnerable expatriate workers into believing that hatred and violence are paths to salvation.

    In the city-state of Singapore, most militant propaganda are spread through books that speak of radicalised interpretations of Islam, the Dhaka Tribune found during a recent visit there.

    “It is easier to brainwash those of us who live in a foreign land. It is because we do not have any organisation here. We do not have any Pir [religious preacher] or religion-based group. So, different kinds of books are often distributed among us,” a young Bangladeshi expat told the Dhaka Tribune at Mustafa Centre, a hotspot for local Bangladeshis.

    “Even last Sunday [July 3], several thousands books were distributed in the Mustafa Centre area. A group of young men came and quickly distributed these books among everybody. One of the books is titled ‘Uphold Islam even in a foreign land.’”

    Several other young men who also spoke with the Dhaka Tribune at the Mustafa Centre said many Bangladeshis take these books back to their rooms. The books are written in a way that anyone getting a glimpse would be wanting to read more, they said.

    Fearing for their safety, the men requested that their voices not be recorded and that their names be excluded from the news report.

    Asked to describe what is written in these books, they said the authors mentally blackmail the Bangladeshis, writing provocative things against Jews and people of other religions. Sometimes references from the Qur’an are mentioned and words in Arabic are included.

    Even though no one understood what the Arabic words meant, many Bangladeshis believed whatever translation or interpretation was included in the books.

    “The books push Muslims to boycott Jewish products and offer namaz, and speak about jihad,” one of them said.

    Some of the youths, however, had a different explanation about the source of the books.

    They said these books might be distributed by Bangladeshi shop owners around Mustafa Centre to encourage Bangladeshis to boycott Singaporean products and buy stuff from their own stores instead.

    Several of the men also voiced their opposition against such books.

    “In Bangladesh, such books would have been known for spreading militancy. But since there is no such scope in Singapore, these books are now spreading fast,” one of them said.

    So far, at least 35 Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in Singapore in connection with plotting terrorist activities.

    Earlier this month, a Singapore court convicted four Bangladeshi workers for financing terrorism and sentenced them to jail terms between two and five years.

    ‘Malaysian students being targeted’

    A different scenario was found in Malaysia, where university students told the Dhaka Tribune that they were the main brainwashing targets for extremists. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several of them said they receive many anti-Semitic messages regularly.

    The Bangladeshi students who regularly offered prayers and fasted were the ones usually targeted by militant recruiters, they said.

    But since it was revealed that Nibras Islam – one of the killers from the Dhaka terror attack – used to be a student in Malaysia, everyone has been on high alert, they added.

    The founder and incumbent president of Bangladesh Students Union Council, Mohammad Mohiuddin Mahi, told the Dhaka Tribune that monitoring of Bangladeshi students in Malaysia has been increased since the July 1 attack.

    “We have news that around 8,000 Bangladeshi students in 60 private, two public and six semi-public universities in Malaysia are being monitored. Malaysian police are secretly collecting information on where these students were living and who they had contact with, as well as tracking their mobile phones.

    “We have Bangladeshi student organisations at 29 Malaysian universities. Through these organisations, we have asked all expatriate Bangladeshis to stay alert,” Mahi added.

     

    Source: www.dhakatribune.com

  • Musings Of A Chinese Muslim Convert: Muslims Must Reach Out

    Musings Of A Chinese Muslim Convert: Muslims Must Reach Out

    I consider myself well-educated, well-read and well-travelled. But that all don’t mean anything when I drive to the mosque in my luxury car, my $28,000 Rolex on my wrist with my tattoos showing. Some would wonder why a contractor is here – is there any work to be done?

    The stares don’t stop when I perform my wudu and walk into the prayer hall. And yes, I’ve been shouted at and talked down to, a few times as well. As much as born-Muslims hate to admit it, they judge on physical appearance. They don’t care if I’ve donated thousands of dollars to the mosque or other charities, or if I’ve helped some hard-up  people get a job. They only wish to see what they want to see.

    If this is how I am being perceived, what about the other born-Muslim brothers who have more tattoos than me, who dress more lavishly or are publicly recognised in the papers for any crimes that they may have committed? What then? Would the stares stop? Or would the tongues stop wagging? Will people like us, who have chosen a different lifestyle be shown the same welcome?

    The 2015 Central Narcotics Bureau statistics on drug abuse (http://www.cnb.gov.sg/Libraries/CNB_Newsroom_Files/CNB_2015_full_year_stats_final.sflb.ashx) show that there is an increase of Malay drug abusers of 7% from 2104 to 2105. Although that 7% translate to 114 persons, it’s still 1 person too many.

    How many good Muslims have we lost to drugs, to anger, to violence, to arrogance? No doubt, for the most part is our own DNA. But we have been saying that their weak family ties, poor morals, or be it their social or economic structure is to blamed. But as a community, how often do WE blame ourselves? At some point or another in time, we would’ve passed judgement – leading to disrespect, not giving them the charity of a kind word or action. ALL of us are guilty of that. Instead of expecting them to change, why can’t we see that change needs to come from us?

    I remember the very first time I visited Masjid Salim Mattar – 2 elderly men  – the Imam and the Bilai, welcomed me with their warm smiles!!! Subahan Allah! The Bilai speaks good Hokkien too! How wonderful is that? I’ve not been there for a long time now because parking can be quite challenging, and I also prefer to go to the Masjid nearer my place. I still get calls and text messages saying that they miss me over there. Such is the community in Salim Mattar! May Allah bless all of them for their kindness and sincerity!

    On the other hand, I got told off by one elderly man in a Masjid in Bukit Merah (I’m not too good with roads – so I may be mistaken), so unless I’m in a hurry and I know I won’t be able to perform my solat on time, I’ll not go there. Even if I may be closer geographically, I’ll skip that Masjid and drive further down. Not because I’m afraid of confrontations – oh no, not that. My close friends will tell you otherwise. But I see no need to have ill-feelings, especially when I want to perform my solat.

    I used to give salam to the person on my left and on my right during congregational prayers. But I’ve been met with indifference and annoyance that I stopped. Not because I gave up – but I just don’t wish to disturb anyone. Maybe it’s just the culture. But I read somewhere that we should greet one another with at least a smile.  In Malaysia, it is very different. Most people with give or return salams with both hands.

    We, as a community need to do more. Opening our doors is not good enough. We don’t need to drag those who lost faith and hope in the religion to the Masjid. We can go to them. We can reach them through how we display our faith. If social or mainstream education on the evils of drug abuse, on hate and arrogance fails – as it has on them, then surely our faith must follow-up.

    Do not gossip or back-talk on someone who has messed up. Instead, offer a prayer.

     

    Source: http://chineseconvert.com/straying-from-religion

  • Singapore Considering Feasibility Of Islamic College Here

    Singapore Considering Feasibility Of Islamic College Here

    Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim raised the possibility of setting up an Islamic college in Singapore to train a new generation of religious teachers who understand Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious context.

    Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, told community leaders at a Hari Raya dinner on Friday (July 15): “The various Islamic universities in the Middle East and the region have served us well, but there is a need for homegrown religious leaders anchored in our local multi-racial, multi-religious context and attuned to the concerns of our community in the ever-changing global environment.”

    He also said that Malay-Muslim community institutions have grown in tandem with Singapore’s development, and future religious leaders in these institutions need to understand the socio-historical circumstances that shaped the community’s progress.

    “For this reason, I believe we should consider the feasibility of our community to set up an Islamic college, which will afford us home-based capacity to train a new generation of (religious teachers).”

    Several factors would need to be studied, such as the college’s viability in a small market, and how to attract good faculty and build international repute while keeping it affordable. This task would be assigned to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), Dr Yaacob said.

    At the madrasah school level, Dr Yaacob said that Muis would also be working with the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth to introduce a core element in the curriculum on inter-faith and inter-religious community understanding.

    Ms Farah Mahamood Aljunied, director of curriculum planning and development at Muis, said that the current madrasah curriculum already exposes students to inter-cultural exchanges. The changes will focus more on enhancing and integrating inter-cultural learning into the whole curriculum.

    She said: “No one is an island and we don’t want our madrasah students to think they can survive on their own and think they can be just among themselves. And being in Singapore, that’s the reality and students are very much aware of that and they’re open to the idea.”

    On the Islamic college, she added that it would be an opportunity to contribute not just to the community here but also to the larger Muslim world and educational landscape, by providing more current Islamic education in various fields.

    “There are just so many new developments that we need to incorporate and, hopefully, that would lead to a much more vibrant Islamic education sector and a much more inclusive way of looking at how we practise our religion and communicate it,” she said.

    In his opening address at the dinner, Dr Yaacob also stressed the importance of continuing the work of pioneers in building the community.

    To that end, Mendaki’s Club Leadership Incubator, which grooms young Malay-Muslim professionals to take on community projects, will expand to include a structured mentorship scheme.

    The scheme will pair young professionals with more experienced community leaders who can guide and inspire them to contribute to the community.

    Dr Yaacob said: “Our pioneers have (given) us the spirit of self-help and in that process, bequeathed to us a legacy of key institutions… We should build on what our pioneers have contributed, consolidate our efforts to bring greater gain for our community, and enhance what we have achieved thus far.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com