Tag: Muslim

I Am Muslim I Don’t Have A Ticket To Heaven?

Nine year old Alicia who goes to Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Hartamas came home from school last week and asked her mom if she will end up in hell when she dies.

“Mommy, Lina said her teacher told the Agama class that when we die, the Malays will go to heaven and non-Malays will go to hell. Is it true?”

Eleven year old Yasmin who goes to Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Desa was confused over who her friends should be and decided to seek her mom’s advice.

“Ummi, my Ustaz says it is haram to be friends with Olivia and Annie. He said it is because they are not Muslim. But I like Olivia and Annie, they are my best friends. Will God be angry with me if I talk to them?”

Both incidents you just read about aren’t made up. The names have been changed to protect the identities of the children but the stories are very much real.

I can understand how confused those two girls are because I was confused myself having experienced it some 30 years ago.

“Bangsa lain tak sama dengan kita. Agama pun lain, perangai pun lain. Kalau kamu rapat sangat dengan depa tu, nanti terikut-ikut pula dengan perangai buruk,” my ustazah reminded me in my primary school days.

It seems to me that nothing has changed since my days at school. With every new Education Minister syllabuses, policies and guidelines change as well, but the core teachings never seem to change. Each Education Minister tries to outdo their predecessor but all they do is create a bigger mess.

Despite making press statement after press statement about unity and tolerance, our younger generation is taught the supremacy theory right from school. A few days ago, our new Education Minister, Dato’ Seri Mahdzir Khalid blamed the social media for inciting racial sentiments…but it is not just social media that is at fault. Instead of nurturing young minds to love and bond with each other, we are spawning hatred, fear and discrimination from within the system itself.

Why are we brainwashing our children if unity is what we hope to achieve?

The Honourable Minister also claimed to be in the midst of identifying programmes to foster racial ties among primary school children. He plans to gather students in one place, so that they can communicate, assimilate and get to know each other.

Excuse me, but isn’t that one of the objectives of sekolah kebangsaan?

We provide our children a platform to communicate and assimilate throughout their 6 years in primary school and 5 years in secondary school. But how can we eradicate racism when we have half brained teachers who teach absolute nonsense to our children?

We begin to segregate our children at age seven, sending off non-Muslims to learn moral and good behaviour while we teach Muslim students that the nons will go to hell because they are immoral. Seriously, aren’t our teachers and education officers the ones in need of lessons on unity and tolerance?

With all due respect, Dato’ Seri Mahdzir, perhaps you could begin your new portfolio by setting a good example to all our educators out there. Send your message of harmony, unity, tolerance and love, loud and clear. You may want to begin by apologising for your insensitive remarks about Christians…

To all Muslim parents, I urge you to talk to your children about what goes on in their Agama classes. Let it be known to them that being born a Muslim doesn’t necessarily entitle anyone to a ticket to heaven– even if you happen to be an ustazah or a minister – most especially if you are not kind, respectful and caring!

Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com

October 19, 2015
Lone Chinese Family In Muslim Village Loves Malay Tradition

PARIT BUNTAR: The Ng family is one of a kind in Kampung Tebuk Haji Musa, being the only Chinese in the 3,000-strong Muslim village.

“No issue at all. I have lived here for decades. They come to my house for Chinese New Year and we go over for Raya. Ada kenduri, kami campur sekali. Biasa lah!(When there is a feast we all get together. It’s normal!),” said the Ng family patriarch Air Chin, 61, better known as Ah Khaw in the village.

The Malay way is second nature to the family, if not the norm.

On Sunday, his youngest daughter, 28-year-old Siau Hooi, tied the knot with factory worker Lim Choon Yong, 37, in Malay customs. The accountant is the youngest among four siblings.

The bride and groom were decked out in Malay splendour for their wedding.

“We decided to reflect our friendship with our neighbours by holding our wedding ceremony in their tradition,” Ah Khaw said.

“Most of the villagers, about 2,000 of them, attended the wedding. The family of the groom too was supportive of the Malay-style wedding.

“When Siao Hooi’s two older brothers held their weddings in 2007 and 2010, they also married the Malay way, bersanding and all.

“My neighbours helped and chipped in whichever way they could. There was a gotong royong effort,” Ah Khaw added.

Berita Harian yesterday highlighted the couple’s wedding on Monday and reported how the neighbours thought nothing of extending a helping hand – from assisting with the bridal costumes to cooking up a delicious meal.

Ah Kaw said the family would hold a Chinese wedding dinner on Wednesday at a restaurant nearby before Siao Hooi returns to Singapore, where her husband is working.

Siau Hooi said she was proud to wear the Malay bridal costume.

“It is a memory worth a lifetime for my husband and I. I attended Chinese primary and secondary schools but I grew up with my Malay neighbours,” said Siau Hooi.

“We are very close to each other,” said Siau Hooi.

Source: www.thestar.com.my

October 19, 2015
Zulfikar Shariff: Keep Up The Struggle, Remember There Is No Success Without Allah

A few weeks ago, I read a Muslim post a status that seems quite despondent.

He mentioned several of the difficulties that we face…from the discrimination by the PAP to the difficulties Muslims face internationally.

The US and Russia, both representing two poles of the same political evil dominate world politics. Capitalism, Zionism, secularism, liberalism, our world is on a path of destruction and we are caught in it.

We try to feed the hungry, we help end oppression, we raise our voices, write petition, teach our children, our young, the not so young to live as Muslims and more challenges appear.

Sometimes it feels like all we do is fight fire. We put one out and another appear. For some, it feels like a never ending battle.

A battle they cannot win.

A battle they are doomed to fight…over and over and over.

To those who despair that the world is in such a terrible state, who feel that nothing we do seem to matter…

Do not despair.

The battle will not end.

And it is not a bad thing.

This life is not for us to relax.

It is one for us to struggle for.

These challenges are opportunities for us. The challenges we face allow us to strive…with our hearts and minds…our sweat…to serve Allah.

We will be tested.

We will face massive challenges.

Our role is to face it. Work at it.

Persevere.

Keep fighting.

Insha Allah every little effort we put in for Allah’s sake, will be rewarded.

When we feel tired…Keep fighting.

When we have been hit so much we struggle to get up…Keep fighting.

When all the world seems to want to destroy us…Keep fighting.

This life is short.

Jannah is eternal.

Keep up the struggle. Know that Allah’s promises are true.

There is no success except with Allah.

Source: Zulfikar Shariff

October 19, 2015
NUS Dining Operator, Chartwells, Served Non-Halal Roast Beef At Halal Counter

A dining operator at the National University of Singapore (NUS) was found to have served non-halal roast beef at a halal counter earlier this month.

The beef was served at two dining halls for students from four residential colleges at NUS on Oct 8. Close to 2,400 staff and students, including about 80 Muslims, attended the dinner.

A spokesman for Chartwells, which was appointed the dining operator for both halls in June, told The Straits Times that the lapse “is an isolated incident, resulting from a (chef’s) poor judgment call, for which the chef feels deeply regretful”. The chef had worked at the kitchens on the NUS campus for “a number of years” and has since been suspended, pending the outcome of Chartwells’ full inquiry.

When contacted, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said Chartwells had breached conditions of the halal certification system, and that Muis “will be taking further action”.

Muis said the halal certificate may be suspended or revoked. Anyone found guilty of abusing the Muis halal certificate and logo could also be fined up to $10,000 or jailed for up to a year, or both.

An NUS spokesman told The Sunday Times that a Muslim student resident had told an academic staff member on Oct 8 that the beef served at a halal counter was prepared in an oven in a non-halal kitchen. Chartwells has halal and non-halal kitchens in NUS. NUS’ Office of Housing Services then immediately alerted Chartwells and apologised to the affected Muslims the next day in an e-mail.

The beef had been taken to the halal kitchens before being served at a halal counter, and the halal kitchens were closed after NUS learnt of the incident. They will reopen only after being re-certified by Muis.

While Chartwells is still serving non-halal food, it stopped serving halal food a day after the incident and was replaced by another halal-certified vendor, Eurest Catering. But some NUS students were uneasy with this arrangement.

Mr Syamil Maulod, believed to be from the University Scholars Programme (USP), posted on Facebook on Oct 10 that Eurest Catering and Chartwells belong to the same parent company, Compass Group.

“Our trust was violated. We do not feel it is right to engage the same (parent) company,” he wrote.

An article on The Cinnamon Roll, an official online publication of the USP, also said last Sunday that “most students, Muslim and non-Muslim, regard (the lapse) a serious breach of trust”.

The NUS spokesman said that getting Eurest to provide halal meals was an “interim measure” and a “third-party, external halal-certified caterer” has been providing halal meals since last Thursday. The caterer is not related to the Compass Group, said NUS.

Compass Group Singapore managing director Andrew Marshall said: “We deeply regret this issue… We continue to work closely with NUS and the student body to rebuild the trust of the community.”

A Cinnamon College resident, who declined to be named, said that NUS should have given an assurance earlier and asked the vendor to provide a public explanation.

“Only Muslims need to observe the dietary standard, but if you think about it, it is about food handling in general,” he said. “People who are vegetarians, or people who have allergies… we expect their needs to be taken care of.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

October 19, 2015
Thousands Flee Aceh After Church Burning

Thousands of people, mostly Christians, have left Aceh Singkil regency, Aceh, for neighboring regencies in North Sumatra after an Islamic group attacked a village and set fire to a church.

The attackers, grouped under the Aceh Singkil Islamic Care Youth Students Association (PPI), arrived in Suka Makmur village, Gunung Meriah district, Aceh Singkil, in several trucks on Tuesday afternoon and set alight the Huria Kristen Indonesia (HKI) Church, which they considered to be unlicensed.

Hundreds of police and military officers who had earlier been deployed to the village failed to prevent the attack as they were outnumbered. One of the attackers, identified as Samsul, was shot dead when Christians, the majority in the village, tried to defend their church.

Samsul, 21, a resident of Bulu Sema village, Suro Makmur, died from an air rifle wound, while three other attackers were injured and were taken to the regency’s general hospital for treatment.

The church was one of 10 in the regency that was protested by the Islamic group. At a recent meeting at the regency office between the protesters, the churches’ board members and local officials, it was reportedly agreed that the churches would be demolished on Oct. 19.

After the attack, about 75 percent of the villagers moved to other areas, with many houses in Suka Makmur left empty and locked up.

“We are still afraid that an incident could occur again if [the situation is] not handled properly,” congregation member Silaban said on Wednesday.

The police recorded that 3,433 people had moved to Central Tapanuli regency and 976 to Pakpak Bharat regency, both in North Sumatra.

Many parties have denounced the attack in Aceh, the only province in the country to implement sharia.

“Stop violence in Aceh Singkil. Any act of violence, whatever the reasons behind it, not to mention if it is related to religion and faith, will kill diversity —Jkw,” President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Wednesday on his Twitter account @jokowi.

Jokowi has ordered Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti to take immediate action to stop violence and promote peace in the regency.

Badrodin acknowledged that the National Police had foreseen such an attack but had not readied enough security personnel on Tuesday to protect the church from the attackers, estimated to have numbered 500 to 700 people.

“We knew [about conflict involving the church] from four months ago. This is why I truly regret the fact that the arson happened,” Badrodin said on Wednesday.

The police have questioned 45 people connected to the incident.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) also denounced the attack and discouraged Muslims in Aceh from taking part in any activities that could incite a larger conflict between Islamic and Christian communities in the region.

“First of all, the burning will never be justified. Even if the church committed a violation, let the local authorities solve the problem according to the existing rules,” MUI chairman Ma’ruf Amin told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The Wahid Institute recorded 158 incidents of religious rights violations throughout 2014, with 78 percent enacted by non-state actors.

Meanwhile, Setara Institute research director Ismail Hasani condemned the incident as a violation of human rights which was facilitated by the local administration.

Ismail argued that similar incidents in Aceh, namely in 1979, 2001 and 2012, were caused by a discriminatory 1979 agreement between Muslim and Christian communities that stipulated there would be only one church and four small Christian houses of worship in Aceh Singkil.

Source: www.thejakartapost.com

October 17, 2015