Tag: Muslim

Malay Wedding – Not A Budget Affair

EDIT: Okay, I wasn’t expecting so many shares. I’m sorry if this offended anyone, but I would like to say that of course the figures vary, and it CAN vary greatly. The only reason this one costs this much is because almost everything an average Malay wedding has was factored in. However, and with that being said, this infographic is NOT implying that you have to spend this amount. Of course it’s a DUH thing (common sense!) to spend within your budget. The whole point of this is to inform the uninformed that Malay weddings are definitely not $50.
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I would say 8 out of 10 non-Malays I know are often plain ignorant when it comes to the expenses involved in a Malay wedding. In fact, I have met many of such people who have this impression that a Malay wedding only costs so much. To help address this common problem as well as to educate the non-Malays, I decided to create a simple visual graphic that breaks down the expenses of a Malay wedding in Singapore.

Disclaimer: These are average figures I got from speaking to my married and about-to-get-married friends, and they do not necessarily represent the mass. Also, the figures are based on only one side of the couple. So yes you are right – multiply them by two to get the final figures for both bride and groom’s events.

To all my Malay friends, if you have any input(s)/comment(s) on this, drop me a message!

P/S: Oh, I would also like to add one more point – Malay weddings usually never expect monetary recoup. We don’t complain even if we receive $10 (common amount, honestly) after feeding your family of 8!

Source: Nur Haryanti

July 30, 2015
Zulfikar Shariff: How Much Longer Do We Have To Wait For Resolution To Hijab Issue?

Over the years, there have been various claims about why the PAP government ban the hijab.

One common excuse is that it is only a matter of time. According to this claim the government is trying to expand the common space and will allow the hijab in due course.

This excuse is amazing in how ridiculous it is.

When I discussed the hijab ban with Allahyarham Ustadz Abu Bakar Hashim several years ago, he told me that it was time the issue was resolved.

He demanded that we double the effort.

No more quiet begging. We need to stand up and be clear that the government should stop discriminating our sisters.

According to Ustadz Abu Bakar, the first time he heard of the problem was in 1972. He said it had been almost 30 years (then).

It is now 43 years.

How much longer will the government need to oppress our sisters?

How much longer will they use the excuse of needing time?

How much longer will we keep quiet while our sisters are abused?

The hijab ban has nothing to do with expanding common space. If it was, the government would have been able to do it a long time ago.

They had 43 years to do it.

And yet, they keep discriminating our sisters.

They keep forcing Muslim ladies to take off an article of clothing.

They forced us to beg for their approval.

It has been 43 years.

And it will keep going 43 years more.

Source: Zulfikar Shariff

July 29, 2015
51 Year Old Singaporean Detained For Trying To Join ISIS

A 51-year-old Singaporean has been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after he had tried to join the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday (Jul 28).

In late May, Mustafa Sultan Ali left Singapore and went to an unnamed regional country before flying to Turkey. He had taken that travel route in the hopes of hiding his tracks, MHA said, adding that he had planned to cross into Syria from the Turkish border.

He was detained by local authorities in Turkey and subsequently deported to Singapore in June, MHA said. In July, Mustafa was issued with a two-year Order of Detention.

Investigations showed that Mustafa had been “deeply radicalised by the terrorist ideology of ISIS and other radical ideologues he had come across online”, MHA said. He tried to make his way to Syria in order to “participate in armed violence by fighting alongside ISIS”, and was prepared to carry out ISIS-directed terrorist attacks against Western establishments in Singapore, it added.

In May, a 19-year-old Singaporean M Arifil Azim Putra Norja’I was detained for participating in terrorism-related activities and planning to carry out violent attacks in Singapore. Another radicalised 17-year-old Singaporean was also arrested in May under the ISA for further investigations into the extent of his radicalisation.

MHA urged members of the public who may be aware of any involvement in terrorism-related activities to inform the Internal Security Department (1800-2626-473) or the Police (999).

“The Government takes a very serious view of any form of support for terrorism, including but not limited to the use of violence, and will take firm and decisive action against any person who engages in such activities,” it said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 28, 2015
Meet Minnesota’s First Hijab-Wearing Policewoman

Have you ever heard of Kadra Mohamed? Well you should have.

She’s Minnesota’s first hijab wearing police woman and the first Somali female officer.

Kadra Mohamed is only 21 years old and already making history.

St. Paul is also one of the few American police departments that allows women to wear the hijab while working. This way, they hope to enable Muslim women to consider a career in law enforcement.

This topic always raises the same questions. Why is it that Muslim women wearing hijab have to fight all kinds of stereotypes to have a career? There are millions of Muslim women like Kadra Mohamed, who want to achieve their goals. And it’s not their hijab that is holding them back. It’s those people with narrow-minded views, refusing to see what kind of talents these women might brighten up the world with.

Let’s hope Kadra Mohamed will not stay an exception forever!

Source: http://mvslim.com

July 28, 2015
Perlis Fatwa Committee: Not A Sin To Give Custody Of Muslim Child To More Suitable Parent, Regardless Of Religion

PETALING JAYA: The Perlis Fatwa Committee has issued an edict which states that the custody of a child be given to the more suitable parent, regardless of religion.

State mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said the committee found it unfair to determine custody of a child based solely on the parents’ religion, as the overall welfare and interests of the child were paramount.

He said the edict could signal a turning point in the way child custody cases were deliberated at the Syariah courts, especially in cases where a parent sought custody of the child upon converting to Islam.

“The overall welfare of the child includes his or her physical, moral and emotional needs. The parent who is more able to provide these needs should get custody, whether they are Muslim or not,” Dr Mohd Asri told The Star.

He said the courts needed to judge which parent was more suitable by studying their background and lifestyle, as well as taking into consideration the choice of the child.

“If both parents are equally suitable to care for the child, then the child has the right to choose which parent he or she wants to live with.

“This is provided the child is old enough to decide,” he said.

Under the ruling, it will still be compulsory for the Muslim parent to introduce Islam to the child, whether they have custody or not.

However, Dr Mohd Asri said religion should not be forced upon them.

The fatwa committee has also ruled that custody should automatically be granted to the mother if she is still breastfeeding the child.

“If the child is no longer breastfeeding and hasn’t reached maturity, then custody should be given to the more suitable parent or the one the child is closer to,” he said.

The latest edict, he said, was a change from current practice in the Syariah court, where religion was a dominant factor in deciding a custody dispute.

“The common case these days is that both parents are non-Muslims, and then one of them converts to Islam. If going by the Syariah court, then custody is unquestionably given to the Muslim parent.

“This is actually not right, as there is no basis for that sort of ruling, whether in the Quran or hadith,” he said, adding that the fatwa committee would propose that the edict be adopted as a guideline by Syariah judges when evaluating such cases.

The edict, which was passed by the state Islamic religious council recently, is also a general guide for Muslim parents, who often feel guilty for giving up custody to a non-Muslim spouse.

“We released this fatwa to let them know that it is not a sin to offer custody to a non-Muslim parent, especially if that person is better equipped to care for the child,” added Dr Mohd Asri.

Source: www.thestar.com.my

July 27, 2015