Rilek1Corner

Tag: muslimah

  • Osman Sulaiman: Daiso Singapore Must Clarify Its Hiring Policy

    Osman Sulaiman: Daiso Singapore Must Clarify Its Hiring Policy

    With regards to the recent discriminatory hiring policy by Daiso Singapore, I sent them an email today, enquiring further on their employment practices. Hope to get a satisfactory reply from them.

    Such organizations that implement discriminatory hiring policies often times went unpunished as we have weak labour laws to protect job seekers from such incidents. We hope this will change soon so that businesses understand the kinds of social harm it creates when it discriminates.

    ——————————————————————
    To the Officer-in-charge

    RE: DISCRIMINATORY HIRING POLICIES

    I would like to bring your attention to a recruitment exercise that was conducted by Daiso Industries Co Ltd Singapore Branch. The interview was conducted at IMM Building. I was informed by an applicant, Ms Normalis Bte Jais that she had responded to a job advertisement posted on JobsCentral requiring applicants to go for a walk-in-interview. I attached photos of the advertisement in this email for your reference.

    The applicant went down on 25th September 2015 @2pm for the interview and she was received by your HR personnel who proceeded to interview her.

    During the interview, the applicant was told by your HR personnel that Daiso employees are not allowed to wear the headgear on the sales-floor. The applicant was then asked whether she would still proceed with the interview. Ms Normalis then declined and left the interview room feeling extremely upset and disappointed for not being given equal opportunity for employment because of what she wears.

    I would therefore like to seek clarifications from your goodself on a few matters;
    1) Can you confirm your organization’s policy regarding the recruitment of women wearing the headgear in Singapore particularly at the sales-floor area?

    2) I understand that you also have several Daiso chains across Asia including Malaysia and Indonesia. I assume that the Malaysian and Indonesian employees are allowed to wear their headgears at sales-floor. Why is Singapore the chosen destination for your organization to apply discriminatory policies such as denying Singaporeans wearing the headgear, employment opportunities at your organization?

    3) The advertisement on JobsCentral did not indicate that applicant wearing the headgear is not welcomed to apply. If your organization has such policy, why is it not indicated on the job advertisement so that applicants need not waste their time, effort and money attending the interview only to get discriminated on?

    4) What is the rationale behind the policy of not allowing employees wearing the headgear to work on sales-floor but having no qualms accepting sales from your customers wearing the headgears and also allowing them entry to your sales-floor?

    I would like to highlight that Singapore has in place guidelines for fair employment practices. One of the recommendations is that employers who advertise a position requiring a specific attribute which may be viewed as discriminatory should ensure it is indeed a requirement of the job and state the reason for the requirement in the advertisement.

    This can be found on page 8 of the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.
    https://www.tafep.sg/…/Publications%20-%20Tripartite%20Guid…

    As a global organization that seeks to provide a unique experience and enjoyment for millions of people, surely this kind of archaic hiring policies should not have existed if any.

    To make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of people is unacceptable. Discrimination has no place in any society. It creates an ill will between people and has a negative effect on the victim. It makes them feel isolated, humiliated and angry. They may also develop low self-esteem and depression in the long run. Most importantly, it denies someone their human rights to be able to participate fully in the society.

    It is in the interest of the community that Daiso Singapore makes known of its employment policies with regards to employees wearing the headgear. This will indicate its corporate social responsibility towards creating an inclusive workforce, in-line with global standards.

    I look forward to your reply on the above enquires.

    Thank you.

    Regards,
    Osman Sulaiman

     

    Source: Osman Sulaiman

  • 9 Misconceptions Of A Chinese Muslimah Convert In Singapore

    9 Misconceptions Of A Chinese Muslimah Convert In Singapore

    1. We automatically changed our race when we became Muslim.

    “So you can speak Malay too?”

    “OMG, you can speak Chinese???”

    “I don’t get it… so you’re half-Malay and half-Chinese?”

    “Are you going to change your name to Siti bte…?”

    I’m Chinese, my parents are Chinese, my grandparents are Chinese, and my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents are Chinese. Becoming a muslim did not suddenly transform one of my ancestors to Malay and neither did it give me a sudden gift to speak Malay out of the blue (although I do wish I had such a gift for languages).

    2. We’re no longer Chinese because we can’t eat pork.

    Yes I get it that most of our Chinese dishes have pork in them. But linking the fact that we no longer eat pork to losing our ‘chinese-ness’ is akin to saying that our ‘chinese DNA’ is somehow located in a pig. Thanks but no thanks.

    By the way, chicken bak kut teh is just as nice. So is deng deng (the chicken version of bakkwa).

    3. We definitely converted because of our muslim partner/fiance/husband.

    Well I don’t blame you if you think that way, because it is quite a common case where we were introduced to Islam through them. BUT it does not mean we lack a brain and the ability to think for ourselves, because after all, we were not forced to convert. Contrary to popular belief, many of us actually do go to read up on Islam before we actually took the step to convert. Please do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT start preaching to us as if we did not consider all the ‘repercussions’ of our conversion. We do appreciate the concern, but at the same time we do not wish for you to look… uninformed.

    I also apologize beforehand if you meet me and make such an assumption- It is inevitable that I might roll my eyes uncontrollably. It’s not directed at you, just at the fact that it has happened virtually EVERY SINGLE TIME I tell someone I am muslim.

    4. We are okay with polygamy since our husbands are allowed to marry up to 4 wives.

    I get this a LOT. Frankly I’m really tired of this question, because I’m getting attacked front left right and back with it. Islam is the ONLY religion to dictate that the men should marry just one, if he cannot see himself to be just to more than one wife. Plus what our husbands choose to do will not affect you in any way. It’s between them and us.

    Having said this, won’t you ask yourself why we have chosen to subjugate ourselves to Islam despite such obligations? Doesn’t it say so much more about the authenticity of the message of Islam?

    5. Women are oppressed in Islam! We’ll have to stay in the kitchen and serve tea forever.

    How about, men are oppressed in Islam because they have to slog and earn money to provide for their wives while their wives get to earn their keep? Just because men and women have different roles does not mean one is superior over the other. And we women definitely do not feel at all oppressed one little bit, so stop harping over it. We are not brainwashed, nor have we been possessed to become meek, subservient wives.

    6. Once you’re in, you can’t get out. They’ll punish you. That’s why there’re so few people converting out of Islam.

    No, you’ll just get yourself a lengthy counseling session. Because this is Singapore, not ISIS.

    Many times though, there is still a social stigma linked to converting (as do all other religions), especially prevalent amongst the older, more traditional generation. But for us converts whose parents and relatives mostly do not share our joy in us becoming muslim, converting out of it is easy-peasy, as we’d be seen as going back to ‘normal’. But- Nauzubillah- I am shivering at the thought that I was this close to continue being non-muslim, and the thought of ever converting out of Islam. I pray I die a Muslim, insha’Allah!!

    7. We believe non-muslims go to hell.

    Actually, we’d be the ones to go to hell for ever assuming that about you. Go read thispost, it’ll give you a better picture.

    8. We might become terrorists one day.

    Yeah, the probability is as high as you becoming one, too. It’s the same thing when the word ‘expat’ is given only to you if you’re caucasian, and ‘immigrant’ if you’re Asian, or African, or Indian etc. A crazy christian terrorist, therefore, will be called a ‘crazy man’, whereas the word ‘terrorist’ will only be reserved for muslims. Stop following mainstream media and open your eyes to the rest of the terrorist attacks by other non-muslim groups that these propogandic media conveniently leaves out.

    9. We all lost our minds.

    Yeah, like suddenly, we became dumb and unable to make rational decisions, because of the fact that we did not consider all the points, especially those mentioned earlier. We get people telling us we’re stupid, looking at us piteously because we can no longer show off our hair and have to wear short dresses and skirts. We get people trying to advise us based on the misconceptions mentioned above (seriously I don’t mind well-meaning advice, debates, and intense talks on religion, but do not try to convert me by telling me that Muslim women are not allowed to drive, or something along that line). As much as I believe in your ability to think, so should you respect mine as well.

    So please, the next time you ever do see a Chinese Muslim in Singapore, please do know that we are as Chinese as the (Singaporean) Chinese can be, and as much as we appreciate your concern, we’d rather you see that we’ve chosen Islam for the beauty of the Faith rather than for the unfortunate, screwed-up misconceptions which you hold of it.

    Waleikumsalam (And peace be with you).

     

    Source: https://betweenfaith.wordpress.com

  • JAIS Compares Women To Houses, Asserts That Women Should Cover Aurat To Prevent Rape And Other Form Of Harassment

    JAIS Compares Women To Houses, Asserts That Women Should Cover Aurat To Prevent Rape And Other Form Of Harassment

    KUALA LUMPUR ― Muslim women should cover up their “aurat” to prevent rape and other forms of sexual harassment, Selangor’s Islamic authority said in its Friday sermon today.

    The sermon, prepared by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and available to mosques statewide, also compared women who do not cover up to homes which are left unlocked, and therefore are liable to break-ins by robbers.

    “The easiest comparison we can take is a house which was left by its residents who returned to their hometown. House A was left with its windows and doors properly locked, its fences secured with padlocks. Meanwhile, House B was left open and carelessly abandoned.

    “Which house would robbers love and break into? Surely house B because it was exposed and made it easy for external elements to intrude. Therefore, that was a simple analogy for women who cover up their ‘aurat’,” said the sermon.

    “Aurat” in Malay refers to “intimate body parts” that Muslims must cover with clothing; exposing these is considered sinful.

    According to contemporary Muslim teachings, Muslim women’s “aurat” towards unrelated men is their whole body except their faces and both palms.

    Friday prayers are attended almost exclusively by Muslim men in Malaysia.

    Jais claimed covering up would help women to stop themselves from being harassed physically and mentally, in addition to preventing negative ills such as rape, illicit sex and incest.

    The sermon also refuted claims that the Islamic practice of covering up suppresses individual rights, blaming so-called “enemies of Islam” for perpetuating the notion.

    “Allah prohibits men and women from exposing their aurat not to restrict their freedom, but because Allah exalt and appreciate them. No man or woman are persecuted by covering their aurat, but exposing it means being cruel to themselves and destructing others,” it added.

     

    Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

  • MUIS Builds Villas On Wakaf Land To Fund Upgrading of Al-Huda Mosque

    MUIS Builds Villas On Wakaf Land To Fund Upgrading of Al-Huda Mosque

    The 110-year-old Al-Huda Mosque in Jalan Haji Alias, off Sixth Avenue, will be getting new neighbours – six luxury villas that come with a swimming pool.

    And money from the sale of these villas will be used to fund the current upgrading of the mosque.

    Known as Alias Villas, the semi-detached strata landed units were launched yesterday by Warees Investments, the real estate development arm of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).

    The three-storey villas have a 99-year lease and are expected to be ready by 2017. They range from 3,000 to 3,670 sq ft and will go for at least $1,500 per sq ft, or around $5 million each.

    The launch is part of an ongoing revitalisation scheme by Warees Investments to enhance the asset value of wakaf properties, which are built on land bequeathed or willed by Muslims towards religious or charitable uses. The 30,450 sq ft wakaf land parcel that will house the villas was donated in 1905 by Indian landowner Navena Choona Narainan Chitty to trustees for building the Al-Huda mosque.

    Upgrading works to the mosque began last June and are due for completion next month. The $1.1 million upgrading cost is expected to be reimbursed with money from the sale of the adjacent villas.

    “Alias Villas is a reflection of the success of the Singaporean Muslim community,” said Mr Haider M. Sithawalla, chairman of Warees Investments’ board of directors.

    “What used to be a humble plot of land in the middle of the old Kampung Tempeh is now going to be a prestigious residential development in the heart of District 10,” he added, referring to how the area used to be a kampung from the 1920s to 1980s.

    At the launch at Marina Mandarin hotel yesterday, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said: “The whole idea is really to unlock the value of our wakaf. So this is a good example… a mosque which has been bequeathed with a little piece of land… We’ve been able to maximise it to generate further income for the mosque and for the beneficiaries of the wakaf.”

    He said he believed the duty of Muis and Warees is to maximise the potential of the wakaf land because the benefit goes back to the community.

    “So I think this is something which we are obligated to do and we will do our best with the help of the community.”

    One-stop website for Malay heritage

    Spanning news features, videos and even a digitised traditional game, a new website aims to be a one-stop gateway for resources on the Malay community’s heritage.

    The WarisanSG portal, warisansg.com, was launched yesterday by the Malay Heritage Foundation (MHF). Available in Malay and English, it includes news articles, event listings, picture and video galleries, and even a cyber version of congkak, a traditional Malay game.

    More than 20 Republic Polytechnic and National University of Singapore students who interned with the foundation contributed to the site’s content.

    A mobile game app and book were also launched yesterday. The app, Warisan Enigma, is a puzzle game where players can find out more about the history of Malay artefacts dating as far back as the 14th century.

    The book, Faith, Authority And The Malays: The Ulama In Contemporary Singapore, is the third of five books in the Singapore Malays: Our Heritage & Legacy series.

    Written by Mr Norshahril Saat, a doctorate candidate at Australian National University, it looks at the history of the Islamic religious elite and how Malay Muslims here respond to the challenges of modernisation while preserving their Islamic heritage.

    Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Education, attended the launch at the Malay Heritage Centre in Sultan Gate. She said these initiatives will facilitate the documentation, promotion and preservation of Malay heritage.

    “As we celebrate our nation’s 50th birthday this year, I am heartened by the efforts of individuals and organisations, such as the MHF, in the documentation and preservation of our local culture and heritage. This is a task that has no end, and is much better done by many hands and minds.”

     

    Source: http://news.asiaone.com

  • World Muslimah Award Returns: It’s Not Your Typical Pageant

    World Muslimah Award Returns: It’s Not Your Typical Pageant

    World Muslimah Award is happening again – for the fourth year running. In a sea of conventional beauty pageants, here’s an alternative for Muslim women that involves no bikinis or racy dresses.

    This international Muslimah contest is organised by World Muslimah Foundation (WMF), an independent organisation focusing on sustainable development and equality for women and children.

    Despite its name, World Muslimah Award wouldn’t call itself a beauty pageant. This award is part of an international charity event run by WNF with the objective of raising funds for Muslimahs trapped in wars, natural disasters and food crises. The criteria used to decide on a winner, according to the committee, are in line with values stated in the Qur’an.

    The importance of Qur’an reading skills and the commitment to wearing hijab are just some of the qualifications for registration. Apart from that, achievements in sports, arts, academics or culture are also considered during the selection process of the young women aged between 18 to 27 years old. This year, World Muslimah Award will be held in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

    The first round of participants are selected through an online audition from June 25 to September 7. The Grand Final and Coronation night will be held on November 21. Winners will receive various prizes including an umra package for two and $10,000 worth of gold dinar.

    The award will also showcase the Modest Street Fashion photography project, started by Detroit photographer Langston Hues. Langston has been photographing women in modest clothing who still look fabulous, in 20 countries and 25 cities. With a background in anthropology, he thinks of his journey as contemporary ethnography. Langston doesn’t believe that modesty is unique to Muslim fashion, but rather a multidimensional trend that spans the traditional to the experimental – all while maintaining spiritual principles. His shots of more than 400 outfits from around the world will be compiled into a book slated for release at the end of the year.

    For more information, visit the official website of World Muslimah Award

     

    Source: www.aquila-style.com