Baru-baru ni, ada pergerakan memakai putih untuk kembali ke fitrah, pada 28 June ini. Ada juga yg tidak memberi sokongan atas alasan, ‘kalau nak kembali ke fitrah, tidak perlu memakai putih. Sembarang warna pun boleh.’
Di sini masalah orang Islam. Berpecahan. Kalau kita beri sokongan, apakah menjadi dosa? Jatuh miskin ke kita di dunia dan hari kemudian apabila memberi sokongan?
Masalah sekecil inipun dibantah, dicela, dikritik.
Dalam soal ini, saya neutral. Tapi memandangkan ianya tidak mendatangkan dosa untuk saya kalau saya menyokong, saya rasa paling sedikit saya boleh buat adalah dengan sokongan moral dan lisan.
Kita tahu ada banyak cara untuk kembali ke fitrah. Tapi yang mengaturkan acara ini, memilih supaya kita memakai serba putih untuk menunjukkan kesatuan. Bagaimana kita hendak bersatu jikalau perkara sekecil ini yang tidak melanggar peraturan Islam pun dibangkang? Berat ke untuk kita menyatakan sokongan kita supaya pergerakan ini dapat sokongan orang ramai dan sekaligus, dapat eratkan perpaduan?
Dari segi kelebihan dan kelemahan, saya tidak dapat terfikir akan kelemahan yg ada pada pergerakan tersebut. Malahan, ia banyak kelebihannya dari sudut perpaduan. Jadi mengapa susah untuk orang kita menolak tepi perbezaan pendapat untuk sesuatu yang baik? Saya mahu bertanya mereka-mereka yang membangkang sepenuhnya. Mengapa tidak setuju dgn cara ini? Dari segi haram, adakah ia merosakkan akidah? Ataupun mendatangkan dosa kepada yg menyertai?
Kalau kedua-duanya tidak, dengan segala hormat dan merendah diri saya usulkan supaya kita berhentikan membantah hanya kerana tidak sesuai dengan citarasa masing-masing. Mari kita lihat kepada kebaikkan dalam masa panjang. Dan kalau tidak dapat melihat akan kabaikkannya dalam masa panjang, atau kelemahan pergerakkan tersebut, jgn pula lancang atau memperkecilkan usaha mereka2 ini. Mereka bergiat untuk ummah walaupun tidak sehaluan dgn cita rasa kita. Mungkinpun saya tidak akan memakai putih pada hari tersebut, tetapi niat baik org2 ini, tidak harus dicela. Malahan, kita harus beri semangat untuk mereka meneruskan hajat baik mereka itu.
Maaf kalau pendapat saya ini kurang menyenangkan pihak-pihak tertentu. Tidak bermaksud untuk bertelaga. Cuma sebagai kaum muslim di singapura, saya mahukan yang terbaik untuk semua. Bersatu kita teguh, bercerai kita roboh.
I am so disappointed. At how morally unsound some people can be. But putting my emotions aside, I would like to share my story on how I was a potential victim of a scheme by X.
The story goes…
I was asked out by an acquaintance for coffee last week. It was quite queer that he wanted to meet for coffee, but he told me he was involved in a travel project and wanted to get my input on it’s viability.
So well.. I said yes. I had the time to spare after work today, and it was rather near my workplace. I thought it would be nice to see an old acquaintance as well.
But for him, his intentions were different.
For all the wrong reasons.
To cut the long story short, he did not meet me with the intention to share an idea with me.
In fact, he met with me because he wanted to sell me a package. A very nicely packaged but dubious package.
I don’t blame him, because I know very well how thesePyramid/Multi-Level Marketing companies work.
They paint you a beautiful picture of how much you can earn in cash, how easy it is for you to do it part-time, how effortless it will be with their guidance, and how it is NOT their intention for you to buyANYTHING from them.
We are glad more and more people are coming out to share their stories on these Get-Rich-Quick schemes (GRQ). Without these brave souls, many would still believe those empty promises. We can’t thank you enough for creating this public awareness.
Stand firm. Speak up. Don’t let anyone fool you.
Are you a victim too? Share your story with us at Rilek1Corner.
SINGAPORE — Religion is important to their identity, and Muslims and Protestant Christians are the two religious groups that are most affected by and most disapproving when friends or family members of the same faith give up their religious beliefs.
They also feel more strongly than their Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic and other counterparts about moral issues such as homosexual sex, sex before marriage, adoption of children by gay couples and gambling.
These were among the findings in a study on religiosity and management of religious harmony released yesterday by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).
The study’s authors said: “Considering that for many Muslims, Protestants and Catholics, a mark of the good person includes the teaching of one’s morals, it is important that they temper this with a respect for those who do not share such values.”
About two-thirds of Muslims and 44 per cent of Protestants said religion was very important to their sense of identity — significantly higher numbers than those of other faiths. About 69 per cent of Muslims and half the Protestants said they disapproved of family members of their faith giving up their religious beliefs, compared with 20 per cent of Buddhists and 31 per cent of Hindus, for example.
The study’s authors noted that giving up religious beliefs is more disconcerting among religious groups where there are higher levels of religious participation and identity.
Lead author, IPS senior research fellow Mathew Mathews, said greater religiosity among Muslims here was observed a few decades ago and coincided with increased global Muslim piety. Many Muslims in Malaysia and the region also take their religion very seriously and this is increasingly so, he noted. As for Protestants, the dominant form of Protestant Christianity here is of a “conservative variety where there is an emphasis on doing the right thing”.
Many Singaporean Protestants are first-generation Christians and “you expect converts to be a lot more fervent about their faith, especially since they made a choice to embrace the religion”, Dr Mathew said.
Mr Noor Mohamed Marican, president of Inter-Religious Organisation, said it is important that Muslim and Protestant leaders have strong ties and communication with different religious leaders, as inter-faith dialogues based on goodwill will prevent misunderstandings. “We must learn to respectfully agree to disagree and see above and beyond our disagreements,” he said.
Speaking in his capacity as Bishop of the Lutheran Church, Reverend Terry Kee said: “If you look at the survey, it’s not just Muslim and Christians … almost all the faiths had similar conviction in terms of the importance of good strong morals. With the increase of non-religious influence … (and) in the face of eroding moral fabric of our society, this actually brings the religious community closer together … on how we can work together to preserve and protect the moral value of our nation.”
Rev Kee, who is also a vice-president of the National Council of Churches of Singapore, added: “So this would not be a problem between different religions but, rather, it may become a problem between a more united religious community versus the non-religious.”
Literary and cultural critic Nazry Bahrawi of the Singapore University of Technology and Design also felt Singapore’s biggest challenge with regard to harmony is not inter-religious. “Rather, our developing ‘culture war’ really has to do with how Protestants and Muslims react to changing views of sexuality,” he said, urging both religious groups to consider theology from multiple traditions and perspectives.
Singapore could consider ethics instead of moral education modules in schools to promote more empathy and less judgment of others, he suggested.
The study’s authors also warned that vibrant religious centres elsewhere are likely to have some influence on believers in Singapore through constant exchanges and the Internet. With immigrant flows, there is the possibility of intra-religious conflicts over theology, religious practice and other issues.
Established religious structures here should also be open to incorporating “splinter groups” with their own interpretation of religion and “steer them clear from tendencies that may destabilise religious harmony”, they wrote. Additional reporting by Laura Philomin
Kebanyakan rakyat Singapura agak senang dengan keadaan sekarang apabila membincangkan soal ruang bersama bagi amalan keagamaan.
Hanya suku yang mengatakan kumpulan-kumpulan agama patut diberi lebih banyak hak daripada yang sedia ada.
Demikian menurut dapatan terbaru mengenai kehidupan beragama di sini, yang dikeluarkan Institut Pengajian Dasar, IPS.
Dan masyarakat Muslim ternyata masih mencatat kadar tertinggi mempertahankan nilai-nilai agama, berbanding penganut agama lain.
Dapatan tertinggi – 94% Muslim menganggap hubungan sejenis adalah salah.
There’s something we need to confess to you. We, straight Muslims, do not hate you. In fact, we have never hated you. True, we may seem aggressive with our acts of eradicating LGBTQ from the society but it’s not because we hate you.
So my dear brothers and sisters, how can homosexuality ever be acceptable in Islam?
Allah’s wisdom is so great that nothing can surpass it. We’re always talking about hijab. That’s why we even need to hijab when we’re in the same room with the same gender. Both men’s and women’s aurah when in front of the same gender are from the navel to the knees (knees included). We cannot be naked in front of anyone, except for your halal wife/husband. That’s the beauty of marriage. MasyaAllah. How much details Allah SWT has put into the rules and guidelines for us to live our daily lives and not even a single loophole in Islam.
Allah SWT even forbid us from cross-dressing. A lady can’t dress like a guy and a guy can’t dress like a lady. Even if a guy wears the headscarf just for sake of fun, it is haram. SubhanAllah. How strict our Lord is when it comes to this.
Again my homosexual brothers and sisters, we’re not against you. We will never humiliate you. Those who humiliate you are not one of us. We are here to give constant reminders to you. It may be hurtful going through the process of purification. No doubt, it will be very very hard to contain those urges and desires. But just think of your parents, if not for them, you’ll not see the world. You need both mother’s and father’s love and attention. You know both of them play very different roles. Can you imagine yourself being brought up by same sex parents? And knowing that you’re either adopted or your birth isn’t normal? Not knowing who’s your real parents or who your dad is? If you can’t imagine, then please spare the emotional torture from your future child(ren). Plus, you know how important breastfeeding is to newborn. How can you have the heart depriving a newborn of the best nutrition?
Allah is great. He wants to protect us. Have we not read of the statistic that proportionally, more homosexuals are infected by HIV than heterosexuals? Can’t you see how much Allah SWT, the One who created you, loves you? He knows you more than you know yourself. He forbids homosexuality as He knows how much detrimental effects it will bring to you, to the community.
It’s not too late, my dear brothers and sister. You may have a very dark past. You may feel that your sin is too big for Allah SWT to forgive. But know that the only sin that Allah SWT won’t forgive is syirk (associating partners to Allah SWT). Allah SWT says in the Qur’an:
“Allah says: “O My servants who have transgressed against their souls, do not despair of Allah’s mercy, for Allah forgives all sins. It is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (al-Quran 39:53)
Remember that whenever you wanna repent and there’s something inside you saying that you’re not deserving of Allah’s forgiveness, that’s not your voice. That’s syaitan who’s whispering into your ears. You’re better than syaitan and iblis. Know that while you’re struggling to stop loving the same gender, there’s also a straight person who’s struggling not to be in a haram relationship.
I know this post may not change you, but my only hope is that for you to keep seeking the truth. My only advise is that to not miss any prayers. I remembered at one point of time how far I was from Allah SWT, but I keep telling myself that I should never miss any prayers. How difficult it was to find the time or place to pray, I still struggled hard to stop making excuses for myself. At that moment, I didn’t know what actions will make Allah SWT happy, but I knew the things that Allah SWT hated. So I tried my best to refrain from doing things that brought pleasure to me, but hatred to Allah SWT.
If you always club, drink, smoke, have promiscuous sex, or any sinful acts, avoid it one by one. No one is asking you to change drastically. For drastic change will bear drastic impact. If you can handle the drastic impact, then Alhamdulillah for you. If not, then do it one at a time. What’s most important is that you have the intention to change, only for the One. Keep making do’a to the Lord of the universe. Know that if He can control the entire universe, controlling your heart is just a small matter. Just ask for it. He doesn’t need you to survive, you need Him to survive.
Life is just a challenge. Everyone has their own challenges. If you think your challenge is the biggest, know that there’s someone else in this world who’s struggling to live; no food, no place to sleep, no parents, don’t know if tomorrow a bullet gonna pierce through his/her head.
You can be the happiest person. You don’t need a human’s love to make you feel complete. All you need is Allah SWT’s and Rasulullah SAW’s love. To have your halal spouse to love you, is a bonus. You choose your own happiness.
“A happy person once said: “The beautiful day is the day on which we have control of our affairs and our affairs do not control us. It is the day on which we control our desires and we are not controlled by them like slaves.”” (extracted from the book ‘You Can Be The Happiest Women In The World’)
Last not but not least, be friends with those who love Allah SWT. Be in the environment that gives you the positive vibe. Know that if someone loves Allah SWT, it doesn’t only come from the heart. If someone truly and sincerely loves Him, from the heart it will automatically show through from one’s appearance and actions. Be with those who truly and sincerely love Him.
How contradictory and hurtful it may sound, but know that those who support your sinful acts are actually the one who don’t love you. Those who stop and acknowledge you are the ones who truly love you. Life is temporary and we don’t want you to live “happily” only for a short period of time. We want you to be happy forever, now and till the Hereafter. InsyaAllah.
May Allah SWT guide us always and never make us go astray.
WP MP Faisal Manap raises some concerns of Muslims, as expressed in the Suara Musyawarah Report, in Parliament.
Instead of addressing the issue head-on, PAP Muslim MPs tries to corner Faisal into taking a stand on the issue (which he didn’t, and i think he should have). Later, the MPs were either silent on the issue or tried to skirt it, or even deny it.
Now i have a few questions for the Muslim MPs:
1) Is the Suara Musyawarah Report not commissioned by the government? If so, what is the follow-up?
2) What is the attitude of the Muslim MPs towards the report? Take what you like from it, and ignore what you don’t?
3) If the latter is the case, why have the report in the first place?
4) Even IF those things stated are not true, those are indeed the perceptions of many Muslims. Will you address those perceptions with facts and figures, and reasoned argumentation? Or will those just be dismissed or ignored?
I call upon them to take a stand on these issues/questions, in the name of constructive politics.
Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, a public-spirited individual, is an ongoing Political Science student of the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is a three-times award recipient of the Graduate Student Teaching (GSTA) Award Honour Roll in 2012. In the recent NUS Commencement Week, he was also selected as the Valedictorian of his cohort.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Seems like both parties cranked up their engines harder this time round with fancy new measures and proposals. The announcement on setting up of WP Malay/Muslim committee to oversee concerns faced by the community should have been done way much earlier. Nevertheless, it’s better late than never. We applaud WP to help the community alongside PAP. Having two different approaches and perspectives to issues will definitely result in expedited progress, only if sole focus is on the community, and not about the respective parties and what’s important to them.
We are glad that more and more Muslims are speaking up for what’s good for their community. This is our country and in a significant way, we have the right to decide our future. As long that discussions are not baseless and no vulgarities involved, someday somehow someone will hear us.
