Rilek1Corner

Tag: revert

  • [Malaysia] Polytechnic Stallholder In Penang Allegedly Told To Convert To Islam If He Wanted To Continue With The Stall

    [Malaysia] Polytechnic Stallholder In Penang Allegedly Told To Convert To Islam If He Wanted To Continue With The Stall

    Gopi Krishnan Gopal, who operated a stall in Politeknik Seberang Perai (PSP), Penang, has now claimed that he was told to convert to Islam if he wanted to continue running his business.

    The 45-year-old former engineer claimed that the PSP head of administration, who allegedly told him and his wife, Khor Hong Geik, to convert, has since retired.

    Gopi Krishnan also claimed to have received calls from various quarters, including a government officer from Putrajaya, who told him to “keep things quiet” as there were efforts to get his stall reinstated.

    “I told the officer to raise the issue with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s department and to ask the PM to ensure that all polytechnics in the country have a canteen operator to provide food for non-Muslims, especially vegetarians.

    “We are not asking for a temple to be built in the polytechnic, just a stall to serve non-Muslims, some who are vegetarian due to religious reasons,” he said, adding that he served 1,200 non-Muslims students in PSP.

    Gopi Krishnan (second on left in photo) would be lodging a police report on the matter and is also mulling legal action against the polytechnic.

    Accompanying him at the press conference were Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy and lawyers Paramjit Singh and Shamsher Thind Singh.

    Malaysiakini is in the process of contacting the polytechnic and Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan on the latest allegation.

    Previously, Kamalanthan said the canteen operator was terminated from PSP due to “administrative reasons”. The deputy minister denied it had anything to do with racial or religious extremism.

    The polytechnic has also denied allegations of racism, adding that a police report was lodged on June 26 on the contents of messages on the matter that went viral.

    It is learnt that some 300 students have signed a petition, calling on the institution to reinstate the canteen operator, while several quarters have condemned PSP for its handling of a non-Muslim canteen operator.

    Gopi Krishnan had been operating his canteen in PSP since September last year but was told to fold up his business by June 30, which is tomorrow.

    He failed to obtain the permit for his stall despite meeting all the conditions stated in an open tender, which PSP held in May.

    Gopi Krishnan was the only non-Muslim among 12 operators who participated in the open tender.

    He was later told by the same head of administration, who allegedly told him to convert to Islam, that he was unable to fulfil the ISO syariah procedures.

    Ramasamy said the syariah compliance procedure was something new and surprising.

    “Why should a non-Muslim trader be subjected to this law? Are there requirements that in public institutions built with taxpayers’ money, both Muslims and non-Muslims, must practice syariah?

    “Gopi Krishnan is clearly a victim of racial and religious intolerance in public institutions,” he said.

    Ramasamy called on Kamalanathan, who is also MIC education bureau chief, and the entire PSP management, to resign.

     

    Source: www.malaysia-chronicle.com

  • Former Malaysian Minister: Muslims Must Speak Out Against Unilateral Child Conversion

    Former Malaysian Minister: Muslims Must Speak Out Against Unilateral Child Conversion

    Former minister Zaid Ibrahim today appealed to Muslims, urging them to speak up in kindness and fairness against unilateral child conversion.

    “I don’t know if I’m going to heaven, but those who have no heart will go nowhere. How can anyone condone a unilateral child conversion?

    “It’s not too late for good Muslims to speak up. We need to have capacity for kindness and being fair to others, even if not a Muslim.”

    The lawyer turned politician declared on Twitter that “we have lost our soul” if Malaysia did not prohibit the conversion of a child to Islam by one parent at the expense of the other.

    “Is being a Muslim more important than being human?”

    He asked whether the pain of a mother deprived of her child had no bearing in Islam.

    To resolve interfaith custody conflicts between Muslim and non-Muslim parents, a bill to amend Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 (Act 164) was tabled in Parliament last November.

    It was to be debated at the present sitting of the Dewan Rakyat but has been pushed back to No 8 in the order of proceedings.

    Once passed, the amendment allows only the civil courts to rule in matters pertaining to civil marriages, even if one spouse converts to Islam.

    However, Muslim legal experts have argued that the bill is “null and void” as it contradicts Islamic jurisprudence, which states that when a parent converts to Islam, his or her child (if the child has not yet reached puberty) automatically becomes a Muslim, too.

    Former chief justice Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim said any law which contradicts Islamic jurisprudence, derived from the Quran and Sunnah, was null and void.

    On these grounds, Haniff Khatri Abdulla, who is legal aide to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has challenged the validity of the bill that seeks to end unilateral child conversions.

    “In Islam, there is jurisprudence dealing with issues that arise when a person converts to Islam.

    “These include disputes over what happens to the convert’s previous union, to the child from that union, the religion of that child, the matrimonial and custodial rights.

    “On that basis, any amendment to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 (Act 164) which does not comply with Islamic jurisprudence, in that situation, would be null and void. That’s what I’ve been arguing for the last 12, 13 years,” Haniff Khatri said.

    Zaid, however, has expressed empathy for those embroiled in custody battles for their children, who along with their spouses, had converted to Islam.

    Among the better-publicised cases is that of kindergarten teacher M Indira Gandhi, who challenged the conversion of her three children after a protracted court battle for custody.

     

    Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com

  • Nur Jihan: Converting To Islam Made It Easier For Me To Do Good

    Nur Jihan: Converting To Islam Made It Easier For Me To Do Good

    This has been sitting in my draft for the longest time. I initially had the idea of writing this because there appears to be a lot of assumptions being made on the circumstances that surrounded my conversion. So here goes! 

    Not a lot of people know about this but I was pretty unhappy few years back, after I graduated from university. I would have sudden panic attacks where I would be paranoid about my parents meeting harm. One incident was particularly bad. My father had gone to China. I was telling my mum that he hasn’t whatsapped us for two days, which was unusual. 

    I couldn’t barely sleep that night and in the rare moments that I did, I would be rudely awakened by a dream of a car crash or the metallic smell of blood. I still couldn’t sleep at 6am, so I tried calling my father’s phone but it wouldn’t get through. Probably because my plan only allowed local calls. I waited till my mum stirred in her sleep to ask her for her phone. The call went through this time but I got an automated message saying that the phone number was no longer in use. That only added to my anxiety.

    I whatsapped, SMSed and emailed my dad –  just trying to get any response I could. 12 noon and I still got no reply. I was a mess. Thoughts were running through my head, mostly of regret. I thought of the times I was rude to my father, and how I would always refuse to accompany him whenever he wanted company to have dinner, supper or drop by the supermarket or petrol station.

    It was only in the afternoon, at about 1 or 2pm, when my mother told me that my father had called back after receiving my messages. He thought something bad had happened at home. She assured him that everything was fine, and I was just worried that he had not contacted us for 2 days. 

    My mum asked if I wanted to speak to him on the phone. I declined. I didn’t know what to say to him. I ran into the toilet and cried, overwhelmed with relief.

    I remained kind of unhappy after that, not doing much to change things as they were. I slowly started to realize that maybe I was disappointed at the person that I was? I was always nice to friends, but I never gave my parents the love I thought they deserved and it was eating me up. 

    This had never bothered me before but perhaps growing up and graduating from university made me realize some things? It was as if something snapped in me and made me aware of this gaping hole that I never knew I had and left me very unfulfilled about my life. 

    I would hear Aizat talk about the funny things that happened at home with his family and I would get jealous. They were so close. I don’t even remember the last time I hugged or kissed my parents, let alone enjoy a meal out with them. Our outings were always quiet and tense and not much fun. I always dreaded them.

    I didn’t know how to turn things around. 

    A friend got to know about my situation and recommended that I attend a life coaching program. I was so desperate to feel better that I dragged another friend along with me. We spent almost $3000 on the program to ‘fix’ ourselves.

    It wasn’t very useful in retrospect. Sure, during those 3 days you witness miraculous changes in your attitude and mood, but I wouldn’t liken it to anything more than having a great holiday with friends.

    Long story short. Life coaching programs aren’t what they shout to be, at least to me.

    What I did take away from the program was the call I made to my mum (as part of the Acts of Courage we were required to do everyday) to ask for her blessings, and if she would be fine with me embracing Islam. She told me that all she wanted was for me to be happy and she hoped that I would make the decision for myself and not under the pressure of others.

    Perhaps the best part of the program were the similarities I drew between the program and Islam. One example was how the program required us to do 5 daily ritual/routines that were meant to be meditative and instill discipline. That sounded a lot like the 5 daily prayers Muslims had to perform every day! There were many other aspects and reflections I had of the program that reminded me of Islam.

    I thought to myself, why was I spending money on a program to make myself happier when I could get it for free by learning more about Islam? And why was relying on a 3 day course for guidance when I had something more permanent I could depend on?

    That was when I thought, screw this program, let’s see what Islam offers. And I haven’t stopped learning about Islam since. And what a change my life has been!

    I’m happier now. I can hug and kiss my parents freely. I learnt how to put my parents before my needs – sometimes! But it’s a start! I’m starting to become the person, the daughter, the sister, and the friend I want to be.

    The day of my conversion (30 May 2015) at Darul Arqam. 

    I just want to leave this world feeling like I was a good person and that I have reciprocated the blessings I received in this life to the wonderful people, and the world, around me.

    Beliefs aside, I believe that this desire to be a better version of yourself, to do good is an innate one for most people. We’re not unique or different from others in this aspect. Everyone finds their own way there. I don’t believe that anyone can be truly happy without it, else there wouldn’t be so many self-help books on happiness and finding purpose in life.

    Skeptics often say ‘Oh, that’s sad. You actually need a religion to do good’. Great for you if you managed to get there on your own – that’s really impressive and admirable. But it wasn’t as straightforward for me. I knew what was wrong but I didn’t know how to fix it. Thankfully though, I have found my way.

    I’m done with the self-help books and life coaching programs. I now have Islam and it just makes things a lot easier for me. My religion makes me more disciplined, more reflective, and implements a way of life that makes doing good easier. I think of it as a lifehack and it’s the best lifehack I ever discovered.

    Think of it this way: even if there wasn’t a God, I would have lost nothing, but gained everything. I would have lived a more meaningful life. And that’s all that matters to me

    Source: www.theradiantmuslim.com

  • Cute Grandpa is 85 Years Old, And He Just Reverted To Islam

    Cute Grandpa is 85 Years Old, And He Just Reverted To Islam

    Meet Mr Ghazali Chua, 85 years young, who is one of our newest Converts. After spending much quality time with his Malay friends around the neighbourhood, Alhamdulillah, his heart and soul were touched by the light of Islam. Yesterday, he started a new journey. He embraced Islam, witnessed by friends at MCAS.

    Next to him is MCAS employee, Mr Yusuf Ali @ Muralitharan, 25 years young, who embraced Islam at the age of 18 after learning about it from his Muslim friends.

    Alhamdulillah, the two of them are now the best of buddies. May Allah continue to bless them, and all our Converts, with His Mercy, Love, and Guidance. Ameen.

    Once a person embraces Islam, all sins prior to you becoming a Muslim are forgiven. In Islam, we are encouraged to better ourselves. It should matter not who you were yesterday, but who you want to be.

    #newmuslim#converts#youngandold#mcas#muslimconvert#nevertoolate#neverjudge#wearemuslim#wearemuslimtoo#becomingmuslim#islamforall#muslimconvertsingapore#darularqam#darularqamsingapore

    Share this story if it moves you.

     

    Source: Muslim Converts’ Association of Singapore – Darul Arqam Singapore

  • Kisah Bagaimana Muhammad Ali Peluk Islam

    Kisah Bagaimana Muhammad Ali Peluk Islam

    Sukan tinju dunia dikejutkan dengan berita kehilangan seorang lagenda apabila Muhammad Ali disahkan meninggal dunia, 4 Jun 2016.

    Ali yang dilahirkan pada 17 Januari 1942 di Louisville, Kentucky, Amerika Syarikat menghembuskan nafasnya pada usia 73 tahun, dipercayai kerana menghidap masalah pernafasan.

    Beliau yang pernah menjadi peninju juara heavyweight dunia sebanyak tiga kali sememangnya merupakan salah seorang tokoh sukan terbesar pada abad ke-20.

    Dalam namanya sedang meningkat naik, Ali tiba-tiba mengejutkan dunia apabila memilih untuk memeluk agama Islam dan menukar nama asalnya, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr, pada tahun 1964.

    Pengumuman pertukaran agamanya itu didedahkan kepada umum buat pertama kali di arena gelanggang selepas Ali berjaya menjuarai heavyweight dunia menumpaskan Sonny Liston.

    Petukaran agamanya itu juga membuatkan ada yang menggelarkannya sebagai ‘Black Muslim’.

    Ali yang awal merupakan mualaf ketika itu dikatakan mempunyai pegangan yang berubah-ubah terhadap Islam.

    Namun, selepas itu Ali mula mendekati ajaran Islam dengan menyertai Nation of Islam, sebelum mengambil keputusan berada dalam aliran Islam Sunni pada tahun 1975, kemudian kepada mazhab Sufi pada tahun 2005.

    Sementara itu, ramai peminatnya percaya Ali memeluk Islam ekoran pengaruh rakan baiknya yang dikenali Malcolm X.

    Malah, ada sumber yang memberitahu, lagenda itu menerima hidayah ketika menemani rakannya mendengar ceramah ajaran Islam.

    Keyakinan Ali terhadap Islam semakin utuh apabila beliau merasakan agama itu tidak membezakan warna kulit, etnik, kekayaan dan semuanya sama di mata Allah SWT.

    Setelah pertukaran agamanya, Ali yang popular dengan gelaran ‘The Greatest’ meminta orang ramai tidak lagi memanggilnya sedemikian kerana mahu bersederhana seperti yang dituntut oleh ajaran Islam.

    Sepanjang hayat, Ali sememangnya cukup terkenal dengan suara lantangnya demi mempertahankan isu-isu kaum, agama dan politik.

    Awal Disember lalu, Ali sekali lagi memainkan peranannya menegakkan hak Islam apabila menyelar pendirian calon presiden Amerika Syarikat, Donald Trump yang mahu menghentikan imigrasi umat Islam ke negara itu.

    “Saya seorang Muslim dan tidak ada orang Islam mahu membunuh orang yang tidak bersalah di Paris, San Bernardino, atau di mana sahaja di dunia. Penganut Islam yang sebenar tahu bahawa keganasan yang kejam bertentangan dengan ajaran agama Islam,” ujarnya.

    Sesungguhnya, insan bernama Muhammad Ali ini sukar dicari ganti dan akan kekal diingatan setiap peminatnya.

    Semoga roh Muhammad Ali berada dalam kalangan orang-orang yang soleh. Al-Fatihah.

    Sumber: http://www.mynewshub.cc/2016/06/04/ini-kisah-bagaimana-muhammad-ali-masuk-islam/

     

    Source: www.indahnyaislam.my