Tag: Singaporeans

How Credible Are “Scholars” Who Learn About Islam From Western Institutions?

# Islamic Scholars from Secular & Western Universities?

While neighbouring countries celebrate local & overseas scholars who attained doctorates in Islamic universities such as Jordan, Egypt & Saudi Arabia, and take knowledge from them.

Why then are we taking knowledge & promoting local & overseas scholars from Western universities such as those in Cambridge & Oxford, and secular universities such as those in staunchly secular Tunisia?

And who can we credit for this idea of sending students for Islamic studies to secular & Western universities and to eventually promote & propagate a brand of Islam with liberal & orientalist leanings?

“Religion as a knowledge does not belong to religious institutions, but rather to SECULAR higher learning colleges. And if we speak about qualified higher learning institutions, WESTERN universities are the most competitive ones.

Thus, if you want to study Islam, particularly Indonesian Islam, it should not be at UIN or a Middle Eastern institution, but rather at such universities as in the Netherlands, the United States, or Australia.”

~ Luthfi Assyaukanie (co-founder of Liberal Islam Network, Indonesia), “Where we go to study Indonesian Islam?”, Jakarta Post, 25 June 2010

Source: Islamic Sg

March 27, 2017
Azam Ahmad: Muslims To Blame For Current Attack On Islam

Islam is under attack on all fronts and we Muslims have to take the blame. Really.

Starting from our local scholars and religious teachers, to the elders in the community, and then the leaders of each family.

Take care of our own flock, ensure that they get proper Islamic education. Then, the community needs to reach out to every person out there who needs support and help.

Until we learn to practice Islam as what it truly is, and by that I mean to start caring and loving others next to us more than we do ourselves, how can we expect others to treat us the same?

To every single “asatizah” out there, my brotherly plead to you: Please start executing your real dakwah work. Beyond preaching on social media and at the mosques or organizations, start going out there to the streets and make more friends (not customers)! Your work is already cut out for you.

Let us be duly reminded that our own salvation depends on the flock that we have inherited or been entrusted with. But have we asked us ourselves who they really are?

Source: Azam Ahmad

March 27, 2017
Terrex Case: PRC Ship Captain And Shipping Company Face Charges From Hong Kong Authorities

The captain of a container ship belonging to shipping company APL has been charged with not having the required licence when his vessel stopped in Hong Kong with nine Singapore Armed Forces armoured vehicles last November.

Pan Xuejun, 39, did not enter a plea at the West Kowloon Magistrate Court yesterday. The Chinese national faces one count of importing strategic commodities without the necessary licence. He was allowed bail of HK$50,000 (S$9,010), and his case has been adjourned to May 19. If convicted, Pan could face a fine and up to seven years in jail.

APL is understood to be also facing prosecution.

The Hong Kong authorities said it has “sufficient evidence to prove” that both APL and Pan had breached the law. It also said the Singapore Government could not be held responsible for the breach as it was only the consignee of the vehicles.

The court heard that on Nov 23 last year, Pan was the captain of a vessel transporting the Singapore-made Terrex infantry carriers back to Singapore after a military exercise in Taiwan. The ship stopped in Hong Kong without an import licence issued by the city’s Director-General of Trade and Industry. This led Customs officials to seize the vehicles.

According to the Customs authorities, vessels must declare all cargo on board before docking at its port. Generally, cargo in transit does not require an “import or export licence” as it will remain on the ship. However, such a licence is needed for “certain type of strategic commodities”.

Source: www.tnp.sg

March 25, 2017
Amos Yee Granted US Asylum

CHICAGO — A US immigration judge in Chicago on Friday (March 24, US time) granted asylum to a Singaporean blogger, saying he was persecuted for his political opinions in the Republic.

Amos Yee, 18, who had been jailed twice in Singapore, qualifies as a political refugee, according to a 13-page opinion by the US immigration judge.

Amos is immediately eligible for release after having been held in US immigration detention since Dec 16, 2016, according to his attorney, Ms Sandra Grossman, who is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Singapore Embassy in Washington could not be reached for comment after business hours on Friday evening.

Judge Samuel Cole ruled Amos’ prosecution, detention and maltreatment at the hands of the Singapore authorities “constitute(s) persecution on account of Amos’ political opinions”, and called him a “young political dissident”.

“The evidence presented at the hearing demonstrates Singapore’s prosecution of Amos was a pretext to silence his political opinions critical of the Singapore government,” Mr Cole wrote.

The US Department of Homeland Security had opposed Amos’ asylum application, claiming the Singapore government legitimately prosecuted Amos.

Ms Grossman said the judge’s decision supported the right of individuals to criticise their government.

“The right to free speech is sacred, even when such speech is considered offensive,” she said in an email. “The decision timely underscores the vital need for an independent judiciary in a functioning democracy.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

March 25, 2017
Is Mr Abdul Rahim Osman The First Independent Malay Candidate Contesting Presidential Elections?

Dear All Singapore Stuff,

I live in Sengkang. I received this flyer and name card from an Independent candidate who claimed to be doing a constituency visit recently.

As there are no by-elections at the moment, I can surmise that this Malay uncle is hoping to be an independent candidate in the September 2017 presidential election.

I googled his name Abdul Rahim Osman and found an article (https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/ex-wp-ex-sda-recently-singfirs…) about him. Apparently he had considered contesting the Bukit Batok by-election last year but ultimately backed out before nomination day.

Unfortunately for Mr Osman, while the presidential election is reserved for Malays, it still has a criteria and common Malays are unlikely to qualify. I doubt that Mr Osman who is a businessman, has a paid-up capital of at least S$100 million. He is neither the chairman of a board of directors nor the CEO of a statutory board.

I’m surprised that Mr Osman is still not familiar with the rules of the presidential election. If it was so simple, every abang will be submitting his resume already. Live so long in SG but still don’t know how PAP’s system works?

George (Sengkang Resident)
A.S.S. Contributor

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

March 25, 2017