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Tag: Walid J. Abdullah

  • Walid J. Abdullah: Singapore Needs To Re-Examine Ideas Of ‘Tolerance’, ‘Harmony’ And ‘Extremism’

    Walid J. Abdullah: Singapore Needs To Re-Examine Ideas Of ‘Tolerance’, ‘Harmony’ And ‘Extremism’

    We really need to think through the idea of ‘tolerance’ and ‘harmony’, and ‘extremism’.

    Is a person intolerant because (s)he refuses to say merry christmas to someone else? Does one turn into an extremist for having the belief that religious practices should be exclusive to one’s own faith? And if we start here, i wonder where do we draw the line: what do we make of a person who refuses to marry outside his/her faith? Is that person an ‘extremist’?

    Personally, i know of a couple of elderly Muslims who do not attend events at churches or temples (it’s a personal preference, as they would mostly acknowledge), but no one in the right mind would ever make the claim that they are ‘distant’ or ‘intolerant’: they are probably some of the nicest neighbours one could have. They give food to their neighbours (yes, non-Muslims too), always strike a conversation with strangers in the block, and never fail to smile at anyone.

    At the same time, i have many non-Muslim neighbours who have never wished me ‘Selamat Hari Raya’ or ‘Eid Mubarak’ (for whatever reasons): but of course, no one bats an eyelid when that happens. When a Muslim does/does not do the same thing, it is suddenly problematic. Unfortunately, Islam is always on trial.

    One of the ways that we should not make a community feel ‘distant’, is to stop viewing the world in false binaries. We should not be too quick to accuse and ‘advise’ a particular group, based on our own worldviews and understandings of the world.

     

    Source: Walid J. Abdullah

  • Walid J. Abdullah: Stop Looking At Madrasahs And Students As Second-Class

    Walid J. Abdullah: Stop Looking At Madrasahs And Students As Second-Class

    It is wonderful indeed to see madrasah students – such as Nur Masyitah Borhan and Murshidah Albakri – performing so well in their O-Levels. Lest we forget, for many of these madrasah students, their O-levels are not their bread-and-butter, and we must not judge them by how well they do in it. Hence, for those who do brilliantly despite the fact that they have many other subjects to study for (yes, they do not stop reading other subjects just because it is O-level year), it is a phenomenal feat.

    Unfortunately, I have met many people – even Muslims – who do not really know too much about the madrasahs, but somehow ‘know’ enough (usually from their ‘own experience’, which actually involves encountering one or two madrasah students) to believe that madrasah students/graduates are somehow less able than students/graduates of national schools. It is almost like modern-day orientalism.

    From my own limited experience, I believe madrasah students are just like students of other schools: on average all of them are just as smart. Then you have some hardworking ones, and some less-hardworking ones. Some are naturally more gifted, others, less so. There is nothing ‘special’ or ‘inferior’ about their abilities.

    Two things, however, I believe are different:

    1) The workload of these students far outweigh their national schools counterparts, so naturally, the amount of work required is more as well.

    2) On average, these students are far more well-behaved, and well-mannered. I can understand why many choose to dedicate their entire lives serving the madrasahs, because the students – more often than not – make it worth the sacrifices.

    I am not at all saying that the madrasah system is perfect; no system is, after all. I am sure many could list some problems the madrasahs face, just as many could do the same for national schools. All i am saying is that we should always consider and reconsider our preconceived notions and possible biases before making sweeping statements about things that many consider integral to their communities, such as the madrasahs.

     

    Source: Walid J.Abdullah

  • Walid J. Abdullah: Society, Not State, The Answer To Police And Nip Seditious Comments

    Walid J. Abdullah: Society, Not State, The Answer To Police And Nip Seditious Comments

    I always get worried when someone is charged or jailed for saying something ‘wrong’. Believe me, i know all about racist/derogatory comments (i am Muslim and Indian, after all!), but even with regards to those who make such remarks towards my religion or ethnicity, i would never advocate for the strong arm of the law to punish the offender.

    And what is even more worrying for me, i see so many people cheering the sentence of the dude who allegedly hurt so many Singaporeans with his comments; and in fact, many are asking for a longer jail term.

    Do we really have to punish people who make the slightest of offensive remarks? Can’t we disagree loudly and passionately, or call them out ourselves? Can we ever solve racism or attain true racial harmony if our response is to utilize the full force of the state each time something like this happens?

    I say: always be careful if you advocate for more state intervention in terms of punishment, because today it may be someone else who said something ‘wrong’; tomorrow, when societal conditions and/or the state change, it may be your turn.

     

    Source: Walid J. Abdullah

  • Walid J Abdullah – An Appeal To The Politicians

    Walid J Abdullah – An Appeal To The Politicians

    Appeal to the Politicians:

    Dear politicians,

    This is not an attempt at analyzing the intricacies of the elections. Nor is this an attempt at a pseudo-intellectual post. And this is most definitely not a ‘politicized’ status (since the ‪#‎sonofsimei‬ is not running for elections).

    This a sincere appeal from a Singaporean.

    —–

    I believe that as a Singaporean, I do not need politicians to show your sincerity by running from house to house – while being recorded – during hustings.

    I do not need you to tell me about a touching email you received from one person you helped before.

    I do not need you to preach to me about ‘knowing the ground’.

    I do not need you to take the bus once to show me that you are a man on the ground.

    I most definitely do not need you to make scathing personal remarks against your political foes (especially when they are not funny or witty, AT ALL!!!!!!!!!).

    I do not need you to say your opponents visit the estate once in every 5 years.

    I do not need you to get down on your knees, smile so much and display a newfound sense of humility ONLY during election time.

    I do not need you to tell me that you need to explain your policies better.

    I do not need you to speak for me, behind closed doors.

    —–

    I do need you to visit my house when it is not election time (and you can walk slowly, don’t have to run).

    I do need you to actually reply to my emails.

    I do need you to listen to what i have to say, so that i can help you understand the ‘ground’ better.

    I do need you to raise transport issues in Parliament – not raise transport costs – even if you do not regularly take the public transport.

    I do need you to display some wits and humour in your speeches in an intelligent manner (seriously, i do not need more colourless characters in my life, what more those who think they are funny when actually they are really talking nonsense).

    I do need you to stop saying your opponents do not show up when i have never/rarely seen you in my neighbourhood before!!!!! (By the way, it is not the duty of un-elected politicians to visit people, though of course, it would factor in our voting decision. But it IS the obligation of elected MPs to visit their wards, and those who are never seen, are skiving!)

    I do need you to be humble in your daily duties. Do not show this humility only during hustings, and then put it back inside the closet for the next 5 years.

    I do need you to understand that when I disagree with your policies, it is because i think they are flawed, not because they have not been explained well-enough.

    I do need you to represent me in Parliament. So that i can take account of who exactly is speaking up for me, and what exactly are the responses given. When i give you my opinion, even if you disagree, listen. And even if you disagree still, bring it up in Parliament. I do hope you do not forget that a huge part of your duty is to represent me in Parliament, so try listening to me more than you try to justify your party’s policies to me.

     

    Source: Walid J. Abdullah

  • Walid J.Abdullah: Damanhuri Abas Deserves Plaudits For Joining SDP Based On Political Convictions

    Walid J.Abdullah: Damanhuri Abas Deserves Plaudits For Joining SDP Based On Political Convictions

    On joining the wrong party:

    Some have suggested that Mr Damanhuri Abas has joined the wrong party: had he joined WP, he would have had a higher chance of getting elected.

    (For my friends of different or no faiths who may not understand the significance of this matter, this guy is the real deal. He is someone who has truly been ‘on the ground’ and has been active in many grassroots activities over so many years (real grassroots activities; not merely helping out at the MPS a couple of years before being unveiled as a candidate, and then claiming that ‘i have always wanted to help others’. This man is quite respected in the community.)

    The suggestion is perhaps right: WP definitely poses more of a threat to PAP than SDP does. However, one has to ask this question: could Mr Damanhuri have mentioned all those things he did in his first press conference had he been in WP? Could he have been as forthcoming and blunt as he was about discrimination if the careful WP was the conducting the press conference? Probably not.

    So the challenge then goes to WP: is it willing to openly champion minority issues as much as SDP does? And perhaps the larger questions are: will WP continue to tread down this conservative, non-committal path on such issues, and if so, what really is the difference between PAP and WP?

    On another note, it is highly refreshing to see someone joining a party based on his convictions, rather than on probability of electoral success. We will never have a shortage of people who want to join the ruling party to cause ‘change from within’, and to be honest, the more successful WP becomes, the more it will attract people who wants to try to ‘change from within’. But it is extremely rare, to have capable people – not disgruntled nobodies – who make a huge sacrifice and join a party, just so as to be true to his/her beliefs.

    For that, this man deserves a ton of respect.

     

    Source: Walid J. Abdullah