Who has exclusive right to Allah - Malaysiakini

Three weeks after the Herald, a Catholic newspaper, published on its front page the Bersih's protests on November 11, 2007, it's license was revoked. The reason given was that the newspaper referred to "Allah" as the god that they have been worshiping, for the Melayu speaking Catholics, that is. Curiously, the newspaper has been publishing that since inception and history would reveal that Malay Bibles have been using the name of Allah since the 16th century and Christian Arabs such as Syrian Catholics and Coptic Christians have been referring to the Almighty as Allah.

In fact, the polytheists in the days of the muslims' Prophet used to worship Allah as one of their many gods. When the muslims' Prophet was preaching to the Meccan polytheists, they replied:

Ishaq:162 “Abu Jahl met the Apostle and said, ‘By Allah, Muhammad, you will either stop cursing our gods or we will curse the god you serve.’ So the Qur’an verse was revealed, ‘Do not insult those [gods] to whom they pray lest they curse God wrongfully through lack of knowledge.’ [Qur’an 6:108] I have been told that the Apostle then refrained from cursing their gods, and began to call them to Allah.”

The Arab polytheists swore in the name of Allah.

There are ample records in historical books that revealed that the pre-Islamic Arab polytheists do refer to one of their gods as Allah. Of course, it is no doubt that it is NOT the same deity as the muslims worship but the name Allah was the same.

The Arab polytheists were trying to bribe the muslims' Prophet to prevent him from cursing their gods and seeked a compromise.

Tabari VI:106 “The Quraysh promised Muhammad that they would give him so much wealth that he would become the richest man in Mecca, they would give him as many wives as he wanted, and they would submit to his commands .”

Tabari VI:107 “‘If you will do so, we offer you something which will be to your advantage and to ours.’” “‘What is it,’ he asked. They said, ‘If you will worship our gods, Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, for a year, we shall worship your god for a year.”

To the Arab polytheists, Al-Lat and Al-Uzza were the daughters of Allah.

Sound confusing? It should be. Too many parties claiming the use of Allah and it does not become exclusive.

I would vote that the name Allah be exclusively used by muslims only since it is clear that the deity the Arab polytheists worshipped is not the same deity the muslims worship. It is also no doubt that the teachings of Christ are world apart from the teachings for the muslims' Prophet Muhammed. Let there be no confusion.

However, who should have exclusive right to Allah? The muslims today may be using that name
most commonly. However, they are the last ones to do so. Arab polytheists and Christians have been using that name no less than 700 years before the muslims. Arab polytheists have all been destroyed. However, some Christains do use that name.

But then, let's politicise the issue, won't we?

Somalia - Paragon of hudud laws : Malaysiakini

As soon as the jihadists occupied Somalia, they implemented hudud laws the soonest. As pious muslims, they have done what they considered as wajib.

Three months ago, they have already stoned a 13 year-old schoolgirl to death under charges of adultery. She was gang-raped by three men and when she reported the crime, she was subsequently arrested and charged for committing illicit sex - which is forbidden under Islam. Failure to produce 4 pious muslim males as witnesses, she was then to be summarily executed by stoning.

Since the punishment for rape as well as the jurisdiction for it were not clearly mentioned in the Quran, the application in many countries seems to be placed under the same as illicit sex.

Recently, the law of apostasy has been applied. Abdirahman Ahmed was shot dead last Thursday. He was accused of spying for Ethiopian forces, which is non-muslims.

The Free People humbly decline the implementation of hudud laws because these laws can be abused by men for political expidiency.

Hudud laws transfer unquestioned and unchalleged powers to religious militants.

It is not that we do not understand Islam and hudud laws. It is because we really understand Islam and hudud laws.

Learn from the recent KT by-election. The muslim women and the Chinese voters have shied away.

Malaysiakini - Pakatan's Mexican Stand-off

Karpal's speech made no allowance for political correctness and pleasantries that often seek to suppress the message. His message on hudud laws is clear and consistent. One may not like to hear his statement or agree with him but one has to admit that he stands by his principle and stands ready to leave Pakatan Rakyat if needs be.

Please do remember a bit of election history. DAP lost almost all grounds when they teamed up with PAS, when PAS was adamant with hudud laws. Barisan still knows which button to push - hudud is a valuable political bogeyman for the Free People.

As for PAS, I admire their consistency as well. Their political party, being Islamic by nature, naturally stands by their raison d'etre. Nonetheless, immediately following Sept 11, they too lost many grounds in the election that follows the rise of Islamic terrorism. I can still remember Barisan's chant - PAS is the Taliban of Malaysia.

That explains why, PAS kept mum on the hudud laws during the March 08 election. The Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto does not include hudud laws. For this, I have to say that Karpal is right to make a stand. Should Anwar and PAS now say otherwise, it would be a deal-breaker. Either that or it's a DAP-breaker.

Thus, we have a Mexican stand-off for Pakatan Rakyat. I dare say that PAS is facing a political reality. Hudud laws are declined not by the Free People but also by the majority of muslims. The only difference is that the Free People are free to object while the majority of muslims can only hope that our voice is strong enough for they will be marked if they ever state otherwise.

A mistake that Karpal made is that he did not clear an open path for PAS to escape this hudud trap. He closed more political doors instead. As a partner in Pakatan, he should play a more diplomatic role in allowing PAS to either agree to lobby for the elements of hudud laws to be implemented under the current Malaysian Constitution (a compromise under a multi-cultural country) or to state that hudud laws cannot be implemented until some criteria are met.

Malaysiakini - Hudud is not necessary for muslims

Hudud laws would have been more acceptable if the countries that implement them are shining examples of advancing and progressive nations. Somehow it appears that only nations that are deemed as failed states and are governed by dictatorial leadership that favoured hudud laws. In those countries where hudud laws were implemented, news of the barbaric punishments have been meted out primarily to seemingly "timid" lawbreakers, such as teenage rape victims and young gay boys. It's not that they are beheading and stoning serial killers and the many alleged "terrorists that have hijacked Islam".

Let's face reality. If the majority of muslims in Malaysia really wanted hudud laws, it would have been implemented long ago. The implementation of an Islamic state is not possible, with Malaysia's secular constitution but at least shades of hudud would have been present.

It is very naive if the hudud supporters believed that the Free People humbly decline hudud laws because we do not wish to have armless thieves and stoned adultress. More potent danger lies in the laws against blasphemers against Islam, as religious clerics would yield great unquestioned power.

For example, the Persatuan Ulama2 Malaysia (PUM) recently made a police report against Malaysiakini for allegedly defaming Islam. I can only imagine, that one of their wet dreams would be, if hudud laws are present, to drag Malaysiakini's staff out to public stadiums and behead them shouting Allahu Akhbar!

Hudud laws can be made into a very powerful weapon to destroy humanity and the country. Not that the laws are not good. It's that the laws can be abused since we are never allowed to question, yet alone challenge, the decisions and opinions of the religious clerics.

Hudud laws give great unchallenged powers to religious clerics.

We can learn from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (19 May 1881–10 November 1938). He was a Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first President.

As the first President of Turkey, Atatürk embarked upon a major programme of political, economic and cultural reforms. An admirer of the Enlightenment, Atatürk sought to transform the ruins of the Ottoman Empire into a modern, democratic, secular, nation-state. The principles of Atatürk's reforms are often referred to as Kemalism and continue to form the political foundation of the modern Turkish state.

Thus, Turkey today stands as a dominantly muslim country but secular. Being one of the most advanced muslim country, we can see a parallel relationship between those nations that adopt secular governance and those that adopt hudud laws.

For the benefit of all Malaysians, including muslims, Malaysia is better off with her current constitution. It may not be perfect, but it can be challenged and modified.

Stupid Santiago

Charles Santiago made a mistake thinking that Malaysians' recent protests following the Middle East crisis is actually an anti-war protest. He made the mistake that we actually abhor violence and inhumane acts perpetrated everywhere regardless of religion, race or creed.

For that, he deserves to be arrested.

The arrests of leaders of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) organised anti-war march last Saturday were due to the fact that their protest included the Sri Lanka government attacks on the Tamil Tigers.

"If you want to demonstrate in respect of the Palestinian cause, then don't mix it up with the Sri Lanka cause," Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said at the sidelines of the special parliamentary session on Gaza today.

"They had many placards in support of separatists in Sri Lanka."

The Home Minister was commenting on why the police allowed a mammoth protest last Friday against Israel's invasion of Gaza, but moved quickly to stop the PSM march.

You see, actually, not many muslims really cared for the Palestinians. They're more into Jew-hating.

Eygpt immediately closed its doors at Rafah Crossing as soon as the crisis erupted. They do not want to rescue Palestinias running away from Israeli's attacks. Hamas prevented civilians from escaping areas that Israel had warned of bombardment. The rest of the Arab nations are mostly counting their expected oil revenue from this windfall, eer sorry, crisis.

It is best that Palestinians remain the oppressed people. Then the muslim world can continue hating the Jews.

Santiago, if you want to protest, you must focus on burning flags and effigies. It's only Israel and Jews that you must hate.

Forget humanism. It's not really us.

Police report against sensitive muslims

A police report was lodged against a 'rude' Malaysiakini article. The Associationof Religious Scholars (PUM) claims that the article dated Jan 6 article, entitled 'Abdullah’s anti-Israel posturing', written by regular Malaysiakini contributor Manjit Bhatia has played on the sentiments of the Muslims, the government, the people, NGOs and the opposition, who have all put in a lot of effort to defend the Palestinians."

A police report was lodged against a 'rude' Malaysiakini article. The Association of Religious Scholars (PUM) claims that the article criticised the response of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and a number of international organisations to Israel’s deadly invasion of the Gaza Strip contained “seditious elements that played up the sentiments that Israel had the right to kill innocent Palestinians”.

Let me get this - the only opinion that we Malaysians must adopt is one that is perpetually anti-Israel and pro-Palestine? No further detailed analysis and opinion can be formed? Are we only supposed to be resigned to burning flags and effigies why chanting curses to the Jews and Israel?

Now now, Association of Religious Scholars (PUM), the Free People may be making a police report against you. You have now hurt the sensitivity of 80% of the world population.Your view that all citizens must adopt your narrow opinion has offended our sensitivities. If there is a law against stupidity, another report could be make against you as well. If you would like to burn flags and effigies, you may be free to do so but please do make a police report against those who do not believe in the same view as yours.

In fact, a police report can be made against you for insulting Islam and blaspheming against the Prophet. For it is your duty as a muslim to fight oppression. You are to do jihad against oppression of another muslims. Unless you fly now to Palestine and take up arms, you are not part of the solution. You are muslim munafiq. You only know how to burn flags and effigies then go back to your daily chores.

Now, at least, you are able to add another skills to your resume - making police report. That's progress. Well done. Next year, learn how to debate with someone your own level - visit a primary school.

Mahatir's brilliant proposal

Malaysia's ex-Prime Minister, Tun Mahatir Mohamad, has a brilliant idea towards solving the Middle East Crisis and help bring the Palestinian Plight to an end. His idea for Malaysians to boycott U.S. products and seek the resignations of muslims from US companies.

I find this to be a fantastic idea. It will solve the Palestinian plight permanently as well as solve the institutional racism that exists in Malaysia.

Ahh ... sweet deja vu. It brings back memory. The picture depicts the Nazi storm troopers blocking the entrance to a Jewish-owned store in Berlin. Their signs read: "Germans, defend yourselves against the Jewish atrocity propaganda, buy only at German shops!" and "Germans, defend yourselves, buy only at German shops!"

Pursuing to Mahatir's proposal, I suggest that all American companies as well as Jewish-linked companies in Malaysia terminate all employment contracts with muslim employees. Jobs should only be filled by the Free People. In fact, their companies are not required to fulfill the 30% bumiputera requirement. Thanks, Mahatir. I support that all muslims should resign from MacDonalds and Coca Cola. They should also leave Microsoft, IBM, Western Digital, and Intel. In fact, they should also shun the internet.

Muslims should also try to boycott all the by-products of crude oil for that is also one primary reason for keeping the Middle East crisis for so long. It has been and is good for business. That will teach the arab munafiqs a lesson.

In fact, they should pack their bags and go to fight in Palestine. Why waste time by burning flags and effigies? Go earn your place in Paradise. That would also solve the impending unemployment rate in Malaysia.

Mahatir is a very brilliant muslim stateman. Divert all attention to hating Jews and Americans. Cry out helplessly at the atrocities of Israel.

Muslims do everything and anything but seek a permanent end to the sufferings of the Palestinians. For a permanent end to the Palestinian plight also means an end to hating and fighting the Jews. Are you muslims willing to stop hating Jews?

If Malaysian muslims are so filled with human compassion, they would react the same to the hundreds of thousands of black muslims being killed by Arabs in Darfur. They would react the same to all atrocities notwithstanding religion, colour or creed. But no, it's the Jew factor.

Only Palestine matters.