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by Colin Boyd Shafer
SEPT 13 — With news of the death threats against a Malay man for saying he’s gay, ridiculous 8TV commercials over Ramadan belittling Malaysia’s minorities, the death of Malay transsexual who was never able to change her name and gender, the raiding of a church dinner attended by some Muslims, and the false accusations against Arlene Tan for being some radical anti-Islamic blogger — Malaysia is… struggling.
With regards to Arlene Tan, I don’t think enough people realise the seriousness of this moment in Malaysian history — especially people who can really help.
I have heard this attempt to persecute non-Muslims being called “the Malaysian witch hunt.” That pretty much sums it up. Good people are being targeted because they think differently and do not conform to the norm.
This isn’t anything new in human history — whether it be race, gender, sexuality or religion — but I like to think that humanity has progressed past this.
When Arlene Tan was accused of being some sort of anti-Islamic blogger named Makcik Hajjah Sitt Al Wuzara (whoever that is?), she immediately started receiving death threats including creepy phone calls late at night, and Internet hate pages directed at her.
A very sweet intelligent caring person was being “put on trial” — guilty until proven innocent. In reality, she had done nothing wrong, but a large group of emotionally-driven individuals didn’t seem to care about the facts.
Since these accusations, Gaysec (the self-proclaimed hacker group) has admitted Arlene isn’t Makcik Hajjah Sitt Al Wuzara, but in their opinion she is still a sceptic and non-Muslim so she has problems which make her worthy of being targeted. Many people in this country seem to think that because one is a sceptic/freethinker, that person must be anti-Islamic or full of hate.
What concerns me is the fact so few people came to this Malaysian woman’s defence. When I asked my moderate Muslim friends to stand up for Arlene, many didn’t feel it was their responsibility.
According to them, the group that falsely accused her is not of “their ways,” and is misusing Islam — a religion that preaches tolerance. But, isn’t that all the more reason to say something?
I think it is these accepting, open-minded moderates from all beliefs who need to speak up and defend people like Arlene from being wrongfully attacked. It is Malaysians — specifically Malaysian Muslims — who need to say “Stop — these people live in our country too — and deserve the same rights as us.”
The problem is, these moderate citizens fear being labelled anti-Islamic so they stand idly by and let things happen. Luckily, some brave people, Muslim and non-Muslim, have spoken up in Arlene’s defence.
When I told one of my good friends from Canada, a critically-minded Muslim who is attending Harvard, about these crazy events in Malaysia — he laughed in disgust. He said the Muslim world is paranoid, and he doesn’t think it is going to get any better. I hope he is wrong.
Just when I thought the whole thing with Arlene as was over, more baseless accusations are being thrown around. Hawa Othman, the co-founder of Unscientific Malaysia (a website that is basically Malaysia’s hope for a more rational, scientific society), has been accused of being some anti-Islamic troll. This is obviously ridiculous, as I know Hawa for her experiments on fruit flies (she is a scientist) and her soft-spoken demeanour.
Sceptics, atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, brights, humanists or whomever else, are not ANTI-ISLAMIC. These people have an interest in facts, research, science, and understanding. They generally think rationally and want peace.
Unscientific Malaysia as an organisation follows the principle of “question everything.” This means that Islam, like Christianity, homeopathy, ghosts and aspartame, is included. Many Muslims in Malaysia are members of Unscientific Malaysia — this doesn’t mean that they are not devout followers of their faith — it just means they like to question the world around them.
If some confused individuals are out there spreading hateful messages on the Internet, these hateful messages should simply be ignored. They are looking for attention — so why are we giving them an audience.
They must be enjoying these false accusations — watching their pseudonyms being published everywhere, yet nobody knowing who they really are. It is impossible to stop hateful messages from existing because the Internet allows for anonymity. However, it is possible for a rational person to tune this type of junk out.
It seems so convenient to frame the freethinking/sceptic community as being similar to like these anti-Islamic blogger types. The average person in Malaysia does not know enough about the non-religious so they just follow whatever these self-proclaimed righteous groups tell them to.
My friends at Unscientific Malaysia are simply trying to better understand the world around them — through science — whereas a religious person might be interested in understanding it through whatever religion it is that they follow. People from both groups generally want Malaysia to be a better place.
It is time that citizens in Malaysia demonstrated peace and tolerance to a threatened minority group. If this doesn’t happen, Malaysia and the people inside its borders have failed at protecting its own and doing what is right — two ideas that I think a just God would support, and according to my Muslim friends who are good people, Islam would definitely support.
If blind accusations can be used as tools against good people, then you or I could be next. Imagine waking up one morning, and just because you are who you are or think what you think, you are accused of being someone you aren’t, doing something you didn’t do, you have all your personal details released, receive death threats, become the subject of hate pages on Facebook made specifically against you, and so on. Is all this acceptable? A good citizen would of course say this is unacceptable!
It is also important for the international community to see that Malaysia is an accepting country, full of accepting peoples — not just a country with a 1 Malaysia slogan and little evidence to back it up. Nobody, male or female, religious or non-religious should have their basic human rights infringed upon.
It wasn’t Christianity that killed 50,000 women during the Witch Hunt, it was paranoid people. Similarly, I believe Islam is not the reason my friends have been targetted, it is paranoid people acting under the guise of Islam.
We are all in this together and in the words of Martin Luther King Jr: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Colin Boyd Shafer teaches social science at a college in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Aside from writing/ranting, he concentrates most of his time doing documentary photography, trying to create a dialogue around sensitive issues. You can follow his work at ‘Colinizing Photography’ on Facebook.
Having a long holiday for this festive season, I am excited to share 12 documentaries that inspire my worldview and thoughts. Ranging from global affairs, poverty, philosophy, history, religion, science, and so on. Most of the documentaries are from BBC Horizon and they never fail to widen up my curiosity, passion and discoveries about life and the universe at large . I hope my readers enjoy the documentaries shared and do not forget to give your valuable comments/ feedback. Remember: Question Everything. =)
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This article is written by Azira Aziz, a young lawyer who harbours hope that one day Malaysians have equal racial and religious rights under the law, as we all are before the eyes of God. She is usually found at Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (http://SayaAnakBangsaMalaysia.net)
http://www.loyarburok.com/2011/08/15/lu-murtad-dakwaan-kafirmurtad-dari-segi-undang-undang-syariah/
Perkara yang membuatkan saya sedih akhir-akhir ini adalah betapa mudahnya sesorang Islam memanggil seseorang Islam yang lain sebagai Murtad kerana perbezaan pendapat. Dalam setiap perbincangan mengenai isu-isu, sudah tentu ada yang konservatif, ada yang liberal, dan ada yang atas pagar, maklumlah semuanya datang dari latar belakang yang berlainan keluarga, kaum, agama pendidikan dan seumpama dengannya.
Kadang-kala, role-playing atau devil’s advocate i.e. mengambil kedudukan yang bertentangan dengan fahaman atau pegangan sebenar menajamkan minda untuk lebih mendalami dan memahami kedudukan orang yang lain. Ini adalah jenis perbincangan yang sihat, di mana kesemua pihak-pihak di dalam perbincangan tersebut, dengan gaya bahasa yang sopan dan intelektual menghujahkan pendapat mereka dengan baik sehingga segala sesawang kemusykilan dapat dibersihkan dan sekiranya tidak bersetuju pun, tidak mengapa, masih saling hormat-menghormati antara satu sama lain.
Saya tidak berapa berkenan dengan mereka yang suka menggunakan kata-kata kesat dan sengaja menyinggung untuk mengutarakan pendapat masing-masing dan meninggikan suara kerana tahu posisi yang diambil tidak kukuh tetapi mahu menang juga. Saya terkilan sebenarnya dengan perangai kurang matang sesetengah pihak yang sanggup menunding jari dan menggunakan pelbagai tohmahan dan cacian tanpa menggunakan akal fikiran untuk menimbangtara buah fikiran yang dikemukakan oleh individu tersebut. Ada yang sehingga sanggup mengugut untuk membunuh, merogol dan mengancam keluarga dan rakan-rakan individu yang menjadi mangsa tersebut.
Untuk kesedaran umat Islam saya sendiri, terutamanya di dalam bulan Ramadan yang mulia ini, silalah membuka minda dan hati mengenai betapa seriusnya dakwaan-dakwaan yang dibuat tersebut dan betapa undang-undang Islam menghalang perbuatan tersebut. Bagi mangsa-mangsa yang terkena ataupun yang mungkin dipanggil kafir/murtad pada masa hadapan, ini adalah salah satu cara untuk melawan perbuatan-perbuatan yang keji tersebut.
Dari Akta Kesalahan Jenayah Syariah (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 1997 Act 559, menyatakan seperti berikut;
31. Takfir.
(1) Subject to subsection (2), any person who alleges or imputes by words, either spoken or written, or by sign or visible representation, or by any act, activity or conduct, or by organising, promoting or arranging any activity or otherwise in any manner, that any person professing the religion of Islam or person belonging to any group, class or description of persons professing the religion of Islam-
(a) is or are kafir;
(b) has or have ceased to profess the religion of Islam;
(c) should not be accepted, or cannot be accepted, as professing the religion of Islam; or
(d) does not or do not believe in, follow, profess, or belong to, the religion of Islam, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply to-
(a) anything done by any Court or religious authority established, constituted or appointed by or under any written law and empowered to give or issue any ruling or decision on any matter relating to the religion of Islam; and
(b) anything done by any person pursuant to or in accordance with any ruling or decision given or issued by such Court or religious authority, whether or not such ruling or decision is in writing or, if in writing, whether or not it is published in the Gazette.
Di dalam kes Amnah Bt Shaari Lwn Roderick John Brooks [2007] 2 LNS 9, fakta pendeknya adalah seperti berikut; Pemohon, seorang wanita Islam yang lahir dari keluarga Melayu Islam adalah isteri kepada Responden. Mereka telah berkahwin di England dan ketika perbicaraan tersebut tidak lagi bersefahaman. Responden mendakwa isterinya telah keluar daripada agama Islam ke agama Kristian dan oleh kerana itu, bahawasanya perkahwinannya dengan Pemohon adalah tidak sah dari mula (void ab initio). (Nota: Saya rasa ini taktik suami tak nak bayar nafkah selepas bercerai).
Mahkamah telah membincangkan mengenai bidangkuasa agama, dan menyatakan bahawa Mahkamah “bersetuju dengan hujahan pihak Pemohon bahawa hak untuk memulakan posiding bagi penentuan agama atau pertukaran agama keluar dari Islam hendaklah dimulakan sendiri oleh individu itu sendiri atau pihak berkuasa Agama jika pihak itu masih hidup. Jika individu itu telah meninggal, hak tersebut boleh dilaksanakan oleh waris-warisnya atau pihak berkuasa Agama. Membenarkan individu lain mempersoalkan keimanan seseorang akan membuka jalan kepada ruang gejala kafir mengkafir dalam masyarakat dan akan mengkucar-kacir keharmonian dalam masyarakat. Kafir-mengkafir adalah suatu yang haram berdasarkan nas-nas yang sahih.
Rasulullah s.a.w. bersabda:[Ayat Arab] Bermaksud:-
“Janganlah seseorang menuduh orang lain dengan fasik atau kafir, kecuali hal itu akan jatuh pada diri si penuduh itu jika orang yang dituduh tidak bersifat demikian.”
Oleh kerana gejala kafir mengkafir itu haram, maka jalan-jalan yang membawa kepada gejala tersebut juga tidak boleh dibenarkan. Hukum seperti ini dinamakan dalam disiplin ilmu Usul al-Fiqh sebagai Sadd al-Zari’. Sadd al-Zari’ bermakna jalan-jalan yang membawa kepada sesuatu yang diharamkan dan yang mengandungi perkara-perkara kejahatan seperti melihat aurat seorang yang ajnabi yang boleh membawa kepada kejahatan perzinaan. Sadd al-Zari’ juga adalah sebagai salah satu sumber hukum dalam Islam selain dari al-Quran, al-Sunnah, Ijma’ dan Qiyas.
Oleh itu, mahkamah memutuskan Responden secara individu tidak mempunyai hak untuk mempersoalkan akidah pihak Pemohon. Hak tersebut boleh dilaksanakan melalui pihak berkuasa agama yang mentadbirkan urusan pernikahan Pemohon dan Responden.”
Kesimpulannya, setelah meneliti undang-undang Syariah beserta kes yang mengambilkira sabda Rasulullah S.A.W, Mahkamah Syariah telah memutuskan bahawa mendakwa seseorang Kafir/Murtad adalah perbuatan jenayah dalam Islam dan boleh didenda tidak lebih RM5,000 dan/atau dipenjarakan tidak lebih tiga (3) tahun.
Renungkanlah.
Saving the world, one girl at a time.
I was getting uncomfortable with the cursing YouTube comments on Azwan Ismail, a wonderful guy that openly admits his sexual orientation. It seems like most Malays are angry at him for being ‘against God’. Worst is, they started quoting passage from the Quran, cursing him to ‘go to hell’ for forming a ‘pact with Satan’. Yet, they failed to understand that scientifically speaking, being gay is NOT a choice, it’s biological.
In fact, if they truly uphold Islamic values, they should preach about tolerance, peace, kindness and equality. The Malaysia’s Islamic version is honestly one-dimensional and full of misinformed rubbish.
I hope we could respect the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community as equal human beings, just like me and you. Here’s the vids: “It Gets Better!”
The determination of this intellectual – Lui Xiaobo impressed me. I think he will be the ‘Aung San Suu Kyi’ of China, bringing a voice for the silent majority of the Chinese citizens.
Here’s the Charter 08 founded by Lui Xiaobo.
This is the kind of Ulama that we should have in MALAYSIA…. calling for saperation of Religion and State…. and have the far sightedness for a modern civil state!
Save a child, click today! everyday! (to the link)
What is CUP??
How can you help CUP?
If there’s one country you want to settle as fugitive asylum or be married happily to…it’s got to be Norway! kudos MM!
