Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir Hassan: A biography of a notable scholar and former Mufti of Sarawak. The second of what will hopefully be a more regular series about the saints and scholars of the archipelago, translated from the excellent Malaysian blog Bahrus Shofa.
Latest Updates: Malaysia RSS
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bingregory
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aziz
Wajahat Ali interviews embattled Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim – awesome stuff.
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thabet
Malaysia defends inaction over Catholic ‘desecration’:
The archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Murphy Pakiam has criticised the government’s “failure to act” over the incident, in which the pair joined a Catholic service to investigate claims Muslims were illegally converting.
“The journalists have displayed utmost disrespect for the Catholic community when they admit receiving and spitting out the Holy Communion,” he told a press conference Thursday.
However, the government’s top lawyer, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, said the pair did not understand the significance of the wafer, which Catholics believe represents the body of Jesus Christ.
“The actions of the two reporters may have hurt the feelings of the people but I was satisfied that they did not intend to offend anyone. It was an act of sheer ignorance,” he said in a statement late Thursday.
According to the BBC report the two journalists spat out the communion wafer.
Not that some Muslims, and certainly not those in Malaysia, have a reputation for getting upset at something they deem offensive.
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johnpi
Malaysian government arrests eight foreigners and two locals to – among other things – ‘control Wahhabism amid concerns it could feed violence among extremist Muslims in Malaysia.’
Malaysia’s arrest of 10 terror suspects was part of a sweep targeting the hard-line Islamic sect often associated with al-Qaida, but any link to the Nigerian suspected in the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner remains unclear, a senior official said Friday.
Malaysia’s home minister announced the arrests Wednesday under the Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial, saying they were mainly foreigners linked to an international terrorist network and posed a security threat. He declined to give further details.
Activists said they included four men from Syria, two from Nigeria and one each from Yemen and Jordan.
….The senior Malaysian official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the suspects were believed to be followers of the orthodox Wahhabi sect, which seeks to purify Islamic beliefs and supports the establishment of Muslim states based on Islamic laws. Osama bin Laden and other members of al-Qaida are believed to have been influenced by Wahhabi doctrines.
….The newspaper said Friday that police were investigating the possibility that some of the suspects were in Yemen at the same time as Abdulmutallab when he was allegedly undergoing training. It didn’t say how it obtained the information.
However, the Malaysian official said there were no confirmed links at this stage between the suspects and Abdulmutallab. He said the arrests were aimed at controlling Wahhabism amid concerns it could feed violence among extremist Muslims in Malaysia.
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johnpi
Islamic academics and administrators have blamed Christians for provoking Muslim anger by challenging the ban on their use of the word “Allah”.
Translation: How dare you use your legal rights under the law and attempt to resolve a dispute in the national courts (which are supposed to serve society as the proper forum in which to resolve disputes…)
“Extremism can be found in any religion and this challenge is definitely one of them,” he said and stressed that references in Islam that “Allah” was exclusive to the Muslims are pervasive.
That last bit is factually incorrect, a misrepresentation of what the Quran says (see Aziz’ recent article on the ‘Allah’ controversy). And there was this:
Deputy chief of Syariah Research Department of the Attorney-General’s office, Mahamad Nasir Disa, who spoke on the issue from a legal perspective, agreed with his fellow panellists that the issue was an act of provocation by Christians.
Read that sentence again: How is calling something “an act of provocation” a “legal perspective”?
The meeting reads as an attempt to whip the crowd into a frenzy of victimhood, that most violent and dangerous state of mob mentality (see the Serbians, Gujarat Hindus and of course the Israelis)…
But Zamihan went as far as suggesting that a repeat of the May 13 racial riots was possible if the Christians, which to him practised extremism in the matter, did not back down. “Who knows, there might be a Feb 13?” said Zamihan.
The article ends on a low note with a report that four pigs heads were found in front of two mosques the day before.
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johnpi
Malaysian court lifts ban on book by Sisters in Islam.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled Monday that “Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism” did not pose any threat to national security, said Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, a lawyer for Sisters in Islam, the Malaysian women’s advocacy group that published the book.
The Home Ministry had banned the compilation of essays in 2008, two years after it went into circulation, saying it could undermine people’s faith and disrupt public order.
According to a 2008 ministry letter to Sisters in Islam, the book mainly went too far in questioning whether Islamic family laws discriminate against women in issues such as polygamy and divorce.
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johnpi
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johnpi
Nutty conspiracy theories out in the open in ravings of former Malaysian prime minister: “If they can make Avatar, they can make anything.”
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed the 9/11 attacks in the United States, that killed nearly 3,000, was staged as an excuse to “mount attacks on the Muslim world”, saying killing as an excuse for war is not new to the US.
The former prime minister also argued that Israel was created to solve the “Jewish problem” in Europe, saying the Holocaust had failed as a final solution against the community.
“In September 2001, the World Trade Centre was attacked allegedly by terrorists. I am not sure now that Muslim terrorists carried out these attacks. There is strong evidence that the attacks were staged. If they can make Avatar, they can make anything,” said Dr Mahathir during his speech at the General Conference for the Support of Al-Quds here. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem.
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johnpi
Root of the Malaysian controversy over ‘Allah’ may be in internalized British colonial prejudices that Malay Muslims are ‘precious flowers that need to be protected.’
The British colonial rule of Malaya set precise ethno-religious boundaries, with a certain level of protection for the Muslim Bumiputra, which the independent nation, and its constitution and legislation, have ideologically maintained.
Although there is clear evidence that the majority Muslim Malays have benefited from such privileges and closed the social and economic gaps with the other ethnic populations, particularly the Chinese, the continued reliance upon protectionist measures has helped to create a general feeling that these privileges are essential to maintain the equality of Muslim Malays vis-a-vis the non-Muslim Malaysians of other ethnic groups.
This way of thinking is arguably an internalization of British colonial opinions, in which Muslim Malays were seen as admirable for their artistic ability and beautiful “heritage”, but otherwise lazy by nature, unadapted to business and childish in their way of being. To the British, these negative descriptions were not made as criticisms but rather as statements of ‘natural’ fact. Hence, to preserve and protect this population, the British implemented particular protections, which at the end proved to be counterproductive in many respects.
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johnpi
Malaysia minorities fear Islamization in Allah row.
A dispute over the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in Malaysia is the latest sign of growing hard-line Islamic influence in what has been a relatively moderate Muslim-majority country.
The dispute has spawned attacks on 10 churches and has hardened a long-standing sense of alienation among the non-Muslim minority, threatening 40 years of ethnic peace and stability that underpins Malaysia’s economic success.
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johnpi
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johnpi
In Malaysia, some other words are reserved exclusively for Muslims by law.
In the case of the Catholic newspaper Herald, it is barred from using three other words: Kaabah (Islam’s holiest shrine in Mecca), Solat (prayer) and Baitullah (House of God).
Father Lawrence Andrew, the weekly paper’s editor, told The Straits Times yesterday that the four words were listed in the guidelines issued to the Herald in 2007. The Cabinet decided on the prohibited words in 1986.
The Herald does not use the three latter words, but ran into problems with the Home Ministry for using “Allah” to refer to the Christian God in its Malay-language publications.
Last month, the High Court set aside the government ban on the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims. The court decision outraged many Muslims and was followed by a series of arson attacks on churches.
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Admin
CAIR has launched the “Spirit of Islam” fund to help rebuild churches in Malaysia (read the press release). You can donate online or by mailing a check to “CAIR Spirit of Islam Fund, 453 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington DC 20003″ – be sure to write, “Spirit of Islam Fund” in the memo line.
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johnpi
CAIR establishes spirit of Islam fund to help rebuild Malaysian churches.
CAIR is calling on American Muslims and other people of conscience to help fund repairs to Malaysian churches damaged by vandals. The attacks on the churches came following a court ruling that overturned a ban on the use of the word “Allah” by Christians in that nation.
CAIR said Islam mandates that churches, synagogues and other houses of worship must be protected and noted that Arabic-speaking Christians universally refer to God as “Allah.”
Malaysian Muslim and ethnic Malay leaders have criticized the church attacks, saying they are contrary to the teachings of Islam.
Donations to the “CAIR Spirit of Islam Fund” (http://www.cair.com) will be given to the Malaysian embassy in Washington, D.C., for delivery to the churches.
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aziz
I offer my take on the Malaysian fracas over the name of Allah at City of Brass.
Should the UMNO succeed in their bid to overturn the court ruling permitting Christians to use the name Allah, then I humbly suggest to the Christian community that there are 98 other names they can (and should) iterate through. They can start with “al Aziz”
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johnpi
On Dec. 31, Malaysian courts ruled that Christians in that country could use the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God. The government opposed the ruling.
A top Malysian government official spent part of this morning meeting with foreign diplomats trying to explain why the word was off-limits to Christians in Malaysia when it is widely used by Christians in Indonesia and the Middle East.
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abunoor
Muslim NGO’s offer to help protect churches from any further attacks in Malaysia.
Muslim groups in Malaysia are offering their help to prevent any further attacks on Christian places of worship amid a spree of attacks on churches in the multi-ethnic, Muslim-majority Asian country, The Star reported on Sunday, January 10.
“This is an offer of peace and goodwill,” Nadzim Johan, the executive secretary of the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM), told a news conference.
“We don’t want our Christian brothers to be in danger.”
PPIM is one of 130 Muslim NGOs that vowed to become the “eyes and ears” of the government to shield churches against attacks.
Seven churches have been fire-bombed or vandalized since Friday in an escalating row over a court ruling allowing Christians to use the word “Allah” as a translation for God in their publications.
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johnpi
Thousands of Malaysian Christians came out for weekly services Sunday despite three new attacks in a campaign of fire-bombings that has sent tensions soaring in the Muslim-majority nation.
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johnpi
In Malaysia, three churches have now been firebombed in the row over using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God.
At Friday prayers at two main mosques in downtown Kuala Lumpur, young worshippers carried banners and gave fiery speeches, vowing to defend Islam.
“We will not allow the word Allah to be inscribed in your churches,” one speaker shouted into a loudspeaker at the Kampung Bahru mosque. About 50 other people carried posters reading “Heresy arises from words wrongly used” and “Allah is only for us.”
“Islam is above all. Every citizen must respect that,” said Ahmad Johari, who attended prayers at the National Mosque. “I hope the court will understand the feeling of the majority Muslims of Malaysia. We can fight to the death over this issue.”
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johnpi
Malaysian church fire-bombed ahead of Muslim protests.
A church in Malaysia has been fire-bombed in an attack that gutted its ground floor, church officials said Friday, escalating a dispute over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
A fire department official said all stations were on alert for more blazes at religious buildings, ahead of planned nationwide protests Friday by Muslim groups angry over the use of the word as a translation for “God” by Christians.
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johnpi
Malaysian Muslim groups plan nationwide protest over ‘Allah’ ruling.
Muslim youth movement Abim and the National Association of Muslim Students (PKPIM) are planning to hold a nationwide protest this Friday against the High Court decision to allow Catholic weekly Herald to use “Allah” in its Bahasa Malaysia edition.
….“After performing Friday prayers, we will perform solat hajat (prayers of need) before we proceed for the peaceful assembly,” said Raimi, who expected a turnout of at least 3,000 people.
“We only want to express how Muslims feel about the court judgment and how it has touched on the sensitivity of Muslims,” he added.
Raimi said that Abim is also mobilising members across the country to hold similar protests at all state mosques.
He described the planned protests as “purely Muslim NGO’s initiatives” and did not involve political parties.
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abunoor
ISNA Commends Malaysian Court Ruling re: use of word Allah by Christians
ISNA Commends Malaysian Court Ruling that Affirms Religious Freedom of Christians
(Plainfield, IN – January 4, 2010) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) commends the landmark ruling by a Malaysian Court on December 31, 2009, that affirms the religious freedom of Malaysian Christians. The ruling asserts that Christians have the right to use the word “Allah” to translate “God” into Bahasa Melayu, the Malaysian language. It strikes down a government ban that was placed in 2007 on the use of the term in Christian literature.
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johnpi
Malaysian Muslim activists oppose ‘Allah’ ruling.
Muslim groups in Malaysia have voiced opposition to a court ruling allowing a Catholic paper the right to use the word “Allah”, and said Saturday they plan to demonstrate.
….Federation of Malay Students’ Association advisor Reezal Merican said although the court decision had to be respected, the government needed to appeal it.
“We want to live in peace with all religions here but the word Allah has traditionally in Malaysia been used to represent the Muslim God, which is different from Christianity, and this must be addressed,” he told AFP.
Northern Perak state mufti Harussani Zakaria was also critical of the verdict, calling it “an insult to Muslims in this country,” according to the influential Malay-language Utusan Malaysia newspaper.
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johnpi
Malaysia rules Catholic paper has right to use ‘Allah’.
Malaysia’s high court ruled Thursday that a Catholic paper had the right to use the word “Allah” after a long-running dispute between the government and the weekly in the Muslim-majority nation.
This was an odd fight for the Malaysian government, since Islamist parties like PAS supported the Catholics.
This is what happens when you ‘bureaucratize’ a mandate to protect Islam, and it reminds me of some of the discussions we’ve had around here about the distortions that arise from efforts to turn Sharia law into state law.
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johnpi
Malaysian blogger defamation ’shocker.’
A politician named Zaid Ibrahim who made a name for himself as a defender of speech freedom for Malaysian bloggers is now suing a blogger in that country for defamation.
One blogger wrote:
…if this is ruled as defamation, then we’ll see at least 10 such cases being filed at the courts daily!
In the ‘offending’ post, blogger A Kadir Jasin compares Ibrahim to a cartoon character named ‘Hurricane Hattie.’
No malice intended, but the Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s new wunder kinder, Senator Zaid Ibrahim reminds me of the cartoon character Hurricane Hattie.
In the comic strip The Born Loser, by Art Sansom, which started in 1965, Hurricane Hattie was the mischievous girl next door, who delighted in menacing pretty much any adult she encountered, especially the main character, Brutus Thornapple.
Wherever she went in Thornapple’s household, she created havoc. So is the Umno-nominated Kelantan Senator. Wherever he goes, controversy is not far behind.
Wow, that’s rough stuff. Ibrahim better get out of politics if that’s the way they roll in Malaysia.
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johnpi
Christmas is biggest shopping holiday in Malaysia.
[Mall executive Joyce] Yap explains that Christmas is no longer exclusive to Christians, who are a minority in Malaysia anyways, and does not hold any religious tones, whether over- or under-.
She attributes the spike in sales during this season for giving and getting to three key factors: increase in tourists arrivals from abroad; bonus time for working adults and the end-of-year feeling.
Malaysian prime minister to Christians: ‘We uphold the value of all religions.’
Malaysia is strongly committed to upholding the true values of all religions, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.
“Religion teaches us to be tolerant, caring and respectful of the beliefs and practices of others. In our multi-racial society, we must constantly remind ourselves of the values that bind us together,” he said in his speech at a Christmas reception organised by the Christian Federation of Malaysia at the St Thomas Church, here, today.
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johnpi
Bahrain is the friendliest country in the world, according to a new survey. Malaysia also made the top ten
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johnpi
Malaysian woman files case to nullify conversion.
A woman who was born Hindu was converted at age 7 in a state welfare home without her parents approval. Now her marriage to a Hindu man can’t be legalized unless she gets her identity card changed to identify her as a Hindu.
Banggarma claimed that she was unwittingly converted to Islam, together with several other minor inmates, while she was placed under the care of welfare home, Rumah Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Taman Bakti, Kepala Batas.
However, the welfare department claimed that the housewife was converted to Islam when she was one-year-old by her natural parents – plantation worker B Subramaniam and Latchumy Ramadu.
The department claimed that the conversion was done on Nov 30, 1983 in Rompin, Pahang.
In response, counsel Gooi argued that the welfare department claim was “inconsistent and contradictory” as to the contents of the conversion certificate issued to Banggarma in 1989.
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johnpi
Malaysia’s high court will decide on January 25 whether it will lift the Home Ministry’s ban on Sisters in Islam’s book, “Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism.” Available from Amazon as a downloadable e-document here.
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johnpi
Malaysian Muslim clerics want ban on black magic.
Influential cleric Mohamed Tamyes Abdul Wahid, who organised seminar, said laws on black magic should be applied to Muslims as well as the sizable Buddhist, Christian and Hindu minorities in the country.
