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Archbishop Pakiam introducing Prime Minister Najib to the staff of Jaya Rehabilitation centre at Bukit Nanas yesterday — Bernama pi, Dec 26 — Catholic Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam believes enforcing of an apostasy law in Sabah by the state’s Islamic authorities will create fear as it will lead to a religious crackdown.
What’s really in the Quran?  Lesley Hazleton, aka The Accidental Theologist, author most recently of "After the Prophet: the Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split," explores the Quran from the perspective of a agnostic Jew in this 9-minute TEDx video. BY LESLEY HAZLETON, DECEMBER 26, 2010 A psychologist by training and Middle East reporter by experience, British-born Lesley Hazleton has spent the last ten years exploring the vast and often terrifying arena in which politics and religion, past and present, intersect. Her most recent book, "After the Prophet: the Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split," was a finalist for the 2010 PEN-USA nonfiction award. She lived and worked in Jerusalem for thirteen years -- a city where politics and religion are at their most incendiary -- then moved to New York. She came to Seattle to get her pilot's license in 1992, saw the perfect houseboat, and stayed. Now her raft rides low in the water under the weight of research as she works on her next book, "The First Muslim," a new look at the life of Muhammad. She blogs at http://accidentaltheologist.com. | |||||||
Paki Muslims all over the world are at the receiving end for directing all their efforts and energies on materialism and giving a goby to spiritualism which links them to their Creator.
Maulana Shaukat addressing intellectuals in the 63rd “Aalami Tablighi Ijtima” (World Preachers’ Congregation) said on Sunday that Muslims are at the receiving end everywhere despite the fact that the amount of wealth and education possessed by the followers of Islam the world over is much more than what they had 1400 years ago at the time of advent of Islam during the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and later during the rule of four of his Caliphs. The Muslims nowadays, however, despite having everything with enormous resources at their disposal are scorned and despised by other communities as they have abandoned the way of life of their Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He said on the contrary 1400 years back the Muslims did not had money-power and were even educationally backward but still shone like zenith on the face of the earth far and wide. Thereby tribes after tribes entered Islam due to its principles of equality, justice, peace and tranquility as ordained by Allah Almighty to lead a life of dignity in this world and Hereafter.
On the second day separate special religious discourses were held for intellectuals, traders, farmers, students etc. and the participants were asked to follow the Islamic religious tenets in their spirit apart from the message for universal brotherhood. Prominent “Akabreens” (Tableeghi elders) who addressed the gatherings included: Maulana Zubair, Maulana Sa’ad, Maulana Shaukat, Dr. Sanaullah, Maulana Mustaqueem etc.
In all 350 Nikahs were performed in the Ijtima in the evening on Sunday after Asr prayers in the spirit of Islam by Maulana Zubair from the headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat at New Delhi. Before performing Nikahs Maulana Zubair threw light on the importance of Nikah and to perform it in a simple manner without any pomp and show entailing extravagant expenditure.
The Ijtima will conclude on tomorrow (Monday) with mass “Dua” (prayer) when several lakhs of people will join to seek salvationam said the state government must instead follow Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s message of moderation and inclusiveness.
“It (apostasy law) will create fear and it is unfortunate that these things come about like that. That is why we need to heed the call of the prime minister for moderates to be counted,” the country's top Catholic cleric told The Malaysian Insider.
“The (Federal) government must take a stand and not to cover this and keep quiet,” he added.
Sabah Islamic Affairs Department’s (Jheains) director Datuk Amri A.Suratman said yesterday that the state will enforce the apostasy law once its faith rehabilitation centre in Kinarut is ready next year.
He added that the enforcement of the law is part of Jheains five-year strategic plan. The plan will include focusing on dakwah (preaching) efforts in strategic and rural areas, especially those with a high number of converts.
While Islam is the country’s official religion followed by some 60 per cent of the country’s 27 million population, there is also a large number of Christian community, a majority of whom comes from Sabah and Sarawak.
While freedom of religion is guaranteed for non-Muslims under Article 11 of the Federal Constitution, all Malays are Muslims under the law.
Islamic laws forbid Muslims from renouncing their religion and the country’s Islamic legal system has provisioned that a state must impose mandatory punishment for apostasy.
The country’s dual system of both Islamic law and federal law has resulted in controversies to the freedom of religion under Article 11 when Muslims try to convert to other religions.
The prominent cases include Lina Joy (Azalina Jailani), Revathi Massosai and Nyonya Tahir (Wong Ah Kiu).
The decision to enforce apostasy law is set to further strain the relationship between Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
The Cabinet has set up an inter-faith panel in April, after a series of attacks on houses of worship nationwide following a controversial court ruling last year that allowed Christians the right to use the word “Allah” when referring to God in Bahasa Malaysia.
Najib has also pledged full administrative and financial support to revive the committee.
Ikim, the federal government’s think-tank, had also issued a statement on the issue, saying that under Islam “not all religions are equal”.
Religious authorities also recently arrested a Shi’a group in Gombak.
Some 200 local and foreign followers of the Shi’a group Hauzah Ar Ridha Alaihissalam were arrested at a house in Taman Sri Gombak amid concerns that their activities constituted a security threat.
The group, led by two men, including an Iranian national, had been operating in the four-storey shop-house for up to two years.
Followers included locals, Indonesians, Burmese, a Pakistani, an Iranian, some of whom are higher institution lecturers and students, lawyers and civil servants. Several children were also found at the location.
The arrests have been criticised by former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin as proof that Malaysia was heading towards “an era of Talibanisation”.
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