Najib is losing ground

There are some traumas we experience in life that don't require an ambulance, an operating room, or a specialty surgeon. We experience traumas that most can't even see from the outside looking in, silent issues that haunt us every day. It's easy to tell someone to "cast their cares on Jesus" or "He'll never put more on you than you can bear" but those proverbs are often silenced over the sound of trouble. Almost everyone knows the phrase, "What goes on in this house, stays in this house!" and so we learned that regardless of how you feel, you should never alert anyone that you're hurting.

 A raid on a church by Muslim authorities has raised religious tension in Malaysia and could cost Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak votes in an election set for 2013 but which many expect to come much earlier.

The raid has sparked an angry verbal battle between Christians and the majority Muslims, forcing Najib to seek what may be an elusive peace between the ethnic Malays and minorities, both of which believe the government isn’t doing enough to safeguard their rights.

Conservative Muslims want the government to crack down on what they say is growing boldness by Christians to try to convert Muslims, which is an offence in Malaysia, while ethnic minorities worry their rights are being eroded.

Analysts say Najib (picture) is caught in a bind and will have to tread extremely carefully to avoid being seen as favouring either side in his efforts to mediate.

“Najib is caught between wanting to secure a conservative Malay-Muslim electorate and a political reality where he is losing ground among minorities who are more mobilised and politically aware,” said Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia specialist at Singapore Management University.

The next general election is not due until 2013 but there is increasing speculation that it could take place by early 2012.

Analysts see little chance of the ruling National Front coalition losing the next general election but caution that Najib needs to win a convincing two-thirds majority if he wants to avoid a revolt within his Umno party, long accustomed to majorities by that margin.

Race and religion have always been touchy subjects in a country split between ethnic Malays, Chinese and Indians but analysts say the latest quarrel is coming at a delicate time for Najib, whose popularity has been sliding since May 2010.

“The religious discord will cause the ruling coalition to lose some Chinese majority seats while concerns over inflation may allow the opposition to hang on to the rest of their urban and suburban seats,” said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the independent opinion polling outfit Merdeka Center.

“All this will be on the back of a much strengthened and better-resourced opposition. So in short, it’s not going to be easy for Najib.”

Islamic enforcement officers raided a Methodist church near the capital last month on suspicion that a meeting was being held to evangelise Muslims. The meeting’s organisers, a non-governmental organisation, denied the allegations and said the gathering was a charity affair. The authorities are still investigating the matter.

Damned if I do, damned if I don’t

Traditionally, Malaysian leaders have trod a careful line in dealing with religious issues after violent race riots in 1969 redefined the Southeast Asian country’s ethnic and economic landscape.

Still, race and religion are often the strongest tools for politicians to win support on pledges to distribute economic opportunities along ethnic lines.

Ethnic Malays, who are by birth Muslims in Malaysia, make up about 60 percent of the population of 28 million. Ethnic Chinese and Indians, many of whom are Buddhist, Christian and Hindu, account for most of the rest.

Last month’s church raid is the latest in a series of rows between the Malays and the minority Chinese and Indians.

In recent years, a spate of church bombings, the government’s seizure of a shipment of bibles, a legal battle by Catholics to use the word “Allah” and complaints of marginalisation by Indians have cast a cloud over the government’s attempts to build racial harmony.

Racial unity is a cornerstone of Najib’s plans but many Malaysians have derided his efforts to create a “1 Malaysia” that is not drawn along racial lines. Recently, Najib also extended an olive branch to unhappy Christians by establishing official ties with the Vatican but the gesture has been largely dismissed as no more than a symbolic measure.

“In recent times, we have witnessed an increase in incidents where Christians have been singled out and targeted with unjustified accusations and prejudice,” the Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents 90 per cent of churches in the country, said in a statement.

A survey last month by the Merdeka Center polling outfit found the percentage of respondents agreeing that Malaysians of differing ethnic groups were growing closer to each other had fallen by nearly half to 36 percent compared to 64 percent in 2006

When we relocated to Dallas, TX and opened our church, The Potter's House, it was our mission to show people the power of God through healing. Sunday after Sunday, our church filled with broken people opening their lives and hearts to the amazing power of God, searching for help. Above all, people wanted to know how they could move on from the traumas of life. Our parishioners wanted to know how they could begin healing.

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised, for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Most people focus on the "we are healed" part of this scripture and miss the beauty of the text, your healing has already been bought! Your life, your heart, your future means so much that He shed his own blood to see you overcome. The first thing you have to do is change your mindset. You can no longer focus on the trauma that halted you, but look at the future you have left to live.

Even if you can't stop the pain or run from the memories, start telling yourself, I am healed. Tell yourself you're healed, even when you're sick. Use your faith to beat the thing, that's beating you! We know that faith without works is dead. It's not enough to want to be healed; you have to start speaking to those broken pieces inside of you. Use that same voice that tells you, "You can't move on" to start pushing towards greatness. The first step in overcoming is deciding it's time for change.

Once you move your mind, you have to get active. The road ahead of you may seem hard and at times it may seem like it's not worth it; but there is another, joy-filled, pain-free, YOU standing at the end of this journey, waiting for your embrace. We often shy away from things that may help us because of what other people may think. You cannot continue to be tormented on the inside, so that you look perfect on the outside. Whether the trauma you are facing has left physical or emotional residue, you have to begin to face those issues straight on.

If you are tormented by memories of the past, seek a Christian counselor in your community and let them know that you need help. Experiencing pain from an accident? Then, it's time to call your doctor. Whatever your issue may be, you have to begin to align yourself with people who can help you. If you do not open your mouth and cry out for help, things cannot get better. God has only given us one life to live and it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves. Jesus said in John 10:10 "I come that that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." He knew that there would be some who may not take advantage of the opportunity to have life and have it more abundantly but the mere possibility of you living your life to the fullest was enough for Him to shed His blood. God believes in you, its time for you to start believing in yourself.

Do not allow the whispers on the outside, to pick at the trauma you've had and give you an infection. Guard yourself from those who aren't helping you to overcome. If you have to be by yourself, do it. You'd rather be alone while you go through this than risk an infection. You have to remove any obstacle in your life making it hard for you to live the life you were predestined to live. It's time for you to prosper, time for you to stop allowing this trauma to control your future. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 1:2

During my studies, I learned that flesh wounds heal from the inside out. Have you ever had a wound that still looked fresh from the outside but it started itching, and you knew that, that was a sign it was healing? Your life may look like its broken from the outside, others may look at it and wonder what happened, what went wrong. But you feel something that they don't, you feel that itch down on the inside, telling you your healing is on the way.

Serita Jakes has been involved in Christian ministry all of her adult life and has served alongside her husband, Bishop T.D. Jakes, throughout their entire marriage of nearly 30 years. In addition to raising three sons and two daughters, she is executive director of the WoMan-To-Woman Ministries of The Potters House of Dallas. Serita Jakes is the author of "The Princess Within: Restoring the Soul of a Woman" (2002); "Beside Every Good Man: Loving Myself While Standing by Him" (2004); and the newly released novel, "The Crossing" (2011).

We are Muslim Americans. We are American Muslims. We live as your neighbors, friends, doctors, lawyers, police officers, soldiers, cab drivers, newspaper vendors, teammates, co-workers, and family -- seamlessly and without conflict. We are fully immersed in the American mosaic, and we are proud.

Our Muslims forefathers have been here since the founding of this country and we proudly continue upholding our legacy of investing in and contributing to America's successes from culture to politics, medicine to business, law enforcement to philanthropy.

As Muslims, we believe there is only one God, the God of Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Noah, Moses, Joseph, Jesus and Muhammad (God's peace be on them all).

There is no country on earth that can boast as wide a variety of Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians and Atheists as America can. As citizens of this country we feel truly blessed to be able to worship as we please, whatever our beliefs. The diversity of the American landscape is mirrored within each of its faith communities; our individual uniqueness, talent and energy make us stronger as one nation.

As Muslim Americans we also share a cultural and spiritual DNA with our fellow citizens and proudly celebrate our common values and ideals.

Our faith teaches us to be honest, hard-working, productive members of society. Compassion and ethical living are core foundations of our beliefs and an integral part of American character. We ask of ourselves what we ask of others, we seek the good in and for everyone and strive to be well-intentioned in our endeavors.

We are loyal to our country and our faith and rely strongly on God's gift of intellect and reason to guide us toward moral and ethical standards of behavior. We look to the wisdom of our past to benefit the present and future of all mankind.

Regardless of whether we were born in this nation or have recently adopted it as our home, we are committed to working with our fellow Americans to create a more perfect union for we, too, want a better life for ourselves, our children and our communities. In order to achieve these standards, we must all strive to understand and cherish the freedoms expressed in our Constitution and ensure none are denied these privileges.

Our respect for the Constitution allows us to appreciate the range of opinions that come with our freedoms. We welcome the ensuing debates, disagreements, and exchange of ideas because we believe this is the best way to understand one another and truly grow together as a community.

While these exchanges have the potential to uncover difficult and complicated subjects, we recognize that all Americans, regardless of their religious backgrounds or otherwise, have as much a right to participate and express their opinions in the name of making our country better. It is our responsibility as citizens to be educated, engaged and civic-minded.

We are today's Muslim Americans. We are striving toward building a better and more just society for all Americans and trust our collective action will result in the greater good: by us, for us all. Current Signatories 1. Wajahat Ali, Playwright ("The Domestic Crusaders"), Essayist and Attorney 2. Hussein Rashid, Contributing Editor of Religion Dispatches and Professor at Hofstra University 3. Reza Aslan, Scholar and Author ("No God but God") 4. Zeba Iqbal, Executive Director, CAMP (Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals) 5. Imam Plemon T. El-Amin, Resident Imam of the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam 6. Shaikh Faraz Rabbani, Educational Director and Instructor at Seekers Guidance 7. Mona Eltahawy, Journalist and Public Speaker 8. Honorable Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin of Teaneck, New Jersey 9. Sarah Sayeed, Program Associate at Interfaith Center of New York 10. Linda Sarsour, Director of The Arab American Association of New York 11. Aziz H. Poonawalla, Ph.D., and Blogger at City of Brass 12. Imam Faheem Shuaibe, Resident Imam/CEO of Waritheen Mosque & Director of the Clara Mhammed Schools & Warith Deen Mohammed high school in Oakland, California 13. Randa Kuziez, Faiths Act Fellow at Interfaith Youth Core 14. Irfan Rydhan, Public Relations Director, ILLUME Magazine 15. Haroon Moghul, Executive Director of The Maydan Institute 16. Anisa Mehdi, Journalist and Fulbright Scholar 17. Fatemeh Fakhraie, Founder and Editor of Muslimah Media Watch 18. Haris Tarin, Director of Muslim Public Affairs Council, Washington D.C. 19. Imam Johari Abdul-Mailk, Director of Community Outreach for the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center 20. Dilshad Ali, Editor at Patheos.com 21. Willow Wilson, Novelist (Alif) and Journalist 22. Svend White, Writer 23. Debbie Almontasser, Founding and Former Prinipal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy 24. Ayesha Mattu, Blogger 25. Azeem Ibrahim, Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's International Security Program and a World Fellow at Yale University 26. Zahra Suratwala, Co-editor of "I Speak For Myself: American Women on Being Muslim" 27. Khalil Abdur Rashid, Muslim Religious Life Advisor for Columbia University 28. Imam Tahir Anwar, Islamic Center of San Jose 29. Megan Putney, Program Director, Muslim Consultative Network 30. Zaheer Ali, Writer and Doctoral student in history at Columbia University 31. Aman Ali, Writer and Comedian 32. Bassam Tariq, Filmmaker 33. Zahra Somani, Writer and Editor 34. Zahed Amanullah, Editor of Altmuslim.com