ur reporter called him again after the evening edition of Sin Chew Daily hit the street, and wanted to reconfirm with him the content of his speech. Mat Sabu offered to change the tone from “decided” to “had the intention” (berhasrat) which our reporter agreed. As a result, some minor changes appeared on the morning edition of the newspaper: “PAS has the intention of seeking constitutional amendment in the Parliament in order to implement the hudud law once the Pakatan takes the helm of the federal administration.”Democracy is very much a double edged weapon isn’t it? On one hand, a democratic system empowers the people to select who they choose to be the administrators of their nation. However, that same system can also give way to mob-rule. Much depends on which group is empowered. Unfortunately, most Malaysians are an immatured, uneducated lot. While it true that many can boast of scoring 10 As or more in their SPM but unfortunately these so-called high achievers are not wise about the ways of the world. The same applies to our university graduates. This is a damning indictment of education system which still leads me to believe that it was designed to indoctrinate, not educate.
Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Daily
In an open society, everything is laid out under the sun for public scrutiny.
I personally have nothing against what PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has said. On the contrary, I used to have very high regards for his candidness, and his relatively open and pragmatic attitude towards things.
Such a perception has been reflected in many of my past commentaries on PAS.
Islamic Revolution
Before the time of the Prophet of Islam, the ancient civilizations such as Greek, Egyptian, Roman and Persian- all were polytheistic (shirk) in their beliefs. That is they worshipped natural phenomena such as the earth (Goddess Gaiga now in the west), rivers, mountains, sun, moon or stars. Only Islam was able to displace them from the pedestal of worship and created the intellectual frame of mind, which is known as the scientific revolution.The polytheists believed the river to possess divine attributes. They believed the goddess of river caused the water to move and made it useful or harmful. In Islam the river is a creation of Allah and not a creator and it was a servant of Allah and not the Lord. Thus the Muslims found ways and means to exploit the rivers on a large scale. The history books tell us that there is no precedent in any nation to the large-scale irrigation system developed by the Spanish Muslims. The Spanish Muslims developed agriculture and created Departments of agriculture science and irrigation in the universities. They studied trees and carried out research on the properties of soil. The infertile lands were converted into orchards and lush green fields, in today’s terms -a green revolution. Before this people treated rivers, springs and sea as gods. But the Muslims brought the green revolution because of their monotheistic thinking.Polytheism (shirk) was prevalent until the 7th century. It was replaced with monotheism (Tawhid) by the Islamic Revolution. This in turn opened the doors of research and investigation by abolishing the practice of worshipping the natural phenomena. Modern industrial progress owes its existence to the Arab Muslims due to their creed of monotheism, which instilled them a mental and practical revolution. Islam changed the thinking of the Muslims and contributed to the modern scientific revolution. Historians acknowledge that Islam changed the face of the globe. Polytheism and superstition blocked the progress and advancement of human development. Islam encouraged the investigation of nature and destroyed the sanctity of nature.Islam also destroyed the concept of intermediaries between God and man, such as the Kings and priests who claimed as God’s representatives on earth or even the incarnations of God on earth. Polytheism (shirk) curbed freedom of thought. Polytheism and superstition were the major obstacles to all kinds of progress. Superstitious beliefs were an obstruction in the pat of free enquiry. The search for new truths and discovery of nature’s secrets remained forbidden areas for them for centuries. Before the Islamic revolution, the world had been swept by superstitious beliefs and idolatry. The revolution based on monotheism of Islam put an almost complete end to polytheism (shirk) The Greeks excelled in the fields of art and philosophy. Their contribution to the field of science (except Archimedes’ hydrostatics) was actually quite negligible. Plato’s teacher, Socrates (may be construed as a Haneef) never worshipped the pagan gods which were worshipped by the Athenians in Greece and instilled free enquiry among the youth of Athens and for that he was forced to drink hemlock as a punishment in 399 BC. Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier in 212 BC failing to recognize him. The atmosphere for scientific progress did not exist in ancient Greece. Similarly, the mighty Roman Empire never produced a single scientist.In Islam with its foundation of monotheism created an atmosphere and environment which stimulated scientific research that lead to the conquest of natural phenomena. The modern age which is the age of science and industry, of freedom and equality is the direct consequence of the Islamic revolution rooted in the Qur’an.From the sixth century to the 10th century Europe was in dark ages while the Islamic civilization attained the pinnacles of science and technology. After the crusades the Europeans came in contact with the Islamic civilization. They went to Muslim universities in Spain, Sicily, Cairo, and Baghdad. They translated the Arabic works into Latin for over two hundred years. The European Renaissance started in the 15th century and culminated in the emergence of the modern industrial civilization. Islamic revolution is responsible for the emancipation of the human thought.During the Abbasid era, paper was being manufactured on a large scale and so books could be produced without the dearth of paper. There were more than 400,000 books in the library of Cordova (Spain) in the tenth century, whereas in Europe at that time, the library of Canterbury- the top of the list of the Christian libraries- contained only 1800 books in the 13 the century.In many countries scholars were born with creative minds who could think independently of the their fellow citizens. But due to the unfavorable atmosphere and hostile environment of times, their efforts could be brought to fruition. Their knowledge withered away before they could flower. On the other hand Islamic revolution produced favorable atmosphere, it unleashed a mighty flood of knowledge which had been kept pent up for thousands of years by the dam of polytheism (shirk) and superstition. For progress of Science and Technology an atmosphere of free investigation is essential. One may be surprised to know that even today there are some people and societies who believe that the earth is flat. Even today the Hindus with MD and Ph.D. degrees worship the Sun as god and believe that the lunar and solar eclipses are caused when the snakes Rahu and Ketu swallow them. One thousand years ago Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni explained how the solar and lunar eclipses are caused by the shadows of moon and earth falling on the sun and moon respectively. The Hindus believe in 320 million gods and goddesses. Even if one spends one minute in reciting the name of a god, the whole life is not enough to recite the names of 320 million gods and goddesses.MCA scream anti Hudud everyday in the STAR and MCA is partnering Umno in BN …..so , what are all these PAS and mufti barking …..if DAP lose Malay votes , you mean MCA will not lose Malay votes….all these are obvious Umno propagandaThere are many here who supported Karpal and if you are of the opinion that Karpal is wrong… just name him and not implied that all who are for him are half-boiled eggs by starting with… “there are…” like as if those many that do not share your opinion are half-boiled eggs. Karpal appears to be unable to wise up. Umno or MCA yanks his anti-hudud chain and he unleashes a well known series of barks which is music to their ears and damaging to Pakatan. This trick never fails no matter how many times his chain is pulled. When will Karpal realize that hudud is no longer an issue with non-Malays? They know it is an academic issue and they want to see BN out as a higher priority. Please stop your anti-hudud rants, Karpal. Non-Malays will not think less of DAP because you did not voice your obligatory opposition. Please wise up and stop dancing to BN’s tune.Actually it was Chuah Soiled Leg who day in and day out criticised Hudud and Islamic law.MCA STAR always attacks Islamic law and Hudud.So why pick on karpal?Why not UMNO lose Malay votes cause of MCA rejecting Hudud law,
Before the time of the Prophet of Islam, the ancient civilizations such as Greek, Egyptian, Roman and Persian- all were polytheistic (shirk) in their beliefs. That is they worshipped natural phenomena such as the earth (Goddess Gaiga now in the west), rivers, mountains, sun, moon or stars. Only Islam was able to displace them from the pedestal of worship and created the intellectual frame of mind, which is known as the scientific revolution.The polytheists believed the river to possess divine attributes. They believed the goddess of river caused the water to move and made it useful or harmful. In Islam the river is a creation of Allah and not a creator and it was a servant of Allah and not the Lord. Thus the Muslims found ways and means to exploit the rivers on a large scale. The history books tell us that there is no precedent in any nation to the large-scale irrigation system developed by the Spanish Muslims. The Spanish Muslims developed agriculture and created Departments of agriculture science and irrigation in the universities. They studied trees and carried out research on the properties of soil. The infertile lands were converted into orchards and lush green fields, in today’s terms -a green revolution. Before this people treated rivers, springs and sea as gods. But the Muslims brought the green revolution because of their monotheistic thinking.Polytheism (shirk) was prevalent until the 7th century. It was replaced with monotheism (Tawhid) by the Islamic Revolution. This in turn opened the doors of research and investigation by abolishing the practice of worshipping the natural phenomena. Modern industrial progress owes its existence to the Arab Muslims due to their creed of monotheism, which instilled them a mental and practical revolution. Islam changed the thinking of the Muslims and contributed to the modern scientific revolution. Historians acknowledge that Islam changed the face of the globe. Polytheism and superstition blocked the progress and advancement of human development. Islam encouraged the investigation of nature and destroyed the sanctity of nature.Islam also destroyed the concept of intermediaries between God and man, such as the Kings and priests who claimed as God’s representatives on earth or even the incarnations of God on earth. Polytheism (shirk) curbed freedom of thought. Polytheism and superstition were the major obstacles to all kinds of progress. Superstitious beliefs were an obstruction in the pat of free enquiry. The search for new truths and discovery of nature’s secrets remained forbidden areas for them for centuries. Before the Islamic revolution, the world had been swept by superstitious beliefs and idolatry. The revolution based on monotheism of Islam put an almost complete end to polytheism (shirk) The Greeks excelled in the fields of art and philosophy. Their contribution to the field of science (except Archimedes’ hydrostatics) was actually quite negligible. Plato’s teacher, Socrates (may be construed as a Haneef) never worshipped the pagan gods which were worshipped by the Athenians in Greece and instilled free enquiry among the youth of Athens and for that he was forced to drink hemlock as a punishment in 399 BC. Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier in 212 BC failing to recognize him. The atmosphere for scientific progress did not exist in ancient Greece. Similarly, the mighty Roman Empire never produced a single scientist.In Islam with its foundation of monotheism created an atmosphere and environment which stimulated scientific research that lead to the conquest of natural phenomena. The modern age which is the age of science and industry, of freedom and equality is the direct consequence of the Islamic revolution rooted in the Qur’an.From the sixth century to the 10th century Europe was in dark ages while the Islamic civilization attained the pinnacles of science and technology. After the crusades the Europeans came in contact with the Islamic civilization. They went to Muslim universities in Spain, Sicily, Cairo, and Baghdad. They translated the Arabic works into Latin for over two hundred years. The European Renaissance started in the 15th century and culminated in the emergence of the modern industrial civilization. Islamic revolution is responsible for the emancipation of the human thought.During the Abbasid era, paper was being manufactured on a large scale and so books could be produced without the dearth of paper. There were more than 400,000 books in the library of Cordova (Spain) in the tenth century, whereas in Europe at that time, the library of Canterbury- the top of the list of the Christian libraries- contained only 1800 books in the 13 the century.In many countries scholars were born with creative minds who could think independently of the their fellow citizens. But due to the unfavorable atmosphere and hostile environment of times, their efforts could be brought to fruition. Their knowledge withered away before they could flower. On the other hand Islamic revolution produced favorable atmosphere, it unleashed a mighty flood of knowledge which had been kept pent up for thousands of years by the dam of polytheism (shirk) and superstition. For progress of Science and Technology an atmosphere of free investigation is essential. One may be surprised to know that even today there are some people and societies who believe that the earth is flat. Even today the Hindus with MD and Ph.D. degrees worship the Sun as god and believe that the lunar and solar eclipses are caused when the snakes Rahu and Ketu swallow them. One thousand years ago Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni explained how the solar and lunar eclipses are caused by the shadows of moon and earth falling on the sun and moon respectively. The Hindus believe in 320 million gods and goddesses. Even if one spends one minute in reciting the name of a god, the whole life is not enough to recite the names of 320 million gods and goddesses.MCA scream anti Hudud everyday in the STAR and MCA is partnering Umno in BN …..so , what are all these PAS and mufti barking …..if DAP lose Malay votes , you mean MCA will not lose Malay votes….all these are obvious Umno propagandaThere are many here who supported Karpal and if you are of the opinion that Karpal is wrong… just name him and not implied that all who are for him are half-boiled eggs by starting with… “there are…” like as if those many that do not share your opinion are half-boiled eggs. Karpal appears to be unable to wise up. Umno or MCA yanks his anti-hudud chain and he unleashes a well known series of barks which is music to their ears and damaging to Pakatan. This trick never fails no matter how many times his chain is pulled. When will Karpal realize that hudud is no longer an issue with non-Malays? They know it is an academic issue and they want to see BN out as a higher priority. Please stop your anti-hudud rants, Karpal. Non-Malays will not think less of DAP because you did not voice your obligatory opposition. Please wise up and stop dancing to BN’s tune.Actually it was Chuah Soiled Leg who day in and day out criticised Hudud and Islamic law.MCA STAR always attacks Islamic law and Hudud.So why pick on karpal?Why not UMNO lose Malay votes cause of MCA rejecting Hudud law,
In a country where religious intolerance and communal hatred dominate the news now-a-days, here is something that goes to show that all is not rotten and ugly.
RPK, you are anti-Islam ; an enemy of Islam. That is what most Muslims would think of you, but that is what you are – a true Muslim? I can’t understand either or what is a good Muslim. Mariam MB says the right thing but that is not just Islam but a universal truth.
Indoctrination is what many are shaped into today. They are too lazy to think in this ‘instant’ age. They just absorbed what is preach to them and quickly goes out and enjoy the pleasure that the world gives. If there is a father of lies, then he is doing a very good job indeed. But he will fall in the end together with his sons and daughters.
If one could believed motivators that by repeating words of encouragement , then the positive would happened, then chanting , reciting verses could also bring the result according to the verses. Even if one do not understand the verses. So be careful what one is repeating. That is why positive prayers and worship in spirit and in truth is very important and would transformed the world into paradise or the reverse could happened if human chant, recites and pray in the negative without knowing it. For the liars would lead all into destruction.
If one is angry, full of hatred, depressed, lost, seeking pleasures, seeking revenge, a drunkard, a glutton or praying under distress, then one need to examine one’s belief and life. For one could be under the influence of evil the liar. . God blesses you all and his peace be upon you all. Yes Lord.
Indoctrination is what many are shaped into today. They are too lazy to think in this ‘instant’ age. They just absorbed what is preach to them and quickly goes out and enjoy the pleasure that the world gives. If there is a father of lies, then he is doing a very good job indeed. But he will fall in the end together with his sons and daughters.
If one could believed motivators that by repeating words of encouragement , then the positive would happened, then chanting , reciting verses could also bring the result according to the verses. Even if one do not understand the verses. So be careful what one is repeating. That is why positive prayers and worship in spirit and in truth is very important and would transformed the world into paradise or the reverse could happened if human chant, recites and pray in the negative without knowing it. For the liars would lead all into destruction.
If one is angry, full of hatred, depressed, lost, seeking pleasures, seeking revenge, a drunkard, a glutton or praying under distress, then one need to examine one’s belief and life. For one could be under the influence of evil the liar. . God blesses you all and his peace be upon you all. Yes Lord.
Some may find it bizarre but there is a possibility that the wave of hudud can be an attempt to divert public attention from the issue of corruption. Please don’t blame PAS for the communal disturbance. It can do nothing without the help of insiders.. would be engrossed in a fierce debate dividing people on Racial lines. And, it would be followed by demand to amend the constitution for safeguading the minorities. Among theseractal and communal issues, nobody will question about election reform bills pending since long.
PAS Youth: Anti-hudud Karpal will cost us Malay votes
DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh’s ongoing criticism of proposed implementation of the hudud will cause PAS to lose Malay votes in the next general election, warned deputy PAS Youth chief Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz hudud issue in the public. It is a non issue to supporters of pakatan but giving an advantage to BN. Let us talk about it after pakatan has crossed the bridge i.e secure federal government.
But some researchers have blamed the Umno-led counter-procession that began at the residence of then Selangor mentri besar Datuk Harun Idris for the violence.A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general publi
“Bersih condemns any act of violence by any quarters. I would say the 250,000 people yesterday came in peace and did not come for violence.
“All purported acts of violence only took place after teargas was fired. Until then, we had full control of the situation before it all went awry,”Ambiga also told Bloomberg she planned to quit her Bersih co-chair post after the next elections to focus on her legal work, including speaking up for women’s rights.
“The ordinary Malaysian is beginning to realise that it is not acceptable to play up religion and race in politics. There is a real maturing,” she told Bloomberg.
This time, we have to really thank Mat Sabu for accepting an interview from Sin Chew Daily, during which our reporter requested him to expound the remarks made by party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang on Harakah that the party had the intention of implementing the hudud law through democratic process.
Mat Sabu explained, “PAS has decided that it will seek constitutional amendment in the Parliament to implement the hudud law once the Pakatan takes the helm of the federal administration.”
Our reporter called him again after the evening edition of Sin Chew Daily hit the street, and wanted to reconfirm with him the content of his speech. Mat Sabu offered to change the tone from “decided” to “had the intention” (berhasrat) which our reporter agreed.
As a result, some minor changes appeared on the morning edition of the newspaper: “PAS has the intention of seeking constitutional amendment in the Parliament in order to implement the hudud law once the Pakatan takes the helm of the federal administration.”
In the meantime, we also interviewed PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man to get him to clarify on the party’s stand on this issue. His response was consistent with that of Mat Sabu and the same was published on the day’s edition of Sin Chew Daily.
We have later acquired the official statement of PAS president Hadi Awang on August 13, as well as his August 25 statement published on the party’s mouthpiece Harakah on the implementation of the hudud law.
We later clarified with PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali on the same issue.
Unfortunately, after the report went into print, Mat Sabu denied the following day what he had said, and claimed that Sin Chew Daily had distorted his speech.
We tried contact him with the hope of seeking further clarification from him but have so far not been able to get him.
It appears that politicians’ customary ways of doing things have been repeated on Mat Sabu. Although this is nothing new in politics, I am still somewhat disappointed. I thought Mat Sabu was a responsible man who would loyally adhere to his principles.
To support our case that we have not misquoted or distorted anyone’s speech, we published the statement Hadi Awang has made on today’s Sin Chew Daily, along with an exclusive interview with Mustafa Ali for public scrutiny.
We have to make it very clear that our reports on the hudud law have not been tailored in such a way to baffle PAS or Pakatan but to deliver accurate and essential information to the reading public.
As a public medium, we are in no position to conceal any piece of important information from public knowledge, especially something that involves public interests, and incidents that may transform our society in one way or another.
It is imperative that PAS’ stand on the implementation of hudud law be exposed under the sun so that members of the public could comprehend, evaluate and make their options.
The worst thing we could do is to selectively hide the truth, glorifying the most beautiful parts and covering up the rest of it.
The most despicable and deceitful way of doing things is to tell one side of the story to the Muslim community, and the other side to the non-Muslims.
PAS used to enjoy a respectable repute and should therefore treasure its own credibility. If the party insists that the hudud law is correct and appropriate, it should then publicly proclaim its political agendas in the same tone, be it to the Muslim or non-Muslim society, and go on to promote and lobby for them among the Chinese voters.
That said, the party must make its agendas unreservedly open to all Malaysians. This is the most fundamental way of doing things justly.
Meanwhile, PAS’ allies in the opposition pact must never attempt to create a glamorous illusion among the Chinese community with their own interests and ballots as prime considerations. While political parties have every right to pursue their goals and objectives, they have to be accountable to the rakyat in so doing.
Whether the hudud law is eventually good or detrimental to our nation, once it is put into implementation, it will stay in effect for generations, even as electoral ballots and political parties do not last forever.
Malaysians are entitled to the whole truth to make sensible judgements and choices that will shape their common future
.This is our country, our reality. We have to be honest with ourselves. Let’s not fudge that fact. Gujarat changed for the worse. The S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express caught fire at Godhra, killing 59 people, mostly kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya. The communal riots that followed affected at least 16 of the state’s 25 districts and claimed over 1,000 lives, mostly Muslims. Many were rendered homeless. The commissions that probed the Godhra incident have arrived at different conclusions. While the U.C. Banerjee Commission, appointed by the Centre, said the fire in the S6 coach was accidental, the state-appointed Justice (retd) G.T. Nanavati and Justice (retd) Akshay Mehta Commission, in its part I report, said the carnage was pre-planned.
that, even a decade later, is yet to be bridged. Compensations can hardly undo the damage. Even today, families fear to return to their original villages. Widows continue to struggle to earn their livelihood. Rape victims are still counselled for trauma. The families of the convicted cry foul. Businesses struggle to survive. Gulberg Society The name is embedded in collective memory as a symbol of the Gujarat riots and, to many, of the administrative complicity behind it. In Gulberg Society, the past is never far even as those looking at the future have learnt to make peace with it. The empty shells of its 29 bungalows and 10 apartments now serve as godowns for neighbouring Muslim bakers, who supply their wares to Hindu shopkeepers next door.The smell of these bakeries and shahi dawats once filled the society, a Muslim-dominated area that came up in 1965 in the predominantly Hindu Chamanpura.Targeted during the riots, they had all left. The owners of all eight bakeries are now back with their shops, though they stay 7km away in Muslim-dominated Rakhial.Shamsul Haq Ansari’s Robin Bakery, adjoining Gulberg Society, was looted and torched.
He suffered losses of lakhs and claims not to have received any compensation. He chose to return and rebuild from his savings, and said not only has his business taken off again but that he is doing better than before.Ansari’s customers are all Hindus, including local provision stores, as there is no Muslim habitation around. For him or other bakers in the area, that hasn’t been a problem so far.Mubarak Ansari, owner of Mubarak Bakery, said there was some tension immediately after the riots. “But with time, things have improved. My entire business depends on local Hindus and they support me wholeheartedly.”However, none of them lives in the area. Haseemuddin, working with Ashiana Bakery, said the owners as well as the workers live in Rakhial — which has been the case since they migrated from Bijnore. He cited “cultural and social reasons” for this. As such, they did not lose any near ones during the Chamanpura riots.Those who did have chosen not to continue in Gulberg Society, except Kasam Mansuri, 62, who lost 12 members. After his sons relocated, Mansuri stayed back and makes a living selling mattresses outside the society. “This is my society, where will I go?” he said.Looking at the garbage dumped outside Gulberg Society, the Hindus, on the other hand, feel it is time to break free from the past, if only to bring Gujarat’s famed development to the area. Said Bhavanlal Jain, a moneylender whose customers are mostly Muslims: “The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has been neglecting the locality since they do not want legal complications of property, etc.”The Citizens for Justice and Peace has come up with the idea of turning the society into a “holocaust museum”. To people like Saed Khan, who moved to the Muslim-dominated Juhapura, that is better than selling the houses to strangers. “It would be like selling the graves of your beloved.”While Mansuri gets angry at times that the survivors of Gulberg moved away and set up a new life, Khan said: “Gas cylinders were busted in homes; when these caught fire, they threw acid bulbs on people hiding. Women were pulled out and raped in public. No one wants to go back there.”
The bakers are the only remnants of a life that was. The mosque that was destroyed now holds five prayers a day for them. On Fridays, it also draws a number of Muslims working in nearby areas.As days such as these become routine, Afroz Ansari, a salesman working with J-K Bakery, is hopeful. “The riots,” he said, “were an aberration.”Naroda Patiya
A young boy gets down at the last stop of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on the RTO-Naroda route and says, “Where is this Naroda Patiya, the riot spot, actually located?” Nobody knew Naroda Patiya till 2002.Muslims who survived the biggest post-Godhra massacre are now called Patiyawala, a term they own up with pride. They lost their loved ones but their lives has since seen a sea of change, with the BRTS running right outside their homes and the surrounding development making their own abodes high on the demand list.
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