MAHATHIR’S AGNI PATH….. DIAL ‘M’ FOR TROUBLE

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said hudud law must apply to non-Muslims as well in order for its implementation to be fair, in accordance with the tenets of Islam. Mahathir Mohamad – a Taliban ulama interpreting Islamic laws not only for the Muslims but also to the non-Muslims as well. ‘Ustat’ Mahathir must first preach to his billionaire sons first before he comes to us. He has a son who owned a beer conglomerate in Philippines, so is that halal? And he wants equality in punishment under hudud laws for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Punishment for theft on Muslims is amputation of the hand while for non-Muslims is a two-month jail term; supposedly your sons are caught stealing from the country’s till, what shall it be – in your context of equal punishment? Amputation of the hand or a two-month jail term?Dr Mahathir arbitrarily declared Malaysia as an Islamic country from a secular country as dictated in the constitution abetted by the ball less b partners in BN viz; MCA, MIC , Gerakan etc is now again stirring up shit about a total Islamic regime. I suppose he will be able to implement it together with his Ketuanan tenet when he has installed his son at the pinnacle of power after he has stabbed Ah Jib Kor in the back as he did to poor Bodowi. We can look forward to very interesting and intriguing plots among UMNOputras in time to come. The year 2013 might be an exiting year ahead for Malaysian Politics indeed if, BN loses at elections or barely scrapes in. Dr. M wants hudud for all because he wants to frighten the non-Muslims so that they will turn their backs on PAS/Pakatan and vote for BN. Remember his quote: “Better the devil you know than the angel you do not know” ? The reality is UMNO/BN may see its demise at GE-13, thus it is resorting to everything in the book to retain power. Remember also Najib’s quote: “We have to defend Putrajaya at all cost even over our dead bodies” ? If we read recent statements from Najib, we should be able to read in between the lines, he is literally “down on his knees” begging that UMNO/BN be given a chance to continue as the ruling government; that the people should not gamble with their future by voting in an untested Pakatan.Mahathir, you are just like chua soi lek , use hudud and islam for politic. Your fantastic success story is making your son from nothing to billionaire!! Shame on you!! But yr skin is so thck, that is for sure!! That UMNO/BN want to continue with the government’s transformation programmes. But haven’t they been given 55 years? Yes there was development but it all came along with nepotism and cronyism and policies that made them rich beyond their means. Isn’t it time for CHANGE?

All Religion are beautiful but are spoiled and polluted by those so called “Religious People” but their main agenda is more for political mileage. Shame on those who used Religion for their selfish purpose.
Religion has always been a thorn rather than a rose as it can be so easily exploited to create fear and apprehension among people of different religious beliefs. The significance of religion normally loses its values and goodness when it is abundantly abused for selfish and political greed. If every strata of society is controlled and influenced by religion then human freedom and values are compromised to the extent of being reduced to mere tools.If you read Steve and Nurul’s comment carefully on this matter, you got a sense that it is all about how to unlock the human capital of Muslims so that they can compete in this increasingly challenging world.
Few journalists today can claim to be neutral towards these organizations. They do have valid reasons for the same. Some of the most regressive, communal and divisive thoughts have found support in these organizations. Extra-keen Hindus are often found here, giving both the country and the religion a bad name. Modernity and scientific thought are given a backseat, past grudges are not let go of and reform is slow even within the organization. If the media starts patting the RSS on its back, some of their harmful activities will only rise.

If there is anything unmistakably clear from the recent muktamar or general assembly of the Islamic Party of Malaysia — PAS — is that despite the acceptance of the concept of tahalluf siyasi or political consensus among the three major components of the opposition front — Pakatan Rakyat — PAS’ ambition in establishing an Islamic State and implementing hudud laws is unwavering, if not more resolute.

It appears rather incongruous that despite the acceptance of Buku Jingga or Orange Book as a comprehensive framework of the opposition front on how to govern the country when they come to power, PAS seems to have a higher agenda — to transform the multiracial and multi-religious country into a full-fledged Islamic state with Islamic laws.

Islamic laws and hudud were never mentioned in Buku Jingga and neither was the establishment of Islamic State. PAS even came out with its own manifesto “Nation of Care and Opportunity”. However this concept of a benevolent state is not well received by many PAS members themselves. Reason being, the so-called Erdoganists in PAS mainly mooted it. Recent spate of debate about the concept of Islamist Democrat — a term popularised by the Erdoganists — between the ulama faction and the young Turks clearly proved that they are considered contaminants in the “pure and pristine” PAS struggle.

The changing trend

While PAS has been in existent since 1951, it has remarkably shown to be very consistent in its struggle ever since, no matter how insensible it could have been to many. PAS has tried to restore Islam’s place as a central reference point for all social, cultural, economic and political life in Muslim society. In the words of Bobby Said in his book “A Fundamental Fear: Eurocentrism and the Emergence of Islamism”, he said: Islamism is a project that attempts to transform Islam from a nodal point in the discourse of Muslim communities to a master signifier. In particular, the Islamist project is an attempt to make Islam the master signifier of the political order.

However this project of political Islam has taken a new turn after what is known as the Arab Spring or the Arab Awakening. The discourse now is not about establishing an Islamic State or implementing hudud laws. The aspiration now is to nurture pious Muslims within a democratic polity. Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of en-Nahdha in Tunisia has categorically rejected Islamic State in favour of parliamentary democracy. His party en-Nahdhah is committed to social justice, multiparty democracy and religious pluralism.

A Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois, Asef Bayat termed this shift as post-Islamism. There was a clear shift from the age-old slogan of al-Islam huwa al-hal — Islam is the solution to all problems — to a more practical approach and solution.

As put forward by Rachid Ghannouchi in interpreting the saying of the Prophet: “You are the best people to know what is beneficial for you in your worldly affairs” meaning to say that it is not the duty of religion to teach us agriculture, industrial or even governing techniques. Reason is qualified to teach this truth through the accumulation of experiences. The role of religion, however, is to answer the big question for us, those relating to our existence, origins, destiny and the purpose for which we were created. It is to provide us with a system of values and principles that would guide our thinking, behavior and the regulation of the state to which we aspire.

Same old rhetoric

For those who followed closely the recent Muktamar, it is evident that PAS is still trapped in the age-old agenda. Implementing hudud laws still remain a priority in its struggle. Obviously this is a clear contradiction to the mutually agreed Buku Jingga. Whether they are aware of the repercussion or not, it definitely provides ammunition to the ruling party that PAS has an ulterior motive to change this country into an Islamic State.

The patronising speech by Head of Dewan Ulama or the Religious Council in saying in a jest that hudud will create more job opportunities since training is needed in order to chop off hands and that training is also needed for caning of alcohol drinkers only showed that they are not serious about the current economic problems faced by the nation. It is as though by simply implementing hudud, all the economic woes and social ills of the society will be solved.

Nothing serious was discussed about the idea of nation of care and opportunity. PAS seems to have lost interest in pursuing the welfare state agenda. The main tone that vibrates especially among the Islamic scholars was nothing more than hudud and their unyielding push for this agenda and not in the least worried about going public about it.

Little Napoleons

One of the most worrying trends during the Muktamar is the voices of little Napoleons who tried to silence Harakah and the online Harakahdaily who had been accused to give more space to progressive figures in PAS and sidelining conservative forces.

Harakah is accused to have strayed away from its original intent and aspiration of PAS. Such an act would have been seen by many who understand freedom of the press as stifling with the most fundamental foundation of freedom of speech.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.

Now this act by the little Napoleons only showed how much they understand and respect human rights and what the future may hold if they come to power. There will not be any room left for dissension and differing opinions than what is being held by them.

The political reality

Perhaps the most important thing that PAS should appreciate and understand is that the appeal for hudud and Islamic State is not there anymore in the post-Islamism period. PAS should not misunderstand the votes they received as amounting to the support for their Islamic agenda.

More than a hundred thousand went to the street for demonstration during Bersih 3.0 recently. The demand was not to implement hudud or establishing an Islamic state. People of various races and religions from all walks of life marched together for a better democracy. They wanted a clean and fair election and a government free of corruption. It was an act of defiance to the draconian and unconstitutional Act that prevented people from any peaceful assembly.

It must be heard loud and clear that the people want a truly democratic state. Not a state ruled by a group of Mullahs who considered themselves to be above the law. The precedent was already set when one state under PAS passed an enactment that a fatwa or religious verdict from a Mufti cannot be challenged in the court of law.

It has to be understood that the state is not something from God but from the people. The state has to serve the benefit of the people and not just a certain group based on their faith. The state has to be neutral in all aspects. It must also be made clear that a state is a human product and managing a state requires human endeavor and not divine inspiration. The governance of a state falls under the realm of political and is not in the realm of revelation.

Any observance of religious values must never be through coercion. A state should respect personal beliefs and moral values and not imposed itself on its citizens. Unfortunately, the current situation in states under PAS rule failed to prevent this obtrusion of the state into private sphere. A state should not dictate how we should wear in public as this falls under personal affairs. However to regulate how women should dress seemed to be the first agenda under many Islamic governments; PAS not excluded.

Matters of the heart such as faith should be left to individuals. It is not the state to meddle in matters of the heart. There is no value in observing a faith that was made through coercion. Coercing people to believe in a faith they have no believe anymore through state’s coercive tools only turn them into hypocrites. People are created free and any effort of the state to coerce people from embracing or leaving a faith is worthless and futile.

The road forward

As a concluding remark, it must be re-emphasised that Islam in one way or another has always influenced a state under Muslim rule throughout history. Islam has not known a separation between state and religion in the sense of excluding religion altogether from public life. However a clear demarcation must be made between what belongs to the realm of ad-deeni or religious and those that fall under as-siyasi or political.

Great Islamic jurists like ash-Shatibi and Ibnu Ashur have agreed that the highest objective of all divine messages is to establish justice and attaining maslahah by realizing people’s interest. The pursuit of justice and public interest is done merely through the exercise of reason. And religion only provides values and guidelines in this pursuit.

Hence it is wrong to envisage that governing a state must follow a fixed manual and that manual is none other than the Qur’an. The domain of state governance falls under as-siyasi — the political — that will require human intellect to establish justice and equality.

Thus justice cannot be achieved unless human rights are secured for every individual and group in this country. And primary among human rights are rights to belief and to express one’s belief.

In a country that has achieved independence since 1957, the sovereign nation was founded upon the principles of justice and freedom as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, the principles of justice and freedom were forgotten and the provisions of fundamental liberties enshrined in the constitution were progressively compromised and eroded by the ruling elite.

Our aim now is to recover the lost hope, of justice and freedom, and not to turn this country into another repressive state that claims to rule with a mandate from God. — New Mandala

* Dr. Ahmad Farouk Musa is a director at Islamic Renaissance Front.

And yet, the RSS has done good work too. Whether it is relief work for natural calamity victims, caste reforms, or social work in Kashmir; the RSS has made a positive difference. Much of this isn’t noticed. Some of this will surprise people. For instance, the RSS adopted Muslim kids orphaned by militancy in Kashmir.

Finally, the RSS backs the BJP, and contributes in making a credible opposition to the ruling party.

RSS’ good work, however, is rarely recognized because of negative deeds in the past, as well as the nature of the organization. It isn’t as aligned to the present times, to current needs of the youth. It isn’t aspirational, and its current leaders are unwilling to be the role models Indian youth is seeking. Self-reflection is limited. The defensiveness about media’s treatment of them seems to be making them more thick-skinned than a dynamic organization.

And yet, the RSS faces a moment of truth, in Nitin Gadkari and his shady businesses situation. The RSS has never been known as corrupt, greedy for money or as a black money haven. When they back Gadkari, they become tainted with such charges. For an organization that is already tainted with being communal, this could be a death knell. The RSS may be politically aligned, but it is not a political party. The RSS cannot sell their soul and conscience like political parties can, by claiming political compulsions.

The RSS cannot get away with shady defenses by their own CAs of Gadkari. If the RSS thinks Gadkari is clean, why not appoint a big auditing firm to check Gadkari’s accounts?

Past mistakes haunt them still. It will take decades of secular work for them to rub off their communal sins. To add a taint of corruption and greed will be too much for the Sangh. If it breaks, the BJP breaks. If the BJP breaks, we don’t have a credible opposition in the country. Thus, on the RSS’ handling of the Gadkari situation almost hinges the future of modern India. This is the agni pariksha moment for the Sangh Parivar. It may be tough to take action against Gadkari. He may have contributed, even done some amazing work and mentored the current leadership of the RSS. Yet, organizations like the RSS thrive on faith. Members believe there is a certain set of shared positive values, ethics and ideals. Saving Gadkari violates all of that. If the RSS can stick to its values now, it could thrive.

The RSS would do good to remember this: “Above all, beware of all compromises. Hold on to your principles and never adjust them to others’ ‘fads’ through the greed of getting supporters.” That’s Vivekananda. Let us hope the RSS not only celebrates his birthday, but also imbibes his teachings.Teresa Kok says the latest development proves Barisan Nasional’s tacit support for Perkasa’s brazen racism. why Bal Keshav Thackeray, founder of Shiv Sen inspired so much fear in people. no answer, though figured out that as a man he was reasonable only that his politics was that of hate. More than two decades later as …Read more