Sorry for the lack of postings.
Anyway, these articles leave me speechless. I really wonder which planet did the Perak Mufti come from? He is also the person who last year suggested that HIV positive people be sent to an island to live as not to infect others.
Articles have been edited for brevity.
Tuesday, 13 June
Mufti: Beware of pluralism and liberalism
IPOH: Elements of liberalism and pluralism have crept into the thinking of some so-called Muslim intellectuals, and this could affect the Muslim lifestyle, said Perak Mufti Datuk Harussani Zakaria.
He said discussions on polygamy, the faraidh system, revision of the Quran, setting up of an Inter-Faith Commission and abolishment of Article 121 (1A) of the Federal Constitution, were getting louder as more Malaysians were embracing liberalism and pluralism.
“If left unchecked, liberalism and pluralism will be difficult to control,” he said in his keynote speech Purifying Islam from Liberalism and Pluralism at the Ulama Convention 2006 here yesterday.
Harussani said Muslims, whether policymakers or ordinary people, should know that liberalism and pluralism were alien to the fundamentals of Islam.
“The intellectuals and leaders must be aware of the threats to Islam posed by these elements,” he added.
He proposed that Islamic countries set up a body to monitor the influence of Western thinking and culture.
I have no idea how pluralism is an alien concept to Islam. Didn’t Muslims and non-Muslims live peacefully and harmoniously together in Madinah, where the Prophet set up his base?
As defined by Wikipedia, but taken from this blog, religious pluralism is a loosely defined term concerning peaceful relations between different religions, and is also used in a number of related ways:
► as a synonym for religious relativism; that one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and that some level of truth and value exists in at least some other religions.
► as a synonym for ecumenism. At a minimum, ecumenism is the promotion of unity, co-operation, or improved understanding between different denominations within the same religion, or sometimes between different religions.
► as a synonym for religious tolerance, which is a condition of harmonious co-existence between adherents of different religions or religious denominations.
More outrageous words from him.
Wednesday, 14 June
Ulamas want kongsi raya celebrations reviewed
IPOH: Ulamas attending a conference here want several practices such as the “kongsi raya” celebrations and open houses reviewed to ensure that they do not contradict Islamic laws.
Ulama Conference 2006 working committee chairman Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria said this was necessary because the National Fatwa Committee had decided that celebrating the festivals of other religions could erode the faith of Muslims and could lead to blasphemy.
Harussani, who is also the Perak Mufti, said the resolutions passed included asking all state Fatwa Councils to set up their respective action committee specifically to respond to views put forward by practitioners of liberalism and pluralism, which attack the faith of Muslims.
The Government was also urged to set up a monitoring body made up of academicians and ulamas to stop the spread of liberal Islamic thinking, especially through the Internet.
“I’m also made to understand that followers of liberal Islamic thinking are waiting for this resolution so that they can draw up a new strategy to counter it,” said Harussani.
Good thing he’s not someone really powerful. At least I don’t think so. Be that as it may, surely there would be some people who would be influenced by what this ulama said.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt - Mark Twain
I end with a positive article.
Salib Dan Patung Hindu Dalam Masjid Amalan Biasa?
04 Jun, 2006 21:05 PM
BANTUL (Yogyakarta), 4 Jun (Bernama) -- Pasukan Bulan Sabit Merah Malaysia (PBSM) yang ke sini dalam misi membantu mangsa gempa bumi terkejut bila melihat kewujudan salib dan patung Hindu dalam sebuah masjid ketika hendak menunai solat zohor di sebuah perkampungan dekat sini hari ini.
Seorang anggota pasukan PBSM, Jeffrey Hassan berkata setelah pasukannya memberi bantuan rawatan kepada mangsa-mangsa di perkampungan Gepoko, mereka bersiap-siap untuk melakukan solat zohor.
"Saya bertanyakan orang kampung di mana letaknya masjid dan mereka menunjukkan arahnya.
"Tapi, alangkah terkejutnya kami, sebaik masuk ke masjid kami lihat sebuah salib, lambang penganut Kristian, dan patung Hindu di dalamnya," kata Jeffrey.
"Kami tak jadi solat, lalu bertanyakan orang kampung bagaimana perkara sedemikian boleh terjadi," katanya.
"Itu biasa aja. Sememangnya telah lama kami lakukan begitu. Kami di sini berkongsi melakukan ibadat dalam satu masjid," kata seorang penduduk.
"Pada hari Jumaat masjid itu digunakan oleh orang Islam, Ahad oleh orang Kristian dan Selasa untuk orang Hindu," katanya. --BERNAMA
Basically the article says that some of my fellow countrymen, who were looking for place to pray, were extremely shocked to find a cross and a statue of a Hindu deity in a mosque in Yogyakarta.
When they asked the locals, they replied that it's a very normal practice since ages ago. On Fridays, the mosque is used by Muslims for prayers; on Sundays it is used by Christians and on Tuesdays by the Hindus.
How's that for pluralism! That is definitely not going to happen in Malaysia anytime soon.
5 comments:
I liked the last article & agree I can't imagine that happening in Malaysia anytime soon.
Haha sometimes we just can't understand all the contradictions. Guess religion is all the same to me...no comment on it :P
i see no wrong with pluralism anyway..
we live in a multi-cultural country and basically it is good for us to accept each other religion and pluralism shows the acceptance of each other...
i still think politics and religion is a lot easier to comprehend if you assume that people in general are idiots. based on that single assumption, you can be free to debate with no bias in favour of any party, and probably come up with some sort of solution.
First of all, thanks for the link to my post.
While I have no doubt in my mind the Mufti means well - he is truly concerned for the faith of the Ummah - his lack of depth in as far as real-world current issues are concerned, plus the ultra-conservatism exhibited, does little to bolster his credibility to address the issues.
My mocking is not the man on a personal level - I don't know him, but have no doubt he's a good person - it's what he says publicly in the position he's in. And the more that he speaks, the more he reveals himself as someone out of touch with the world.
Sorry for the very late response to your posting, though.
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