Friday, May 04, 2007

Landmark ruling for non-Muslim minorities, my infidel ass.

Lim Kit Siang's right, you know. It's an open ended decision that does nothing to confirm the rights of non-Muslims vis a vis Islamic laws and establishment in this country.

Read carefully, and you'd realise that the Civil Court has again sidestepped its duties, and there's actually no court ruling at all. What took place is something American lawyers call an "out-of-court settlement".

The "Muslim" wife Raimah Bibi agrees to leave her husband, "remain" Muslim and make a public statement that she was kidnapped of her own free will... plus the non-Muslim husband Marimuthu agrees to drop his application against JAIS...

And in return,

... JAIS agrees to free Raimah Bibi, the 6 abducted children and not to pursue the matter of the kids being "Muslims".

The court adjourns the case with a sigh of relief, without having to make a judgment yet again.

What we've got here is a classic kidnapping ala Abu Sayyaf, culminating with the release of the hostages after the ransom is paid.

And I'm probably not the only one who could be harbouring those thoughts. Women's Aid Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah has stated that she 'hoped' that the settlement had not been brought about 'under duress'.

It remains to be seen if an annulment of the marriage was part of the deal that was struck.

Dr M, you do realise the inverse meaning of this threat to strip Malay converts (out of Islam) of their bumi privileges, don't you?

If this threat does actually "deter" or "encourage" Malays not to convert, it means that the reason why they chose to remain Muslim is simply economics and greed... not piety nor the love of the religion.

Hmmm... I believe you might have just unwittingly hit the nail on the head.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope that one day you find out that the brand of Islam practiced in Malaysia is a pretty strange brew.

Please don't judge Islam by the actions average Muslims.

People are people.

aLiSh said...

Dear Sean....
I really hope that one day you might understand Muslim and Islamic Law (duh !I don’t ask you to embraced it but) the situation here in Malaysia is not weird so does Islamic Law… the law is once you decided to convert (thou you convert just to get married….choose already that why issue?) and embraces Islam u must fulfill you promise to God or Lord…. This is no different from other religion…. Every single religion in this world wanted their devotes not to leave the religion.
When Malaysia was build all off those “wakil rakyat” from different races agreed that Bumiputra = ppl who are originated solely and truly from tanah melayu…. Nama pun tanah melayu means that it’s a Malay country…. Back than Islam also has been chosen as our no.1 religions… why don’t you start to accept it? Where ever you go … let say France u go there how does all those Muslim was treated? Would that be fair in your eyes sean? And do you think they really accept expatriate like us 100%ly? Come on man please start minus the religion and races…. Chinese also “pemalas” Chinese also ‘kaki tipu’ not just that drug trafficking and child abuse came from the main land of your atuk moyang so does my atuk moyang. Why not you start be fair to us as well.
I am mix, I’m half Chinese and I’m a Muslim … judging from what happen in Malaysia……. The ppl it self is unaware others faith and others culture (sounded just like you).
You as a blogger start lah to show reader that you also embrace ke-diversity-an , rather than back stabbing your own country and bad mouthing other faith and religion. If you hate the government so much or whatever they do… the simplest way is not to vote for them and go back to your originate country lah!. YOU just as ‘kiasu’ and ‘kiasi’ as those Singaporeans, ops! Wait why don’t you become one of them instead???

Regard from Alish who is so confuse why the hell People now days just don’t do their work as much as their mouth and those fingernail clacking those keyboard… enjoy life and start to be more near to nature because what should be more concern by people in the world is what we do to earth…. Unless you guys opt-ingfor the end of the world came early thans Gods plan!

aLiSh said...

p.s this comment is just a comment... and it goes for all issue you posted on religion and races.... thank you

sean-the-man said...

alish

I'm not sure how my postings are unfair, unaware about Islam or bad mouthing my own country.

Can you point out which post highlights anything more than the pursuit of fairness? That people be judged on their ability or handicap (whichever is relevant) and not by their race and religion? Where have I stated that Chinese are superior? Where have I stated anything more than the Malays need to depend on themselves sooner or later, instead of UMNO and the NEP?

How am I unaware of Islam? The problem is that I and non-Muslims like me are made much too aware of it nowadays. Perhaps it is you who are not aware of the teachings of the religion that you profess to embrace. Which tenet in Islam is more important? Universal justice or superficial displays of piety? Peaceful harmony for all of god's creatures or the indiscriminate propagation of a man-made theocracy?

You do not seem to grasp that the problem is not with Islam, the religion. It is with the way some individuals and groups in Malaysia practice it, and use it for their own purposes.

And get it straight. I dislike the govt and the religious administration, but I love my country and my countrymen. I'm not sure if you noticed, but there is a difference.

Embracing diversity. You have a funny definition of it. An acceptance of racial and religious discrimination is embracing diversity? My stand has always been that everyone needs to accept everyone else. Yes, embracing diversity works both ways. Trouble is, it's all one way traffic now.

And thanks a lot for your suggestion on how to improve things in Malaysia. ie. accept what our ancestral 'wakil rakyat' agreed to and live with the unfairness. If you were told that your grandfather signed a document that said that all his sons and their sons thereafter will be slaves, and all his daughters and their daughters thereafter will be whores... will you (as a descendent son or daughter) honour that agreement?

And what if that document has been amended many times (to make it wider, open ended and for perpetuity) since the original agreement? Will you still honour that amended agreement?

Or your other alternative, go home to our 'original' country. I've got news for you. My family has been here for 4 generations (longer than the families of many of UMNO's leadership during independence) and Malaysia IS my original country. I am home, and that why I blog.