A public letter from advocacy organization in Malaysia, Sisters in Islam.
Sisters in Islam condemns caning of three Muslim women under syariah law.
Sisters in Islam (SIS) is shocked that the Prisons Department has caned three Muslim women for shariah offences.
Given that several issues on shariah and constitutional grounds, sentencing guidelines and Malaysia's commitments to international human rights instruments that were raised on the Kartika case remain unresolved, we question the government's motive in proceeding with the caning of Muslim women.
And to do this surreptitiously implies that the government wanted to hide this degrading and unjust treatment from public scrutiny. We would also like to know whether the men involved were also found guilty for illicit sex and similarly sentenced and caned.
We urge the Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to take immediate steps to address the several unresolved issues arising from the caning sentence carried out on these women and the Kartika case.
This case constitutes further discrimination against Muslim women in Malaysia. It violates Constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination as whipping of women under Shariah Criminal Offences legislation contradicts civil law where women are not punishable by caning under Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
We once again urge the government to review caning as a form of punishment as it violates international human rights principles which regard whipping and other forms of corporal punishment as cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Moreover, research has shown that caning is not an effective deterrent, even to violent or sexual crimes.
Dr Hamidah Marican
Executive Director
Sisters in Islam
17 Feb 2010
The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled Monday that "Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism" did not pose any threat to national security, said Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, a lawyer for Sisters in Islam, the Malaysian women's advocacy group that published the book.
The Home Ministry had banned the compilation of essays in 2008, two years after it went into circulation, saying it could undermine people's faith and disrupt public order.
According to a 2008 ministry letter to Sisters in Islam, the book mainly went too far in questioning whether Islamic family laws discriminate against women in issues such as polygamy and divorce.
PAS, a prominent Islamist political party in Malaysia, has asked the National Fatwa Council to declare the group Sisters in Islam "haram." Pas also asked the Fatwa council to investigate the sisters, and "to introduce special programmes to rehabilitate members of the organisation so that they could come back to the right religous track."
There are probably still some old Khmer Rouge training camps around Malaysia, where the CIA along with China and Britain and Thai intelligence helped that group 're-educate' inductees who went on to help sustain Utopia in Cambodia. The old camps could be put to use in the same way by the well-intentioned Islamists of Malaysia (not that I'm attempting to draw a comparison between the Khmer Rouge and this proposal on the part of the Malaysian Islamists or anything...).
In Malaysia, one blogger has developed his own pantheon of comic book characters in a satiric send-up of the Islamist/anti-Islamist divide in that country. It is roughly based on the X-men mutants series of comic books.
Here are a few of the characters:
PEDOman
This superhero archetype has powers of special touch that only work on pre-pubescent kids. PEDOman is actually the only superhero that transcends religion, as evidenced by various news reports in the past. In fact, PEDOman is believed to be a bodiless being, manifesting different religious teachers at different times, of various faiths and fetishes. Using the clever guise of religious disciplining to exercise his special touch, PEDOman will jump from host to host to avoid capture, and is truly the most bizarre (and perverted) of the Mutant Mullah archetypes.
This mutant archetype will typically infuse Arabic words (which many people don't understand) into their dialog and writing, dress as Arab-friendly as possible (even in humid Malaysia), and believe that the way to God is to become Arab. This archetype could actually be classified as the mutant-precursor archetype, as most other archetypes typically go thru this stage of mutant development at some point (much like Gamma ray bombardment was the stimulus precursor to Bruce Banner becoming the Hulk). Arabic words make one sound more Islamic is the belief; apart from making one more unintelligable.
And then there's this anti-archetype, in opposition to the mutant mullahs:
Secularist avengers
Mutant Mullahs believe that the only way to live life is in an Islamic Theocracy. No other form of government will cut it. Secularist Avengers (even Muslim ones), on the other hand, believe that what God brought forth in scripture is already a complete way life, to get closer to God (the Quran does not spell out the actual mechanics of an "Islamic State" per se as it is generally understood and practiced, merely the characteristics of a just government - the notion of Islamic statehood came a lot later after the death of the Prophet Muhammad), and therefore religion and statehood can be two coexisting but separate entities - one for the individual or collective soul, and the other as a means of governing the people - provided, of course, the state exercises fairness and equality. The Secularist Avengers are the usual targets of the Apostacizers, the Mutant Mullahs' hitmen. "To be secularist", say the Apostacizers, "is to be an apostate". We can only surmise that God spoke to the Apostacizers Himself at some point, granting them the power to create apostates.
'Secularist avengers' reminded me of this story from altMuslimah: Do sex taboos contribute to sex trafficking? The author raises the question of why Muslims in some countries aren't more proactive in battling sex trafficking, especially when there are such clear Quranic grounds to oppose it. Instead, the groups that are most front and center on the issue are secular and operate out of the dreaded human rights moral framework. Dam those secularists and their hegemonic you know what....
From The Nut Graph: Even though the NGOs' rhetoric is very much about defending the Muslim ummah, they seem reluctant to band together under a single, united banner. Dr Mazeni Alwi, chairperson and co-founder of the Muslim Professional's Forum, says, "To confine ourselves to one or two NGOs is limiting. We need a spectrum of views on any issue."
Why is there this division? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that many of these NGOs conflate issues relating to Islam and Malay rights. Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution defines "Malay" as "a person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, [and] conforms to Malay custom." Muslim activists often juxtapose this against Article 3(1): "Islam is the religion of the Federation."
Thus, there appears to be a supreme, combined identity that needs to be defended: that of the Malay and the Muslim.
Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, but non-Muslims are allowed to practice their faiths. Muslims, who make up around 65% of the Southeast country's 27 million population, are bound by Islamic family laws, while civil laws apply to non-Muslims.
KUALA LUMPUR: In an attempt to ease interfaith conflicts that have strained race relations, Malaysia on Thursday banned the conversion of children without both parents' consent.
The predominantly Muslim nation's decision follows the highly publicized case of Indira Gandhi, a 34-year-old ethnic Indian Hindu woman whose estranged husband embraced Islam and then converted their children to the religion as well.
Malaysia's legal affairs minister Nazri Aziz said on Thursday that minors were to be bound by the common religion of their parents while they were married, even if one parent later becomes a Muslim.
Islamic law will also apply only from the point of a person's conversion to the faith and is not retrospective, he told a press conference.
''We have to resolve this once and for all. I don't think we should be deciding on a piecemeal basis every time a conversion issue crops up,'' Nazri said. ''We have decided on a long-term solution because we expect more cases will occur, as we are a multiracial country,'' he added.
Islam is the official religion in Malaysia, but non-Muslims are allowed to practice their faiths. Muslims, who make up around 65% of the Southeast country's 27 million population, are bound by Islamic family laws, while civil laws apply to non-Muslims.
Nazri said the attorney-general had been instructed to look at relevant legislation that would need to be amended to effect the decision. The attorney-general would also be asked approach the Malay ruler's titular heads in nine of Malaysia's 13 states who are in charge of Islamic affairs in their respective states to seek consent for amendments to related state Islamic laws, Nazri added.
There has been growing unease among Malaysia's Chinese and Indian ethnic minorities, who are mostly Buddhists, Christians and Hindus, over numerous complaints of discrimination and unfair treatment by the authorities when seeking legal redress following cases of divorce and religious conversion.
Judge: 'Islam was sacred so its followers must adopt its teachings faithfully. We cannot impose its teachings on non-believers nor force people to embrace Islam.'
George town, Mar 17 : A Malaysian Islamic Court has upheld an earlier order made by the High Court here to allow a Muslim convert, Siti Fatimah Abdullah, to revert to Buddhism.
A three-member panel who presided over the case found that the respondent did not practise Islam from the start of her conversion, which began after she took an oath of allegiance and recited holy words in Arabic.
After hearing arguments from the plaintiff, which is the state Islamic Religious Council, and the respondent's lawyer Ahmad Jailani Abdul Ghani, Justice Ibrahim Lembut said it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that Fatimah whose birth name is Ean Huang did not practice Islam and had not embraced the religion sincerely.
"Islam was sacred so its followers must adopt its teachings faithfully. We cannot impose its teachings on non-believers nor force people to embrace Islam," he added.
The judges took into account two main aspects before making a decision on the appeal by the council to set aside the state Syariah High Court's decision.
Fatimah who is a hawker, testified that she converted to Islam in July 1998 for the sake of marrying an Iranian named Ferdoun Ashanian. He left her a few months into the marriage.
Consequently, Fatimah maintained her Buddhist leanings.
Malaysia has a dual court system with civil courts for non-Muslims and Shariah courts for Muslims. In interfaith disputes involving Islam, the Shariah courts typically get the last word, which has upset non-Muslims who fear they cannot get justice in such courts, The Star reports.
A Malaysian Muslim wears a headband which reads 'Long Live The King' during a rally to support the Malaysian monarchy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.
Johan Van Slooten writes: It is one of those embarrassing stories that you find in a sensationalist newspaper every once in a while: a well-known person's very private photos suddenly turn up on the front page. Usually the pictures prove highly damaging to the person's career, despite the standard apologies and perhaps the occasional tearful press conference. The case of Malaysian human rights activist Elizabeth Wong, however, seems to be different.
Ms Wong, who was elected as an opposition member of the Malaysian State Assembly last year, found herself at the centre of controversy earlier this week when nude pictures of her were circulated on mobile phones. Her ex-partner is alleged to be responsible for leaking the photos.
Smear campaign However, human rights organisation Suaram ('Voice of the People'), of which Ms Wong is a prominent member, is certain that this is a political smear campaign, says executive director Yap Swee Seng:
"Looking at the current political context, where the ruling party's power has been challenged in last year's election by the opposition, we highly believe that it is politically motivated. I can't believe anyone would we interested to leak out these photos to the public. It is a conspiracy."
Elizabeth Wong has been a leading human rights activist in Malaysia for many years, regularly attacking the ruling parties for their conservative policies. She is also a campaigner on women's issues, and received wide support from female voters in last year's elections.
Spurned lover The nude pictures that are now circulating were taken by her boyfriend at the time, who snapped Ms Wong while she was asleep in bed. The grainy photos remained on her ex beau's cell phone until recently, when the relationship ended. Allegedly, the spurned lover decided to leak the pictures because of the break up.
But anyone expecting Ms Wong to fall out of favour with the Malaysian public is wrong. Despite her tearful exit from politics, announced on Tuesday at a press conference, many organisations, journalists and politicians in Malaysia have called on her to reconsider her decision, says Mr Swee Seng:
"Elizabeth has always been pushing for the right of women to be respected. So women's groups are now coming out very forcefully to demand for the culprits to be arrested. They see this case as an example of violence to women. It's not the perpetrator that's being punished here, but the victim, they say."
Backfired So the apparent attempts to discredit Ms Wong have now actually backfired. Even the leader of the main Islamic party in Malaysia has spoken out in support of Ms Wong, saying that the pictures are part of Ms Wong's private life and "should not be issues of public debate".
Salaam writes: I've previously posted about the Rohingya here and here.
Gabriele Marranci writes: Can I expect to see Muslims around the world campaigning together to ask that the Rohingya have the right to a home, their own home, and that the international community takes serious steps to protect, so guaranteeing a decent peaceful life to the Rohingya community? Of course, I know very well that this will not be the case. Maybe we may find some, mainly non-Muslim, organizations trying to make the Rohingya Muslim tragedy known and to organize humanitarian support. However, the majority of Muslims, even those so ready to violently scream and shamefully misbehave in the name of a free Palestine, will not whisper even a single word to help these 'brothers'. How many Muslims have heard an imam mention the name Rohingya during his supplication (Du'a) for Afghanis, Palestinians, Iraqis and even perhaps the Chechen muhajedeen?
It would be too long to explain here the reasons for this widespread disinterest among the majority of Muslims about the destiny of Rohingya Muslims. Let me only say that many of the reasons are political: many Muslim governments have their hands dirty with Rohingya Muslims' blood, but still play the 'Muslim ummah' card, as in the case of the Danish Cartoons, when it is needed for their political games - but never when ordinary Muslims, like the Rohingya, without political value to barter with, find themselves oppressed.
Farish A. Noor at The Other Malaysia blog criticizes that country's police apparatus for having caused the death of yet another Malaysian Indian suspect, and strongly implies that a the police frequently engage in racist violence against Malaysian Indians.
What is deeply troubling about the death of Kugan is the fact that there seems to be a pattern of young Malaysian men of Indian descent dying under police custody for some years now. Among the other notorious cases that have made the headlines are that of B Prabakar, who reported that he was not only beaten and kicked by policemen but also had boiling water thrown upon his body. Then there is the case of Sanjeev Kumar who alleged that he was not only forced to drink urine but was also sodomised with a broom. Deaths in custody have now become a regular occurrence, and other Malaysians of Indian ancestry like K. Letchumanan and Uthaya Chandran were found dead in their cells.
1 month ago: A Burmese Rohingya refugee arrives on a bus for demonstration outside the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008. Some 150 Burmese Rohingya refugees gathered outside the UNHCR office to express their firm stand to ensure the basic and fundamental rights of Rohingya refugees in order to find permanent solution to their long standing problem.
The Muslim Rohingya people of Myamar/Burma have been much in the news lately with stories coming out of Thailand that hundreds are feared dead or lost at sea due to actions take by the Thai military.
The Rohingya are believed to descend from seventh century Arab settlers whose state was conquered by the Burmese in 1784. The group has inhabited what is now western Myanmar for centuries.
So I was taking my usual umbrage at the persecution of Muslim minorities by non-Muslims, then I came across this charming blog entry from 2007 by a Malaysian Muslim academic, the "protem President of the Muslim Bloggers Alliance:"
We all see them at the mosque entrances, sitting with their numerous offspring's begging for alms and creating an eyesore everywhere in this nation.
They send their kids to hassle the diners at the stalls and hawker centres in every town and city of this country.
They are very persistent and will not move away unless you give them some money and lately they have become a growing menace to our society, creating a sort of a beggar ridden country.
....
We don't need these parasites. Send them home or drop them off at the borders. Enough is enough. We have been lenient with them far too long! No other Asian country lets them in knowing their problematic tendencies. Why should Malaysia be the dumping ground of Asia?
Pack them off to Myanmar or ask the United Nations to send them off to those countries who always make a fuss of human rights these and that! We sure do not need these kind. No more!
In the comments somebody challenges him for writing this and then talking about "Muslim brotherhood." He responds:
Do not live with a blinkered view that when I defend Islam and Muslims, I do so without taking into consideration what type of 'Muslims' are worth defending.
Muslims who are superficial 'Muslims' aren't included in my defend list.
As best I can gather, what makes them superficial Muslims is that they beg in front of the mosque and create an "eyesore." I guess we Muslims have our own "Gospel of Wealth" that blames the less fortunate for their misery and indicts poor Muslims for their poverty.
Syed Abas said if caning was the approach taken, it was better for Muslims to be banned from entering nightclubs and pubs as the majority of the patrons would consume liquor anyway. 'Otherwise, thousands of Muslims will find themselves being caned for consuming liquor.'
TAWAU, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- The six strokes of the cane imposed by the Pahang Syariah High Court on a Muslim man and woman caught consuming liquor is deemed too heavy by Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) chairman, Datuk Syed Abas Syed Ali.
While regarding the sentence to be in effective in preventing Muslims from consuming liquor, he proposed rehabilitation instead, to educate Muslims to stay away from alcoholic drinks.
"Six strokes of the cane is too heavy a sentence. That's not the way. It's better to send those caught consuming liquor to go for rehabilitation.
"It's not easy for alcoholics to kick the bad habit, just like cigarette smokers who find it so difficult to quit smoking," he said.
Syed Abas, who is also Balung assemblyman, was asked to comment on the Pahang Syariah High Court's decision to order Mohamad Nasir Mohamad, 38, a shipping company staff from Kemaman, and waitress Noorazah Baharuddin, 22, to be given six strokes of the "syariah cane" each for consuming liquor at separate pubs in the state last year. They were also fined RM5,000 each.
Syed Abas said if caning was the approach taken, it was better for Muslims to be banned from entering nightclubs and pubs as the majority of the patrons would consume liquor anyway.
"Otherwise, thousands of Muslims will find themselves being caned for consuming liquor.
"So, it's better for them to be detained for a while to help them quit the habit," he said.
We are also targeting these companies because they have subsidiaries here.
Over the years, Coca Cola has been the object of a number of protests. This photo is from a 2002 protest against the company's lack of a health care plan for its workers in Africa who have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association will spearhead the nationwide boycott of US-made products after Friday's prayers at the National Mosque.
Secretary-general Datuk Dr Maamor Osman said the products that were targeted included cola soft drinks, gourmet coffee and cosmetics.
The operators of Muslim restaurants would also stop selling cola drinks at their premises, he added.
Dr Maamor said Malaysians should support the boycott, which would show that consumer power was an effective weapon against the US states and its close ally Israel.
"We are also targeting these companies because they have subsidiaries here.
"Consumers have other brands they can buy," he said.
Association project director Noor Norwandy Mat Noordin said a drop in sales would send a stronger, lasting message about the situation in Palestine.
Some 2,600 restaurants under the Association of Muslim Restaurant Operators will stop selling Coca-Cola from Friday, he added.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- More than 2,000 Muslim restaurants in Malaysia will remove Coca-Cola from their menus as part of a boycott of American products in protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, officials said Wednesday.
American companies are being targeted becuase of the U.S. government's support of Israel, which is carrying out a military offensive on Gaza that is says is aimed at stopping rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled territory.
The nationwide boycott will be launched Friday by several Muslim groups after they seek God's blessings at Friday prayers, said Ma'mor Osman, secretary-general of the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association which is leading the campaign.
In addition to Coca-Cola, he said they have identified some 100 other products ranging from food to beauty and clothing such as Starbucks, Colgate, McDonald's and Maybelline.
Since the Israeli offensive began, nearly 600 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, have been killed and at least 2,500 people injured, according to U.N. and Palestinian officials. Eleven Israelis have also been killed.
Muslims in Malaysia and worldwide have held demonstrations against the Israeli action but Ma'mor said such protests are futile.
"A boycott is the best way for us to protest Zionist cruelty against the Palestinian people as consumers can weaken the economy of countries like Israel and its ally, the U.S.," he said.
"We urge everybody who loves peace and is against war to support our campaign. We must send a clear signal to Israel to stop the assaults in Gaza," he said.
Some 2,600 restaurants under the Association of Muslim Restaurant Operators will stop selling Coca-Cola from Friday, he added.
The move came after former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a strident critic of Israel, last week urged consumers and governments to boycott American products and the U.S. dollar.
