THE cowardly and utterly senseless act of a group of misguided, chauvinistic bigots in torching at least three churches in the Klang Valley this morning must be condemned in no uncertain terms by all peace-loving Malaysians. This act of arson, committed presumably in the name of Islam, desecrates the very religion it purports to protect. […]
muslim
Responding to “Allah” differently
By Ding Jo-Ann(Pic by Adrian Van Leen / sxc.hu) PREDICTABLE. This best sums up the reactions by some Muslim groups and the government to the High Court’s 31 Dec 2009 decision to lift the ban on the use of “Allah” by Catholic paper Herald. Malaysians were probably able to anticipate the newspaper headlines and ensuing comments, given […]
“Allah” exclusive to Islam?
By Ding Jo-Ann“In our country, if one refers to Allah or mentions kalimah Allah, it will bring to one’s mind that it refers to the God for Muslims. Kalimah Allah is sacred to the Muslims and put at the highest position, and its sanctity must be protected.” “The usage of kalimah Allah as an interpretation of the […]
Conversion still a problem
By Deborah LohRemoving the “Islam” label on a MyKAD is not that easy PETALING JAYA, 15 Dec 2009: Despite cabinet announcements about conversions to Islam and proposed legal amendments to allow a Muslim convert to divorce in the civil court, other scenarios arising from conversions are not being addressed. As a result, numerous conversion cases are not […]
The voice of the Malay communists
By Deborah LohFormer CPM chairperson Abdullah CD arriving at the commemorative ceremony for the 20th anniversary of the peace accords THE issue of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) is definitely one that is framed according to the racial lines that divide us as a nation. For example, the prevailing myth is that the CPM was an […]
Sponsoring Nik Aziz
By Koh Jun Lin“Orang nak bawa saya pergi ke Mekah, kenapa saya nak tolak. Saya pergi ke Mekah, jarang belanja saya sendiri. Orang tolong bayar. Semua orang berebut (untuk membiaya saya ke Mekah).” Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat admits receiving sponsorship worth RM65,000 to perform his pilgrimage to Mecca. However, he opined that it […]
The meaning of “Malay”
By Shanon ShahAnthony Milner“BIAR mati anak, jangan mati adat.” Quoting the Malay proverb that places culture above one’s child, Prof Anthony Milner argued on 21 Oct 2009 during a lecture in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) that Malay-ness was defined by civilisation, and not descent or bloodlines. The lecture by Milner, who is Basham Professor of Asian History […]
Believing Anwar
By Koh Jun Lin“Enough is enough. You either toe the line, support the reform agenda, commit yourself to Pakatan and work together as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious entity or you leave or be kicked out. There are no two ways about it.” Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim issues a stern warning to party […]
Torture by any other fashion
By Jacqueline Ann SurinIF we were to believe everything we read, one would think that torture or degrading behaviour, if done differently, would no longer constitute torture or degrading behaviour. Indeed, this is what Pahang’s Mufti Department would want Muslims and non-Muslims to believe. Scan of New Straits Times report on syariah caning On 26 Oct 2009, the […]
“Emerging dominance” of Islam in M’sia
By Shanon Shah and Koh Jun LinKUALA LUMPUR, 4 Nov 2009: Malaysia is a country witnessing the “emerging dominance” of Islam even though it was not always a Muslim-majority country, the chair of a United Nations (UN) body on inter-religious relations said. Gary D BoumaProfessor Emeritus Gary D Bouma¸ who is Unesco Chair in Inter-religious and Intercultural Relations — Asia Pacific, […]
