WANT Muslim unity? Try secularism, suggests political scientist Wong Chin Huat. He looks at the war in Syria and Iraq between Sunnis and Shiites, and at parallels in Malaysia.
Muslims
What are the benefits of hudud?
Just what are the benefits of hudud? Its supporters should spell them out so that Malaysians can decide if the Islamic penal code is good for the country, and so that the electorate can make informed assessments about the politicians who are pushing for Malaysia to be an Islamic state.
Can Noah be banned for being un-Islamic?
The movie Noah has been banned in Malaysia because it is deemed un-Islamic to depict a prophet. But is it legal to ban something on the basis that it is un-Islamic? When imposing a ban, what are the appropriate criteria to restrict freedom of expression, which is a constitutionally guaranteed human right?
The importance of “Allah”
Christians have been told that they should turn the other cheek and adhere to the ban on the use of “Allah”. Some others have also opined that Christians should back down so that temperatures don’t rise any further over this contentious issue. But the “Allah” issue, if uncontested, has far wider ramifications for all Malaysians than just Christians losing their constitutional right to worship peacefully.
“Allah”: The PR’s failure
IT’S not hard at all to be distressed by the BN federal government over the way the “Allah” issue has developed. That said, following the Jais raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia, it is equally troubling to see the PR’s failure in demonstrating it will and can uphold non-Muslims’ constitutional rights.
Could hudud be a reality?
The BN attacks on PAS’s hudud agenda involve scaremongering of the worst kind. BN’s alarmist politics aside, can hudud law actually become a reality for Malaysians? And how likely is it that it will be implemented in the near future?
Hudud and freedom of religion
MUCH has been said about hudud law. I take my hat off to Muslims who have come out openly to oppose its implementation. It must take a lot of courage to stand against conventional wisdom and religious teachings, and these people must be applauded. However, that does not make me anti-hudud. On the contrary, I […]
Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: De-politicising hudud
HUDUD. One is either for or against its implementation in Malaysia – or so the prevailing political discourse goes. But what are we missing in between? Have proponents of hudud adequately justified their position, and how they would apply the Islamic penal code in today’s society? Can those who oppose it ever imagine a human […]
Sarawak elections and the politics of scaremongering
THE impending 16 Apr 2011 Sarawak elections have been dubbed by some media as the “hottest ever” polls in the state. The state elections will be the biggest test that the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have had to face since the 2008 general election. The BN will be looking for signs […]
Muslims serving alcohol: Ban or no ban?
THE Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ)’s recent ruling disallowing businesses that serve alcohol from hiring Muslims has raised many questions. Is it a law? A guideline? Just advice? Has it been rescinded? Who enacted the law that the ruling is based on? Why wasn’t it enforced before? And why the furore now?
