*Quote by Dr Mohd Farid Mohd Shahran taken from “Allah” can be discussed calmly, The Nut Graph, 12 Jan 2010 The Nut Graph needs your support Please take our five-minute reader survey
religion
Demi Allah?
Oleh Shanon ShahSAYA ada seorang teman rapat yang, pada awal persahabatan kami, mengakhiri e-melnya kepada saya dengan ucapan “salam”. Dalam e-mel yang lain pula, pernah dia menggunakan ungkapan “insya Allah” dengan saya. Saya keliru — kawan saya ini berketurunan Malayalee, dan namanya pula nama Inggeris. Adakah dia beragama Islam? Kalau ya, saya seronok — mungkin kita boleh […]
The madness of 2009
By Deborah LohTHE year 2009 has been a breathless one of political upheaval. But as we sift through the year’s events, we ask, which were the ones that really mattered? Which events indicate if democracy and political maturity are improving? Which tell us things are becoming worse? The Nut Graph offers its take on 10 highlights of […]
What’s in a name?
By Deborah LohIs Malaysia an Islamic or secular state? IF there is one enduring debate in Malaysia, it is whether this country is an Islamic or secular state. No less because successive prime ministers keep making declarations that it is an Islamic state to much public confusion. Islam is the official religion of the federation. But what […]
Zulkifli’s choice
By Koh Jun Lin“If there is a need to appoint one, I would suggest non-partisan ulama, like Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria.” KULIM-Bandar Baru Member of Parliament Zulkifli Noordin names the Perak mufti as his candidate of choice to lead Pakatan Rakyat. Zulkifli, no stranger to controversy, was responding to a blog posting by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. Zaid had […]
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 […]
Not just Chinese culture vs unity
By Deborah LohAre vernacular schools standing in the way of national unity? (© Sigurd Decroos / sxc.hu) AGAIN, the issue of abolishing vernacular schools in favour of a single stream system has been raised. As before, the argument is that this will inculcate national unity. Single stream advocates say the only way the different races can learn […]
Overriding the religious state
By Shanon ShahZalman Kastel leading a multi-faith prayer A POPULAR former state mufti has just been arrested by the Islamic religious authorities. A Muslim woman who drank alcohol must be whipped. Those who question the sentence on her must be silenced. The proposed relocation of a Hindu temple was met by a Muslim-led protest threatening bloodshed. Christians […]
“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, […]
The role of intra-faith dialogue
By Shanon ShahWe need more intra-faith dialogue (© arte_ram / sxc.hu) DISCUSSIONS on religious issues, or a lack thereof, are increasingly defining public policy and society in Malaysia. A few key words are enough to jog memories — the cow-head protest, the whipping sentence on Muslims for drinking alcohol, Christians and the word “Allah”, concert banning, and […]
