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Thursday 29 July 2010

The Malay and his Religion- final part.

Another sore point for me. When a problem occurs in our society most Malay leaders points out the lack of religious education as the main cause. To me this is too simplistic and sometimes irrelevant. But the Malays in general can accept this line of reasoning, which doesn't requires THINKING. Anything bad that happen in society is blamed on the lack of religious education. We know that society's problems are very complex and cannot be solely attributed to religious factors. But the Malays seem to think that religion is everything, at least a large majority of them.


 

This appears as the great rationaliser for Malay Muslims. Whenever something calamitous befall them, they will blame the religion of Islam. At other times, religion is used to justify certain course of actions. These actions, made Malays unwittingly, as mere digits in the greater movement by anti Islamists to denigrate this great religion.

Two, by being unconscious accomplices in the Great Bash against Islam, Malays failed to realise that many of the social ills that befall them such as economic backwardness, poverty, social injustices, political conflicts- are the outcome of purely man-made follies. Nothing to do with religion. More with the application of Man and his brains upon life.

The unwanted outcome has been, Islam at the personal level and at the level of those in power, has been used as the instrument for explaining away personal and the State's shortcoming. And because of the overall submissiveness of the adherence of the religion to its tenets, people get away by using Islam as an excuse.

The inclination leads right into the thinking that Islam is to blame for everything and therefore deserve 'our' contempt and hostility. If Muslims don't correct this misconception, then we will lend credence to the false thesis by many western experts on the world of Islam, that there is nothing good about Islam. Yet, the ease by which Muslims resort to attribute anything calamitous befalling them as being the result, of them being not Islamic enough, has the curious effect of making it possible for any one to blame Islam the religion.

Our attitude will only encourage the fashionable thinking that Islam is nothing, but a religion sponsoring tendencies to violence, anger, anti-modernism etc. These views if not corrected, will only serve to entrench anti Islamic thinking.

Uncritical acceptance of such an interpretation of Islam, has made it possible for many to explain the Malay backwardness as attributable to their religion. Islam is often caricatured and dismissed condescendingly. For example, at the international levels, because of Islam being seen that way, it is permitted to abuse objectivity whenever "Islam" is the subject. Accordingly , this kind of thinking led to equally blind readiness to blame Islam for any negatives on Islamic people. Islamic people- says this kind of thinking, autosuggest themselves into poverty, backwardness, anti-modernism, close mindedness etc. In the end, Islam is identified as the sole explanation why the Islamic people are backward.

This almost knee-jerk readiness to blame Islam for every ill the world is facing- it's no longer confined to Muslims, but to the whole international community is both the cause and effect of why people's expectations are low, when it comes to discussions of "Islam".

But more insidious and damaging to Muslims, are the mischievous ideological fictions that experts of Islam used to hoodwink people especially following the aftermath of September 11. The international communities and by that I mean, mostly western democracies have also been able to use Islam as the bogeyman. Hence terrorism is readily accepted as a by product of Islam. Backwardness for example is a byword by which Islam is identified etc. Islam is eponymous with everything bad.

At the international level, what has this kind of thinking result in? probably, the worst result of this method is that it systematically convert whole nations and a whole world to embrace a highly aggressive and bellicose perception and interpretation of Islam. Such thinking has succeeded into turning Muslims into an enemy people, to be regarded collectively with contempt and scorn.

By subscribing to the thinking lamented by the Malay gentleman, has caused people into thinking of "Islam" as something to judge harshly, to dislike, and therefore to be on guard against. As it were, people tend to stuff this religion into a box labelled Dangerous—do not disturb.

17 comments:

vinnan,  29 July 2010 at 09:36  

I am no expert on the Koran nor do I wish to ridicule the Muslims. However, from the bits and pieces of information on Islam which I get from the ustazs and ustazahs, no where in the Koran is Islam used to define a race or tribe of people. Why then do we need a legal definition of a Malay based on Islam? Just wondering that's all.

Wan Zamzuri Wan Hasenan 29 July 2010 at 10:30  

Hi Vinnan,
Don't blame UMNO for the legal definition of a Malay based on Islam. You should blame the British and the Commonwealth lawyers who drafted the Malaysian Constitution. British did that purposely to protect and safeguard the Malays economically,politically and socially. British were guilty of bringing the Indians and Chineses that disturb the ecology of local people. Malays are not racist generally. The British made the Malays racist legally by definition.

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 10:55  

Vinnan,

In Quran, race and tribes are stated numerous of times. Bani Israel, Quraish, the Nasrani, etc..

You got your information wrong.

schenker78 29 July 2010 at 11:02  

mahathir gave a speech at Asian Bloggers and Social Media Conference, escorted to the hall by a sad face, Vincent Tan, raja Judi Malaysia dan sahabat karib Maha Firaun....

what message does it give to Shamsul anuar, Quiet Despair dan rakan2 seperjuangannya ????

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 11:07  

If a brilliant man like TDM failed to grasp the simple concept of sunat and wajib, can we blame the lesser mortals like the old malay gentleman if they have misconceptions of Islam?

In Islam, justice is everything. I am not going to elaborate on this but Dato', can we uphold something that we don't have in the first place.

If you want to talk about Islam, that's the starting point.


-MAKORANG-

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 12:09  

Dato'

In Malaysia, all Malays are Muslims. But not all Muslims are Malays.

Many problems were created when Malays think and act as if Muslims are Malays, and Malays are Muslims.

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 13:01  

if a convert like ridhuan tee can spout such hatred for chinese malaysians and given full media coverage by muslim utusan, one can be forgiven for having a negative view of the islamic faith.
if the perak mufti can get away with almost provoking religious clashes, one can be forgiven for doubting islamic justice.

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 14:58  

Dato Sak,

Eureka, I figured out that Malaysia's FDI decline by 81% is caused by the lack of religious education. What we now need is to immediately boost our religious education 1000 times fold and our FDIs will shoot through the Parliament house roof, therefore justifying the construction of a new multi billion ringgit Parliament house.

Our education minister/DPM should waste no time in calling for the establishment of more religious classes in schools and institutions of higher learning but he needs to be specific on which religion he prefers to be taught otherwise the education ministry's little napoleons will have a field day banning other religions.

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 15:40  

to vinnan whose mind is wandering wondering about the need for legal definitions.

while you are at it... don't you ever wonder why there's a need for legal definitions for marriages?

or, for that matter... legal definitions of citizenship?

or... legal definitions for this and that and for almost everything else in the world?

so, before you mind explodes with wondering... remember this:

one cannot legislate religion

because religion is from a higher authority and legislatures are concocted/written by men who wishes complete control over their fellow men... and women too!

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 16:27  

WZWH,

Wa lauah!

Always blaming others, lack of mirror in the house?

FYI, the Fed Constitution were drafted based on the discussions held by the various races within the Malaya, with perhaps the exception of the Orang Asli.

So still think that the Clauses, like 153, r put in by the British? Why not as requested by the Malay participants then?

Pariah!

Let me learn from u - IFF the Malay were then more hard-working, more outward looking, then there wouldnt be any other races in Malaya. But then what were be the Orang Asli said about that?

Oh..OH Orang Asli is part of the Malay race, so they r inclusive in the ketuanan outlook!

Tell that to the Orang Asli, especially those Penan wamanfolf now.

Racist is not born BUT they being cultivated through morons who live under the tempurung, thinking everyone owe them a living.

Tyep4 scums.

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 19:28  

One thing I definitely know is that Muslims are far more religious than others.

A lot of normal times are spent on praying or religious activities which will definitely affect them economically as less time is spent to earn money.

When this plus other factors are factored in, it is quite understandable why many underperform. It is not a coincidence therefore globally Muslims nations are not as advanced as non Muslim countries.

If it had not been the oil that are found in many Muslim countries , it would have been worse.

In Malaysia generally Muslims have been very much more religious than the days of P. Ramli... maybe because of the dramatic growth of graduates in religious studies.

Well there is not much one can do. This is one of the result.

schenker78 29 July 2010 at 21:56  

jawapan PAS kepada UMNO.....

http://www.khalidsamad.com/2010/07/kisah-anak-pembesar-negara-dan-si.html

umno umpama se......

Anonymous,  29 July 2010 at 22:33  

dear wzwh,

you are right, the british were guilty bringing in the indians n chinese. all these greedy colonials were only interested in making money so they had to bring in industrious n hardworking people to bring up the economy. and they were even worst for making the malays racist by definition. even after 50 over years of independence we are unable to shake off this curse.

have a good day. f*ck the british colonials

vinnan,  30 July 2010 at 08:42  

Anonymous, 29 July 2010 15:40,

If you cannot legislate religion then you also cannot legislate race for it is impossible to pin down what physically constitutes a Malay. Is a half Mamak a Melayu. Then what about the half Orang Aslis and so on. The problem in Malaysia is the combination of race and religion into the definition of what constitutes a Malay.

As for Anon 29 July 2010 10:55 the issue at hand is: Does the Koran say to be an Arab, Bani Israel, Quraish, the Nasrani, or any other race for that matter one must be a Muslim? The answer is no. You my friend are wrong.

To WZWH,

Did I blame UMNO? You see how the Muslims in Malaysia have been conditioned into thinking that a race which by itself is well imnpossible to define must be of a certain religion. Do not the Zionist have a similar definition of Jews?

Anonymous,  30 July 2010 at 22:05  

urban legends are spread by idiots who write nonsense like this:

"all these greedy colonials were only interested in making money so they had to bring in industrious n hardworking people to bring up the economy"

pure common sense dictates that industrious n hardworking people cost a lot of money to hire... so greedy colonials who are only interested in making money wouldn't want to hire such people, would they?

of course,not!

they would hire desperados who would work for almost nothing... which was precisely the case all those years ago!

historical records proved that a vast majority of the Chinese brought in by the colonials had criminal records in their homeland.

industrious n hardworking people... my ass!

Anonymous,  30 July 2010 at 22:12  

to vinnan... yes, it is possible to legislate the Malay race without the religion being thrown into the equation... if one is so inclined.

go here.

but, in Malaysia, one wasn't so inclined... so live with it!

Anonymous,  31 July 2010 at 11:48  

Anonymous@30 July 2010 22:05,

'historical records proved that a vast majority of the Chinese brought in by the colonials had criminal records in their homeland.'

Care to back up yr claim with FACTS?

Oh, BTW, where did u learn that,

'pure common sense dictates that industrious n hardworking people cost a lot of money to hire... so greedy colonials who are only interested in making money wouldn't want to hire such people, would they?'

Common sense? My foot Nth X!

Another type4 scum trying to claim 2sen of fame?

Definitely!

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