Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa
Courtesy of harakahdaily.net/en

What is perhaps clear to the perceptive minds of many rational thinking Muslims is that the challenge facing Muslims currently is not merely one of reformulating democratic principles in an Islamic idiom, but also of reforming and adapting Islam’s ethical and legal percept to the practice of democracy.

About a century ago, prospects appeared fairly hopeful that Islam would find a way to devise a system between faith and modernity.

Great theologians such as Muhammad Abduh (left) argued that while certain aspects of … [Read more]

Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has been a supporter of Israel since 1966. There have even been a number of recent events to show their … [Read more]

Advisory for Caregivers and Contacts

Advisory for Patients

Dato’ Dr. Musa Mohd. Nordin FRCP, FAMM

Adjunct Prof. of Paediatrics

Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences

INTRODUCTION:

During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, often described as the most devastating epidemic in recorded history, 1 in 5 person was infected and an estimated 50 million lives were lost (1). The disease was so widespread and pervasive that even the children  had a tune which they skipped rope to: I had a little bird, its name was Enza, I opened the window and In-Flu-Enza.

EPIDEMIOLOGY:

Past pandemics and the seasonal influenza have always placed children, especially those less than two years old at increased risk of influenza related morbidity and mortality. Analysis of 7,706 confirmed cases of the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) from 28 countries in the European Union up to 6 June 2009, showed that 54% of the cases occurred in children and young adults under 20 years of age (22 % in children under 10 years) (2).  A report of 642 confirmed cases of Influenza A ( H1N1) in the USA showed that 60% of cases were in the paediatric population less than 18 years (20% in under 10 year olds) (3).

This may suggest that the younger population are more biologically susceptible to the virus … [Read more]

28th August 2009

While Mr. P. Gunasegaran ( No to whipping for drinking, 28 Aug 2009, Star ) and those in the similar vein are entitled to their freedom of expression, it nonetheless needs to be pointed out that his abrasive intrusion into the intoxicating whipping debate is in extreme bad taste and a blatant affront to Muslim sensitivity.

His high and mighty pronouncement ( read fatwa ) based on his secular theology and his one sentence reference to some unnamed Muslim scholar, makes him an overnight jurist ( read Mufti ) !

Despite 52 years of Merdeka, quite apparently and most unfortunately, the civilized and democratic values of mutual respect is sorely missing in our multi-religious co-existence. And as far as Muslims are concerned, there has been one too many Islamophobic sentiments snowballing by the day in the mainstream editorials, press reports and cyber portals.

Fed by deep-seated prejudice, and popular misconceptions towards Islam and the Shariah, the words “barbaric”, “cruel”, and “inhumane” are hurled without regard for the sensitivity of Muslims.

Barbaric, cruel, and inhumane are after all relative terms that are employed to demonize the other. This media onslaught, directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, attempts to belittle and humiliate the Shariah … [Read more]

The strange allure of our ‘exes’
by Ziauddin Sardar

Published 18 September 2008

To declare that you are an ex-fanatic or ex-Muslim is now the shortest route to fame and fortune

It has become quite fashionable, in certain Muslim circles, to be an ex. We have a number of ex-fundamentalists and ex-fanatics, such as Ed Husain, promoting themselves as experts on fanaticism and terrorism and advising various branches of the government. We have a group calling itself the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, which specialises in denouncing all things Islamic. We even have an odd ex-terrorist or two seeking book deals.

I have nothing against people who want to make a new identity for themselves. That is their right. But it does seem strange to me that those who want to distance themselves from a certain kind of Islam, or Islam itself, still use Islam to describe their new identity. We don’t have reformed criminals calling themselves ex-criminals. Indeed, we don’t even have ex-atheists. So why ex-Muslims or ex-Islamists?

The answer tells us a great deal about contemporary Britain. When it comes to Islam we are ready to believe anything and everything. Anything that seems to help us fight fundamentalism is deserving of uncritical support. The … [Read more]

The Malaysian DNA Conundrum
by Dr. Sheik Johari Bux, Dr. Farouq Musa, and Dr. Musa Mohd. Nordin

Virtually the whole of Malaysia is now talking about DNA. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) has become a buzz word, featuring in conversations at coffee shops; offices and even our august parliament.

We must thank Crick and Watson who discovered the double stranded helical structure of the DNA molecule in 1954 which has since unleashed a plethora of advances in biotechnology. Forensic DNA is one of the many breakthroughs in this research in an impassioned endeavour towards advancing justice through DNA technology.

Justice and fairness should be the buzz word of the rakyat, the parliament , political leadership and the impartial media. This unfortunately is a far cry considering the various statements issued and the nuances of the mainstream media. Overnight, a handful of parliamentarians have turned pseudo-geneticists, shouting for surrender of DNA material ! Some have even sentenced the alleged assailant an unequivocal guilty verdict !

Beginning with the end, it is important to emphasise upfront that with all of the available DNA techniques, conviction cannot be based on DNA evidence ALONE if there are a host of other conflicting and non-corroborative evidence. For example, if a victim claimed … [Read more]

Making waves

Stories by SHAHANAAZ HABIB

A convert speaks about the unreasonable pressures on new Muslims.

AUSTRALIAN Susan Carland’s mother was very blunt about what she thought about Islam.

“I don’t care if you marry a drug dealer, but don’t marry a Muslim!” she had told her 17-year-old daughter. Understandably then, when Carland converted to Islam two years after that – and she did not do it for a man! – she didn’t have the guts to tell mum.

Susan Carland: ‘We often expect brand new converts to start behaving in ways that we may have taken years to be able to do.’

“I was really frightened. I didn’t relish the reaction of my mother and friends. It was agonising at that time and I was caught in a lonely place … I felt like a hypocrite,” said Carland, one of the key speakers at a conference on “Muslim Women in the Midst of Change”, held in Kuala Lumpur early this month.

It didn’t take too long for fate to intervene. She came home one day to find her mother happily cooking pork chops for the family. As nervous as … [Read more]

Monday September 17, 2007

Thoughts to chew on

THE designer hijab (headscarf or veil) and abaya (the Arab black long robe) are simply gorgeous. Well, yes, they cost a bomb, but these are “proper” Islamic wear. So can a Muslim add them to her wardrobe?

“No,” says Dr Heba Raouf Ezzat, a member of the Council of 100 for Western-Islamic Understanding. She was speaking at the recent conference on “Muslim Women in the Midst of Change”, in Kuala Lumpur.

Even though an outfit may cover the aurat (parts of the body that are supposed to be covered up, according to Islam), the fact that it is exclusive and pricey means it is just not Islamic, Heba explained.

“Muslims are forbidden to wear clothes as a ‘costume of fame’. We have to be humble in what we wear.”

Dr. Heba Raouf Ezzat: ‘We have to be humble in what we wear.’

Thus, clothes, including headscarves that reveal one’s economic standing and makes distinctions between people, would be frowned upon by the religion.

“The veil or headscarf puts an egalitarian demand on women. You can pick and choose something … [Read more]

Berkenalan Dengan Ciri-Ciri Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah Dalam Hukuman Jenayah by Hafiz Firdaus Abdullah