IFLA
by E. Lim Abdullah

While Brigitta Wong Fui Lin is entitled to her freedom of expression (“Shahrizat, what’s your game plan now?”, 22 Feb, “Minister, what’s your current stand?” 16 Feb), it needs to be pointed out that her abrasive intrusion into the Islamic Family Law Amendment ( IFLA ) debate is in extreme bad taste and a blatant affront to Muslim sensitivity.

The IFLA is a religious issue that does not concern non-Muslims. Putting things in perspective, Islam, meaning ‘submission’ – however awkward such a notion is to secular liberal thinking – is acceptance with a free conscience both the tenets of the faith and outwardly the injunctions of the Shariah which encompass formal ritual worship and the regulating of personal and social mores based on sacred texts. The Islamic family Law is a legal codification of a relevant part of that.

Ms. Wong’s savage mauling of the honourable minister, twice within a week, is baffling given the recent media reports that highlighted the support for Shahrizat from organizations representing mainstream Islam, many of whose members are women drawn from various professional backgrounds. After studying the bill in detail, they affirmed that it conforms to the objectives and methodology of the Shariah. It was very unfortunate that the way the bill was initially tabled confused many quarters, including Muslim women senators, women groups and members of the public.

Being a member of the cabinet charged with a high profile portfolio, making a u-turn on such a major issue makes the minister open to ridicule and abuse. But it was an enlightened one based on good faith and a correct attitude toward such a complex religious and legal issue.

Again, the Islamic Family Law is strictly a Muslim concern. Ms Wong’s spiteful comment about “ministers who either practices or have practiced polygamy” is irrelevant t the debate.

Admittedly non-Muslims may be affected when a family member reverts to Islam but there are channels by which such grievances can be addressed.

Ms Wong’s letters reflect the distressing trend that non-Muslims are making ill-informed, prejudiced and unwelcome comments on the religion of the majority of people of this country. This is very unhealthy, and dangerously crossing the lines of civilized discourse.

E. Lim Abdullah
c/o Damansara Specialist Hospital
119 Jalan SS 20/10
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya
Tel/Fax : +603-77293173

The Islamic Family Law Amendments
by Azra Banu Mohd. Sidek

The Islamic Family Law Amendments (IFLA) most unfortunately continue to cause a completely unjustified uproar, and have resulted in wildly incorrect and inflammatory statements from various individuals and organizations, some of whom are clearly ignorant about the true intention of the amendments and their accurate and authenticated foundations in Islamic Law. These letters have recently taken on an abrasive and offensive tone. Gender issues and women’s rights are of critical importance to us all, but they do tend to generate highly charged emotions. It is evident from recent publicized communications that reason and rationality are being discarded in dealing with gender issues, particularly in the case of the IFLA.

A good and complete understanding of the IFLA requires much more serious scrutiny than many are seemingly willing to give. This is evident from the many letters being circulated which are still repetitively trumpeting the same objections that had originally been raised in a very emotional and hasty manner, even though these objections had already been satisfactorily and accurately answered by competent authorities. Now the attacks have taken a malicious and abusive personal slant against a respected government minister who finds herself caught in the middle of this issue. To make this type of criticism is indeed reprehensible and tells a lot about those who would stoop to such devious and distasteful antics. The minister in question should be lauded for her integrity in standing firmly behind the correct interpretation of the complex legal and religious principles involved upon expert advise by authorities of the law.

As Muslims, our first allegiance is to our Creator whose infinite wisdom we do not question. Any study of the IFLA must take the specifics and intentions of Allah’s revelation into primary consideration and the authenticated traditions of His prophet. Anyone wishing to support or oppose these amendments must do the same. As Muslims we cannot reject the spiritual guidance of God, therefore becoming our own authority, and establishing our own worldly standards. It is completely unacceptable that views on any matter related to Islam be represented by anyone applying only their human opinion and standards. How arrogant and unbecoming for anyone to think Muslim women need saving from the clutches of Islam! For non-Muslims to demand that Islamic Family Law be based on godless and secular principles of so-called justice and equality is absolutely ridiculous and grossly insulting. If it ever becomes necessary to propose new legislations then that new law must also be based on the established, correctly interpreted principles of Islamic justice.

Of course comments on Islam are always welcome but must be based on authenticated sources of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), not just someone’s arbitrary opinion. Those who desire to comment on, or even question Islam must first study and truly understand Islam and all that Islam stands for.

Non-Muslims have to understand that Islam is the governing principle in every aspect of a Muslim’s life to a degree seldom seen in the believers and practitioners of other religions. Islam is not just a matter of rituals and worship; Islam is a total way of life. For those who cannot or will not accept the crucial importance of this most important reality in the life of all Muslims I can only say, hopefully without insult, please stay out of our business. As Muslims we have no difficulty accepting non-Muslims have different beliefs and live their lives differently than we do. Please show us the same courtesy.

Azra Banu Mohd. Sidek
Founding Member
Muslim Professionals Forum
Suite 1810, 18th Floor, Plaza Permata,
Jalan Kampar,
Kuala Lumpur 50400
Tel : 03-40427139
azrabanu@gmail.com

Long-term truce: the hidden truth (Palestine)
by Maszlee Malik

Reading the few articles published by the mainstream English language news papers in Malaysia vis a vis the HAMAS victory is much like listening to the Malaysian version of Fox TV, CNN and BBC. Khaled Hroub’s in his book, HAMAS : Political Thouht and Practice, writes that the western media is still in the dark about the reality of HAMAS. And this is partly contributed by their inability to access the voluminous Arabic literature and references on HAMAS. Thus their flawed analyses and erroneous judgemens of HAMAS actions in the context of the jihad in Palestine.

Dr Azzam Tamimi, Director of the Intenational Institute of Political Thought in the UK, once remarked that the west should begin to examine the issue not from the lenses of the Israelis. They should endeavour an honest understanding of the root of the problem and its history. Otherwise, they would be readily misled by the Zionist propaganda which unfortunately is the case presently.

HAMAS is being potrayed as the bad guy, a “terrorist organisation” which is not fit to rule in a civil sociey. The Zionist lobby has been succesful in convincing the western world that HAMAS mirrors the terrorist profile of Al-Qaeda, is adamant upon the annihilation of Israel and that it has refused to abide by the letter of various peace initiatives (despite their miserable failures). The US and the Europeans continue to parrot Israel’s demand without providing a just and amicable solution to the Palestinians. And our local editors and journalists naively report similarly.

This unceasing diatribe against HAMAS attempts to paint her as a “militant terrorist organisation” which knows no peace and is bent on armed conflict and suicidal bombings to achieve her objectives. Instead, Israel is portrayed as faithful to the peace process and have “conceded” tremendously to make everlasting peace a possibility. What could be further from the truth, a deception unparalled in contemporary human history.

A truthful reckonig of history would hasten to recognise the European guilt for the Jewish torture and deaths under the reign of Europe’s Hitler. But to usurp palestinian lands and carve the Zinonist state of Israel in the Muslim heartland was the “original sin” of the British colonial powers. No amount of historical manipulation would be able to erase this immutable fact. Until and unless the western world wakes up to the grievous injustices which she has meted upon the Palestinians and address these historical blunders, peace would only remain an illusion.

The state of Israel with the blessings of the US and Europeans; like the Whites in then Apartheid South Africa, would continue to oppress and victimise the Palestinians and deprive them of their inalienable human rights. Millions of Palestinians have been displaced from their homeland and are destitutes in refugees camps in neighbouring Arab lands.

HAMAS have been given the legitimate political mandate by the palestinian citizenry to rectify this gross injustice and humiliation of the palestianin people. Instead of heaping hostilities, the western world, the upholders of liberal democracy should be praising the palestinians for honouring the democratic process and congratulating HAMAS for being victorious and unseating the inefficient and irreversibly corrupt PLO.

On the contrary, the intial peaceful gestures offered by HAMAS have been conveniently ignored by the western political leaders and they have instead played the old song, to the tune of the neo-conservatives and zionists, of the “dark side” of HAMAS.

HAMAS has indeed offered Israel an oppotunity for a true and everlasting peace. Since 1988, the late Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, the spiritual leader of HAMAS had offered Israel, the “Hudna” or the long term truce. Mahmoud Zahar in 1988, proposed the Hudna to the then Israeli Minister of Defence, Shimon Perez and promised both the Israelis and Palestinians a peaceful accord which they would have never dreamt of before.

For HAMAS, a true negotiation should never surrender the dignity and the rights of the Palestinian people and their will to free their country from occupation. “True peace” is the peace accord that will ensure not only the interests of the Israelis but also that of the Palestinian’s unlike that promised by Oslo, Madrid or the Road Map.

Throughout the truce observed by HAMAS, Israel was asked to cease all armed attacks on the Palestinians and to stop the extra judicial killings and assassinations.. They also urged Israel not to inflict harm to the innocent civilains should there be any conflict between the 2 parties.. HAMAS also requested Israel to withdraw their armies and settlers to the 1967 border and to evacuate their settlements in both Gaza and West Bank. HAMAS also raised the issue of the return of the refugees of 1948 to their occupied land based on the UN resolution. The truce will not be realised overnight; that would be wishful thinking. In the long term interest of genuine peace it may draw out over several years as first expounded by Sheikh Ahmad Yassin (al-Mujtama’ magazine, 17 February 1990).

The creation of a Zionist state on Palestinian soil to atone for the sins of Europe or solve the Jewish dilemma can never be legitimised. (Khaled Meshal, Washington Post, 28 January 2006). But HAMAS is nonetheless prepared to negotiate a long term truce based on the unadulterated values of freedom and justice. If Israel accepts the truce, HAMAS will stop her resistance. But if the Israelis rejects or breaches the truce, HAMAS will deal severely with the zionists who annexed the palestinian land, imposed their will on the palestinian people, fractured their society and expelled them from their homeland.

It is high time for the US, EU and the world community to view the perennial conflict through the lenses of justice and freedom and not via the shades of zionist propaganda. HAMAS is offering the olive branch of peace; a true peaceful solution founded on the values of justice, freedom and equality.