Selangor Government must provide a closure to the issues arising from JAIS action on 3rd August

3rd August 2011

The raid occurred Wednesday night during a dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church in Petaling Jaya, just west of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Around 30 Islamic religious and police officials entered the church compound in Selangor state without a warrant and began taking videos and photographs, Daniel Ho, senior pastor for the church, said in a statement.

They subjected guests to "undue harassment" and took down the details of the Muslims present before leaving, he said. - Malaysiakini, 4/8/2011, Jais raid 'a dangerous precedent', says CCM

The issue is respect - it was wrong to trespass into a private event...and disrupt it. Would it have happened if the PM or some Minister, or some BN politician was its patron...or an invited guest... or if it was organized by some BN or BN-linked organization?  If there was evidence of laws being broken, then certainly investigate, and if there is sufficient proof - then only arrest or do the needful. Do not simply act on the basis of police reports - or information received from un-named sources... They could have quitely met with the organizer and get details of attendees to the function  or even wait until the event end and get details when people leave... but certainly not do what was done...(but reports are vague, and we still do not know exactly what happened..)

The issue is freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, ... are we heading towards a situation that soon people also need to apply for JAIS permission if they are organizing events where Muslims may attend/participate...and then JAIS will decide also the content of speeches, materials disseminated, etc - be careful for are we not trying to be ONE mulit-religious multi-ethnic Malaysia - not a Malaysia divided into a Muslim Malaysia and a non-Muslim Malaysia.

JAIS -  they should have no authority in policing non-Muslims - or non-Muslim organized events. That should be left to the police...

Discrimination - why take down only the details of Muslim guests - and not others. Would not the others present also be credible witnesses for what had transpired in that event. Or is this just another anti - 1Malaysia action by the BN government and/or their stooges - to scare Muslims in Malaysia from attending or being part of any event, function ... organized in a non-Muslim premise, or religious compound...or by persons who are non-Muslims. Would it also not scare Muslims from attending weddings or funerals or their non- Muslim friends - why the JAIS may come and harass us...

Selangor Menteri Besar - his immediate reaction was disappointing... that 'gag-order'. Let us not forget that JAIS comes under the State government. He should have expressed immediate anger at the actions of JAIS (and police) disrupting a private event and tell them that this is not the way one does things in Selangor - where we do respect persons of other faiths/beliefs and will not just go charging into their compound disrupting events being organised - and hassling their guests. With regard to further action, he could say that he will wait for that JAIS report..but it has almost been 9 days. The Menteri Besar is akin the CEO of the State, and if he is responsible for the actions of all State authorities, departments and bodies... and if one of them does something disrespectfully - he must scold them... Set up an Commission of Inquiry - to independently investigate matters - not just wait for the JAIS report. Meet the organisers, the owners of venue, .... After receiving the report, he must first discuss with his Exco - then he could also meet with the Sultan...

The poor response of the MB may be because of other considerations - i.e. the upcoming elections and he did not want to seen as being anti-Islam, which may arise if he was strong against JAIS. Can we accept this? Hello, Muslims in Selangor and Malaysia are not so 'shallow' - they do not equate being anti one JAIS action as being anti- Muslims. A PAS or DAP MB would have done the right thing but PKR worries too much and that delay in taking the right action....worrying always the consequence it will have come next elections is making matters worse. The same was with the 'Allah' issue - PAS was clear that Muslims do not have the exclusive right to call God 'Allah' - and here again PKR speakers were vague about this, citing reasons like they are not religious scholars, etc...In fact, I recall that even for that accident in Jaya Supermarket which saw many workers die - I have yet to see any detailed report from the Selangor government and/or the relevant local council..I wonder whether the victims or their families were even compensated?

Remember your position on right and wrongs is not depended on what the majority says is right and wrong. If this was the way how leaders behave, we will still be having a lot of injustices. Slavery would still be there ...in fact, we may not even be having democracy, women's rights, workers' rights, orang asli rights, etc...

For a long time, people accepted the ISA and Detention Without Trials as necessary and OK - but finally, the mindset of Malaysians have changed and today the majority is for its abolition - and it was because there were 'leaders' who took the lead in condemning such laws and asking for its repeal. Do not be scared to take a stand for what is right and against what is wrong.

This JAIS action has done a lot of harm to our struggle for unity and respect - and many narrowly see the JAIS action, as being a Muslim action which is not, and the Selangor MB's reaction thus far also does not help matters. The issue is still 'festering' and the Selangor MB and State Government's delay in taking a clear position only makes things worse - and some quarters are making this into a Muslim -versus- non-Muslim issue. In fact, there seems to be some quarters are starting to lose faith in the Selangor government - and, it may be worthy to note that even the MCCBCHS is calling for the Federal Government, not the Selangor government, to intervene - Selangor PR Government must act firmly - reprimand where necessary, clarify where required (did the 'raid' happen during the event or did it happen after the event was over???), apologize if required, and propose changes in law/policy and guidelines to prevent future such actions by the SELANGOR JAIS..

Good to see what Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC)(the owner of the venue), Harapan Community (the organizer of the event), JAIS, Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (ACCIN), UMNO Youth, Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) - see below

Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has issued a gag order to all state exco members from commenting on the issue of Jais' raid on Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) on Wednesday until they have received the Jais report and “further action” has been taken.

“Once I receive Jais' report on the matter I will meet with the Selangor Sultan to discuss and resolve the matter, and to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” said Khalid (left) in a statement today.

“Until this is done and the matter is resolved, all Selangor exco members are prohibited from making any statements regarding this issue,” he added.

“As mentioned yesterday, we regret that the incident has taken place and is confident that the people of Selangor do not feel that their interests have been overlooked,” said Khalid.

The MB added that good intentions did not justify the raid, that he said “failed to display fairness and wisdom in leadership”.

He called on the people to perpetuate the spirit of harmony, respect and tolerance amongst the various religions in the country. - Malaysiakini, 5/8/2011, MB Khalid issues gag order on church raid

Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) slammed the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) for carrying out a raid on their premises on Aug 3 “without proper authority under the law”.

“We reiterate the fact that Jais and police officers came into Dream Centre without a search warrant,” said senior pastor Daniel Ho in a statement today.

“They intruded into the thanksgiving dinner and interrupted the programme. They took photographs and videos when they came in,” he said, adding the officers continued recording and photographing even after exiting the hall.

“The Jais officers issued several stern warnings to the organisers for refusing to cooperate with their demands.

“In the meantime, many plainclothes personnel rode into the Dream Centre compound with motorbikes and some of them went around the compound,” said Ho.

DUMC's statement comes after a week of silence on the raid since 20 to 30 Jais officers raided the DUMC premises without a warrant last Wednesday.

The pastor however remained silent on allegations that the church had been proselytising Muslims.

“We respectfully submit that this trespass, search and seizure by Jais and police actions were without proper authority under the law,” said Ho.

Yesterday Jais issued its first official statement on the matter denying that they had “raided” DUMC and stressed that no force was used.

"No force was used by Jais enforcement officers on that night...only after the event attended by 100 attendees was over, did the inspection take place inside the hall," said Jais director Marzuki Hussin (right).

"Reports that Jais conducted a raid, used force and gate-crashed the dinner are all wild accusations," said Marzuki.

Last week Ho had blasted the authorities for trespassing on a HIV/AIDs benefit dinner by non-profit organisation Harapan Komuniti held at DUMC's hall, without producing a warrant or the alleged complaint that Jais said their visit was based on.

Incidentally the same venue also hosted an electoral reform forum organised by the Association for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham), featuring Bersih 2.0 chief Ambiga Sreenevasan and Election Commission deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. - Malaysiakini, 12/8/2011, Church: Jais acted 'without proper authority'

Umno Youth has today called on the Selangor government to provide a detailed explanation on what transpired when the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) raided the Damansara Utama Methodist Church last week.

Its chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar (right) said the movement was unhappy with the Selangor Pakatan government, which was seen as weak in handling the matter.

"Initially, they are seen to be avoiding or claiming responsibility, saying it (Jais) comes under the purview of the ruler. They also made allegations of a federal government conspiracy in such an action, although such claims were unsubstantiated.

"Such perception changed when the menteri besar said the state government should bear the responsibility and answer for its actions. Following this, I urge MB Khalid Ibrahim not to delay in explaining or trying to hide the matter any further. If he cannot explain, it is better he resigns," Khairy said in a statement.

It is frustrating, Khairy noted, that the Selangor government has attempted to delay or was trying to hide the issue from public domain, with no follow-up action.

The Umno Youth chief said for the movement, such a tactic was truly irresponsible because it involved an issue sensitive to both the Muslim and Christian communities, which were watching the matter closely.

Besides the Selangor MB's realisation of this being a sensitive issue, he had chosen to delay and was hiding the matter behind a veil.

"He should himself quickly probe the matter and take the proper action," Khairy said. - Malaysiakini, 10/8/2011, Come clean on church raid or quit, Khairy tells MB

We, from the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) read the news regarding the proposed Faith Crime Act by the deputy education minister yesterday with trepidation.

The proposal came about as a response to Jais' unwarranted raid of Damansara Utama Methodist Church last week.

The raid conducted by Jais was purely based on suspicion that the Methodist Church was involved in an act of proselytisation. The Malaysian Aids Council however reiterated that the dinner was actually a fund-raiser for HIV/AIDS support programmes.

The whole issue boils down to one main issue. The so-called defenders of the faith believed that their action was espoused by the religion of Islam in preventing the believers from apostasy.

This uncivilised act of storming into a sacred place accompanied by the Mafia-like police was endorsed by none others than the insular and xenophobic NGOs like Perkasa and Pembela.

We believe that such an act of storming into a church without any warrant and based on mere suspicion was a travesty of justice and democratic principles. Freedom of assembly is enshrined in Article 10 of our constitution. Any act that violates this freedom is reprehensible.

We realise that this conflict stems from the static and stagnant approach to understanding Islamic law. The codified law in Islamic jurisprudence derived through the exercise of juristic reasoning of the latter years was considered sacred and beyond reproach. Hence the most rigid and literalist interpretations tend to prevail.

The defenders of faith failed to look at ample evidence in the Quran that gives the liberty to the people to freely follow their conviction.

Any individuals are given the right to accept or reject a particular faith based on his personal conviction.

"There shall be no coercion in matters of faith" [Qur'an, 2:256]

“And [thus it is] had thy Sustainer so willed, all those who live on earth would surely have attained to faith, all of them: dost thou, then, think that thou couldst compel people to believe” [Qur'an, 10:99]

This message of freedom of belief and the call to religious tolerance is reiterated time and time again in the Quran and through various Prophets. This has been the call of all the Prophets even before Prophet Muhammad. Refer the Quran [7:85-87, 39:39-40, 17:84].

Faith is a personal conviction. The state has no authority to interfere in one's choice of faith. One is answerable to God for the decision he or she makes in her life. Hitherto it is very perturbing that a lawmaker proposed for Faith Crime Act to be enacted by the government.

This act infringes on God given right for us to believe on our free will. No one has the authority to take this right from us. We are answerable to God alone in the life to come. We must ensure that our community embraces this freedom of religion and we will not succumb to any threat to remove this freedom away from us.

The principle of reciprocity is to be upheld since it gives a meaning to the concept of justice. In a modern multiracial society like us, where different faiths lives together, we have to respect the right of an individual to choose and convert to a faith that he or she believes in.

There should not be undue pressure or coercion for a person to believe in a faith he or she has no belief anymore. It would be a real tragedy and disaster when a state started imposing its authority in matters of faith.

The writer is chairman and director of Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF). - Malaysiakini, 10/8/2011, Raid by Jais an 'uncivilised' act 

Harapan Komuniti has broken its silence on the multi-racial dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church, which has become the centre of controversy after a raid by the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) last week.

In a statement today, executive director Raymond Koh said the 'thanksgiving' dinner was attended by "donors, friends and beneficiaries of Harapan Komuniti" before it was raided by 30 Jais and police officers.

“They proceeded into the hall and took photos and videos and even removed pamphlets from the various drawers and cabinets in the said hall, without any permission from us or the landlord of DUMC's premises.

He described the non-profit group as one that works with the poor and "downtrodden" and people living with HIV/AIDS.

This is the full statement:

Harapan Komuniti is a non-profit organisation, working to bring love, hope, peace and dignity to the needy, downtrodden, children, women and people living with HIV and AIDS. We help people, regardless of race, religion or creed.

Harapan Komuniti is a partner organisation of Malaysian AIDS Council.

On Aug 3, Harapan Komuniti held a thanksgiving/fundraising dinner at DUMC's (Damansara Utama Methodist Church) premises. That dinner was attended by donors, friends and beneficiaries of Harapan Komuniti.

About 120 people, from various backgrounds, attended the dinner and were treated with a meal catered by Muslims, followed by live performance, a 1Malaysia dance, a quiz, and reporting by individuals. Harapan Komuniti also offered a general prayer.

Around 9.30pm, about 30 officers from Jais (Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor) and the police, some were in uniforms and others in plainclothes came into the said premise without any search warrant or permission.

Harapan Komuniti immediately requested the Jais officers if they had any warrant and despite repeated requests, Jais officers refused to hand to us any warrant to search or arrest.

They proceeded into the hall and took photos and videos and even removed pamphlets from the various drawers and cabinets in the said hall, without any permission from us or the landlord of DUMC's premises.

Harapan Komuniti's lawyer Annou Xavier stated that Malaysia should be fortunate to have non-profit organisations such as Harapan Komuniti that gives 'Harapan' or hope to the needy, afflicted, poor, marginalised and yet, on that fateful night, Jais decided to take the opportunity to raid the thanksgiving charity dinner on the assumption that conversion of religion was taking place.

Harapan Komuniti has helped many needy and downtrodden citizens of Malaysia, without regard to race, religion, creed, yet Jais took it upon themselves to disrupt a peaceful and harmonious charity event.

Annou further states that Harapan Komuniti is a '1Malaysia' organisation in its pure sense, in that its board members consist of a Malay, Mohd Rahim Ithnen, a Chinese, Raymond Koh and an Indian, Sri Ram KS Gopal to help all races, religion and creed, and not some parties that simply chant '1Malaysia' merely as a slogan.

He hopes that such an unwarranted raid would not take place in the future that would cause unnecessary anxiety and trauma to peace-loving Malaysians.

Raymond Koh
Executive director
Harapan Komuniti - Malaysiakini, 10/8/2011, Harapan Komuniti breaks silence on Jais raid

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is calling on the federal government to intervene in last Wednesday's Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on a church compound.
"Jais' action sets a dangerous precedent which must be stopped and condemned by all peace-loving Malaysians.

"The constitutionally guaranteed and internationally recognised sanctity of all places of worship cannot be compromised, and this unprecedented violation must be investigated and those responsible, appropriately punished.

"We urge the federal government to expeditiously launch a thorough investigation into the fiasco," said its honorary secretary-general Prematilaka KD Serisena.

The raid was carried out based on a tip-off that the dinner organised by Harapan Komuniti at a building owned by the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) had allegedly attempted to proselytise among Muslims present.

The interfaith council is peeved by news reports quoting unnamed Muslims at the event, claiming that they had been asked to convert from Islam, one of many claims that have cropped up since the raid including accusations of distributing Malay-language Bibles to Muslims during the event.

"Such witnesses must be made available to an independent inquiry, which must be instituted immediately, to determine their qualification to bear such witness, to corroborate such evidence and to verify it.

"lf the newspapers in question are found to have published false statements likely, or meant, to incite religious or racial hatred between Malaysians, the authorities must initiate the necessary action to punish them to the full extent provided for in our laws," he said.

The council also called on the government to assure non-Muslim communities that there will not be a repeat of the incident.

'Discuss issue at working committee'

Meanwhile, less than 24 hours after the council's statement, the Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (ACCIN) reminded its counterpart MCCBCHST to refrain from making statements on interfaith matters and instead to discuss them at the governement's interfaith working committee.

"Since the Working Committee Promoting Understanding and Harmony Between Adherents of various Religions (JKMPKAPA) was established under the cabinet, ACCIN and its members have not made any statements on interfaith matters out of respect for the committee's consensus.

"ACCIN would like to remind the MCCBCHST to respect the committee in future," said the coalition chairperson Sheikh Abdul Halim Abdul Kadir.

The Muslim coalition also called on parties to respect religious sensitivities and to cease all proselytisation activities among Muslims.

"This is consistent with the spirit of interfaith relations and the provisions of the constitution where Islam is the official religion. Other religions can be practiced so long as they respect the official religion and the sensitivities of its followers," he added. - Malaysiakini, 9/8/2011, Jais raid: Federal gov't should intervene, says council

Conduct unbecoming of a Prime Minister of Malaysia - 'comments about Ambiga and Mat Sabu'

Watching the news on RTM yesterday, I was totally disappointed with the behaviour of Prime Minister Najib. These are my opinions and views based on what I saw and heard on TV yesterday - my own perception of what was said, how it was said and what could have been in Najib's mind when he said it. 

With regard to Bersih, he questioned how come Mat Sabu (Pas Deputy President) was willing to be led by Ambiga (former Bar Council President)?

Was it a sexist remark? Can't a woman not lead? And the fact that Mat Sabu and many others allowed this speaks about the progressiveness and openness of PAS and others - but the comment does not fare well for Najib and BN.

Was it a racist remark? Can a non-Malay a non-Muslim lead? Many Malaysians do not see 'ethnicity' or 'religion' or 'sex' when they choose their leaders - only leadership qualities, personality and capacity matters. Again PAS and others comes out looking good and progressive - and certainly more acceptable to Malaysians as an alternative political party - but not so for Najib and the BN.

“Who doesn’t know Ambiga. She’s the one who threatened Islam. And below her is Mat Sabu,” Najib (picture) told a 20,000-strong crowd, referring to the Bersih chief who once took up a case involving the faith and the new PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu. 

For one, I do not think she ever threatened Islam or challenged its position in Malaysia. 

As a lawyer and human rights defender, it certainly is the right of every Malaysian to take up issues concerning religious freedom - rather than quietly sit by silently expressing no opinion for fear of being branded. 

Tell us, Najib,  the details of the case that Ambiga took up and  all we see that it was certainly not anti-Islam. For Najib, it seems that anyone that takes up the issue of freedom of religion is anti-Islam. Again, PAS has come out  being more progressive and more Malaysian - more 1Malaysia

We recall one of  the issues on Islam:-

Najib & UMNO (or was it also BN by default) - Only Muslims can use the term 'Allah', 
PAS - Muslims have no exclusive right to the usage of the word 'Allah' - all can use

Some pending issues, still not resolved, (in my opinion)
* When a spouse converts to Islam - what then are the rights of the other spouse? Custody of children? Right to matrimonial property? Alimony?
* When a person converts to Islam - what happens after he passed away? How will his property be distributed, especially with regard his non-Muslim parents, siblings, children, spouse, ___?  Or will all non-Muslim parents, siblings, spouses and children not receive anything because they are non-Muslims?

It is good that this movement is not led by politicians or political parties - but by an independent Malaysian, which is right. This is not Pakatan Rakyat's movement - but a Malaysian peoples' movement - and the government just declared it unlawful, and seem to be also behaving as though the T-shirts are also illegal - or is it 'yellow T-shirts/clothes' that have become illegal.

Before this, the other time a colour was made 'illegal', it was saffron or 'orange' during the HINDRAF action. So, now in Malaysia, wearing yellow is also bad. Red was also a colour that was not OK - as it was associated with the Communist party - but now Najib and BN is using it.

Now, Najib, as Prime Minister of Malaysia - is the Prime Minister of all Malaysians irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation - and must always be be seen to be truly 1Malaysian and democratic. He must be an advocate of human rights and freedoms. He must never be seen to be a sexist, racist or an extremist of any sort.

One may have expected such remarks from some minor BN politician but certainly not Najib, our Prime Minister. Much more is expected from Najib..

I wonder, if Malaysia was like the US, and people had the right to vote for the Prime Minister whether he will be chosen as the leader of this nation.

His present stance against a movement, which is multi-racial and multi-religious in nature, calling for free and fair elections is certainly disappointing.

Is he against free and fair election? 

As Prime Minister, certainly he is the one in control of the police and their actions - and whatever the police has done and will do will be his own doing. 

Sadly, in Malaysia still there is not enough openess and transparency - and forums for one to express one's view, that is those views different from Najib's and the BN government's. 

Look at RTM (Radio Television Malaysia) and the other mainstream media and television/radio - they do not give others sufficient time and/or space (if any) to express different views.  Maybe, we should just rename RTM to RTBN (Radio Television Barisan Nasional). We should be having more 'debates' like the one between Shabery Cheek and Anwar - maybe an Ambiga-Najib debate.

Parliamentary proceedings in Malaysia is also not broadcasted live to every home in Malaysia. The live from Parliament programme now is a 'joke' where most of the time we have to sit and watch interviews - not the actual proceedings. 

Even in Parliament, MPs are denied the right of free choice - if they are BN, they are prohibited from supporting views of the Opposition. Recent 'minimum wage' Bill also was rushed through the Dewan Rakyat in less than 10 days - with about 4 hours only for debate. People just never got the choice to communicate their views to their MPs or to the government.

That is why...people believe that they have to resort to peaceful assemblies - to show also to the government that their views are not just the views of a few but many. One person can hand over the memo - well, it can happen but then there maybe possibly no (or very little coverage) in the media the government has influence over or the government could easily dismiss it as the view of a few.

Najib and the BN government can change, and here are some of the things that they could do to make Malaysia more democratic...

What are some of these available options?

1) Allow more space for differing views and opinions to be aired in the radio, TV and mainstream media. In fact, freely give licenses to people to operate radio and TV station, newspapers, etc. [The Opposition is given the permit to have their own publication - but then conditions are imposed, i.e. 'for members' only]

2) Allow permits for public forums & allow the usage of public halls for this. [It is a joke, when we hear that permits are given for political parties to hold dinners - but on condition there be no 'political' speeches]

3) Have public consultations - better still referendums where every Malaysian can express their view and choices.

4) Bring democracy to every level - kampungs, kampung barus, taman, kampung orang asli, local council - let the people participate and choose their own leaders. Stop the practice of 'appointing' - let people choose. And after people have chosen, respect this choice - and not create alternative structures to by-pass peoples' choices.

5) Stop discriminating people who exercised their rights and choose people/parties other than BN. As Prime Minister and Federal government, you should serve all people equally... Promising people development and benefits only if you vote for BN is so undemocratic - after all the money and resources belong to all Malaysians - not the UMNO,...not the BN.

6) Openly broadcast live Parliamentary proceedings fully (not edited)

7) Allow members of Parliament/Senators freedom to vote as per their conscience - not as dictated by the political party.

8)

9)

With the dawn of ASTRO, Malaysians finally got access to other media - not just the 'controlled tailored' RTM - and this has opened the minds of Malaysians, and now many desire true democracy - not a democracy where one only has a choice to vote once every 4-5 years...

Malaysians today, no more 'frogs under a coconut shell' (katak di bawah tempurung), no longer ignorant, no longer 'blindly loyal', no longer happy with just what the PM and government 'hand down' to them - they desire true democracy, human rights, freedoms, equality, justice...  and, if Najib and the current BN government does not get this and believe that the old methods of 'fear tactics', 'keeping people ignorant', 'patronage', etc will still work - they are wrong and outdated and will not survive politically much longer in Malaysia. 

No longer will people fear governments - but, as in every democracy, governments must start to fear the people - and make sure that they do serve the people, or face the risk of being 'kicked out' come next elections.

The myth that was propagated by the BN before, i.e. that no others other than the BN can effectively and efficiently rule and govern Malaysia, went out of the window after GE2008 and DAP, PAS and PKR has shown Malaysians, that given the opportunity, they too can rule and govern. 

The next General Elections would be interesting as it could see people of Malaysia, after 50 over years, giving a chance to other than BN, to rule and govern Malaysia... [And, if and when the Opposition wins, I hope that they will immediately implement the recommendations of BERSIH...]

Is this the real fear of Najib and the BN? Don't worry, this is democracy at work.  It is never up to you - it is always up to the people to decide whether they choose you or some other.

Najib blasts Ambiga, PAS over Bersih rally

July 02, 2011

PASIR PUTIH, July 2 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak lambasted Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and PAS for the planned July 9 rally, telling people here the Islamist party will do anything to capture Putrajaya.

The electoral reform movement has called for a rally to press for free and fair elections but the Najib administration is taking all measures to stop the demonstration which is a repeat of a 2007 rally that drew some 50,000 people in Kuala Lumpur.

“Who doesn’t know Ambiga. She’s the one who threatened Islam. And below her is Mat Sabu,” Najib (picture) told a 20,000-strong crowd, referring to the Bersih chief who once took up a case involving the faith and the new PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu. The prime minister is in Kelantan for a day-long visit.

Najib’s remarks were carried by Radio Malaysia news at 1pm. The station also played public service clips against the rally and praising the prime minister as leader of all Malaysians.

Najib said Mohamed was willing to be deputy to Ambiga as a means to get power for PAS, which has ruled Kelantan since 1991.

The PAS No. 2 is no longer in Bersih although the party supports the movement.

Bersih, comprising 62 groups, has vowed to continue with the rally although police has said it will not issue permits.

The government has also issued a special sermon for Friday prayers yesterday to criticise the rally apart from state-run media castigating the protest without specific reference to Bersih or the rally date.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said yesterday there would be no more room for discussions, and warned the organisers — Bersih, Perkasa and Umno Youth — to be prepared to be arrested if they did not abort their respective rallies.

Bersih has asked the police to suggest different routes and directions for the three groups on July 9 to ensure that its rally goes off without a hitch.

Among others, the group is demanding that the government ensure a clean and fair general election, reforms in the postal voting system and an extended campaign period of at least 21 days.

The first rally, also organised by Bersih, was held in 2007 and saw some 50,000 people take to the capital’s streets. The gathering eventually descended into chaos when the police deployed tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators. - Malaysian Insider, 2/7/2011, Najib blasts Ambiga, PAS over Bersih rally

 

CCM rejcts government proposal on the Malay Bible issue

Christian group rejects Idris Jala's 10-point solution

Apr 8, 11 8:16pm

In a lengthy 10-point statement, the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) Youth did not mince its words in dismissing the 10-point solution offered by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala. 

It said that the "quick-fix" proposal ignored the "the overt and covert manner which the government had discriminated against the Christian citizenry for close to 40 years".

The following is CCM Youth's press release expressing its views in response to the various statements issued by the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF), the 10-point solution as proposed by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala, and comments made in the media by the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and various parties.

1. 10-point proposal only addressed the Al Kitab issue

The 10-Point Proposal presumed that Christians were only concerned with the Al Kitab issue. That premise is incorrect. 

The 10-Point Proposal distracted both the public and the church leaders from getting to the heart of the matter, that is, the concern over the overt and covert manner which the government had discriminated against the Christian citizenry for close to 40 years that had resulted in the gradual deterioration of basic rights of Christians to freely exercise their faith.

2. Restore full rights and full freedom enshrined in the federal constitution

CCM Youth denounced deplorable accusations that Christians were not being “fair” or “reasonable” in resolving the Al Kitab matter. CCM Youth disclosed that the Malaysian government had unreasonably and unjustly acted in bad faith since the early 1970s to-date against the Christian community. Among some examples were:

• Gradual erosion of the control of mission schools which included even the physical removal of words such as “Holy” and crosses from schools, even though the land, building and board of governors belonged to the church;

• Removing or disallowing “Christian Fellowships” from being recognised as societies in schools and universities;

• Harassing and transferring out Christian teachers found teaching Bible Knowledge, a legitimate examinable subject for the SPM;

• Gazetting the Al Kitab, the Bible in Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia, as a threat to national security under the Internal Security Act;

• Denying the use of the word 'Allah' for the Christian God, even though it had been used by indigenous groups way before independence, and being the only Muslim country in the world to do so despite wide Arab usage;

• Denying Christians land to operate churches or cemeteries.

And the list goes on.

CCM Youth was saddened that Christians today were openly abused, harassed and provoked in the media and encouraged by the government, with all sorts of erroneous information being placed on official government websites put up as decrees; linking activities from Valentine's Day to 'poco-poco' to crosses on football jerseys, to Christian beliefs without so much as a dialogue or a clarification with the Christian community.

So much so that even the Islamic government machinery, with nods from cabinet ministers, the Home Ministry and state governments, unashamedly encouraged over-zealous religious officers and Islamic-based NGOs, to propagate and sow seeds of hatred towards the Christian community.

CCM Youth was informed that recently a group of students went for an excursion to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and were denied entry just because their uniform had a cross.

After so many years of racial-religious polarisation under the hands of government machinery, religious and racial bigotry is now blatantly practised and widely nurtured in government departments against Christians.

CCM Youth believed that the 10-Point Proposal was superfluous as Christian citizens were not asking for anything extra, but for their basic constitutional rights, enshrined in the Federal Constitution, to be respected and honoured.

3. Christians' birthright to read, speak and write in the national language

CCM Youth opined that it was ludicrous to deny Malaysian Christian citizens the right to use the country's national language for the purposes of exercising their faith.

On the one hand, non-Malay citizens are often criticised for their purported lack of loyalty when they did not speak Bahasa Malaysia, but when they did, like in this case in order to read the Bible, which they had been doing for generations, they were denied that right.

CCM Youth reiterated that as citizens of this country, it was their God-given birthright, which “should not be given up, negotiated, traded away, nor 'sold for a bowl of pottage'”, being simply rushed into just because Christian leaders were offered a “quick-fix” solution to the immediate problems that were originally created by unjust parties.

4. The 10-point proposal does not carry the weight of law

CCM Youth decried attempts to create a 'band-aid' compromise solution that did not carry the weight of law. If the government were truly sincere, there would not be a need for a 10-Point Proposal.

Insofar as this matter was concerned, all the government needed to do was to instruct the Home Ministry to drop its appeal on the 'Allah' issue, which the Catholic Church won on Dec 31, 2009 when it took the case to the High Court. This action would immediately lead to the withdrawal of the Allah and the Al Kitab from any further restrictions in the country.

CCM Youth urged the government to uphold democratic principles and not play games by taking a round-about route that did not reflect their sincerity.

5. 10-point proposal sows disunity amongst Christians

The 10-Point Proposal served only to promote disunity amongst Christians, playing to the ruling government's 'divide-and-rule' tune. CCM Youth questioned how it could be plausible for a 1Malaysia, yet a 2Bible and 3Rule solution?

If at all, it only cemented CCM Youth's opinion that 1Malaysia had been nothing but political rhetoric.

If Christian leaders had agreed to this proposal, the Orang Asal of Sabah and Sarawak would have one rule; while believers in the peninsula, including the Orang Asli, would have another rule.

Should Christians subject themselves to such confusion and be manipulated to accept such terms? Likewise, by agreeing to such terms now, would Christians then forfeit the right to resolve future outstanding matters beyond the Al Kitab issue?

6. No guarantee that pledges or assurances will be honoured

Time and time again, the Christian community have been given assurances but only to be disappointed later on. CCM Youth urged church leaders to be wise, for what had been dressed as compromise could turn out to be an entrapment – “Even the elect were deceived, if that were possible.”

CCM Youth pointed out that they were well aware that there were many obstacles ahead, and they understood the “card game was in the hands” of the government.

Even if the federal government gave the impression of giving way, they could fall back on the state government machinery that would kick in and take that to another gear which involved harassing book stores, printers, forwarding agents, schools and so on, located in affected states.

7. The tipping point - today's decision will impact future generations

CCM Youth urged church leaders to take their time and not to be in a hurry. It was imperative that they did not fail future generations, or act in a manner that could adversely undermine or enslave future generations from practising their faith freely.

CCM Youth urged church leaders to remain faithful and to take as much time as they needed to ponder and to ask pertinent questions without compromising the faith.

Otherwise, future generations would return to remind past generations of leaders of "compromises" made today, or that the church leaders held silent when they could have spoken up, having restrained themselves from pursuing justice when they had the opportunity to do so.

CCM Youth urged church leaders not to worry about having to come to a decision by the CFM's Biennial General Meeting on April 14, 2011, but to take ample time to pray and seek the Lord before coming to a decision.

CCM Youth reminded church leaders that even the youths today were still learning the full extent of the rights that had been eroded to-date as events unfolded, and CCM Youth would endeavour to support church leaders to their best of abilities to recover that which was lost, and hand over full freedom to future generations as their legacy.

8. Are we speaking to the right party with the authority?

With due respect to Senator Idris Jala, CCM Youth raised concerns that there were no assurances that he had the full weight of the cabinet behind him in this regard, given the underlying tones and lack of media support from cabinet ministers. Even the prime minister himself had been strangely silent.

From remarks given by the home minister and various “shadow gatekeepers”, there had been no assurance that the relevant ministries would honour any form of agreement. What remained consistent so far had been the consistency of the government's inconsistencies. The danger of flip-flops was not a probability, but a given.

CCM Youth believed that this rush to force a solution was inadvertently linked to the outcome of the Sarawak elections and the potential impact from its Christian majority population.

CCM Youth observed that it was this careless 'short-term opportunistic' attitude of the government for political expediency that had made them wary of such overtures and advised church leaders to exercise greater caution under such circumstances.

If the government were sincere in addressing the grievances of the Christian community, CCM Youth believed that nothing less than the coming together of a task force from the Prime Minister's Department, the Home Ministry, the attorney-general, the Education Ministry and all state governments and Islamic departments had to take place.

9. Sorry seems to be the hardest word

CCM Youth pointed out that it was Idris Jala (centre) who apologised.

So far, no official statement of apology had been offered by any ministry, especially none was forthcoming from the home minister, the main protagonist who directed the stamping of the Bibles.

The public ought to know that this entire episode of the desecration of the Christian's Holy Scriptures happened during the holy month of Lent which precedes and commemorates the Lord Jesus Christ's crucifixion and celebrates His resurrection.

If an opportunity presented itself for reconciliation and restoration to properly right the grave wrong committed, CCM Youth would certainly offer forgiveness. Obviously, the situation had yet to present itself.

10. Christian cabinet ministers must take leadership

CCM Youth noted that except for Idris Jala, many Christian cabinet ministers have kept silent. One cabinet minister even called Christians foolish for holding prayer rallies. CCM Youth challenged cabinet ministers to be faithful and to choose today whom they served - whether God or man.

CCM Youth reiterated that they were not being unreasonable, audaciously demanding or stirring trouble. CCM Youth regretted that for a long time, the church had remained silent, having compromised when it should not have.

In good faith, church leaders had been drawn into endless unproductive closed-door meetings, given verbal promises and handshake agreements that never materialized.

Unfortunately for the church, Christian goodwill had not been reciprocated, and closed door agreements never honoured. The recent desecration of the Al Kitab was the last straw.

CCM Youth called upon all Christians today to rally firmly behind their Christian leaders as they worked towards a resolution for the community. CCM Youth urged the Christian community to uphold their leaders in prayer more fervently.

CCM Youth reiterated that they remained committed to nation-building and bringing about justice, peace and reconciliation for all Malaysians and migrants, and would stop at nothing to bring about change for the betterment of all peoples regardless of creed, race or religion, through proclaiming truth and bringing about justice and transformation to the nation.- Malaysiakini, 8/4/2011, Christian group rejects Idris Jala's 10-point solution

Interlok - no more an 'indian' concern, as Chinese Malaysians voice out

It does not affect me, so I am not bothered. This is not right, and all good Malaysians and persons must be concern about all wrongs, injustices and human rights violations irrespective of whether it affects me, my community, my religion or my nation.

With the coming out with these statement by 45 prominent Malaysian groups, of Chinese ethnicity, the issue becomes less seen as only an ethnic Indian issue - but a Malaysian issue.

I sincerely hope that Anwar Ibrahim also reform his and PKR's position on this book (see below, the Malay Mail, 11/1/2011, No racist element in 'Interlok': Anwar). Anwar may have been mis-reported or changed his (and PKR's) position, and I hope if this is so, people will post information about this in the comments below this post

A number of prominent Chinese groups are among 45 organisations which inked a joint statement criticising the government's decision to retain the controversial novel 'Interlok' as a compulsory textbook for secondary schools.

In a strongly-worded statement, the civil society groups ticked off the novel for attempting to indoctrinate Form Five students with the 'Malay supremacy' ideology.

Describing 'Interlok' as an “insidious poison”, the civil society groups accused the novel of propagating the ideology of “Ketuanan Melayu”.

“In fact, Interlok is barely a step away from the Biro Tatanegara brainwashing that promotes racism and disunity. 'Interlok' conveys the central message that Chinese, Indian and other minorities are second-class citizens in addition to perpetuating the divisive notion of a host community (the Malays) versus foreigners ('bangsa asing' Cina dan India).

“Not so subtly, 'Interlok' intends to put the Chinese and Indians in their place as 'pendatang', and validating a social hierarchy according to ethnic origin.”

Organisations which signed the statement included KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Negeri Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall, Johor Federation of Chinese Associations and Penang Chinese Town Hall.

It is however not the first time that Chinese groups have issued statements on the matter.

“Not only offensive to Indians, Interlok portrays the Chinese in the most derogatory manner too,” said the hard-hitting statement.

“Kim Lock (in 'Interlok') is depicted as a miserly opium addict and callous adulterer while his son Chin Huat is painted as cunning, greedy, unscrupulous and someone who would happily sell his daughters.

“A major thread of the plot has the Chinese character cheating and oppressing the Malay character. Other Chinese characters such as the communist guerrillas are nasty and immoral, and the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army comprising Chinese recruits is demonised by the author.”

The civil society groups said that 'Interlok' has failed to comply with the guidelines set by the Education Ministry.

“The National Interlok Action Team (Niat) has pointed out that its contents violate five out of six criteria outlined by the KBSM (Malaysian National Syllabus for Secondary Schools) textbook guidelines.

“Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently announced that the government has agreed to amend 19 words/passages found to be sensitive. Nonetheless, the fact that the 'Interlok' review panel has had to suggest a total of 106 changes only goes to show how problematic the novel is.

“Furthermore, the withdrawal in protest of the three Indian panelists serves to discredit the ministry's proposed resolution to the issue.”

Solution is to replace 'Interlok'

The groups said that the way out of the impasse is to replace 'Interlok' with other text more suitable for use in the classroom.

“Some defenders of 'Interlok' have claimed that the main characters in the book are mere individuals who cannot be extrapolated as representatives of their race.

“This is a mistaken line of argument as the Interlok lesson guide produced by the Education Ministry's curriculum development department has clearly stated: 'The theme of Interlok is the integration of three main races – Malay, Chinese and Indian – in Malaysia and the challenges they face in order to live together in an independent and sovereign country'.

“Because it is the ministry itself which has dictated that the characters in the novel are allegorical, therefore it will be wrong for us to now view them as atypical. Rather the Pak Musa, Chin Huat and Maniam personas (in 'Interlok') are indeed symbolic of their races.”

The joint statement stressed that the protest against 'Interlok' was in no way a disrespect to author Abdullah Hussain's freedom of expression.

“We do not object to his novel being sold in the bookshops. We do not ask either for the unabridged original version to be edited or censored although we welcome its critical appraisal by discerning adults. But the upshot is Interlok should not be a textbook in schools.” - Malaysiakini, 30/1/2011, Chinese groups weigh in on Interlok

Appendix : Controversial passages in Interlok

Jual Anak

1. Kita makan apa yang dapat. Akar-akar kayu kalau ada. Kita minta sedekah. Kita curi. Kita tak punya anak perempuan. Kalau ada anak perempuan kita boleh jual. (Kim Lock, MS 119-120)
2. "Dia sudah bagus kerja sini, itu tauke bilang Cing Huat banyak rajin dan kalau lu mau jual dia mau beli"...... dia (Kim Lock) belum pernah teringat mahu jual anaknya yang tunggal itu. Entahlah kalau anak itu perempuan. Tetapi sekarang apa sebab dia mahu jual? Dia mencari-cari sebab itu dalam hatinya pada waktu itu (MS 151)
3. Tetapi kalau Kim Lock mahu menjual anaknya itu dia boleh dapat untung lebih banyak lagi (MS 155)
4. Kok Leng mendesaknya supaya menjual Cing Huat. Untung dia tidak banyak cakap, kalau tidak Cing Huat bukan anaknya lagi. Kalau anak perempuan tentu dia sudah jual (MS 160)

Gila Perempuan / Menghisap Candu

5. Malam ini dia mesti tidur dengan perempuan loki Gweek Cin, yang kurus langsing dan berdada rata serta berkaki kecil itu (Kim Lock, MS 155)
6. Muka Surat 200-203, Kim Lock membawa Mei Hwa untuk menghisap candu dan mengadakan hubungan seks dengan dia setiap kali bertemu begitu. Kim Lock mahu membawa Mei Hwa tingga bersama-sama mereka, Cing Huat tidak bersetuju dan meminta panggil ibunya dari Tung San ke sini, Kim Lock menolaknya dengan alasan "Itu akan memakan masa terlalu lama. Wang Kita juga tidak cukup"
7. MS 457-458, orang tua pasukan komunis Teck Hock cuba merogol Poh Eng tetapi diselamatkan

Gelojoh / Wang ialah Tuhan

8. Walaupun benar ada pepatah bangsanya mengatakan "Kalau ada wang, kamu menjadi seorang anak Han yang berani, kalau tidak wang susah nak jadi anak Han pun"(MS 482)
9. Soal duit tak ada musuh, musuh ialah orang-orang yang mau menghalang kita cari makan (MS 141)
10. Dalam kota besar dan asing serupa ini orang tidak boleh kasihan, kalau kasihan kita tidak boleh kaya. Di sini wang yang menjadi ukuran. Dalam dunia ini wang itu Tuhan nombor dua (MS 155-156)
11. Dia sudah mulai sedar bahawa di rantau selatan ini , bukan semangat nenek moyang yang dapat menolong, melainkan wang ringgit. Wangnya ada dan keinginan pada tubuh perempuan pun makin mendesak. Kalau Kim Sui boleh kahwin dan menyimpan perempuan di bandar, maka mengapa pula dia tidak boleh menyimpan perempuan. Apa salahnya? (MS 198)

Diskriminasi / Menipu / Mengeksploitasi Orang Melayu

12. Cing Huat pun sudah boleh sedikit-sedikit bercakap dengan Huan na, dia sudah tahu orang-orang itu orang Melayu, tetapi dia lebih senang memanggil mereka Huan na atau Malai Kuai sahaja, seperti yang biasa dipanggil oleh bangsanya (MS 179)
13. "Cina Panjang kata tanah-tanah itu semuanya haknya belaka. Lembu yang kami bela itu pun hartanya juga. Bapa saya telah gadai kepadanya" (MS 88)
14. Kata Seman tanah itu semua sudah digadai pada Cina Panjang tu, dan orang Cina tu pun dah suruh Seman ini keluar dari kampong tersebut (MS 92)
15. ...... tanah-tanah kita yang dilindungi oleh undang-undang tu tergadai kepada bangsa asing. Kita tak upaya nak buat apa-apa¡­¡­kecut perut sayaa mendengar cerita ni. Lama-lam habis harta benda kita tergadai. Tak bolehkah kita menolongnya? "Cuma satu jalan saja. Itu pun kalau orang-orang kita mau sedar, mau insaf. Jangan ada orang yang ikut jejak pak musa tu" (MS 95-96) -

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 17:41:00

PETALING JAYA: The novel "Interlok" does not contain any racist element as claimed by certain quarters, Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

"I read this novel a long time ago; I did not see any racist element in there," he told a news conference here.

Anwar, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader, said a calm discussion should be held between those who questioned the content of the novel and the Education Ministry, which introduced the novel as a literature textbook for Form Five starting this year.

Anwar was asked to comment on the call by certain quarters who wanted the novel by national laureate Abdullah Hussain to be withdrawn from school, claiming that it contain elements deemed offensive to the Indian community.

On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's criticism of the Opposition pact's 100-day reform plan, Anwar said he was prepared to engage the premier in a debate on the matter.

Najib said yesterday that the plan, which the opposition intends to implement within 100 days if they win the 13th general election, was unrealistic and contained only populist measures.

Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has spoken against any move to ban the book, saying doing so was not in line with the current development in the information age.

What should be done instead was to hold discussions involving those who were against the book, and the Education Ministry, he said.

"I feel that there should not be a barrier to the free flow of information," he told reporters after attending a dialogue with the Selangor Business Council in Shah Alam.

Abdul Khalid said, however, that the country's education system should be sensitive to the needs of the people of various cultures and ethnicities. - Malay Mail, 11/1/2011, No racist element in 'Interlok': Anwar

Good example of Muslim-Christian interaction and living together in Egypt

Just like Malaysia, there are Muslims and Christians, and it is good to see how ordinary people live and behave respecting one another's faith and belief. In Malaysia too, ordinary people do live in harmony respecting the differences in the people in their communities, including the religious and other cultural differences. It is only some politicians and a few persons that try to sow seeds of division and enmity, and sometimes I believe the intention is more for some political gain.

Over the years, there have been some who have tried to stir ill-feelings among the multi-religious peoples of Malaysia, but it has really not generated much support at all. In comparison, we see the Reformasi protest in Kuala Lumpur that saw 10,000 plus persons repeatedly coming out to the street  on weekends protesting the wrongdoings and failures of the UMNO led-BN government, despite the real fear and prospect of being water-cannoned, tear-gassed, physically assaulted by the police, arrested and charged, etc...I am talking about the earlier REFORMASI protest... Of course, later on the Opposition parties and  pro-Anwar elements tried to hijack this movement/action of the people and make it their own, just like what did happen in Egypt - it was a people's action -- and now the Opposition parties started creeping in to claim leadership of the masses. [I share from my perspective of being there on the ground during the said REfFORMASI protests, and later being a "Reformasi Lawyer', who acted for hundreds of people when they got arrested,and detained in PULAPOL, etc and for their trials]

 

Back to the issue at hand, where the positive aspect of interaction of a people, irrespective of their religion and/or ethnicity, needs to be highlighted...

 

Behind Egypy's uprising, Muslim-Christian solidarity

Published on: February 13, 2011,Herald Malaysia

By Anil Netto

By now much has been said about what has been happening in Egypt. But less visible is that the uprising in Egypt has witnessed some remarkable scenes of Muslim-Christian understanding on the streets, especially in Tahrir Square. When Muslims prayed in Tahrir or Liberation Square, Christians formed a protective ring around them.

And when the Coptics and other Christians prayed, it was the turn of the Muslims to stand guard against attacks from pro-Mubarak thugs. You know, when interreligious dialogue takes place, sometimes those occasions tend to be stuffy, formal affairs laced with platitudes and niceties as no one wants to offend the other side.

But what took place at Tahrir Square on Sunday, Feb 6 had none of the usual preparations and pleasantries usually associated with these occasions. Instead, Muslims and Christians together reflected on the autocracy facing their country, the loss of innocent lives, and the struggle for freedom. All around them were symbols of that repressive reality: rocks and stones that had been used as projectiles, army tanks that failed to provide security... and wounded and hungry people.

Reflect as Michael Jansen reports for the Irish Times: Muslims and Christians unite in prayer as clerics and speakers remind us of those who have died: MUSLIMS PRAYED with Christians yesterday in Tahrir Square at the heart of Cairo. A priest from Egypt’s ancient Coptic rite held high a cross, read verses from the Bible and in a deep, sonorous voice led hymn singing. The mostly Muslim throng joined in, familiar with the Arabic phrases the faiths share.

They closed by rendering softly, then belting out lustily the Egyptian national anthem, Beladi (My Country), concluding with the cry: “We are united, Christians and Muslims, we are all Egyptians! Hurriyah, hurriyah! Freedom, freedom!” Muslims performed the noon day prayer before the Copts held a second prayer meeting.

A woman in red standing next to Irish Ambassador Isolde Moylan and me translated the words of the priest. “He told Mubarak, our churches were attacked when you were in power . . . “Now that there are no police in the street and we have revolution, our churches are safe, our people are safe.” The cleric mentioned the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria during a Mass on January 1 that killed both Christians and Muslims.

Another man took the microphone and spoke of the 300 “martyrs” who have died since hundreds of thousands of democracy advocates seized control of Tahrir Square on January 25 and demanded that Mubarak and his entire regime resign. “You do not speak of the martyrs, Mubarak, but you cannot ignore them,” the speaker shouted. In the crowd were some of the walking wounded. Men with bandaged heads or plaster casts on their arms, a man with his ankles bound in gauze. They were among the defenders of the square when it was attacked by pro-Mubarak elements last Feb 3 night. At least 5,000 have been wounded during 13 days of mass action. We paused to speak to young men gathered near a stall selling tea.

Like many other welcoming Egyptians, Amin, a bearded member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was delighted to see Irish visitors. He was keen to make his point to Isolde who had come in listening mode: “In the West they try to scare people by saying the brotherhood wants to make Egypt like Iran. This is a lie. We are Sunnis, not Shias. We do not want rule by clerics. We want democracy. We want freedom.” An AFP report in the Philippines Inquirer noted that some Muslim demonstrators at Tahrir Square showed solidarity with their Christian brethren.

Ahmed Shimi, 47, raised a banner adorned with a Christian cross, the Islamic crescent and the declaration “Muslims plus Christians equal Egypt.” “We don’t want differences between Muslims and Christians. We believe that we are all Egyptians,” Shimi said. “Mubarak wants to sell the idea to the United States and Europe that we have a problem in Egypt with the Christians and that he is the right guy to address it. But it’s not true.” What made these scenes all the more extraordinary was that they took place against a backdrop of the shocking New Year attack on a Coptic Church in Alexandria.

But even before that, Muslims had rallied behind their beleagured fellow Egyptians, the Christians, to provide them with a protective ring during Christmas Eve services. One report said “thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas Eve Mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside. From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s Mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.” What we have heard in Egypt time and time again is that the people on the streets, Muslims and Christians alike, are united in their desire for freedom and justice.

They have come out to demand their rights. They carry for people and governments everywhere important lessons. Egypt is experiencing serious problems. The gap between the rich and the poor is large, youth unemployment is high and a large number of people are living on less than US$2 a day. Meanwhile, a Guardian report alleged that the Mubarak family fortune could reach up to US$70 billion, a lot of it probably stashed abroad. Consider the impact of neo-liberal policies on countries like Tunisia and Egypt.

These countries had fairly strong GDP growth rates and FDI and had followed IMF-World Bank neo-liberal policies such as slashing subsidies and privatisation. They were regarded as economic miracles. Only last year, the World Bank in a ‘Doing Business 2010’ report had hailed Egypt as a ‘top global performer’. Obviously, someone forgot to tell the seething, teeming masses on the streets for whom such ‘economic reforms’ meant little. Mubarak has ruled for 30 years through his hated security apparatus.

Egyptians who fell on the wrong side of the regime were put away and no one heard their screams of anguish in hidden detention cells or during ‘rendition’. Mubarak, like a string of previous dictators Suharto, Marcos, the Shah of Iran, was of course US backed, and he presided over a repressive system. The United State provided military aid to Egypt but a lot of this money flowed back to US corporations when Egypt bought arms and planes from these firms.

While the extraordinary scenes of Muslim- Christian unity are an inspiring part of the uprising, the danger is that the people’s democratic uprising may be hijacked by conservative forces allied to the military and vested business interests bent on maintaining neo-liberal economic policies, possibly with the blessing of the United States under the guise of ‘an orderly transition’. If that happens it would amount to a massive betrayal of the people’s passionate desire for economic justice and real democracy.

Stop using 'Pariah', 'Indon', 'Bangla', 'Sakai', ...as sign of respect...

Some communities do not like to referred in a particular manner, and/or by using certain words. Whether the reasons put forward is reasonable or not to others really should not matter, but as a respect for the aggrieved persons or communities, we should immediately stop using such words.

When I was growing up, the Malays did not like to be called 'sakai' - the meaning then attached to the word was that it meant that they were 'jungle people', illiterate/stupid, backward, etc [Of course, that word meant something else, but it mattered not for what was important was the perceived meaning, and the reasons for its usage then] 

For those of Indian origins(not Punjabi), the word that was used was 'Keling' and 'Pariah'

For the Punjabi, it was 'Bayi'...for the Chinese, 'China Kui'...

The Indonesians do not like to be called 'Indon' for similar reasons - and Malaysian government has been informed and they have agreed to change but some media outlets are still doing it.

The Bangladeshis do not want to be called 'Bangla' for similar reasons...

The reasons really matters little - but an initial immediate response from any person/community/government that is respectful of others is to stop using such words...

Kuala Lumpur. The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has protested against the use of the word “Indon” in a Malaysian newspaper, arguing that it carries negative connotations.

The protest was in response to an article in Berita Harian, titled “Taktik Kotor Indon” (“Indonesian Dirty Tricks”), about Indonesia’s organization of the Southeast Asian Games in November.

“We are disappointed and resent the word ‘Indon’ because the leaders of both countries have agreed not to use the word, including in the mass media,” Embassy spokesman Suryana Sastradireja told state news agency Antara on Wednesday.

The article, which is still available online, features an interview with Malaysian Olympic Assembly vice president WY Chin, who was quoted as saying that Indonesia had listed a number of sporting events that advantaged their athletes.

“We just received the list of sport numbers to be competed [in the Sea Games] and most of them are sports where their [Indonesia] athletes are more likely to win,” Chin was quoted as saying.

Suryana said the newspaper’s choice of the word “Indon” in the headline could jeopardize diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries.

“The word “Indon” is very humiliating and very embarrassing. We are going to send a note of protest to the ‘Berita Harian’ and question their motives for using the word,” Suryana said. “We demand the newspaper avoid using the word in future articles and the article writer must be sanctioned.”

Syamsul, an on-duty editor at Berita Harian, said he was unaware of the controversy and could not comment.

Nafi Nur Rauf from the association of Indonesian students at Malaysia’s Utara University said there were two definitions of “Indon” in Malaysia.

“I asked my Malaysian friends on campus the meaning of “Indon” and they said it is only a short version of Indonesians, it’s not to humiliate Indonesians but there is indeed another meaning which is an insult to associate Indonesians with maids or domestic workers,” Nafi wrote on the association's Web site.


JG, Antara - Jakarta Globe, 4/2/2011,

•  

‘Indon’ Article Prompts Protest

The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has protested the recent publication in the Malaysian media of the term "Indon" in a news headline, a word often used by Malaysians to describe Indonesians, and regarded by many as derogatory.


Embassy spokesman Suryana Sastradiredja said Malaysia's Berita Harian had published a story titled "Indon's Dirty Tactics" on the appointment of Indonesia as the host for the upcoming Sea Games.


The story featured an interview with Malaysia Olympiad Assembly (MOM) vice president W. Y. Chin, who said Indonesia had selected sporting events that would benefit its athletes.


"We're disappointed and protest against the use of the term 'Indon' because the two heads of state have already agreed against using this term, including in the mass media," Suryana said Wednesday, as quoted by Antara. "We want no more writing of this kind, and a firm action taken against the writer."


Suryana said Berita Harian had often used the term "Indon" in its articles citing Indonesia.


The embassy plans to send an official letter of complaint to the paper, questioning why it frequently used the term. - AsiaOne News, 4/2/2011,  RI embassy protests use of 'Indon' in Malaysian headlines