Pray Tell

RM20 million seems to the min cost for building a new mosque going by Mohsin Abdullah’s writing and the plea from Setia Alam surau one fine Friday sermon a few weeks back.

The Khatib – a Kelantanese Imam who recites the Al Fatihah with much aplomb and finesse – spoke of the said sum to a typically packed congregation for the proposed new mosque in the up and about new township sandwiched between Shah Alam and Klang.

Apparently, Muslim residents there had started a donation drive. Collections however impressive at RM700k looks to be a dead option when looking at the price tag being bandied.

Just like Mohsin, I too remember PMNTR’s RM20 million allocations for the Kampung Baru mosque: “... to fund the renovation and upgrading of the mosque which would become the starting pointand transformation icon for the area which would be turned into a high-value, sophisticated and modern area…”

I’ve paraphrase two sentences to the above actually, but that’s the gist of it.

Mohsin, in a second article on Kampung Baru, wrote: “…the wrecking ball descended on the mosque. The back portion demolished.. the project train set in motion. Poser: Could this mean, taking into consideration what the PM had said, that the Kampung Baru facelift is also on its way?

“Or will it be done soon, despite the ongoing protest of residents?”

He asked some really valid questions in fact.

The government has a nasty habit of bulldozing through, urm, “developments” despite some particularly sustained protests. Lynas, Pengerang, EPF loan for poor housing, 100 storey Tower, Section 114A…

There could well be exceptions, but nothing comes to mind at the moment.

I used to believe in the “big picture” justification. Not anymore.

With plots of land being carved out for mega developments – Sungai Buloh RRI land, Sungei Besi airport  – the folks in Kampung Baru (the few enclave left of bustling, busy and chronically overbuild capital City) would well be forgiven to cast suspicious glances at seemingly Blitzkrieg- styled tactics.

As for the mosque in Setia Alam, how I wish I was a millionaire; no, make that a billionaire…

Simply Toxic

When I quit the NST in March 2008, there was already some considerable clash of ideals within me.

Just as the nation was hit with the so-called 2008 Electoral Tsunami, so too was our motley group of media practitioners (chewah!) in Ipoh similarly affected.

I guess I just got fed up with having to toe the political line in having to cover the functions and events of the-then sore losers of Perak Barisan.

On hindsight, I am sure glad I am out of the journalistic loop vis-à-vis the current scenario of heavily politicized and overly partisan “news” coverage.

So much so that integrity is being given a quick and painful kick in the butt. Just like this alleged replacing of the word “Scientology” with “Islam” of a supposed speech by Australian Senator Nick Xenophon as per the following excerpt:

“What we are seeing is a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality. On the body of evidence, this is not happening by accident; it is happening by design. Islam is not a religious organisation. It is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs.”

Were the words uttered by a Malaysian, surely there’ll be groups calling for his or her head by now.

It is a silly act, though, as such copy pasting could be - and in fact was - easily discovered.

But then again, I remembered having to tweak an article on the political sentiments of the Kinta Valley Chinese community as to favor the Barisan Nasional pre-2008 General Elections.

My colleagues from the other Press had a good laugh at my expense when the byline-less observations - written under protest - saw light.

I read also today of journalists donning black in protest of violence against media personnel especially during Saturday’s monumental Bersih 3.0 rally which turned quite ugly.

The Chinese papers reportedly came out with Black front pages in solidarity to this cause.

Over at the other main stream newspapers, though, things seemed pretty much status quo.

Saw BH front paging “news” of some horse-ying involving opposition MPs Anwar and Kit Siang and I couldn’t care less what Utusan, Kosmo and Metro had on theirs.

Fair to say that these papers pretty much crossed the Rubicon of impartiality for a while now.

What’s scary is that they continue to be the main source of “news” for a good majority in the community.

Toxic nation building. In walloping dollops.

Walking the Talk aka For the love of an Ice Blended Mocha

Marina Mahathir walked the BERSIH walk. Imagine that.

While I was following the whole rally via Twitter and Facebook in the comforts of my home, the daughter of Dr Mahathir is with the very people her father – and a host of like-minded others - so deeply detests.

She started her post with a simple sentence: So I went.

Marina, you have both my envy and admiration.

Having read Marina’s BERSIH 2.0 experience, I am ashamed on at least two counts: one, for not being there despite my belief in the thrust of the rally’s objective, and two, for having doubts as to whether the BERSIH was worth it.

The latter came after witnessing the torrent of propaganda masquerading as “news report” churned out by TV3 and RTM1 news much, much later in the evening.

A TV3 reporter, supposedly reporting at the scene complete with the irony of an empty street for a backdrop, even quoted “unnamed sources” – aren’t they always - warning of God-knows-what unknown threats of unspecified nature but connected with all probability with the Haram Demonstrators still lurking around somewhere.

Pure bollocks and baloney. Nothing’s changed, I thought.

On top of these were particularly venomous postings and comments from the FB circle of friends.

What the freezing hell was that all about? Why the hatred for people who were basically walking to highlight their constitutional grouse for fair elections.

I was thinking, thus, of posting something along the lines of “So, have BERSIH actually achieved anything despite the euphoria of its supposed success…” and, in my mind, its mostly in the negative.

That was before I read Marina’s post. I’ve realized thus that in many counts, BERSIH has achieved something after all.

BERSIH has shown that it is possible to rally to a Rights centric cause in a non -partisan way. The rally last Saturday is ironically a showcase of the much spoken 1Malaysia concept with its diverse composition of walkers.

I particularly liked her comments of “reformasi” chants being drowned by a bigger chant of BERSIH. Rightly so, this is one movement that no one can hijack as it belongs to the Rakyat.

Sure, as one FB friends puts its “… so what if you have 100,000..”

Numbers are just statistics. God knows the current Governments churns them out on a regular basis with the consistency of a well blended iced tall Mocha Latte with whipped cream.

Notwithstanding the almost haphazardly organized look of the rally, this was a group that truly believed in their ideals and keeping to it.

Imagine that by 5pm, everything was back to the way it was and my so many FB Friends who lamented being burdened with not being able to lepak around KL can do so with complete abandonment.

Some roads will still be jammed through, BERSIH or no BERSIH.

But, who cares, right?

Soulful Reminders

I’m on the morning school run of late, sending my daughter and have since been tuning to IKIM’s radio station (91.5FM).

There’s a delightful morning Zikir every 7am, followed soon by a morning motivational talk before the 8am news snippets.

You’re not far off to think Radio IKIM as filled with theology-centric items but you’d be surprised. Just this morning, the motivational speaker (missed his name, shame on me) quoted Donald “You’re fired” Trump in his talk.

His talk centred on what Islam could provide to a nation so advance that everything seems to have been catered for. He was talking of Japan, of punctuality, of advancement in technology, etc.

To great nations and even greater people, he said, Islam provides the sense of purpose: The Why.

I can only regurgitate so much of what was conveyed during the morning talk, but what was running through my mind was this: despite the greatness of Islam, so-called Islamic countries don’t have anything to offer the world.

Nothing at all.

The fact remains that we have to go back centuries for the glory days of Islamic civilization is the sad testament of how we have erred from the path of greatness.

The middle path of moderation, of sincerity, of progress. In total contrast to what is occurring in some countries including our own.

Weird in that Donald Trump came up in all this, isn’t it?

Not really as the good Ustaz quoted the billionaire property magnate saying something along the lines of “Success without happiness is nothing” or something like so.

Yes, I know that it’s easy for those moneyed to say so, but Trump was talking of his own context of being divorced from his former better half.

I believe in Islam, this is the concept of Redha (acceptance?).

Two examples come to mind: extreme ones, really. The first is something I read in New York Times quoted by a mid-level Afghan official in the face of assassinations committed on his colleagues.

Others have either given up their struggle to provide a better future for country, or armed themselves with security personal.

He says this instead: His life and death is God’s, and if God decrees that he should die, he will die. Wherever, whenever, however so.

In other words, he will not shirk from his responsibilities. He accepts what is happening as something decreed by God.

The other example is the Palestinians. Here is a group oppressed in their own land while neighbours – some richer beyond belief – lift not a single finger to help. Being in such a situation would have broken even the strongest-willed.

Unless, that is, they accept their predicament as God’s will.

I used to be cynical about the surplus of attention to the Palestinian cause when there are other oppressed (muslim and non-muslims alike) group all over the world, but not anymore.

Instead there is now only admiration of their strength of resolve and faith.

Especially since it brings forth a question I don’t dare (can’t?) provide an answer.

“What do I have to offer?”

Rock Solid Jelly aka A Question on Faith

“Those suffering from illnesses like impotence can be cured if the water in the bowl is consumed.”

When I read the above “news” today, my mind clicked to a totally naïve but innocent question from my daughter on whether the cane wielded by Nabi Musa A.S. was magical.

My answer was that the magic was in fact bestowed by Allah to Nabi Musa A.S. and, no, it wasn’t the cane.

I hoped it was the “right” answer, as she – and countless others of her generation – are being constantly bombarded by tales of magic and what-not by the idiot box and cable television.

For Muslims, believing in things to be magical or have powers is dangerous territory, after all.

The central core of our belief is that Allah is ESA and to equate others/items/beings/things with Allah is SYIRIK; a major sin.

(If I am not mistaken, there is no English equivalent to this word. You can draw your own inferences from this lacuna vis-à-vis the current furor over the use of the word “Allah” in a Catholic Church publication.)

The Malay “mythical” landscape – just like the abovementioned “magical China bowl” – is filled with this dichotomy of thoughts and practice.

I hope it’s more a matter of editing than actual belief, but then again, the article did quote verbatim.

Believing the magic the bowl has is really no different to that of believing that trees, graves and others can produce 4D numbers.

Being born a Malay means that automatically you’re a Muslim.

Unfortunately, this does not mean that you are born into a Muslim family whereby the teachings on Islam would be imparted in the most opportune possible way.

Some may take things for granted, while others simply couldn’t care less that they are Muslims.

How else do you explain the general breakdown in sections of the Malay youths who succumb to social ills?

It is unfortunate that my community tends to be so gung-ho of perceived threats against the religion from external sources but less so of similar threats from within.

Perhaps this explains the response (minority, majority, does anyone care to do a poll?) over that recent High Court ruling.

A fear, helplessness, perhaps (I can’t stressed this word enough), that as a community with less than rock solid Aqidah, we would not be capable to stem sustained onslaught from those intending to propagate beliefs other than Islam.

In things having magical powers, for example.

It's wintry days in New Delhi..

Barricading Faith

“It is not about God belonging to you, rather YOU belong to God.”

“Yang membezakan akidah Islam dan selainnya bukanlah pada sebutan, atau rebutan nama Allah, sebaliknya pada ketulusan tauhid dan penafian segala unsur syirik.”

Two quotes from personalities you may well label as liberal Muslims (if you must insist on labels, that is) on the furor over the recent decision by the High Court on the right to use the word “Allah”

On Dec 31, Justice Datuk Lau Bee Lan ruled that pursuant to Articles 11 and 12 of the Federal Constitution, the Herald had the constitutional right to use the word in respect of instruction and education of the congregation in the Christian religion.

(The above is taken lock, stock and barrel from The Star.)

I must say that I was – let’s say – “concerned” when I first read the decision.

Subtle machinations to propagate another's faith on Muslims, I thought.

As always, in came politics. Potshots taken by one Muslim "leader" against another. Statements along party lines.

I think we can come to a conclusion that Muslims are now ironically turning very much like a certain perennial “foe” (Go on, take a wild guess..) in having a “besieged” mindset.

Sadly even in a land where Muslims are supposed to be the leading community, we are so often the ones seen backtracking and on the defensive.

Marina (Mahathir) asked if our faith is so fragile that we can be confused so easily.

The answer to that seems to be an unfortunate “YES” if you look at the way we have responded to the issue above.

We are however not unique in being on unsteady grounds.

In Acheh and elsewhere, our fairer counterparts are subjected to harassment based on the way they dress.

Instead of the softer approach of coaxing and guiding on supposed deviations, those professing to know it all where Islam is concerned decided to wield the whip.

Let’s not even go to Pakistan or Afghanistan, or Somalia; nations where shameful acts in the name of Islam are being acted out against those embracing the very same faith.

The worst enemies of Muslims are very much WITHIN in this community of billions.

It is perhaps unfortunate that faith is something so intangible.

Otherwise, everyone can then see how strong each other’s faith is or is not.

I used to have a friend who smokes, drinks, womanize, who doesn’t give a hoot about the daily prayers, bla bla.

Muslim still?

We are back to labels, aren’t we? Good, bad, practicing, liberal, et cetera…

BUT a more pertinent question should be:

What kind of a Muslim was I for letting him continue along the same route of self destruction I so believe to be wrong and the path to damnation?

If his faith was weak, so too, it seems, mine to not have done a single thing to coax, guide, advice, lead.

Weak. Confused.