Islam Prohibits Stay-At-Home Dads Claims Malaysian Government Research Center

No stay-at-home dads in Malaysia, if certain people have their way, because it says so in the Quran. [Note, Putrajaya is a planned city south of Kuala Lumpur, and the current seat of government. Kuala Lumpur still houses the Parliament and the King.]

Islam prohibits its married men from being the homemaker in the family, the government’s Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) has said, amid Putrajaya’s efforts to discourage women from dropping out of the workforce to raise children.

Siti Fatimah Abdul Rahman, consultation and exercise unit leader in Ikim’s centre for economic and social studies, said the Quran mandates the husband, not the wife, to provide for the household, the Sunday edition of local daily New Straits Times reported today

“Although there is no prohibition for wives to work and even if the wife earns 10 times more than the husband, he still has to provide basic sustenance for the family,” Siti Fatimah was quoted saying in the New Sunday Times report.

The official from the government research centre cited the Quranic verse 34 of chapter An-Nisa in her argument that Islam made it imperative for men to be breadwinners and said it was unacceptable for a husband to manage the home while earning nothing.

Putrajaya is aiming to increase Malaysia’s female labour force participation rate to 55 per cent this year from 52.4 per cent in 2013, even as the nation plans to reach developed status in just five years’ time by 2020.

[snip]

Muslim right-wing group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia said last month that Malaysia could still be a high-income nation if men remained breadwinners and women focused on raising children.

Source: Malay Mail Online

Malaysia's Moderate Muslims Call For Sharia Law Reform

Extremist Muslims have been taking center stage in what's supposed to be a secular democratic Malaysia, and the moderates are finally taking a stand.

[snip] An open letter urging a rational discussion on religion signed by 25 former senior servants and addressed to Prime Minister Najib Razak has gained popular support. The group, which came to be known as the “prominent 25,” is petitioning Najib to lead a peaceful dialogue about the application of Islamic laws in Malaysia.

The letter raised several issues concerning what they think is the excessive and unfair implementation of the shariah law in many aspects of governance. They questioned why some religious bodies are “asserting authority beyond their jurisdiction,” such as in the issuance of various fatwa that violate the Federal Constitution. They also cited the indifference of authorities over the “rise of supremacist NGOs accusing dissenting voices of being anti-Islam, anti-monarchy and anti-Malay.” And they pointed out how the Sedition Act “hangs as a constant threat to silence anyone with a contrary opinion.”

“These developments undermine Malaysia’s commitment to democratic principles and rule of law, breed intolerance and bigotry, and have heightened anxieties over national peace and stability,” they added in the letter.

They wanted Najib to “assert his personal leadership” in reviewing the implementation of Islamic laws in the country: “Those who act in the name of Islam through the administration of Islamic law must bear the responsibility of demonstrating that justice is done, and is seen to be done.”

In recent years, some hardcore Islamic and nationalist Malay leaders inside Malaysia’s ruling coalition have successfully lobbied the government to act against perceived threats to Islam and the dominance of the Malays in the affairs of the country. Those who opposed or criticized their views are often accused of conspiring to undermine either Islam or the state.

They have support from activists and academics who were ignored or chastised in the past for their criticism of religious intolerance. And support from others who were too fearful to speak out.

After the letter went viral in the cyberspace, other moderate voices were encouraged to speak out against religious and racial discrimination. Ninety-three NGOs declared support for the letter signers. They were joined by the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, which praised the group for drafting the letter. Internet users circulated online petitions using the Twitter hashtags #KamiJuga25 (We are also 25) and “I am #26” to show support for the stand taken by the group of 25, “by standing together in solidarity as #26.”

No response from the government. Yet. But as expected some of the radical elements have piped in.

I wish them luck, because the hardcore Islamists aren't going to give up their fight for supremacy that easily.

Indonesian Christian Fighting Conviction In Malay Shariah Court

In so called 'moderate' Malaysia freedom of religion is supposedly part of the country's constitution, and both civil and Shariah law is practiced. Muslims are the only ones who are meant to be subject to Shariah law, but apparently that's not always the case. One Christian Indonesian woman living in Penang is living proof of that.

42-year-old Halimah is a reflexologist (an alternative healing modality) who was hauled into Shariah court and convicted for  "khalwat" back in 2011 after she was found in 'close proximity' of a male at the reflexology center where she worked. In 2012, without legal representation, she pleaded guilty and received a RM3,000 fine and 14 days’ jail sentence, though she was eventually allowed a 'stay of execution' pending an appeal. Her boss, also non-Muslim and unaware of Shariah law, eventually contacted Legal Aid and hired a lawyer for Halimah after the conviction and sentence were meted out. According to that lawyer, Wan Faridulhadi Mohd Yusoff, Halimah is illiterate and had no clue what she was confessing to, including admitting she was Muslim. Authorities didn't bother reading that part of the charge sheet to her, and Wan Faridulhadi claims she was coerced into admission, not fully understanding what would happen.

"This is a travesty of the law, the first such case where a Christian woman is charged for khalwat in shariah court; it should have been thrown out of court immediately upon proof of her religion," said Penang Legal Aid Centre consultant Cecil Rajendra.

Since her case is still pending, Halimah, has not been able to return to Indonesia.

Her lawyer and legal aid are still working to overturn the conviction.

More here.

Court Bans Non-Muslims From Using "Allah" In Malaysia- Again

Non-Muslims in Malaysia for some odd reason have been using the Arabic (note, not Muslim) word for God- Allah- for a very long time. According to islamreligion.com, even Arabic speaking Jews and Christians use it.  It simply means 'God'. In fact, it predates Islam - Arabic Christians were using it long before Islam was an inkling in Mohammed's mind, so Muslims have absolutely no exclusive rights to it, but Malaysian Muslims feel they do.

Why non-Muslims over there, who I assume don't speak Arabic, have chosen to use the word is unclear; but they have, and the Muslim majority don't like it. So much so, the government banned it, then the ban was overturned, then it was banned again, and when Christians appealed the decision, the courts just upheld that ban.

It's been an ongoing battle for quite some years.

The first time the High Court overturned the ban in 2010 was after a Roman Catholic newspaper- The Herald- petitioned to be allowed to use Allah in its Malay language editions. In what has become a common overreaction by Muslim hardliners to minor things they find offensive, 9 churches were firebombed.  The attacks were a blow to the government's "1Malaysia" credo, with its major focus on ethnic and religious harmony. Though it's obviously not such a great concern.

Christians believe it violates their religious rights not to be allowed to use 'Allah' since the word has somehow made its way into the Malay language, but Muslims are usually only concerned when they believe their rights have been violated, so they don't really care about anyone else's.  The typically paranoid reasoning behind the controversy is the fear of proselytizing.  Yes, apparently the Malaysian government is afraid that if everyone uses the word, Muslims might become confused and might unwittingly be converted to another faith. It's some nefarious plot by Christians to gain converts, which of course it's not.

According to Judge Mohamed Apandi Ali:

... the use of ''Allah'' was ''not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity.'' ''It is our judgment that there is no infringement of any constitutional rights'' in the ban, he said. ''We could find no reason why the (Catholic newspaper) is so adamant to use the word 'Allah' in their weekly. Such usage if allowed will inevitably cause confusion within the community.''

Since Arabic Christians used the word Allah to refer to God way before Muslims did, perhaps they should take the word back, and ban all Muslims from referring to God as Allah.

Words are words and they don't belong to anyone.

The editor of The Herald, Rev. Lawrence Andrew, plans on appealing- again.

Hijabi Pole Dancers In Malaysia

Yep, apparently, there are pious Malaysian hijab-clad Muslim women who learn pole dancing to entertain their hubbies. They even have poles installed in their homes.

Read about it here.

Two Malaysians Could Get Jail For Posting Pork Stew Photos On Facebook

Two young Malaysian ethnic Chinese non-Muslims could be jailed for up to eight years for "sedition" and "inciting religious enmity."  Their horrific crime?  Posting Ramadan greetings on Facebook along with a photo of the two of them chowing down on pork stew. Insensitive, I guess, foolish, most definitely, considering  the majority of the Malaysian population is Muslim, and everything seems to offend them. But 8 years in prison?
.
Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee pleaded not guilty since they claimed the photo was posted in jest, but they will have to remain in jail since the Kuala Lumpur courts refused to set bail.

Malaysia’s attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, said in a statement that authorities want them detained because “they have the potential to upload content that could stir public anger.” They were expected to be placed in separate prisons ahead of a preliminary hearing Aug. 24 to schedule trial dates.

Since Muslims are fasting this month it was probably not a great idea to do what they did, but they're young- in their twenties.

Normal folk just chastise or unfriend someone on Facebook if they are offended by a post, not so in this case.

Malay Catholics Battle, Again, For Use Of "Allah" In Bible

"Allah" is the Arabic word for God. Most of us associate it with Islam, but for some very strange reason Catholics in Malaysia want to use it as well (in their bible and other publications), and  Muslims in that country are refusing to allow them to.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) claims that Muslims have an exclusive right to the word, and Christians should just stick to "Tuhan", the Malay word for God.

PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said: “There are sensitive elements such as the Declaration of Faith (Shahadah) and Allah, which must be used in the correct context, otherwise there could be unease in a multi-religious society in view of the present situation”.

Referring to the various editions of Bible, Tuan Man said that manuscripts referred to a ‘God’ or ‘Lord’. He added that the Christians in West do not refer to God as ‘Allah’ in their religious texts.

This has been an ongoing battle since 2007 when Christians were banned from using the word "Allah" in any publication.  In 2008, a Catholic news publication, the Herald, sued the government for the right to use of Allah.  In 2010, Judge Lau Bee Lan ruled in their favor stating that Allah was not exclusively for Muslim use.

 "We have been using the word for decades in our Malay-language Bibles and without problems," the Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Catholic publication, tells TIME. In May 2008 the Catholics decided to take the matter to court for a judicial review — and won. "It is a landmark decision ... fair and just," says Andrew. During the intermittent trial in the closing months of 2008, lawyers for the church argued that the word Allah predated Islam and was commonly used by Copts, Jews and Christians to denote God in many parts of the world. They argued that Allah is an Arabic word for God and has been used for decades by the church in Malaysia and Indonesia. And they said that the Herald uses the word Allah for God to meet the needs of its Malay-speaking worshippers on the island of Borneo. "Some people have got the idea that we are out to convert [Muslims]. That's not true," the lawyers said on behalf of the Herald.

Government lawyers countered that Allah denotes the Muslim God, is accepted as such around the world and is exclusively for Muslims. They said that if Catholics were allowed to use Allah, Muslims would be "confused." The confusion would worsen, they said, because Christians recognize a "trinity of gods" while Islam is "totally monotheistic." They said the proper word for God in the Malay language is Tuhan, not Allah. Lau held that the constitution guarantees freedom of religion and speech, and therefore Catholics can use the word Allah to denote God. She also overturned the Home Ministry order prohibiting the Herald from using the word. "The applicants have the right to use the word Allah in the exercise of their rights to freedom of speech and expression," she said. 

However, the ban has remained intact until Lim Guan Eng of the Malaysian Multi-Racial Democratic Party resurrected the the ongoing issue during a Christmas message this year by asking, once again, for the right to use the word "Allah".

The battle, no doubt, will continue, but when I think of "Allah" I think of "Allahu Akbar", and when I think of "Allahu Akbar" I think of 9/11.

Malaysia Poised To Re-Classify Female Genital Mutilation As Medical Practice

There is debate about whether male circumcision is a necessary procedure, but most will agree that there are health benefits associated with removal of the foreskin.  On the other hand, female circumcision, or the far more appropriate term "female genital mutilation" (FGM), is nothing more than that- mutilation and torture, a surgery that can cause women terrible, lifelong physical problems. There is absolutely no medical necessity to remove the female genitalia, but the Malaysian health ministry is trying to re-classify what should be considered an abomination as a medical practice.

In 2009, the Fatwa Committee of Malaysia's National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs ruled that "female circumcision", as it has become known, was obligatory for Muslims but if harmful must be avoided.

Human rights activist Azrul Mohamad Khalib has written a scathing commentary calling for abolition of the practice.

He says it has no religious or medical benefits.

Problem is, it's a practice that already is firmly rooted in the society and culture in what is considered to be a moderate Muslim nation. According to a university survey, the bulk of Malay females who are Muslim have already been subjected to FGM.  In fact, 90% of the 1,000 or so women surveyed had been mutilated.

Khalib who is also involved with the International Planned Parenthood Federation found the results:

"both surprising and a little bit disappointing".

And his response to reclassifying FGM as a medical practice, which up until now has mostly been performed by private practitioners:

"One of the things I find quite alarming with regards to this development is that the Ministry of Health is actually depending on a fatwa, a religious opinion that was actually issued by the national fatwa council, in which they made it obligatory, or 'wajib', for all Muslim women to be circumcised.

"It seems that the Ministry of Health is now (instituting) that fatwa.

"So, in contrary to quite a number of best practices as well as a WHO (World Health Organisation) advisory, the Ministry of Health is taking steps now to sort of make it standardised, or medicalised, in such a way that it might be applied to all public health-care facilities."

"One of the things that those working on gender issues in Malaysia have come to realise is that a barrier when we deal with these sort of issues is the lack of awareness - the 'why' of such practices and how harmful it can be.

"Certainly when it comes to female circumcision, the position that has been taken is that if it does do no harm why not do it? Well . . . if there are no benefits to doing it, why do it?

"One of the first steps that we are trying to push out forward is that we are very much trying to spread awareness that such practices are unnecessary.

"They're not required by religion, they're not having any medical benefits whatsoever and certainly when we look at it it's strictly cultural in its entirety.

"But as you mentioned, it is going to be extremely hard if more than 90 per cent of the Malay Muslim population already practising it."

Rather than re-classifying the procedure they should do some heavy duty re-education, but that will never happen because FGM is just another means of controlling women.

Interpol Aided Saudi Arabia In Apprehending Saudi Mohammed Tweeter In Malaysia

This is outrageous!  It turns out Interpol was indirectly responsible for the apprehension of the Saudi columnist, Hamza Kashgari, who has had calls for his execution for apostasy after tweeting about the Prophet Mohammed. 

Interpol has been accused of abusing its powers after Saudi Arabia used the organisation's red notice system to get a journalist arrested in Malaysia for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

Police in Kuala Lumpur said Hamza Kashgari, 23, was detained at the airport "following a request made to us by Interpol" the international police cooperation agency, on behalf of the Saudi authorities.

[snip]

Kashgari's detention has triggered criticism by human rights groups of Malaysia's decision to arrest the journalist and of Interpol's cooperation in the process.

Jago Russell, the chief executive of the British charity Fair Trials International, which has campaigned against the blanket enforcement of Interpol red notices, said: "Interpol should be playing no part in Saudi Arabia's pursuit of Hamza Kashgari, however unwise his comments on Twitter.

"If an Interpol red notice is the reason for his arrest and detention it would be a serious abuse of this powerful international body that is supposed to respect basic human rights (including to peaceful free speech) and to be barred from any involvement in religious or political cases."

He called on Interpol to stand by its obligations to fundamental human rights and "to comply with its obligation not to play any part in this case, which is clearly of a religious nature".

Interpol, which has 190 member countries, has a series of coloured notice systems that police forces around the world use to pass on requests for help. Contacted at its headquarters in Lyon, France, the organisation did not immediately reply to requests for comment on the Kashgari case.

In response to past criticisms of the red notice system, it has said: "There are safeguards in place. The subject of a red notice can challenge it through an independent body, the commission for the control of Interpol's files (CCF)."

Doesn't Interpol have better things to do, and 'real' criminals to apprehend?! 

Woman Wins Title Of Best Preacher on Malaysian Islamic TV Reality Show

Malaysia is getting more progressive, they're actually producing reality TV shows. Granted, you won't see any sexy men and women trying to survive on a desert island vying to win a car and $1,000,000. Nope, in Malaysia's popular "Solehah" ("pious female") which aired on Malay cable television station TV AlHijrah, the contestants were veiled young Muslim women between the ages of 20 and 30 who were competing to win the title of best female preacher, along with a trip to Mecca, $10,000 and a car.

The 13-episode primetime program titled “Solehah,” an Arabic word meaning “pious female,” judged young Muslim women on their religious knowledge, oratory skills and personality.

An all male version called "Imam Muda" aired on another TV station, but women are trying to make headway in a conservative Islamic society. 600 women auditioned for the show, and the final episode had the all-female  judges choosing between 10 would-be-preachers.

Clad in colorful traditional Malay clothing with headscarves, the 10 took turns presenting Islamic teachings on moral values on a stage whose magenta lights at times seemed more suited to a song contest. They were judged on their ability to “da’wah” (an Arabic word meaning to spread Islam). In practice, it means delivering religious lectures to Muslims to encourage them to be better Muslims. The contestants were also tested on their ability to complete various tasks, such as helping orphans and renovating a rundown mosque.

Amie Sofia Ahmad, was the grand prize winner. The 25-year-old studied in Egypt and hopes women will be more accepted as preachers.  Good luck with that.  She said,

“We will try slowly ... We will try to change (people’s ideas) without going against Islamic laws,” the serious-looking young woman, her head covered with a yellow scarf, told Reuters. “It may not happen immediately, but eventually it will come, God willing.”

Probably not in her lifetime.

And there might be a season two, which would include foreign contestants.  At least their outfits are colorful.

I wonder if they'd consider a Christian, non-Muslim TV reality show, and could they get any advertisers to commit?