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Anand Krishna’s Writings » Blog Archive » Is it truly Asia or sharia? L... http://www.aumkar.org/eng/?p=48

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Is it truly Asia or sharia? Lessons from neighboring Malaysia

Several months back I wrote that Malaysia could no longer justify its use of the slogan “Truly Asia”.
This view is now confirmed by the latest events there.

Forget representing Asia, the Malaysian government today is unable even to represent its diverse society
in its entirety. The uprising of the Tamil minority is but the tip of the iceberg. Underneath awaits a huge
chunk of crystallized dissatisfaction and disappointment, which could result in the disintegration of
Malaysian society.

Consider the story of Revathi Masoosai, an ethnic Indian, who is being forced to live as a Muslim by the
Islamic religious department in southern Malacca state, after it was discovered that although she was
born to Muslim parents, she had chosen to live as a Hindu.

In Malaysia, Islamic law forbids people born to Muslim families to change their religion, hence not only
was Revathi detained by the Islamic religious department and sent for “religious counseling in a
rehabilitation center” (which translates to being forced to reconvert to Islam by the state authorities),
her 15-month-old daughter too was taken away from her husband and handed over to Revathi’s Muslim
mother to be raised as a Muslim.

The constitution of Malaysia qualifies Muslims only as “Malay” (or bumiputera = son of the land).
Non-Muslims have to forfeit their ethnicity. Indigenous people (the true sons of the land) who have

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lived in the country before Islam was introduced are declared non-indigenous. So, 40 percent of
Malaysia’s non-Muslim population are regarded as second class citizens by the ruling UMNO party, who
uphold a policy called Ketuanan Melayu, which claims Malays (who are automatically classed as
Muslims on their identity cards) are the original inhabitants of Malaysia, and deserving of special
privileges.

Another very interesting story is that of Lina Joy, who is regarded as Malaysia’s most famous apostate. I
understand she is now seeking asylum abroad.

Lina Joy, who became a Christian in 1986, has for 15 years tried without success to have her status as a
Muslim removed from her identity card. She took her case to the Supreme Court, but her appeal failed.

The court ruled, according to Islamic law: Once a Muslim, always a Muslim. She cannot legally marry
her Christian fiance while she is classed as a Muslim. And although a practicing Christian, all her
children from any marriage she enters into in Malaysia will be considered Muslim, they will be
forbidden from attending a Christian education and when she dies, she will be buried a Muslim. She and
her lawyer have received death threats.

The prime minister of Malaysia may very well understand that the gap between the peoples of Malaysia
is ever widening. He may even voice his understanding. But he can not alter the rulings of what is
understood as Islamic law. Malaysia has since its very conception, declared itself an Islamic State. So it
must abide by its national commitment.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with sharia, which is often misinterpreted as Islamic “law” in the same
way we normally interpret law. I may be wrong, but in my opinion what is called Islamic law is but a
system supposedly based on sharia as advocated by prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Now, this
supposition is totally at the mercy of the scholars who interpret sharia.

Sharia is a very dynamic way of life. It is based on the beatitudes and messages of the Koran, the holy
and blessed scripture, and the equally blessed deeds of the prophet of Allah. It is the essence of all
religions, the religiousness of religion. It represents all that is good in human beings, humanity and
humanness.

This path is very, very broad — based on the principles of oneness of God, submission to the will of
God, charity, self-control and respect for that which is holy. All these are then applied in daily life. The
application is supposed to be simple as advocated by the prophet himself. Religion is supposed to
facilitate human beings in achieving their goals in a manner which is humane. It is not to complicate our
lives.

This kind of understanding of sharia makes Islam truly universal, and a blessing for the entire universe,
not just our world.

Alas, in the name of sharia, scholars often interpret the scriptures to suit their fancies and relate it to
law. Then they enforce such laws for one and all — at times with the consent of the state, at other times
without such consent.

Once again, I must repeat this understanding of mine could be wrong. I am not a scholar. But I can
clearly see that without such a broad understanding, sharia has been used and misused in such a way in
Malaysia that the entire society is currently on the brink of disintegration.

Our people here, not only the so-called liberals and moderates such as Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid,

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Dawam Raharjo, Djohan Effendy, Ainun Najib (Cak Nun), the late Nurcholish Madjid (Cak Nur) and
others — but also the somewhat conservative, like Yusril Ihza Mahendra who is still fighting for a
Jakarta Charter which makes it compulsory for Muslims in the country to adhere to sharia-based qanun
or law — actually believe that the essence of Islamic sharia has already been incorporated into our
Constitution and the basic principles of Pancasila. So what are we fighting for?

The enforcement of regional bylaws based on certain understandings of sharia has already triggered
similar reactions from other religious groups, like the Christians in Manokwari.

We must understand and understand this well: Indonesia is not Pakistan, which was born out of religious
sentiments. Indonesia is also not Malaysia, where the Hindus are of Tamil descent and most of the
Buddhists are of Chinese origin, so the state could label one group as indigenous, therefore deserving
special treatment; and the other groups as non-indigenous, therefore able to do without such treatment.

Here, in Indonesia, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians all are indigenous Indonesians, pribumi
or bumiputera. They must be treated equally in all manners.

Not only that, since we are not a religious state, the government must firmly deal with the groups of our
confused brothers and sisters who may not be sufficiently aware of our national commitment before
even proclaiming the independence of the country.

We are committed to Pancasila as our binding force. Our culture is our mother. Without that, we have
no identity. No wonder, some of us are searching for our roots and identities in China, Arabia, India,
even in the western countries. We have forgotten our own roots.

Within 50 years of its independence, Malaysia faces the threat of disintegration. It must find its roots in
the ancient Malay culture to re-unite its society or perish. It is high time we in Indonesia learned from
Malaysia’s failure to be truly Asia, the Asia of Muslims and Hindus, the Asia of Christians and
Buddhists, the asia of all faiths and religions. But, above all the Asia of Asian culture!

The writer is a spiritual activist. His Web sites are www.aumkar.org, www.californiabali.org,
www.anandkrishna.org.

Published by Jakarta Post

The same article published on :

http://www.congoo.com
http://www.malaysiasun.com
http://www.topix.com
http://www.malaysia-today.net

Personal Email and Reply about the article

From: Sidd Iyer

Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:19 PM
Subject: on Malaysia - Truly Asia

Dear Sir,

in response to your article in jakarta post to which I highly disagree, prompts me to reply to you.

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Anand Krishna’s Writings » Blog Archive » Is it truly Asia or sharia? L... http://www.aumkar.org/eng/?p=48

In a democracy, the majority shall opt a government and shall decide the course of thier country they
want it to proceed to. Muslims of malaysia, The Malays,as well as the small Indian and chinese muslim
community, clearly want to have their values embedded in their state. They never tried to curb on
other’s valueS out of hatred nor does such hatred exist. The discontent of tamils and chinese is clearly
their perception and their problem of Islamophobia. They rather dream of Secular state with no religon.
But clearly Majority wants to have a just progressive and modern islamic state! The minority must come
to terms with themselves and their country and its people, who are predominantly Muslim. There is no
threat or trangression or suppression of their rights. The minority with is rumour talk and parnoid fear,
must develop a positive peacefull attitude.

If you compare Indonesia to Malaysia,

there is no doubt, malaysia stands much ahead and better to Indonesia,
in all aspects. Be it politics, Finance, Peace, religious tolerance even, the values of right islamic
teachings to the population with the help of government programs of islam hadhari and others.
This has united the Muslims of Malaysia under just one correct teaching of islam, govt taken steps on
apostacy (dont just quote Lina Joy) It has cracked down on numerous deviant islamic sects, preventing
fragmenting of society and prevented creeping of violent ideologies and terrorism, like Indonesia
already has!

When you say Hindus of indonesia are idigenous,

they are still a very small number, and obviously you yourself are not idigenous.

When you rattle Malaysia for positive discrimination, and Bumi rights,
well i myself am not entitled to bumi rights, as i am a Tamil convert to islam, yet I must say it has been
one of the most successfull programs where it has prevented excess gap between rich and poor,
equitable distribuition of wealth and has been of great benefit to the idigenous communities, such
successful that South Africa and Fiji emulated this from malaysia and implemented in their own
countries to help their indigenous people.
Else without such a progam chinese wouls have clearly dominated every segment of the financial
market of malaysia and malays till date would have been struggling below poverty, an irrelavant
backward community.
Malaysian chinese may say all negative things of Bumi rights,
but thanks to it, they haven’t lost their cultural identity of remaning chinese, of hate attacks and riots
against them like all the tings which Indonesian chinese had to face during Suharto’s period.

The malaise of Tamils is their own problem.

I am a happy muslim tamil, and i dont even have bumi rights.
Yet I am well educated, prosperous and at peace.
And it is the very disheartening to have more of malaise filled articles from “spiritual activists” like you,
rather then writing to help tamils rid their ill thinking. Clearly there is going to be no change with them
banging and breaking on the streets of kuala lumpur.
It has angered the rest, angered even chinese.

there has to be leaders who can guide a community well.

Not someone who can spark more discontent.
with discontent and hatred, they are only going to lit themselves with fire in minds, disrupt their own
mental peace and breed more unhappy feelings and get more marginalised in the malaysian society.
They clearly have no numbers in a democracy to fanatically direct a government to ther own ways and
wishes, and yell against values of majority. Everything has to be with peace, negonatiations and ideas

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that resonates with society - which in thie instance are the Malays and Muslims.

Reply

My dear Mr. Iyer,

Please accept my Salaam.

I truly and sincerely appreciate your comments.

I can see and feel that we share same concern over integration of our societies and the prosperity of our
people.

It is just that we are looking at one and same thing from a different angel. Once again, I am thankful for
your perspectives.

I hope one day we can meet and exchange views, for I am sure I can learn a lot about Malaysia from
you.

I close this with Salaam, peace be upon all of us, our nations and societies.

I pray, I hope that Allah shall, in His Mercy and Compassion, keep us all united as one family.

Wassalam – anand krishna

Other link:
http://au.christiantoday.com/article/malaysia-can-no-longer-be-truly-asia/3760.htm

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