When Islam translates to good

So leave religion out of it. If you are good you are good. Islam has nothing to do with it. And if you are bad you are bad. Islam also has nothing to do with it. No need to remind us that you are a Muslim and then espouse how good you are. As much as I resent people whacking Umno and then associate that to the Malays and Islam, I think we should not also go overboard in trying to convince people we are good and then mention the fact it is because we are Muslims.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has twice battled sodomy charges himself, has denied having supported homosexuality in a BBCinterview that created quite a stir in the conservative country. Ibrahim told a court here that the law should discriminate against homosexuality though he believed that archaic laws needed to be reviewed.

He told the high court that he made the statement when interviewed by BBCin January, but did not say this in a clear manner, a report in The Starnewspaper said on Thursday.

"Some of the archaic laws need to be reviewed as we do not promote homosexuality. We Muslims should support the sanctity of marriage and we should not punish innocent people," he said during a cross-examination in his civil suit against a Malay language paper over an article allegedly implying that he wanted to legalise homosexuality.

Anwar has twice been slapped with sodomy allegations but has described them s politically motivated and false. During the interview, Anwar had stated that "... we should not be seen as punitive and consider archaic laws as relevant. We need to review them. We do not promote homosexuality in public sphere and domain".

Anwar said 'vice activities' such as homosexual activity, free sex and gambling were clearly prohibited in the Quran and Hadith, The Star said. He said whether the activities were carried out in public domain or private place, the laws did not make any distinction.

He said in the interview, he had touched on the Government's responsibilities as a law enforcer, from the perspective of Islam, in enforcing laws against offences or vice activities committed by individuals in public domain.

In his lawsuit filed in January, Anwar named Utusan Malaysia and its editor-in-chief, and is claiming 50 million ringgit in damages. He is also seeking an injunction to restrain the defendants from further publishing similar words in the print media or Internet.

Anwar said the defendants had falsely and maliciously printed words defamatory of him on the front page of Utusan Malaysia. He said the words implied that he was unfit to hold public office and presented him as a Muslim leader who holds views inconsistent with the teachings of Islam or has deviant views.

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There are some who do not like me talking about Islam because they say I am not qualified to do so. Should a resident complain about the congestion and traffic jam in his neighbourhood when he is not a town planner? Should you complain about the tasteless plate of kwaytiow that they serve you since you are not a chef? Should you comment about someone’s gaudy and indecent dressing since you are not a fashion designer? Should you, the readers of Malaysia Today, post comments in this Blog about the political situation in Malaysia since you are not a graduate of political science?

You do not need to be religious scholar, town planner, chef, fashion designer or political scientist to make an observation and come to a conclusion. Common sense is all that you need. And that is what your brain is meant for, to think. So use your brain and think. It is not really that hard when you try and if you do not allow your emotions to cloud your thinking.

For example, Ridhuan Tee said that upholding Islam means defending the Malay race as a whole (READ HERE). Hence, Islam equals Ketuanan Melayu.

Okay, do I really need to go to the International Islamic University (UIA) in Gombak or the Al Azhar University in Cairo or the Medina University to be able to see that this is wrong? Do I really need to go to the UIA in Gombak or the Al Azhar University in Cairo or the Medina University to qualify me to comment on this statement? Do I need to be a doctor to be able to tell you that eating dog shit is not good for your health?

Race cannot be equated to religion. Islam is very specific about this. The Muslims believe that in the last sermon of the Prophet Muhammad in Arafah he had addressed this issue. Islam, in fact, considers racism (and even nationalism) as haram and opposed to Islam. Racism or nationalism is calledAssabiyah in Islam and is forbidden.

Now, do I need to go to the UIA in Gombak or the Al Azhar University in Cairo or the Medina University to be able to say this? And since I have not gone to the UIA in Gombak or the Al Azhar University in Cairo or the Medina University does this mean I am not allowed to say this? And since I have not gone to the UIA in Gombak or the Al Azhar University in Cairo or the Medina University does what I say become wrong? Do I need to go to the UIA in Gombak or the Al Azhar University in Cairo or the Medina University before what I say becomes right?

Racism or nationalism is Assabiyah and is forbidden by Islam and the Prophet in his last sermon in Arafah had said so.

So there! Tell me I am wrong. It is Ridhuan Tee who is wrong. He is a Muslim with the ‘right credentials’. I am not. But even I can tell you that Ridhuan Tee is talking a load of bullshit.

Okay, let us now talk about the next issue, which is the news report above regarding Anwar Ibrahim’s civil suit and I want to draw your attention to the last paragraph of that report.

Anwar said: the words implied that he was unfit to hold public office and presented him as a Muslim leader who holds views inconsistent with the teachings of Islam or has deviant views.

Anwar also said: we Muslims should support the sanctity of marriage and we should not punish innocent people. Is Anwar saying that non-Muslims do not need to support the sanctity of marriage and can punish innocent people? Why must only Muslims be good people? Are non-Muslims not good people? Should not non-Muslims also be good people?

Why must Malays-Muslims, Anwar included, always say things like ‘I am a Muslim leader’ or ‘I uphold Islam’ or ‘as a Muslim I would not do that’ and so on? These Malays-Muslims will stand before a crowd and declare that they are Muslims and hence because they are Muslims they would not conduct themselves in a certain way that is forbidden by Islam.

Why must Islam come into play? That is the issue I am harping on. Why must this always be about Islam?

Why can’t you just be a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person because by nature you are like that? Why must you always say you are a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person because you are a Muslim?

Are you also saying that if you are not a Muslim then you would not be a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person? You make it sound like you are a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person because you are a Muslim. This also makes it sound like non-Muslims are not good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., people.

Was Mother Teresa a Muslim? Was Gandhi a Muslim? Is Mandela a Muslim? You do not have to be a Muslim to be a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person. Many non-Muslims are also good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., people. And Islam has nothing to do with it.

Just be a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person, period. You do not need to tell everyone what religion you profess and hence you are a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person because of your religion. You make it sound like the criteria for being a good, decent, honest, compassionate, just, fair, uncorrupted, etc., person is that you must be a Muslim.

Don’t forget that many crooks and corrupted government officers or politicians are also Malays-Muslims. So does this mean that they are bad people because they are Muslims? Has Islam got anything to do with what crimes and sins these people commit? If what bad things they do have nothing to do with Islam then why is Islam associated to the good things that you do? There are even good people amongst Atheists, as there are bad people.

So leave religion out of it. If you are good you are good. Islam has nothing to do with it. And if you are bad you are bad. Islam also has nothing to do with it. No need to remind us that you are a Muslim and then espouse how good you are. As much as I resent people whacking Umno and then associate that to the Malays and Islam, I think we should not also go overboard in trying to convince people we are good and then mention the fact it is because we are Muslims.

I am sure many of you do not understand what I am trying to say. Well, that is because you are not able to utilise the brain that you have to apply reasoning to an issue that you normally use emotions to argue. I suppose that is your loss, not mine.