Do Malays want to eat all night and sleep during the day - Zaid

I know this is the holy month of Ramadan when we should be strong and capable of containing our feelings, desires and anger. We should be temperate in our behaviour and language. We must be able to overcome all temptation and maintain our character as good Muslims despite long spells without food, water and entertainment.

But as a human I have my weaknesses, so and I cannot help but describe some of the actions of my Muslim leaders as anything other than what they are: dumb. I am referring to the plethora of directives they usually make during this holy month. The latest from Kedah and Jakim is to ban all Muslim eateries from opening before 3pm. Kedah has threatened to revoke the licence of any Muslim shop that violates the order.

Coming from Kota Bharu, I am familiar with this restriction. The PAS state government introduced this rule many years ago, alongside other so-called Islamic measures such as separate supermarkets counters for men and women, and making cinema halls brighter so religious enforcers can identify and arrest those who are holding hands or engaging in other “prohibited” activities.

Why are Kedah and Jakim following Kelantan’s lead? According to the state government, Kota Bharu is an Islamic city and perhaps can be excused for following practices found in Saudi Arabia, where they eat all night and sleep during the day. But just because the Arabs behave this way does not mean the Malays have to follow suit. Arabs have a peculiar way of practising and understanding Islam. They close their shops during the day but open throughout the night; they don’t allow women to drive; they marry girls off when they’re still in their teens; they kill each other, even during the fasting month; they bomb shrines and take innocent lives without care. These practices and this lifestyle need not be made mandatory for Muslims here.

When I was young, we had religious lessons in school where our Ustaz would explain the rules that Muslims had to follow. He told us that we had to fast because we needed to know how the poor felt and suffered. I told him I was very poor and already knew what hunger and pain felt like. He then said fasting was good because it taught you the discipline you need to control yourself, your emotions and your desires. In short, it built character. This one floored me, and to this day I am grateful to my Ustaz for giving us the right reason for fasting.

Fasting is about self-discipline and exercising the ability to withstand discomfort without rancour. Unlike the present Muslim leaders who are dumb, my Ustaz was more interested in making Muslims appreciate the intrinsic value of fasting that’s necessary for character building . My Ustaz wanted Muslims to be strong from the inside and to fast because it is for their own good. The present leaders are only interested in using punishment to keep everyone in line, so the world can see how Islamic we are. These dumb leaders do not care if Muslims fast out of fear of the law or because the shops are closed. They do not care what the Muslims feel about fasting or if they even appreciate its true value. So long as Muslims do not eat, then these leaders are happy.

If they were not so dumb then they would trust Muslims to fast voluntarily. They would concentrate their teachings on the merits of fasting, so people fast out of belief and not fear. But no—these leaders are only interested in punishment. The more the punishment, the better.

No wonder Muslims today make up the weakest, poorest and most marginalised community in the world. Their leaders do not know how to instill the right values or help them build their character. They give little time for education, for learning the practical steps that Muslims must take for themselves and for their country. Their teachings are so different from the kind my Ustaz gave me, which gave room for discussion so that we could argue and think through the important aspects of religion.

They do not trust their fellow Muslims to work out for themselves the best way to manage their lives. They do not trust Muslims to fast voluntarily, even if the shops are open before 3pm. They do not care that most Muslims earn their living by selling foodstuff. They do not care that, if allowed to open earlier, these Muslim operators have the chance to earn more income as non-Muslims also eat at their stalls. It is not as if the rent they pay and the licence fee imposed on them will be pro-rated and refunded to them either.

To these leaders, it is not enough that Allah is all knowing and will do what is best and just for us all in the Hereafter. They still feel compelled to show how Islamic they are. I know they will probably say that I am insulting Islam with this article but no—I am only insulting them. -http://www.zaid.my