I am a socialist and proud of it

One very senior PAS leader (I will not mention his name) said that he really admires Britain for being a very good example of what a Muslim country should be like. When asked what it is about Britain that he finds very Islamic, he replied the socialist system where the needs of the rakyat are looked after and well taken care of. Yes, according to this senior PAS leader, Britain is a good ‘Muslim’ country. And it is a good Muslim country because of its socialist policies. And in Malaysia we arrest people because they are Socialists. The Prophet must be turning in his grave at this transgression.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are four schools of thought or mazhab within the Sunni branch of Islam -- Shafiee, Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali. Most Malaysian Muslims are Sunnis of the Shafiee school of thought.

The Maliki school of thought is the second largest of the four schools (approximately 25% of all Muslims -- mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia).

Malik ibni Anas, the ‘founder’ of the Maliki school of thought, was an extremely outspoken man -- too outspoken for his own good. He issued decrees or fatwasthat forbid the pledging of allegiance to the Caliph Al-Mansur. For this very stubborn stance the Caliph had Malik flogged half to death and threw him into prison.

After a serious attack of conscience, Caliph Al-Mansur released Malik from prison and apologised to him. The Caliph also offered Malik compensation in the form of money and residency in Baghdad. Malik, however, declined the Caliph’s offer and remained in Mekah where he continued with what, today, would be considered as his radical and anti-Monarchy teachings.

Some years later, Harun al-Rashid, the new Caliph, summoned Malik to visit him while the former was performing the haj in Mekah (in Malay this is called titah mengadap or summoned for an audience). Malik, however, refused to do so. Instead, he invited the newly installed Caliph to attend his class to listen to his lectures, which the Caliph did.

That is the very short story about one of the four Imams of Sunni Islam.

And why am I telling this story to what can be considered a large non-Muslim readership of Malaysia Today? Simple. Islam is the religion of the Federation, according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. So you should know a bit about Islam and Islamic history so that the scumbags and slime-balls in the government will not be able to con you.

Secondly, of course, is because many Malay-Muslims themselves do not know their Islamic history. So they make stupid statements that are so embarrassing it makes me ashamed to admit that I am also Malay-Muslim. So they too need educating to stop them from opening their mouths and putting their feet into it.

Now, relate that to present day Malaysia. If Imam Malik, one of the four Imams of Sunni Islam, was still alive today and was living in Malaysia, would he be arrested by the government and charged with ‘waging war against the king’?

Remember, Imam Malik issued a fatwa forbidding us from pledging allegiance to the Ruler (whether Caliph, Agong, Sultan or whatever). And for that he was jailed and flogged. However, the Caliph realised he had erred and later released Imam Malik, apologised, and offered him compensation.

The famous Harun al-Rashid of ‘The Arabian Nights’ summoned Imam Malik but the latter refused to go meet the former. Instead, the Caliph was told that ‘the mountain should come to Muhammad’, so to speak. And instead of punishing Imam Malik or arresting him for ‘waging war against the king’, the Caliph did as he was told.

As a Muslim, if we do not want to follow the example of the Imams and the Prophet Muhammad, then whose example do we want to follow?

In the olden days in Europe, it was believed that the king was appointed by God and those who oppose the king have therefore sinned against God. You would then be jailed or put to death on charges of treason against the king.

This is what Malaysia is practicing. It is not practising Islam. Malaysia is not following what the Imams of Islam have taught us. Malaysia is practicing the culture and beliefs of olden days Europe where to defy the Ruler means you defy God and therefore should be punished.

It is time that Malaysia honours the concept of Islam as the religion of the Federation. Get rid of all these un-Islamic practices and culture. Let us not be like the jahil (ignorant) Christian kings of Europe. Has not Imam Malik, one of the four Imams of Islam, taught us what is true Islam?

Now, on the second subject -- Communism. Communism, or more accurately Socialism, is an Islamic concept. Yes, I bet that surprised you.

Communism is derived from the word commune or community. And in Islam this is called Ummah (masyarakatin Bahasa Malaysia). Islam stresses the importance of the ummah. Muslims are called Ummah Islam, the Community of Islam.

Islam teaches us that anything done on a community basis earns extra rewards (pahala). If we pray as a community we get extra pahala. If we eat as a community, as opposed to eating alone, we not only get full but we get pahala as well. And so on and so forth. Any grade one Muslim schoolchild can tell you this.

Communism, or people of a commune, is therefore not against Islamic teachings. It is, in fact, very Islamic.

Now, let us not confuse this concept of commune with Communist Terrorism or Communist Terrorists (CTs) -- which is what the Malaysian government has outlawed. For that matter, even Islamic Terrorism is outlawed, not only Communist Terrorism.

You outlaw Islamic Terrorism. Do you outlaw Islam? And in that same spirit, you outlaw Communist Terrorism. But is Communism about terrorism or about the commune (ummah)?

We need to know the difference.

We also should not confuse Socialism with Communism. Socialism is very Islamic. Socialism is about social justice. Islam believes in social justice. Islam is all about social justice.

For example, we have the zakat system in Islam. This is where the rich pay tithes so that the less fortunate, the poor, the old, the sick, the widows, the orphans, etc., can be supported financially. Zakat is mandatory in Islam. And this is socialism.

Islam forbids usury. We all know how destructive western capitalism, in particular the financial-banking system, can be. Countries and billions of people are subjected to economic slavery because of this. Financially strong countries dominate the weaker countries. This is a form of slavery of the worst kind and Islam is opposed to it.

In short, Islam outlaws Capitalism and propagates Socialism. But most Muslims prefer Capitalism rather than Socialism, as most Muslims prefer Autocracy rather than Democracy (aren’t most dictatorships-Monarchies in the Muslim world?).

Socialism is opposed to the concept of the strong dominating the weak, the rich enslaving the poor, the minority oppressing the majority, etc. Islam is also against this and Islam propagates the concept of the ummah (or commune) determining its own destiny.

It is time the Muslims understood this. It is also time the Muslims practice the real concept of Islam. Most Muslims confine themselves to merely the rituals of Islam. And that is where their Islam ends. And they think that just because they have fulfilled their ritualistic obligations they have already been guaranteed a place in heaven.

No, doing what Imam Malik did is not waging war against the king. And upholding Socialism does not make you a traitor to your country. Instead, it makes you a true Muslim.

One very senior PAS leader (I will not mention his name) said that he really admires Britain for being a very good example of what a Muslim country should be like. When asked what it is about Britain that he finds very Islamic, he replied the socialist system where the needs of the rakyat are looked after and well taken care of.

Yes, according to this senior PAS leader, Britain is a good ‘Muslim’ country. And it is a good Muslim country because of its socialist policies. And in Malaysia we arrest people because they are Socialists. The Prophet must be turning in his grave at this transgression.