Letter to Ibrahim Ali (Perkasa chief)
from Dr. Muqtedar Khan,
Director of Islamic Study at University of Delaware.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013
Ibrahim Ali! We Are Different.
Ibrahim Ali, you blatantly called on Muslims to burn Bibles here in
Malaysia, if this were to have been said by some non Muslim about the
Koran it would have wrecked havoc the world over, you'd see
demonstrations, and maybe even killings such is the response, that is
the typical reaction we would have witnessed, not that I am saying all
Muslims are that way but that would have been the general reaction
from Beirut to Jakarta, from New York to London the world over and
that is a fact.
If it was done in the Muslim world the man who said such a thing about
the Koran would be no more, and yet you have the double standards, it
is all right for you people to say anything you like, as you like
attacking other peoples sacred beliefs, and I suppose you are right
the Federal constitution guarantees the freedom of speech and
expression but when anybody else uses this freedom in such
circumstances you cry for blood, you ask for that that person be
charged and killed, what is this in you I wonder. It's not only me who
is trying to figure this out it is the whole world, why is it you feel
that you are the only people in the world who are given an Allah given
right to do such things, abuse others, use others, defile other
peoples beliefs and places of worship, and that is all right as though
you are the only righteous people in this whole world, and the others
owe you all the respect for it.
I am glad the great majority of Muslim s do not subscribe to your
narrow way of thinking, just like most Christians do not subscribe to
Christian fundamentalism
In fact you will protests about any non Muslim who even whispers
something about Islam some 20,000 miles away, the protests
following that incident by Muslims in Kuala Lumpur would have been
led by none other than you, and that too is a fact, but you see we the
Christians do not deal with such issues in that way. Now imagine
what would have happen if I shared this piece with the people in
countries like Holland, New York, London and Australia, I do not
intend to, you see I am a Christian and that is not how we respond.
We will not stoop to do what you have done, we are different we are
Christians. You see Our Lord Jesus Christ asked us to love those who
persecute us, who tell lies about us, who do bad things to us, for
there is no greatness in loving those who love you, even the biggest
crooks in the world do so, even the most wicked in the world love
those who love them, so there is nothing great in that. I'd rather
stop as you may interpret it as proselytising one of the things you
accuse us of doing and one of the reasons you say why you do not want
us to use the word Allah in our Malay Bibles.
You called for the burning of Bibles because you claim that there is a
group who tried to proselytise Muslims, which you really know is
totally fabricated and I have a strange feeling you are the one who is
spinning this rumour, fed by your sponsor to try and unite Malays
using religion, don't let him use you this way.
Proseltyisng of Christians in rural and poor areas by offering
monitory reward has been the order of the day and since it does
happen it must be reciprocal, you can't claim a right only for
yourself and your beliefs alone, our beliefs are sacred to us too and
the constitution of this country guarantees every citizen regardless
of race or creed the freedom of religion.we do not stop Christians
from embracing the Islamic faith the world over not only in Malaysia,
so why do think you are entitled to this right alone especially in a
country where the constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all
including the Muslims?
Christians who embraced Islam like the wife of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
proudly acknowledge that they have done so, and yet sometimes we get
you people going after dead bodies claiming the person converted to
Islam, and that too is something their spouses never know, it is
really baffling, have you ever sat down and pondered why would a
person embrace a religion and keep it secret? Would he not want to
tell his closest relatives at least about it if he did really embrace
the religion for the love of it?
Well of course in this country if a Muslim embraces another religion
that is a different story, ,he will not tell you or any other Muslim
till he gets close enough to trust you because he would still want to
share the joy of the other religion with his close ones as it is a
belief system, it is about God, but he will be very careful telling it
to a Muslim, and you know why he will not tell you, in case you don't
please ask me and I'll tell you why.
Your arrogance in part stems from the support and encouragement you
have been accorded by Tun Dr. Mahahtir Bin Mohammed the former Prime
Minster of Malaysia, our beloved country, and a man who has rather
unsuccessfully tried to portray himself as a "moderate Muslim," for
the entire Allah issue was created by him rather than by the less
intelligent ministers who once served him in government as many may
believe, for they are but pawns he uses for his own purpose to this
day just like he does you.
In fact on the day you issued your call to burn Christian Bibles he
delivered the Key Note address at the meeting of your NGO Perkasa. He
is seen as it's main sponsor I'd like to let the world know how
deceptive this person is . In fact the world already does but I need
to just show them that he has not really changed his views and his
dubious ways.
Inciting sectarian violence and using religion for political ends have
been the domain of such people, for them the ends justifies the means,
and you naive as you are (I am trying to be polite here) you are the
tool of this man he has read you like a book and he uses you at every
corner, he is famous for this and that is why Nazri a minister from
his own cabinet once referred to him as a "bloody racist."
Now we on the other hand are aggrieved at what you said, but
remember that Christians used the term Allah long before the Muslims
did, I do not think you have the mental capacity to understand that
so I am not going to pursue that with you.
I know that like me, you believe that Allah was the creator of the
whole Universe and everything that is in it and that includes you and
me unless of course you choose believe otherwise.
Now if you believe that, then it is the same Allah that made you and
me what is wrong in my calling upon the same Allah?
If anybody should have got angry and sentimental UMNO style, it
should have been the early Christians and others who used to pray to
Allah before the Muslims as the Allah predates Islam, but that can't
be the case and everyone including the Muslims of early days and even
today understand that, Allah is God and as such no one can claim
aright to Allah.
Allah cannot and should not be made an issue, it is blasphemous,
Allah is above all these things and we should not draw Allah into
petty squabbles especially if it is meant for political ends, that is
the signature of your mentor, he uses anything even Allah for his own
ends.
We shall ask all Christian faithful to pray for you, to pray that you
understand better and get out of this darkness that blinds you so that
you shall be able to see the light. That is what we are commanded to
do.
We shall pray for you to be a better Muslim, like the others I know.
We do not really blame you, how can we? I don't think anybody really
does, not you and I'll tell you why.
We realise your shortcomings, Nazri once told us you talk only
nonsense and no one takes you seriously, that is why you are not
arrested for all these outbursts, any other Malaysian I suppose would
have been arrested but we know the Chief Mufti of Perak got off Scot
free for his inciting trouble agaisnt the Christians as well, so
Nazri can't be correct, if I said or did something, something far
lesser agaisnt the Muslims the Minister of Home Affairs would have
had me arrested immediately as a threat to the nation, but you see it
is not in my Christian upbringing to say things against your faith and
your beliefs.
Anybody else in Malaysia would have been arrested, you are the only
one left off the hook, and there can only be two reasons, one is you
are used by some really very powerful people, the other is like Nazri
would have us believe, you are so stupid, that you are the only one
in the country to be given this exception, and I beg to differ with
Nazri, it can't be only you, for now there seems to be group
distributing flyers asking people to attend the burning of Bibles in
Butterworth this Sunday.
So you see there are others like you too, and so Nazri can't be
completely right.
I'll try and make sense with you, the word Allah is Arabic, it is
also the Malay word for God, and it has been used in Malay Bibles
since the 16th Century, it is used by Christians the world over and
your excuse, which is this government's excuse as well is that, "it
will confuse the Malay Muslims."
Well it has never confused the millions of Indonesians, the
Bangladeshis, the Arabs and the rest of the Muslim world thus far, and
from the 16th century to this day it has not confused the Malays, are
you now telling us that the Malays have gone backward since our
independence under this Barisan Nasional Government that they now
can't reason as well as they did then?
We Malaysians always thought the Malaysian Muslims we were far more
progressive and tolerant and moderate as some people would describe
us, I believe so too to this day, but elements like you, the scumbag
of our society with the backing of the government of the day, and
coupled with police protection go about with a free reign promoting
violence agaisnt the Christians for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
As a non Muslim let me give you this advice, say and do whatever you
want if you do not like us, but do not use religion to back you up, do
not use Islam to gain support for what you are saying and for yours
and the selfish ends of your political ends.
You have now turned to use religion to turn Muslim agaisnt Muslim this
is being done because you are afraid PAS and PKR will oust UMNO, but
believe me they will not harm you, you were once kicked out of UMNO,
Mahahtir as you know never really liked you, all he is doing is
knowing you he is using you, the same way he used all Malays and that
is why the Malays are turning away from UMNO.
You too should leave UMNO, once they win you will be a nuisance to
them, if Nazri can have us believe you are a fool right now you shoudl
know what to expect if they get what they want from you. I am not
telling you to join PKR or PAS you can vote the BN for all we care,
but watch out they are going to dump you again, and they have made no
secret that they think you are fool, Nazri once said, "nobody takes
you seriously," and that is actually the truth.
Now Ibrahim my friend let me let you read what your Holy Prophet said
about us Christians, in fact you as a Muslim are warned by the Prophet
on how to treat Christians;
Islam's Holiest prophet - The Prophet Muhammed had this to
say;http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dhakamails/message/4917
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those
who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the
servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because
Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything
that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are
their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their
monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage
it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone
take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His
Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against
all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige
them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female
Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her
approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented
from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of
the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end
of the world)."
The question I wish to ask is; Are you Ibrahim Ali a Muslim?
Ref: Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Director of Islamic Studies at the
University of Delaware and a fellow of the Institute for Social Policy
and Understanding.
Posted by Dian
Director of Islamic Study at University of Delaware.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013
Ibrahim Ali! We Are Different.
Ibrahim Ali, you blatantly called on Muslims to burn Bibles here in
Malaysia, if this were to have been said by some non Muslim about the
Koran it would have wrecked havoc the world over, you'd see
demonstrations, and maybe even killings such is the response, that is
the typical reaction we would have witnessed, not that I am saying all
Muslims are that way but that would have been the general reaction
from Beirut to Jakarta, from New York to London the world over and
that is a fact.
If it was done in the Muslim world the man who said such a thing about
the Koran would be no more, and yet you have the double standards, it
is all right for you people to say anything you like, as you like
attacking other peoples sacred beliefs, and I suppose you are right
the Federal constitution guarantees the freedom of speech and
expression but when anybody else uses this freedom in such
circumstances you cry for blood, you ask for that that person be
charged and killed, what is this in you I wonder. It's not only me who
is trying to figure this out it is the whole world, why is it you feel
that you are the only people in the world who are given an Allah given
right to do such things, abuse others, use others, defile other
peoples beliefs and places of worship, and that is all right as though
you are the only righteous people in this whole world, and the others
owe you all the respect for it.
I am glad the great majority of Muslim s do not subscribe to your
narrow way of thinking, just like most Christians do not subscribe to
Christian fundamentalism
In fact you will protests about any non Muslim who even whispers
something about Islam some 20,000 miles away, the protests
following that incident by Muslims in Kuala Lumpur would have been
led by none other than you, and that too is a fact, but you see we the
Christians do not deal with such issues in that way. Now imagine
what would have happen if I shared this piece with the people in
countries like Holland, New York, London and Australia, I do not
intend to, you see I am a Christian and that is not how we respond.
We will not stoop to do what you have done, we are different we are
Christians. You see Our Lord Jesus Christ asked us to love those who
persecute us, who tell lies about us, who do bad things to us, for
there is no greatness in loving those who love you, even the biggest
crooks in the world do so, even the most wicked in the world love
those who love them, so there is nothing great in that. I'd rather
stop as you may interpret it as proselytising one of the things you
accuse us of doing and one of the reasons you say why you do not want
us to use the word Allah in our Malay Bibles.
You called for the burning of Bibles because you claim that there is a
group who tried to proselytise Muslims, which you really know is
totally fabricated and I have a strange feeling you are the one who is
spinning this rumour, fed by your sponsor to try and unite Malays
using religion, don't let him use you this way.
Proseltyisng of Christians in rural and poor areas by offering
monitory reward has been the order of the day and since it does
happen it must be reciprocal, you can't claim a right only for
yourself and your beliefs alone, our beliefs are sacred to us too and
the constitution of this country guarantees every citizen regardless
of race or creed the freedom of religion.we do not stop Christians
from embracing the Islamic faith the world over not only in Malaysia,
so why do think you are entitled to this right alone especially in a
country where the constitution guarantees freedom of religion to all
including the Muslims?
Christians who embraced Islam like the wife of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
proudly acknowledge that they have done so, and yet sometimes we get
you people going after dead bodies claiming the person converted to
Islam, and that too is something their spouses never know, it is
really baffling, have you ever sat down and pondered why would a
person embrace a religion and keep it secret? Would he not want to
tell his closest relatives at least about it if he did really embrace
the religion for the love of it?
Well of course in this country if a Muslim embraces another religion
that is a different story, ,he will not tell you or any other Muslim
till he gets close enough to trust you because he would still want to
share the joy of the other religion with his close ones as it is a
belief system, it is about God, but he will be very careful telling it
to a Muslim, and you know why he will not tell you, in case you don't
please ask me and I'll tell you why.
Your arrogance in part stems from the support and encouragement you
have been accorded by Tun Dr. Mahahtir Bin Mohammed the former Prime
Minster of Malaysia, our beloved country, and a man who has rather
unsuccessfully tried to portray himself as a "moderate Muslim," for
the entire Allah issue was created by him rather than by the less
intelligent ministers who once served him in government as many may
believe, for they are but pawns he uses for his own purpose to this
day just like he does you.
In fact on the day you issued your call to burn Christian Bibles he
delivered the Key Note address at the meeting of your NGO Perkasa. He
is seen as it's main sponsor I'd like to let the world know how
deceptive this person is . In fact the world already does but I need
to just show them that he has not really changed his views and his
dubious ways.
Inciting sectarian violence and using religion for political ends have
been the domain of such people, for them the ends justifies the means,
and you naive as you are (I am trying to be polite here) you are the
tool of this man he has read you like a book and he uses you at every
corner, he is famous for this and that is why Nazri a minister from
his own cabinet once referred to him as a "bloody racist."
Now we on the other hand are aggrieved at what you said, but
remember that Christians used the term Allah long before the Muslims
did, I do not think you have the mental capacity to understand that
so I am not going to pursue that with you.
I know that like me, you believe that Allah was the creator of the
whole Universe and everything that is in it and that includes you and
me unless of course you choose believe otherwise.
Now if you believe that, then it is the same Allah that made you and
me what is wrong in my calling upon the same Allah?
If anybody should have got angry and sentimental UMNO style, it
should have been the early Christians and others who used to pray to
Allah before the Muslims as the Allah predates Islam, but that can't
be the case and everyone including the Muslims of early days and even
today understand that, Allah is God and as such no one can claim
aright to Allah.
Allah cannot and should not be made an issue, it is blasphemous,
Allah is above all these things and we should not draw Allah into
petty squabbles especially if it is meant for political ends, that is
the signature of your mentor, he uses anything even Allah for his own
ends.
We shall ask all Christian faithful to pray for you, to pray that you
understand better and get out of this darkness that blinds you so that
you shall be able to see the light. That is what we are commanded to
do.
We shall pray for you to be a better Muslim, like the others I know.
We do not really blame you, how can we? I don't think anybody really
does, not you and I'll tell you why.
We realise your shortcomings, Nazri once told us you talk only
nonsense and no one takes you seriously, that is why you are not
arrested for all these outbursts, any other Malaysian I suppose would
have been arrested but we know the Chief Mufti of Perak got off Scot
free for his inciting trouble agaisnt the Christians as well, so
Nazri can't be correct, if I said or did something, something far
lesser agaisnt the Muslims the Minister of Home Affairs would have
had me arrested immediately as a threat to the nation, but you see it
is not in my Christian upbringing to say things against your faith and
your beliefs.
Anybody else in Malaysia would have been arrested, you are the only
one left off the hook, and there can only be two reasons, one is you
are used by some really very powerful people, the other is like Nazri
would have us believe, you are so stupid, that you are the only one
in the country to be given this exception, and I beg to differ with
Nazri, it can't be only you, for now there seems to be group
distributing flyers asking people to attend the burning of Bibles in
Butterworth this Sunday.
So you see there are others like you too, and so Nazri can't be
completely right.
I'll try and make sense with you, the word Allah is Arabic, it is
also the Malay word for God, and it has been used in Malay Bibles
since the 16th Century, it is used by Christians the world over and
your excuse, which is this government's excuse as well is that, "it
will confuse the Malay Muslims."
Well it has never confused the millions of Indonesians, the
Bangladeshis, the Arabs and the rest of the Muslim world thus far, and
from the 16th century to this day it has not confused the Malays, are
you now telling us that the Malays have gone backward since our
independence under this Barisan Nasional Government that they now
can't reason as well as they did then?
We Malaysians always thought the Malaysian Muslims we were far more
progressive and tolerant and moderate as some people would describe
us, I believe so too to this day, but elements like you, the scumbag
of our society with the backing of the government of the day, and
coupled with police protection go about with a free reign promoting
violence agaisnt the Christians for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
As a non Muslim let me give you this advice, say and do whatever you
want if you do not like us, but do not use religion to back you up, do
not use Islam to gain support for what you are saying and for yours
and the selfish ends of your political ends.
You have now turned to use religion to turn Muslim agaisnt Muslim this
is being done because you are afraid PAS and PKR will oust UMNO, but
believe me they will not harm you, you were once kicked out of UMNO,
Mahahtir as you know never really liked you, all he is doing is
knowing you he is using you, the same way he used all Malays and that
is why the Malays are turning away from UMNO.
You too should leave UMNO, once they win you will be a nuisance to
them, if Nazri can have us believe you are a fool right now you shoudl
know what to expect if they get what they want from you. I am not
telling you to join PKR or PAS you can vote the BN for all we care,
but watch out they are going to dump you again, and they have made no
secret that they think you are fool, Nazri once said, "nobody takes
you seriously," and that is actually the truth.
Now Ibrahim my friend let me let you read what your Holy Prophet said
about us Christians, in fact you as a Muslim are warned by the Prophet
on how to treat Christians;
Islam's Holiest prophet - The Prophet Muhammed had this to
say;http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dhakamails/message/4917
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those
who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the
servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because
Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything
that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are
their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their
monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage
it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone
take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His
Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against
all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige
them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female
Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her
approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented
from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of
the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end
of the world)."
The question I wish to ask is; Are you Ibrahim Ali a Muslim?
Ref: Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Director of Islamic Studies at the
University of Delaware and a fellow of the Institute for Social Policy
and Understanding.
Posted by Dian
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