my writing on my blog in Malaysiakini letter
I wrote this on my blog, and now it appear on Malaysiakini. Heck am I getting influential or what? Nah. I am entitled to my opinion.
I believe as a Muslim its my duty to state the truth. And if I am wrong, please correct me.
Muslims are responsibility of Muslim community
Noor Yahaya Hamzah
Jun 4, 07 3:22pm Adjust font size:
Reading the letter regarding the Lina Joy issue, I shall try to explain further my views. Absolutely, comments are getting hot and sometimes missing the point. Let me write a disclaimer first:
‘Anything I write here, if it is wrong according to Islamic tenets, principles, would be my own fault for I am an ignorant idiot. As in idiomatic expression - I am just a blind man trying to explain what an elephant looks like, feeling it with my hands and telling everyone what I think it looks like, when I could not see it. Anything good is from Allah the Most Knowledgeable and anything bad, is from me.’
Does the National Registration Department have the power to erase the definition for religion on your MyKad? Well, the NRD is just a government department. It only does its job; it doesn’t have the authority to do that. So the NRD was right in advising Lina Joy to go to the Shariah Court to get the certificate that certifies she has renounced Islam.
You see, all Muslims in this world are like a community. If one Muslim dies, it would be the responsibility of the Muslim community to accord him or her Muslim rites of burial - the washing and the last prayers. If Lina Joy has renounced Islam, (this has to be done and witnessed by the ruler of the Muslims) then the Muslim community washes their hands of her, her actions, her last rites and her burial is of no concern to the Muslim community.
The Muslim community 'tidak berdosa' (is without sin) if Lina Joy dies tomorrow and she be cremated or buried without being accorded the last rites. It would be none of our responsibility.
And who represent the ‘ruler’ in the Malay states? The Shariah courts, of course. So all Lina Joy has to do is go to the Shariah court and renounce Islam. So we Muslims can wash our hands and our responsibilities of her.
By the same argument, if someone in Malaysia finds a dead body and if there is a MyKad which says that he or she professes Islam, then it would be our responsibility to accord that dead person the Muslim last rites.
7 comments:
Agreed NRD is a govt dept. The contention is whether the Federal Constitution is held supreme for all Malaysians. Sure, there seem to be a clause for Muslims to be referred to sharia court on certain issues. Why on certain issues and not the others? Are Malaysian Muslim partial/pseudo Muslim?
For some Muslims, this is an Islamic/religious issue and therefore non-Muslim should keep away. But is it only an Islamic issue?
Lina Joy just wanted to get on with her life in Malaysia as a Christian. She was born a Malay by Muslim parents, hence by law she is a Muslim.
To complicate the issue Human rights and democracy is being questioned.
On democracy, one must remember that the majority rules is fine provided the minorities are protected. Otherwise, its mob rule.
Certainly, human rights has been denied to Lina Joy. That's the fact.
Back to democracy, if Muslims accept the ruling that the change on MYKAD's detail on religion must refer to Sharia Court, then must they accept all future rulings for Muslims by Sharia Court in other issues? Sharia court is not an elected body and therefore, democratic rights will be denied to Muslims.
There are difference of opinions even among Muslims on many Islamic issues. If Muslims are happy to foresake their democratic right and opt for Sharia rulings, then they must think through carefully. Most Muslims in Malaysia are Sunni, what if one day Shia Islam rules the Sharia Court? Since Muslims have given up their democratic right to Sharia Court, do they have any recourse by legal means(aka peaceful means) if they disagree with a different branch of Islamic ruling?
Muslims who agree on the majority rulings in Lina Joy's case must realise that they are giving up part of their Democratic right.
To a Muslim like me, there are:
1. Allah's law as revealed in Koran and Hadith. e.g stealing is punishable by chopping off hand.
2. Shariah law, which is an adaptation of Allah's law. e.g adultery, which is not a crime under common law, but a crime under Shariah law punishable by fine and/or jail term.
3. Common law as prescribed by federal court, district court and parliamentary acts. e.g. running thru red light at intersection which is not punishable under Allah's law and Shariah law.
So;
changing religion is not a crime under common law.
neither is adultery.
Lina Joy hasnt commit any crime under common law.
She can have sex with her partner, have children and live like normal couple, she hasnt commit any crime under common law.
to disband Shariah law for Muslim, you need to rewrite federal constitution and prescribe only one law in the country. this wont happen until Muslim legislative power become minority, or like Turkey, the legislative power choose the secular.
YouTiup went to NRD office to replace his lost MyKad.
He was greeted by a very pretty Ms. NRD in an even prettier tudung made of Italian silk in Pucci print thanks to her recent salary hike. YouTiup handed her the application form he has just filled out. Ms. NRD scrutinized the form.
Ms NRD: what's your religion?
YouTiup: haven't decided yet.
Ms. NRD: cannot process.
YouTiup: just put takde (none).
Ms. NRD: tak-leh (cannot).
YouTiup: but I don't know.
Ms. NRD: simply la, something you believe in.
YouTiup: I believe in God.
Ms. NRD: be more specific, please.
YouTiup: hmm.. Voltaire-ism.
Ms. NRD: not on the list.
YouTiup: Groucho-Marxism?
Ms. NRD: takde.
YouTiup: Communism.
Ms. NRD:
YouTiup:
Ms. NRD:
YouTiup: Islam Hadhari
Ms. NRD: what the Fuck is That?
Sekiranya sesuatu agama itu difikirkan sesuai kepada seseorang,tak perlu paksa dia pun percaya. Jika tidak, paksa pun tak guna!
Hi, if i'm understanding right, you are saying that Lina Joy should have gone to the Syariah court to be officially recognized as no longer a Muslim so that the Muslim community can be released from the responsibility of taking care of of her. Well, if that is the case, then her leaving Islam is just a simple procedural issue, and should not be considered a crime. Why then do the syariah laws in some states in Malaysia state that an apostasy is a punishable offense? And why have so many Muslims reacted so negatively toward Lina Joy's conversion?
Why then do the syariah laws in some states in Malaysia state that an apostasy is a punishable offense? And why have so many Muslims reacted so negatively toward Lina Joy's conversion?
answer: during early times of Islam, apostasy was punishable by death, as do adultery if the pertrator/s are married. there are Hadith which support this (we can argue until the cows come home about the strength of the Hadith or whatever). well, the current Shariah law in every states has the punishment part way, way lighter than prescribed by Koran and Hadith, as prescribed by Govt (dont know which one, States govt or federal, i think its states).
why Muslims act negatively with apostasy? probably just as Muslims act negatively with adultery. dont know. In Indonesia, where apostasy is more common e.g in Maluku(i have met an Indonesian man whose parents are Muslim, he is Christian) its just like no big deal.
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