Protest at Egypt embassy tomorrow amid latest massacre by army

PAS and several organisations will gather at the Egyptian embassy in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to protest the recent military coup which toppled the country's first democtratically elected president Mohamad Morsi. 

The gathering is expected to commence at 12.00 noon at the Ampang Point shopping centre, not far from the embassy, in Jalan Ampang.

Morsi and several other top officials of the once-banned Ikhwan Muslimin have since been detained by the military. His overthrow followed days of large-scale protests in Cairo for and against him, and the coup is seen as the best opportunity for the US-backed army to overthrow the Islamist-led presidency. In the latest development, scores of pro-Morsi protesters outside the Republican Guard barracks were gunned down despite early assurances by the coup leaders to respect freedom of assembly.

The coup was welcomed by neighbouring Arab regimes, including foes Saudi Arabi and Syria, whose regimes have banned Ikhwan activities in the respective countries, while Iran has openly condemned the coup and called for Morsi's reinstatement.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations condemned the latest killings in Cairo, saying the incident was the clearest proof that the military's ultimate aim was to wipe out the Ikhwan.

"The target now is to reign upon any sectors of the population of  Egypt that has the courage to stand up against the military who is has been reiterating their action was necessary under the guess of protecting the constitution.

"The world cannot be bystanders in the escalation of violence in Egypt less another Syria is in the making where civilians become targets," said MAPIM president Azmi Abdul Hamid in a statement to Harakahdaily.

He also demanded that the Malaysian government issue a strong statement against the atrocities and to reject the coup and the interim government.

"Mapim also calls on the Malaysian people to support the Egyptian people to resist the military government who has been the tools of the Western powers."

Related:
Egypt: Nik Aziz, Anwar condemn military coup
Saudi Arabia, UAE and Syria united in welcoming Egypt coup
Iran denounces Egypt army coup

Apa berlaku di Syria?

Hishamuddin Rais

 

Saya pernah sampai ke kota Damas - panggilan manja warga Arab untuk kota Damsyik atau Damascus untuk warga Barat. Ini lama dahulu ketika saya berkelana. Saya datang dari Hong Kong membawa jemputan dari Asia Students Association (ASA) kepada Persatuan Pelajar Syria untuk hadir ke Kongres ASA di Chiengmai Thailand. Justeru saya menjadi tamu Persatuan Pelajar Kebangsaan Syria.

Sebelum sampai ke Damas saya melintasi Amman, Jordan. Saya membawa jemputan yang sama. Saya diberitahu bahawa Persatuan Pelajar Jordan dalam buangan beroperasi di Beirut. Begitu juga dengan GUPS - General Union of Palestine Students. Justeru saya wajib juga dari Syria ke Lubnan. Ketika ini Perang Saudara di Lubnan baru bermula.

Saya tersangkut hampir dua minggu di Damas. Bumi Arab inilah yang menjadi permulaan jejak dan tapak saya berkelana. Saya tersangkut kerana jalan utama dari Damas ke Beirut ditutup kerana perang saudara. Lalu untuk membunuh masa saya melingkari kota Damas.

Pada tahun 1974, saya seperti ramai anak-anak muda di Malaysia tidak ada langsung ada kefahaman tentang Sunni dan Syiah. Ketika saya membesar saya tidak mengetahui tentang wujudkan dua mazhab ini. Yang saya fahami - saya ini penganut Islam, tidak lebih dari itu. Sunni dan Syiah ini tidak pernah wujud dalam fikrah saya.

Saya bertemu dengan mazhab Syiah di Iraq. Ini pada tahun 1975 - lama sebelum Revolusi Iran kerana saya telah menjadi tamu Persatuan Pelajar Iraq. Malah sebelum dunia membaca tentang Ayatollah Khomeini, saya telah melawat Karbala dan Najaf. Ketika saya melawat Najaf, Ayatollah Khomeini masih lagi ‘orang buangan' sebelum dihalau keluar dari Najaf ke Kuwait dan berakhir di Paris.

Dengan pecahnya Revolusi Iran, penganut Islam di Malaysia disedarkan tentang wujudnya satu lagi mazhab Islam yang dipanggil Syiah. Penganut Syiah di Iran bangun melawan Shah Reza Pahlevi. Raja Iran ini telah dinaikkan ke tahta oleh CIA. Justeru, Revolusi Iran melonjakkan kesedaran tentang Syia di kalangan anak-anak muda Islam di seluruh dunia. Mazhab Syiah dilihat membawa garis melawan imperialis.

Hari ini, pada tahun 2013, kita sedang melihat bagaimana Islam dijadikan musuh oleh kuasa imperialis Anglo-Amerika. Sesudah tamatnya Perang Dingin dan runtuhnya Tembok Berlin (1989) pernah diharapkan politik dunia akan membawa pencerahan dan keamaman untuk umat manusia. Harapan ini meleset. Kaum pemodal, kuasa militer, peniaga senjata antarabangsa bersama dengan politikus kanan memailih Islam sebagai musuh baru.

Senjata Sunni-Syiah

Di zaman Perang Dingin dahulu yang dijadikan musuh ialah negara yang menggunakan sistem ekonomi Sosialis, kaum Sosialis dan kaum Komunis. Mereka bukan hanya ditohmah dan difitnah malah mereka dibantai dan dikorbankan. Kali ini yang menjadi musuh ialah Islam. Ini yang sedang kita saksikan.

Awas, kaum pemodal antarabangsa dengan cekap menggunakan perbezaan mazhab - Sunni dan Syiah - untuk membantai umat Islam. Perbezaan Sunni/Syiah ini sedang dijadikan senjata ulung untuk membantai warga Syria.

Saya akui di sini bahawa manusia yang bernama Bashar al-Assad itu mungkin bukan sosok terbaik untuk dijadikan contoh pendemokrasian di Syria atau untuk bumi Arab/Islam. Di belakang gerakan anti-Bashar ini sebenarnya ada agenda yang lebih besar yang dirancang kaum imperialis Anglo-Amerika. Perkara inilah yang ingin saya terangkan agar ianya dapat membawa pencerahan untuk kita semua. Ini bukan bermakna saya lebih bijak dari pembaca. Apa yang saya paparkan ini hanya satu analisa dari kajian, pembacaan dan pengalaman saya.

Justeru, sekali lagi saya tegaskan di sini bahawa apa yang berlaku di Syria itu bukan pertempuran Sunni dan Syiah. Apa yang sedang berlaku ialah pembantaian warga Syria - Sunni, Syiah, Kristian, Baath atau Majusi. Peperangan dan pembunuhan di Syria ini sebahagian dari agenda Anglo-Amerika untuk menakluk bumi Arab. Kenapa perlu ditakluk bumi Arab? Jawabnya: minyak.

Kita harus faham bahawa yang kata-kata lunak, janji-janji manis dari Clinton, Bush atau Obama terhadap Warga Islam hanyalah kata-kata. Kuasa imperial Anglo-Amerika memiliki agenda yang telah lama dirancang. Contohnya: serangan ke atas Iraq telah lama dirancang - jauh sebelum ledakan WTC di New York tahun 2001.

Pendemokrasian yang diajukan oleh kuasa imperial Amerika itu bunyinya amat lunak. Lalu saya meminta semua pembaca bertenang dan berfikir sajenak. Kenapa demokrasi hanya perlu diwujudkan di Libya, Mesir, Iraq dan Syria. Kenapa demokrasi tidak diajukan kepada Arab Saudi.

Dari fakta pembacaan, negara Saudi yang kaya raya dengan duit minyak ini tidak langsung memiliki ciri-ciri demokrasi jauh sekali menghormati hak asasi manusia. Malah kita sering terbaca berita tentang bagaimana warga asing yang bekerja di Saudi dijadikan hamba abdi sama seperti di zaman Rasullulah.

Demokratik sungguhkah Qatar?

Sebuah lagi negara Arab yang begitu kuat menyokong dan memberi dana dan senjata kepada gerombolan pengganas untuk menyerang Syria ialah Qatar. Atas nama Islam, atas nama Sunni , senjata telah dihantar untuk membunuh Syiah. Qatar memberi duit dan senjata kerana ingin membangunkan Syria untuk menjadi sebuah darul yang lebih demokratik. Mari kita bertanya: bila ada pilihan raya di Qatar? Demokratik sungguhkah negara yang bernama Qatar ini?

Telah saya katakan tadi bahawa semua ini berlatarkan keperluan kaum pemodal antarabangsa untuk menakluk bahan bakar petroleum. Iraq dahulu bebas dan merdeka. Iraq TIDAK membenarkan syarikat minyak asing masuk membuat cari gali. Kini Iraq telah dibuka untuk Shell, Esso, Exxon termasuk Petronas. Yang masih berdegil melarang syarikat luar dari mencari gali minyak hanya Iran.

Untuk menundukkan atau menyerang Iran, Syria perlu dijatuhkan dahulu. Ini kerana Syria dan Iran memiliki hubungan yang intim semenjak zaman Presiden Hafeez dan zaman Khomeini. Hubungan ini diikat pula dengan perjanjian bantu membantu dari segi ketenteraan.

Apabila kita membaca pilitik Iran atau Syria atau Timur Tengah maka kita wajib memahami juga peranan negara Zionis Isreal. Israel telah dipacakkan di tengah bumi Arab oleh kuasa imperial Anglo-Amerika sesudah Perang Dunia keDua. Zionis Isreal bergerak sebagai pangkalan tentera Amerika. Israel menjadi polis untuk Amerika.

Sahihlah bahawa bahan bakar minyak petroleum ialah kunci kepada semua ini. Ekonomi kapitalis dunia hari ini dijana oleh bahan bakar petroleum. Tanpa petrol dunia yang kita kenali hari ini akan berubah wajah.

Kalau kita beli minyak dari stesen Petronas kita menggunakan duit ringgit. Kalau beli minyak di Pakistan wajib menggunakan Rupiah. Tetapi jika Malaysia atau Pakistan mahu membeli minyak di pasaran dunia, negara ini wajib menggunakan dolar.

Jual beli minyak dalam pasaran dunia hari ini wajib menggunakan dolar. Inilah hasil perjanjian yang telah diikat oleh Presiden Nixon dengan Raja Faizal - pada tahun 1972 - ketika dolar tidak lagi bersandarkan emas. Saudi sebagai pengeluar minyak terbesar dalam dunia mewajibkan minyak dibeli dengan dolar. Perjanjian ini memastikan Saudi dapat senjata dari Amerika. Amerika juga akan memastikan rejim Saudi selamat dari diganggu gugat oleh Israel atau musuh dalaman.

'Kong kalikong' Amerika

Maka munculkan apa yang dipanggil sistem PetroDollar. Dolar Amerika menjadi kukuh. Ini kerana banyak negara dalam dunia hari ini TIDAK memiliki minyak. Tetapi, negara-negara ini memerlukan minyak. Maka negara ini wajib mengeksport barangan kepada Amerika untuk mendapatkan dolar. Dengan adanya dolar baru minyak dapat dibeli.

Di sinilah muncul 'kong kalikong' yang paling besar. Amerika terus mencetak dolar untuk membeli barangan import. Hakikatnya ekonomi Anmerika hari ini adalah ekonomi silap mata. Maka kerana itu apabila Saddam mahu menjual minyak tanpa menggunakan dolar - Saddan Hussein dibunuh. Gadaffi juga menerima nasib yang sama apabila dia mahu menukar dolar dengan mata wang lain.

'Kong kalikong' Amerika ini bukan TIDAK disedari. Ramai yang tahu tetapi terpaksa sujud kepada Amerika kerana kuasa bala tentera Amerika berselirat dalam dunia hari ini. Semua negara kini tertaluk dibawah kuasa Anglo-Amerika. Dulu ada Empayar Rom, kini kita dijajah oleh Empayar Amerika.

Saudi memiliki simpanan minyak terbanyak dalam perut buminya. Negara kedua ialah Iran. Justeru Iran wajib ditundukkan. Jika Iran menjual minyaknya tanpa menggunakan dolar pasti ekonomi Amerika terjejas. Kerana inilah dibuka kesah Sunni dan Syiah. Kisah ini bertujuan untuk menutup kesah bangkai dolar yang semakin mencemaskan dunia kapitalis.

Ketika saya di Beirut pada tahun 1975, saya telah melihat kematian dan pembunuhan dalam perang saudara. Kali ini saya hanya berkeupayaan untuk menulis. Tapi saya tahu apa rupanya perang saudara yang sedang berlaku di Syria.

Saya akhiri dengan satu pertanyaan: kenapa kita tidak dapat memahami bagaimana kaum pemodal, tauke penjual senjata dan politikus kanan yang kaya raya terus mengadu domba kita. Di Lubnan, Khristian dengan Islam. Di Rwanda, Tutsi dengan Hutu. Di Syria, Sunni dengan Syiah. Dan di Malaysia Melayu dengan Cina.

Discovering the true meaning of Ramadan

Saeed Saeed

RAMADAN MUBARAK As it turns out, Ramadan is not simply an exercise in fasting during the day, binge-eating during the night and setting the clock to the morning's wee hours for those inclined to rise for the predawn meal. Neither is it about irate drivers who feel entitled to exhibit road rage, lacklustre employees who see the month as an excuse to slack off and overworked women slaving over a stove every day in preparation for the sunset meal. Ramadan is none of those things, if done right, and instead, is the chance for a spiritual boost, with lessons to be applied long after the month is out.

Why it's so special

It is the month in which the Holy Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. As a result, Ramadan is also known as the month to recite the holy text even more eagerly and with renewed dedication to completing the task. Muslims are encouraged to complete the full recitation of the Holy Quran at least once during the month. With an average of 600 pages, this seemingly huge task can be achieved through the recitation of four pages before each of the five prayers daily throughout the entire month.

The fast

It is one of Islam's five main pillars (the others being the belief in one God and the Prophet Muhammad as His Messenger, praying five times a day, completing the pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able and giving charity or "zakat"). It is mandatory for all Muslims upon reaching puberty, as long as they are mentally and physically sound. The elderly and chronically ill are exempt from fasting; however, it is incumbent upon them to feed the poor instead if they possess the financial means.

A spiritual detox

The fast is not simply about denying your body food and water. It also involves arguably the more taxing challenge of avoiding ill speech, arguments, loss of temper and malicious behaviour. The whole point of the fast is to demonstrate submission to God and keep the mind focused on a spiritual plane.

The benefits

Patience and mercy, which, let's face it, we all need more of in these harried times. Ramadan is viewed as a month-long school where graduates leave with a developed sense of self-control in areas including diet, sleeping and the use of time.

The meals

The fasting day is book-ended by two meals: suhoor and iftar. The former is the early morning meal consumed before fasting begins at dawn, while the latter is to break the fast at sunset. If breakfast is viewed as an important meal, a healthy suhoor is even more vital as it is meant to last you up to 15 hours - as is the case this summer - before breaking bread again. Slow digesting foods like barley, wheats, oats and lentils are recommended and limiting fatty and sugary products would be wise. There is a propensity to binge eat at sunset, but a balanced, moderate meal would really make all the difference, considering that the evenings are spent engaging in special nightly prayers. It is also recommended to break the fast with dates, as was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, before moving on to other dishes.

The prayers

Ramadan is also defined by extra congregational prayers performed nightly after the evening isha prayers, which are normally the last prayers of the evening. For those living near a mosque, expect your neighbourhood to be a hive of activity for the whole month.

The finish line

Ramadan culminates with the three-day Eid Al Fitr holiday celebrating the end of the fast. Marked by a special morning prayer, the day is a form of spiritual graduation and a chance to permanently implement the spiritual lessons learnt throughout the month. Muslims dress in their best and visit friends and relatives as a sense of community prevails.

Kuala Besut: Jurutera lawan ahli perniagaan

Pilihan raya kecil DUN Kuala Besut 24 Julai ini akan menyaksikan pertembungan calon BN Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman dan Azlan Yusof daripada PAS.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin petang ini mengumumkan Tengku Zaihan, 37 sebagai calon BN berdepan dengan calon PAS.

Tengku Zaihan adalah jurutera di Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) di Putrajaya.

Pengumuman itu dibuat oleh Muhyiddin di Dataran Kuala Besut yang turut dihadiri Menteri Besar Terengganu Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

Pilihan raya kecil DUN itu, diadakan ekoran kematian wakil rakyatnya yang juga exco kerajaan negeri Terengganu, Dr A Rahman Mokhtar.

Pada pilihan raya umum lalu, allahyarham menewaskan calon PAS Napisah Ismail dengan majoriti 2,434 undi. A Rahman memperolehi 8,809 undi, manakala Napisah mendapat 6,375 undi. 

Dengan pengumuman tersebut, Tengku Zaihan bakal berdepan tentangan sengit daripada Azlan seorang ahli perniagaan, yang baru diumumkan bakal mewakili parti itu.

Azlan yang juga bendahari PAS kawasan - lebih dikenali sebagai Che Long - merupakan dilihat paling popular bakal dicalonkan di kalangan penduduk tempatan.

Dua lagi calon yang disenarai pendek ialah Setiausaha Majlis Syura Ulama PAS, Datuk Nik Zawawi Salleh dan Yang Dipertua PAS Besut, Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad.

PAS mengumumkan calonnya itu di Kampung Nail, Kuala Besut malam ini.

Semalam, Ketua Umno Besut Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh meminta PAS tidak meletakkan calon bertanding di situ bagi menghormati kemenangan BN dan bulan Ramadan serta yakin BN akan mencapai kemenangan lebih 4,000 undi.

Bagaimanapun, Pengarah Jawatankuasa Induk Pilihan Raya Kecil DUN itu Datuk Husam Musa pula membidas kenyataan Idris dengan menyifatkan kenyataan Idris itu sebagai "angkuh".

Sementara Pesuruhjaya PAS negeri Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut menyifatkan kenyataan Idris sebagai "takut kalah" sekali gus menyatakan PAS akan mencipta kejayaan dalam pilihan raya itu.

Egypt coup brings out the hypocrites

Raudah Mohd Yunus

If there is one good thing emerging from the recent political turmoil and military coup in Egypt, it is the disclosure of the hypocrites.

The two-faced nature of these people or camps has become so obvious that one does not need to be a genius to recognise them. Let us look at the following issues:

1. The  leaders of the Tamarrud (rebellion) movement and National Salvation Front Mohammed ElBaradei, Amr Moussa, Hamdeen Sabahi and others have shown their true colors. Prior to last year’s election in which they lost to Morsi, they had been the advocates and heroes of democracy. Fiery speeches were made about nation-building, the rule of law and respecting the constitution. But when democratic processes clearly did not favour them, instead of cooperating with the government to improve the condition of the Egyptians, they started plotting against the elected president. In December 2012, Egypt’s top prosecutor ordered an investigation into accusations against ElBaradei, Amr Moussa and Hamdeen Sabahi of overthrowing Morsi. Don’t be surprised. Their tones have changed now, and they are no longer the pro-democracy heroes people once knew. What if they had won in the election? Surely they would condemn such street politics and violence to oust a president.

2. The military
The Egyptian military has several problems: arrogance, confusion and being wishy-washy. When it first announced the threat of intervention within 48 hours following the mass protest, the reason given was that it could not let the country slip into chaos and civil war. It wanted to be popular and claimed that the military sided with the Egyptian people. Once president Morsi had been ousted, hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy supporters gathered to rally, and to the world’s utter shock and dismay, the military opened fire on them. And this only after a few hours of stating that it would allow peaceful protests to continue. What happened to protecting the people? Were the pro-Morsi supporters not Egyptian citizens? The claim that the junta does not have any political preferences is false and hollow by any definition. It is now evident that the top military commanders were part of the whole undemocratic plot. It is not Egyptians they wanted to protect, but their own greed and interests.

3. Surrounding Arab countries
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iraq rushed to congratulate the unelected, undemocratic interim leader and claimed to have shown respect to the will of the Egyptian people. Putting Iraq aside for a while, these leaders are not only confused but also showing complete double-standards. They do not seem to understand what democracy means (and hence the never-ending monarchies they uphold) and what is actually happening in Egypt. Furthermore, who are they to comment on ‘the will of people’ when democracy never even existed in their countries in the first place! Didn’t Morsi come to power with ‘the will of people’? If they were sincere about honoring the wish of majority, they should abolish absolute monarchy, step down and let free elections determine the future of their countries. So is it really the ‘will of Egyptian people’ that they support, or a will which goes in their favour? What makes them so scared of the Muslim Brotherhood? Actually, words like election and democracy are the biggest threats to them. It is not the Brotherhood that they are scared of, it is the very essence of democratic practices that causes a shivering fever in their consciousness.

4. The European Union
Despite its statement of ‘being concerned’ about the political crisis in Egypt and ‘urging for calm’, as a powerful body the European Union should have a made a clearer and stronger stand in favour of democracy in Egypt. When the Taksim event happened in Istanbul, the Union tried to show itself as a champion of democracy by harshly criticizing the Turkish government in order to show support to the protesters. It even delayed some scheduled talks with Turkey to punish the country for its way of dealing with the problem, which, the Union claimed, was not in line with the principles of democracy. However, the same EU completely changed its tone when Morsi was ousted by a coup. They seemed highly reluctant to condemn it. To make things worse, despite the more undemocratic and criminal way of handling things by the anti-Morsi Egyptian protesters and by the military, the EU was quick to announce that it was not re-thinking the promised aid for Egypt. It seems Egypt is lucky to have avoided a similar ‘punishment’ given to Turkey, even when the coup has clearly breached all basic principles of democracy.

Perhaps there are many more hypocrites in this world than merely those mentioned above. The list can be longer, and the degree of hypocrisy seen at moment is only the tip of the iceberg.

At least the ongoing test Egypt is going through has more or less revealed to us who the regional and international impostors are. I hope people who find it difficult to condemn the illegal, undemocratic ouster of Morsi will spare us from their lectures in the future. We have had enough of hypocrisy. Enough is enough!

Ramadan: Month of fasting, month of meaning

Tariq Ramadan

Most of the classical religious teachings regarding the month of Ramadan insist on the rules being respected as well as the deep spiritual dimension of this month of fasting, privations, worship and meditation. While thinking about it more closely, one realises that this month marries apparently contradictory requirements which, nevertheless, together constitute the universe of faith.

To ponder over these different dimensions is the responsibility of each conscience, each woman, each man and each community of faith, wherever they are. We can never emphasise enough the importance of this “return to oneself” required during this period of fast.

Ramadan is a month of abrupt changes; this is true here more than anywhere else. At the heart of our consumer society, where we are used to easy access to goods and possessions and where we are driven by the marked individualism of our daily lives, this month requires from everyone that we come back to the centre and the meaning of our life.

At the centre there is God and one’s heart, as the Quran reminds us: “ ... and know that [the knowledge of] God lies between the human being and his heart.” At the centre, everyone is asked to take up again a dialogue with The Most-High and The Most-Close ... a dialogue of intimacy, of sincerity, of love. To fast is to seek ... with lucidity, patience and confidence ... justice and peace with oneself.

The month of Ramadan is the “month of Meaning” ... Why this life? What about God in my life ? What about my mother and my father ... still alive or already gone? What about my children? My family? My spiritual community? Why this universe and this humanity? What meaning have I given to my daily life? What meaning am I able to be consistent with?

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had warned: “Some people only gain from their fast the fact that they are hungry and thirsty.” He was speaking of those who fast as mechanically as they eat. They deprive themselves from eating with the same unawareness and the same thoughtlessness as they are used to eating and drinking. In fact, they transform it into a cultural tradition, a fashionable celebration, even a month of banquets and “Ramadan nights”. A fast of extreme alienation ... a fast of counter-meaning.

As this month leads us towards the deep horizons of introspection and meaning, it reminds us of the importance of detail, precision and discipline in our practices.

The precise starting day of Ramadan must be rigorously sought; the precise hour before dawn upon which one must stop eating; the prayers to be performed “at determined moments” and the exact time of the end of fast.

The month of Ramadan marries the depth of meaning and precision of form. There exists an “intelligence of the fast” that arises from the very reality of this marriage between the content and the form: To fast with one’s body is a school for the exercise of the mind.

At the very time of our profound meditation with God and with our own self, it is possible to immerse oneself into one’s feelings because this quest for meaning is so deep that it should be allowed to bypass all the details of rules and schedules. But the actual experience of Ramadan teaches us the opposite: No profound spirituality, no true quest for meaning without discipline and rigour as to the management of rules to be respected and time to be mastered.

The month of Ramadan marries the depth of meaning and precision of form. There exists an “intelligence of the fast” that arises from the very reality of this marriage between the content and the form: To fast with one’s body is a school for the exercise of the mind. The abrupt changes implied by the fast is an invitation to a transformation and a profound reform of oneself and one’s life that can only occur through a rigorous intellectual introspection (muraqaba).

To achieve the ultimate goal of the fast, our faith requires a demanding, lucid, sincere and honest mind capable of self-criticism. Everyone should be able to do that for oneself, before God, within one’s solitude as well as within one’s commitment among one’s fellow human beings. It is a question of mastering one’s emotions, to face up to oneself and to take the right decisions as to the transformation of one’s life in order to come closer to the ‘centre’ and the ‘meaning’.

Muslims today need more than ever before to reconcile themselves with the school of profound spirituality along with the exercise of rigorous and critical intelligence.

At a time when fear is all around, where suspicion is widespread, where Muslims are tempted by the obsession to have to defend themselves and to prove constantly their innocence, the month of Ramadan is a call upon their dignity as well as their responsibilities.

It is crucial that they learn to master their emotions, go beyond their fears and doubts and come back to the essential with confidence and assurance. It is imperative too that they make it a rule for themselves to be rigorous and upright in the assessment of their conduct, individually and collectively: Self-criticism and collective introspection are of the essence at every step, to achieve a true transformation within Muslim communities and societies.

Instead of blaming “those who dominate”, “the Other”, “the West”, etc, it is necessary to learn from the teaching of Ramadan: You are, indeed, what you do of yourself. What are we doing of ourselves today? What are our contributions within the fields of education, social justice and liberty? What are we doing to promote the dignity of women, children or to protect the rights of the poor and the marginalised people in our societies? What kind of models of profound, intelligent and active spirituality do we offer today to the people around us? What have we done with our universal message of justice and peace? What have we done with our message of individual responsibility, of human brotherhood and love?

All these questions are in our hearts and minds and there is only one response inspired by the Quran and nurtured by the month of Ramadan: God will change nothing for the good if we change nothing.

Dr M: Jangan mansuh semata-mata desakan lawan

Abdul Rahim Sabri

 

Mantan perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkata undang-undang termasuk Akta Hasutan 1948 tidak boleh dimansuhkan semata-mata kerana desakan parti lawan.

Menurutnya, jika kerajaan mahu memansuhkan dan menggubal undang-undang baru menggantikannya, kajian, dan pandangan umum mesti diambil kira, selain membandingkan dengan keadaan negara lain.

"Jadi undang-undang tidak boleh digubal kerana parti lawan mendesak. Kalau ikut parti lawan negara kita tidak akan ada undang-undang.

"Pada masa yang sama, mereka tuntut rule of law (kedaulatan undang-undang). Kalau tak ada undang-undang, mana ada rule of law," katanya.

Beliau menjawab soalan pemberita sama ada beliau bersetuju kerajaan memansuhkan Akta Hasutan atau menggantikannya dengan akta yang baru.

Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi semalam sekali lagi dilapor menegaskan akta itu harus dikekalkan dan jika dihapuskan, perkara utama seperti kedudukan agama Islam sebagai agama rasmi dalam perlembagaan akan disentuh sesetengah pihak.

Hasutan makin banyak
Bagaimanapun, Setiausaha agung DAP Lim Guan Eng berkata, keengganan menteri memansuhkan akta tersebut menunjukkan BN tidak menepati slogan 'Janji Ditepati' semasa pilihan raya umum.

Sementara itu, bercakap dalam sidang media sebelum itu, Dr Mahathir berkata beliau nampak hasutan semakin banyak sejak Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dimansuhkan, sehingga wujud pihak yang menghina agama dan Nabi Muhammad SAW.

"Kalau dahulu tidak tidak ada orang cerca agama, nabi dan sebagainya. Sekarang sudah ada. Kalau tiada ada undang-undang, kita hidup tanpa undang-undang bolehlah, tetapi ada masalah.

"Masing-masing akan cerca sesiapa sahaja. Saya nak undang-undang. Saya hidup dalam undang-undang. The rule of law (kedaulatan undang-undang)," katanya.

Ditanya kenyataan Zahid - ahli parlimen Bagan Datoh - yang mahu akta itu dipinda, sedangkan Najib mahu ia diganti dengan akta baru, Dr Mahathir berkata:

"Itu pendapat PM. Saya berpendapat (kalau) kita nak pinda apa-apa akta, sehingga tidak berkesan, lebih baik tidak ada undang-undang. Kita bebas buat apa sahaja," katanya.

Diminta menegaskan sama ada beliau bersetuju dengan meminda dan diganti dengan akta baru, beliau berkata tidak mengetahui mengenai peruntukan baru sama ada ia "lebih baik, ketat atau tidak ada kesan langsung".