By
"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole." - Malcolm X
COMMENT The Islamic Renaissance Front views the recent claims that voting for DAP is haram with great concern and unease.
We believe that those claims are contrary to the spirit of Islam, which holds that a leader is not to be valued in terms his or her race or religion per se, but fundamentally by his or her character and commitment to upholding justice.
A just non-Muslim is more worthy of being a leader than an unjust Muslim.
This notion is based on the one of most important principles in the religion of Islam that supporting a corrupt and despotic leader, even though he is of the same race and religion, is tantamount to supporting injustice, when injustice is the main enemy of Islamic law.
The great Muslim reformer from Syria, Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1854-1902), held the opinion that since oppression and despotism are contrary to Islam, a just non-Muslim ruler is preferred to a tyrannical Muslim leader.
In particular, we find DAP's vision of Middle Malaysia, wherein dignity, opportunity and prosperity is promised to all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity, gender and religion, wherein the welfare of the poor and oppressed are secured, is in no way in contradiction with Islam's own aspirations for a just society in a modern, globalised age.
On this matter, we echo the position of Tariq Ramadan who has insisted time and time again that the hudud penal code is not the be all, end all measure of a Muslim's faithfulness.
Nor is the Islamic state the principle criteria to ensure the well-being of any society. Instead, the real challenge for Muslims today is pluralism: that is, how to live peacefully in a culturally complex and dynamic world that is ever-changing.
As Tariq Ramadan put it, Muslims must end their preoccupation with models and rules and focus on objectives and values of justice, lack of intellectual depth and originality
It is indeed a reflection of the sorry state of the contemporary Muslim mind that he must think of empowerment primarily in terms of punishment and state control.
In the case of Malaysia, non-Muslims and non-Malays are often imagined to be at the receiving end of that fantasy.
What is more worrying is the attempt to promote the assumption that any wrongdoing by a Muslim is to be better than the righteousness of a non-Muslim.
As Muslims, we have the duty to command good and forbid evil, regardless of who does it.
What
is tragically ironic about this campaign against DAP is that it is
being spewed by members of a party whose own leader is busy talking
about the importance of Wasatiyah or a moderate approach to religion.
This also explains his ambivalence in regard to hudud or an Islamic state that has somehow been left unquestioned in these polemics.
The prime minister has gone on record to express his commitment to moderation, but while this has been done ostentatiously in front of the international press, it is deeply disappointing to see him utterly silent with regard to the extremism happening in his own country, propagated by sympathisers and members of his own party.
Sad example of iLMU
The so called religious scholars of iLMU, Umno's official organisation of Islamic scholars, are one case in point.
Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya has, unsurprisingly, stood in defence and further justification of Abdullah Sa'amah's initial position, claiming that DAP, because of its position on hudud, is unlike MCA.
The fact that MCA has on numerous occasions came out in
opposition to hudud has somehow escaped Fathul Bari's (left) memory or attention.
At best, he is ignorant of recent events in Malaysian current affairs.
At worst, Fathul is ignorant of BN's electoral coalition strategy altogether, whereby because of Malaysia's diverse demographics, Malays have no choice but to co-operate with non-Malays, which has meant voting for Chinese candidates from an anti-hudud party like the MCA.
The latter is perhaps more likely to be the case since several figures in iLMU have expressed their disdain for democracy altogether.
In an op-ed in Utusan Malaysia earlier this year, Fathul Bari even tried, desperately and unsuccessfully one might add, to argue that the Prophet Muhammad himself was racist.
Hegemony of race and religion
The challenge of upholding democracy and justice in Malaysia begins with the fact that Malaysian society easily lends itself to the politicisation of race and religion.
We at the Islamic Renaissance Front believe that Malaysians will not see the true face of Islam flourish in their country if it is always used as an ingredient to exploit racial sentiments.
Indeed, the undertones to the demonisation of DAP that we are witnessing reflects just that: the use of religion to demonise a party in which the majority of the members are non-Malays.
It
is an old strategy in the fascist book of tricks: to dehumanise the
other, to relegate and reduce their individuality into racial labels and
to render their hopes, fears and vulnerabilities invisible: in other
words, to oppress.
What is worse: passages from the Holy Quran are evoked in the process for justification.
The Islamic Renaissance Front once again calls for a civil political discourse where issues of pressing importance can be discussed in a calm, rational and dialogical manner, where compassion and empathy - rather than the desire for power and competition - reign.
The conversation should proceed with an eye to ending oppression and finding a just solution for the happiness and prosperity of all.
"Man is either your brother in religion or your brother in humanity." [Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib]
DR AHMAD FAROUK MUSA, AHMAD FUAD RAHMAT, RIZQI MUKHRIZ, MUHAMMAD ANAS DANIAL and EHSAN SHAHWAHID of the Islamic Renaissance Front.
"I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being, first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole." - Malcolm X
COMMENT The Islamic Renaissance Front views the recent claims that voting for DAP is haram with great concern and unease.
We believe that those claims are contrary to the spirit of Islam, which holds that a leader is not to be valued in terms his or her race or religion per se, but fundamentally by his or her character and commitment to upholding justice.
A just non-Muslim is more worthy of being a leader than an unjust Muslim.This notion is based on the one of most important principles in the religion of Islam that supporting a corrupt and despotic leader, even though he is of the same race and religion, is tantamount to supporting injustice, when injustice is the main enemy of Islamic law.
The great Muslim reformer from Syria, Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1854-1902), held the opinion that since oppression and despotism are contrary to Islam, a just non-Muslim ruler is preferred to a tyrannical Muslim leader.
In particular, we find DAP's vision of Middle Malaysia, wherein dignity, opportunity and prosperity is promised to all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity, gender and religion, wherein the welfare of the poor and oppressed are secured, is in no way in contradiction with Islam's own aspirations for a just society in a modern, globalised age.
On this matter, we echo the position of Tariq Ramadan who has insisted time and time again that the hudud penal code is not the be all, end all measure of a Muslim's faithfulness.
Nor is the Islamic state the principle criteria to ensure the well-being of any society. Instead, the real challenge for Muslims today is pluralism: that is, how to live peacefully in a culturally complex and dynamic world that is ever-changing.
Focus on justice
As Tariq Ramadan put it, Muslims must end their preoccupation with models and rules and focus on objectives and values of justice, lack of intellectual depth and originality
It is indeed a reflection of the sorry state of the contemporary Muslim mind that he must think of empowerment primarily in terms of punishment and state control.
In the case of Malaysia, non-Muslims and non-Malays are often imagined to be at the receiving end of that fantasy.
What is more worrying is the attempt to promote the assumption that any wrongdoing by a Muslim is to be better than the righteousness of a non-Muslim.
As Muslims, we have the duty to command good and forbid evil, regardless of who does it.
What
is tragically ironic about this campaign against DAP is that it is
being spewed by members of a party whose own leader is busy talking
about the importance of Wasatiyah or a moderate approach to religion.This also explains his ambivalence in regard to hudud or an Islamic state that has somehow been left unquestioned in these polemics.
The prime minister has gone on record to express his commitment to moderation, but while this has been done ostentatiously in front of the international press, it is deeply disappointing to see him utterly silent with regard to the extremism happening in his own country, propagated by sympathisers and members of his own party.
Sad example of iLMU
The so called religious scholars of iLMU, Umno's official organisation of Islamic scholars, are one case in point.
Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya has, unsurprisingly, stood in defence and further justification of Abdullah Sa'amah's initial position, claiming that DAP, because of its position on hudud, is unlike MCA.
The fact that MCA has on numerous occasions came out in
opposition to hudud has somehow escaped Fathul Bari's (left) memory or attention. At best, he is ignorant of recent events in Malaysian current affairs.
At worst, Fathul is ignorant of BN's electoral coalition strategy altogether, whereby because of Malaysia's diverse demographics, Malays have no choice but to co-operate with non-Malays, which has meant voting for Chinese candidates from an anti-hudud party like the MCA.
The latter is perhaps more likely to be the case since several figures in iLMU have expressed their disdain for democracy altogether.
In an op-ed in Utusan Malaysia earlier this year, Fathul Bari even tried, desperately and unsuccessfully one might add, to argue that the Prophet Muhammad himself was racist.
Hegemony of race and religion
The challenge of upholding democracy and justice in Malaysia begins with the fact that Malaysian society easily lends itself to the politicisation of race and religion.
We at the Islamic Renaissance Front believe that Malaysians will not see the true face of Islam flourish in their country if it is always used as an ingredient to exploit racial sentiments.
Indeed, the undertones to the demonisation of DAP that we are witnessing reflects just that: the use of religion to demonise a party in which the majority of the members are non-Malays.
It
is an old strategy in the fascist book of tricks: to dehumanise the
other, to relegate and reduce their individuality into racial labels and
to render their hopes, fears and vulnerabilities invisible: in other
words, to oppress. What is worse: passages from the Holy Quran are evoked in the process for justification.
The Islamic Renaissance Front once again calls for a civil political discourse where issues of pressing importance can be discussed in a calm, rational and dialogical manner, where compassion and empathy - rather than the desire for power and competition - reign.
The conversation should proceed with an eye to ending oppression and finding a just solution for the happiness and prosperity of all.
"Man is either your brother in religion or your brother in humanity." [Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib]
DR AHMAD FAROUK MUSA, AHMAD FUAD RAHMAT, RIZQI MUKHRIZ, MUHAMMAD ANAS DANIAL and EHSAN SHAHWAHID of the Islamic Renaissance Front.
No comments:
Post a Comment