Pray for ‘Allah’ appeal, Archbishop urges Catholics

Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam urged Catholics nationwide to pray for tomorrow’s highly-anticipated Court of Appeal hearing.

Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam has urged Catholics nationwide to pray for tomorrow’s highly-anticipated Court of Appeal hearing, when the Catholic Church is scheduled once again to duke it out with the government over its right to use “Allah”.

The hearing could see another legal victory for the Church or prolong its legal battle for the right to refer to its God as “Allah”, the word in the centre of a protracted legal battle that has put a major strain on religious ties between Christians and Muslims here.

”The Archbishop of KL calls on Catholics to gather in Churches on Thursday, 22 Aug 2013 from 9am-12noon to pray for a just verdict while the Allah case is being heard at the Court of Appeal,” read a brief text message forwarded to The Malay Mail Online by Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of Catholic weekly Herald.

Yesterday, the Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur made a similar plea for prayer for “peace and good sense” to prevail, having voiced its concern that recent statements over the “Allah” issue may reignite sentiments that have been simmering since a landmark 2009 High Court ruling.

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In Borders case, common sense triumphs over bad faith

In the face of Malaysia’s rising religious conservatism, a civil court judge has boldly ruled on reason and common sense to uphold a Muslim storekeeper’s constitutional right to sell a book Islam’s gatekeepers here found offensive.

The court case involving the local Borders’ sale of Canadian author Irshad Manji’s book “Allah, Liberty and Love” has been closely-watched since it hit national headlines last year after Islamic enforcement officials seized the stock and charged the store manager Nik Raina Nik Abdul Aziz with violating publication and distribution laws.

Five months after pronouncing the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI), the home minister and the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs guilty of abusing their powers to illegally prosecute the bookstore’s Muslim manager, Datuk Zaleha Yusof of the Kuala Lumpur High Court has finally released her grounds of judgment.

Though couched in the language of the court, the judge’s strongly-worded explanation kept to a strict interpretation of the law that has given hope to Malaysians that their civil liberties as laid down in the country’s founding document remain as robust as the day they were conceived half a century ago.

“I am satisfied that the applicants have shown existence of illegality, abuse of discretionary powers, irrationality, unreasonable exercise of power, unconstitutionally and that there exists procedural impropriety on the part of the respondents,” Zaleha wrote in her grounds of judgment released last week.

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On YouTube, yet another religious row stirs

Malaysians are again picking up their well-worn pitchforks after a video surfaced on YouTube yesterday allegedly showing a Muslim prayer room in Johor being used by Buddhist tourists for worship.

The 85-second-long video titled “Surau dijadikan tokong???” (A surau turned into a temple?) begins with an external shot of a small building and a close-up of what appears to be a sign in Arabic script over a doorway.

The video’s maker then approaches the building to record what appears to be a prayer session by a dozen white-clad people led by a monk in red and saffron. At the front of the room, the video briefly displays a Buddhist poster below a plaque with Arabic script.

According to reports by several local dailies today, the surau (prayer room) is located within the grounds of Tanjung Sutera Resort, but the resort’s manager has clarified that the tourists were allowed to use the Muslim prayer hall as the other locations were unavailable due to over-booking.

Still, the angry responses are pouring in.

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Jakim gives MCMC nod to go after dog trainer

The country's Islamic authorities have set the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on dog trainer Maznah Yusof, saying action against her online video would be a “lesson to society not to repeat such acts”.

Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director Datuk Othman Mustapha said his department today submitted its investigations paper on Maznah, also known as Chetz Yusof, to the commission and may also call her up for counselling.

“If authorities take action against her (Maznah) it will be seen as a lesson to her specifically and society at large not to repeat such acts,” Othman was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama today.

On Tuesday, a 105-second video reposted on YouTube showed Maznah walking and bathing her three dogs as the “Takbir Raya”, or Muslim call to prayer traditionally reserved for the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, plays in the background.


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Jakim hands report on dog trainer Maznah to MCMC for action

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has sent its report to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for action to be taken against dog trainer Maznah Yusof (pix) over her Hari Raya video.

Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said the department and the state religious authority also planned to call the woman to explain her action and to advise her.
"If action is taken against her, it is to serve as a lesson to her, in particular, and society as a whole, not to do it again," he said in a statement here.

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The girls behind the Miss Malaysia World controversy

The four Muslim contestants who were disqualified from the Miss Malaysia World pageant have been subject to media scrutiny after their dropping due to the ruling that states Muslim girls are not allowed to compete in beauty pageants.

The Star Online spoke to three of the four girls who told us they joined the competition to give them a chance to show Malaysia who they are and why they are proud to be Malaysians.

The fourth finalist, Kathrina Ridzuan could not be contacted for an interview


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Jawi want a closer look at Muslim beauty contestants

The four Muslim Miss Malaysia-World finalists are being investigated by The Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) as they are deemed to have insulted Islam.

Jawi director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali said its enforcement unit would look into the matter following a Malay daily’s report that the girls were bent on taking part in the beauty pageant despite an edict by the National Fatwa Council prohibiting it.

“If we find sufficient evidence for further investigation, they will be charged in the Syariah Court,” he said, according to The Star.

Those found guilty can be fined up to RM3,000, jailed up to two years, or both.

Che Mat noted that based on the report in the Malay daily, the participants had expressed their disappointment with the fatwa that was gazetted on Feb 8, 1996, under the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) 1993.

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Shisha ban should cover all Malaysians

The fatwa against shisha is noteworthy, although it could have been done done much earlier.

The edict creates a double standard in safeguarding the health of people

THERE is no doubt that the fatwa to ban the use of shisha is timely and welcomed. Shisha is no longer a novelty in Malaysia. It has become popular, especially among youngsters of both genders.

They perceive shisha as harmless, more for fun and kicks. This is always the case for habit-forming activities, ranging from the use of substances to electronic gadgets.

Hence, to act fast with utmost resolute is the name of the game. It will become an uphill battle once the habits become entrenched in us.

The fatwa against shisha is laudable, though it could have been done earlier.

The next step is to internalise the fact that addiction knows no boundaries: geographical, ethnicity and social status.

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In the Christian part of the Malaysian nation, a growing distance from Barisan

New churches, still yes, but only in industrial and remote areas, no longer the type of prime spots the old ones sprouted on.

Wild charges of the "Christianisation" of Muslims.

The ban on the word "Allah" for non-Muslims.

Election fraud. And until it was pulled back yesterday from Parliament, the government’s new Bill to allow one parent alone to convert their young child to Islam, even against the wishes of the other parent.

These are issues which have made the Christian part of the Malaysian nation feel increasingly alienated.

To be sure, this is not a recent phenomenon. Even before the general election in 2008, there was some friction between this group that makes up about 10 per cent of the population and the Barisan Nasional government.

Unresolved questions surrounding conversion to Islam and cases of authorities insisting on Muslim burials for converts whose families were kept in the dark over the change of religion were already festering sores.

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Govt aware of concerns over issue of conversion of minors to Islam

THE government will take into consideration all views and make a fair decision on calls to consider withdrawing a proposal to allow the conversion of minors to Islam by just getting one parent's approval.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin said the government was fully aware of the concerns raised over the proposed amendment to Section 107(b) of the Administration of Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013, which had been tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

"The cabinet has discussed this matter in detail. We understand the need for a fair decision," Muhyiddin said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

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Task force on Jais SOP - MB welcomes Sultan’s decision, says panel will monitor attempts to subvert faith of Muslims more thoroughly

LEGITIMATE: The Sultan says the raid by Jais on DUMC’s Dream Centre was carried out in accordance with the State’s constitution

A special task force will be formed to study the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) standard operating procedure (SOP) in conducting inspections following the Aug 3 raid on a church here.

The announcement by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yesterday came after the Sultan of Selangor decreed Jais’ raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) as legitimate.

Abdul Khalid said the State government was confident the Sultan’s decision was in the public’s best interest and must be accepted with an “open heart”.

Church raid legal, says Selangor Sultan - Jais report shows evidence there were attempts to subvert the faith and belief of Muslims

The Sultan of Selangor today said the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department's (Jais) raid at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) here on Aug 3 is according to law.

In the incident, police and Jais raided a multiracial thanksgiving dinner at DUMC in Jalan 13/1, organised by Harapan Komuniti, a non-profit organisation helping women, children, HIV/AIDS sufferers and victims of natural disasters, after receiving complaints of an alleged attempt to proselytise Muslims at the function.

Twelve Muslims were detained and later told to present themselves at the Shah Alam Syariah Court on Oct 19.

In a statement issued today, the Sultan said that after going through a report submitted by Jais regarding the raid, the palace is satisfied that the actions of Jais were correct and did not breach any laws enforceable in Selangor.

DUMC maintains it did not break any laws

The Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) maintains it did not break any laws when hosting an appreciation dinner organised by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Harapan Komuniti at the church's Dream Centre in Jalan 13/1 on Aug 3.

In a statement to the Press yesterday, DUMC senior pastor Daniel Ho (pic) said: "We work within the boundaries of the law and public order, in accordance with the Scripture."

He also called for places of worship to be accorded their sanctity.