1. The Star （http://thestar.com.my）
What is Himpun about?, 22 October 2011
AS several thousand Muslims from over a dozen NGOs will gather in Shah Alam for Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) today, many questions still remain unanswered.
The gathering is to protect the aqidah (creed) of Malaysian Muslims from the supposedly growing problem of conversion to Christianity.
But it is apparent that very little information is given to support those concerns.
For one, there has yet to be any well researched agreement on the actual number of apostates in Malaysia. The suggested numbers have ranged anywhere from 135 (according to Ustaz Ridhuan Tee) to 260,000 (according to Tan Sri Dr Harussani Zakaria).
Surprisingly, according to the latest population census released by the Statistics Department earlier this year, there has not been a single Malay convert or apostate.
Nor does there seem to be any reliable information on which church or churches are the ones actively seeking to convert Muslims, or if Christians are the only non-Muslims who are most actively evangelising.
Ustaz Tee, for example, assumed that the Damansara Utama Methodist Church is Catholic.
Such a reductive attitude does not contribute to constructively formulating, nevermind, addressing the problem.
Different Christian churches have markedly different attitudes to evangelising. Indeed, much of the fervour leading up to Himpun seems to be founded on hunches and guesses.
Given the apparent lack of information to substantiate Himpun’s objective, it is all the more curious that there has yet to be any constructive conversation with organisations and members of other faiths about its concerns.
The prevalent message from Himpun is that this problem can be addressed only by Muslims, for Muslims; despite the fact that their concerns clearly involves the faiths of other communities in Malaysia.
There is a sense, that their dogged insistence to handle this on their own suggests unnecessary standoffishness.
Malaysia is a multiracial and multireligious country where peace and harmony depends on a genuine and amicable understanding between one another.
There are compelling facts and evidence to suggest that the powers that be are behind the movement, citing how the government-friendly media is playing it, how quick it is in getting the permit and the personalities involved.
There are also two important questions that the organisers of Himpun are not asking: If it is true that apostasy is as serious a problem as it is claimed, then we must ask, what is it about Muslim culture and education in Malaysia that is compelling many Muslims to leave the faith?
In addition, what can Malaysian Muslims do as a community to reform that culture to further enlighten, rather than alienate, its own members?
To ignore these questions, and to react in such frenzy and haste, is to neglect the responsibility of introspection that Islam demands from Muslims.
In our eagerness to blame others, we are forgetting our own possible shortcomings in the very problems we are aiming to address.
The Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) takes the following views in regard to this matter:
Spiritually, as a Muslim organisation committed to democracy, freedom and justice, the IRF regards the freedom of conscience and belief as central Islamic values.
Freedom, that is the capacity to rationally deliberate on the merits of our options, is the core of faith and ethics.
No action from any individual can be regarded as right or wrong unless the individual has the free will to choose that act in the first place.
The notion of responsibility then is only meaningful and valuable upon the assumption that the person was free to accept it.
This is the insight that is embedded in the often-cited claim that there shall be no coercion in matters of faith (al- Qur’an 2:256).
From a more legal perspective, the IRF also recognises that article 11 of the Federal Constitution ensures that every Malaysian has the right to profess and practice his or her religion of choice.
However, there is a jurisdiction granted by Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution to permit the state to control or restrict the propagation of religion among people professing to be Muslims.
More importantly, this must be read in the context of the Article itself that fundamentally provides for every person the freedom to profess, practice and propagate his religion.
In a modern, multiracial and multireligious society where people of different faiths live side by side, and cooperate under a system of law that recognises their equal dignity, due attention must be given to the principle of reciprocity as the essence of justice.
Any attempt by a religious community to place sanctions and apply coercion on its members who choose to convert to another religious group will place a moral obligation on the latter to defend the new comers who choose to join their faith.
Without proper dialogue across communities, the situation will only lead to defensiveness and a perpetuated sense of insecurity from all sides.
We would like to reiterate that the “battle cry” of Himpun to defend the faith will only show the vicious and intolearnt face of Islam as a religion that always speaks to reason.
Hence, the question that has to be answered: What positive outcome does Himpun expect out of such a ferocious outburst of fiery rhetoric from this gathering?
As an intellectual organisation that focuses on youth empowerment, the IRF insists that it is duly committed to the goal of Muslim solidarity.
However, it must be stressed in no uncertain terms that such solidarity is meaningless if it is not founded on principles of liberty and democracy, human rights and the equal dignity of every individuals, Muslims and non-Muslims alike; principles which are obviously and consistently expressed throughout the Muslim canon.
・DR AHMAD FAROUK MUSA, MOHD RADZIQ JALALUDDIN, AHMAD FUAD RAHMAT, EDRY FAIZAL EDDY YUSUF
Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
© 1995-2011 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
2. Malaysiakini（http://www.malaysiakini.com）
Goodbye May 13, hello 'Christian threat', 22 October 2011
'With the May 13 bogey having been put to rest and every other enemy has not been able to bring about the ‘Malay unity', the Christian bogey now has to be brought to life.'
Deja vu: Himpun rally has 21-year echo
Durian: The real strategist and actual person running the country today is very obvious - right from the time former PM Abdullah Badawi was forced down and replaced by Najib Razak - that person is Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The post-Abdullah era (and Abdullah was the best among the worst of PMs) has been full of racial incitement and religious tension. That has always been the hallmark of Dr M. And this really works among the Malays. Malaysia really boleh.
Paul Warren: Well, with the May 13 bogey having been put to rest and every other enemy has not been able to bring about the ‘Malay unity' that Umno has always been talking about, the Christian bogey now has to be brought to life.
The politicians, knowing that this is one bogey that they cannot be welcoming, have left it to the Islamic NGOs to do their bidding. Everyone attending the rally will not have the praising and veneration of Islam on their minds. It will be an orgy of hate.
In that hate, they will find a unity that will be touted about in the days ahead. And somehow they are supposed to find that Umno is that source of unity.
Compass: The good thing about this Himpun rally is that not one Christian or opponent of the rally has come out to threaten mayhem against the people who wish to attend it. Here lies the difference in character between the Umno bigots and the rest of us.
Petestop: If one has strong faith, why fear being converted? It says a lot.
No Deepavali cheer for nine Kg Buah Pala families
Durian: These nine families - who rejected the generous offer from the developer because they were being told not to accept it by the BN, MIC, and so-called champions of the Indians and that they could get a better deal - should approach these people for their compensation.
Why blame those who offered them compensation?
Ong: All those who had encouraged and instigated them not to accept the offer should now get together and raise enough money to buy nine houses of equivalent value for them.
Passerby: The nine deserve what they got. Perhaps they can go to TV3 and give more interviews or give ceramah to attack the Pakatan Rakyat government. They deserve this and no one should sympathise with them. They should go and get their houses from MIC and Gerakan.
Anonymous: Kampung Buah Pala residents association chairperson M Sugumaran and its activists, serve you people right. All of you were greedy for more. Your greed was manipulated by BN, and you are all now the losers.
Jyaphs: Sugumaran really talks rubbish. He should be responsible for the nine families' predicament and no one else.
Just Say it: These nine should seek compensation from Koh Tsu Koon, who approved the sale in the first place, or MIC, who instigated them not to accept the RM500,000 house. For the lucky ones who did not fall prey to MIC, they have every reason to thank Penang CM Lim Guan Eng (LGE).
Pemerhati: In the Kampung Buah Pala case, everyone can speculate and say all sorts of things - either in favour or against the way the matter was handled.
But the stark reality is that the poor Indian villagers only got 10 percent of what was stolen from them and Lim refused to engage in a debate with Koh Tsu Koon and reveal all the facts and explain why he could not implement the suggestions that would have given a much better deal to the villagers.
His behaviour thus gave rise to the strong perception that DAP is not very different from BN when it comes to treating the marginalised minorities.
Sze Tho Weng Ho: Dear Pemerhati, please get your facts right. The land was not stolen from them (refer to the Federal Court judgment). Just because you squat on land that does not belong to you, doesn't mean you are entitled to compensation.
The issue has been settled. The court has ruled the villagers have no legal standing. The houses given to the 24 families were on goodwill basis. The nine who were foolish and allowed themselves to be used as cannon fodder have no one to blame but themselves.
What is there to debate?
Temenggong: KBP (Kampung Buah Pala) is Brown Family Trust land administered by the Penang government. The residents paid quit rent and assessment for decades, not TOL (temporary occupation licence).
By some administrative trickery, the assessment was converted to TOL. Then the land was sold to the Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang Bhd. The sale agreement lapsed on March 8, 2008.
It was Guan Eng who resurrected the lapsed agreement on March 27, 2008. So don't lie to us with dubious arguments.
Proarte: I have been on record as saying that initially LGE handled the KBP debacle in a crude and insensitive manner which did not do put DAP in good light. However, DAP is now more savvy in dealing with Indian issues and issues which concern the marginalised.
I personally believe LGE had the best interest of the villagers at heart but was constrained by previous agreements and court orders. He had to look at the wider picture of business confidence in his administration. If the rule of law is not adhered to, Penang would suffer in the long run.
With regard to the nine who rejected the compensation, what leg did they have to stand on? They were not bargaining on a position of strength. They were given four months to decide but yet they stubbornly refused, having been fooled by MIC and Hindraf.
We know how BN deals with illegal residents - it is bulldozers, tear gas, clubs and if lucky a RM30,000 compensation. It was greed and ill-advice by the treacherous Sugumaran who singlehandedly caused their woes.
Abil: Let's be all rational here, rubber estates are being converted to commercial and residential land. This is very much evident in most states and the victims are invariably the Indians. They are being displaced with minimal compensations, and no guarantee of a roof over their heads.
Here in Penang, they were fortunate to get RM500,000 homes, which they can sell and buy a plot of land elsewhere if they desire to rear cows. In Selangor, the most they can get is a low-cost house worth about RM40,000.
Tkc: To M Sugumaran, C Thamaraj and the nine family members of Kampung Buah Pala: you were given a golden opportunity to own a nice double-story house without paying a single cent.
Due to some twisted logic in your heads, you declined the offer thinking that BN and Hindraf would serve you better.
Now, you said, "We are not beggars". I agree with you that you are not beggars. So why don't you - just like the rest of us - go work hard so that one day you might be able to buy a decent home.
Gerard Samuel Vijayan: These nine families deserve what they get. As an Indian, I have no sympathy for their plight.
They allowed themselves to be used by politicians and parties that were aligned to BN and the Human Rights Party, each with their own agenda against the Pakatan state government rather than think rationally and sensibly.
There is an old Tamil saying that translates to ‘one is angry with the well and decides not to wash his backside' - the same has happened to these families.
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