Reflections on Hajj

Islam is really vast, and most of us forget that it extends so far beyond our local communities. The first blessing of Hajj is to remind us of this reality. Another blessing is that, if you must travel the world, you might as well travel to the very gates of heaven and hell. Al Qur’an never dissociates these two ultimate realities, and in Makkah they are also both close to us. Among other things, our Taqwa will increase and we may even become more fearful upon return. There is nothing wrong with this.

How Islam and Universalist Humanism clash

The United Nations concept of human rights is unacceptable to Muslims. The points where they clash are numerous, yet Muslims seem afraid to focus on these points, perhaps for fear of upsetting the international “powers that be”. When Abdullah Badawi formulated his “Islam Hadhari”, for example, he carefully avoided all these points in his “Ten Principles”, thereby robbing “Hadhari” of any distinctively Islamic identity. Undoubtedly, he was trying to “sell” Islam to the world in some moderate, essentially emasculated form.

Seminar Summary

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in partnership with Islamic Outreach-ABIM, organized a seminar entitled, ‘Protection and Assistance of Civilians Affected by Complex Emergencies and Armed Conflicts.’ It was held at the Equatorial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on October 14, 2009.

The Simplicity of Good Da’wah

The following story is based on a true experience by a dear friend whom I had invited to “iftar” during the recent Ramadhan. The event was held in one of the halls at Kuala Lumpur’s Masjid Negara. For all of Malaysia’s enlightenment, she still designs some mosques that are quite inaccessible for “warga emas”, or senior citizens, who may be a bit walking-impaired. This was my worry but with all sincerity I had hoped that my friend would attend the event. And more importantly, the following incident has made me reflect upon what we call as da’wah bil hal – inviting people to Islam through our personal good qualities and actions. This is indeed is Rasulullah (may peace be upon him)’s lifelong practise. His moral conduct had drawn many people to love and embrace Islam. His trustworthiness and amanah had long since impressed the community of Quraisy Arabs. So much so that he was named Al-Amin, the Truthful One.

A brief perspective on religious freedom in the Malaysian context

There are a number of approaches which one might take when considering the freedom of religion in Malaysia, in terms of human rights. However, as delineated below, there will invariably be problems inherent in applying a Universalist perspective to the Islamic worldview. Given the constraints of time and space in this instance, then, the focus will be primarily on the Islamic perspective on the issues.

Muslim South East Asia NGOs call for Asean to overhaul its security-related policies

Press Release: Bangkok (October 16, 2009): More than 30 Muslim NGO activists and representatives from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Cambodia today gathered in the capital of Thailand to discuss the impact and implications of three conflict-torn regions in Southeast Asia and called for ASEAN and ASEAN member governments to undertake new and renewed efforts to tackle the conflicts.

A gentle self-reminder

A recent encounter with a long-lost acquaintance (and followed by my wife’s advice – thank you dearie!) reminded me of a story during the lifetime of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The following is what I am gently reminding myself of over and again.

Through our daily lives, we sometimes unintentionally seek to find people’s faults; but Allah asks us to see the good in them. Whether it is a rebellious ignorant youth, a self-centered celebrity, or arrogant young and inexperienced politicians (whose existence are so prevalent these days), or even a mean old man; But yet Allah asks us to see the good in them.

Welcoming Speech at ICRC-IOA Seminar

The FOLLOWING IS MY WELCOMING Speech AT THE SEMINAR ON “Protection and Assistance of Civilians Affected by complex Emergencies and Armed Conflicts”, HOTEL EQUATORIAL kUALA LUMPUR

Mr Werner Kaspar, Head of Regional Delegation ICRC Kuala Lumpur, Distinguished speakers, Guest of honors, respected participants: I warmly welcome you to participate in this seminar on “Protection and Assistance of Civilians Affected by Complex Emergencies and Armed Conflicts” which is organized jointly by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Islamic Outreach ABIM. I believe that today’s event will bring fresh understanding and greater awareness about this important theme, especially for those who are involved in civil society organizations that have a political and moral responsibility to act in such situations.

Virgins for suicide bombers?

This piece appeared originally in http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/113465

Noordin Mohd Top, Asia’s most wanted terrorist, was shot dead by a crack Indonesian anti-terrorism squad during a shoot-out in a village in Central Java.

The 41-year-old Malaysian-born Noordin, who had eluded the authorities for nine years, was gunned down along with three others in an ambush at his hideout in Solo. He was said to be responsible for a string of deadly bombings in Indonesia, including those in Bali in 2002 and two luxury hotels in Jakarta recently.

Reviving the Culture of Idealism

A recent seminar at a local university came to “question time” after detailed presentations of the different tracks available to the participants who were mainly students. This call-for-questions was met with total silence.

Two microphones had been set up, yet not one single student approached these microphones. Furthermore, the session moderator, evidently unskilled in the matter and not knowing what to say, merely moved on to the next agenda item.