" The Islamic State Model Works"

with Hatta Ramli and Farid Shahran
"The Islamic State Model Works"



In recent years, Malaysia has demanded a normative Islamization of society. Relations with the other religions in the multi-faith, multi-ethnic country have thus become a frequent topic of debate. Two Malaysian Islamic activists spoke with Qantara.de about democracy, the Islamization of society and their experiences with Europe

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Dr. Farid Shahran is a member of the Malaysian NGO Angakatan Belia Islam Malaysia / Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), which works in the educational and social sectors to improve civil society | Dr. Shahran, can an Islamic organization like ABIM play a formative role in spreading social change and reforms, and in the democratic process?

Farid Shahran: My organization is a nongovernmental organization; we are not a political party. But we are nonetheless strongly involved in the process of developing civil society here. We organize seminars and conferences and are engaged in the social sector. We are active throughout the country, sending our staff members to help people in need, and we also work in the field of education. All of this in our opinion strengthens democratic values. We want to make our own contribution, based on our religious beliefs.

In a pluralistic society like Malaysia, in which many religions coexist, doesn't the Islamization of politics contribute to a division in society?

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Dr. Hatta Ramli is a leading member of the Malaysian opposition party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), which advocates a straightforward Islamization of Malaysian society | Hatta Ramli: Societies are always divided, for example along economic lines. But the main dividing lines are religious and ethnic. In Malaysia we have not yet experienced any major religious conflicts, but we did have rioting in 1969 based on ethnic strife. Responsible for the problems were enormous economic inequalities. As an Islamic party, we have not driven any kind of division. We must fight for the votes of Muslims as well as those of non-Muslims.

Shahran: I don't think that we split society. We consider the values we stand for, which also form the foundation of our work, to be universally applicable. They are just as valid for Muslims as they are for people of other faiths. Of course, our background always remains Islam, but we do not try to proselytize or to contribute to religious enmity. We want to improve human coexistence, irrespective of faith.

There are many prejudices against the Islamization of society, especially thanks to the rhetoric of the "war against terror." Dr. Shahran, do you see yourself criticized unjustly or limited in any way as an Islamic movement, on either the national or international levels?

Shahran: Because of prejudices both in the Western media and in the context of national conflicts, there is a tendency to stereotype all Muslims. Violence has nothing to do with the ideology of Islam. There are many reasons why radicalism and terrorism evolve, but they always have political roots and not religious ones. Some Islamic groups unfortunately link the conflicts with religion and faith. We, too, feel the prejudices, fear and skepticism that are projected onto us. But we are not extremist and do not encounter any problems with our work attributable to the fact that we are an Islamic organization.

Can Malaysia, as a country with religious pluralism and an Islamic state model, still build secular structures?

Ramli: The current system is working. And we do not believe that secularization is the right path. We want to work and live with religious people; we believe that this instills a system of values that is indispensable to our politics.

Shahran: Islam can coexist with any religion – that is the principle behind the faith. We concentrate on strengthening the community of Muslims. This doesn't mean that we simultaneously want to weaken others; we want to contribute to better understanding, but not to the secularization of the system.

What kind of experiences have you had with regard to the dialogue between the Islamic and non-Islamic worlds?

Shahran: For me, dialogue doesn't only mean finding out what we have in common. There are major differences in the interpretation of religion and religiosity. In the West, people see religion as something personal, while for us Muslims it is a way of life. This is why Islam intervenes in all areas of life. A dialogue must therefore address these differences in order to really bear fruit.

You have close contact with Germany, a western, European society. What are your personal impressions?

Ramli: In Germany, as part of Europe, a strong feeling of solidarity can be discerned, the "European Union feeling"! At the same time, we encounter here a fear of Islam and Sharia; people are suspicious of our political ambitions. But Germany is nonetheless seeking dialogue, not least because there are inner tensions here with the Muslims. Turkey, as a Muslim country, can likewise contribute to this dialogue – this is something that is not discussed enough.

Shahran: Many Muslims hope that Germany and the European Union will be able to offer a counterweight to the superpower USA. Germany should try to overcome its religious and cultural problems with the Muslims living on its own turf.

Interview: Anna Zwenger

"Nabi Muhammad s.a.w manusia paling berpengaruh dalam sejarah dunia"

Di dalam buku "The 100 most influential Persons in History" penulis iaitu Michael H. Hart telah mengkategorikan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w sebagai manusia paling berpengaruh dalam sejarah manusia/dunia ini. Penulis tersebut juga telah meletakkan Jesus Christ di tempat ketiga dibawah Isaac Newton dan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. Walaupun penulis bukan seorang yang beragama Islam tetapi kebenaran mengenai kehebatan junjugan Nabi bagi umat Islam tidak dapat disangkal. Penulis mengariskan 2 ciri penting bagi keputusannya meletakkan Nabi s.a.w. Ditempat paling teratas sekali. Pertama ciri yang terdapat dalam diri Nabi s.a.w ialah Baginda mengajar tentang moral dan aqidah menjuruskan masyarakat supaya berbuat kebaikan dan meninggalkan kemungkaran "amar maaruf nahi mungkar". Ajaran baginda telah menarik minat lebih 500 million penduduk di dunia ini. Ciri kedua pula Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. mempeunyai kelebihan sebagai pemimpin bukan sahaja dalam aspek keagamaan tetapi juga aspek pentadbiran, politik , ekonomi dan sebagainya. Penulis menggambarkan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w ini adalah seorang pemimpin yang hebat dari aspek keagamaan mahupun aspek sekular ( pentadbiran).Walaupun agama Kristian mempunyai 2 kali ganda pengikut iaitu lebih 1 billion, alasan penulis ialah Jesus Christ tidak mempunya kelebihan seperti Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. Jesus Christ hanya memimpin penganutnya kearah kebaikan(seperti ditulis dalam buku penulis tersebut) yang betul-betul menyebarkan ajaran Kristian adalah St. Paul. Akibat daripada penulisan beliau, Michael H. Hart dikecam hebat oleh masyarakat Kristian antarabangsa tetapi beliau masih dengan pendirian Nabi Muhammad s.a.w adalah manusia paling berpengaruh dalam dunia.
Kita dapat melihat bagaimana orang bukan Islam mengakui kehebatan junjungan besar kita, tetapi malangnya sesetengah orang Islam menidakkan kehebatan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w. contoh yang paling mudah ialah Kamal attarturk yang memperkenalkan dasar sekular di Turki yang menidakkan campur tangan agama dalam pentadbiran. Golongan-golongan Islam liberal yang menidakkan proses Islamisai. Oleh itu, kita sebagai umat Islam harus mengkaji nak meneliti sejarah tamadun Islam agar kita boleh melakukan perubahan.... InsyaALLah

Membantah Penganjuran Konsert Gwen Stefani di Malaysia

Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM) melahirkan rasa kesal di atas rancangan Syarikat Maxis Telekomunikasi Berhad menganjurkan konsert Gwen Stefani pada 21 Ogos 2007 ini. Penganjuran konsert terbabit jelas menunjukkan yang ia bertentangan dengan budaya dan norma-norma kehidupan masyarakat timur.

Kehadiran artis luar ini dikhuatiri akan mempersembahkan persembahan yang melanggar garis panduan yang telah dikeluarkan oleh Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia, melihat kepada latar belakang dan sejarah penyanyi berkenaan. Tambahan pula tayangan iklan dan klip video artis tersebut dilihat tidak sesuai dengan budaya masyarakat Malaysia. Tayangan iklan di televisyen berkenaan konsert sangat melucahkan, memberi kesan yang buruk kepada kanak- kanak.

Berdasarkan pemerhatian PKPIM, Syarikat Maxis Telekomunikasi Berhad telah menganjurkan beberapa siri konsert artis luar negara, yang sebenarnya semacam bukan untuk mengangkat martabat industri kesenian negara, akan tetapi mengaut keuntungan dan mendedahkan generasi muda kepada kerosakan moral. PKPIM mempersoalkan sejauh mana sikap ‘corporate social responsibility’ pihak Maxis? Apakah niat sebenar Maxis menganjurkan konsert yang marathon sifatnya itu. Bukankah lebih baik Maxis menaja and membantu pendidikan pelajar miskin di kawasan pendalaman dan kampung- kampung? Kebanyakkan konsert yang dianjurkan menampilkan artis yang tidak senonoh, seperti Pussy Cat Dolls.

Mengikut kod 15.2 daripada suruhanjaya tersebut menyatakan pemakaian artis wanita yang ingin membuat persembahan di Malaysia adalah seperti berikut:

i) pakaian hendaklah lengkap, kemas sopan dan tidak terlalu ketat;
ii) pakaian hendaklah tidak mendedahkan sebahagian besar dada dan perut;
iii) skirt hendaklah di bawah paras lutut; dan

iv) kain berbelah (slit) sama ada di hadapan, di tepi atau di belakang hendaklah tidak melebih dua (2) inci di atas paras lutut.

Selain itu, kod 15.3 menyatakan bahawa Artis Lelaki dan Wanita perlu mematuhi garis panduan seperti di bawah:

i) muka hendaklah tidak diconteng;
ii) pakaian hendaklah tidak koyak atau bertampal-tampal;
iii) pakaian hendaklah tidak terlalu jarang atau yang memberikan kesan jarang;
iv) pakaian hendaklah tidak memaparkan simbol, perkataan sumbang atau gambar lucah;
v) jenis-jenis pakaian hendaklah tidak mnembayangkan pemakainya tidak berpakaian;
vi) baju hendaklah berlengan kecuali semasa berpakaian tradisional;
vii) tatu hendaklah tidak dipamerkan pada mana-mana bahagian tubuh badan kecuali sememangnya menjadi unsur budaya seseorang artis itu; dan
viii) perwatakan hendaklah tidak berlawanan dengan jantina sebenar kecuali dengan kebenaran


Berdasarkan kod etika di atas, sememangnya artis yang bakal dijemput sudah melanggar kod etika tersebut. Bukan setakat kod tersebut, bahkan dari segi adab dan budaya pun sudah bertentangan.

PKPIM melihat sudah ada kecenderungan di beberapa pihak seperti syarikat telekomunikasi yang berlumba-lumba mengadakan konsert di mana kebanyakan artisnya adalah artis luar negara yang jelas tidak mengetahui dan memahami kebudayaan masyarakat Malaysia. Trend ikutan budaya Barat terutama dari segi pemakaian semakin menjadi-jadi di Malaysia.

Perkara ini bertambah buruk apabila ada pihak yang seakan-akan mengizinkan perkara ini berlaku. Gejala hendonisme iaitu hiburan yang melampau-lampau semakin hari semakin menghakis daya intelektual dan budaya masyarakat Malaysia. Penganjuran konsert terbabit boleh menggalakkan lagi budaya yang tidak sihat ini. Sedangkan seperti yang kita maklum, budaya timur yang menghiasi masyarakat kita sejak turun temurun dari generasi ke generasi begitu kaya dengan amalan budi bahasa, sikap sopan santun, berpekerti mulia yang jelas bercanggah dengan budaya barat ini.

PKPIM bertegas agar pihak pengurusan konsert terbabit, iaitu Maxis segera membatalkan persembahan artis Gwen Stefani pada 21 Ogos 2007 ini. Janganlah tunggu sehingga Maxis dicop sebagai agen perosak bangsa nanti!

Is Malaysia An Islamic State

Notwithstanding the constitutional and theoretical debates, Malaysia has been an Islamic state in practice ever since Independence, said the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim).Its president Yusri Mohamad said the so-called Islamisation process has not introduced any significant novelty."On the contrary, it seeks to preserve the religious practices and values of its Muslim citizens."The only ‘changes’ that have occurred are in the attitude of those who cannot accept what has already been happening for a long time," said Yusri when met at Abim headquarters yesterday.He was commenting on the strong objections expressed following the statement of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Tuesday that Malaysia is not a secular state but an Islamic one.www.malaysiakini.comwww.malaysiakini.com"On the contrary, it seeks to preserve the religious practices and values of its Muslim citizens."The only ‘changes’ that have occurred are in the attitude of those who cannot accept what has already been happening for a long time," said Yusri when met at Abim headquarters yesterday.He was commenting on the strong objections expressed following the statement of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Tuesday that Malaysia is not a secular state but an Islamic one.Najib said Malaysia has never been a secular nation as the government has always been driven by the fundamentals of Islam."Islam is the official religion and we are an Islamic state," Najib told reporters after he opened an international conference on the role of Islamic states in facing the challenges of Islamisation.No drastic changeThis was immediately opposed by various quarters, including BN senior partner MCA, who argued that historical facts and documents showed that Malaysia was a secular state, just as espoused in the Federal Constitution.Yusri said these quarters fail, however, to acknowledge the fact that the Muslim population in Malaysia has always been sensitive and referred to Islamic laws with regards to such issues as custody over children of mixed-marriages, claims over the deceased, and apostasy."Opposition to apostasy, for example, is not anything new or unknown to be prohibited. There has never been a situation where it has been allowed to happen without significant opposition," said Yusri."There has been no drastic change as far as Islamisation in principle is concerned," he added.In reference to the first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman, who is often cited as having called for a secular Malaysia, Yusri said the actions and practices of Tunku himself suggest that what he envisioned for Malaysia was far from what is conventionally understood as 'secular'.Tunku, who participated in the founding of the Islamic welfare and propagation organisation Perkim, had been actively involved in propagating the religion and facilitated the channeling of public funds to Islamic institutions."These are not the actions of a secular leader in a secular state. It’s very clear that his understanding of Islam’s position in the federation was far from what is secular in the conventional sense," said Yusri.On concerns that Najib’s statement would impact on the already controversial implementation of Islamic laws, Yusri said detractors of that process "pick and choose a few incidents" to paint a negative and exaggerated picture of the Islamisation process.No real fear"The implementation of Islam in Malaysia has always been autochthonous and informed by our own setting and circumstances. There is no real fear of Malaysia undergoing drastic changes on a daily basis and becoming a theocratic oppressive state," he said.That Islam as a religion informs and influences public policy in Malaysia does not automatically mean it is any less a modern state, said Yusri."An Islamic Malaysia is not the anti-thesis to our desire to be a successful modern state. On that contrary, it is one of the ingredients that can successfully bind the various elements together," he said.Yusri also said according to some scholars, Malaysia does fulfill the minimal requirements of an Islamic state in that the religion occupies a special position in the constitution, the Syariah family laws are in place, Muslims’ basic and external religious obligations are carried out, and public funds are used for Islam."It is not perfect, there’s a lot to improve upon, but just a Muslim is he who testifies he is so, we are also an Islamic state by the fulfilment of those basic requirements."

Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (United Nation) mungkinkah ada kaitan dengan perancangan Yahudi?

Saban hari kita mendengar kisah atau kejadian di dada akhbar, media elektronik dan sebagainya mengenai peperangan yang melanda dunia pada hari ini. Terbaru kita melihat kejadian pengeboman di London, England. Dua kali siri pengeboman yang berlaku di kawasan barat dunia tersebut kemungkinan berpunca dari pelantikan Tony Blair sebagai utusan khas bagi menyelesaikan krisis di Asia Barat iaitu kawasan bergolak Palestin. Selain itu, antara factor lain yang berlaku adalah penganugerahan gelaran “Sir” oleh Queen Elizabeth kepada penulis kontroversi Salman Rushdie.Ini sekaligus membangkitkan kemarahan umat Islam serata dunia dan telah mengakibatkan kumpulan radikal Islam mengambil tindakan yang dianggap wajar oleh mereka. Adakah semua ini berpunca dari scenario dunia yang telah direncana oleh Yahudi atau kebodohan dan ketidak prihatinan umat dan pemimpin Islam?Apakah pula peranan United Nation dalam menyelesaikan konflik di dunia?
Kemungkinan jawapannya adalah tentang tujuan United Nation itu ditubuhkan. Kita melihat pada hari ini bagaimana Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu yang dikatakan menjaga keamanan dunia ini seolah-olah tunduk patuh kepada Negara besar dunia iaitu Amerika Syarikat yang menggelar dirinya sebagai polis dunia. Ini terbukti dengan konflik yang berlaku di Asia Barat dan Asia Tengah, Iran dihalang bagi menjalankan ujian nuklearnya walaupun sekadar untuk menjadikannya sebagai sumber tenaga. Kita lihat pula bagaimana Palestin hari ini dimana Amerika Syarikat memberi sokongan kepada Israel walaupun diketahui bahawa Negara tersebut adalah sebuah Negara haram. Amerika juga menyokong tindakan yang dijalankan oleh Fatah dalam menyingkirkan Ismail Haniyeh sebagai Perdana Menteri Palestin.
Kenapa United Nation memberi kuasa veto kepada lima Negara didunia tidakkah patut semua Negara harus mempunyai hak untuk bersuara dalam pertubuhan tersebut?
Pada tahun 1848 revolusi yahudi telah dibangkitkan oleh Benjamin Disraeli. Di dalam revolusi tersebut terdapat beberapa protocol yang harus diikuti oleh semua kaum yahudi. Protokol ini dinamakan sebagai Protokol Zionism. Dalam salah satu protocol Zionism ini ada menyebut tentang peri pentingnya mewujudkan State Forces of the World or Super State. Super State ini ataupun lebih dikenali sebagai United Nation pada hari ini mempunyai sedikit sebanyak perancangan yahudi dalam merencanakan dunia ini. Zionism ataupun Yahudi telah merancangkan agar apa yang berlaku di dunia ini perlu ada sedikit sebanyak campur tangan mereka agar segala yang berlaku menuruti kehendak mereka. Harapan puak-puak yahudi ini adalah agar mereka akan berjaya menguasai dunia dengan gabungan kesemua Negara dalam dunia ini.Keadaan sekarang ini jelas menunjukkan mereka menguasai dunia dengan menjadikan Amerika sebagai boneka yang boleh diperalatkan bagi kepentingan mereka.

"Kempen Tak Nak Rokok: Hati Tenang, Akal Tajam Hidup Tanpa Rokok"

Pada 19 hb Mei 2007 akan diadakan satu kempen bagi menangani tabiat merokok. Kempen ini kan diadakan di Pasar Seni Kuala lumpur bermula pada pukul 9.00pagi sehingga 5.00 petang.Kempen ini akan dirasmikan oleh Insya Allah pengarah Pendidikan Kuala Lumpur. Kumpulan sasaran adalah kanak-kanak, pelajar sekolah menengah dan Institut Pengajian Tinggi.Tujuan kempen ini adalah untuk menyedarkan pelajar-pelajar betapa bahayanya tabiat merokok dan suatu perkara yang menjurus kepada pembaziran. Semua dijemput hadir bagi memeriahkan lagi kempen tersebut disamping mendidik masyarakat tentang pentingnya kesihatan