All The Excuses To Divide Human Beings !!!

Womens' breast and buttocks cause evil !!!

I made a mistake and switched on my TV at about 530 in the morning today. There was this religious program where the guest was a university lecturer.

He actually spend about 10 minutes on lecturing why breasts and buttocks of women should be covered up because that can be a cause of evil. I  have never advocated public nudity nor  "inappropriate" dressing for both men and women in public.  However, to think that this good professor and Islamic scholar found it to be his priority to speak about breast and buttocks of women ( yes it is always the Muslim womens' fault!) as a source of evil so early in the morning is both embarrassing and mind boggling. Is that the biggest problem faced by the Muslim community at the moment?

It is equally sad and disturbing that having uttered everything possible to make the women responsible for "sexual excitements", the good scholar omitted to state, as most of them often omit, that in the Quran Allah has also enjoined on men to lower their gaze if they find what they are seeing is morally objectionable or disturbing to them. Men too are under duty to maintain chastity and good moral behaviour. This, however, is often not quoted by the scholars who appear to have adopted a sexist interpretation of scriptures and " religious.

 Allah says in the Quran {Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty} (Surat Al Noor <24:30-31>)

Without the slightest of doubt, sex does play an important role in the relationship between man and women but certainly not all the time and neither is it the most important role. So why is it that I have this feeling that the sexual aspect of women are always highlighted by the religious scholars in this country and of course the advertisers.

Does not "lower your gaze" principle also teaches us that we do not have to look at women in sexual terms all the time? That they are also human beings like men with fears, hopes and aspirations  like men?  This morning's religious talk on the TV also annoyed me - I just could not empathise with the good professor's up skirt joke that he made.  It was in bad taste and if kids were watching it, he just introduced a deviant behaviour which probably was known to him alone!

Anyway, if these are the kind of thoughts and "ceramah agamas" that we deem important to be on national TV, it probably reflects on what we deem as "Islamic". The sad thing is that if these thoughts are the majority, then the minority will be oppressed by the majority's imposition of their understanding.  May Allah have mercy.

Peace.

Is UMNO now after Datuk Seri Najib?

Without the slightest of doubt, Najib had worked hard before the elections - traversing the whole country campaigning very hard for the elections. His advisers were very convinced that Najib was very popular with the  Rakyat.  All his policies GTP, ETP, NKRA and a few other acronyms were  presented to the people. There was massive advertisements covering these policies. His advisers were very happy but certainly they seemed to have forgotten to ascertain whether the Rakyat were happy.  Br1m, tr1m, kar1sma and so on were also given out and again it was assumed that this would give BN the support of the Rakyat.

In the midst of Zulkifli Nordins and Ibrahim Alis, BN sought to reach out to the Chinese voters in an unprecedented manner including a concert of Psy thrown in ( whose idea was it anyway????) and yet it did not achieve the desired result.

When Barisan lost the popular  vote for the first time in Malaysian political history, it showed that whatever strategies BN employed failed. This means that Najib's election strategists failed big time. Admittedly, the cabinet did create a surprise of sorts but many in UMNO are now surprised why the cabinet looks the way it does. What's the direction and message the President of UMNO is giving?

Daim has  already fired the first salvo. Is Tun Mahathir soon to follow?

Word is that UMNO "big guns" are already planning something on the quiet (not so quiet!).

Let us see what  Najib's brilliant advisers are going to advise him now.

Peace.

Melayu di hina lagi? Kata Siapa?

Kalau betullah lapuran Utusan Online yang dipetik dari sini yang juga melapurkan seperti berikut:-

“Azran menerusi akaun Facebook dan Twitternya baru-baru ini bertindak mencerca Utusan Malaysia sebagai sebuah akhbar rasis hanya kerana menyiarkan artikel berbentuk pertanyaan bertajuk 'Apa lagi Cina mahu' pada 7 Mei lalu.

Menerusi akaun Facebook beliau, Azran menulis: "I am Malaysian. I am anti-racism. I am disgusted by Utusan's editorial stance. (Saya rakyat Malaysia. Saya antiperkauman. Saya meluat dengan pendirian pengarang Utusan),"

UMNO Veteran marah dengan pandangan dan kritikan Azran terhadap artikel yang dimuatkan dalam Utusan Malaysia. Kritikan ini dianggap sebagai satu tindakan biadab oleh Azran. Pendekata, bagi Veteran UMNO, mengeritik Utusan Malaysia adalah satu tindakan biadab.

Bukan itu sahaja, tindakan Azran mengeritik Utusan Malaysia juga dianggap sebagai “perbuatan Azran mencerca Utusan Malaysia bermakna beliau menghina kaumnya sendiri ketika kaum Melayu turut ditekan dari pelbagai sudut”.

Dari pemahaman minda Veteran UMNO, kritikan terhadap Utusan Melayu disamakan dengan penghinaan terhadap kaumnya sendiri. Disini lah cabaran untuk memahami lonjakan logik bagaimana kritikan terhadap satu artikel yang ditulis didalam satu surat khabar boleh dirumuskan sebagai satu peghinaan kepada satu kaum yang besar yang semestinya terdiri daripada anggota yang berlainan tahap pemikiran (dan pemahaman) serta pelbagai pandangan yang berbeza.

Bukankah kepelbagaian pandangan terhadap satu isu itu melambangkan kematangan satu kaum dan ekoran itu memuliakan kaum tersebut? Ini menunjukkan bahawa Melayu berupaya untuk melihat kepada satu artikel atau satu isu dengan pandangan dan kupasan yang berbeza.  Pada masa yang sama, keupayaan anggota dalam kaum itu untuk menerima dan berhujah berkaitan dengan pandangan yang berbeza secara berilmiah dan berasaskan fakta juga melambangkan peningkatan ketamadunan kaum itu. Mustahil satu kaum itu boleh maju kalau masih bergantung pada satu pendirian, atau fahaman atau kaedah yang telah ketinggalan zaman.

Didalam dunia keintelektualan, ada satu ungkapan yang sering diutarakan iaitu “those with brains can argue in a civilised manner but those with brawn will just flex their muscles”. Orang atau kumpulan yang yakin diri serta mampu berhujah balas tidak pernah gentar dengan pendirian orang lain yang berbeza, apatah lagi menggunakan kaedah pemikiran songsang dimana direspon balik dengan menggunakan taktik sentimen perkauman dan tunjuk kuasa. JIka ada pandangan yang berbeza, haruslah kumpulan itu memberi hujah balas yang boleh direnungi dengan akal. 

Veteran UMNO harus berhujah dengan fakta dan logik mengapa pendirian Azran terhadap Utusan Malaysia itu dikatakan sebagai “menghina Melayu”. Kalau pun kita andaikan dia menghina Utusan, bagaimana ianya boleh ditafsirkan sebagai menghina Melayu?

Jika benar Azran telah “menerusi akaun Facebook dan Twitternya baru-baru ini bertindak mencerca Utusan Malaysia sebagai sebuah akhbar rasis hanya kerana menyiarkan artikel berbentuk pertanyaan bertajuk 'Apa lagi Cina mahu' pada 7 Mei lalu” dan jika ini dianggap sebagai satu tindakan memfitnah, maka Utusanlah yang seharusnya mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap Azran.  Undang-undang Negara kita mantap dan jelas dalam hal ini. Dimana pula peranan Veteran UMNO dalam hal ini dan apakah locus mereka bercakap bagi pihak Utusan kecuali mereka sekadar melaksanakan hak bersuara mereka?

Ini yang saya kerap tidak faham dengan ”perjuangan” beberapa kumpulan dalam Negara ini. Utusan tidak mengambil sebarang tindakan undang-undang. Lembaga Utusan tidak berkata apa-apa namun Veteran UMNO yang tidak ada kaitan korporat atau undang-undang atau moral pula bertindak sebagai pelindung Utusan!

Memang pihak-pihak tertentu boleh berhujah bagi pihak lain yang dianiayai. Namun pembelaan haruslah berdasarkan hujah-hujah bernas, munasabah dan yang tidak menghina akal orang yang mendengarnya. Dizaman ini, ramai sudah kurang sabar dengan taktik-taktik yang menggunakan ungkapan sebagai “Melayu dihina”, “tidak kompromi dalam isu Melayu” dan ungkapan-unkapan yang seangkatannya yang tidak diiringi dengan hujah bernas atau fakta.

We have to evolve and therefore we have to learn to present our case. It is becoming embarrassing to use sentiments and superlatives to cover up our lack of thinking ability.

Saya berpendirian Veteran UMNO tidak perlu gusar. Melayu hari ini tidak mudah latah atau mudah terasa terhina dengan pandangan orang lain apatah lagi pandangan berbza daripada ahli kaumnya sendiri. Melayu hari ini lebih bersenjatakan maklumat dan fakta serta mempunyai keyakinan diri yang lebih tinggi. Mereka tidak perlu orang lain, apatah lagi orang-orang politik untuk melentur emosi mereka. Yakinlah kepada keupayaan Melayu untuk menilai sesuatu dan Insha Allah, mereka akan menilai dengan baik. Lagipun, kita bangga ada anak Melayu yang maju, kenapa pula kita nak taburkan pasir dalam periuk nasi Azran pulak kerana berbeza pendapat dengan dia?

Salam.

Will BN be Opposition in 2018?

What happened to BN is something that is bound to happened under the circumstances. In fact, they could very well have lost the government. Almost everyone who is in touch with the grassroots could see this except, I am afraid those within the BN and especially those who are entrusted to "strategise" for BN were unable to fathom the ground swell of "anti-BN" sentiments caused by various factors. 

While I acknowledge that there was a cry for change and it appears unstoppable to BN advisers, I believe that BN could actually have done better IF it had chanced to so some of the things that it was advised to do and it did not do many of the things that it did. Unfortunately, penetrating the "fortress of BN walls" to the Ears that matter is a tough uphill task for those with decency and pride. 

Even 3 years before several advices were given to those who were supposedly entrusted to advise the Ears that matter. The advise that there need to be changes in THEIR own mindset BEFORE they can hope to assist BN to retain or improve its strength fell on completely deaf ears. I do not know to this day if the advice ever went to the Ears that matter to this day. I have never been one of those born to wait and ambush the "King or Lord" to kiss his hand and then give him my advice. 

Being a Muslim, I find it extremely tough to kneel and bow to another fellow human being, especially one whom I am trying to assist. I would be insulted even more if he thinks his presence alone is a major blessing in my life. But many in UMNO are indebted in this way to the point of selling their souls! Anyway I have digressed.

The think tanks I have been invited to (which I could not repeat my attendance more than once) was to me an immediate failure - it was largely made up of people with like-minded. one track mind founded on past strategies - race, reward, fear, etc. They still do not understand the ground sentiments and ground perceptions. It was very tiring.

They missed a big opportunity and I am prepared to be chastised here for exposing it. They missed the big opportunity to meet up with the key civil society personalities and groups that had been skilfully and secretly arranged for them. They also missed the opportunities to embrace the wave of change but instead treated it as a threat. The advisers to the Ears that matter fatally underestimated the tenacity, sincerity  and passion of these groups and individuals. Instead, they would rather be happily seen with the "NGOs" which are actually them in different clothes - a further insult to the Rakyat's mind.

Pakatan on the other hand readily embraced civil society. Many of the ideas that were given to BN advisers were dismissed as too "youthful" and replaced with very superficially "cool" measures and transparent feudal strategies - " Peasants, here are some silver coins! Kneel and be grateful". This does not work any more. People do not care on which throne you sit any more. They just do not wish to keep sitting on the toilet bowl as it stinks!

I think BN, to date has not changed in its political outlook - it is being sordidly comfortable with its rural base which it does not realise is eroding. Once again please do not dispute me with the JASA, SB and other data - go on the ground yourself. You have been proven wrong twice already - 2008 and now, 2013.

The problem is that BN has become so straight jacketed and not so cool and this makes new ideas very difficult to be articulated to them.

Without saying much in public, I'll say this - if BN continues to think in the way it has been thinking (and it will if it keeps using the same advisers or advisers from the same school of thought), it will definitely be the opposition in parliament in 2018.

BN, you should just learn to be cool - and learn to listen. To be able to listen emphatically, you must get off your high horse.

Peace !