“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.”
“Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace,
for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man." “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
Ridhuan Tee: Hudud has to be implemented 'by force' by Hazlan Zakaria
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The only way to implement the Islamic hudud law is by implementing it "by force", Malaysian National Defence University lecturer Ridhuan Tee Abdullah said today.
"To implement Islamic law and to educate non-Muslims (on Islam) can only be done by force," the associate professor told a forum entitled 'Hudud: Its dilemma and implementation' organised by Malay-language daily Sinar Harian in Shah Alam today.
Qualifying his assertion, Ridhuan (right) said this is because the "negative attitude" of non-Muslims towards Islamic law makes it unlikely that they will voluntarily accept its implementation.
He related his own experience as being an ethnic Chinese from a staunchly Chinese family and observations and studies of non-Muslims and their perception of Malaysia's federal religion.
"I can say that from then (the past) till now, the perception of non-Muslims toward Islam hasn't improved."
He also cited studies that show that the perception of the Chinese, even amongst the educated, toward Islam and hudud is very unfavourable.
"It is said that when asked to pick between an Umno that is known to be corrupt and PAS that is known for its integrity, a Chinese would rather chose the corrupt Umno over PAS and the Islamic state," claimed Ridhuan.
He said with what he felt was serious fragmentation amongst Muslims despite being the majority, they neither had the clout nor the will to follow through with implementing hudud.
"We should have taken the chance to do so (implement Islamic law) after May 13 (1969)," he said.
He argued that at the time, momentum on the side of the Malay-Muslims presented the perfect opportunity to force the implementation of Islamic law.
‘Chinese receptive’
Another panellist, state exco member for religious affairs Mohd Amar Abdullah (below) however said that PAS, in particular its government in Kelantan has other ideas on hudud.
"It is about a change of mindset. From viewing Islam as a ritual, to viewing Islam as a way of life.
"This is via implementing Islamic policies and educating the rakyat, in preparation for their acceptance of Islam and hudud," said Mohd Amar.
He explained that while the PAS led Kelantan government passed the hudud enactment in 1993, they did not implement it in toto immediately.
"We can compromise in the implementation," Mohd Amar said, adding that PAS' experience in Kelantan showed that unlike Ridhuan's assertation, non-Muslims are very receptive to explanations about hudud and Islam.
He explained that time is needed to ensure not only acceptance by the rakyat, but also that all the proper procedures and the nitty-gritty are spelled out in advance.
"The important thing now is to put hudud at its rightful place as a law, then we can work towards implementing it."
Hudud, he said, is not only about cutting off hands of thieves that most people equate it to, but involved a whole slew of other issues and considerations that show the true compassionate face of Islam.
"There is actually a twenty point checklist that will defer the punishment of amputation for thieves," he explained, such as sparing those who steal because of economic pressure and for thefts of goods that are low in value.
The issue of Islamic law and specifically its subset of hudud has been the point of contention for PAS that has pledged to implement Islamic law, to the cool reception from political ally the DAP.
The issue has been played up by the BN at the onset of most general elections, critics say, as the bogeyman had in the past used to scare non-Muslims into supporting the ruling coalition. Malaysiakini
By the time this article is published, the body of 39-year-old Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, Bernama's late cameraman, who had apparently followed Umno Putra club's humanitarian mission to Somalis would have arrived in Malaysia. It is tragic, that apart from the hundreds of lives lost during the Raya period on Malaysian roads due to the balik kampong mayhem, Faizul should meet his death in war torn Mogadishu, Somalia.
Was this just an accident? Could it have been avoided? Did umno rush to Somalia to genuinely help Somalians? Or did the party throw caution to the wind and rush callously on the eve of Raya to Somalia just for a publicity stunt? If it was for a publicity stunt, then Faizul would have died in vain and this wouldn't have been the first time when our personnel, both medical and non-medical would have risked not only their lives but more importantly the people around them who may be completely oblivious to the dangers of this sort of missions.
In 2003, Mercy Malaysia similarly put medical personnel at risk. Its two doctors, Dr Jamilah and Baba Deni were lucky to get away alive although both were shot in Baghdad. Not so lucky were their Syrian driver and the Iraqi medical personnel who were accompanying them. Both lost their lives in the shooting. Malaysians may mean well, but extending aid to war torn and disaster areas carries immense risks and requires specific training.
Its not a boy scout outing. Apart from the safety aspect, questions have arisen as to how these trips are being financed and who actually audits these ventures. When the 2004 tsunami flattened Acheh, Malaysians were one of the first to reach Acheh. But they were hopelessly ill-equipped for the task ahead. In direct contrast, Singapore and Australia sent in their army and naval outfits to attend to the distribution of aid.
Humanitarian aid carried out by trained forces tend to be more orderly, organized, triaged and focused to help. Malaysians out to help nuclear-disastered Sendai, Japan following this year's tsunami were not even allowed to leave Subang for Japan by Japanese authorities, as they politely refused knowing well they could not guarantee the safety of their own people let alone foreign volunteers untrained in handling nuclear fall-outs.
From the images shown on local TV, the Umno Putra team appeared to be untrained personnel doing their rounds on unfriendly and sometimes hostile terrain. How would giving adhoc cholera/typhoid vaccinations and holding impromptu outpatient clinics at refugee camps help civilians there in the long-term? And why would you want to do a job you are not trained to handle especially on terrain you are not familiar with and unfriendly at that too.
Shouldn't it have been a job for our army boys. We are in peace time anyway and this would have been a good mission to keep them on their toes. There is no imminent danger of our submarines sinking as they apparently cannot dive, or our air force jets with no engines crashing and there are certainly no communists to look out for who may be waiting to create another Bukit Kepong situation.
A brief look at the army's hospitals' websites indicate that almost all their hospitals have hardly any patients, which will then beg the question. What do our army docs and medics do with so much free time on their hands? Shouldn't they have gone instead of the Umno club. Unless, of course, the help Umno went to deliver was a sideshow, the main menu being publicity for the party or its leaders judging from the daily reporting in the MSM and TV images during prime time.
Is this GE13 election campaigning using the Somalians misery and our journalists lives to brain wash kampong folk out in Jengka and Baling? Umno must now be ready to answer some difficult questions. The Mission arrived in Somalia on Aug 30 at one of the world' most dangerous destinations and to a country that is home to pirates that can put to shame even the mightiest of navies in the Indian Ocean, including the US Navy.
Apparently it was timed to provide Hari Raya aid and according to a statement issued by its chief, Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim to even have Hari Raya prayers there! If the Health Ministry was involved and had sent some of their personnel, Liow Tiong Lai better have some answers ready.
With our own Malaysians getting literally war conditions treatment in many of our government hospitals, it would be interesting to listen to Liow's excuses, in his own Tung Shin way. Aid was supposed to be distributed to five areas, with Mogadishu being the first stop. Others included Badbadur, about 25km from Mogadishu, where about 250,000 people are taking refuge, Al Shabeb in Merka where 300,000 people are affected by the famine and in the Balet Veni camps which house 100,000 people.
Both areas are located 100km from Mogadishu. Even the Operations chief Lt-Col Zahani Zainal Abdin had warned saying it would be risky to even fly into Mogadishu at night. In total there were a total of 55 volunteers and members of the media who formed part of the mission to cover a radius of almost 200 km in a country where there was no law except for a 9000 strong UN backed force - the only law in a country of 10 million.
Make no mistake, in this country even 12 year olds carry AK-47s. Umno club members had no business being in this country and in their pursuit of cheap publicity endangering the lives of other civilians both Malaysians and Somalians. Any mission that carries with it civilians and journalists are a handicap to any military personnel exposing even the most well-trained military commando to being nothing more then a sitting duck.
Al- Fatihah to Noramfaizul Mohd Nor's family. Let's hope Bernama and Utusan don't spin his untimely and unnecessary death into a "mati syahid" affair. Malaysiakini
No tear gas fired into Tung Shin, say police by Joseph Sipalan Jul 10, 11 3:49pm
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Kuala Lumpur acting police chief Amar Singh today denied claims that riot police fired tear gas into the compound of the Tung Shin Hospital along Jalan Pudu, despite evidence indicating otherwise.
He also defended his officers' actions in employing "reasonable force" to disperse the protestors assembled there, saying that the crowd had provoked the police and were "not very friendly".
"... there was no tear gas thrown. I saw the whole incident, I was there," he said at a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
Claims have been rife on social networking sites with eyewitnesses and opposition party members posting numerous pictures and videos of riot police allegedly firing tear gas and a water cannon into the compound of the private hospital.
At least several hundred protesters were there seeking refuge.
When asked if the police are aware of the mounting photographic and video evidence backing the claims, Amar appeared taken aback and only responded by saying that he will "check and see".
He repeated that tear gas was not used in the alleged assault on protesters in Tung Sin, but said he could not remember whether or not water cannon (above) was used.
Amar claimed that the protesters had provoked the police into taking action, including throwing objects at officers who were on duty.
“I believe you saw the crowd, you saw the people reacting there, and police had to use reasonable force, to apprehend these people.
“The crowd was not very friendly, either, the crowd was aggressive, so we had to use reasonable force to make arrest and the like... To disperse the crowd, we had to use whatever means that we had.
“You must have been there yesterday, you would have seen the crowd provoking the police, and some of them actually throwing items at the police, you saw it yesterday clearly yourself,” he told journalists.
When asked to clarify what he meant by “reasonable force”, Amar said it is no different from inspector general of police Ismail Omar's statement that the police had used “minimal force” to disperse the protesters.
“Our job as police (is) when there is a gathering, we disperse the gathering,” he said.
'Detainees well treated'
Amar also swatted aside claims that the 1,697 detainees were ill-treated while being held at three separate locations last night, stating that preparations were made to make sure each and every detainee was comfortable.
“We set up tents for them, we prepared a buffet for them, they had enough space to pray, there were sufficient toilets... we spent RM25 on food for each detainee. That is far better than the rations my men were getting,” he said.
The city's top cop also pointed out that the majority of the detainees were released unconditionally, with only a small but unspecified number released on bail after processing at three separate locations – the police training centre (Pulapol), the Cheras FRU centre and the Jinjang police station.
“The last person was released at around 11.30pm. It was very fast and I'm very happy it did not last too long.”
Amar urged protesters and detainees who have any complaints of alleged police brutality or abuse to lodge reports with the police.“If there are any complaints of abuse, bring it to us and we will investigate it,” he said. Malaysiakini
Cops question students for 10 hours over 'Interlok' by Zaidatul Syreen Abdul Rashid
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Cops question students for 10 hours over 'Interlok'
Zaidatul Syreen Abdul Rashid Mar 8, 11 3:40pm
10 friends can read this story for free
Three Form Five students were yesterday taken to the Kuala Kubu Baru district police headquarters and traumatised by being questioned for 10 hours - all for wanting to return the novel 'Interlok'to their principal last Friday.
Initially, seven SMK Kuala Kubu Baru students, who wanted to return the book because they were not happy with its contents, were stopped by a discipline teacher who allegedly abused them verbally.
“All seven of us were walking calmly towards the headmaster's room when our discipline teacher stopped us and started making comments which hurt our feelings,” said one of the students, who was with four others at the Human Rights Party headquarters today.
According to the student, the discipline teacher said the students were purposely creating problems because of their race.
The teacher reportedly said, “Kenapa orang India garang? India memang suka rosakkan nama sekolah. Keling memang dasar pariah sejak sejarah lagi” (Why are the Indians so fierce? Indians really like to tarnish the school's name. The keling have been pariahs since historical times).
The 17-year-old students were not able to return the novel as the teacher told them to disperse immediately.
Yesterday, while the students were in school, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) head Baktiar Md Rashid, who is a police officer, took three of the teens to the police station for questioning, without the consent of their parents.
A parent, P Gomathi, 42 (left), said she was angry that her son had been taken to the station without her presence or permission.
“My son did not commit any crime. He just wanted to return a book that he didn't enjoy reading.
"Instead he was humiliated and taken to the balai like some kind of hardcore criminal, in a patrol car,” she said, adding that the school authorities did not inform her about this.
Gomathi was informed of her son's whereabouts at 10.30am by a classmate. When she reached the station, she said, she was told that her elder son A Sanjeevkumar, 19, had also been called in for questioning as the discipline teacher had made a police report against him.
“She (the discipline teacher) said in her police report that my elder son had brought 100 Indians from Kuala Lumpur, from the Gang 36, to threaten her and her family,” Gomathi added.
She sees this as a desperate move by the teacher because Sanjeevkumar was away in Kuala Lumpur the whole week when this issue started.
Sanjeevkumar said: “I was a student in this school two years ago, and I have never been involved in any problem. No problem with the teachers or other students.
“Therefore, it is not fair for the teacher to pin it on me on the ground that I was a former student who 'turned' into a gangster to influence my younger brother.”
Gomathi yesterday lodged police reports against Baktiar and the teacher.
“I am not happy with what has happened. It was a school drama that should have ended there. Baktiar was misusing his authority.
"He should have had his PTA hat on, as the matter concerned school children in the school compound... not putting on his 'DSP police hat' and arresting the children and taking them to the balai for questioning. After all it's just (about) a book."
'A night in jail' threat
Asked what took place at the police station, the teary-eyed student said the police threatened that he and older brother Sanjeevkumar would be spending a night in jail.
“I asked for permission to call my parents but they (the police) wouldn't let me, saying I was in only there for questioning, and that they were not going to arrest me. The other two of my friends were also not able to call their parents.”
Asked what he wants from the authorities, he said: “I want to go back to school macam biasa (as usual). Jumpa semua kawan (see all my friends).
“Sebab hari Jumaat, banyak cikgu lain yang dengar cerita ini, semuanya cakap sorry dekat kita. (Last Friday, most of the other teachers who heard of this issue, came and said sorry to us).
“So, all I want is the discipline teacher to apologise to us. That's it.”
HRP president W Sambulingam (left), who was present at the press conference, said it was unfair to put the students through such an ordeal at a tender age.
“This is what I say, harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi. The police are supposed to educate and keep the people from harm. Instead, they lock up students. And for what? For trying to return the novel.
“As we have been saying since the beginning, 'Interlok' must be removed immediately. Look at it today, see for yourself what it has done to this particular school.
“Malaysia is a beautiful country, with beautiful people, so please do not make it ugly with hidden racial agendas. Don't ever victimise the nation.”
'Interlok', written by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, made headlines recently as critics have argued that it portrays the Indian and Chinese communities in a negative light.
There have been protests since the Education Ministry's decision to use it as a literature textbook in secondary schools. This is the first case of students being taken to a police station and questioned over the book.
Statements taken
When contacted by Malaysiakini, Hulu Selangor district police chief Norel-Azmi Yahya Affendi confirmed the incident.
"Since last night, we have been taking statements from all parties, including our police officer, Baktiar," Norel said.
Norel also noted that the three students were taken from school to the police station solely for questioning and they were not being charged.
"This is all just a big misunderstanding and a miscommunication between the teacher and students. My understanding is, the teacher was just explaining the meaning and history of that word (pariah). There was no name calling whatsoever," Norel added.
He gave assurance that the police are taking this case seriously, as the students' parents are not happy with the teacher and Baktiar, adding that the 10-hour questioning the minors underwent was standard procedure.
"The students were at the police station for about 10 hours because we spent about three hours on each student questioning and getting clarification from them on what had happen.
"Apart from the parents, the teacher also lodged a report against one of the students elder brother for threatening her," he said adding that if found guilty, Sanjeevkumar would be charged under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which includes a maximum jail sentence of seven years or pay a fine or both.
Norel said those involved in this matter had tackled this issue wrongly.
Any form of questioning regarding 'Interlok' should be done by school authorities, in the school compound and not elsewhere, he said.
Norel also hoped that no third parties who make this issue into a racial matter.
Part 1 Brunei has always been known to be one of the earliest Muslim Kingdoms in Southeast Asia. They pride themselves in this fact. All their neighbors pride themselves in this too, and of course, since it is fact, it is irrefutable. Right?
Good. Let’s quickly look at some FACTS then:
It is taught in school textbooks that Pateh Berbai, the brother of Awang Semaun and Awang Alak Betatar, discovered Brunei. Awang Alak Betatar subsequently became Brunei’s first Sultan and was known as Sultan Muhammad Shah. Awang Semaun and Awang Alak Betatar were the famous heroes in Brunei during that time.
Sultan Muhammad Shah was the first Sultan of Brunei. He ruled Brunei from 1363 to 1402. He was the first Muslim ruler of Brunei as a result of his conversion to Islam in 1363 for his marriage to a Johorean-Temasik princess. Prior to conversion to Islam, he was known as Awang Alak Betatar.
He sent a mission to China in 1371 by which his name is recorded in Ming historical record as Mo-ha-mo-sha. Sultan Muhammad Shah died in 1402. Sultan Muhammad Shah was the first Sultan of Brunei. He ruled Brunei from 1363 to 1402. He married the daughter of Iskander, a Johorean-Temasik princess introduced by Bal-Paki, her brother-in-law to be.
So far so good... Oh Really?
Read the above again very carefully !! Sultan Muhammad Shah married a Johorean-Temasik princess in 1363. Now, for all those products of Biro Tata Negara (BTN) out there, what year was Malacca formed? 1403. So, there was a Johor king already in 1363? Are you going to argue with Ketuanan Brunei on this? (By the way, he’s more Melayu than YOU!) Also for those who insist that Penang be handed over to Kedah, read the following again and again …
The Johor ruler was under the Thais. The entire Peninsular belonged to the Thais! The ‘king’ of Singapore (Temasik), whom Parameswara of the Malaccan Sultanate murdered in cold blood was in fact the brother-in-Law of the ‘King’ of Pattani, who was under Ayodthaya rule. For those who do not know, Ayodthaya is in Thailand. And that, my friend was already well established before 1363.
Next, Kota Gelanggi was also another Thai City, (yet to be publicized). And why not? Because it is a Thai Buddhist kingdom. Yes, it’s along the Johor River. All I’m allowed to say at this point is that Kota Gelanggi is REALLY along the Johor River. Expose Kota Gelanggi, and you will find its 30ft Buddha statues and its many Buddhist Temples, in all it's glory.
So, for Penang to go back to Kedah, ALL of the peninsula needs to go back to the Thais. Sarawak needs to go back to Brunei, Brunei needs to go back to Majapahit, Sabah needs to go back to the Philippines, and Parameswara needs to go back to Palembang, leaving the Orang Asli in charge all over again. (I find it ludicrous that the Orang Asli are disqualified as ‘Bumiputera’ although they have been here since 60,000 years ago)
Next, the year 1363 is of great significance. Why? That was the year that the first Sultan of Brunei converted to Islam. And he immediately became the Ruler of Brunei? What was he before that? A fisherman? A carpenter? A farmer? What was Awang Alak Betatar in 1362? And what happened the following year when he became a Sultan? Is becoming a Muslim enough to justify becoming a Sultan? Was he the first person in Brunei to convert to Islam?
Let's scroll back time by 100 years; the year is now 1264. A full hundred years BEFORE Awang Alak Betatar converted to Islam, and declared himself a Sultan. A trip to Bandar Seri Begawan is not complete unless one visits the Muslim graves at Rangas. Chuck your ‘pantang’ out the window if you want to enjoy this first-hand, and in real life. Amongst these tombstones is the one of a Chinese Muslim by the name of Pu Kung Chih-mu. He was buried there in 1264. He was a Muslim, buried in a Muslim grave! This is more than a hundred years earlier, before the ascension of Awang Alak Betatar as the ‘first’ Sultan of Brunei. Not only that, he is not the only Chinese Muslim there. I cross-checked against the Brunei Museum Journal of 1993, and found that this has been so well documented!! In fact, this grave had already been found since 1973. Whole communities of Chinese Muslims had already been living in Kampong Batu well before the 12th Century. It is clearly recorded in the 1973 Brunei Museum Journal, and was visited by professors from Japan and China. Pictures are on page 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12. Some are even in colour.
So, here's another nugget for BTN un-educators. The Chinese brought Islam to this region in 1264. Wait! That's not even correct. It was even earlier, because, this Muslim Chinese died in 1264. He had lived a full life in Brunei before he died. And before anyone even thinks of contesting this, let me draw your attention to yet another well-established fact, and let’s see how early the Chinese arrived.
According to records – as in the ‘Notes on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca Compiled from Chinese Sources’ by WP Groeneveldt in 1880 – a Chinese Islamic trader arrived in Brunei in the 10th century. His name was P’u-lu-shieh. He was both a trader and a diplomat. SQ Fatimi writing in the Sociological Research Institute in Singapore in 1963 under an article entitled ‘Islam Comes to Malaysia’, P'u-lu-shieh name is akin to Abu al-Layth.
The Brunei King at that time was named ‘Hiang-ta’. The arrival of the diplomat-trader from China was greeted with great ceremony. If this is so, Islam actually arrived in Brunei in the year of 977.
If this is the year 977, and the Sultan’s name in the year 977 is Hiang-Ta, then how can Awang Alak Betatar be the ‘first’ Sultan of Brunei in 1363? For those with very bad logic (or timeline problems), the year 977 is 406 years older than 1363. And in the year 977, the Chinese were already sending Muslim ambassadors to Brunei. The real question should be, thus, who exactly was that ‘Hiang Ta’ who ruled Brunei in the year 977? An Iban? A Kadazan or a Chinese?
It gets even better. The MOST interesting thing was that the Brunei king’s delegation to China to return the emperor’s greetings was also headed by another Muslim official by the name of P’u A-li (Abu Ali).
Based on this fact alone, Abu Ali must have held an important position in the Brunei government if he was tasked to be Brunei’s ambassador in those days. This is again, irrefutable proof that there was already a government, with a King, and some members of his royal court were Muslims. Again, this is proof that Islam had already reached Brunei before the year 977. This is 75 years into the beginning of the Soong Dynasty, and only severely retarded people will say that Abu Ali was an Arab because of his name.
And by the way, Malacca was not to have been discovered for another 400 years. Is there a prawn under the stone? You can bet your bottom dollar (because Ringgit is worthless toilet paper) that whenever John Doe writes, there is.
A number of European historians claimed that Brunei was still not a Muslim nation until the 15th century. However, the Ming Shih, Book 325, a Chinese reference book noted that the King of Brunei in 1370 was Ma-ho-mo-sa. Some say that this should be read as Mahmud Shah. In fact, local Brunei historians prefer to take this to refer to Muhammad Shah, the first Sultan of Brunei.
Robert Nicholl, a former Brunei Museum curator argued in another paper entitled ‘Notes on Some Controversial Issues in Brunei History’ in 1980 that the name Ma-ho-mo-sa could be pronounced as Maha Moksha which means ‘Great Eternity’. ‘Maha Mokhsa’ would make it a Buddhist name. Nicholl goes on to argue that even the Brunei Sultan who died in Nanjing in 1408 was not a Muslim. (History books always detail that the Sultan of Brunei went to China, but few will state that he died there),
Another historian Paul Pelliot said Ma-na-jo-kia-nai-nai was reconstituted as Maharajah Gyana (nai). But the closest title would have been Maharaja Karna. However Brunei historians have insisted that the King was Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan, who would have been the second Sultan of Brunei.
Nicholl further argued that Sultan Muhammad Shah converted to Islam as late as the 16th century and not during the 14th century as is widely known. However according to Brunei historians, Sultan Muhammad Shah converted to Islam in 1363 and that he ruled until 1402. After which time, it was Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan, who died in China who ascended the throne. That was when Sultan Ahmad reigned in Brunei beginning 1406.
And why did I bring up this detail? Simple !! Read the top all over again:
Sultan Muhammad Shah married a Johorean-Temasik Princess in 1363.
And that Kota Gelanggi and the entire peninsular Malaya belonged to the Thais. And if this is true and correct, then both the Sultan of Brunei and his wife, would have been Buddhists.
In fact, the entire peninsular Malaya had been Buddhist and/or Hindu ever since the second century when Lembah Bujang was built. And since this is the year 1363, all of Brunei and Borneo was also under the rule of King Hayam Wuruk, who was King of the Majapahit empire. And what religion did they have? (I’ll give you a hint... they built the Borobudor. And for those who claim that Borobudor is a mosque in disguise, please learn to recognize temple architecture.)
“Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan whose proper name is Zein Ul-Abidin, frequented the near distant islands, that He called ‘Solook’ (Sulu) from 1402 to 1424. Marrying the daughter (Parmursuli) of the Sulu Tomaoi (chief) Baginda” – it means he had a Filipino wife.
Also important to note, that since this is 1363, Parameswara had not yet swum across Pirate-Bay to reach Temasik yet. Hence, the need to locate the earlier kingdoms which pre-date ‘His Royal Pendatangness’.
During the reign of Wikramawardhana, the series of Ming armada naval expeditions led by AdmiralHajji Mahmud Shams (aka Zheng He), a Muslim Chinese admiral, arrived in Java for several times, spanning the period from 1405 to 1433. By 1430, Zheng He’s expeditions has established Muslim Chinese and Arab communities in northern ports of Java, and thus Islam began to gain foothold on Java’s northern coast. “Admiral Hajji Mahmud Shams (aka Zheng He) was so frustrated when he first arrived in Java, because he could not find a single halal restaurant there”, so wrote Mah Huan, his scribe, thus deciding to spread Islam to the “barbarians” as Chinese records would write.
“In late Yuan Dynasty, China became chaotic, people who lived along the coastal area of Fujian, under the leadership of Ong Sum Ping’s siblings, escaped to eastern Kalimantan — they landed at the river mouth. When they were exhausted, facing a shipping crisis, someone lost their arms. After that, the Kadazans named it as Sungai Kinabatangan — the place where the Chinese lost their arms.
Ong Sum Ping and his sister, and the Chinese people developed the area of Sungai Kinabatangan, and they increased their influences there. With the increase of his prosperity, the natives named him Raja, or King. The Chinese named him as ‘Chung Ping’ - meaning the General. We can clearly see that Ong Sum Ping controlled Eastern Kalimantan.
Kenneth Hall, Maritime trade and state development in early Southeast Asia, citing Wang Gungwu, 'The Nanhai trade: a study of the early history of Chinese trade in the South China Sea', JMBRAS 31, 2 (1958): 33, citing Paul Wheatley, The Golden Khersonese, studies in the historical geography of the Malay peninsula before 1500, Kuala Lumpur, 1961, and other secondary sources;
Yoshiaki Ishizawa, 'Chinese chronicles of C1st-5th century AD Funan',
Yoshiaki Ishizawa, 'Chinese chronicles of C1st-5th century AD Funan', citing Wan Zhen, Nanzhou yuwuzhi.
Louise Levathes, When China Ruled the seas, citing the Liang Shu (History of the Liang dynasty) and (i) Paul Shao, Asiatic Influence in Precolumbian art, Ames, Iowa State Univ 1976, and (ii) David H.Kelley, 'Nine lords of the night', Studies in the Archaeology of Mexico and Guatemala, 16, Berkeley, Univ of California Dept of Anthropology, Oct 1972 & 'Calendar animals and deities', Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 16, Albuqerque, Univ of New Mexico, 1960. Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press. Ongkili, James P. "Ancient Chinese Trading Links." East Malaysia and Brunei. Ed. Wendy Hutton. Tuttle Publishing, 2001. Saunders, Graham. A History of Brunei. London and New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2002. Wright, Leigh. "Brunei: An Historical Relic." Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. 17 (1977). "Background Note: Brunei Darussalam". U.S. State Department. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/m/v/mvp111/karin.htm, citing vol.231 of The Great Chinese Encyclopedia, compiled by court historians of the Wang emperors from 502 to 556 AD (other refs give the editor's name as Ma Tuan-Lin);
Prof V.G.Nair, Buddhist mission visits America before Columbus,
J.V.G.Mills, introduction, to Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng Lan; John Carswell, Blue & White, p.87; Louise Levathes, When China ruled the seas; Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng Lan. Inscription in Galle
In Late Yuan Dynasty, China became chaotic, people who lived along the coastal area of Fujian, under the leadership of Ong Sum Ping's siblings, escaped to eastern Kalimantan — they landed at the river mouth. When they were exhausted, facing a shipping crisis, someone lost their arms. After that, the Kadazans named it as Sungai Kinabatangan — the place where the Chinese lost their arms.
Ong Sum Ping and his sister, and the Chinese people developed the area of Sungai Kinabatangan, and they increased their influence there. With the increase of his prosperity, the natives named him Raja, or King. The Chinese named him as ‘Chung Ping’ — meaning the General. We can clearly see that Ong Sum Ping controlled Eastern Kalimantan.
This is Ong Sum Ping Road in Brunei.
“Located the north-western part was the Sultanate Brunei; its southern area was controlled by local Malays (from Palembang) and they were in a state of decline. In the eastern part, they suffered from the invasion of the Muslim Sultan of Sulu. When the new (first) ruler — Sultan Muhammad Shah — ascended to the throne, he asked for the help of Ong Sum Ping. Sultan Muhammad Shah married his daughter to Ong Sum Ping, and titled him as Maharaja Lela. Muhammad Shah also asked his brother to marry the sister of Ong Sum Ping, and titled her as Puteri Kinabatangan. Via these marriages, these two regional powers built a close relationship. Under the cooperation of Ong Sum Ping and the Chinese armies, they fought against the Sulu Muslim invasion, and Brunei was saved from utter collapse...”
Without Chinese help, Brunei and Sabah would have collapsed and fallen to the Muslim pirate Suluks. And the year is the early 1400s. And for the record, ‘Kina’ (kee-na) is used by Kadazan Dusun which similar to ‘Cina’ (chee-na) used by Malay which refer the Chinese. So, the correct way to say it in today’s context, is to call it CheenaBatangan, and Mount CheenaBalu, or Mount CheenaBaru (had they mispronounced it), and Kota CheenaBalu (to replace the British given name of Jesselton).
This is all in line with how the Kadazan pronounces Kina, to mean Cheena. Ask your Kadazans friends, if you want to find out more. (‘Sino’-anything, means Chinese)
Mt Kinabalu, is known a Mt CheenaBalu in the Kadazan Language
This is the first clear record of the ‘Social Contract’. Both pendatangs would fight side by side to ward off other vicious attackers. Both pendatangs would help each other in times of need. And both pendatangs would intermarry, regardless of religion.
The second is that Maharaja Lela is a Chinese, and his name is General Ong Sum Ping. Now I ask you this: What is the significance of the title ‘Maharaja’? It contains the word ‘Maha’ followed by ‘Raja’. It is a title to mean ‘Most High King’. A title befitting a God and put together, it means “The God King, Lela”. The king of Thailand (Rama V, aka Chulalongkorn) also changed his name, from Dharma Raja to Dewa Raja)
Using one’s brains, one would easily deduce the following:
Firstly, the Sultan of Brunei was extremely so grateful that he elevated his Chinese brother-in-law to ‘God’ status.
Secondly, no Muslim is going to do that. ‘Maha’ anything is reserved for Allah. And to title his Chinese brother-in-law in this manner, whether Ong Sum Ping was a Muslim or not, is simply unthinkable had the Sultan really been a Muslim. Which again reinforces that Sultan Muhammad Shah was no Muslim.
Thirdly, Malaysia still has the title ‘Duli Yang Maha Mulia’ so I could be wrong about Muslims being able to call a human ‘Maha-something’ instead of the word reserved only for the divine.
And the best of course, is reserved for last:
“In fact according to Chinese records of the Liang Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, Brunei had been sending her envoys to China and had also been receiving envoys from China. The earliest records stated that in the years 517AD, 521AD and 631AD, Brunei had sent her envoys to China. In 977AD, China sent her envoys to Brunei.” (see The Brunei Times)
The above sends a clear message that someone else was already King in Brunei circa 876 years before Sultan Muhammad Shah declared himself as Sultan. It is also very clear that the Chinese were already in Brunei 53 years before the Prophet Muhammad was born.
Also important to note, that the Chinese arrived at least 876 years before Parameswara reached Malacca. Could the Chinese have been the original royal lineage of Brunei? Remember that by the Year 53-Before-Prophet Muhammad, Chinese had already been living in Borneo. And never forget that the earliest Arabic maps label Malaya as ‘Barr Chin’ to mean Land of the Chinese.
And even earlier is this:
Second half of the 5th century: The Buddhist monk Hui-Shen and his Afghan companions travelled from China to Fu-Sang. Yes, the Afghans were Buddhists and carved the Bamiyan Buddhas that were destroyed by the Taliban.
Hui Sen visits Holotan (Java), on his way back to China. And the King of Java then sends seven missions to China begging them to recognize his kingdom, because no one else recognized them. This brings up strange questions. The Javanese kings did it, the Sultan of Brunei did it, and even Parameswars did it. Why were all these kings sucking up to the Chinese over the centuries? Is this what Ketuanan really means? Sucking up to China? All the Austronesians have certainly done it for the past 1,600 years, or more...
Final parting thoughts… Why are the oldest mosques in Malacca shaped all like Pagodas (in Trengkera)?
Why is there no ‘local’-shaped mosque architecture in Malacca? Why is there Bukit Cheena in Malacca, but no Bukit Melayu or more importantly, no Bukit Sultan? Why is there zero trace of any grave belonging to the Sultan of Malacca? Before anyone gives his lame excuse, there are at least 15 royal graves here in Brunei. All intact, all complete, and no missing links.
There are all records ranging from the Chinese (the later ones were Muslims) being in Borneo right from the fifth century right up till the 15th century. So the next time someone tells you that the Chinese only arrived in the 19th century …
Postscript:If I wrote a book on collective Southeast Asian History (complete with actual location photographs), I wonder how many of you people will buy it?
Kenneth Hall, Maritime trade and state development in early Southeast Asia, citing Wang Gungwu, 'The Nanhai trade: a study of the early history of Chinese trade in the South China Sea', JMBRAS 31, 2 (1958): 33, citing Paul Wheatley, The Golden Khersonese, studies in the historical geography of the Malay peninsula before 1500, Kuala Lumpur, 1961, and other secondary sources;
Yoshiaki Ishizawa, 'Chinese chronicles of C1st-5th century AD Funan',
Yoshiaki Ishizawa, 'Chinese chronicles of C1st-5th century AD Funan', citing Wan Zhen, Nanzhou yuwuzhi.
Louise Levathes, When China Ruled the seas, citing the Liang Shu (History of the Liang dynasty) and (i) Paul Shao, Asiatic Influence in Precolumbian art, Ames, Iowa State Univ 1976, and (ii) David H.Kelley, 'Nine lords of the night', Studies in the Archaeology of Mexico and Guatemala, 16, Berkeley, Univ of California Dept of Anthropology, Oct 1972 & 'Calendar animals and deities', Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, 16, Albuqerque, Univ of New Mexico, 1960. Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press. Ongkili, James P. "Ancient Chinese Trading Links." East Malaysia and Brunei. Ed. Wendy Hutton. Tuttle Publishing, 2001. Saunders, Graham. A History of Brunei. London and New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2002. Wright, Leigh. "Brunei: An Historical Relic." Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. 17 (1977). "Background Note: Brunei Darussalam". U.S. State Department. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/m/v/mvp111/karin.htm, citing vol.231 of The Great Chinese Encyclopedia, compiled by court historians of the Wang emperors from 502 to 556 AD (other refs give the editor's name as Ma Tuan-Lin);
Prof V.G.Nair, Buddhist mission visits America before Columbus,
J.V.G.Mills, introduction, to Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng Lan; John Carswell, Blue & White, p.87; Louise Levathes, When China ruled the seas; Ma Huan, Ying-yai Sheng Lan. Inscription in Galle
Guidelines For Muslims Celebrating Religious Festivals Of Non-Muslims.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The 68th muzakarah of the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs on April 12, 2005 discussed the Guidelines For Muslims Celebrating Religious Festivals Of Non-Muslims. The muzakarah has decided that:
In determining the non-Muslim celebrations that can be attended by Muslims, several main criteria should serve as guidelines so as not to contradict the teachings of Islam. The criteria are as follows:
1. The event is not accompanied by ceremonies that are against the Islamic faith (aqidah).
The meaning of “against the Islamic faith (aqidah)” is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will lead to tarnishing the faith (aqidah) of Muslims.
For example:
to include religious symbols such as the cross, installing lights, candles, Christmas tree and so forth;
to sing religious songs;
to put any religious markings on the forehead, or other markings onto parts of the body;
to deliver speech or gestures in the form of a praise to the non-Muslim religion;
to bow or conduct acts of honour to the religious ceremony of non-Muslims.
2. The event is not accompanied by acts against the Islamic law.
The meaning of “against the Islamic law” is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will contradict the Islamic teachings practised by the Muslim community.
For example:
Wearing red costumes like Santa Claus or other garments that reflect religion;
Serving intoxicating food or beverages and the likes;
Having sounds or ornaments like church bells, Christmas tree, temple or breaking of coconuts;
Having ceremonies with elements of gaming, worship, cult, superstitions and the likes.
3. The event is not accompanied by “acts that contradict with moral and cultural development of Muslim society” in this country.
The meaning of “acts that contradict with moral and cultural development of Muslim society” is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will contradict the values and norms of the Muslim society of this country which adheres to the Islamic teachings based on Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah.
For example:
Mixing freely without any limit or manners;
Wearing conspicuous clothing;
Singing songs that contain lyrics of obscenity and worship;
Organising programmes such as beauty pageants, cock fighting and such.
4. The event is not accompanied by acts that can “stir the sensitivity of Muslim community”.
The meaning of “stir the sensitivity of Muslim community” is a thing, act, word or situation which if conducted will offend the feelings of Muslims about their beliefs and practices.
For Example:
Speeches or songs in the form of non-Muslim religious propaganda;
Speeches that insult the Muslims;
Speeches that insult Islam;
Presentations with the aim to ridicule the religious belief of Muslims.
5. The organisers and the public are asked to get the views of religious authorities before organising or attending celebrations of non-Muslims. -- JAKIM
FOUR underlying reasons were presented to the Dewan Rakyat earlier this month explaining why non-Malays find the armed forces an unattractive, even uninviting, career option. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attributed the meagre number of non-Malay soldiers, particularly during the recruitment years of 2008 and last year, to:
- fear of strict discipline;
- a less rewarding job compared with the private sector; - no encouragement or support from family members; and,
- lack of patriotism.
Is the minister correct in his assessment? With only 82 Indians and 26 Chinese, and some Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras, against 9,054 Malays, the armed forces have always been top heavy in Malays, who, as a community, regard serving in uniform as a noble vocation. In that respect, it can be stated that the civil service is Malay top to bottom heavy.
The inference to be made on this lopsidedness is political: since the ruling party had always been Malay-based in 53 years of rule, it is natural that the civil service, from top to down, is filled in the ranks with Malays. The same concept applies to other countries, Singapore included.
That's not to say that non-Malays have not made it to the senior ranks on their own ability.
They have excelled in sectors like education, the navy, air force, police and sciences, but the salient concern here is that the rise of non-Malays to the top in the civil service ranks is irregular, thus the need for the minister to address the issue in Parliament.
Coming back to Zahid's appraisal, his assumptions need to be tested, especially on the assumption that non-Malays fear strict discipline and lack patriotism, which might be contentious at best.
The Chinese are known for their strict discipline in schools and universities, especially in studying and prepping. So, taking orders from a barking drill sergeant, marching in perfect unison, saluting superiors and living under regimented conditions is simply a different feel in the deployment of mass discipline.
Did Zahid mean to say that the Chinese and Indians are not suited to roughing it up in the jungles or the high seas, of eating off the land, ready to lay down their lives in the event of an invasion (an extremely slim prospect)?
That's odd because if genetics is the sounding board, the Chinese are already prepped in the ways of war, their DNA cemented from the long line of fighting at the height of crises and wars between warlords in China in over 2,000 years of imperialism.
Genetically speaking, too, the Indians are known for their high stamina and a long line of fighters from centuries past and ability to work in close quarters in the regimented lifestyle.
So, does it filter down to lack of patriotism? Zahid was vilified for suggesting lack of patriotism as a stumbling block.
The many non-Malay servicemen and ex-servicemen interviewed and profiled by the press since then attest to the fact that patriotism is not an issue.
However, Zahid appears correct in stating that the financial rewards are nowhere close to the private sector and, yes, because of this and other distinctive reasons, family support is unenthusiastic.
But the lack of Chinese and Indian participation in the military and, to that extent, the civil service, can also be attributed, rightly or wrongly, to this perception: the government, being a dominant Malay entity, has little or no place for non-Malays to pursue their ambitions, especially in a sobering climate of ethnic entitlement, identity and angst.
Conceding that the government doesn't enforce an "inclusionary" policy to even the racial balance on recruitment, other than qualification and interest as criteria, Zahid should be addressing this challenging question: why is it so, especially after senior politicians regularly implore non-Malays to join the military and, to that extent, the civil service, as the better trajectory of their occupa-tional ambitions?
In any case, Zahid might need to change tact or at least tweak the recruitment policies, perhaps with this novel, if not radical, idea: re-engineer the recruitment policy to purposefully include non-Malays, starting perhaps with a 10 per cent increase in the ranks and capping it at a gradual 30 per cent, in the same fashion Malays have asked over the past 40 years that the private sector fulfil the New Economic Policy's stipulatory 30 per cent quota.
The non-Malays might be taken aback with the idea that they, too, might need official abetment.
The Malay intelligentsia, in and out of the government, should regard the idea as an accommodation of their sincerity: it is only fair that they allow a nominal non-Malay number in the domain of their control in the same manner they beseech the private sector to give up a certain portion of their executive populace to Bumiputeras. (It might be argumentative fodder here that in some parts of the private sector, the 30 per cent slice has been abolished.)
Would this be an acceptable quid pro quo in the Malaysian institution of social engineering? It won't be known unless this far-reaching theory is given a try. 2010/11/29 AZMI ANSHAR mishar@nst.com.my
Spotlight/Non-Malays in armed forces: Ample opportunity for the deserving to shine
Colonel S. Mahendra (centre) being conferred the insignia by Army chief General Datuk Zulkifeli Mohd Zain (right). THE perception that non-Malays working in the armed forces have fewer opportunities for promotion is wrong. On Oct 11, Teoh Siang Chang, 55, who served in the Royal Malaysian Air Force for the past 36 years, was made a brigadier-general.
Teoh, who hails from Nibong Tebal, Penang, had been holding about 24 senior posts in the RMAF before he was promoted. He received his early training at Maktab Tentera Darat, Sungai Besi, Selangor, in 1974 and is now the directorate-general Technical Airworthiness at Markas Tentera Udara, Wisma Pertahanan, in Kuala Lumpur
S. Mahendra, 51, from the army, was made a colonel on Oct 15. Mahendra, who has been serving the army since 1979, received his early training at Unit Latihan Pendahuluan Pegawai Kadet, Port Dickson. He is now serving at Markas Tentera Darat, Wisma Pertahanan, in Kuala Lumpur. On Nov 1, Mundaw Dayak, 52, was made a general in the armed forces, a first for the Dayak community.
Mundaw, from Sri Aman, Sarawak, received the promotion from army chief General Datuk Zulkifeli Mohd Zain at the Sixth Royal Malay Regiment camp in Sibu, Sarawak. Source: NST
The Erdogan government crafted the Mavi Marmara affair as a piece of theater by Spengler
Friday, June 11, 2010
But it is a bit more complex than that. Modern Turkey is an artificial construct, rather than a nation-state in the Western sense. Since the Turks completed the conquest of Byzantine Anatolia in the middle of the 14th century, a relatively thin crust of ethnic Turks has ruled over subject peoples. The Ottoman Empire at various points in its history had a Christian majority; its civil service at different points was more Venetian, Armenian and Jewish then Turkish; its self-understanding was global and religious, that is, as the caliphate of Islam, rather than as a national entity.
When World War I reduced Turkey to an Anatolian rump, Kemal Ataturk attempted to impose "Turkishness" as a secular, national ideology on the European model. To make the country "Turkish", several million Orthodox Christians were estimated to have been killed. The hollowness of Ataturk's secular construct, modeled on the nastier European national movements, made it vulnerable from the beginning. The army was the only institution that could hold Turkish society together.
What will replace Ataturk's secularism? I wrote two years ago:
If political Islam prevails in Turkey, what will emerge is not the same country in different coloration, but a changeling, an entirely different nation. In a 1997 speech that earned him a prison term, Erdogan warned of two fundamentally different camps, the secularists who followed Kemal, and Muslims who followed sharia. These are not simply different camps, however, but different configurations of Turkish society at the molecular level. Like a hologram, Turkey offers two radically different images when viewed from different angles. Turkish Islam, the ordering of the Anatolian villages and the Istanbul slums, represents a nation radically different than the secularism of the army, the civil service, the universities and the Western-leaning elite of Istanbul. If the Islamic side of Turkey rises, the result will be unrecognizable. Turkey in the throes of Islamic revolution? Asia Times Online, July 22, 2008.
Gulen's pan-Turkic mysticism views Turkey as the center of a new caliphate uniting the Muslim world. He preaches a "Turkish renaissance" with a modern spin "to ensure that religion and science go together and that science penetrates not only individual lives, but also social life". His schools educate the elite of the Turkic world across Asia. Gulen's interest, to be sure, focuses on the Turkish state, whose bureaucracy is now filled with his acolytes. But unlike Ataturk's secular nationalism, which tried to redefine Turkey on a European model, Gulen's Islamism is inherently expansionist.
What Gulen means by science is of an entirely different order than the Western understanding. This "imam from rural Anatolia", as his website describes him, inhabits the magical world of jinns and sorcery. Science is just a powerful form of magic of which Turks should avail themselves to enhance their power, as he writes in his 2005 book, The Essentials of the Islamic Faith:
Jinn are conscious beings charged with divine obligations. Recent discoveries in biology make it clear that God created beings particular to each realm. They were created before Adam and Eve, and were responsible for cultivating and improving the world. Although God superseded them with us, he did not exempt them from religious obligations.
As nothing is difficult for God almighty, he has provided human beings, angels and jinns with the strength appropriate for their functions and duties. As he uses angels to supervise the movements of celestial bodies, he allows to humans to rule the Earth, dominate matter, build civilizations and produce technology.
Power and strength are not limited to the physical world, nor are they proportional to bodily size ... Our eyes can travel long distances in an instant. Our imagination can transcend time and space all at once ... winds can uproot trees and demolish large buildings. A young, thin plant shoot can split rocks and reach the sunlight. The power of energy, whose existence is known through its effect, is apparent to everybody. All of this shows that something's power is not proportional to its physical size; rather the immaterial world dominates the physical world, and immaterial entities are far more powerful than material ones.
He goes on to warn about sorcery and the danger of spells; he allows that it is meritorious to break spells (for evil witches are everywhere casting spells), although a good Muslim should not make a profession of this, for then he might be mistaken for a sorcerer himself. The notion that "wind" and "energy" are "immaterial" forces exudes the magical world view of an Anatolian peasant; the miracles of technology are the secret actions of jinn, just as the planetary movements are the actions of angels. When Gulen talks about the union of religion and science, what he means quite concretely is that the magical view of jinns in the Koran aids the believer in enlisting these "immaterial" forces to enhance the power of Islam. Science for Gulen means the management of jinn.
Gulen, in short, is a shaman, a relic of pre-history preserved in the cultural amber of eastern Anatolia. Kemalism was sterile, brutal, secular and rational; the "moderate Islam" of Gulen is magical, a mystic's vision of Ottoman restoration and a pan-Turkic caliphate.
The Erdogan government crafted the Mavi Marmara affair as a piece of theater, preparing the deus ex machina (god from the machine) entrance of Gulen himself, more Pagliaccio than Apollo, to be sure. The trouble is that the Turkish Islamists live in a world of magical realism in which theater and reality, human and jinn, desire and achievement blend into a mystical blur. Gulen explains in his The Essentials of the Islamic Faith that Allah created the jinn out of fire. And that is what the apologists for Turkish Islamism are playing with. Asia Times
"To implement Islamic law and to educate non-Muslims (on Islam) can only be done by force," the associate professor told a forum entitled 'Hudud: Its dilemma and implementation' organised by Malay-language daily Sinar Harian in Shah Alam today.
"It is about a change of mindset. From viewing Islam as a ritual, to viewing Islam as a way of life.
Hudud, he said, is not only about cutting off hands of thieves that most people equate it to, but involved a whole slew of other issues and considerations that show the true compassionate face of Islam.
He also defended his officers' actions in employing "reasonable force" to disperse the protestors assembled there, saying that the crowd had provoked the police and were "not very friendly".
At least several hundred protesters were there seeking refuge.
When asked to clarify what he meant by “reasonable force”, Amar said it is no different from inspector general of police Ismail Omar's statement that the police had used “
The city's top cop also pointed out that the majority of the detainees were released unconditionally, with only a small but unspecified number released on bail after processing at three separate locations – the police training centre (Pulapol), the Cheras FRU centre and the Jinjang police station.
“All seven of us were walking calmly towards the headmaster's room when our discipline teacher stopped us and started making comments which hurt our feelings,” said one of the students, w
A parent, P Gomathi, 42 (left), said she was angry that her son had been taken to the station without her presence or permission.
She sees this as a desperate move by the teacher because Sanjeevkumar was away in Kuala Lumpur the whole week when this issue started.
“So, all I want is the discipline teacher to apologise to us. That's it.”
Mt Kinabalu, is known a Mt CheenaBalu in the Kadazan Language
Thirdly, Malaysia still has the title ‘Duli Yang Maha Mulia’ so I could be wrong about Muslims being able to call a human ‘Maha-something’ instead of the word reserved only for the divine. 
Second half of the 5th century: The Buddhist monk Hui-Shen and his Afghan companions travelled from China to Fu-Sang. Yes, the Afghans were Buddhists and carved the Bamiyan Buddhas that were destroyed by the Taliban. 
