IRF Stand on the Issue of Non-Muslims Entering Mosques || 1 Sept 2010

The issue of non-Muslims entering mosques has received wide media coverage when Serdang member of parliament, Teo Nie Ching visited Surau al-Huda in Kajang to deliver Ramadan’s aid in her constituency. Some view non-Muslims to be “un-clean” to enter such a place and their presence is a form of desecration of such a holy place. Subsequent to it, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) and the Selangor Religious Islamic Council (MAIS) have issued directives disallowing non-Muslims from entering mosques.

We, the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) are of the opinion that there should never be any denigration of another human being based on gender, race or creed. God has honored all human being irrespective of beliefs. The Qur’an established this very fact in the verse “Now, indeed, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam” [17:70].

Religiously speaking, Islam teaches vying each other with respect and in good causes. To each is a goal to which God turns him; then strive together towards all that is good [2:148]. Conscientious and sensible people, of course, would lean toward an approach based on cooperation and empathy than toward an approach based on needless confrontation and unwarranted hostility.

We strongly feel that disallowing non-Muslims from entering mosques only portrays a negative image of Islam and is not in line with the examples set by the Prophet. It is well known from the tradition that the Prophet allowed Christians from Najran to pray in his mosque in Madinah.

In a multi-religious country such as Malaysia, adopting views that disallow non-Muslims to enter mosques, which are established in some school of thoughts, is inappropriate. Nobody from other faiths should be barred from entering mosques or any places of worship for Muslims, as long as their purpose is good, respect the sacredness of the place of worship and are modestly dressed. They should also be allowed to deliver speeches, provided that the speech is in line with the spirit of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.

It is in the interest of maslahah or common good of Islam that non-Muslims should feel welcomed and not intimidated from visiting mosques. Calls to ban non-Muslims from entering mosques or any knee-jerk reaction by the Islamic authorities to bow to certain political pressure in preventing the commendable attitude of cooperation and mutual respect is regrettable and uncalled for.

While Islam may have been a vanguard of freedom and progress evidenced by the magnificent civilizations throughout history, this traditional and orthodox position by the Islamic authorities remain seriously at odd with the notion of the universalism of Islam. The sensible path forward should be guided by the true Islamic values enshrined in the Qur’an and by the spirit of brotherhood of mankind, mutual respect and empathy.

Muhammad Adli Musa

Wan Norhaziki Wan Abd Halim

Analysts

Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)

"FOR THE PAIN, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry." — Australian PM Kevin Rudd’s apology for mistreatment of aboriginal Australians, 13 Feb 2008

"We participated in things that were clearly wrong and have reason to regret and we apologize for them." — Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein’s apology for the 2009 financial crisis, 17 Nov 2009

"And I felt sorry, and I have felt bad about what happened." — Monica Lewinsky, 2002

Beg Your Pardon
When governments, leaders & individuals say sorry
Forum
Fri 3 Sep, 8.30pm
The Annexe Gallery, 2nd Flr, Central Market Annexe
Admission: Free of charge

SPEAKERS:
1. WHEN GOVERNMENTS SAY SORRY: by Ambiga Sreenevasan
2. WHEN CORPORATIONS SAY SORRY: by Sreedhar Subramaniam
3. WHEN COMMUNITIES SAY SORRY: by Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof
4. WHEN INDIVIDUALS SAY SORRY: by Leow Puay Tin

SAYING SORRY is first and foremost a personal act to initiate a journey of reconciliation and healing between two individuals. However, it is an act that also has implications beyond two private individuals. When leaders of communities, corporations and even countries apologize for the wrongs of the past, they also begin putting things right in the present in order to have a brighter future together.

The apologies quoted above have become historical milestones of recent history. We remember them because public apologies from leaders are so few and far between. So few in fact they often shock us into catharsis and tears, allowing many of us to move on from our hurt. But yet, we are aware of many more wrongs yet unaccounted for. Are there things for which our government, community leaders and public individuals have yet to apologise, thus preventing us from healing as a nation?

This forum aims to explore both the personal and public dimension of the act of saying sorry to facilitate greater thought in the respective spheres, and hopefully inspire individuals and larger groups to cultivate a culture of the willingness to make amends.

SPEAKERS’ BIOS:
AMBIGA SREENEVASAN served as the Malaysian Bar Council chairperson from 2007 to 2009. In March 2009, she became one of the eight recipients for the 2009 Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage Awards. She is currently leading the Bersih Version 2.0 campaign and is a vocal activist on human rights.

EDRY FAIZAL EDDY YUSOF is a research fellow at Islamic Renaissance Front, an NGO that strides to engage in social debates and promote freedom of expression and religion, democracy and liberty. He has held a few key positions in the University’s Islamic society and actively writes for blog, tabloid and MMU’s "Risalah Jumaat".

SREEDHAR SUBRAMANIAM has almost 25 years of experience in consulting and senior management, about half of which was with a major international management consulting group. The remaining half has been in senior management positions within the media, business process outsourcing and information services industries. He is founder of The Malaysian Insider, currently the CEO of Good Times and a consultant with Character First!.

LEOW PUAY TIN is one of Malaysia’s finest theatre practitioners. She has written and performed 5 monologues – in Malaysia as well as in Egypt and Australia. She has also written a number of plays, including the popular "Ang Tau Mui", which have been performed in Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.

SAY SORRY DAY: Sun 5 Sep 2010
This forum is held in conjunction with the Say Sorry Day campaign. A collective of individuals and organisations are coming together to declare Sept 5, 2010, as Say Sorry Day. Everyone – in Malaysia and beyond – is encouraged on this day to seek forgiveness from and grant it to each other.

The inspiration for Say Sorry Day is a young Malaysian, Yong Vui Kong, who was only 18 when he was arrested for drug trafficking in Singapore. He is currently appealing for clemency, but he may still be hanged and not get a chance to redeem his wrongs.
His situation is extreme, and many people may not find themselves in the same situation. However, we all need forgiveness because we all do wrong; as the saying goes, “to err is human, to forgive, divine”.

To find out more about Say Sorry Day: http://www.facebook.com/saysorryday

Here’s a glimpse of how a few council members (+wives & kids) and I spent the last 3 days 2 nights together with other fellow Lutherans in Port Dickson!

The CCM Youth Network is really facilitating some very stimulating opportunities for engagement.  Check this one out:

You are all invited to the 2nd of the series of The Daniel Lectures.
This time around, we will be inviting Dato’ Chua Jui Meng, former BN
Health Minister and MCA leader, but now PKF Chief of Johor.

Details are as follows:
THE DANIEL LECTURES
Speaker: Dato’ Chua Jui Meng
Moderator: Andrew Khoo, Council Member & Chair of Human Rights
Committee, Malaysia Bar Council
Title: Our Eyes are on You, Lord!
When: 8pm Sept 2 Thurs
Where: St Paul’s Church, Lorong Utara Kecil, 46200 PJ, Selangor

I’m here in Port Dickson. And accidently came across this song on YouTube.  Great lyrics of an original song by Al Hibbler:

He can turn the tides and calm the angry sea
He alone decides who writes a symphony
He lights ev’ry star that makes the darkness bright
He keeps watch all through each long and lonely night

He still finds the time to hear a child’s first prayer
Saint or sinner calls and always finds him there
Though it makes him sad to see the way we live
He’ll always say "I forgive"

He can touch a tree and turn the leaves to gold
He knows every lie that you and I have told
Though it makes him sad to see the way we live
He’ll always say "I forgive"
He forgives

for more information go to http://www.facebook.com/saysorryday