Friday, June 19, 2009

Spiritual Confusion, Liberal Islam...A Dissenting View

Friends,

A major problem with Muslim Malaysia nowadays, if one examine the issue of 'religious and political freedom of expression' closely, is not that of increasing narrowness of freedom of expression per se. Accepted that we are not America, and nor do we want to be America or Britain. People who still wish we are perhaps can softly and quietly migrate to these 'so called 'Lands of the Free' where there they can 'burn the Quran', if one fine day they woke up on the wrong side of their beds and in their hearts of hearts,felt so. That is freedom as they interpret it.Freedom to denigrate and sneer thy neighbours!

Malaysian's freedom , so to speak, has been 'hijacked' by some few individuals who are 'media savvy',be it electronic, mainstream or within the cyber space.It is a case of a small group given the option and the 'public space' by people who control the mainly secular media[ for purpose to further their own interest], to make the loudest noise, as if they are the mainstream 'thoughts and soul of our soceity. In the main, these individuals generally are upper Malay middle class in upbringing, have excellent control of the English language, years and years of public funded secular, oxbridge education or the likes, and until recently, highly sought after and courted by the so called National Press [ Thank God, that Mamak fella has lost his job with NST and now using his talent elsewhere !] and print media. Their hobby horse: pandering to the gallery of mainly ignorant, similarly secular audience, Malay Muslims and non Muslims Malaysians ready to join the bandwagon of 'Islam bashing', at least if not physical, 'mental' will do [ just read the letters section of Farish's OtherMalaysia blog in the 'link' section, and you will know what I mean.]

These individuals are no doubt Muslim by names [ and sadly by 'National definition'], less so in spirit. They are what God termed as 'sellers of the Religion for a 'fistfull of ringgit'. They , at least for some of them , enjoy unlimited business class travel to oversea conferences selling their 'moans and groans'[ you know who I am alluding to], international media hypes and funding [ Ford Foundation funded some of them to the hilt], etc etc and etc.If they are within the academic circles, they get their 'highs' from the gallery of applause whenever they 'score' with their convoluted arguments and circuitous reasonings.

During Pak Lah's time we see and hear too many of them, discussing Islam and professing their brand of Islam even within the proximity of Sri Perdana Putrajaya. That phase of political 'immunity' has ended but one has only to read the writings of the likes of Farish Noor and Marina Mahathir et al to realise that they are still well and flourishing.

It is always fashionable, and trendy to lament on politically correct but contentious issues such as 'human rights', gay rights, liberal feminism, the unfairness of 'Faraid', polygamy in Islam, 'democratic space' to discuss and dissect Islam in the lay press[ for whatever it means ] by 'lay' people etc etc but these chaps do have to thread carefully on issues that borders on the 'aqidah'. To make matters worse open it to a gallery of equally ignorant and secular minded populace, and at worse to non Muslims. In plural Malaysia I question the wisdom of this very public 'slaying' of Islam. It is alright if one wants to burn one's bra or even the Quran in Central Square, Copenhagen.Not inKuala Lumpur, please....

Yes, it is similarly trendy and sounds intellectually profound to be able to say that 'at the highest level, there is transcendence of all religions, that all religions are the same' but do these people understand or comprehend what they are regurgitating like parrots what the likes of erudite scholars like Martin Ling, Prof Fazlur Rahman, Hussien Nasr et al, meant. Even then, the fully 'converted' like Prof Syed Naguib al Attas, former doyen of ISTAC and his more humble and junior colleague Prof Wan Muhammad of ATMA UKM, have high reservation. Certainly both of them think Martin Ling et al are treading on 'boggy ground'.

The contentious issue of 'transcendence of religions aside', it is easier to accept that 'Kufr at its highest level, does transcends all religions'. Serious food for thought.

" Is he who goeth groping on his face more rightly guided, or he who walketh on a straight road? [22]. Say [unto them , O Muhammad]: He it is who gave you being, and hath assigned unto you ears and eyes and hearts. Small thanks gave ye! [23].".......[ Surah al Mulk: 67, 22-23 ]

6 comments:

Pearls and Gem said...

Perhaps it is too much to ask for people like KJ,MM,..A,Zainah Anwar,Farish Noor et al, if they like to wallow and bask in the ultimate glory of their 'spiritual confusion', that they do so in their own 'private' space.Save the rest of the great silent majority of us from 'heartache'.

I know Malaysia is a free country but 60 % of us are still 'backward' Muslims who cannot fathom nor stomach their kind of 'ignorant'liberalism.We do not need a Bapak 'Nurcholish Majid' in Malaysia.

Anonymous said...

WELL WRITTEN AND THOUGHT, DR NIK. I have always despised these people you wrote about, sometime I pity them for their ignorance.Only the likes of Mokhtar Stork the English Muslim residing in Malaysia can silence these people, for it is their own 'master (the Englishman) talking.yang lain mereka ingat sampak..**c* you zainah anwar ,rpk, AI! hehe garang c kit saya hari ni Dr Nik!

Anonymous said...

I mean, yang lain mereka ingat sampah..oh I detest KJ, I always shout to people who adore him..back in Charing Cross Hospital where I worked in 1993, people like him and at his age and qualification served as assistant hospital administrator..nothing more

RahmatHarounHashim said...

Probably these people must be admirers of Irshad Minji, a 'Pakistanist' journalist who calls herself "Refusnik".

RahmatHarounHashim said...

...Refusenik.

Pearls and Gem said...

Interestingly I found out today , one of the original founder member of SOS resigned from the organization way back in the 90's because she was asked by her colleage to remove her 'tudong' when they went begging for Ford Foundation money in America.Wearing a 'tudong' might have jeopardised their chance of 'big money' sponsorship.

SOS was also instrumental in trying to change the Muslim family law towards 'monogamy'.They did not get their way because the Muftis vetoed them. The last straw is of course the comment and the criticism on the 'faraid'.

It is not for us mere mortals to mess around with God's decree. If you dont understand or do not have the wisdom to comprehend, leave it to the 'experts'.

Dont mess around with matters pertaining to 'aqidah'.The Quran is not yet for sale!