IS one vertical line against a horizontal one enough to make Muslims lose their faith? The latest warning to Muslims not to wear football jerseys with a cross isn’t the first time such fears are raised by some Muslims.
religion
PR shies away from Islamic state issue
Translation by Gan Pei LingTHE Nut Graph started posting six questions to 222 Members of Parliament (MP) in January 2010 for its MP Watch: Eye on Parliament project. The project — a likely first of its kind in Malaysia — aims to record MPs’ positions on key issues of democracy as well as provide MPs a platform for voters […]
Treating religious minorities with respect
By Ding Jo-AnnREV Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), was recently in Kuala Lumpur for the 13th general assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia. Tveit has been heavily involved in interfaith dialogue as moderator of the Church of Norway-Islamic Council of Norway. He was also co-chair of the WCC […]
JHEOA involved in Orang Asli conversion
By Ding Jo-AnnColin Nicholas PETALING JAYA, 4 May 2010: The Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli (JHEOA) has been involved in the Islamisation of Orang Asli for decades, said Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Dr Colin Nicholas. “One of JHEOA‘s main objective is to convert Orang Asli to Islam. They don’t say it openly but their budget […]
Who speaks for Islam?
By Deborah LohCAN non-Muslims speak about Islam? For that matter, can faithful, practising but non-scholarly Muslims, or Muslim women, or Muslim human rights activists, speak about Islam? As long as the fundamentals of Islam are given due respect, can’t there be room for comment or to express concern about aspects in the implementation of Islamic law, which, […]
BN’s whipping quandary
By Ding Jo-AnnDigging…and digging…and digging THE big hole our government found themselves in after Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was sentenced to caning for drinking alcohol has just gotten bigger. Stuck between pleasing those who thought moral offenders deserved caning and outraged human rights groups as well as the international community, the government decided to cane three other […]
The politics of dialogue
By K ShanmugaSome people just don’t understand dialogue… SO now the government wants a formalised interfaith dialogue mechanism? Going by the history of the state’s response to attempts by civil society to initiate interfaith dialogue, I am not holding my breath. In 2005, various members of civil society had a conference proposing a statutory Interfaith Commission (IFC) […]
Flipping on interfaith dialogue (Updated)
By Ding Jo-AnnUpdated 5:35pm, 12 Feb 2010 “There is no reason to be afraid of ideas like [having an interfaith body].” DATUK Seri Rais Yatim, speaking as then culture, arts and heritage minister, when opening a 2005 national conference on establishing an interfaith commission. Rais encouraged everyone to listen to the proposals with an open mind and […]
Terror against religious freedom
By Tommy Thomas(Pic by Jan Tabery / sxc.hu) THE attacks against churches and other places of worship that ushered in 2010 have brought into sharp focus the intolerance of an unruly minority in Malaysia. This minority is determined to destroy the delicate balance reached through compromise and consensus in a plural society by our founding leaders, which […]
Allah debate #4
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Lainie Yeoh*Quote sourced from PM: Don’t blame Umno over attacks, Malaysiakini, 8 Jan 2010(Kancil pic public domain) The Nut Graph needs your support Please take our five-minute reader survey