Hafidz on Gays

Hafidz Baharom says –

“My thoughts on the issues of religious belief butting in on a way of life are simple. Read through your texts and go back to your basics. What makes a person a Muslim?

To be a Muslim, all you need to do is say the syahadah, fast during Ramadhan, pray five times a day, pay the fitrah tithe and go for Haj if you are able. So tell me, dearest fellow Muslims, where exactly is this straight/gay dilemma in the basics of being a Muslim? As far back as 1994, Sisters in Islam was decrying that no punishment was meted out under hudud law for homosexuality. And since you all love to quote the Quran, here’s one you missed:

Al-Ahzab, verse 58:

And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly bear (on themselves) a calumny and a glaring sin.”

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/softies-and-sexuality/

I’m called to answer Hafidz’s question on where exactly is this straight/gay dilemma in the basics of being a Muslim.

He is not wrong when he said to be a Muslim, all you need to do is say the syahadah, fast during Ramadhan, pray five times a day, pay the fitrah tithe and go for Haj if you are able. I said he’s not wrong but I don’t think he’s totally right either. Why do I say that?

First, I suggest he look up the definition of zakat fitrah vis-à-vis zakat. They are two different things, with different conditions and criteria.

Secondly, saying the syahadah is not merely an oral or verbal act. It requires one to fully appreciate, understand and accept what it means by professing there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.

Professing the syahadah means fully believing in Allah as the one and only God. Fully believing in Allah includes believing in his words (Al Quran) and adhering to his laws (Shariah). Fully believing in Allah also means obeying all of his commands.

Islam is not a mere collection of physical acts or words. Performing the Haj every other year doesn’t make one more Muslim than someone who has only been on the pilgrimage once. Fasting is not just about abstaining from eating between dawn and dusk and paying RM7.00 to the amil every Ramadhan doesn’t absolve one’s zakat obligation.

 

On homosexuality, the Quran has this to say:

We also sent Lut : He said to his people : "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." Qur'an 7:80-81

"Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males, And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!" Qur'an 26:165-166

Why didn’t Hafidz quote those two verses?

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi of the ISNA said: “Homosexuality is a moral disorder. It is a moral disease, a sin and corruption... No person is born homosexual, just like no one is born a thief, a liar or murderer. People acquire these evil habits due to a lack of proper guidance and education.”

I said it once and I’ll say it again; there is no such thing as a Muslim gay. Just like there is no such thing as a vegetarian tiger or a stir-fried sushi.

 

It is interesting that he quoted 33:58 without highlighting “believing men and women”. Having disobeyed the decree on homosexuality (7:80-81 and 26:165-66), can a gay person be considered believing men?

Now Everyone Can Email

All Malaysians over the age of 18 now has a 1Malaysia email account. The ‘big brother’ seems to be getting bigger eh? Apparently, this brilliant idea to give all adult Malaysians an email account came from a Pemandu lab session.

Before giving everyone an email account, the government should ensure everyone has decent access to the internet. What good is an email account for someone without access to a computer let alone the internet? The poor farmers and fishermen would prefer fertilisers and diesel subsidies over email accounts anytime. IT savvy young people, I presume, would prefer the tried and tested gmail, yahoomail or hotmail. Most of us working adults have corporate email accounts which often double as a personal email account. Why the need for another account, username and password?

The contract to set up the infra for this initiative (which supposedly will allow direct and secure communication between the citizens and the government); worth RM 50million was given to Tricubes, a company currently being monitored by Bursa Malaysia under GN3 for accounting irregularities [find out more] Why award the contract to a troubled ACE listed company? Was there a proper tender undertaken? Why RM50 million?

I think it’s a bloody waste of money; those email accounts will be filled with spam and Nigerian scams. The only beneficiaries are those sharing the RM50million contract. The rest of us?

Sissy Says Who?

The Terengganu Education Department has a come up with a brilliant idea to eradicate pondans and bapoks – send schoolboys with effeminate tendencies to a boot camp for sissies. While I’m not a fan of the sexually confused or those who claim to be a woman trapped in a man’s body; I am also against branding boys with effeminate tendencies as “pondans-to-be”. If you believe the NST, it reported that the Terengganu education department sent 66 schoolboys who “were not behaving like normal males of their age” to a camp aimed at helping them behave appropriately, presumably like how men should. While it is commendable to help the young boys behave in manner acceptable to society, I can’t help but wonder if it is good for their self esteem and morale. Some boys may be naturally soft-er but pondans they are not. Even former YB but still minister Shahrizat is against the idea of a sissy camp. She fears such camps could stir prejudice against the boys and affect their mental health.

I do not have a suggestion to combat the problem of pondan-isation of the male populace but being brainwashed to be a man should be a last ditch effort, if at all. No?

Sarawak 2011

Everyone won, apparently. Maybe except the urban Chinese.

Let’s see how it went;

• BN lost 9 of the 64 seats they held prior to the elections.
• PR won 15, that’s 8 more than what they won in 2006.
• SNAP was snapped, crackled and popped.
• One Indie got elected.
• Popular vote for BN declined from 63% to 55%
• Even PAS ‘almost’ won in Beting Maro, losing by only 400 votes. PAS in Sarawak! Who could imagine?

Utusan says BN embarrassed PR in the election. I think it’s a case of lying to yourself. My definition of embarrassing your opponent is increasing the popular vote and reducing their number of seats. BN didn’t do either, did they? PM Najib and team should worry because Sarawak may no longer be a fixed deposit come the next election. Blaming the Chinese for their loss is a very bad move. Threatening them is even worse. Don’t they know that to win over your detractors is by being extra nice to them? The Chinese votes helped BN stay in power in 1999. BN should study why the reverse is happening now. MCA shouldn’t be telling SUPP to stay out of the cabinet, MCA should tell themselves (and SUPP) to stop being a puppet to UMNO (and PBB) because that is probably one of the reasons why the Chinese votes are moving away to the other side.


The signs are showing that a two-party environment is coming up in Malaysia, the check and balance should keep both sides on their toes and minimise the blatant abuse of power. Hopefully the rakyat will be the ultimate winners.