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October 28, 2006
Malaysia: UK's Idiot Politician To Learn About "Islam & Multiculturalism"
Fortunately, John Prescott has said recently that he will not be remaining as deputy prime minister if Labour wins the next election. Recently, his name has been associated with sleaze of all sorts. He was linked with corruption, most notably when it was revealed that he was entertained at the house of US billionaire Philip Anschutz and received gifts. Prescott later championed Anschutz's request to turn the Millennium Dome into a giant casino. Prescott's corruption went unpunished, though Anschutz is now being investigated in the US.
Until he was demoted in May, Prescott was minister in charge of planning, which involved massive house-building in the countryside. It was claimed that his role in building projects was exploited by his son Jonathan, whose company Estate Partnerships sought out land which would increase in value.
As well as laziness, incompetence, and hitting people, which he did in 2001, when farmer Craig Evans threw an egg at him in North Wales, Prescott is also linked to extramarital sleaze. Although Prescott is a lookalike for Jabba the Hut, he had an affair with his secretary, Tracey Temple. She revealed in April that Prescott had a "two inch" penis, which did not always rise to attention. Prescott is pictured above as Craig Evans responded to the politician's punch.
Recently, he has jumped onto the Islamic appeasement bandwagon. While other politicians were condemning the blatant segregation of wearing a face-veil, Prescott broke ranks to say: "If a woman wants to wear a veil, why shouldn't she? It's her choice." His own wife often wears netting over her face, but this is one of her methods of disguising the ravages of age, rather than religious affiliations. (Another method she uses to hide the cracks are trowel-loads of makeup).
While other ministers have started to draw back from using the term "multiculturalism' as most of the electorate think this policy has been discredited, Prescott is still in love with the notion.
He is currently on tour in Asia. His most recent stop has been Malaysia, where he arrived on Friday night. His comments have exposed how, despite being a heavyweight when standing on his bathroom scales, he is a total lightweight politically. And he is either downright ignorant, stupid or plain dishonest.
Agence France Presse via the Peninsular reports that Prescott has said: "I'm keen to learn more about Malaysia's approach to being a successful, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural society in a rapidly changing world. In a world of increasing interdependence, where mass migration and urbanisation are bringing together more and more people from differing cultures and religions, we need more understanding, more dialogue and more cooperation."
There is nothing "multicultural" about Malaysia. Muslims comprise 60% of the population, but the "multi-religious, multi-cultural society' means that the remaining 40% of the population - Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and animists, are second class citizens. And even Muslims are oppressed under Malaysia's laws. Sharia courts rule on issues of divorce and family matters. A man can have up to four wives under Malaysian law, but women cannot divorce abusive husbands without permission from the Islamic courts.
Take the case of Aida Melly Tan Mutalib - who struggled to get a divorce from a violent husband. He had taken a second wife, but the issue was bounced around the Sharia courts like a squash ball for seven years until finally she was awarded rights to divorce her brutal partner. Then her husband challenged this appeal, and the case bounced around some more...
In June, 22-year old Nornashimah Mohammed Nor, a woman who was already married and was five months pregnant, had her marriage annulled by a sharia court against her wishes. The reason given for the annullment was that she had not obtained permission from her father before she got married. Even Marina, the daughter of the last prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has campaigned against the poor treatment of women in the country. On December 22, a law was forced through parliament, the Islamic Family Law Bill, which made it easier for men to marry and divorce, and also enabled them to freeze the bank accounts of former spouses and their children.
Hindu temples are bulldozed with no warning. On April 18, a temple which had stood for 100 years in Kuala Lumpur was holding a service when bulldozers arrived. No prior warning had been given, and there was no right of appeal. The temple was torn down. Several temples have suffered the same fate. Churches too are targeted. Before Christmas, a nearly completed Christian church near Skudai in Johor state was completely demolished.
But Hindus and Christians feel oppressed for the way in which the Islamic courts interfere with their personal lives. In December, a Hindu mountaineering hero died after an illness which had paralyzed him. Before he died, someone told the Islamic courts that he had become a convert to Islam. Lieutenant Corporal M. Moorthy's body was then claimed by the Islamic courts, despite his widow's protestations. Kaliammal Moorthy took the case to the High Court, and was told by the judge that he had no power to intervene. Moorthy's body was given to the Islamic courts, who buried him in a Muslim graveyard.
Article 121 (1A) of Malaysia's constitution states that civil courts have no jurisdiction on "any matter" which falls within the jurisdiction of the Syariah (sharia) courts. The same judge who said he could not interfere in the Moorthy case, Justice Mohammad Raus Sharif, also ruled on December 28 that he could not allow members of the Sky Kingdom Sect to announce that they had left Islam.
Kamariah Ali and Daud Mamat had renounced Islam years before, but no Islamic court had allowed them to officially change their faith.
Article 3(1) of the constitution states that "other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation." Article 11 of the constitution states that a citizen can follow any religion of their choosing. But Article 121 (IA), introduced in 1988, makes issues of apostasy out of the realm of the civil and high courts.
As soon as a person reaches the age of 12, they are issued with an identity card, or MyKad. On this card are recorded one's details, including religion, which are registered with the National Registration Department (NRD). And all ethnic Malays are automatically designated as "Muslim". Once registered as a Muslim, only an appeal from Malaysia's Syariah (Sharia) courts can allow a person to claim to have another faith.
And so far, the Sharia courts, which exist in every state and have the powers to send people to prison or to "religious rehabilitation camps" have never granted such a privilege to any living person. The only person ever to allowed to apostasise freely was an 89 year old Buddhist woman, Nyonya Tahir (pictured) who had appealed to the NRD repeatedly to have her designation as "Muslim" removed from her MyKad. Mrs Tahir was only granted this privilege after she had died.
Nyonya Tahir died on Thursday, January 19 this year. She had married a Chinese man in 1936, and adopted Buddhism. Following her death, the Sharia courts prevented her from being buried, and held an inquisition. For the first time in recorded history, the inquisition heard evidence in court from two of Nyonya's children, who were Buddhist like their mother. Finally, on January 23, the Sharia court allowed Mrs Tahir to be buried as a Buddhist, allowing her to become the first person ever allowed the right of apostasy, even though Nyonya could not appreciate it by then.
Kamariah Ali, a native of Kelantan state, was formerly a scholar of Islam, who attended the Al-Azhar Muslim University in Cairo. She was sent to jail by the Sharia courts in Terengganu state in 2005 for "insulting Islam". Her husband, Mohammed Ya, had also been a follower of the Sky Kingdom Sect. He had been imprisoned for two years for "insulting Islam" by an Islamic court in Terengganu state, for his attempts to apostasize. Mohammed Ya died shortly after his release from jail. Upon his death, the Muslim courts who refused his right to leave Islam also refused his right to be buried in a Muslim graveyard. He was finally buried in the compound of the Sky Kingdom Sect.
Kamariah Ali publicly renounced Islam in 1999 in a Kota Baru Syariah (sharia) Court, seven years ago. Mustafar Hamzah, chief prosecutor for the Syariah High Court said on June 20that the onus was upon Kamariah herself to prove that she had left Islam. She is charged under Section 7 of the Syariah Criminal Offence Enactment (Takzir) Terengganu. It is alleged that she only declared that she is saying that she is no longer a Muslim because she is trying to evade punishment. Her case, which has seen her imprisoned for her beliefs, has still not been resolved.
The most famous case of apostasy being disallowed is that of Lina Joy, who took her case to the Federal Court, the highest legal body in the land, in July this year. In 1998, the National Registration Department granted her the right to change the name on her MyKad from her Muslim birth-name, Azlina Jailani, to her Christian name, Lina Joy. But the NRD refuses to allow her to change her status from "Muslim" to "Christian", as this must first be authorised by the Islamic courts. And despite almost a decade of petitioning the Syariah courts, Lina Joy has never been allowed to "apostasise". As Ms Joy has a boyfriend, who is a Christian, whom she wishes to marry, she has good reason to want to have the NRD's decision on her religious status revoked. Under Malaysia's fascistic Syariah laws, a Muslim woman is not allowed to marry a Christian.
On August 23, Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim of the Federal Court announced that the court needed more time to consider the submissions in the case, thereby stalling the ruling which has been expected for some time. He said: "Coming soon (the decision) we have to have some time. We cannot rush this thing. You must also remember that there were three judges who heard the appeal."
43-year old Lina Joy has been through countless court appearances. On April 23, 2001,the High Court had ruled that being a Muslim, Lina, could not renounce Islam and that the issue should be decided by the Syariah Court. On September 19 last year, her submission to the Court of Appeal was turned down by a 2-1 verdict. It was then ruled that her renunciation of Islam was not confirmed by the Syariah Court or any other Islamic religious authority.
The church of Our Lady of Fatima, in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, where Lina Joy had been baptised, had been the subject of a police report, claimed Asia News a day after the court's decision. A Muslim fascist called Taib Hisham had claimed that her baptism had contravened part of the controversial Article 11 of the constitution, which states: "The law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam."
Lina Joy's lawyer, Benjamin Dawson, has said that Lina has been subjected to death threats because of her desire to apostasise. Her fiance has also been threatened with death by Muslim fascists.
So now, Britain's bloated genitally challenged deputy prime minister has arrived in Malaysia. John Prescott has said he wants to learn from Malaysia about how a multi-cultural, multi-faith society operates.
Prescott is being attacked by Christian groups, states the Telegraph. The fool has written a 1,000 word article in the Malaysian Star. Copyright rules in the US and UK allow an entire article to be quoted in its entirety if it is for the purposes of review. As we have commenters writing in, we automatically open up all of our writings here for review. So here is Prescott's article in its entirety.
Prescott seeks Malaysian formula
By John Prescott, Britains Deputy Prime MinisterI'M DELIGHTED to be here in Malaysia. During the last week, I have travelled across Asia, exchanging views in Japan, South Korea, and China, on global issues such as climate change, technology, trade and security that affect all of us.
Now I am seeking Malaysia's perspective on these issues, to learn more about your approach to the peaceful co-existence of different faiths.
In a world of increasing interdependence, where mass migration and urbanisation are bringing together more and more people from differing cultures and religions, we need more understanding, more dialogue and more cooperation.
Last month, I represented Prime Minister Tony Blair at the international summit which brought together the heads of government of Asia and Europe in Helsinki.
During the Sixth Asia-Europe Meeting, your Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave a powerful speech about dialogue between people from different cultures.
He said: "Modern Europe has generally embraced secularism, and largely removed religion from the public domain into the confines of the home and family. For the Muslims, Islam is their way of life, both public and private."
It's clear that we need to be sensitive to the differences which arise from religious and cultural beliefs.
Malaysians may be aware of the recent controversy, both within and outside the Muslim communities in Britain, about the wearing of the veil. The answer is not to close down that discussion but to have an open debate, with open minds.
There must be no "no go areas" for discussion. We must have the confidence to talk to each other, with mutual respect, in order to achieve understanding.
This week, the Muslim festival of Eid (Hari Raya Aidilfitri), in which people open their homes to friends and neighbours, is a good example of that openness.
I'm keen to learn more about Malaysia's approach to being a successful, multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural society in a rapidly changing world.
As Abdullah had said, Malaysia aims to be "a progressive society that is compatible with modernity yet firmly rooted in the noble values and injunctions of Islam."
Muslim communities in Britain are involved in every walk of life, and they make a significant contribution to the economic and social success of our country.
At the Islamic Art Museum here in Kuala Lumpur, where I will meet leaders and scholars, I will also be reminded of the astonishing creativity of Muslim art, architecture and science.
Islam enriches Britain's society in many ways. It teaches that we have a duty to look after each other – that we are all part of one moral universe, that humanity is intertwined and interlinked like different parts of a human body, reflecting each other's condition. This is a universal moral principle we can all learn from.
Indeed, whatever our beliefs, whether Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, or even agnostic, we share common values: respect for the law and each other, freedom of speech, equality of opportunity, and responsibility towards others.
Such values often require a legislative framework to protect them. That's why our government has brought in legislation to promote equality and make expressions of religious hatred illegal.
But in our desire to treat all as equals, we must also recognise the differences which define us. To be truly equal and fair, we must treat some people differently from others, and our law must be sensitive to, and reflect, these issues.
I remember participating many years ago as a Member of Parliament in debates about safety legislation to enforce the use of motorcycle helmets. This was a matter of indifference for most of the population. But for the Sikh community, this was in conflict with their religious beliefs. So the law was framed to allow them to wear turbans instead of helmets.
I'm proud that our government was the first in Britain, not just to have Muslim MPs, but also to allow syariah compliant lending, so that Muslims can invest and borrow in ways that are consistent with their beliefs.
Syariah compliant home financing arrangements now enjoy the same tax treatment as traditional forms of home finance.
These are practical examples of how we can and should be tolerant, flexible and aware of the needs of different religious beliefs in a modern British secular society.
We've achieved a lot in recent years to realise our goal of a Britain in which those of all backgrounds, races and religions overwhelmingly live side by side in tolerance and friendship.
For example, as you sit on the Tube, bus, train or walk about London today, or visit a school, the chances are you'll overhear many languages being spoken, by people of all races and creeds. London is both one of the most economically successful cities in the world and also one of the most cosmopolitan.
But we recognise that some of our poorest communities are also those with significant Muslim populations, and that's why policies like the minimum wage and the New Deal - aimed at helping everyone in disadvantage - will also help many thousands of British Muslims. Not because they are Muslim, but because they are in need.
In Britain, there has been a lot of discussion, quite rightly, about how we ensure "community cohesion." But what do we mean by that? Some take it to mean how our Muslim and other minority communities integrate into wider society. But it is something far more complex, challenging and comprehensive than that.
There needs to be a far wider debate than one between politicians or political parties. It needs to be within and between all our communities. And that debate can be radical. People should be free to express their thoughts within the law of the land.
I've come to Malaysia, not just to represent my government and to discuss common economic and political interests, but also to listen and to learn about your approach to achieving peaceful co-existence in your communities.
As Malaysia moves towards 2007, the 50th anniversary of your independence, I offer my congratulations and I look forward to our countries continuing to work together for a safe and secure future for all our people.
The fool....what posturing self-inflated naive nonsense. The sooner he is relegated to the dustbin of Britain's political history, the better.
The Telegraph states that Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, a human rights lawyer who founded a group which promoted religious freedom was this year ordered by the government to disband the organization. This group was called Article Eleven. When it tried to have a meeting on May 14, it was disrupted by members of the Anti-Interfaith Commission Body. This group is linked to the PAS party (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) an extreme Islamist party, which seeks to have Malaysia entirely ruled by Sharia.
Article Eleven, named after the contentious clause in the Constitution, was formed of eleven member groups: All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Malaysian Bar Council, Catholic Lawyers Society, Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship, Malaysian Civil Liberties Society (MCLS), Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism (MCCBCHS), National Human Rights Society (HAKAM), Pure Life Society, Sisters in Islam (SIS), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Vivekananda Youth Movement, Seremban, Women's Aid Organization (WAO), and Women's Development Collective (WDC).
When Article Eleven tried to have a forum in June, no hotel would allow the group to use their premises for a conference. Finally, in July, they held a meeting in Johor Baru. It was the last conference they would ever have. Members of Article 11 maintain that the constitution is secular, and they have supported the rights of Lina Joy and Kamariah Ali to apostasise from Islam. They argue for the government to honour constitutional guarantees enabling all citizens to practise their faith as defined in Articles 11 and 3 (1).
A month later, as Malaysia prepared for the 49th anniversary of its independence from Britain, (August 31), the prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on August 26: "My advice to everyone is to stop (raising such issues). Do not create a situation that can lead to difficulties. Difficulties will make everyone apprehensive. Adhering to the articles will not create any problem. Discussing these articles again.... this will cause a storm if left unchecked. I have stated that there is no necessity to amend Article 121 ... there is no necessity to amend Article 11. These cause problems between one side and the other. They relate to matters sensitive to religion. Even in the developed countries such as the United States, there is sensitivity in matters related to religion and race."
The porcine deputy prime minister of Britain will be staying in Malaysia for a total of four days. In that time, he will learn nothing other than the propaganda spewed out incontinently by the UMNO party, which is headed by Badawi. The Telegraph relates that Baroness Cox, a human rights campaigner, has said Prescott's praise of the so-called tolerance of Malaysia is "gratuitously misleading". She said: "There is a great deal of religious discrimination. Christians there are finding that human rights and religious rights are crumbling away."
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 28, 2006 11:32 PM
Comments
The idiot Prescott should also learn about its New Economic Policy and etc, that bestow 'special rights' to the 'Sons of the Soil' (Muslims form the majority) and discriminate the non-Muslim population into dhimmitude (second class citizenship).
Posted by: FreedomSeeker33 ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.westernresistance.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 29, 2006 1:00 AM
Hi freedomseeker;
I remember one article by an American "libertarian" which praised Malaysia's "moderation", "modernity", etc. He was especially impressed by cute Chinse girls in miniskirts. What he doesn't realize is that as the percentage of ethnic Chinese in the population goes down, the Muslim majority will feel more confident in imposing its values on the Chinese minority, until the minority is absorbed into Islam and we have a new Islamic monolithic state. Then there will be no more cute Chinese girls in miniskirts.
Posted by: Ruy Diaz at October 29, 2006 10:41 AM
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