Saturday, August 27, 2011

MUFTIS CAN AND MUST PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN POLITICS

Perak Mufti Dato Seri Harussani Zakaria who has been seen by the Malays as an ‘UMNO Mufti’ has made some startling revelation about his association with the country’s top political leaders that runs contrary to what others thought and saw of him previously.

During a religious forum organized by Sinar Harapan earlier this week, he said that he cautioned then PM Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed to be careful about accusing Anuar Ibrahim, then Deputy PM of sodomy without sufficient evidence. This case is history now and the court had overturned the charges of sodomy against Anuar Ibrahim only after Anuar Ibrahim had served eight years of prison term and upon Tun Dr. Mahathir’s resignation as PM. Harussani further revealed that Tun Dr. Mahathir had refused to heed his advise concerning Anuar Ibrahim and alleged that Tun’s staffs had restrained him from meeting Tun.

Harussani went further to say that he also advised PM Najib that his administration is weak, corrupt and is not trustworthy (tidak amanah); reasons that caused the Malays to be divided till this very day. These are serious allegations that can easily alienate the Malays, especially the rural Malays away from UMNO. Corruption and untrustworthy leaders are acts unacceptable to Islam that can influence the religiously bias rural Malays to disassociate themselves from such like leaders. And now having to be revealed by a mufti can be of serious consequence for the UMNO’s leadership.

The question now is how will the UMNO leadership react to these indefensible allegations and to remedy the badly dented image of the party from being alienated further. If UMNO remains in denial mode and think that Harussani words has little impact on the rural Malay support for the party, I dare say that UMNO will be in deep trouble. I can say with confidence that the urban Malay support for UMNO has long dwindled since the reformasi movement of 1998, and with PAS actively engaging both the urban and rural Malays, UMNO’s future seems bleak. I am beginning to see PAS being the alternative to UMNO, and definitely PAS young leaders today are no longer seen as religious bigots, but a voice of reason, moderate and corrupt free individuals that engage the people with reasonable ease. PAS today has even been accepted by the non Malays and this was clearly seen during the many by-elections, which hitherto was an outcast to the non Malays. The acceptance of PAS by DAP is a case in point.

I believe the Mufti’s can and should play an active role in the politics of the country, for I am told that there is no conflict or contradiction whatsoever between religion and politics. Muftis can no longer afford to sit back and be the ‘yes man’ to their governments. We have seen how governments silence their Muftis if they do not toe the line of the state leaders. How could a Mufti remain silent now if what they see happening in front of their eyes is unjust and in serious violation to the teachings of Islam? I know the Muftis are fully aware of the corruption that is going on, the lies and deceit that languishes, perpetrated by those in power. UMNO leaders cannot deny this for it is partly them that have caused the Muftis to speak out now; and appropriately so.

The willingness of the Muftis to speak out critically against the abuses by the powers that be hopefully will not be merely a charade. Rather, it is but the beginning of a serious effort by these religious groups to commit themselves directly and constructively in the politics and well being of the country, which I believe they can play an influential and positive role.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

14 comments:

bruno said...

The Mufti is right.Umno has being using religion as a guise to intimidate opposition members,like harassing Teresa Kok and Hannah Yeoh as an example.Then using Jais to harass other religions.Umno thinks that it can score brownie points,but instead it is further alienating the Malays from Umno.

bruno said...

Umnoputras are rotten to the core.Mass corruption are rampant among these robber barons.Abusing the powers of the public institutions for political purposes are rampant.Than they called themselves very religious Muslims.

And what do they do.They robbed the peoples bank leaving pennies behind.Then they drank liquor like hungry thirsty horses.They gambled and commited khalwat like nobody's business.And what do the religious authorities do.They closed one eye and went after the working class Muslims.Besides the Umno GOM,the religious authorities also have two sets of laws for Muslims.

This present Umno GOM is the most pariah government in Malaysian history.It has the most unelected backroom ministers in history.It harboured criminals such as pornographic peddlars,murderers and rapists.Troublemakers and six hundred mat rempits affiliated to Umno are allowed to terrorised the people in the middle of PJ.

What more can we say about this present governmert.The most leaderless,gutless,spineless with no backbones.In other words no bolas and batangs.All pondans.

EAGLE said...

Dato'
It is about time the muftis if they are true to the "amanah" to wake up from their long sleep!
It is power, material gains and what in the name that have made not only muftis but the Malays to be ignorant...
So UMNO is..... your guess is as good as mine!

johnnie lim said...

that will be good, if this could happen. they can act as the conscience of those in power. But of course whether they listen is a different story.

Mohd Arshad Raji said...

Dear All,

Let's hope the end of the long silence by the Muftis is over. If Muftis takes a unified stand over certain issues, I do not think our leaders would dare challenge it. No right thinking Melayu would want to oppose the wisdom of the Muftis. This could be a solution to the many woes that we see happening to the country today, created by the powers in being.

zorro said...

Yes Sir, the Muftis are the correct religious leaders to unlock the closet, clean it up and send the closet to the junk shop.Spot on BG!

komando said...

Religion & Politics goes hand in hand it is not to be seperated, its the guiding principles of human behaviour to do good and rid off EVIL.

Unless they want to be Western in thinking and hold on to that Crap!

KOLONEL JIHAD said...

SS Mufti Harussani has revealed what he'd said; now seems the right time to do it. Or really? it must be politically correct time. What did he say to Sultan of Perak when UMNO (BN)executed political coup detat? Probably we'll know it sometimes in the future, when the time is ripe.
Yes we should listen and respect SS Mufti if his view is religiously correct and not tainted with other factors.

AnnoyinglyAnonymous-LemanPulut said...

Clerics involvements in politics hailed by the Pakatans? I don't think so, Tuan General.

The NGO made up of the young Imams "Himpunan Ulamak Muda" led by Ustadz Fathul Bari Mat Jahya once advised Anwar to go ahead and do Sumpah, to which he refused. No one amongst your readers here seem to suport that move, Tuan General? Former Mufti Perlis Dr Asri also said the same thing, as does the current Mufti, Sheikh Juanda. So what was that about Muftis and Imams should be politically active?

Before you really get elated by all your kafir-based reader pools made up of the Zorros or the JohnnieLims or the Brunos and the Eagles applauding you, Tuan General, perhaps you may want to remind them that the object of their praise now was once, and will continously be, snubbed to suit their agendas.

Of course this is the same Mufti who warned about proselytization efforts by some Christian groups, to which your Zorros and Gangs find it convenient to sweep under the carpet, or worse, fire some sling shots at.

Let's make a bet and a stand, shall we? Since you say "Muftis can and must play a positive role in politics", let's you and me support their each and every move, stand, sayings henceforth from now. How about that. Unless, what you mean "politically active" is actually "politically active in supporting the opposition"! You must make your meanings clear, dear Tuan General.

So the next time you are drowned by the applauses of your JohnLims and your UncleZorros, Tuan General, you might, perhaps just might, be reminded of Queen Amidala's woeful fret: "So this is how liberty dies: With thunderous applause."

Corporal (R) Leman

komando said...

The Malays will never be united under UMNO.
SURELY - THE MALAYS ARE DIVIDED BECAUSE OF UMNO.

The policies and plans do not meet the apirations and convince the majority that UMNO stands for the Malays anymore.

UMNO - stands for it own limited members ONLY. The inner circle to be exact.

Others are mere onlookers and spectators waiting to clap hands and shout when the orders are given!

Goodies come and everyone is happy-after which nothing happens!
Till the next train comes!

The original agenda and struggle have long past and are all gone now, they have lost sight of things and of its intended struggles.

No it is my own "STOMACH FIRST, SECOND & LAST".

"LU TOLONG GUA , GUA TOLONG LU"
Openly Said : Without any shame or remorse at all!

No two ways about that and it will become more obvious by the day. As time goes by the maxim - "it is a total lost course" will eventually don on them!

To UMNO religion and Politics cannot MIX.

That has been their way of doing things - if NOT why did PAS leave THEM!

DAP and PKR had universal values which ISLAM professes!

The love of Goodness and the hatred for EVIL,THE CORRUPTED & ABSOLUTE NONSENSE!

Frankie said...

Dato,

Why are the Muftis getting involved in politics? And why is the Perak Mufti revealing all these "sensational" news all of a sudden when in fact, his revelations are stale news?

Muftis should focus on strengthening the faith of Muslims in Islam and not act as if they are political advisers to the PM or Sultans. And by the way, Muftis should also set a good example of not being over-zealous and extremists in their Islamic views such as banning yoga, poco poco dancing and charging into churches on mere mobile phone sms text messages. Don't you agree?

EAGLE said...

But if you want to go far be like Jamil Khir.
Learn the art of Jamil Khir than you will not go wrong with the current administration.
Real crap!

maurice said...

Kita jangan lupa sejarah.Apabila agama digunakan untuk tujuan politik parah akibatnya.Kalau Mufti boleh berpolitik, bagaimana pula dengan Bishop,Paderi, Priest dll? Mereka pun boleh berpolitik bukan? Tiap-tiap agama ada moraliti masing-masing yang ingin didirikan.Kan kita ini bikin masalah yang tidak diperlui oleh rakayt Malaysia? Kita perlu memikirkan akibatnya pada masyarakat majmuk di Malaysia ini pada masa hadapan.

sang kancil said...

SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN MUCH EARLIER. HE HAS KEPT SILENT FOR THE PAST 10 TO 15 YEARS. MY GOD WHAT A COVER UP. HE MUS HAVE COMMITED THE CARDINAL SINS FOR THE PAST UMPTEEM RAMADANS.