memorandum kepada suhakam

MEMORANDUM

BERHUBUNG PENINGKATAN KEJADIAN YANG MENYUBURKAN KETEGANGAN AGAMA DALAM MASYARAKAT.

KEJADIAN SERANGAN PROVOKASI TERHADAP RUMAH IBADAT DI MALAYSIA ADALAH PENCABULAN HAK ASASI YANG SERIUS!

MENYERU SUHAKAM MENGAMBIL TINDAKAN SEGERA UNTUK MENANGANI ISU TERSEBUT!

Keputusan mahkamah berkenaan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh suratkhabar Herald Tribune telah mencetuskan pelbagai reaksi dari masyarakat. Kesan yang paling membimbangkan rentetan daripada keputusan mahkamah tersebut adalah berlakunya beberapa kejadian yang tidak diingini yang melibatkan rumah-rumah ibadat di Malaysia. Tindakan ini disyaki dilakukan oleh ejen-ejen provokator dengan tujuan menggugat keamanan serta keharmonian rakyat Malaysia. Senarai kejadian yang berlaku adalah seperti yang berikut:

1. Gereja Metro Tabernacle (Assemblies of God) di Desa Melawati – molotov cocktail merosakkan sebahagian daripada gereja. (8 Jan)
2. Gereja Assumption (Catholic) di Jalan Templar – molotov cocktail dicampak ke perkarangan gereja dan gagal meletup. (8 Jan)
3. Life Chapel (evangelical Brethren) di Section 17, PJ – molotov cocktail merosakkan bahagian anjung gereja. (8 Jan)
4. Gereja Good Shepherd (Lutheran) di PJ – bom api nyaris terkena tingkap, dan membakar tingkap. (8 Jan)
5. Surau di Taman Menara Maju in Jalan Kampung Jawa, Klang – pintu berkecai. (laporan polis dibuat pada 9 Jan)
6. Gereja All Saints (Anglican) di Taiping –Dua molotov cocktails membakar tangga menghala ke pintu masuk dan anjung tepi. (9 Jan)
7. Sekolah Convent (Catholic) di Taiping – molotov cocktail, pecah masuk rumah pengawal keselamatan. (9 Jan)
8. Gereja Baptist Melaka (Baptist) di Durian Daun – dikotori oleh cat hitam. (9 Jan)
9. Gereja Good Shepherd (Anglican) di Lutong, Miri – batu dibaling dan menyebabkan kaca tingkap berkecai. (9 Jan)
10. Gereja Sidang Injil Borneo (Borneo Evangelical Mission) in Seremban – pintu hadapan terbakar. (10 Jan)
11. Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh) di Sentul – batu dibaling, cermin di pintu masuk retak dan dinding dipecahkan. (12 Jan)
12. Gereja St Elizabeth (Katolik) di Kota Kecil, Johor – cat merah dibaling, mengotorkan pagar utama, dinding dan patung. (14 Jan)
13. Gereja Grace Global Prayer di Rasah, Seremban – dua tingkap kasa dijumpai pecah. (15 Jan)
14. Masjid di Kota Samarahan, Sarawak – serpihan kaca dijumpai di dinding luar. (16 Jan)
15. Surau Sirratulrahim di Kampung Sabak Awor, Muar – api memusnahkan langsir, tingkap pecah. (21 Jan)
16. Surau di Parit Beting, Muar – api memusnahkan bahagian solat untuk wanita. (21 Jan)

Kejadian terbaru yang berlaku di Masjid Jumhuriyah di Taman Dato’ Haron dan Masjid Al Imam At Tirmizi di Taman Seri Sentosa di mana dua kepala babi hutan telah ditemui berdekatan dengan pagar premis tersebut menunjukkan pihak yang bertanggungjawab masih bebas dan boleh meneruskan serangan provokasi terhadap masyarakat pada masa hadapan. Jikalau serangan mencetus provokasi sebegini tidak ditangani, adalah dibimbangi ianya akan menyebabkan kejadian yang jauh lebih serius termasuklah kehilangan jiwa mana-mana rakyat jelata.

Menyedari bahawa ancaman sebegini akan mendatangkan masalah kepada masyarakat demokratik kita yang rapuh, serta menyedari kesannya yang menganggu gugat dan mencabul hak asasi rakyat Malaysia, memorandum ini dihantar atas dasar-dasar yang berikut:

1. Serangan terhadap rumah ibadat merupakan satu bentuk pencabulan hak asasi manusia ke atas rakyat Malaysia kerana ianya menghalang rakyat dari mengamalkan kepercayaan masing-masing secara bebas, tanpa sebarang ancaman dari ejen provokator yang berkepentingan peribadi. Kebebasan beragama tidak hanya tertumpu pada kebebasan untuk menganuti dan mengamalkan kepercayaan masing-masing malahan ia merangkumi jaminan bahawa tempat ibadat turut dihormati dan dilindungi.

2. Walaupun kita menghormati dan mengiktiraf kebebasan bersuara rakyat Malaysia, serangan provokasi yang berlaku adalah satu bentuk penyalahgunaan kebebasan bersuara yang boleh mengorbankan hak orang lain. Ini dilarang sama sekali oleh Perkara 29 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 iaitu:

“…In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.”

3. Penggunaan keganasan dengan tidak menghormati agama atau kepercayaan rakyat adalah antitesis kepada prinsip hak asasi manusia yang menentang unsur-unsur yang tidak toleran seperti perkauman dan komunalisme. Serangan provokasi yang berlaku akan mengancam dan melemahkan institusi demokratik negara dan meracuni budaya hormat kepada hak asasi manusia.

Justeru, kami menyeru SUHAKAM agar memandang serius perkara ini memandangkan SUHAKAM diberi mandat untuk menangani isu hak asasi manusia di Malaysia menerusi Seksyen 4(i) Akta SUHAKAM 1999. Adalah mengecewakan kerana SUHAKAM tidak lantang dan ke hadapan dalam menangani isu serangan terhadap toleransi keagamaan, komunalisme dan perkauman dan menganggap ianya sebagai satu bentuk isu hak asasi manusia yang penting kepada rakyat Malaysia.

Keputusan International Coordinating Committee untuk mengekalkan gred “A” SUHAKAM harus meningkatkan komitmen SUHAKAM untuk menangani pencabulan hak asasi yang serius di Malaysia dan ini termasuklah isu berkaitan perkauman dan keagamaan. Atas dasar inilah kami mengusulkan agar SUHAKAM mengambil tindakan yang berikut :

1. SUHAKAM wajar mengadakan satu Siasatan Awam ke atas serangan provokasi terhadap tempat ibadat bagi menyiasat punca masalah dan mencari penyelesaian serta mekanisme untuk mengatasi masalah ini dari sudut hak asasi manusia.

2. SUHAKAM wajar menyeru kerajaan agar memperkenalkan suatu undang-undang yang dapat mengekang sebarang cubaan untuk membuat provokasi berbentuk perkauman dan keagamaan. Walau bagaimanapun, berdasarkan pemerhatian kami mengenai penggunaan undang-undang seperti ISA dan Ordinan Darurat oleh kerajaan, yang menghalalkan tangkapan sewenang-wenangnya serta penahanan tanpa bicara, adalah disyorkan agar undang-undang tersebut diselaraskan dengan prinsip keadilan asasi dan kedaulatan undang-undang.

3. SUHAKAM, bersama-sama dengan agensi penguatkuasaan lain di Negara ini haru memantau cubaan di peringkat akar umbi untuk menyebarkan semangat perkauman dan ketiadaan toleransi agama oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab, bagi memelihara keharmonian antara kaum dan agama dalam masyarakat. Selain itu, penilaian impak harus dijalankan oleh SUHAKAM bagi menilai sejauhmana isu ini menggugat hak asasi, kesejahteraan masyarakat serta integriti dan perpaduan nasional.

4. SUHAKAM seharusnya menggesa kerajaan untuk meratifikasi International Covenant on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) dan memenuhi obligasi serta komitmennya kepada standard hak asasi manusia antarabangsa. Kejadian yang berlaku harus menjadi ingatan kepada SUHAKAM dan kerajaan tentang betapa perlunya kerajaan menghormati hak asasi manusia sebagai satu langkah untuk memulihkan keyakinan awam bahawa mereka tidak akan diancam dan dimangsai oleh pencetus kekecohan pada masa hadapan.

Kami berpendapat tindakan SUHAKAM berdiam diri dalam isu hak asasi yang berkaitan dengan masalah berbentuk keagamaan dan perkauman adalah tidak wajar. Adalah amat memalukan bilamana Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia di negara lain lebih kehadapan dalam menangani isu keganasan dan diskriminasi yang berlaku kerana tiadanya toleransi agama dan kaum. Kami benar-benar percaya masanya telah tiba untuk SUHAKAM mengotakan apa yang dikata dan memainkan peranannya dengan berkesan. Kejadian yang berlaku haruslah menjadi pemangkin untuk SUHAKAM turun ke akar umbi bagi mengatasi masalah ini dari sudut pandangan hak asasi manusia.

MEMORANDUM DIKEMUKAKAN OLEH:

YB NURUL IZZAH ANWAR

YB USTAZ MUJAHID YUSUF RAWA

YB TIAN CHUA

YB JANICE LEE

YB NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD

YB HANNAH YEOH

YB AMIRUDDIN SHAARI

MEMORANDUM

ON THE RISE OF INCIDENTS THAT INSTIGATE RELIGIOUS TENSION IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE SERIES OF ATTACK AND PROVOCATION ON WORSHIP AND RELIGIOUS SITES IN MALAYSIA IS A SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION!

CALLING THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA (SUHAKAM) TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE

The court’s decision on the use of the term “Allah” by Herald Tribune has sparked diverse responses from various sectors of the society. The most worrying impact of the court decision is that it has led to a series of unwarranted incidents affecting worship and religious sites in Malaysia. It is suspected that the incidents were spearheaded by agent provocateurs with the aim of disrupting the peaceful co-existence and harmony of Malaysians. The incidents mentioned are as follows:

1. Metro Tabernacle Church (Assemblies of God) in Desa Melawati – molotov cocktail damages administrative wing (8 Jan)

2. Assumption Church (Catholic) in Jalan Templar – molotov cocktail hurled on pavement in front of church fails to explode (8 Jan)

3. Life Chapel (evangelical Brethren) in Section 17, PJ – molotov cocktail slightly damages porch (8 Jan)

4. Good Shepherd Church (Lutheran) in PJ old town – firebomb misses window, scorches outer wall, minimal damage (8 Jan)

5. Surau in Taman Menara Maju in Jalan Kampung Jawa, Klang – sliding door shattered (police report lodged on 9 January)

6. All Saints’ Church (Anglican) in Taiping – two molotov cocktails scorch stair case leading to main entrance and side porch (9 Jan)

7. Convent school (Catholic) in Taiping – molotov cocktail, probably meant for St Louis’ Church (Catholic) next door, breaks guard-house window (9 Jan)

8. Malacca Baptist Church (Baptist) in Durian Daun – smeared with black paint (9 Jan)

9. Good Shepherd Church (Anglican) in Lutong, Miri – stones shatter window panes (9 Jan)

10. Sidang Injil Borneo Church (Borneo Evangelical Mission) in Seremban – front doors scorched (10 Jan)

11. Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh) in Sentul – stones flung, mirror at entrance cracked and wall chipped (12 Jan)

12. St Elizabeth’s Church (Catholic) in Kota Kecil, Johor – packets of red paint hurled, splattering the main gate, the grounds inside, a wall and a statue (14 Jan)

13. Grace Global Prayer Church in Rasah, Seremban – two window panes found broken (15 Jan)

14. Mosque in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak – broken glass found near outside wall (16 Jan)

15. Sirratulrahim Surau in Kampung Sabak Awor, Muar – fire damages curtain, window shattered (21 Jan)

16. Surau in Parit Beting, Muar – fire damages the women’s prayer section, carpeting and a door (21 Jan)

The latest incidents that took place at the Jumhuriyah Mosque in Taman Dato’ Haron and Al Imam At Tirmizi Mosque in Taman Seri Sentosa, Lembah Pantai, where two wild-boar heads were found near a gate to the premises demonstrated the possibility that the culprit behind previous attacks are still free to continue to attack and provoke society with similar stunts in future. It is feared that these series of attacks and provocation, if left unchecked, will serve as fertile ground for further violence within the community of Malaysians.

Realizing the threat that this problem poses to our fragile democratic society, and understanding that Malaysian human rights are at stake and will be open to abuse, we submit this memorandum based on the following grounds:

1. The series of attack on the religious and worship sites is a violation to the community’s human right to exercise their religion in peace without unwanted interference and threat from agent provocateurs that are motivated by personal interest and gains. Freedom of religion does not only refer to freedom to adopt or profess a religion of one’s choice but also the assurance that their places of worship are respected.

2. Although we respect and uphold a person’s freedom of expression and opinion, the series of attack and provocation reflects malicious and excessive exercise of one’s freedom of expression at the expense of the rights of others. This is expressly condemned by Article 29 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 where it states the following:

“…In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.”

3. The use of violence and show of disrespect towards another person’s religion or faith is the antithesis to human rights principles that condemns communalism, racism and intolerance. A further continuance of the series of provocation and attacks will threaten and negatively affect Malaysia’s democracy and culture of respecting human rights.

Therefore, we urge SUHAKAM to seriously look into the matter as the Commission is mandated to take charge and address human rights issues in the country

vide Section 4(i) of the Human Rights Commission Act 1999. It is saddening that SUHAKAM has not been vocal and upfront in addressing the issues of communalism, racism and religious intolerance as human rights issues that is of urgent concern to Malaysians. The decision of the International Coordinating Committee to retain the “A” status of the Commission should be reflected by the Commission’s actual commitment to address serious human rights violations in the country and this includes religious and racial issues. It is based on these grounds that we propose SUHAKAM take up the following actions in addressing the series of provocation against places of worship in the country:

1. SUHAKAM should conduct a National Inquiry into the series of provocation and attacks on places of worship and religious sites with the aim of investigating the root cause to the problem and to determine the appropriate rights-based solution or mechanism to address this issue.

2. SUHAKAM should engage the government and call for the enactment and passing of an anti-racial and religious intolerance law that will curb any attempts at instigating racial and religious hatred in the country. However, learning from experience, with the use of draconian laws such as ISA and Emergency Ordinance for arbitrary arrests and indefinite detention by the government, it is recommended that such law must be in accordance with principles of natural justice and rule of law.

3. SUHAKAM, together with other enforcement agencies in the country should observe and monitor growing attempts at the grassroots level that propagate racism and religious intolerance in order to curb any further potential provocations by irresponsible members of the society and also to preserve racial and religious harmony within the community. In addition to that, a proper impact assessment must be done by SUHAKAM to assess how the issue has threatened the community’s rights and wellbeing and negatively affected national unity and integrity.

4. SUHAKAM should continue to urge the government to ratify the International Covenant on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and to fulfill its obligations and commitment to other international human rights standards. The incidents that took place should be a reminder to the Commission and the governments on the need for the State to abide by human rights principles as a way to restore the public’s confidence that they will not be victimized and threatened by the perpetrators of chaos in the future.

We have observed that SUHAKAM has been silent on human rights issues that are intertwined with religious and racial concerns. This is a shame as the Human Rights Commission in other parts of the world have been very progressive in addressing issues of violence and discrimination that are motivated by racism and religious intolerance. We truly believe that the time has come for SUHAKAM to walk the talk and play its role effectively. The incidents that have happened should be a catalyst for SUHAKAM to go down to the grassroots and address the problem from a human rights viewpoint.

MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY:

YB NURUL IZZAH ANWAR

YB USTAZ MUJAHID YUSUF RAWA

YB TIAN CHUA

YB JANICE LEE

YB NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD

YB HANNAH YEOH

YB AMIRUDDIN SHAARI

YB LIM LIP ENG

ANASIR DARI UMNO DAN POLIS TERLIBAT DENGAN INSIDEN KEPALA BABI?

KENYATAAN MEDIA

UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA

Tarikh: 29 Januari 2010

ANASIR DARI UMNO DAN POLIS TERLIBAT DENGAN INSIDEN KEPALA BABI?

Banyak pihak mengkritik Naib Presiden KEADILAN Azmin Ali mendedahkan bahawa beberapa anggota Umno terlibat dalam pembakaran sebuah gereja di Desa Melawati. Beliau akan mengumumkan nama mereka pada ketika yang sesuai. Mungkinkah kerana itu pihak Menteri Dalam Negeri dan polis tidak mahu memanggil beliau untuk siasatan?

Berikutan peristiwa kepala babi hutan diletakkan dekat masjid di Taman Datuk Harun dan Seri Sentosa pula didapati banyak perbualan mengenainya di kalangan orang ramai setempat. Sehubungan perbualan-perbualan di Taman Medan beberapa kesimpulan dapat dirumuskan, antaranya:

Pertama, kawasan di sekeliling masjid di Taman Medan itu didiami oleh orang Melayu dan tidak mungkin bagi seorang bukan Melayu yang dikenali atau tidak dikenali berani memasuki kawasan untuk membuat kerja buruk ini.

Kedua, kepala babi hutan itu dimasukkan dalam plastik dan diikat dengan tali, menunjukkan kemungkinan besar ia diletak dekat masjid oleh seorang atau lebih Muslim yang tidak mahu memegangnya kerana tahu ia dilarang dalam Islam.

Ketiga, ramai penduduk Taman Medan menganggap kerja ini mungkin dilakukan oleh beberapa orang extremis, termasuk ahli Umno, kerana mereka biasa dengan cara lama Umno ini untuk mengapikan kemarahan kaum.

Keempat, KPN Musa Hassan mengandaikan bahawa kepala babi itu mungkin dibeli dari restoran, dan ekoran dari andaian ini ramai penduduk mengesyaki ada anasir polis yang boleh jadi terlibat, kerana mereka saja – tidak orang biasa – yang boleh mendapatkan empat kepala babi hutan dari restoran sekaligus.

Saya menggesa pihak-pihak berkuasa menyiasat dengan segera dan teliti segala kesimpulan orang ramai ini sebelum ia merebak sebagai yang sebenarnya.

DR SYED HUSIN ALI

Timbalan Presiden KEADILAN

###

MEDIA STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 29 January 2010

ARE ELEMENTS FROM UMNO AND POLICE INVOLVED WITH PIG HEAD INCIDENT?

Many have criticized KEADILAN Vice President Azmin Ali for exposing that several Umno members were involved with the burning of a church in Dewa Melawati. He promised to disclose their names at an appropriate time. Is it possible that because of this the Home Minister and the police are not calling him for investigation?

Following the placing of wild boar heads near the Taman Datuk Harun and Seri Sentosa mosques, there have been a lot of talk among the local people. As regards the common talk among the people in Taman Medan, several conclusions can be made, as follows:

First, the area surrounding the Taman Medan mosque is resided entirely by Malays and it is well-nigh impossible for a non-Malay – familiar or not to them – to be brazen enough to enter the area to do this provocative job.

Second, the wild boar heads were put in plastic bags and tied, showing that they were placed by one or more Muslim who did not want to handle them since handling pork or pig with bare hands is forbidden in Islam.

Third, many residents in Taman Medan consider that the work could only be undertaken by some extremists, including some members of Umno, since they have been familiar with this old Umno modus operandi aimed at inciting racial anger.

Fourth, IGP Musa Hassan suggested that the wild boar heads might have been bought from restaurants, and arising therefrom many residents suspect that only the police could handle such operation because only they – not any ordinary people – could get the four heads from restaurants at the same time.

I urge the authorities to investigate speedily and carefully all ordinary people’s conclusions before they spread and taken as the whole truth.

DR SYED HUSIN ALI

Deputy President, KEADILAN

POLIS DIMINTA KEMBALIKAN NIKMAT RASA SELAMAT DAN AMAN KEPADA WANITA MALAYSIA

KENYATAAN MEDIA

UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA

Tarikh: 29 Januari 2010

POLIS DIMINTA KEMBALIKAN NIKMAT RASA SELAMAT DAN AMAN KEPADA WANITA MALAYSIA

Wanita KEADILAN merasa kesal dengan insiden anggota PDRM yang telah menembak cedera seorang wanita, ibu tunggal, Norizan Salleh, yang tidak disabit dengan apa-apa kesalahan atau jenayah.

Wanita tersebut telah ditembak beberapa kali dalam insiden kejar-mengejar dengan kereta polis dan kini wanita itu mengalami kecederaan kekal yang memerlukan rawatan berterusan. Beliau tidak mendapat sebarang bantuan dari kerajaan dan tidak diberi pampasan akibat kesilapan mencederakan beliau oleh anggota PDRM.

Wanita KEADILAN juga merasa kesal dengan sikap anggota PDRM yang kasar dan tidak bersikap wajar dalam melayani wanita mangsa yang cedera. Wanita tersebut telah ditendang dengan sepenuh daya ketika keluar dari kenderaan dan mengakibatkan patah tulang rusuknya. Kesihatan dan keupayaan fizikal beliau kini terjejas.

Wanita KEADILAN ingin mempersoalkan tindakan anggota PDRM yang telah menggunakan senjata api terhadap suspek yang jelas tidak memiliki sebarang senjata. Ia menimbulkan kegusaran dan persepsi bahawa anggota PDRM bertujuan wewenang mencedera dan boleh membunuh suspek. Wewenangan seumpama itu adalah penyalahgunaan kuasa dan keganasan yang wajar dibanteras.

Keganasan terhadap wanita, dalam apa jua situasi, merupakan suatu perkara yang sangat ditentang dan diselar oleh Dasar Wanita Negara dan Konvensyen-Konvensyen Antarabangsa. Sikap anggota PDRM yang belum faham tentang asas yang sedemikian menimbulkan tanda tanya apakah lain-lain kakitangan dan jentera kerajaan juga tidak peka dengan etika dan prosedur kerja yang menitikberatkan tiada keganasan terhadap wanita, terutamanya yang memerlukan bantuan dan rawatan.

Sekali lagi Menteri Wanita, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil telah gagal mendidik sebahagian kakitangan awam supaya adil dan peka gender dalam perlaksanaan tugasan mereka dan berlaku wajar ketika melayani mangsa, khususnya wanita, yang disyaki dengan kesalahan.

Wanita KEADILAN menuntut agar kerajaan Malaysia mengambil tindakan disiplin ke atas anggota PDRM yang sabit dan memberi keadilan kepada mangsa tersebut dengan menjamin keselamatan dan menawarkan pampasan yang wajar kepada beliau kerana kesilapan anggota PDRM yang terbabit. Mangsa juga perlu diberi bantuan rawatan percuma sepanjang hayat oleh Kerajaan Malaysia agar beliau boleh menjalani kehidupan dan masa depannya dengan baik dan sihat.

BIRO PENERANGAN

WANITA KEADILAN

Artikel Anwar Ibrahim dalam Asian Wall Street Journal.

Muslims Have No Monopoly over 'Allah'

Malaysia finds itself on tenterhooks because minority issues have been handled poorly.

By ANWAR IBRAHIM

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704375604575023813383421900.html#

Malaysia has once again resurfaced in international headlines for the wrong reasons. Over the last two weeks, arsonists and vandals attacked 10 places of worship, including Christian churches and Sikh temples. Though there were no injuries and the material damage is reparable, the same cannot be said about the emotional and psychological scars left behind. After numerous conflicting statements from government officials, the underlying causes of the violence are still unaddressed. Malaysia's reputation as a nation at peace with its ethnic and religious diversity is at stake.

Malaysia's poor handling of religious and sectarian issues is not unique. The ill treatment of minority groups in Muslim countries is often worse than the actions Muslims decry in the West. I have called attention to the broader need in the Muslim world for leadership that demonstrates consistency and credibility in our call for justice, fairness and pluralism. These values are embedded in the Islamic tradition as the higher objectives of Shariah expounded by the 12th-century jurist al-Shatibi.

We have seen Muslims around the world protest against discriminatory laws passed in supposedly liberal and progressive countries in the West. Yet just as France and Germany have their issues with the burqa and Switzerland with its minarets, so too does Malaysia frequently fail to offer a safe and secure environment that accommodates its minority communities.

The recent arson attacks exemplify what's wrong with the way Malaysia regards its non-Muslim citizens. The attacks were provoked by a controversy over the use of the word "Allah" by Malaysia's Christian community, which numbers over two million, or about 10% of the population. In late 2007, the Home Ministry banned the use of the word by the Herald, a Catholic newspaper, and later confiscated 15,000 copies of Malay-language Bibles imported from Indonesia in which the word for God is translated as "Allah." A Dec. 31, 2009 ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court overruled the earlier ban, asserting constitutional guarantees regarding the freedom of religion in Malaysia. Since then, an already tense situation boiled over, largely due to incitement by a few reckless politicians, the mainstream media and a handful of nongovernmental organizations linked by membership and leadership to the United Malays National Organization, the ruling party.

For example, Utusan Malaysia, the nation's largest Malay-language daily—which is also owned by UMNO—has inflamed Muslim religious sentiments by accusing non-Muslims of desecrating the name of the "Muslim" God and alleging a Christian conspiracy to overrun this predominantly Muslim nation through conversion. I have seen these incendiary propaganda techniques used before, when politicians and demagogues exploit public sentiment to garner support by fomenting fear. Such tactics are useful diversions from embarrassing scandals ranging from controversial court decisions, to allegations of exorbitant commissions extracted from military procurements, to the theft of two jet engines from the inventory of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. This behavior has been exacerbated since the ruling party lost its two-thirds majority in parliament last year. UMNO is now desperately struggling to regain public support.

Few Muslims around the world would endorse the claim that we have a monopoly on the word "Allah." It is accepted that the word was already in the lexicon of pre-Islamic Arabs. Arabic's sister Semitic languages also refer to God as "Allah": namely, "Elaha" in Aramaic, and "Elohim" in Hebrew. Historical manuscripts prove that Arabic-speaking Muslims, Christian and Jews have collectively prayed to God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, as "Allah" for over 1,400 years. The history of Islam in Southeast Asia is known for its pluralistic and inclusive traditions, and amicable relations between Muslims and non-Muslims have been the norm for generations.

Muslim scholars outside of Malaysia thus find our "Allah" issue absurd and cannot fathom why it has sparked protest and outrage. Minority Muslim populations living in the West, particularly in the aftermath of 9/11, have diligently tried to remind the public that Muslims, Christians and Jews share common Abrahamic roots and ultimately worship the same God.

Local sensitivities have been aroused over this issue. They should be handled through dialogue and engagement. Instead of permeating a sense of insecurity or a siege mentality, Muslims must be encouraged to engage and present their concerns to the Christians in a constructive manner. The example of Muslim Spain is a moment in our history to which Malaysian Muslims should aspire. But efforts toward fostering a convivencia are not only found in the past. The ongoing "Common Word" initiative, a global effort launched in 2007 that captured the support of over 130 of the world's most prominent Muslim scholars, has made historic progress towards building goodwill among Muslims and Christians to find ways to live in sincere peace and harmony. It is ironic that noble efforts such as these are being undone by the actions of Muslims themselves.

Malaysia's international reputation has taken a beating since Prime Minister Najib Razak was sworn in last year. Despite his efforts to promote national unity, news about the caning of a young Muslim woman charged with drinking, the mutilation of a cow head in protest of the construction of a Hindu temple, ill treatment of Muslim converts who revert to their earlier faith and even the outlawing of the practice of yoga by Muslims have many at home and abroad wondering which direction Malaysia is headed under Mr. Najib's leadership. There are already misgivings about governance, human rights, the rule of law and rampant corruption; Malaysia dropped 10 spots on Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perception Index, our worst showing in over 15 years. The vision of Malaysia as a peaceful and stable location for investment, tourism and migration is now in peril.

This matters most for Malaysians who have to contend with an increasingly polarized social and political landscape. Malaysia cannot afford to be held hostage by the vested interests of a few who manipulate faith and identity as a means to elicit fear for political and economic gain. This is old politics, and it has become clear that those who incite hatred are only doing so to prolong their monopoly on power. The majority of Malaysians reject this approach. They realize that overcoming the challenges we face—a stagnant economy, declining educational standards and rising crime—depends on our ability as a nation to internalize and make real the principles of fairness and justice to all.

Mr. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, is a member of parliament for the Justice Party and leader of the opposition.

kenyataan bersama pimpinan pemuda ASEAN mengutuk tindakan membuang kepala babi di 2 masjid dan menentang ekstrimis

PRESS RELEASE

27^TH JANUARY 2010

ASEAN MUST BE FREE FROM EXTREMISM

We, as the young leaders of ASEAN and Youth Leaders of major political parties and alliances of Malaysia and Indonesia, Golkar, Partai Bulan Bintang, and Pakatan Rakyat Youth Wing; strongly condemn the recent incident of throwing wild-boar heads into two mosques in Malaysia; (Masjid Jumhuriyah, Taman Datuk Harun in Petaling Jaya and Masjid Al-Imam Al-Tirmizi, Taman Seri Sentosa, Jalan Klang Lama). It is truly an irresponsible act of crime committed by certain factions of the society in Malaysia; those who resorted to racial and dirty politics in order to ignite religious and racial tension.

Over the last three weeks, Malaysia reputation has been tarnished with series of irresponsible attacks towards places of worship throughout the country. Malaysia as part of ASEAN community, is known for its cultural and religious diversity. We are saddened with incidents depicting increasing intolerance. There is a clear and urgent need to address instances of extremism. Seditious statements and provocative actions are counter-productive and would unnecessarily disrupt peace in the region.

We believe as what has been pointed out by H.E Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the recent article of Asia Wall Street Journal, there is a pressing need in the Muslim world for a leadership that demonstrates consistency and credibility in our call for justice, fairness and pluralism. This is the moment for us to reject fanaticism and remain calm.

MAKATI CITY, MANILA

SHAMSUL ISKANDAR MOHD AKIN

Youth Chief, People’s Justice Party (Malaysia)

DAVE AKBARSHAH FIKARNO LAKSONO

Youth Chief of AMPI,GOLKAR Party ( Indonesia)

AHMAD TOHA ALMANSUR

General Leader, Indonesian Moslem Youth Movement (Indonesia)

MOHD YUSMADI MOHD YUSOFF

Member of Parliament, Balik Pulau (Malaysia)

SJUKRIANTO Y

Chief of Central Committee GERINDRA Party (Indonesia)

SIM TZE TZIN

State Assemblyman, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

FATHURRAHMAN MAHFUDZ

Head of International Affairs, Crescent Star Party (Indonesia)

KAMARULZAMAN MOHD

Secretary of PAS Youth Chief (Malaysia)

ANDI SYAFRANI

Lawyer, Political Consultant and Lecturer State Islamic University Jakarta (Indonesia)