Must We Resort to the Use of Murderous Weapons...?

There are injustices going on in all Governments. However good and effective the government in any country is, there will be people who feel marginalized, sidelined, unfairly treated, or forced to comply with laws, regulations and policy decisions that affect them badly. There are protest movements everywhere, some peaceful, some very rowdy, but some causing hundreds of deaths and injuries. Revolts, revolutions and civil wars are not dead, only reduced to a very minor and controllable degree. They remain safe where no firearms and murderous weapons are used.

Firearms and the use of destructive weaponry make the difference. They can turn a small quarrel into a bloody feud, a small protest into a bloodbath, a minor uprising into a goary civil strife, and a populaar movement agaist the government in power, a full scale civil war. Especially when a foreign power is just too ready to support the movement and to get rid of an unmanageable tyrant or despot as called by that foreign power. But if that power is friendly with the tyrant or despot, then the military might of the foreign power will be turned on the supporters of the movement.

Whatever the case maybe, when the sophisticated and murderous weaponry of the foreign power is unleashed on the country in trouble, thousand upon thousand of people will die or suffer serious injuries. The intervention may have the loftiest of human reasons, the kindest of intentions. the sanest of arguments. But thousands will die and the country concerned will be turned upside down. Isn't that just crazy, stupid and inhuman? Call the intervention by any name, it's still inhuman and macabre when thousands of innocent lives are lost, due to the use of the so-called sophisticated human invention - the weapons of death.

Can't we quell an uprising or solve the conflicts between people in the same coountry without the use of deadly weapons. Any idiot or brainless person can solve a problem by shooting people who are causing the problem and killing them all. Is that a solution? A real solution calls for a peaceful unravelling of the issues involved, working out an acceptable bargain for both sides of the conflicting parties, and helping them to achieve a better conditions of life. Yes, any fool with powerful weapons can help destroy a nation in a few days then force its own rule on the people. But helping a troubled nation out of it's conflict and difficulties, without the use of deadly and destructive weapons is a different story.

IS THERE A NATION WITH SOUL SO DEAD, WHO TO EVERYONE HAS SAID. WE'RE ONLY TRYING TO HELP, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO KILL EVERYONE.

When Will Malaysians Stop Being Petty?

When I read the newspapers and see so much space being devoted to sex scandal and rape of the anus, and think of the amount of public money and official time (legal and law enforcement) spent on such maatters, I start to think that we are being so petty and picayune. Other countries and people too have such problems. But they're quickly resolved and public officials involved,removed themselves voluntarily, ( Hat off to Dato Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek}.

But why are the Malaysians, especially theMalays, so hung-up on such matters? Is it because of their religious implications or just a personal vendetta of a political nature? But the whole nation goes agog about them, overshadowing concern about corruptions and "kowtim" arrangements where millions are shared among insiders and friends while the bona fide entrepreneurs get the left overs. Such matters can never be brought to book because....why mention it when everyone knows but no hard evidence can ever be obtained. hy again? Because any things can be condoned when there's mutual consent, except when one party suddenly "blows the whistle" due to discontentment.

The trouble with allegations about corruption today is that, mention any case and there'll be fingures pointing up to the hills and the sky. So many levels of authorities seemed to be implicated that even the beest police force in the world would not be able to sieve out the truth. Only more public money will be spent for the investigations and inquiries which will lead to an impasse or will otherwize fizzle out. Only God knows who were really involved and He doesn't tell. The Malays and Muslims will conclude things with "wallahu alam" just as they will reply "insyaallah" to any request that they are not sure of being able to comply with. At least the English speaking non-Malay might say "I'll try my best, buddy!"

Back to the question of sex scandal and rape of the anus, the court and the neswspapers have brought out things that I would have blushed with shame to even hear them being mentioned as a young boy decades ago. I thought the modern pop and rap songs are already bad enough with their suggestions and invitations to sex ( touch my body, make love to me, f... me etc). But the lawyers in court are doing better with their detailed descriptions of the sex act eagerly soaked up by the newspapers. And the trial goes on for years...

Take any case that is brought to court and even a man-on-the-street can mewntion a good number that are not. Why? Because the alleged violater of the law is a VIP or the vic tim is a nobody. Even police officers and officers of the religious department are sometime involved, They are human beings and human beings do get involved in kinky sex. Bring them to book for heavens sake but why make such cases a national issue or given sensational coverage in the newspapers. To boost up sales of the newspareps? To assasinate the character of undesirable politicians. Must the nation as whole become the laughing stock of the world when the front pages of the newspares talk about sex skandal and the rape of the anus when
Libya is about to become another Iraq, Bahrain a possible Afghanistan when its fight against the Russians was first supported by the US, Yemen is in a turmoil, and many other North African and Middle Eastern countries are facing a revolt of some kind.

Sarawak is facing a State GE while Malaysia as a whole will be facing it soon. Are we going to talk about sex scandal and rape of the anus as the problem of the nation to keep away from the real problems and dilemma? While the PM is talking about economic and social transfromation are the public to be fed with the juicy stories of the alleged sexual adventures of some of our leaders that had been brought up while others remained to be blown open by some discontented insiders?. Someone said in the papers that there are a number of those SS ( Sex Scandals) tapes waiting to be shown. I suppose those tapes will surface before the GE.

Aren't we being petty and overconcrned about certain things while bigger and more important matters are being swept under the carpet?

The Wrath of Nature

We've seen or experienced it again and again. Earthquake, flood, tsunami, drought t fire etc. The most recent catastrophe that hits Japan with earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant explosion (with possible meltdown and radiation occuring in quick succession) is the worst that can happen and we still don't know how it's going to end. It beats the calamities that have hit the USA, New zealand, Chile, Acheh, the Philippines etc. in the recent past. Our prayers, condolence and sympathy go to the Japanese snd all those who have suffered the wrath of Nature..

Can natural disasters be considered as the wrath of Nature? i wouldn't want to say the wrath of God for I am not qualified to do so although as far as the Muslims are concerned the al-Quran stated very succinctly that Allah had in the past destroyed many human communities for going against His injunctions and the teachings of the prophets that He chose for them. Even the big flood and Noah's Arc was His way of selecting who and what would continue to livre on the earth.

What have human beings done to incur the wrath of nature in the form of earthquake although Science says it's only the natural result of some geophysical adjustments in the tectonic plates? No one can give a definite answer to such a question but we do know that human beings have been continuously tempering with the earth surface. We built huge dams and artificial lakes which impounded billion metric tonnes of water weighing on the earthcrust in places where nature had not decided to create a lake naturally. We pumped out million upon million barrels of oil everyday, leaving a vacuum which when even refilled with water will not be able to bear the same weght. This happens in many parts of the world especially in the offshore areas. Aren't we threfore not disturbing the narural balance of the earthcrust?

To a lesser degree human beings also keep hacking away at the hills and the mountains. No we don't disturb the really collosal mountains and the plateaus such as the Rockies, the Andes, the Tibetan Plateu, the Fujiyama and the Kinabalu. But we flattened the smaller hills to build homes and residentisl areas towns and cities. We dig tunnels and underground pathways to facilate trasportation. We build bridges and heavy structures to cross rivers, lakes and even the sea where the earthcrust could be rather thin. Aren't we, therefore, not adding on a lot of wieght on the land surface without actually knowing how thick the earstcrust is in the areas concerned.

What about floods. Can that also be a sign of the wrath of nature? Floods resulting from earthquake share the causes of the esrthquake itself - the unending and indiscriminate human activities which shift the weight and the pressure sustaiened by the earthcrust. But there other other things that we do which can cause flooding from rivers and rivulets. We cut away trees, hacked the forests away and denude the land surface. We also construct cement walls, roads and pavements which interfere with the natural process of draining rainwater away. Yes we make our own drainage and irrigation plan but not for all the rivers. Too m any water catchment areas of the world had been converted into towns, cities, and residential areas, while forestland which absorbed the running waters from the hills and mountains had beeen denuded.

So, is Nature (if not God Himself) not angry with us human beings for our many failures to live by its/His rule? The most disasterous earthquake in Shanxi, China, in 1556 killed 830,000 people, the Acheh disaster killed 283,106 oeople and many earlier disasters killed hundreds of thousand. We pray that Japan got away with lesss lives than the loss of properties and wealth which can be regenerated. It's time for human beings to rethink of what they have done to incur the wrath of Nature ( and God), and desist doing those things. If we don't then don't be surprised when Nature hits back, however sorrowful we are of the tragedies that hit us.

Quarter way through 2011.

We're now ending the first quarter of 2011. What do we see in the horizon at the national and international level? New hopes, inspiring promises. more of the same as last year or more impending problems and trouble? Is our country and the world moving towards a betterment of human relations, peace annd prosperity or adding more stress and strains, spreading more misunderstanding and hatred, and generally moving towards another catastrophe?

In our interest to promote our own ideals and aspiration, our believe and values and our idea of world peace, we sometimes forget that God created Men and Women with different looks and characteristics, different blessings and destiny, and different needs in life. That differences also apply to different countries and climes, different habitat and habitations. Man cannot try to make everything the same in the name of modernization and development, freedom and justice, equitability and equality. Nothing in the world is equal as are our fingers (and many other parts of the body) in length and size.

So, can we have a system of government that applies throughout the world? That will please and satisfy everyone? That will bring peace and prosperity to every part of the world?

I think the answer is clear. No matter how similar things are outwardly, how uniform and homogeneous they look, there certainly are essential differences that make them stand apart. Difference in essence and spirit, even if they are the same in name, structure and functions. All hearts are different in men and women although the heart specialists and cardiologists don't see the differences and treat any malfunction and deformities in the same way.

Now think of people and the different countries, cultures, and habitats that constitute the world. Can we ever say that what is good for one country is also good for all the rest of the world, what makes people happy in one country will also make others happy in other parts of the world, and what satisfies an Eskkimo will also satisfy an Arab living in the desert or a Tibetan living on top of the Tibetan Plateau 4,400 meters above sea level.l. Similarities in certain basic needs ( like food and water) there must be. But even that may differ in the way they cook and prepare them for consumption.

Having said that. think of the American idea of bringing justice, freedom and equitability to all parts of the world through their concept of democracy. Is that logical at all - and acceptable? A new wave of protests and revolts is now sweeping through the Middle Eastern and North African countries and the American are activating their mighty warships and armament in readiness to "protect" the innocent protestors and rebels against the forces of the government. How? By ensuring that the existing leaders be removed, lock stock and barrel ( like what happened in Iraq).

The amazing thing is that, the world just stands by and watches, as if in support of the American heroic initiative. We certainly see some of the glaring inequalities, injustice and shortcomings of the governments that are now under seige - as seen from OUR OWN point of view. But is turning the guns towards thhe established leaders of those government, the way to affect a remedy? We all know what the Americans want by coming in immediately to HELP the innocent people, perhaps through local bigwigs who are working for the Americans as it serves theeir interests to do so. But why is the world so easily persuaded by the good intention of the self-appointed world police (SWOP)? Couldn't the world help out in correcting the wrongs of certain governments by other peaceful measures like helping out the unfortunate?

So. in moving towards the second quarter of 2011. can we see our country and the world moving further towards peace, harmony, prosperity and progress or towards greater tension, more messy problems and conflicts? Don't answer the question. Just convince yourselves over the answer that you give to yourself. All the others are probably doing the same while the world power continues to do what they want to serve their own interest.

A New Wave of Rising Expectation

First President Hosni Mubarak was ousted out by the force of the common citizen. Then President Zine el-Abdine Ben Ali faced the indignance of the Tnisians. Now Mohamed Ghadafi, oncce the King of Kings in Africa is facing the brewing storm of frustration and discontentment among some of his people. The tidde of rising dissatisfaction and dissappointment seems to be spreading fast in the African countries including Zimbabwe, Ugganda, Cameroon and Senegal. The same is happening in the Saudi Arabiah States of Bahrain and Yemen.

Is this an indication of a new wave of rising expectation and disappointment with the authority that stays too long in power, no matter how fair and benevolent the current leaders think they are, or
what?

It looks as though many of the Muslim or Muslim-preponderant States are being swept by a sudden realization that there is a limit to patience as a part of faith. They are willing to pay obeisancce and be loyal to the authority that rules them in line with the Islamic teaching ' Atiullah waati urArasul was ulilamri minkum,' onnly up to a certain point. After more than 20 years of such rule without any sign of a willingness to give the people a voice tto determine their own leaders and have a say in the government, they will protest and force through a change. They want a say in selecting the Ulilamri - their leaders.

What has happened and is happening now shpuld be seriously heeded by the authoritative leaders that now rule the country no matter how benevolent and fair they think they are. Democratic meeasures must be introduced to allow the people to have a say in selecting their leaders and formulating the policies of governmentt. On the one hand we have good old US of A trying to force democracy in the oil-rich countries (its own brand of course) ) while on the other the Muslims are no longer happy with the teaching "hear and obey" - samikna waathakna. They feel thaat the ummah should have a say in the running of government, especially when the majority of the people remain poor and empoverished after more than twenty years of autocratic rule while the leaders and previleged groups in the country live in wealth and luxury.

The government must immediately looekd at the participation and thee sharing of power to govern with the people, though the form of democracy as espoused by the US need not be the only altlternative to follow. What is most important is that the wealthy leaders should not be seen as enjoying the wealth of the country by themselves without a fair and convincing plan for distributing the wealth to the people.

Have such a plan, convince the people that the plan is being actively ppursued, that the wealth of the country is being shared with them and that they are geeting a very fair share of the wealthh...and things could remain stable and calm. Wealth and luxury are highly visible while mild empoverishment and relative poverty cound be invisible. But they will ultimately rear their ugly face in the country ad people will protest. Better do something beefore the wave of rising disappointment and expectation sweep over the country. No matter how fair and benevolent the currennt government think it is, if it has been in power for more than twenty years without being able to bring about a visible transformation towards a life of comfort and prosperity for the masses, watch out. The tide of angry protest and disappointment will surely come sweeping by.

The new wave of rising expectation can come to your shore, sooner than you think. It's better to throw in the gear of change now. .

One Nation One Nationality...

There's only one Malaysia and the nationality of its citizens is Malaysian. But the Malaysians can be of different racial origins, embracing different religious faiths and practicing different cultural norms and habits beside the overriding Malaysian cultural mix. Thus we have UNITY IN DIVERSITY. Other nations too have the same national and cultural identity. One national identity but made up of several religious and socio-cultural ingredients.

What's wrong with that? It's true for the US, the UK and other European nations, USSR, Indonesia, Singapore etc. The national identity remains intact and well-respected without any attempt to integrate all the religio-socio-cultural mix into one common
entity loosing all original costituent textures, shades and colors.

While socio-cultural differences can be slowly overshadowed by a strong overarching national culture which evolves through the years, to put all the citizens of a state under one religious faith is an impossibility. In the context of Islam, it is even ludicrous since the Ummah ( followers of the Islamic faith) can only be a Muslim with total subjugation to Allah and His Prophet, Muhammad SAW. Those who don't accept and pronounce the shahada ( Asyshadu anlaillaha illallah waasyhadu anna Muhammad ar-RasuAllah), cannot be considered as an Ummah. As such the slogan Satu Malaysia Satu Ummah must be understood with the limitation of the religious requirement, although the integrative potentials and aspirational aspects of such a call is great.

While all nations aspire to create a single, solid and homogeneous entity, heterogeneity is a fact of life. Allah Himself stated in the al-Quran that He created men with different races and descendants so that they may learn from each other. If Allah has willed it so how presumptous it is of men to want everyone in a country to assume only a single identity? They can only coexist and live together under the same leadership, nationhood, ideological conviction, political and socio-economic regime. But their religious faith, native culture and customs can remain different though under one overarching national identity. Thus we still see the differences among people from different racial and cultural origins in the US, UK, Indonesia or elsewhere although they are all Americans, English, Indonesians etc. Malaysians would also be the same. It is the rights, the privilages, the pride and the security of being the citizen of a nation-state that hold the people together, not necessarily their religious and cultural orientation or their political views.

Thus i Malaysia is a beautiful clarion call for all Malaysians to work together, develop the country and live in peace and harmony. But it cannot be equated with one ummah for we are multiracial and multicultural. What is needed is more goodwill between ummah and non-ummah. More importantly. the ummah - those professing the Islamic religion- must not allow themselves to be torn apart by party and political interest. You'll all answer to the same God - Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. The breakup, ill-feelings and enmity between and among the ummah, can be more destructive than the social ills of society as a whole. Let the ummah in Malaysia consolidate themselves and the ideals of i Malaysia can be achieved more easily.

The realities of life....

Life is always a changing mosaic - a fast moving collage of happenings that often leaves us breathless. Do we and can we understand everything that happens before our eyes. Anyone who can categically answer ' Yes' is either a presumptious omniscient or an egoistic ignoramus. What we can understand is only life as we shape it for ourselves, as we understand and picture it in our mind. The real life out there could be far diiferent from what we thought it to be.

Everyone has his or her own image of life and what it should be like. That's the sum total of our ideals. Can two or more people have the same ideals.? Of course you can but only up to a certain point. Beyond that we all have our differences. It is the sharing of certain common ideals that brings people together as friends and colleagues. Different ideals and ideas about life will keep them apart.


That's quite natural . What's not natural is the fact that people having the same ideals and ideas about life have different understading or impressions of the real world as it exists today. They see different achievents of their ideals and experience different levels of satifaction or frustration. The gaps between what they hope for in their ideals and what they see as being achieved in real life are different. What others see as having been achieved they don't see it as such. Even though things have changed they don't see the changes. That is because the image of the world in their mind has not changed one little bit.

This is a very important factor in bringing people together in a society, especially in a multiracial one. The real world as we see it might have changed tremendously but not to them because the picture of life in their minds have not changed. Lets illustrate this phenomenon with a few examples.

The social status of the blacks in the United States has changed tremendously with the election of Obama to the White House. But some people in the world and maybe in the US itself see no change. In Malaysia the status of the non-Malays has changed tremendously after Merdeka and especially now after so many non-Malays occupied keys positions in the government. Yet to some there has not been much changes and the non-Malays are still being treated as a second class citizens. It is something in their minds which has not changed.

The most difficult change to appreciate in the world is the change in religous tolerency. Education has made people more appreciative of each other as friends and colleagues in spite of religious differences but some people still see religion as the root cause of all divisiveness in a multiracial society. Every disagreement, conflict or enmity between racial groups is traced back to religion though people with different religious beliefs have been living together for ages without serious conflicts.

Islam today, for example is still equated by some people with backwardness, intolerence, aggressiveness belligerence, and brutality.The brutality of the suicide bombers for example is seen as more diabolical than the killing of thousands of Muslims in Afghanistans, Iraq, the Palestine , Bosnia-Herzegovina, and various other places in the world. It matters little that some Muslim leaders have become the prime movers of peace initiative in the world. The picture of muslims' brutalities in the war of the Crusades and during the Caliphate years still filled their minds and so every evil thing happening in the world is dumbed on the Muslims. This is the stand of those with an Islamophobiac view of the world,

Undoubtedly some Muslims also carry indeletable images of the attrocities that the west had done to their county and their people. Thus they refuse or fail to see what good the west had brought to them, no matter how beneficial the changes brought about by their interaction had been. This is the stand of the xenophobes. But note that xenophobia is a hatred of strangers, not necessarily of westerners or of Christians as such. There's no word for a hatred of Christians comparable to Islamophobia. Good Muslims are prohibited from hating a fellow human being, but there could be xenophobes around.

These people are the greatest stumbling block that the world faced in trying to seek peace between the East and the West. The islamophobes and xenophobes carry a picture of the old world in their heads whiich had never changed in spite of the various changes that have taken place in modern times. Until they change the picture in their head they can never accept the realities of today and accept the fact that God had made the world not just for people of their own racial origin and faith and that others have as much right as they have, no matter how poor or powerless they are as compared to them . It is the image of the world in our heads which prevent us from accepting the world as it is today with people of all racial origins and faiths living and working together in peace and harmony.