Constant Petit, straw man argument. A ‘country’ cannot practise Buddhism. Only an individual can do so, and you can hardly claim to know whether every individual in Thailand is Buddhist or not.
Furthermore, Thailand does not consider Buddhism or any other religion an official state religion. Four percent of Thais, for example, profess Islam and there are many Christians and Hindus as well. None of these, as a religion, is responsible for LM laws. Politicians – which in the case of Thailand means mafia, for me most part, are.
I agree with you that many socially secularized countries, such as Norway, are doing well economically. Many reports, e.g. Gallup, indicate that only 20 to 25 percent of Norwegians say that religion is important to their life. However, this does not mean that the citizens do not believe in God or do not have any faith traditions and values.
In January 2010, 79.2 percent of 4.799 million population in Norway, were members of the state Church of Norway. And 10 per cent were members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway. Islam is the second largest religion (Ref: Statistic Norway http://www.ssb.no/trosamf_en/).
While religious rituals are observed in the private space, faith ethical values that naturally converge with basic human rights and dignity are lived-out in the public spheres in many of the socially secular countries. This is not to say that social capital values come from faith alone. Culture, life stance, and many ideologies too are rich with social values.
The question for Malaysia is; if 97% of Malaysians are of faith adherents, why bigotry and corruption are still predominant, and the diversified citizens live on mere tolerance? What happen to religions? Are they not supposed to promote love to God and to others, kindness and goodness?
Perhaps, Malaysia is much more secular than what we think it is, simply because common and important faith values – justice, respect, equality, integrity, love to others – are not the country’s primary values in public spheres as compared to racing with each other by being religious through enforcement of religious laws.
If our current leaders continuously fail to promote and to live-out these social values, and do not take serious action to remedy the content and the pedagogy of Malaysia’s religious and ethics education, the nation will eventually lose its peaceful coexistence. There is high possibility that the future generation will witness many “springs,” many will become unemployed and be deprived from good life.
[…] a bad sign and goes together with some recent commentary at New Mandala suggesting further actions in the pipeline. However, Ji Ungpakorn’s recent claim that “the […]
The first article you provided described a threat. In the U.S. we have the freedom to express anything. We can say Obama sucks, Obama is crappy, or Obama is a horrible person. In fact, I can write, right now from my apartment in the heartland of the U.S., that Obama is a huge Muslim terrorist socialist fascist anti-Christ. And nothing will happen to me.
But when words become a threat, that is not a work of fiction, it becomes a serious matter. Though in certain times, such as a pre-9/11 America, even “threatening” poems aren’t taken too seriously.
And the second article you provided has its’ reference from The Sun, a U.K. tabloid paper. I highly doubt that is reliable.
“Because the regime is captive to its own lies, it must falsify everything. It falsifies the past. It falsifies the present, and it falsifies the future. It falsifies statistics. It pretends not to possess an omnipotent and unprincipled police apparatus. It pretends to respect human rights. It pretends to persecute no one. It pretends to fear nothing. It pretends to pretend nothing.
{10}Individuals need not believe all these mystifications, but they must behave as though they did, or they must at least tolerate them in silence, or get along well with those who work with them. For this reason, however, they must live within a lie. They need not accept the lie. It is enough for them to have accepted their life with it and in it. For by this very fact, individuals confirm the system, fulfill the system, make the system, are the system…”
Not sure if Nawat thought through the above post. On the kid who is said to be banned from the U.S., this is what is said in most reports: “Not much is known about the email beyond that just that whatever he said to the President was bad enough that the FBI contacted British police after intercepting the message.” The other case involves a White supremacist apparently threatening death.
While not justifying the threats or the bans, I can’t think of anyone on lese majeste having threatened the life of any royal. I also note that the US didn’t wait for the kid to visit the country and arrest him and I also note that the White supremacist, who probably would love the Nazi stuff, was granted bail….
First of all Ricky, OBL got what he deserved. Kudos to Obama for the Chicago move of making him sleep with the fishees. I think Obama really did want to close Guantanamo, but political realities made it impossible or too costly, so he caved.
But if the USA really wanted Gordon out, they could have gotten that one way or the other. It easily could have been engineered in a way where everyone gets something, and nobody loses face. Even if the Thais didn’t want to do that, there surely was enough leverage by administering brush-back pitches and publicly embarrass select members of the Thai elite. But if you outsource torture to Thailand, it is a dangerous game. So instead the USA is a pathetic enabler. Did you see Obama ask Iran to release the drone, but not ask Thailand to release Gordon. How lame is that. How lame is that.
Unfortunately, Gordon was never going to capture the imagination of the US mainstream media. If they had, the US media could have made it difficult on the US government. The charming ambassador to Thailand provides an inexhaustible supply of material. If she was trashed enough to be forced out that would weigh in the minds of policy makers. They could have nightly trashed Thailand. Thais have already been huffy about the minimal criticism they received from the US and UN, this would have been on a wider plane. We all know there are plenty of salacious pictures that could have gotten wider exposure. There are Occupy protesters out looking for things to protest. The internet community could have applied the Rick Santorum treatment. How about a Southpark episode?
The author said that apostasy is not unique to Islam and go on to cite the O.T. Do you see any death sentence for apostasy today in Christianity. None. That was in the O.T. and for the Jews only at that time. But Islam still practices death sentence for apostasy in Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other muslim countries.
I find the author is beating around the bush but did not want to come outright with what he is trying to say. He wants to say that apostasy is compatible with human rights. You can’t have both.
It is very clear cut. Only God can punish a person, it is not for human to decide another person’s fate, even in apostasy. To you it may be apostasy, to another it may not be. Who knows in his heart, he is constantly praying to God but not in the way you do it or the ritual you perform. Only God sees all. There are people who perform all the correct ritual but got not substance. It is in form only perform for others to see, but is corrupted. Another may not perform all the correct rituals, but their hearts are right with God and not corrupt but is clean.
“I cannot tell if that is satire or real. That’s the frightening part.” … try to go with the satire part and you are mentally in a better state to deal with the Tuls and Mallikas in Thailand. 😉
I found the reference to Nazis quite interesting for one reason. Legally, Nazi symbolism is banned in Germany. As a consequence Nazi punks use “88” as an abbreviation for “Hail Hitler”, as “H” is the 8th letter in the alphabet.
So, how far will the Thai paranoia go? Not only banning the phrase but also the sum “88”… or as in the Da Torpedo cases also the square roots and cross sums of all things 8sh?
#1 Doug Olthof – This article attempts to remind Malaysians, 97% of the population, to live-out the good social values of their faith traditions. I agree with you that this includes engaging in a healthy social bonding that transcend religious distinction.
#3 Aoaoao – Thus, like what Aoaoao said, the religious lives of faith adherents should not just stop at going to mosques on Friday, or churches on Sunday, or temples, etc.
#2 SRossi – I do believe that there are many Malaysians, of faith traditions or without faith traditions, who have good ethics. Thus, I disagree with you that faith values are “almost non existent in Malaysia.”
I need to clarify however that social values come from various sources – culture, faith and ideologies – which make Malaysia what it is today. Of course, the people and the country will not cease to transform.
In the 6 countries that I have lived; Canada, USA, Germany, Thailand, China, and Singapore, most of the people I have interacted with have high regards towards Malaysians. I am now residing in New Haven, Connecticut – one of the most richest state in the USA – but robbery happens almost every two days, gun shots are heard almost every week. At night, the security officers walk or drive us around campus. I rather not write about my 11 years of life experiences living in China.
#8 If we focus on encouraging each other to live out these good values and addressing issues objectively, then our country will be transformed holistically into a better nation.
I agree with you that, “..one thing claiming to be something but quite another to actually being it.” Malaysian government has major role in remedying many of the citizens’ perspective that religiosity centers mainly on rituals and liturgies, without relating one’s pleasing relationship with God should also transcends with wonderful relationship with others. As I wrote, faith leaders too need to mediate how people think about God and others.
But if the citizens also think positively and take part in doing good, at least at personal level, we take some responsibilities in adding positive energy and in creating hope, instead of pointing our fingers to the government and faith leaders only.
I’m not surprise to see 23 thump ups given to somchai’s foolish comment by contributors on the NM website.
Recently, the american ambassador to thailand expressed her concern about article 112 and recent less majeste cases after thai court jailed a thai-born american for 2.5 years. Of course ‘freedom of speech/expression’ was again used as a cause of concern by the ambassador.
what happens with ‘freedom of speech’ in her beloved country?
…someone was jailed by US court for 33 months for threatening obama in poem!
I have always said to Muslim apologists that a religion cannot speak for itself and it is spoken only through the behaviour and the rituals of its followers.
====
Well said Siti, no point telling how beautiful is Islam when what its followers conduct shows the opposite. Intellectual discourse only ends up on the dusty shelf of the libraryies.
When the writer mentioned about Deuteronomy 13:6-11, he failed to apply it in true Christian context. Remember, when a Christian read a bible, he must always read them in both Old Testament (Prophets prior to Christ) and New Testament (Christ’s Teaching) context. Christians like me believe that Christ is the fulfillment of the scripture, so, by failing to contextualize the content of Deuteronomy 13:6-11 with Christ’s Teaching, it is quite immature to conclude that Christians ‘clearly declared apostasy as public offense and punishable by law..’ and that ‘…the stipulated punishment for an offence of apostasy is death penalty.’
So, my honest advice, even if the writer is clearly not a Christian, it is important to consider the New Testament verses first, above all else, whenever the writer wanted to discuss about Christian’s Doctrine (in order to avoid misleading information). Remember, a glass of white creamy liquid is not necessarily be a glass of milk.
— whether apostasy from Islam has been politicised by some people (it may well have been, but that’s not the issue);
— whether the proper punishment for apostasy from Islam is death or some lesser punishment, according to the one or the other school of thought;
— whether strict legal requirements have been complied with in order to prove such an apostasy has occurred, or whether those requirements themselves conform with human rights.
The only real issue is whether a Muslim who clearly wishes to apostasise may freely do so, without being subject any punishment at all. Anything less than that is squarely incompatible with an individual’s freedom of religion. Dr Zulkifli’s article fails to justify this incompatibility.
There is not a single statement in the Quran that so much as suggests that the punishment for apostasy is death. Many Muslim jurists reject the death penalty for apostasy.
Mahmud Shaltut, the late Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University argued that a worldly punishment for apostasy was not mentioned in the Qur’an and whenever it mentions apostasy it speaks about a punishment in the hereafter.
The Grand Mufti of Cairo, Sheikh Ali Gomaa have stated that while God will punish apostates in the afterlife they should not be executed by human beings.
S. A. Rahman, a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, argues that there is no indication of the death penalty for apostasy in the Quran.
[…] Norani Abu Bakar is a Post Graduate Fellow and the Asia Project Director of Pathways for Mutual Respect. She can be contacted at [email protected] and blogs at Loving God and Neighbors. […]
sancity of religion is absolutely good. but many bolehlanders were not given the right to choose. it’s enshrined in the constitution, what they must profess and if apotasy is not permitted, their own choice is to leave bolehland to seek reconciliation with their Creator they choose to believe in other than what was casted in stone under the law.
if Malaysia believes in freedom of religion, let the young ones choose when they mature. no turning back after that, an act which blemishes the religion. but for sake of righteousness and freedom, let them choose or not to choose when they attain majority. Only then apotasy laws will be regarded as fair.
By all means, for blemishing a religion, damn these fellas (if it’s death, so be it). but ensure, at all times, they have, at least once in a life time, a choice. A chance to choose what they want to profess.
One of the point raised by a commentator, who are to say who has the authority to proclaim the alleged apostate is guity and must be sentenced to death. Is status a good guide? A professor? One with a doctorate?
Dr. Riduan Tee’s essays and opinions leave a lot to be desired. Many of the Malaysian judges whether sitting or ex do not and did not convince the world with their findings and judgements.
If Buang Mokhtar committed khawat and caught in the situation by a thieve, the allegation by the thieve is the truth, do we then because of the withness is a thieve and dismiss the incident as not believable?
Come January 9 when the judge pronounce that DSAI is indeed guilty as charged. How many of us are going to believe that? No? you mean even the YAB judge’s words cannot be trusted, wasn’t Saiful a credible witness? He even dare to swear on the Koran in a mosque!!!
Who are you then to pronounce that I deserve the death sentence because I am an apostate? Can you swear that you have never committed any sin throughout you life, whether great or small?
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Another academic victim of 112
Constant Petit, straw man argument. A ‘country’ cannot practise Buddhism. Only an individual can do so, and you can hardly claim to know whether every individual in Thailand is Buddhist or not.
Furthermore, Thailand does not consider Buddhism or any other religion an official state religion. Four percent of Thais, for example, profess Islam and there are many Christians and Hindus as well. None of these, as a religion, is responsible for LM laws. Politicians – which in the case of Thailand means mafia, for me most part, are.
Malaysia losing “faith capital values”
Kaizen #5 & SRossi #8
I agree with you that many socially secularized countries, such as Norway, are doing well economically. Many reports, e.g. Gallup, indicate that only 20 to 25 percent of Norwegians say that religion is important to their life. However, this does not mean that the citizens do not believe in God or do not have any faith traditions and values.
In January 2010, 79.2 percent of 4.799 million population in Norway, were members of the state Church of Norway. And 10 per cent were members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway. Islam is the second largest religion (Ref: Statistic Norway http://www.ssb.no/trosamf_en/).
While religious rituals are observed in the private space, faith ethical values that naturally converge with basic human rights and dignity are lived-out in the public spheres in many of the socially secular countries. This is not to say that social capital values come from faith alone. Culture, life stance, and many ideologies too are rich with social values.
The question for Malaysia is; if 97% of Malaysians are of faith adherents, why bigotry and corruption are still predominant, and the diversified citizens live on mere tolerance? What happen to religions? Are they not supposed to promote love to God and to others, kindness and goodness?
Perhaps, Malaysia is much more secular than what we think it is, simply because common and important faith values – justice, respect, equality, integrity, love to others – are not the country’s primary values in public spheres as compared to racing with each other by being religious through enforcement of religious laws.
If our current leaders continuously fail to promote and to live-out these social values, and do not take serious action to remedy the content and the pedagogy of Malaysia’s religious and ethics education, the nation will eventually lose its peaceful coexistence. There is high possibility that the future generation will witness many “springs,” many will become unemployed and be deprived from good life.
Another academic victim of 112
[…] a bad sign and goes together with some recent commentary at New Mandala suggesting further actions in the pipeline. However, Ji Ungpakorn’s recent claim that “the […]
Thailand’s high calibre Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nawat – 6.
The first article you provided described a threat. In the U.S. we have the freedom to express anything. We can say Obama sucks, Obama is crappy, or Obama is a horrible person. In fact, I can write, right now from my apartment in the heartland of the U.S., that Obama is a huge Muslim terrorist socialist fascist anti-Christ. And nothing will happen to me.
But when words become a threat, that is not a work of fiction, it becomes a serious matter. Though in certain times, such as a pre-9/11 America, even “threatening” poems aren’t taken too seriously.
And the second article you provided has its’ reference from The Sun, a U.K. tabloid paper. I highly doubt that is reliable.
Another academic victim of 112
#33 from the same essay…
“Because the regime is captive to its own lies, it must falsify everything. It falsifies the past. It falsifies the present, and it falsifies the future. It falsifies statistics. It pretends not to possess an omnipotent and unprincipled police apparatus. It pretends to respect human rights. It pretends to persecute no one. It pretends to fear nothing. It pretends to pretend nothing.
{10}Individuals need not believe all these mystifications, but they must behave as though they did, or they must at least tolerate them in silence, or get along well with those who work with them. For this reason, however, they must live within a lie. They need not accept the lie. It is enough for them to have accepted their life with it and in it. For by this very fact, individuals confirm the system, fulfill the system, make the system, are the system…”
Thailand’s high calibre Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Not sure if Nawat thought through the above post. On the kid who is said to be banned from the U.S., this is what is said in most reports: “Not much is known about the email beyond that just that whatever he said to the President was bad enough that the FBI contacted British police after intercepting the message.” The other case involves a White supremacist apparently threatening death.
While not justifying the threats or the bans, I can’t think of anyone on lese majeste having threatened the life of any royal. I also note that the US didn’t wait for the kid to visit the country and arrest him and I also note that the White supremacist, who probably would love the Nazi stuff, was granted bail….
FACT’s plea for Joe Gordon
First of all Ricky, OBL got what he deserved. Kudos to Obama for the Chicago move of making him sleep with the fishees. I think Obama really did want to close Guantanamo, but political realities made it impossible or too costly, so he caved.
But if the USA really wanted Gordon out, they could have gotten that one way or the other. It easily could have been engineered in a way where everyone gets something, and nobody loses face. Even if the Thais didn’t want to do that, there surely was enough leverage by administering brush-back pitches and publicly embarrass select members of the Thai elite. But if you outsource torture to Thailand, it is a dangerous game. So instead the USA is a pathetic enabler. Did you see Obama ask Iran to release the drone, but not ask Thailand to release Gordon. How lame is that. How lame is that.
Unfortunately, Gordon was never going to capture the imagination of the US mainstream media. If they had, the US media could have made it difficult on the US government. The charming ambassador to Thailand provides an inexhaustible supply of material. If she was trashed enough to be forced out that would weigh in the minds of policy makers. They could have nightly trashed Thailand. Thais have already been huffy about the minimal criticism they received from the US and UN, this would have been on a wider plane. We all know there are plenty of salacious pictures that could have gotten wider exposure. There are Occupy protesters out looking for things to protest. The internet community could have applied the Rick Santorum treatment. How about a Southpark episode?
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
The author said that apostasy is not unique to Islam and go on to cite the O.T. Do you see any death sentence for apostasy today in Christianity. None. That was in the O.T. and for the Jews only at that time. But Islam still practices death sentence for apostasy in Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other muslim countries.
I find the author is beating around the bush but did not want to come outright with what he is trying to say. He wants to say that apostasy is compatible with human rights. You can’t have both.
It is very clear cut. Only God can punish a person, it is not for human to decide another person’s fate, even in apostasy. To you it may be apostasy, to another it may not be. Who knows in his heart, he is constantly praying to God but not in the way you do it or the ritual you perform. Only God sees all. There are people who perform all the correct ritual but got not substance. It is in form only perform for others to see, but is corrupted. Another may not perform all the correct rituals, but their hearts are right with God and not corrupt but is clean.
Thailand’s high calibre Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“I cannot tell if that is satire or real. That’s the frightening part.” … try to go with the satire part and you are mentally in a better state to deal with the Tuls and Mallikas in Thailand. 😉
I found the reference to Nazis quite interesting for one reason. Legally, Nazi symbolism is banned in Germany. As a consequence Nazi punks use “88” as an abbreviation for “Hail Hitler”, as “H” is the 8th letter in the alphabet.
So, how far will the Thai paranoia go? Not only banning the phrase but also the sum “88”… or as in the Da Torpedo cases also the square roots and cross sums of all things 8sh?
Thailand’s high calibre Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Hmmm….does that official try to suggest that lese majeste/thai legal system = nazi?
Malaysia losing “faith capital values”
#1 Doug Olthof – This article attempts to remind Malaysians, 97% of the population, to live-out the good social values of their faith traditions. I agree with you that this includes engaging in a healthy social bonding that transcend religious distinction.
#3 Aoaoao – Thus, like what Aoaoao said, the religious lives of faith adherents should not just stop at going to mosques on Friday, or churches on Sunday, or temples, etc.
#2 SRossi – I do believe that there are many Malaysians, of faith traditions or without faith traditions, who have good ethics. Thus, I disagree with you that faith values are “almost non existent in Malaysia.”
I need to clarify however that social values come from various sources – culture, faith and ideologies – which make Malaysia what it is today. Of course, the people and the country will not cease to transform.
In the 6 countries that I have lived; Canada, USA, Germany, Thailand, China, and Singapore, most of the people I have interacted with have high regards towards Malaysians. I am now residing in New Haven, Connecticut – one of the most richest state in the USA – but robbery happens almost every two days, gun shots are heard almost every week. At night, the security officers walk or drive us around campus. I rather not write about my 11 years of life experiences living in China.
#8 If we focus on encouraging each other to live out these good values and addressing issues objectively, then our country will be transformed holistically into a better nation.
I agree with you that, “..one thing claiming to be something but quite another to actually being it.” Malaysian government has major role in remedying many of the citizens’ perspective that religiosity centers mainly on rituals and liturgies, without relating one’s pleasing relationship with God should also transcends with wonderful relationship with others. As I wrote, faith leaders too need to mediate how people think about God and others.
But if the citizens also think positively and take part in doing good, at least at personal level, we take some responsibilities in adding positive energy and in creating hope, instead of pointing our fingers to the government and faith leaders only.
Thailand’s high calibre Ministry of Foreign Affairs
I’m not surprise to see 23 thump ups given to somchai’s foolish comment by contributors on the NM website.
Recently, the american ambassador to thailand expressed her concern about article 112 and recent less majeste cases after thai court jailed a thai-born american for 2.5 years. Of course ‘freedom of speech/expression’ was again used as a cause of concern by the ambassador.
what happens with ‘freedom of speech’ in her beloved country?
…someone was jailed by US court for 33 months for threatening obama in poem!
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/man-charged-with-obama-threat-in-poem-20100220-om7r.html
and
….someone was banned for entry the US for life after sending an abusive e-mail to obama!
http://www.news.com.au/world/british-teen-banned-from-usa-for-life-after-sending-abusive-email-to-barack-obama/story-e6frfkyi-1225922039720
I guess farangs are good at criticising others but they must be blind when it comes to their own.
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
I have always said to Muslim apologists that a religion cannot speak for itself and it is spoken only through the behaviour and the rituals of its followers.
====
Well said Siti, no point telling how beautiful is Islam when what its followers conduct shows the opposite. Intellectual discourse only ends up on the dusty shelf of the libraryies.
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
When the writer mentioned about Deuteronomy 13:6-11, he failed to apply it in true Christian context. Remember, when a Christian read a bible, he must always read them in both Old Testament (Prophets prior to Christ) and New Testament (Christ’s Teaching) context. Christians like me believe that Christ is the fulfillment of the scripture, so, by failing to contextualize the content of Deuteronomy 13:6-11 with Christ’s Teaching, it is quite immature to conclude that Christians ‘clearly declared apostasy as public offense and punishable by law..’ and that ‘…the stipulated punishment for an offence of apostasy is death penalty.’
So, my honest advice, even if the writer is clearly not a Christian, it is important to consider the New Testament verses first, above all else, whenever the writer wanted to discuss about Christian’s Doctrine (in order to avoid misleading information). Remember, a glass of white creamy liquid is not necessarily be a glass of milk.
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
The issue is NOT:
— whether other religions punish for apostasy
— whether apostasy from Islam has been politicised by some people (it may well have been, but that’s not the issue);
— whether the proper punishment for apostasy from Islam is death or some lesser punishment, according to the one or the other school of thought;
— whether strict legal requirements have been complied with in order to prove such an apostasy has occurred, or whether those requirements themselves conform with human rights.
The only real issue is whether a Muslim who clearly wishes to apostasise may freely do so, without being subject any punishment at all. Anything less than that is squarely incompatible with an individual’s freedom of religion. Dr Zulkifli’s article fails to justify this incompatibility.
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
There is not a single statement in the Quran that so much as suggests that the punishment for apostasy is death. Many Muslim jurists reject the death penalty for apostasy.
Mahmud Shaltut, the late Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University argued that a worldly punishment for apostasy was not mentioned in the Qur’an and whenever it mentions apostasy it speaks about a punishment in the hereafter.
The Grand Mufti of Cairo, Sheikh Ali Gomaa have stated that while God will punish apostates in the afterlife they should not be executed by human beings.
S. A. Rahman, a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, argues that there is no indication of the death penalty for apostasy in the Quran.
Study guide for Muslim-Christian dialogue
[…] Norani Abu Bakar is a Post Graduate Fellow and the Asia Project Director of Pathways for Mutual Respect. She can be contacted at [email protected] and blogs at Loving God and Neighbors. […]
Malaysia losing “faith capital values”
[…] Norani Abu Bakar Published by: New Mandala, Australian National […]
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
sancity of religion is absolutely good. but many bolehlanders were not given the right to choose. it’s enshrined in the constitution, what they must profess and if apotasy is not permitted, their own choice is to leave bolehland to seek reconciliation with their Creator they choose to believe in other than what was casted in stone under the law.
if Malaysia believes in freedom of religion, let the young ones choose when they mature. no turning back after that, an act which blemishes the religion. but for sake of righteousness and freedom, let them choose or not to choose when they attain majority. Only then apotasy laws will be regarded as fair.
By all means, for blemishing a religion, damn these fellas (if it’s death, so be it). but ensure, at all times, they have, at least once in a life time, a choice. A chance to choose what they want to profess.
Refining the misconception of apostasy in Islam
One of the point raised by a commentator, who are to say who has the authority to proclaim the alleged apostate is guity and must be sentenced to death. Is status a good guide? A professor? One with a doctorate?
Dr. Riduan Tee’s essays and opinions leave a lot to be desired. Many of the Malaysian judges whether sitting or ex do not and did not convince the world with their findings and judgements.
If Buang Mokhtar committed khawat and caught in the situation by a thieve, the allegation by the thieve is the truth, do we then because of the withness is a thieve and dismiss the incident as not believable?
Come January 9 when the judge pronounce that DSAI is indeed guilty as charged. How many of us are going to believe that? No? you mean even the YAB judge’s words cannot be trusted, wasn’t Saiful a credible witness? He even dare to swear on the Koran in a mosque!!!
Who are you then to pronounce that I deserve the death sentence because I am an apostate? Can you swear that you have never committed any sin throughout you life, whether great or small?