Let's Read the Quran Campaign

Let’s Read the Quran Campaign: January 15th – February 14th, 2009

Peace be with you.

It is mid February, the year has just begun, and the four of us Marina, Syed Akbar, Walski and Anas feel that we have started something meaningful to kick off the year.

Perhaps it is because it was on the very first day of the year, on January 1st that we took the first step to organise this campaign. Encouraging not just Muslims but also our brothers and sisters from the other faiths to read and ponder the Quran. Many have expressed enthusiasm towards the campaign, as you can gauge from the comments below.

We would like to thank you for being with us, contributing, sharing comments and reading our posts. Ribuan terima kasih to our fellow Bloggers, more than 50 blogs who proudly hosted the campaign logo thus helping us reach a much bigger audience.

We also would like to thank those who were opposed to our approach; for their gentle words, comments and disagreement, truly Islamic in behaviour. We are brothers and sisters of the same faith, we are not enemies. We can agree to disagree. Our platform maybe different, but our goal is the same. Let’s keep this at heart.

While our campaign officially ends today February 14th yet our commitment to make Quran relevant in our lives is unending. Let’s continue this good work as the Quran says,

“ And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea (were) ink, with seven (more) seas yet added to it, the words of God would not be exhausted: for, verily, God is almighty, wise. ”
(Quran 31:27)

“ Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the ones whom Allah has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding ”
(Quran 39:18).

Salam and thank you,

Marina Mahathir
Syed Akbar Ali
Walski
Anas Zubedy

Selected Comments from our posting

Yusuf Martin
What an excellent idea - it is better to understand the Quran, its nuances and meanings if you also have access to it in your own language. I read the Quran - 4 versions - in English

Anon:
Certainly a worthy goal. As a non-Muslim I can guarantee that I know more about Islam (it's history and culture)than 95% of Malay Muslims. However my knowledge of the Quran (and other scriptures) are pretty basic so an understanding of the Quran can only be a good thing especially in a multi-racial setting such as ours.

Michelle
I decided sometime last year that I'd read the Quran too. Good to know about this campaign. Looking forward to many interesting posts from you guys!

Estrelita
Isn't this a nicer way to educate and reach out? Thanks!

Kim Chow
Hi
This has caught my attention. It has never crossed my mind before to read the Quran.
The ongoing bloody and brutal Gaza bombardment by Israel makes my stomach churn.
Last night, I received an email asking Christians to support Israel.
This Chinese New Year there is little reason for me to celebrate knowing that so many lives have perished like worthless creatures. I keep thinking of the children who have been maimed, crippled and orphaned.
Etched in my mind is the image of this cute and adorable two-year Palestinian girl who appeared on Aljazeera. I pray that God will keep her and her family safe.
Yes, I am interested to read the Quran.

Bard
It is always good to see any initiative which will remove Muslims from their hibernation and an initiative which will paint a true picture of Islam to the masses who are misinformed by the media. All the best Insha Allah!

Das
I have read The Holy Book from cover to cover. The whole 114 Suras and I came away from it with an over-abiding sense of respect and awe.
This is why I get puzzled by the many pronouncements about Islam by so called Important Persons in the media.
For instance, in Sura 18, in the story about the 'people of the cave' God entrusts the safety of the group with a DOG, which is made to lie at the mouth of cave to discourage any passersby from molesting the group whom God has made to sleep for an age.
And the pig on the other hand kept the people of the Islamic world safe from Pests and Pestilence by eating up all the offal that people threw out. Since sewerage systems need water to work, it is the pigs that fulfilled this function and kept society healthy.
"Thou shall not consume the flesh of swine that feeds on offal"
God did not want the pigs killed and eaten.
This to me makes more sense than to claim that God condemned these two animals as unclean. Who created these animals in the first place?
I'll stop by making this observation. If I live a life true to Islam, when I die would God reject me because some Kadi or other has not confirmed me as Muslim as such?
Oh, by the way I am a non - muslim.

Father Fez
This is a great idea. If the non Muslims could also read the Quran and understand the timeless message it would do a lot of good in promoting better understanding.
Perhaps then, the brainless antics of some of our leaders in the name of Islam, can be seen as "brainless antics."

Basha
great... a departure from the many verses that just stereotyped Quran into a book about how one would be punished in the hereafter. Nice linkage to ordinary events.

Snuze
What a beautiful way to interpret the Gift that is the Al-Quran. Sometimes we forget that everyone is a creation of Allah SWT deserving of respect and communion. Lovely.

Pah Nur
I think religion is a tool to unite the human race of different variety, be it black, white, sawa matang, or shades in between. But most had chosen to stay obtuse, rather,use religion to separate the human beings according to "branding", which is sad.

My
Let’s Read the Quran Campaign.....well done!!..It’s realy.. really good initiative as the Quran is applicable for all generations and for all people regardless their races... Allah sent down the Quran to mankind as a book of guidance and an avenue for knowledge in every aspects as well as a medium to unite people to the right path

Abdullah
The secret is when we appreciate each other for who we are, and the things we share in common...
Focus on the differences and that's all we're going to see.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Quran Campaign Updates Walski, Marina & Syed Akbar Ali's blogposts

LRTQ update

Walski wrote

LRTQ – A Rose, by any other Name - What does the Quran says about God’s name?
Click here http://asylum60.blogspot.com/2009/02/lrtq-rose-by-any-other-name.html

Marina wrote

Canine comfort from the Quran – What does the Quran says about Canine?
Click here http://rantingsbymm.blogspot.com/2009/02/canine-comfort-from-quran.html

Syed Akbar Ali wrote

Comparing word usage in the Quran Part 1 & 2
Click here http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com/2009/02/comparing-word-usage-in-quran.html

I will be downloading mine this evening ...

BIADAP, TETAP BIADAP!!!!

Brothers and Sisters,

I wrote this after reading the comments to my previous article “ Anwar’s second major blunder”.

One, Personally, I detest and am ‘jijik’ with frogging so I do not agree with any government that is formed by that act, regardless whether it is BN or PR. But both parties seem too happy to practice it, and I agree with Dr Koh that Anwar is the ‘King of Frogs’. But for BN leaders like Najib to make him their teacher, elevating him to be a role model, I think it is not very smart either. However, until we have a law that suggests otherwise, I will accept the legality of the Perak new state government. (Hail Karpal !!!)

Two, I do not have privileged information about what had transpired between the Perak Sultan, BN and PR leaders. I am willing to give the Sultan the benefit of the doubt here and assume that he made the best decision he thought possible. He knows the law better than me.All these quotes about he not being true to his own writings are really shallow arguments because all laws and decisions will need to bear the context within which they are made. Historically, he has made decisions that benefited PR too, so, I perceive that he is fair.

Three, I want the state assembly to be dissolved, though I think it is a waste of money, time and purpose because neither BN nor PR are ethical governments when it comes to frogging. So it does not matter to me if BN or PR leads, just deal with the economy, that’s the issue.Read my lips, IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID! Stop all your nonsense, I can wait for PRU13! Will all you politicians please shut up,focus all your energies and just go get the economy right.Whether PR or BN rules Perak or Malaysia is useless if a large section of Malaysians have not enough food to eat, no job to go to and remain in poverty. IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID! Rice is more important than rights when all hell breaks loose in our economy.

Four, what I argued in the article is not what I want or like or whatsoever, ; I am playing the role of a sociologist. It is a socio-cultural reading of the Malays. I could be right, I could be wrong. But, note that it is a thematic problem; it will create impact in the longer run.

When the dusts settle, Malaysians especially the Malays (young and old) will have to decide what the core of Malaysian culture and society is. Where this society we call Malaysia was sired from?

At the end of the day, I bet it would be the Malay entity and culture, with the other sub-cultures acting as supporting actors/actresses and extras.At the very top, who are the keepers of the Malay culture? The Raja-raja Melayu.

Has the Perak royal family acted so wrongly and so zalim to be accorded such rude behaviour both by his subjects and those outside Perak? My answer is a BIG ‘No’. Do you think all the other Raja-raja Melayu are not affected and hurt too with the situation? If they are zalim, go ahead. Are they really zalim here? How do you think their working relationship be with future Pakatan's MBs?

In the area of culture, legal arguments take second place.

Take the Sultan to court if you must, but dont pelt him,be rude to him, show him the finger, screaming and shouting. Is that our culture? Is that how we want our children to behave towards us when they disagree with our desicions?

You decide.

Biadap, tetap biadap.

Anwar's second major blunder ...

... and he may drag PAS and DAP (especially PAS) down with him too!

People in marketing and advertising like to use these two terms; ‘tactical’ or 'schematic' when indicating a short term position, strategy, plans, shortfall etc or if it is a long term concern they use ‘thematic’.

A tactical campaign is usually aimed at bringing in sales in the shorter term while a thematic campaign is aimed at a long term brand/business building effort. When a tactical promotion fails, the impact is a short term lost in sales. When you fail at your thematic endeavour, you close shop.

So, in my earlier post,(http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2009/02/both-bn-and-pr-is-unethical-in-this.html) I suggested that Anwar made his first major tactical blunder since March 8th when he accepted Frogger, Nasarudin. So they lost Perak, a short term loss as they may just win it back in the next election.

In this article I will illustrate Anwar’s first major thematic blunder since March 8th and this may spell the beginning of the end for him and Pakatan. I have suggested right after the general elections that PR will not last for a year (read here http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2008/12/will-anwar-make-stand-on-hudud.html and http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html ).

I may have miss calculated by a few months but this Perak episode may attest that the demise of Pakatan Rakyat as a team will be sooner rather than later.

First we must understand the socio-political culture of the Malays – The Protector and The Protected. An outsider may be amused and baffled by the continuous and repeated usage of words like ‘ketaatsetiaan’ (loyalty) and ‘derhaka’ (traitor) in Malay socio-political and socio-cultural setting.

To understand why such words hold so much weight in Malay politics, one must remember that the Malays evolved from a feudal system. It was a little more than just 50 years ago before parliamentary politics was introduced to the Malay psyche. In a feudalistic society, loyalty to the ruler is ‘numero uno’.

In return to the loyalty given, the ruler extends his protection over the ruled (hereafter the Malay people) hence, the Protector and the Protected. In Malay socio-politics, the role of the Protector and Protected is carved deeply into the hearts of the Malays through a social contract between Sang Nila Utama (representing the Rulers) and Demang Lebar Daun (representing the Malay people) in the Malay annals, Sejarah Melayu. (Read Sejarah Melayu, chapter 2 pg 19 – WG.Shellbears).

The social contract laid terms and conditions on how the Ruler and the Malay people should fulfil their duties to each other.In summary they are:-

a) The Malay people should never be disloyal to the Ruler (no matter what). Failing which it would be punishable by death.

b) However, if a Ruler does wrong, the Malay people can only choose not to listen or to disobey him. He is only punishable by God.

c) The Ruler should never put the Malay people ‘to shame’ (janganlah di fadhihatkan, dinista dengan kata-kata yang jahat)

d) Only if the Ruler slanders (memalukan) the Malay people, the covenant could be broken.

e) In return to the loyalty, the Ruler will protect the Malay people (hendaklah ia diperbaiki oleh anak cucu Tuanku). (Read Dr Chandra’s The Protector for a more detailed analysis)

It could be argued that since 1946, UMNO has assumed the role of the Protector. This will make sense if one were to remember that prior to 1946, the Malay people’s allegiance were only to their stately kings. There was no federation or central leadership like the one we are familiar of today.

By fighting against the Malayan Union in 1946, UMNO raised itself and implanted into the minds of the Malays that they are the rightful heirs to the Malay Rulers. Now, UMNO is the Protector.

However, this does not mean that other organizations such as Parti Negara or Pas do not represent the Malays but, UMNO is the party that had managed to capture the psyche of Malays and was better at marketing the idea.

There are many examples where UMNO “acted” as the Protector in the course of Malay history. The fight against Malayan Union was the first. The UMNO-MCA crisis in 1956 over the electoral seat allocation was another. After the May 13, 1969 riot, the UMNO initiated PAS-UMNO cooperation to unite the Malays, etc.

PRU 12 – UMNO lost the Protector Image? PKR gain grounds as an alternative Protector?

In my opinion, one of the main reasons why a large section of the Malays voted against UMNO during the last election is that many amongst the Malays felt that UMNO has failed to protect the Malays.

It was Anwar’s genius and oratorical capabilities that managed to convince a large section of the Malay people that UMNO failed in their duty.Anwar has managed to show that the NEP instead of protecting the Malays was an instrument to help a small group of people who are close to UMNO leadership to get rich.

Whether you agree with him or not, perceptions are what they are and it delivered the votes!

He has also managed to sell the idea that Ketuanan Rakyat is a better deal than Ketuanan Melayu, etc. Anwar in other words has managed to cut out a large chunk of The UMNO-Protector equity and place it in PKR’s pocket and at the same time cast doubts on UMNO and making the organization looks uncertain.

Anwar’s ability to make the masses especially the Malays to pay attention to the practice of corruption has made the term UMNO synonymous with the word corruption.

Insulting the Sultan of Perak and his family – UMNO will become the Protector again?

Insulting the Sultan of Perak and his family or just by allowing their followers to hurl insults and showing the ‘finger’, and pelting stones to his majesty’s car, PKR and PAS both a predominantly Malay party (no matter how they may later try to dilute the severity of the injury done by using nice words like “ Patik Meyembah Memohon Derhaka” and throwing the blame back on UMNO, pull out from taking the Sultan to court etc) will pay the price for their act of ‘DERHAKA’ .

Anwar here will be seen as the 'Bapak Segala Penderhaka' and as the introducer of rude politics towards the Raja-raja Melayu.

Yes, “PANTANG MELAYU DERHAKA PADA RAJA” still holds currency in Malay society. In the society while “PANTANG MELAYU DERHAKA PADA RAJA” may have other meanings and reasons during pre-merdeka days, today it is connected deeply to the continuity of the Malay race especially when the Malays see that they have willingly ‘shared’ their land with the non-Malays, and cease to have their own “Tanah Melayu’ but now one among others in a modern state called Malaysia.

For a majority of the Malays, take away the ‘Raja Perlembagaan’ and the Malays as a race will cease to exist. So, showing disrespect to the Sultan equals a step towards killing the Malay race.

Each day Nizar claims that he is still the MB, he adds more ‘DERHAKA’ to both PAS and PKR Malays (and UMNO members who voted against their own party!). The more he talks the more damage is done. Remember that the Sultan did not break the covenant as stated in the beginning of the article.

In culture, civil law takes second place. (That is why Tun Dr Mahathir suggested it is unethical to take the sultan to court, though it is legally ok)

I would not be surprised that if this continues at PKR will lose at least 50% of their Malay MPs and ADUNs. And if the Tok Guru and Hadi do not disassociate themselves from the Perak fiasco, they will drag PAS along too, another 50% MPs and ADUNs going independent?

UMNO will not sit pretty either. They will use this episode to reclaim the Protector title. And thanks to Anwar’s thematic blunder, the rest as they say will be history.

Malaysian politics and the Perak Saga - A Comical Representation ...

When we ponder the current political affairs especially in Perak, some may feel like crying, some like laughing ... .

But, Perak may just snowball to more crying and laughing moments.

For those who wants to laugh but are too sad to harness humor, here are some videos to help you through...


Why Anwar should have checked before he accepted Froggy Nasarudin (Bota)...

What we discovered about some of our politicians ..

What we feel like doing to them ...

What Najib did to Anwar ...

What we wish we can do to correct our political situation ... ( by the way, my 10 year old nephew totally loves this ad! )

What we Malaysians Want ...

But until then, many Malaysians may have to resort to this ...

The Quran and The Perak Debacle

What do you think about what is happening in Perak? How do you feel? As I stated earlier in my blogpost, i am rather disappointed and not happy with the situation. I totally disagree with Frogging.

I smsed Karpal Singh’s son Jagdeep this morning, we do not know each other, but we have a mutual friend. I said “Please convey my respect to your Dad. I may not be crazy with DAP’s politics but your dad is one politician who has the best of ethics at his core. Thank you”.

You see, Karpal Singh has consistently kept to his principles. He is dead against Frogging. He is no hypocrite. On the other hand, some leaders tend to make political decisions to benefit themselves rather than right ones that benefit the people. Saying one thing when it suits them, and another when it does not. Where is the consistency?

These verses from the Quran says,

O YOU who have attained to faith! Why do you say one thing and do another? Most loathsome is it in the sight of God that you say what you do not do! (Quran 61: 1-3)

WOE UNTO THOSE who give short measure: those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full –but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due! Do they not know that they are bound to be raised from the dead [and called to account] on an awesome Day – (Quran 83 : 1-5)

Siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas...

Lompat Katak tidak berEtika ...

This is a good overview of the Frogging saga...

........................................................................................


Wednesday February 4, 2009
A blowback for Pakatan
COMMENT BY BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

The Star

PR has found out the hard way that defections can work against it as one defection has led to another, with one more in the offing. The Pakatan government in Perak is now staring at a collapse.
IN the CIA’s dictionary blowback is a term used to describe unintended consequences of covert operations, meaning that things do come back to haunt you.

Likewise political defections can work both ways and return to haunt the perpetrator as the crisis in Perak shows with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition government in danger of collapsing after two PKR exco members as good as defected, leaving it holding on precariously by a one-seat majority.
In Kelantan between 2004 and 2008, PAS ruled admirably without fear of losing the government simply because Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, enjoying a huge mandate, let it be.

The current defections were sparked off after PKR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim won over and paraded an Umno assemblyman and shook the Barisan coalition to its core.

But now it is Pakatan’s turn to shiver after two PKR exco members – Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mat Radzi and Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu – went into hiding. Jamaluddin has now quit PKR and will remain Independent and Osman is likely to do the same.

Their move caused widespread panic among Pakatan leaders who all scrambled to account for all their elected representatives in the state.

When the DAP’s politically-estranged Jelapang representative Hee Yit Foong disappeared for several hours, there was mass consternation with even secretary-general Lim Guan Eng issuing an unusual statement that if an assemblyman could not be contacted for 24 hours it was deemed that he or she had defected.
It was a day of pressing the panic button in Pakatan and ended with the announcement by Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar that he had “received” the resignation letters of the PKR duo when in fact the letters were over 10 months old, pre-signed and stashed away for a stormy day.
The PKR duo surfaced hours later to refute the letters, saying they had signed them under duress after the March 2008 general election.

The Election Commission has responded by not calling for by-elections.
Meanwhile, Anwar will find it hard to live down the damage done to PKR and PR for championing defections as a legitimate political tool despite serious criticism from academics, political scientists and even PR leaders like DAP national chairman Karpal Singh who had consistently opposed engineering defections for numerous reasons, all well known by now.

The tragedy is that the ill-conceived strategy has come home to roost affecting the Pakatan government in Perak which was doing an admirable job but now faces collapse because of PKR’s inability to prevent its representatives from defecting in a “blowback” it had not expected.

The reaction on the ground among ordinary Malaysians is reproachful, that this whole game of defections that was favoured by Anwar is one big waste of the trust voters had placed in the Pakatan Rakyat.

Jason Tan, a computer salesman, is clearly unhappy.
“Our economy is in bad shape, we are losing jobs and investment is drying up. People are hanging onto their old computers and not buying new ones and that has hit my income,” he said.

“Politicking and defections are the last things we need now.”
Blowback time can be hurting as it opens the way for political opponents to attack PR for its inconsistent policies – on one hand claiming a moral high ground and on the other doing the things that are repugnant in a democracy like defections.

When he was briefly the de facto Law Minister, former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim had proposed an anti-party hopping law but could not get it past his other Cabinet colleagues. He had said that such a law could stop elected officials from betraying the voters, an act which he felt had no place in a parliamentary democracy.

The Perak crisis tells us that we cannot rely on the “goodness” of individual politicians and their promises to do the right thing by the people.
Therefore, a tough law is needed to punish elected representatives who betray the people’s trust by switching camps.