SUMENEP (East Java): The Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) has called on all Muslims around the world to unite against the "Burn a Quran Day" campaign to commemorate the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in America, Indonesia's Antara news agency said.
About 50 activists of this conservative Islamic organisation staged a protest in Sumenep, Madura Island, East Java Province, yesterday.
"May Almighty God curse those who have initiated and planned to burn the holy Quran. This is an act of cruel and uncivilised people," a spokesman of HTI, Faisal, told the crowd of protesters.
To stop this campaign, all Muslims in the world had no choice but to unite to do their best to prevent this from happening on Sept11, Antara quoted him as saying.
"The plan itself has hurt and humiliated Muslims all over the world. Don't let this happen," he said.
A HTI-Sumenep chapter activist named Rifki said yesterday's protest was staged to remind Muslim communities all over the world of this plan to burn the Quran in the US.
"We are sure that our brothers and sisters in Islam will be encouraged to do their best to stop this act. They will, at least, recite prayers for the failure of this act," he said.
“The people who wanted to burn the Quran in the US wanted to humiliate Muslims.
"This shows that the US does want to declare war on Muslims," he said.
"The US has always cornered Muslims by saying that Muslims are part of terrorists though that country is actually a terrorist to the Muslims," he added.
This controversial campaign has not only made Muslims in Indonesia deeply concerned but also stirred uneasiness in American society.
One of the Americans who expressed her worry was Jennifer S Byron.
In her recent article published in Newsweek-Washington Post online, Byron called on American Christians to reject the "Burn a Quran Day".
She said the "Burn a Quran Day" was the way of a church in Florida to mark the ninth anniversary of the Sept 11 incident.
"So far the Christian response to this in America has been nearly dead silence."
"The National Association of Evangelicals has issued a press release opposing Burn a Quran Day. This is good, but it is basically just a statement to assure non-Evangelical Christians that Terry Jones does not represent authentic Evangelical Christianity," Byron said.
The Sept 11, 2001 attacks on American soil were launched by members of the al-Qaeda and killed several thousand people, especially in New York City's Twin Tower buildings. - Bernama
Seeing the back of Musa: An answer to a prayer — Tunku Abdul Aziz
September 04, 2010
SEPT 4 — I hardly ever receive presents because, I suppose, I rarely ever give any. I do not even bother to celebrate my own birthday; it comes and goes completely unnoticed. When on the odd occasion I do receive a present for delivering an anti-corruption and ethical governance speech, I treasure it even though it is just another Royal Selangor pewter plate, to clutter my already-cluttered sitting room, collecting dust, to the annoyance of my long-suffering wife.
The present I am now writing about is infinitely more precious, a bountiful God’s munificent blessings in answer to a nation’s desperate prayer. The prayer, in short, beseeches God the Almighty to give Hishammuddin Hussein, our often “not all there” Minister of Home Affairs, the courage and wisdom to put Musa Hassan out to pasture, not so much as a normal and inevitable consequence of the ravages of time, but, in this case, his unethical baggage had grown too large for the nation to ignore. That must surely weigh heavily against his fitness for continued employment.
In an ethically more demanding society, which ours, I fear, is not, he would never have been allowed to darken the portal of Bukit Aman, let alone occupy the office of the Inspector-General of Police, a position of trust. Musa should never have been appointed the nation’s top dog in the first place, especially after his remarkable stellar performance in the infamous earlier Anwar Ibrahim trial, appearing complete with his pathetic stock in trade or prop in the shape of a decidedly grubby mattress, for the entire world to see.
It was in the course of this trial that he showed the full extent of his brilliant professional approach to policing which led an irreverent friend of mine to describe both Musa and Augustine Paul, and may his soul rest in peace, as “the lowest form of human life.” I apologise on behalf of my friend to the amoebas of this world. Musa displayed the agility of someone who knew exactly which side of the bread was buttered and he served Mahathir Mohamad’s evil purpose well. Quick promotions followed as a reward.
There is a sense of blessed relief permeating the atmosphere; even the police, I am told, are celebrating the departure of the man who has brought them into disrepute. Musa became the first IGP, since the post was held by Claude Fenner, to be publicly denounced in a court of law in Sabah as an “unreliable witness.” But then he was merely reverting to type and following in the footsteps of a long line of corrupt predecessors who are now luxuriating in the lap of their ill-gotten riches.
From my years of observation of the PDRM, there have only been three IGPs who were clean and seen to be free of corruption, namely the late Claude Fenner, Abdul Rahman Hashim who died under tragic circumstances in the service of the nation, and the best of them all, Mohamed Hanif Omar who is enormously disappointed to see his years of work destroyed under a succession of disreputable men. Hanif remains the quintessential officer and gentleman, an iconic figure symbolising the golden age of the Royal Malaysia Police.
While the nation rejoices in seeing the back of Musa as he gets on his bicycle to ride into the sunset of ignominy, his shadowy successor’s opening expression of gratitude to his soon departing superior sent shivers down the spine. He said, “I have been well trained by Musa. I am honoured to succeed him.” The last thing we want after the Musa years is a Musa-cloned successor. If continuing in the Musa policing model is all Ismail Omar can bring to the table, then woe betide this nation that has so far waited in vain for a human rights-based police culture.
Let Musa’s deftly cultivated culture of impunity be replaced by one espousing honour, dignity, respect, responsibility, transparency and accountability for actions taken to protect life and property. The new IGP would do well to be his own man and exorcise the dubious and unethical practices that Musa believed to be his great gift to this nation. We deserve better. * Tunku Abdul Aziz was a member of the 2004 Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police. * This article is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.
Jakarta. An obscure group led by an academic from a respected Islamic university in Indonesia is reportedly set to petition the Constitutional Court to declare that the Borobudur Temple in Central Java belongs to Islam.
Kompasiana.com reported that researchers from the Islam and Ancient History Study Institution, led by Fahmi Basya, an Islamic mathematics lecturer from Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University in Jakarta, claimed they had solid proof the Buddhist temple was built by the Prophet Solomon’s “genie soldiers.”
Solomon, who according to the Hebrew Bible was a king of Israel, is known as the prophet Sulayman in the Koran.
According to the article, the researchers had connected Borobudur with the Kraton Ratu Boko (Queen Boko’s Palace) near the Hindu temple Prambanan in Central Java, claiming that Boko was actually another name for Queen Balqis, the wife of Sulayman.
The researchers, according to the news portal, said supporting evidence included new Islamic mathematical measurements created by Fahmi, which were known only to him.
Another method used by the researchers to connect Borobudur to Islam was by the association of names.
The origins of the name Slemen, a town in Yogyakarta, they said, came from Sulayman, while ‘Java’ came from the word ‘Jews.’
Fahmi also claimed that Sulayman was the only prophet whose name contained the syllable ‘Su’ and therefore the country in which he resided was later led by his descendants with names containing the same syllable, namely Sukarno, Suharto and Susilo.
Fahmi, who could not be reached for comment, intends to put forward his arguments as the basis for his claims that the Constitutional Court declare the World Heritage Site the rightful property of Muslims and revise history books and literature on the subject.
Historian JJ Rijal told the Jakarta Globe that Fahmi’s claims could be categorized as “ideological history.”
“Ideological history takes many forms. For example, in Indonesia, researchers who follow the ideology believe that Islam is the blood, the locomotive to all great events in the country,” Rijal said.
He said Sulayman was not the only prophet connected to Java.
“When Islam was first introduced to Java, a tradition was born. All prophets were linked to Java. Royal families’s genealogical trees would show that their ancestors were the Prophet Adam, even the Prophet Muhammad and now, Sulayman,” Rijal said.
Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin is facing calls to quit. Photograph: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has called for the dismissal from the central bank of a prominent board member who has repeatedly said that Muslim immigrants in Germany are unfit and unwilling to integrate into society.
The Bundesbank said that comments made by Thilo Sarrazin in a highly publicised new book were harmful to the bank and violated its code of conduct. It said it would meet with the banker before deciding about his future.
Sarrazin has unleashed an impassioned debate about Germany's immigrant population by saying that the behaviour of its members is putting the country under threat.
His thesis, set out in a book published today , has stoked the wrath of politicians, and Muslim and Jewish groups, and led to calls for his dismissal from his €230,000 a year (£188,000) Bundesbank post and from the Social Democratic party (SPD).
Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said that Sarrazin's remarks had "clearly damaged the national and international standing of the bank" and managers should consider his future.
But Sarrazin has received the backing of others who say the former politician is merely outlining issues and concerns about integration that have remained taboo for too long.
In Deutschland Schafft Sich Ab, or Germany is Digging its Own Grave, Sarrazin argues that most of the country's immigrants cannot be integrated into society and contribute nothing to it.
He also blames foreigners – mainly Germany's Muslim population – for "dumbing down" society. He says that the rate at which Muslim women are reproducing means that Germans may soon become "strangers in their own country".
The book is already a bestseller and has prompted comparisons to Geert Wilders, the head of the Dutch far-right Freedom party.
The former Berlin finance senator said he wrote the book to outline his own fears that his grandchildren will grow up in a country where "their lives are measured out by the muezzin's calls to prayer".
At the book's Berlin launchtoday he rejected accusations that he was encouraging xenophobia and racism.
"I invite everyone to find discrepancies in my theories," he said. "It's an uncomfortable discussion, but to solve problems we have to first recognise them."
Outside the press conference a group of demonstrators protested against the book under the banner "Stop rightwing populism". Merkel made a rare intervention in the row, delivering a stern criticism of the book.
In an interview on the state broadcaster ARD, she called Sarrazin's statements "totally unacceptable" and "discriminatory – they show contempt towards entire groups in society". She added that Sarrazin was hindering integration efforts and "complicating the way in which these issues are discussed … the style and manner in which this is being discussed here is divisive for society."
Merkel hinted at her impatience with the Bundesbank's slowness in making a statement on the issue, saying that as the country's "calling card", the bank had to react.
There was pressure today on the Bundesbank to dismiss Sarrazin. Its president, Axel Weber, was due to make a statement following his return from the meeting of the world's central bank chiefs at Jackson Hole in Wyoming.
The leadership of the SPD was preparing to review Sarrazin's membershiptoday after the party leader, Sigmar Gabriel, said: "I don't know where he belongs in our party any more."
But Sarrazin said he would refuse to hand over his party membership book, which he insisted he would "take with me to the grave". He added: "I am the member of a people's party and will remain a member of this party, because I believe that this is precisely where these themes belong."
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews told the author that he would be better suited to the far-right National Democratic party following Sarrazin's statement that "all Jews shared the same gene", like Basques.
Among those who defended Sarrazin was Peter Gauweiler, of the Christian Social Union. He said it was good for Germany to be having the debate, adding that Sarrazin's critics were in danger of "appearing to want to stifle the ability of someone who thinks differently from them from speaking the truth". The Turkish-German writer and sociologist Necla Kelek, who was at Sarrazin's side when he presented his book to the public, said the banker was doing Germany a service and that he shared his concerns about the country's future. "(He) is calling on us Muslims to reflect on the role we play in Germany," Kelek said. "To accuse him of racism is absurd, because Islam is not a race, but a culture and a religion.
From the book
"Muslim immigration is connected more strongly than any other with welfare state dependency and criminality."
"With no other religion is there such a fluid connection between violence, dictatorship and terrorism as there is with Islam."
"Boys are taught an exaggerated idea of the readiness to be violent … for the sake of 'honour'. Young men take this role all the more seriously the less successful they are in the school system – where their performance is still much worse than that of Muslim girls."
"In Berlin 20% of all acts of violence are carried out by only 1,000 Turkish and Arabic youths, a population group that makes up just 0.3% of the entire Berlin population."
"A measure of a willingness to integrate is the attitude towards marriage, which steers the speed at which a society comes together … In this regard things are looking bad, because only 3% of young men and 8% of young women with a Turkish migrant background marry Germans partner. Among Russians of German descent the figure, by contrast, is 67%."
"The proportion of congenital disabilities is way above average among Turkish and Kurdish migrants. However, the topic is hushed up." It doesn't take much to think that hereditary factors might be responsible for the failure of some of the Turkish population in the German school system."
Who is central bank executive Thilo Sarrazin talking about when he accuses migrants from Islamic countries of unwillingness to integrate? Surely he can't mean my sister Ilkay, who celebrates Christmas every year. She's not religious, but she thinks that her two daughters could feel disadvantaged if they didn't get any Christmas presents. He can't be talking about my colleague Yasemin, who works for the public television channel NDR. During the World Cup, she dressed in German colours and didn't miss a single match to support her favourite team. And he definitely can't mean my friend Helin, who is just finishing her PhD about women's rights in Turkey. Every time she returns from a foreign country she remarks how much she approves of the cleanliness in this country and feels very "German".
Countless people like them live in Germany. Some call themselves Muslim, some don't. But most of them wouldn't call themselves "well integrated". They never ask themselves this question. And a few of them don't even want to be "integrated" – not because they are Turkish or Muslim but because they don't want to be part of the mainstream, for reasons of politics or lifestyle.
Sarrazin's chitchat has nothing to do with their lives. And that's why they feel neither disgusted or insulted, as the Turkish-nationalist daily Hürriyet (for example) is stating. If there is a reason for getting angry, it is the way the public discusses Sarrazin's thesis over intelligence, heredity and migration: the mass media is filling pages with passages of his book and trying to check if Turkish people are really more stupid or if Jews have a specific genetic code. A second reason for getting angry is the support Sarrazin will receive among public opinion.
So will Sarrazin's intervention, as many politicians or journalists warn, lead us to separate ourselves from German society? Of course not. We are part of this country, whether he likes it or not. And even whether we like it or not.
It's not the first time we've realised that it is hard for a part of German society to accept us. We're tired of explaining ourselves and being the objects of a problem-discourse which goes from A (for al-Qaida) to Z ("Zwangsheirat", or forced marriage). It makes no difference if people – including people who feel liberal – ask me: "Is your religion really so violent?" (It depends on the interpretation. But first of all: I have no religion.) Or if they say: "I don't mean you when I'm talking about problems with migrants, you're different." (Not really. We're all different.) But we are accustomed to this kind of talk.
Sarrazin's intervention is not evidence that Germany hasn't changed. But to the extent that German politics, and conservatives, accept the fact of immigration, a new gap is emerging in rightwing politics. It's a gap that somebody like Sarrazin – who appeals to a middle class that fears the loss of familiar privileges – fills. This discussion plays into the hands of the self-appointed representatives of the Turkish community: people who are interested in trivialising their problems – the relationship between education, class membership and Islamic background, for instance. These self-appointed spokesmen will find it easy to answer their critics with a new riposte: "Stop Sarrazining!" It will do nothing to illuminate the problems faced by some in the Turkish community – not Ilkay, Yasemin or Helin – but too many others.
Guardian UK
