Kartika: Just get it over with
S Pathmawathy
Feb 1, 10
3:20pm Malaysiakini.com
Behind the media frenzy and religious debates, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno is a heartbroken woman who just wants a second chance at a normal life.
The 33-year-old part-time model (left) made international news last July after she became the first woman in the country to be sentenced six strokes of the rotan for consuming alcohol.
Speaking to Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview, Kartika said the entire ordeal had destroyed her marriage, strained her family and two children.
Kartika was detained by the Pahang religious authorities last year for consuming beer with five other non-Muslim friends at a hotel in Cherating.
Fine paid
Half a year later, she has paid the RM5,000 fine meted by the Syariah Court and but legal and political wrangling have put her whipping sentence on hold unofficially and indefinitely.
Her canning sentence was deferred, at the eleventh hour, on Aug 24 ostensibly to observe the month of Ramadhan last year.
The following day, she was advised to appeal the sentence by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
“I don’t know why there is a delay. My lawyers said the authorities cannot carry out the punishment because they don’t have people trained to carry out such punishment.
“(Furthermore, my lawyers said) there is pressure from the Sultan (of Pahang) as he does not approve of the sentence,” she said, during the interview at her family-owned resort in Kuala Kangsar.
Toll on marriage
Kartika said she has not received any written notices about her sentence which have impaired her ability to plan for the future.
“I have accepted my fate and repented. I just want to get this over and done with,” she said.
The first casualty to the uncertainties faced by Kartika had been her 13-year marriage with network engineer Muhammed Afandi Amir, 38, which have ended in divorce since the court sentence.
Together, they have two children Mohamad Azfar, 7, and Wann Kaitlynn Saridewi, 5 (right), which are in Kartika’s custody.
According to Kartika her husband had “changed” since the incident and could not cope.
“Of course I still love my husband and I know he made a mistake and did not purposely say he wants a divorce, as at the time, he was under pressure,” she said, while in tears.
“If we are meant to be together, all I ask (of him) is to let me settle my things first. I want to be a good and a loving wife. If I’m still in this situation I don’t want to go back to him,” she added.
Currently, Kartika is living with her parents at her birthplace of Kuala Kangsar and is hoping to patch her relationship with family and friends.
Not a publicity seeker
Her father Shukarno, expressed his wish for the authorities to carry out the whipping sentence because it was what prescribed in law.
“I don’t want the prime minister to use his power to stop the punishment. I don’t want him to use his veto powers. It is not nice. I worried that canning would harm her but I trust that the judgement was made according to Islam and we respect it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kartika has denied claims that she was cashing in on her ordeal with plans of releasing a book on the entire episode.
“If I wanted publicity, I wouldn’t want it in this form. This incident has brought so much shame to my family,” she said.
She adds that the book was dedicated to her five-year-old daughter and hopes she would one day understand what happened to her mother.
“The reason I am writing is to explain to my daughter, one day when she grows up and she must know about my life. I am worried what she will think about me,” she revealed.
Kartika promises a poignant tale with a complete account of the drinking incident and her experience in court.
Bombed churches
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BIRO KOMUNIKASI
PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT
A-1-09, Merchant Square
No. 1, Jalan Tropicana Selatan 1
47410 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 7885 0530
Fax: +603 7885 0531
E-mail: komunikasi@keadilanrakyat.org
Web: www.keadilanrakyat.org
Delivered to you by / Dihantarkan kepada saudara melalui:
BIRO KOMUNIKASI
PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT
A-1-09, Merchant Square
No. 1, Jalan Tropicana Selatan 1
47410 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 7885 0530
Fax: +603 7885 0531
E-mail: komunikasi@keadilanrakyat.org
Web: www.keadilanrakyat.org
The word Allah
PENJELASAN MENGENAI ISU KALIMAH “ALLAH”
Merujuk kepada kenyataan kami pada 22 November 2009 mengenai perkara di atas, maka BIPPA PKR sekali lagi ingin menjelaskan pendirian kami mengenai hal ini.
Kami berpendirian bahawa, keinginan masyarakat bukan Islam menggunakan kalimah “Allah” sebagai Tuhan adalah suatu perkembangan yang positif dan perlu diterima secara terbuka dan tidak perlu pihak-pihak tertentu mengambil kesempatan untuk menjadikan isu ini sebagai agenda politik untuk menampakkan bahawa merekalah jaguh dalam mempertahankan Islam di negara ini.
Sesungguhnya, kami melihat fenomena ini adalah manifestasi dari fitrah insani bahawa manusia memperakui penciptaan dunia oleh Allah SWT sebagaimana firmannya yang bermaksud:
“Dan jika kamu tanya mereka (orang kafir) siapakah yang mencipta langit dan bumi? Mereka akan berkata Allah…” (Al Quran, Az-Zumar (39):38).
Adalah jelas bahawa penggunaan kalimah Allah untuk mengiktiraf dan membesarkan Allah sebagai Tuhan, adalah hak asasi setiap insan. Ini adalah serasi dengan peruntukan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan Perkara 3 (1) yang menjamin kedudukan Islam sebagai agama rasmi Persekutuan dan lain-lain agama boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan damai. Sesungguhnya, ini juga bersesuaian dengan muafakat Pakatan Rakyat yang diputuskan baru-baru ini.
Selanjutnya, kami berpandangan perjuangan untuk menegak makruf dan mencegah mungkar akan menjadi lebih mudah dan selesa berasaskan firman Allah:
“Katakan wahai Ahli Kitab, mari tegakkan kalimah yang sama antara kami dan kamu iaitu bahawa kita tidak akan menyembah selain Allah dan tidak mensyirikkan (associate) Allah dengan satu apapun serta janganlah ada antara kita yang mengambil tuhan-tuhan selain Allah. Dan jika mereka berpaling maka katakanlah bahawasanya kami adalah orang Islam (menyerah diri pada Allah)” (Surah Ali `Imran(3):64).
Sehubungan itu, demi menjaga keharmonian dan kesejahteraan negara semua pihak perlulah menyelesaikan konflik ini dengan menyuburkan budaya dialog antara agama secara matang dan bijaksana (hikmah) sebagaimana saranan Allah mengenainya (Al Nahl: 125 dan Al Ankabut:46).
Dr. Muhd Nur Manuty
Pengerusi Biro Pemahaman dan Pemantapan Agama (BIPPA)
05 Januari 2010
USE OF WORD “ALLAH”
We refer to our previous statement dated 22 November 2009 pertaining to the above matter. Biro Pemahaman dan Pemantapan Agama (BIPPA), Parti KeADILan Rakyat once again would like to affirm our view on the issue.
It is our view that the wish of the non-Muslims to call their God as “Allah” is a positive turn of events and should respectably be recognized. There is no necessity for any factions in the society to take advantage of the current circumstances and turn the dispute into a narrow political propaganda to show off as if they are really the champion and guardian of Islam in this country.
Certainly, we view this phenomenon as a manifestation of the inherent human nature to reckon that this universe is undoubtedly the creation of Allah.
If indeed thou ask them who it is that created the heavens and the earth, they would be sure to say: “Allah.” … (Az Zumar 39:38)
It is without doubt that to worship and glorify Allah as the God is a fundamental right of every person. This is parallel to the provision of the Federal Constitution, Article 3(1) which guarantee the status of Islam as the Official Religion of the Federation while at the same time concede that other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony. Unmistakably, it is also consistent with the recently affirmed Declaration of Understanding of the Pakatan Rakyat.
Additionally, we are of the opinion that the strive to advocate virtues and prevent misdeed (amar makruf nahi mungkar) will be eased. Allah says:
Say: “O people of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than Allah.” If then they turn back, say: ye! “Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s will).” (Ali Imran 3:64)
Therefore, to maintain harmony and peace it is crucial for all parties to resolve the conflict by encouraging the culture of interfaith discourse with the highest level of maturity and wisdom. Allah commands:
Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth, best who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance. (An Nahl 16:125)
And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation) unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say “We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our God and your God is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).” (Al Ankaboot 29:46)
PROF DR MUHD NUR MANUTY
Chairman of Biro Pemahaman & Pemantapan Agama
05 January 2010
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BIRO KOMUNIKASI
PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT
A-1-09, Merchant Square
No. 1, Jalan Tropicana Selatan 1
47410 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +603 7885 0530
Fax: +603 7885 0531
E-mail: komunikasi@keadilanrakyat.org
Web: www.keadilanrakyat.org
Allah
Kenyataan rasmi Presiden Pas mengenai isu kalimah Allah
Ditulis oleh Presiden PAS
PAS sebagai parti Islam, amat menghormati prinsip kebebasan beragama seperti mana yang ditekankan oleh Islam kerana manusia tidak boleh dipaksa untuk menerima mana-mana agama melainkan ia merupakan pilihan sendiri.
Prinsip kebebasan beragama ini juga telah termaktub di dalam Perkara 11 Perlembagaan Persekutaan.
Walaupun demikian dalam konteks masyarakat di Malaysia, suasana dan keadaan setempat perlu diambil kira di atas kepentingan awam bagi memelihara keharmonian berbagai kaum dan agama. Setiap warganegara Malaysia wajib memelihara suasana dan keadaan ini.
PAS ingin menjelaskan bahawa berdasarkan kepada kaedah Islam, penggunaan nama Allah pada asasnya adalah dibenar untuk digunakan oleh agama samawi seperti Kristian dan Yahudi.
Walau bagaimanapun, penggunaan kalimah Allah secara salah dan tidak bertanggungjawab mestilah dielakkan supaya ianya tidak menjadi isu yang boleh menjejaskan keharmonian kaum dan agama dalam negara ini.
PAS memberikan peringatan kepada semua pihak supaya tidak menyalahgunakan perkataan Allah bagi mengelirukan atau menjadikan politik murahan untuk mendapatkan sokongan rakyat.
Al-Quran telah menyarankan cara yang betul menggunakan perkataan Allah, sebagaimana yang dinyatakan dalam Surah Al Imran ayat 64 yang bermaksud.
‘‘Katakanlah: Hai Ahli Kitab,marilah (berpegang) kepada suatu kalimat (ketetapan) yang tidak ada perselisihan antara kami dan kamu, bahawa tidak kita sembah kecuali Allah dan tidak kita persekutukan Dia dengan sesuatu pun dan tidak (pula) sebahagian kita menjadikan sesama manusia seperti pemimpin dan sebagainya sebagai tuhan selain Allah’’
Pas dengan tegasnya ingin menolak sebarang bentuk tindakan agresif dan provokatif jahat yang boleh mengugat keharmonian dan mencetuskan ketegangan masyarakat.
PAS dengan segala rasa penuh tanggungjawab bersedia untuk menjelaskan isu ini kepada semua pihak bagi mewujudkan suasana yang harmoni berdasarkan kepada prinsip keadilan sebagaimana yang termaktub dalam perlembagaan dan dijamin oleh Islam.
Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Hadi Awang
Presiden
Parti Islam Semalaysia (PAS)
God hears the prayers of the oppressed
Far from feeling remorse over the damnation prayer issue, Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat took another swipe at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak this morning albeit without mentioning his name.
Accompanied by deafening cheers from a huge crowd in Kota Bahru, the PAS spiritual leader proclaimed: “As long as they do not give (the oil royalty), we will pray until that person’s stomach bursts.”
Nik Aziz was addressing thousands of his supporters who had gathered in the state capital in a show of support for the embattled menteri besar.
“The rejection in oil royalty payment to the Kelantan government could be described as a violation of a basic human rights,” he said.
The supporters also wore headbands with the words ‘We love Tok Guru’.
Senior state exco Husam Musa, PAS Youth leader Roslani Alani Abdul Kadir and several others also addressed the crowd.
Previously, Nik Aziz had drawn flak from Umno leaders when he threatened to perform a special prayer for the ‘demise’ of the premier over the oil royalty issue.
Liquor ban issue
The PAS spiritual leader said 19 years ago, the non-Muslim community had protested the state’s move to control the selling of liquor.
“At that time, there were some who claimed of wanting to organise a liquor feast to protest the state government’s actions.
“After explaining the whole situation, the non-Muslims began to support the state government’s move,” he said, suggesting that the people would also understand the need for the ‘damnation prayer’ call in relation to the oil royalty.
On Tuesday, hundreds of Umno supporters led by its Pasir Mas division leaders and using the name of Jemaah Rakyat Prihatin Kelantan or Group of Concerned Kelantanese, held a demonstration in front of the state’s administrative centre the Darulnaim Complex, demanding that Nik Aziz apologise to Najib.
Nik Aziz explained his call for prayers in seeking divine intervention was in response to the federal government’s action of not handing over oil royalty payments to Kelantan, which has been under PAS rule since 1990.
Najib, instead, announced the payment of ‘wang ehsan’ (compassionate money) channelled through federal agencies in Kelantan.
‘They can never cheat voters’
Asked to comment on the criticisms levelled against him recently by Umno and federal government leaders, Nik Aziz said BN is worried and the aim is to divert public attention from the squabblings within their component parties.
“They can fool such troublemakers, however, they can never cheat Kelantan voters,” he said.
The hour-long gathering ended with shouts of takbir from his supporters.
Nik Aziz had been under attack on several issues following the fiasco in Kelantan Chief Minister Inc and the appointment and resignation of his son-in-law Mohd Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman as its chief executive officer.
There were also criticism over Nik Aziz’s intention of going for the haj, with the financial backing of a contractor.
Kelantan Chief Minister Inc is being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged graft. Its investigations are now nearing completion.
Muhyiddin loss for words
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin initially said he was at a loss for words when asked to comment on the matter.
However, he eventually lambasted Niz Aziz for his unbecoming behaviour as an Islamic leader.
“I don”t know what to say,” said the deputy premier.
“Moreover, since it is coming from the (PAS) spiritual advisor, we are rather shocked. I don’t know what to say.”
Muhyiddin said a true Muslim would not wish ill of another and urged other religious scholars within PAS to criticise Nik Aziz for doing so.
Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said the PAS spiritual leader’s opinions were no longer acceptable although he was a knowledgeable and elderly person.
“We used we see him as the party’s spiritual leader but now we see him as someone who only knows how to revile others.
“This (Nik Aziz’s offensive statements) is not the work of a religious man, not the work of a spiritual adviser, this is vilification (of others),” he told reporters here today.
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Other news:
Do more
WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
Much more can be done to raise the quality of life of the disabled.
TODAY is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), a day set aside by the United Nations since the early 1990s for world communities to stop, think and act in the interest of people with disabilities (PwD).
Malaysia is no exception.
In fact, this morning, Selangor Welfare chairman Rodziah Ismail is launching a unique awards ceremony for PwDs at The Curve’s pedestrian shopping mall.
At this Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) event, the personal achievements of children and young people with intellectual handicaps will be acknowledged. These include passing their Year Six exams, holding down a job, doing the laundry, or serving drinks.
Disabled residents like the blind and those in wheelchairs in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, are in for a treat on Saturday.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil will be paying them a special visit. “Going down to where the PwDs are is a much better way to touch base and find out what their problems are,” said Shahrizat.
However, there is more that the Government and local bodies – including the public – can do to raise the quality of life of Malaysians with disabilities.
The most important is to discard all preconceived notions about PwDs.
I am surprised that some people still have outdated views of the handicapped.
PwDs are labelled as “sick” and are expected to be seen only in hospitals and clinics rather than in cinemas or pubs.
I was recently in a hotel in Petaling Jaya with a group of physically disabled patrons. One of them who was using crutches needed a wheelchair.
We were shocked when the hotel staff turned down his request for a wheelchair. The excuse given was that their wheelchair was reserved for “accident cases” only.
When a dozen of us in wheelchairs demanded to see the top brass of the hotel, a wheelchair finally arrived.
Local councils in every state need to set up a special technical committee on disability as soon as possible. It should meet at least once a month like what happens now in MBPJ.
It is also vital to include persons with disabilities on the committee. Medical experts should also be invited to sit on the committee where possible.
Together as a team, town and city planners and engineers will be better equipped to address fundamental issues such as accessibility of pavements, and public and government buildings.
Facilities in homes and centres for the elderly and disabled should also be looked into to ensure that residents are receiving the best possible care.
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Friday, December 04, 2009
MBPJ Champ of the Disabled, says YB Rodziah – The Star
Friday December 4, 2009
More jobs for the disabled in Selangor
By YIP YOKE TENG
THE Selangor state government will set aside at least one percent of the posts available in its administration for disabled people. The quota applies not only to all local councils but also contractors taking up government projects.
State executive councillor Rodziah Ismail, who is in charge of the Welfare, Women’s Affairs, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee, said the move would begin in January.
“The state wants to ensure that disabled people are given due opportunities in job placement,” she said after launching the International Day for Disabled Person celebration organised by the Petaling Jaya City Council yesterday at E@Curve, Mutiara Damansara.
Also present at the celebration were mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman as well as councillor Anthony Thanasayan and Chan Chee Kong.
At the function, prizes were presented to special children with good academic results while members from the Dyslexia Association Malaysia presented an interesting opening act. Others took part in a treasure hunt while children were taught handicraft.
“At least one per cent of government projects will also be offered to disabled people to ensure that they get a fair chance in business, too,” she added.
She said the idea had long been mooted and even practised internally but the announcement was not made yet to officially invite application from disabled people.
“Currently, disabled people take up only 0.3% of the posts in our administration throughout the state so we are at the same time offering education and skills training to prepare them for the posts,” she said.
Also, factories in the state have 18,000 jobs to be filled and the government had arranged for the disabled to sit for the interviews because they are skilled.
The state’s next step in improving the welfare for the disabled groups is to have a sign language interpreter at the front desk of government organisations.
“We also want the entire state to be barrier-free as we are having an increasing population of disabled people. So far, Selangor has 20,000 disabled people but many still have not registered with us.
“I would say MBPJ is the champion in making its city accessible to the disabled and it is indeed an excellent example for all other local councils to emulate,” she added.
She said the state would also form a committee made up of disabled people next year. The committee is expected to give its input in all planning discussions and the recommendations will be followed through by the local councils and relevant parties.
Roslan said the council set aside RM3.9mil to make Petaling Jaya a barrier-free city.
“However, the fact is that disabled people face not only physical barrier but also attitude barrier. The disabled have a right to basic accessibility and the public must not abuse these facilities provided for them,” he said
The other side of accounts of the PAS political seminar
Voters unconvinced with PAS leadership, favours Nik Aziz to Hadi
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
Pollsters identified a strong preference for Nik Aziz (left) over Hadi Awang. — Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The majority of voters are not convinced with the current PAS leadership and perceive its leaders as the most dominant problem in the party, a new poll shows.
The poll conducted by Zentrum Future Studies Malaysia from 20 February 2008 to 5 March 2009 showed that 50 per cent of the 2,100 respondents found the main issue to be PAS’ leaders while 27 per cent regarded the party’s ideology as a major stumbling block.
The survey showed that only 31 per cent of respondents were in favour of the current party leadership.
The Zentrum poll also suggests that more Malaysians were in favour of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Niz Aziz Niz Mat compared to party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, with 83 per cent confident in Nik Aziz’s leadership compared to Hadi’s 33 per cent.
The survey showed that one in three respondents identified both Hadi and deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa as the weakness in the party leadership, while four per cent perceive Nik Aziz as the weak link.
The poll also indicates that 44 per cent of those surveyed viewed positively the leadership of PAS’ women’s wing, while the Youth wing and central party leaderships scored 25 and 24 per cent respectively.
Although the party leadership was popular among the age group of 41 to 50 years old, support from those between 21 and 30 was dwindling.
For PAS, getting the young is now a priority for the next general elections but Hadi’s low popularity with younger voters may be an obstacle, with 70 per cent of the 21-30 age group expressing a loss of confidence in the leader and 40 per cent considering him the weakness in the party. The survey also shows that 70 per cent of the age group are unhappy with the top two leaders in the party.
The poll suggests that Malaysians are wary of the hard-line stance that the party projects with the current conservative line-up led by Hadi and Nasharuddin.
The party now seems on course to further distance themselves from voters after 1,000 PAS delegates at a special seminar yesterday concluded that the party must stick to its Islamic line even at the expense of Pakatan Rakyat.
While Nik Aziz has endorsed the pact, many delegates remained suspicious of the role allies DAP and PKR could play in championing the Islamic cause.
They wanted the party to stick to its Islamic line, which has been blurred by Umno’s active Islamic campaigns that have included enacting laws such as caning for alcohol consumption.
The latest poll suggests that for PAS to become a mainstream political party, it needs to reform its hard-line stance to a more accommodating approach or risk not repeating the achievements of 2008 as the party can no longer rely on anti-Umno sentiments to support them.
University Malaya (UM) professor Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah made that point clear when presenting the report at the seminar yesterday, saying that the trend to support the opposition could change in the next general elections.
“The days of ABU, Anything But Umno, are over,” he said bluntly.
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Selangor MB slams PAS delegates
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah SaniKLANG, Nov 8 — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today he was disappointed with allegations made by PAS delegates yesterday that Pakatan Rakyat was not doing enough to champion Islam.
He told them to instead “walk the talk” themselves.
Yesterday at PAS’s special seminar, some party delegates accused PR of not championing Muslim rights and were suspicious what role Islam could play in its ties with allies DAP and PKR.
The Selangor Mentri Besar stressed today that Islam requires Muslims not only to preach but also to be proactive.
“Islam itself requires us to be proactive as a Muslim, it is not expecting other people or it is the Ummah (society) itself has the social responsibility but in Islam also it tells us that we must not only preach but also do.
“So if someone wants to complain that Pakatan Rakyat, then that Muslim has to say that he has spent 2,000 man hours promoting and there is nobody that has done it,” he said.
He added that the delegates must set a good example before making accusations.
“I myself am doing it, we don’t complain. We promote Islam,” he said.
Khalid also told PAS to earn its leadership role and not expect it.
“If you want to be a leader, people have to accept you as a leader. It is not you want people to say that you are a leader. No, you earn your leadership and respect,” he said.
Yesterday’s PAS seminar showed its members were now concerned over a blurring of lines and its future direction in PR.
Some 1,000 PAS delegates at the special seminar to strengthen the party and affirm its place in PR concluded that the party must stick to its Islamic line even at the expense of the federal opposition pact.
PAS Selangor were at loggerheads with PR when the party’s state commissioner Datuk Hasan Ali criticised the state’s select committee for competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat) for “bullying public servants” during a recent public inquiry.
The outburst by the PAS leader reignited discussions on Hasan’s loyalty and his party’s commitment to PR in Selangor.
Hasan previously clashed with PR colleagues over the sale of beer at convenience outlets in Shah Alam, and a plan to empower mosque committee members and workers to police immoral activities in the state.
PAS state liaison committee secretary Mohd Khairuddin Othman has also issued a statement of the party’s support for Hasan and warned that the party was considering pulling out of the state government.
Recently PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat wanted a special muktamar to rid the party of leaders whom he described as “problematic” and seen to favour working closely with Umno instead of strengthening PR.
He had named Hasan along with Nasharuddin and secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali as those who had made the party look inconsistent.
However, PAS central committee members recently unanimously decided not to call for a special muktamar but to hold yesterday’s seminar instead.
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PAS men slam unrepentant Abdul Aziz
By Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 – PAS delegates slammed Dr Abdul Aziz Bari (pic) for criticising the party leadership but the UIA law professor remained unrepentant, arguing that his criticism was constructive.
Abdul Aziz courted controversy last month with an article published in Sinar Harian and stirred it further today when he asked why PAS members wanted to be close to Umno.
He had criticised the PAS leadership, which he saw aligned to president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, for allegedly pushing a merger with Umno.
The academic’s views formed the basis for PAS spiritual adviser, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, to pursue an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in an attempt to cleanse the party of “problematic” leaders, but which was replaced with today’s seminar.
Delegates present from all over the country loudly denounced Abdul Aziz as an “Umno agent” for publicly raising the issue of a “unity government” once again.
They repeatedly pressed the constitutional expert to reveal his sources for the allegations, noting that Abdul Hadi had this morning stressed that PAS is committed to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) struggle to depose the ruling coalition and had shut the door on any more “unity” talks.
“Where did you get information to say that the president does not get along with Lim Kit Siang and Anwar Ibrahim?” a woman delegate asked, referring to the DAP and PKR leaders respectively.
The three opposition parties had joined forces after gaining major inroads among voters in the March 8 elections last year and had recently handed in their application to the Registrar of Societies to formalise their coalition.
Another delegate went further and called Abdul Aziz an “agent of the West” for forcing the concept of a two-party system on them.
The man, who did not identify himself, also likened the IIU don to an “agen nafsu”, which translates to a man with his own ulterior motives, for stirring up discord within PAS.
He received loud support from the floor, with cries of “Takbir!” and “Allahuakbar!”
Abdul Aziz took the verbal attacks in stride and explained that his criticism should be read constructively.
He added that he was only trying to stir the party’s imagination towards strengthening itself ahead of the next general election.
“Think for yourselves,” he advised.
“I did not insult the president or even mention his personal life. I only mentioned his post as the captain of this team,” he countered.
Likening the current political situation to a football match, Abdul Aziz claimed that he had the right as a “paying spectator” to comment.
Not all delegates found his views repugnant, judging from the way they leapt to his defence.
A woman delegate commended him for his willingness to share his bold views openly. She suggested that the leaders should note down his ideas because views from the grassroots which were conveyed through the proper party channels did not always gain traction.
Another delegate asked the rest of his partymen to keep an open mind and not take Abdul Aziz’s comments to heart.
“We must change. Medicine is usually bitter while food which taste sweet are the causes of sickness,” the young man said.
But many others remained unconvinced.
Two delegates from the Federal Territory slammed Abdul Aziz for failing to back up his allegations, unlike his fellow panellist, Universiti Malaya (UM) analyst, Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah.
Abu Hassan had presented a detailed report predicting the future outcome of PAS based on a study carried out among 2,000 people.
“The more important thing now is to strengthen the party. Abu Hassan’s research will be good for our party,” said one man from the Kepong division.
The UM don’s survey results, backed by hard statistics, found greater favour among the delegates even though he shared the same ideas with Abdul Aziz.
Abu Hassan said that PAS must carry out serious reforms now if it wants to win the next general election.
Rephrasing Article 3?
Zulkifli, the MP for Bandar Baru Kulim, recently sponsored a private member’s bill to change Article 3 of the federal constitution. Article 3 is to say ‘Islam is religion for the federation including in terms of the law and syariah’.
We cannot keel-haul PAS for this, as some of us would like to. He is no longer in PAS. He does not appear to have PKR’s blessings either, as it is a private member’s bill. We wait to see if PKR officially distances itself from this, after all Zulkifli is a member of the House on a PKR ticket.
It will be highly improbable that the bill will see the light of day as opinions and positions in the House would be divided.
However something is amiss! Where are the hoards of nay-sayers plotting reports of sedition, insulting Islam and the like to police, to the National Fatwa Committee and every federal and state administration of Islamic law institutions? Do not think for a moment that I am in any way suggesting that legal action be taken in this case. I respect his right of expression.
A dive into the past history of the federal constitution tells us that in the making of Article 3, the Reid Commission and the Alliance (after winning the first general election) had received representations from the Malay rulers.
The history of Article 3 is also embedded in the constitutions of the Malay states before 1957. The hereditary Malay rulers are heads of the religion of Islam in each state.
Has Zulkifli elicited the opinions of the Malay rulers?He is an elected representative. He is Muslim. He has some standing but it is stretching it to say he can claim to represent all those who may have an interest in moving this bill. We have had no information if the Malay rulers were consulted, or have assented to his making representations on their behalf.
The history of Article 3 makes it arguably a basic structure of the federal constitution. As a matter of principle, efforts to amend a basic structure in the constitution by a mere Act of Parliament – through a private member’s bill at that – must be strongly resisted. Otherwise every politician of the day would remake the constitution to fit his cause.
There is a growing professional interest in the study of the making of modern constitutions in Muslim states and in Muslim-majority states. Experts are identifying ways in which such constitutions can assist a country on the path to a strong, stable democracy characterised by good governance and rule of law in which Islam, human rights and international obligations are respected.
Deriving syariah-fiqh
Framing the issue in human rights terms proposes that human rights constitute an appropriate framework for human understanding of Islam and interpretation of Islamic law.
These studies show that an inclusion of the term ‘syariah’ can add more grey or more difficulties than is necessary. As the constitution is a legal document, the legal meaning of the word ‘syariah’ is essentially ‘fiqh’ or interpretations of the Quran and Sunnah (sayings and practices of the Prophet).
These encompass the first body of work formulated in the 8th to 9th centuries of Islam, the expansion of those ideas by students of the master jurists and contemporary transformative efforts up to date.
The problem lies in the claim that syariah-fiqh should be that knowledge accumulated between the 8th to 9th centuries of Islam only. This accumulated knowledge includes the methods of deriving syariah-fiqh from the Quran and Sunnah.
Modern day scholars say that new and alternative methodologies of deriving sharia-fiqh like a gender analysis should be part of how Muslims today shape sharia-fiqh. It is much like the English Common Law – it is a work-in-progress.
Gender analysis is the methodology for collecting and processing information. It examines the relationships between males and females and their access to and control of resources, their roles and the constraints they face relative to each other.
A gender analysis helps us understand the enjoyment of women, girls, boys and men of rights, opportunities, resources and rewards and that these should not limited or governed by whether people are born male or female.
The constitutional formulation of using the term ‘Islam’ or ‘principles of Islamic law’ are preferable to usage of ‘the syariah’ because of these historical debates in the last century. This is to avoid the understanding that sharia-fiqh is unchangeable and static.
Currently in a number of Muslim-majority countries, reforms are being rolled back, democratic structures threatened and controversial legal provisions made and applied.
These new studies in constitutional law reform of Muslim countries suggest that the term ‘syariah’ has been highly politicised to mean that the application of Islamic teachings is mechanistic based on a frozen interpretation of Islamic law.
Let’s not add more grey to Article 3.
Malaysiakini.com
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SALBIAH AHMAD is a lawyer.
PR Convention
Perak PR convention passes 10 resolutions
By Clara Chooi
Nizar says Pakatan must act wisely to avoid another Perak crisis. — file pic
IPOH, Nov 1 — The Perak Pakatan Rakyat convention saw the passing of 10 resolutions which, among others, called for the three component parties of DAP, PAS and PKR to set aside their differences and make decisions based on consensus.
The resolutions were read out by PAS’ Titi Serong assemblyman Dr Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah after some 600 delegates presented their views during the day-long convention held at the Syuen Hotel here yesterday.
The resolutions are:
1. Cooperation and unity in Pakatan Rakyat must continue to be strengthened in order to topple Umno/Barisan Nasional. Any form of prejudices or negative perceptions between the PR partners must be avoided.
2. Improve on the principle of collective decision by using the negotiation table as a method to solve problems.
3. Strengthen and mobilise party organisations by giving serious emphasis to the setting up of PR collaborative councils at all party levels.
4. Destroy the doctrine of racism right up to the grassroots and improve relationships with the people, government servants, politicians, non-governmental organisations and the Royal Institution.
5. Fielding candidates of good calibre and integrity as the basis and focus of any victory in state or parliamentary seats contested by the PR. To focus on self-improvement programmes for all party members.
6. Continue with using the 5K principles as the foundation to work and rule – justice, honesty, integrity, welfare and transparency.
7. Continue and increase media and information series throughout the state in order to ensure the people receive accurate information and do not have their mindsets ruled by Umno/BN.
8. Programmes to create togetherness amongst the PR parties must be held as soon as possible to ensure all PR members understand each others’ struggles.
9. To continue seeking for the help and blessings of Allah whether faced by a crisis or not.
10. The resolutions committee to push for the PR alliance to be registered as a coalition and be represented by a single logo.
Former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the resolutions would formulate the basis of PR in Perak, which needed to stay strong to face the coming challenges.
“We are stressing on the strengthening of the PR and, as you can see, we have clearly stated that there will be no racial elements in any of our struggles.
“We do not want racism in PR, whether in DAP or PAS or PKR. Unlike us, it is Umno that is racist,” he said in a press conference after the convention.
He added that the Perak PR would also learn from its past and ensure that any candidate contesting under the PR banner in the next elections would be trustworthy and have integrity.
“This is to ensure that there will not be a tragedy like the one before,” he said, referring to the defection of former PR assemblymen Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu, both of PKR, and Hee Yit Foong, of DAP.
The three assemblymen had left the alliance and remained as BN-friendly independents earlier this year, causing the fall of the Perak government.
Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham said that the resolutions would serve as fuel to power the alliance forward and encourage willingness to serve instead of being served.
“You can see from the spirit of our delegates. They have the willingness to serve and not to be served,” he said.
No one can choose the race of their birth, said Nik Aziz. — file pic
He added that PR had also now wised up to BN’s tactics of utilising the mainstream media to paint an ugly picture of PR parties to Malaysians.
“This is why now, whatever we see in the mainstream media will first be verified amongst our respective partners in the PR before we react on them.
“I hope all Malaysians would do the same, too,” he said.
Kelantan mentri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who was present at the convention to deliver a closing address, urged delegates to accept and adopt the resolutions.
He said the PR alliance was built not on racial sentiment but on a technique of togetherness, backed by religious values.
“And Islam does not stop others from practising other religions,” he reminded the delegates.
He added that a person does not choose the race he or she is born into and such a destiny could not be controlled.
“When a person leaves the mother’s womb, it is not his choice to be Malay, Indian or Chinese. This is why Malays cannot raise themselves above others,” he said.
Malaysian Insider
KEADILAN RESHUFFLE
Rahmah Ghazali
Oct 25, 09
8:13pm Malaysiakini.com
In a move to end the disgruntlement in Sabah, PKR today chose local leader Ahmad Thamrin Jaini as the party’s new state chief.
Ahmad Thamrin, who heads the Libaran division, would replace Azmin Ali who “quit” last week.
Speaking to reporters after a four-hour national leadership meeting in Petaling Jaya this evening, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail also announced a nationwide reshuffle of state chiefs.
This includes vice-president Azmin, who is also Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyperson, being selected to head the Federal Territory instead.
Both Ahmad Thamrin and Azmin were not present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, party supremo Anwar Ibrahim brushed aside a question on whether Ahmad Thamrin’s appointment would be well received by the PKR Sabah division chiefs who ‘rejected’ Azmin.
He said the “issue does not arise” because Azmin did not quit his post as reported but “his mandate is over by the end of this month.”
Changes in other states
The leadership crisis in Sabah started when 18 division chiefs inked a memorandum dated Sept 20 which was critical of Azmin and sent it to Wan Azizah.
Following this, 16 division chiefs held an informal meeting on Oct 7 in Kota Kinabalu and expressed no confidence in Azmin’s leadership.
Despite a strong denial issued by the PKR national leadership that there was no memorandum forwarded with regards to Azmin, the latter however dropped a bombshell by quitting his post on Oct 23.
The other new state chiefs announced by Wan Azizah are – Penang’s Zahrain Mohd Hashim to be replaced by Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Dr Mansor Othman, Perak’s Osman Abdul Rahman to be replaced by vice-president Mustaffa Kamil Ayub and Malacca’s Khalid Jaafar to be replaced by PKR Youth chief Syamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.
Terengganu also saw a new face when Abd Rahman Yusof was selected to head the state while Saifuddin Nasution (PKR election director) would spearhead PKR in neighbouring Kelantan.
In Sarawak, the national leadership had decided to appoint lawyer and land rights activist Baru Bian as the new state chief, replacing Mustaffa Kamil Ayub who was appointed last May.
Wan Azizah also revealed that the party has set up a National Integration Council headed by PKR vice-president Dr Jeffrey Kitingan to sort out issues of integration in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
Anwar confident PAS will settle its problems
In another development, Anwar said he was confident that PAS would be able to settle its internal problems.
The opposition leader was asked to comment on PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s call for a special meeting to deal with ‘problematic’ leaders.
In a blog posting, the Kelantan menteri besar had named three leaders – deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, secretary-general Mustafa Ali and Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Hasan Ali.
“I believe PAS including Nik Aziz and (president) Abdul Hadi Awang will handle this as best they can because we take this matter seriously,” said Anwar.
“PAS is important to Pakatan Rakyat and we are confident that they will they settle this properly,” he added.
Charter for Compassion
by Karen Armstrong
Something to think about…which has also been articulated by other contemporary religious scholars of various religions…and to discuss together…
Click here (for the video):
The transcript:
Well, this is such an honor. And it’s wonderful to be in the presence of an organization that is really making a difference in the world. And I’m intensely grateful for the opportunity to speak to you today.
And I’m also rather surprised, because when I look back on my life the last thing I ever wanted to do was write or be in any way involved in religion. After I left my convent, I’d finished with religion, frankly. I thought that was it. And for 13 years I kept clear of it. I wanted to be an English Literature professor. And I suddenly didn’t even want to be a writer, particularly. But then I suffered a series of career catastrophes, one after the other, and finally found myself in television. (Laughter) I said that to Bill Moyers, and he said, “Oh, we take anybody.” (Laughter)
And I was doing some rather controversial religious programs. This went down very well in the U.K., where religion is extremely unpopular. And so, for once, for the only time in my life, I was finally in the mainstream. But I got sent Jerusalem to make a film about early Christianity. And there, for the first time, I encountered the other religious traditions: Judaism and Islam, the sister religions of Christianity. And while I found I knew nothing about these faiths at all, despite my own intensely religious background. I’d seen Judaism only as a kind of prelude to Christianity, and I knew nothing about Islam at all.
But in that city, that tortured city, where you see the three faiths jostling so uneasily together, you also become aware of the profound connection between them. And it has been the study of other religious traditions that brought me back to a sense of what religion can be, and actually enabled me to take a look at my own faith in a different light.
And I found some astonishing things in the course of my study that had never occurred to me. Frankly, in the days that when I thought I’d had it with religion, I just found the whole thing absolutely incredible. These doctrines seemed unproven, abstract. And to my astonishment, when I began seriously studying other traditions, I began to realize that belief — which we make such a fuss about today — is only a very recent religious enthusiasm that surfaced only in the West, in about the 17th century. The word “belief” itself originally meant to love, to prize, to hold dear. In the 17th century, it narrowed its focus, for reasons that I’m exploring in a book I’m writing at the moment, to include — to mean an intellectual ascent to a set of propositions: a credo. “I believe” — it did no mean “I accept certain creedal articles of faith.” It meant: “I commit myself. I engage myself.” Indeed, some of the world traditions think very little of religious orthodoxy. In the Qur’an, religious opinion — religious orthodoxy — is dismissed as zanna: self-indulgent guesswork about matters that nobody can be certain of one way or the other, but which makes people quarrelsome and stupidly sectarian. (Laughter)
So if religion is not about believing things, what is it about? What I’ve found, across the board, is that religion is about behaving differently. Instead of deciding whether or not you believe in God, first you to do something. You behave in a committed way, And then you begin to understand the truths of religion. And religious doctrines are meant to be summons to action; you only understand them when you put them into practice.
Now, pride of place in this practice is given to compassion. And it is an arresting fact that right across the board, in every single one of the major world faiths, compassion — the ability to feel with the other in the way we’ve been thinking about this evening — is not only the test of any true religiosity, it is also what will bring us into the presence of what Jews, Christians and Muslims call “God” or the “Divine.” It is compassion, says the Buddha, which brings you to Nirvana. Why? Because in compassion, when we feel with the other, we dethrone ourselves from the center of our world and we put another person there. And once we get rid of ego, then we’re ready to see the Divine.
And in particular, every single one of the major world traditions has highlighted — has said — and put at the core of their tradition what’s become known as the Golden Rule. First propounded by Confucius five centuries before Christ: “Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” That, he said, was the central thread which ran through all his teaching and that his disciples should put into practice all day and every day. And it was the Golden Rule would bring them to the transcendent value that he called ren, human-heartedness, which was a transcendent experience in itself.
And this is absolutely crucial to the monotheisms, too. There’s a famous story about the great rabbi, Hillel, the older contemporary of Jesus. A pagan came to him and offered to convert to Judaism if the rabbi could recite the whole Jewish teaching while he stood on one leg. Hillel stood on one leg and said, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and study it.” (Laughter)
And “go and study it” was what he meant. He said, “In your exegesis, you must make it clear that every single verse of the Torah is a commentary, a gloss upon the “Golden Rule.” The great Rabbi Meir said that any interpretation of scripture which led to hatred and disdain or contempt of other people — any people whatsoever — was illegitimate.
Saint Augustine made exactly the same point. Scripture, he says, “teaches nothing but charity, and we must not leave an interpretation of scripture until we have found a compassionate interpretation of it.” And this struggle to find compassion in some of these rather rebarbative texts is a good dress rehearsal for doing the same in ordinary life. (Applause)
But now look at our world. And we are living in a world that is — where religion has been hijacked. Where terrorists cite Qur’anic verses to justify their atrocities. Where instead of taking Jesus’ words, “Love your enemies. Don’t judge others,” we have the spectacle of Christians endlessly judging other people, endlessly using scripture as a way of arguing with other people, putting other people down. Throughout the ages, religion has been used to oppress others, and this is because of human ego, human greed. We have a talent as a species for messing up wonderful things.
So the traditions also insisted — and this is an important point, I think — that you could not and must not confine your compassion to your own group: your own nation, your own co-religionists, your own fellow countrymen. You must have what one of the Chinese sages called “jian ai”: concern for everybody. Love your enemies. Honor the stranger. We formed you, says the Qur’an, into tribes and nations so that you may know one another.
And this, again — this universal outreach — is getting subdued in the strident use of religion — abuse of religion — for nefarious gains. Now, I’ve lost count of the number of taxi drivers who, when I say to them what I do for a living, inform me that religion has been the cause of all the major world wars in history. Wrong. The cause of our present woes are political.
But make no mistake about it, religion is a kind of fault line, and when a conflict gets ingrained in a region, religion can get sucked in and become part of the problem. Our modernity has been exceedingly violent. Between 1914 and 1945, 70 million people died in Europe alone as a result of armed conflict. And so many of our institutions, even football which used to be a pleasant pastime now causes riots where people even die. And it’s not surprising that religion, too, has been affected by this violent ethos.
There’s also a great deal, I think, of religious illiteracy around. People seem to think now equate religious faith with believing things. As though that — we call religious people often believers, as though that were the main thing that they do. And very often, secondary goals get pushed into the first place, in place of compassion and the Golden Rule. Because the Golden Rule is difficult. I sometimes, when I’m speaking to congregations about compassion, I sometimes see a mutinous expression crossing some of their faces because religion a lot of religious people prefer to be right, rather than compassionate. (Laughter)
Now — but that’s not the whole story. Since September the 11th, when my work on Islam suddenly propelled me into public life in a way that I’d never imagined, I’ve been able to sort of go all over the world, and finding, everywhere I go, a yearning for change. I’ve just come back from Pakistan, where literally thousands of people came to my lectures, because they were yearning, first of all, to hear a friendly Western voice. And especially the young people were coming. And were asking me — the young people were saying, “What can we do? What can we do to change things?” And my hosts in Pakistan said, “Look, don’t be too polite to us. Tell us where we’re going wrong. Let’s talk together about where religion is failing.”
Because it seems to me that with — our current situation is so serious at the moment that any ideology that doesn’t promote a sense of global understanding and global appreciation of each other is failing the test of the time. And religion, with its wide following here in the United States — people may be being religious in a different way, as a report has just shown — but they still want to be religious. It’s only Western Europe that has retained its secularism, which is now beginning to look rather endearingly old-fashioned.
But people want to be religious, and religion should be made to be a force for harmony in the world, which it can and should be — because of the Golden Rule. “Do not do unto others what you would not have them do to you”: an ethos that should now be applied globally. We should not treat other nations as we would not wish to be treated ourselves.
And these — whatever our wretched beliefs — is a religious matter, it’s a spiritual matter. It’s a profound moral matter that engages and should engage us all. And as I say, there is a hunger for change out there. Here in the United States, I think you see it in this election campaign: a longing for change. And people in churches all over and mosques all over this continent after September 11th, coming together locally to create networks of understanding. With the mosque, with the synagogue, saying, “We must start to speak to one another.” I think it’s time that we moved beyond the idea of toleration and move toward appreciation of the other.
I’d — there’s one story I’d just like to mention. This comes from “The Iliad.” But it tells you what this spirituality should be. You know the story of “The Iliad:” the 10-year war between Greece and Troy. In one incident, Achilles, the famous warrior of Greece, takes his troops out of the war, and the whole war effort suffers. And in the course of the ensuing muddle, his beloved friend, Patroclus, is killed — and killed in single combat by one of the Trojan princes, Hector. And Achilles goes mad with grief and rage and revenge, and he mutilates the body — he kills Hector, he mutilates his body and then he refuses to give the body back for burial to the family, which means that, in Greek ethos, Hector’s soul will wander eternally, lost. And then one night, Priam, king of Troy, an old man, comes into the Greek camp incognito, makes his way to Achilles’ tent to ask for the body of his son. And everybody is shocked when the old man takes off his head covering and shows himself. And Achilles looks at him and thinks of his father. And he starts to weep. And Priam looks at the man who has murdered so many of his sons, and he, too, starts to weep. And the sound of their weeping filled the house. The Greeks believed that weeping together created a bond between people. And then Achilles takes the body of Hector, he hands it very tenderly to the father, and the two men look at each other, and see each other as divine.
That is the ethos found, too, in all the religions. It’s what is meant by overcoming the horror that we feel when we are under threat of our enemies, and beginning to appreciate the other. It’s of great importance that the word for “holy” in Hebrew, applied to God, is “Kadosh”: separate, other. And it is often, perhaps, the very otherness of our enemies which can give us intimations of that utterly mysterious transcendence which is God.
And now, here’s my wish: I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion — crafted by a group of inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and based on the fundamental principle of the Golden Rule. We need to create a movement among all these people that I meet in my travels — you probably meet, too — who want to join up, in some way, and reclaim their faith, which they feel — as I say — has been hijacked. We need to empower people to remember the compassionate ethos, and to give guidelines. This Charter would not be a massive document. I’d like to see it — to give guidelines as to how to interpret the scriptures, these texts that are being abused. Remember what the rabbis and what Augustine said about how scripture should be governed by the principle of charity. Let’s get back to that. And the idea, too, of Jews, Christians and Muslims these traditions now so often at loggerheads — working together to create a document which we hope will be signed by a thousand, at least, of major religious leaders from all the traditions of the world.
And you are the people. I’m just a solitary scholar. Despite the idea that I love a good time, which I was rather amazed to see coming up on me — I actually spend a great deal of time alone, studying, and I’m not very — you’re the people with media knowledge to explain to me how we can get this to everybody, everybody on the planet. I’ve had some preliminary talks, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Desmond Tutu, for example, is very happy to give his name to this, as is Imam Faisal Rauf, the Imam in New York City. Also, I would be working with the Alliance of Civilizations at the United Nations I was part of that United Nations initiative called the Alliance of Civilizations, which was asked by Kofi Annan to diagnose the causes of extremism, and to give practical guidelines to member states about how to avoid the escalation of further extremism.
And the Alliance has told me that they are very happy to work with it. The importance of this is that this is — I can see some of you starting to look worried, because you think it’s a slow and cumbersome body, but what the United Nations can do is give us some neutrality, so that this isn’t seen as a Western or a Christian initiative, but that it’s coming, as it were, from the United Nations, from the world — who would help with the sort of bureaucracy of this.
And so I do urge you to join me in making — in this charter — to building this charter, launching it and propagating it so that it becomes I’d like to see it in every college, every church, every mosque, every synagogue in the world, so that people can look at their tradition, reclaim it, and make religion a source of peace in the world, which it can and should be. Thank you very much. (Applause)
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