Malaysian syariah laws passed off as God’s
The People's Parliament
Many, many years back, in the Bar Room at the KL High Court in the Sultan Abdul Samad building, I was smoking.
It was the fasting month.
Sharifah came up and reprimanded me, and suggested that if I had to smoke during the fasting month, I should do it in the toilet.
I replied that if she could guarantee me that God could not see me smokng in the toilet, I would.
That was when I, too, believed that saum ( the Arabic word in the Holy Qur’an that is translated to mean fast ) was a command to abstain from food, drink and conjugal relations during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadhan.
I don’t believe that anymore.
What I believe now is unimportant.
What’s important is that I have the right to hold to my beliefs, just as those who believe as I once did, and who will dutifully fulfill their fast this month, are entitled to theirs.
I will respect their beliefs.
They must respect mine.
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno had three glasses of beer. For that, she was fined RM5,000 and has been sentenced by the Syariah Court to be caned.
Six strokes.
Why?
Muslims believe it to be a sin to drink alcohol.
I don’t share this view.
