Go all the way or no way

So, forget about peeping into pubs to catch Muslims drinking beer. Go catch those Muslims driving cars bought with car loans. Go catch those Muslims who use credit cards. Go catch those Muslims who own houses bought through loans. That is a much, much bigger and more serious crime in Islam.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Selangor mosque officials to help enforce syarak

Mosque officials in more than 370 mosques in Selangor have been given authority letters to assist the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) to enforce the Selangor Syariah Crimes Enactment 1995.

The chairman of the Selangor Islamic Affairs, Malay Culture, Infrastructure and Public Amenities committee, Datuk Dr Hasan Mohamed Ali, said only four officials of each mosque were given the authority letters two weeks ago and they were the 'Nazir', 'Imam', 'Bilal' and 'Siak'.

Among the syarak (Islamic religious law) that will focussed on in the fasting month was eating, drinking and smoking in public during fasting times, Dr Hasan said at a news conference here Monday.

An offence under Section 19 of the Enactment can lead to a maximum fine of RM1,000 or a maximum of six months jail or both.

Dr Hasan said for this offence the mosque officials cannot arrest offenders but could only take down their particulars and the case items and pass them to the religious enforcement officers for further action.

Besides that, Dr Hasan said mosque officials were also asked to pay attention to the drinking of alcohol among Muslims under Section 18 of the enactment for which they could be fined not more than RM3,000 or jailed for not more than two years or both.

Any Muslim who makes, sells, offer for sale, stores or buys alcohol commits an offence under Section 18 (2) and could be fined not more than RM5,000 or jailed a maximum of three years or both.

For the offence of drinking alcohol, the mosque officials can detain offenders but must hand them over to police or religious enforcement officers, he said.

On the directive by the mentri besar for sellers of alcohol to have self-regulation to not sell alcohol to those under 18 years of age or to Muslims, Dr Hasan said mosque officials were asked to monitor whether the directive was effective or not.

"At the same time, effective or not …the Syariah Crimes Enactment 1995 has to be enforced. This is not an ad hoc enactment," he said. (Bernama)

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PAS: Rock event festival of sin

Organisers of the "Michael Learns to Rock – eternity tour 2009" had better take heed of PAS's disapproval of the concert as it sees political implications and, at stake, the dignity of Muslims.

PAS Youth called on the organisers to immediately cancel the concert by the Danish group or face a protest demonstration.

Its chief, Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, strongly condemned the cabinet's decision in allowing the "Michael Learns to Rock – eternity tour 2009" scheduled for Sept 5 in Genting Highlands.

"This is an insult at the highest level to Muslims and it shows that BN is disrespectful towards the Muslim community," he said today in a press statement.

While urging Islamic NGOs to support calling off the event, he also hit out at the BN government for approving the concert.

He threw a challenge at Umno youth: "Join forces with us in getting the concert banned."

He also questioned the role of Umno as defenders of the Islamic faith.

"If Umno allows this to go on, not only would they be devoid of blessings from Allah, the people would regard them with disgust at their Islamic pretense," he said.

He also called on the Fatwa Council and muftis to join in the protest against the cabinet for allowing such a "festival of sin" to take place.

He urged them to cleanse this land of the "sin and transgression sponsored by Umno/BN".

"The government has scant respect or sensitivity for Muslims observing the holy month of Ramadhan," he said.

PAS said that the cabinet's decision to allow the band to perform violates the sacredness of the holy month.

"Foreign bands, not aware of the local culture, would challenge the sensitivities of the Muslims.

"A concert of this nature would corrupt and weaken the morals of the people, causing them to be undiscerning in their conduct," said Nasrudin.

The concert which is organised by Star Planet will be held at the Arena of Stars Genting Highlands, at 9pm on Sept 5.

PAS held protests against Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne's concert last year after failing to have it banned, saying her performance would weaken the younger generation "morally and mentally."

A performance by Gwen Stefani was also targeted, and although the event went ahead she was forced to cover up after complaints about her skimpy outfits. (Malaysiakini)

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I am glad that there is an all-out war against sin and activities that Islam regards as contempt and vile. It is time we grabbed the bull by the horns, as they say. And what better time than now, the holy month of Ramadhan?

PAS wants rock concerts banned, although Michael Learns to Rock is not a rock band but a mushi-mushi group just like Sharifah Aini and Siti Norhaliza. They sing love songs just like Sharifah Aini and Siti Norhaliza.

I hope in keeping with this spirit PAS will also announce their fatwa calling for Sharifah Aini, Siti Norhaliza and all those other crooners to be banned from singing this entire month of Ramadhan as well so that the feelings of Muslims can be protected.

I also find those musicals and sing-song TV shows on the first day of Hari Raya also most upsetting. The first day of Hari Raya is a day of ibadah. You should go to the mosque and go visit the old folks, uncles, aunties, abangs, kakaks, and so on and salam and beg forgiveness. You should visit cemeteries and clean graveyards.

Why the hell is everyone, especially the kids, glued to their TV screens watching boys and girls singing, dancing, laughing and joking on the first day of Hari Raya? The Prophet Muhammad never did this. The Prophet Muhammad never taught us this. In the two Holy Cities of Mekah and Medina such things would never be allowed. These types of TV programs are banned in the entire Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, home of the Prophet Muhammad.

Please, PAS, I urge you. Quickly come out with a statement. Organise a demonstration. Get all these TV programs banned. In fact, there should be no entertainment programs whatsoever on TV on that day other than Quran reading and other religious programs just like what they do in Saudi Arabia, home of the Prophet Muhammad. I don’t want to see Sharifah Aini, Siti Norhaliza or any of those faces on TV ever again. It is so, so, so un-Islamic, especially on the first day of Hari Raya, a day of ibadah, not a day of non-stop TV shows.

And this latest move to baptise or deputise everyone into the moral police squad in Selangor, again, that is a very good move. But please don’t just catch those drinking beer. Drinking beer is so, so petty. Like the Deputy Prime Minister said about Umno’s candidate for the Permatang Pasir by-election being disbarred for cheating clients’ money — it is a mere parking offence.

Drinking beer is a peanuts crime. Can catch lah, if you want to, but catch later mah! After all, what is drinking beer? A more serious crime than drinking beer is riba’ or usury. According to Sheikh Imran Hosein (http://www.imranhosein.org/), the sin of riba’ is equivalent to the sin of sexual intercourse with your own mother/father.

So, forget about peeping into pubs to catch Muslims drinking beer. Go catch those Muslims driving cars bought with car loans. Go catch those Muslims who use credit cards. Go catch those Muslims who own houses bought through loans. That is a much, much bigger and more serious crime in Islam. After that, when all car owners, house owners, credit card holders, etc., have been sent to jail, then go catch those Muslims drinking beer, if there are any Muslims left not yet sent to jail.

And please don’t give me that bullshit about terpaksa and dharurat and all that other excuses Malays offer to justify breaking the rules and committing sins. Malays are good at this. They pick and choose the sins to whack and which sins to justify doing according to what suits them. Then they will label those sins they commit as terpaksa, dharurat, etc.

There is so much bullshit amongst Muslims. Sigh…it has become so embarrassing to admit that you are Muslim.