From Marina Mahathir to Hudud Law and Malaysia
One would not even hesitate to take his own life, by committing suicide rather than be subjugated by a law – which in the first place, is supposedly used to protect every individual being.
Kumarendran Balachandran
Imagine living in a world where we can all do whatever we want, unless quite obviously we break the law. While Malaysia is flourishing slowly as a third world country to first, I highly doubt the politicians and its people are working even in the slightest — to stand in par.
What happened to the world that preaches us to sound our injustices aloud? What happened to the word ‘democracy’ our country has iterated for, I don’t know, a zillion times?
Marina Mahathir, a very strong woman leader I first met at International Medical University for a charity event. She has very strong liberal viewpoints, which is safe to say I share the same wavelength. In fact, all Malaysians, religious or not, should learn this value of broadmindedness. I’ve followed her work from scratch, read all her books, and have of course followed her on social network platforms.
Her recent comments might have raised the hackles of many Malaysians. But frankly speaking, I’m all for what she’s advocating!
Do you want to live in a country where as a form of punishment I stone you to death, simply because you couldn’t control your lust? [Mind you even after both party consented] Or why even, cut off your hands for robbery?
Then again, who’s going to be this all justly righteous man to stone somebody to death? Who’s going to be this all-perfect person who will be given the right to bestow such verdicts? A man who got his 30 years’ training only in madrasahs? Or an undergraduate/PhD holder?
What if, the amputation leads to excessive hemorrhage, or some further complication, that needs medical intervention? Isn’t that funny? While we doctors take our pledge to preserve lives, now there’s this hudud law that requires us to care for a patient who has been given a verdict to get his hands chopped, and now I’ll have to treat him, in the notion of preserving life?
What about the physiological impact we are about to create? Imagine, yourself in such situation. Having to know that your hands will be chopped off the next morning. The rush, the heartbeat, the psychology. Everything. One would not even hesitate to take his own life, by committing suicide rather than be subjugated by a law – which in the first place, is supposedly used to protect every individual being.
Tariq Ramadan, a well-known Islamic figure, agrees that not all that has been taught in medieval times is practical today in this modern world. He uses this reformist approach where he suggests an understanding that takes into account the situation and context in which we live today. I think Malaysians need to work towards this reformist approach.
We cannot take anecdotes that have been passed on to us and make it a way for living. We are in a climate where we ought to respect one other, respect the fact that despite of our differences we have more commonalities.
I’m not saying the world out there will be perfect without hudud law, but I can assure you that the world will somewhat be more perfect if only we keep the religious variances out and focus more towards the burgeoning of Malaysia.
