Progressive Muslims need to break the shackles of Islam

This may take one or two generations to achieve but finally when Malaysians no longer speak Chinese or Indian but just the National Language and Malays no longer place Islam as their priority (or, better still, leave Islam in large numbers) we just might be able to bring sanity back to the country.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

PAS no longer relevant in current political landscape, says Mat Sabu

(Bernama) – PAS is no longer relevant in the current political landscape and must be reformed, said its former deputy president Mohamad Sabu, also known as Mat Sabu.

He said Gerakan Harapan Baharu (GHB) which he and other former PAS leaders launched on Monday, was one way of reform for the Islamic party in order to remain relevant.

“We need a new approach to draw the people’s support and yes, they (PAS) are no longer relevant,” he told reporters after attending an Aidilfitri open house in Kepala Batas today.

He said the GHB would go on a nationwide road show before applying to register as a political party.

“We will endeavour to get GHB registered in a month or so, and tonight we would be giving briefings on it in Kangar, Perlis and Kota Baru, Kelantan simultaneously,” he said.

Earlier, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he welcomed the entry of GHB into the political arena but denied that it was a DAP proxy. He said DAP stood by the principle that a political party must be clean, idealistic and capable of good governance.

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What Mat Sabu said is correct and although I may not agree with him setting up a rival Islamic party that may split the votes four ways — Umno, PAS, PKR and GHB — I have to agree with what he says.

As Mat Sabu said, PAS is no longer relevant in the current political landscape. Nowadays, people do not want race-based or religion-based political parties. Such parties are so divisive. Worse still is when parties claim that they are for freedom and democracy and yet use Islam as its platform.

Most Muslims may not want to admit it, although progressive Muslims would, but Islam is a male-centric religion while women are treated as the property of men.

In most Muslim societies (even in the UK), fathers can give away their teenage daughters to men as old as 50 or 60 and the daughters cannot protest. Child brides are very common in many Muslim societies and the daughters cannot refuse to marry these old men and become their second, third or fourth wife.

Of course, sex is not the only reason these men take young brides. As the third or fourth wife the teenage bride has to serve the older wives — so they are more or less treated as the household slave. They sometimes do not even have a proper place to sleep and can only eat when everyone else has finished eating — and even then just the leftovers.

Women are not supposed to leave the house without permission and if she does the husband has a right to divorce her then and there. There should be freedom and civil liberties for women and this is where Islam does not recognise such western values as emancipation for women.

Hopefully, with the new Gerakan Harapan Baharu Islamic party, they will do away with the shackles that women are subjected to, which are actually pre-Islamic tribal laws, customs and traditions.

This is going to be a very bold move and it should bring progress to Malaysia in line with the ideals of the progressive Muslims.

Islam is also supposed to be opposed to nationalism and racism. At least that is what progressive Muslims tell us. Malaysians should no longer be classified as Muslim and/or Bumiputera on their identity cards and all others documents, birth certificates included. We only need to note their gender and citizenship and that is all.

Non-Muslims who convert to Islam should not be given the surname Abdullah. Abdullah means the slave of Allah and no one should be treated as a slave, even the slave of God.

Why should the relationship between God and humans be that of lord and slave? Muslims are being indoctrinated into believing that they are mere slaves and that they must serve God, even to die for God. And that is why we have many Muslim suicide bombers and jihadists.

Once you are born a Muslim or convert to Islam you are not allowed to leave Islam. Although this may not happen in Malaysia, yet, the punishment for apostasy is death.

It is comforting to know that the progressive Muslims oppose Hudud and that is why they oppose PAS and have set up a new Islamic party. Under Hudud, Muslims may not leave Islam. Muslims must be allowed to leave Islam if they want to. That is what civil liberties and progress is all about — your right to believe or to not believe in God.

Most of the problems in the Muslim world are due to religious extremism. And this extremism is the result of religious schools or madrasas. The Taliban is one classic example. If you want to end religious extremism then religious schools should be closed down. Children should not be forced to attend religious schools that poison their minds and turn them into Islamic nut cases.

We certainly hope that the new Gerakan Harapan Baharu Islamic party will fight to end all this and ensure that Malaysia becomes a progressive society where freedom of choice and civil liberties is placed above everything else. We do not want to see just another Muslim party that is the clone of PAS or a Muslim party that is only minus-Hudud. That is not good enough. It has to be a complete package that includes your right to become an atheist or to enter into a gay union, if that is your inclination.

I am waiting to hear what the new Gerakan Harapan Baharu Islamic party has planned for Malaysia in its aspiration to reform society. I mean we cannot just reform the political system unless we reform society itself.

The only way to end racism is to push for integration. And we cannot have integration as long as Malays, Chinese, Indians and ‘others’ are divided by religion, language, culture and the education system.

It is a bitter pill to swallow but then the best medicine is always bitter even if you try to sugar coat it. Race and religion need to be eliminated from all documentation and the education system. Malaysians must not see themselves as Muslims and non-Muslims or Bumiputeras and non-Bumiputeras.

This may take one or two generations to achieve but finally when Malaysians no longer speak Chinese or Indian but just the National Language and Malays no longer place Islam as their priority (or, better still, leave Islam in large numbers) we just might be able to bring sanity back to the country.

And the new Gerakan Harapan Baharu Islamic party is going to be the vehicle to achieve this. And that must include removing Article 153 from the Constitution plus ending Malay privileges and the New Economic Policy.

Over to you Mat Sabu. Tell us more.