Spitting into the wind

Spitting into the wind
8 Sept, 2008

No, I am not a deviant or a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind. It is those in government who are. And I will uphold the true Islam and oppose these deviants till my last breath and the last drop of my blood.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It's not wrong for Muslims to have different views on certain issues but it should not lead to a split among them, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Pekan yesterday. He said those who had differing opinions should not resort to actions that were prohibited by Islam, including making slanderous remarks or lying to bring each other down.

"We should not practise all these. We should not accuse others without any proof or basis. It's not the Islamic way to tarnish the image of others," he said at a buka puasa function at the An-nur mosque in Kampung Ketapang.

The deputy prime minister said Islam did not allow its followers to tell lies about others, even if they did not share the same views. He cautioned that God might take back all the good things that had been awarded to Muslims if they did not stop bickering among themselves. "All these will split the Muslims and may weaken them further." New Straits Times, 9 September 2008
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Hello, brader, apa you cakap ni? You are spitting into the wind lah. Muslims have always been split and have never been united since the day Prophet Muhammad died. They say diversity is the spice of life. Allah says in the Quran that He purposely created us from different communities so that we may know one another. But do Muslims take heed of the word of Allah enshrined in the Quran for eternity?

That’s right. Allah did not boo-boo. He did not blunder by creating us with different colours, tongues, religious beliefs, sexual preferences and so on. No, Allah is not playing sick jokes by creating us different just so that we can kill each other over these differences. If you believe in Allah and believe that the Quran is from Allah, then you would also believe that it is Allah’s 'grand design' in creating us not of one colour, faith, tongue and what-have-you.

Let’s not even begin talking about Muslims not accepting non-Muslims as brothers and sisters. This, ‘true Muslims’ will argue, is a most blasphemous statement and the teachings of deviant Muslims. And did not Syed Hamid Albar declare that Raja Petra Kamarudin is a ‘blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind’? Yes, because Raja Petra Kamarudin espouses the concept of the one-Malaysian and not the concept of ‘first-class’, ‘second-class’ and ‘third-class’ Malaysians based on the colour of one’s skin, then he is a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind.

Syed Hamid wants the government to detain me without trial under the Internal Security Act. Thus far, an estimated 10,000 Malaysians and foreigners have been detained under the ISA since 1960. This is going to be my second detention but I will probably be amongst the first group of Malaysians to be detained for propagating the concept of the one-Malaysian. That makes me a traitor to my race and religion. That warrants my detention without trial. I suppose that is not as bad as being detained for raping an underage girl or for murdering a foreign beauty and blowing up her body with C4.

It is a bit too late in the day for Najib to appeal to Muslims to remain united. That call should have been made 1,400 years ago. More Muslims have died at the hands of Muslims than at the hand of the Jews, notwithstanding the fact that the Jews are the declared enemies of the Muslims. If at all Muslims have enemies, it is fellow Muslims who are those enemies. And it is statements of mine like these that have got me labelled as anti-Islam and a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind.

But what do you expect me to do? Can I deny history? Should I distort what really happened over the last 1,400 years just to paint a rosy picture of Muslims and help Muslims ‘save face’? The first step in curing any disease is to admit that one is suffering from a disease. Not doing so would be to suffer from a denial syndrome. In curing an alcoholic, the alcoholic has to get onto the stage and in front of the entire hall admit, “I am an alcoholic!” Then begins the road to recovery. But if the alcoholic insists, “I am just a social drinker and not an alcoholic”, then there is no way he or she can kick the habit.

No, this is not an exercise to defame Muslims. This is not meant to run down Islam. In no way do I intend to insult the Prophet. Let us instead call a spade a spade and admit that Muslims are Islam’s worst enemies. If we can admit that, then we can begin the journey in seeking Muslim unity. Only then can we cure what ails Muslims, in that Muslims have never been united in 1,400 years since the Prophet died.

The problem with Muslims is that they can’t accept differences. In fact, they do not tolerate differences. And this is only talking about differences amongst Muslims. Let us not even begin to discuss the differences between Muslims and non-Muslims. As far as Muslims are concerned, the topic of differences between Muslims and non-Muslims is not even a topic that’s open for discussion. It is a non-starter. It is a topic that only ‘deviant’ and ‘blasphemous Muslims of the worst kind’ would dare venture into. This is how Muslims perceive the topic of differences between Muslims and non-Muslims.

But the government can’t declare me a ‘deviant’ and a ‘blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind’ on grounds that I propagate the one-Malaysian concept. The government realises that Malaysia Today has touched the hearts of the non-Muslims. The government is aware that the Muslims and non-Muslims have finally united under the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, as demonstrated in the 8 March 2008 general election and the recent Permatang Pauh by-election. So the government has to demonise me in the hope that the Muslims will shun Malaysia Today and, in that same process, the unity between the Muslims and non-Muslims will crumble.

When the Prophet died, the Muslims became embroiled in a power struggle over who should succeed him as the ruler of Medina. As the Prophet’s body lay unburied for three days, the Muslims argued over the succession plan. Finally, Abu Bakar was chosen as the First Caliph. Many refused to accept him as the Caliph and refused to pledge loyalty to him. Thus began the split that has perpetuated until today with the loss of millions of lives.

It is said that Abu Bakar was poisoned and died. This suspicion came about because just a day earlier he was eating with a comrade and the comrade told him to stop eating because he suspects the food may have been poisoned. That comrade also died the day Abu Bakar died. But Muslims would rather believe Abu Bakar died of natural causes. The next three Caliphs also died violent deaths.

During the reign of the Fourth Caliph, Ali, the War of the Camel erupted. Aisha, the Prophet’s widow, led an army from Mekah in an attempt to invade Medina and bring down Ali’s government. Aisha lost the war but Ali refused to punish her with the death sentence. He would not even confiscate her property, which is the tribal law of those days when someone wages war against the government. Ali just allowed Aisha to return to Mekah unpunished. And because of that they assassinated him.

After Ali died, power transferred to Muawiyah’s family in Baghdad. The pro-Ali camp (the Party of Ali), now known as the Shia (Shiatul Ali), wanted to oust Muawiyah’s family and restore the lost fortunes of Medina. They asked Ali’s son, Hassan, to lead the movement. Hassan was poisoned and died and the movement appealed to Hussein, Hassan’s brother, to take over the leadership of the movement.

Hussein was the ‘reluctant politician’. Nevertheless, he agreed to lead the army that was supposed to invade Baghdad. Hussein’s small army of 100 or so was massacred at Karbala by an army many times bigger. Hussein and his entire family, including his baby, were massacred. They cut off Hussien’s head and dragged it back to Baghdad like a dead dog where it was put on display till it rotted in the sun.

Yes, Muslims have been killing Muslims over the 1,400 years since Prophet Muhammad died. The Muslims have never been united and will never be till the end of time. That is the fate of Muslims. And why has Allah punished Muslims with such a fate? Islam is supposed to mean peace. Salam, which is from the same root word as Islam (S-L-M), means peace. But there is no peace amongst Muslims. Muslims are at war with one another. And no way can Muslims not be at war with non-Muslims when they can’t even stop fighting one another.

It's not wrong for Muslims to have different views on certain issues but it should not lead to a split among them, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Pekan yesterday. For Najib’s call to mean anything, Muslims must first accept the fact that they are not united, that they will always have differing views, and to accept this as the reality.

But no, this is not happening. Whenever Muslims demonstrate differing views they will declare such Muslims as having insulted Islam and the Prophet. They will make police reports against that person, like they did against me. And they will ask that this person be detained without trial under the Internal Security Act, like what Syed Hamid has asked the government to do with me.

Muslims do not tolerate differing views. They will want to silence you. If you do not share their view then you are a deviant and a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind. You are either with me or you are against me. That is the Muslim way.

Never mind Allah said in the Quran that He purposely created us different so that we may know one another. That is what Allah says. That is what the Quran says. But if you choose to be different then you are a deviant and a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind.

Incidentally, Islam forbids detention without trial. Islam forbids anyone being punished until that person has been put on trial and is proven guilty in a fair and open court. To use a law that Islam forbids on the pretext of upholding Islam is like bathing in a septic tank. How clean can you get by bathing in shit water? How can you uphold the dignity of Islam by using laws that Islam forbids?

No, I am not a deviant or a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind. It is those in government who are. And I will uphold the true Islam and oppose these deviants till my last breath and the last drop of my blood.

Sure, punish me with laws that Islam forbids. Today, I will face you in a kangaroo court to face punishment under laws that Islam forbids. Tomorrow, I will be the witness in God’s court where you will then face trial for violating God’s laws. In God’s court, I will be assured justice denied me now. And the punishment you receive in God’s court will be many times worse than what you can do to me in this world.

And God will determine if I am a deviant and a blasphemous Muslim of the worst kind. That is not for you to say. God never appointed you His assistant here on earth. Instead, God said He knows what is in our hearts and only He will know. So, get out of my face and leave me alone. Don’t try to play God.