Sunday, 28 August 2011

MALAYSIA: TV-3 Lies and Misleads to Worsen Islam vs Christianity Controversy

Read here for more in malaysiakini

TV3 News on Proselytisation of Muslims by Christians in Tuition Centre is a FAKE

QUOTE:
"It was pretty clear the qariah and the surau reported on TV3 does NOT exist. TV3 cooked up the FALSE news and at the same time poked fun at Muslim places of worship with that name Al-Musyrikin.

The tuition centre has been there for years for the purpose of teaching Christianity to the children living in the area who are Christians.They comprise students who are Chinese, Indian and a small number of Christian Indonesians. There are NO Muslims who attend Christianity classes there.

The TV station is maliciously spreading FALSE news aimed at stoking religious and racial tensions, that at the same time had ridiculed Islam."

-Fariz Musa

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An NGO has lodged a police report against TV3 for allegedly FABRICATING news of a tuition centre in Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, on account that the SURAU whose members were shown protesting the centre appears to be NON-EXISTENT.

The TV station was maliciously spreading false news aimed at stoking religious and racial tensions, that at the same time had ridiculed Islam.


The group, Jingga 13, said the private TV station on Aug 21 aired a report during its main news bulletin (Buletin Utama) alleging that the tuition centre had been spreading Christianity to its Muslim students.

The news clip showed footage of a group of about 50 from the Qariah Surau Al-Musyrikin led by a Mustapha Kamal Mohd Yusof - believed to be an Umno branch leader in Seputeh - gathered in front of the centre, protesting the proselytisation of Muslims.

NGO, Jingga 13 Coordinator, Fariz Musa said,
“The (TV3-news) report is meant to portray that there are efforts to spread Christianity through the tuition classes, to the point that it has caused the surau members to protest. Jinggo 13's checks suggest that NO such surau exists in the area.

From Jingga 13's investigations in the vicinity of the tuition centre in the Jalan Klang Lama squatter area, and from speaking with the locals there, we found that NOT a single surau exists in the area. The tuition centre is located in a squatter area populated mainly by Chinese and Indians, along with some foreign Indonesians.

It was pretty clear the qariah and the surau reported on TV3 does NOT exist.


The name of the reported surau itself is suspect, and appears to be aimed at poking fun. The name of the surau 'Al-Musyrikin' that was reported looks like it was intentionally conjured up.

It is indeed impossible that someone would call their house of Allah with a name such as 'Al-Musyrikin' (non-believers). It's pretty clear that TV3 cooked up the false news and at the same time poked fun at Muslim places of worship with that name Al-Musyrikin.

The residents in the squatter area had said that the tuition centre has been there for years for the purpose of teaching Christianity to the children living in the area who are Christians. They comprise students who are Chinese, Indian and a small number of Christian Indonesians.

There are NO Muslims who attend Christianity classes there."
Meanwhile, the news report concerned has apparently been removed from TV3's website.


Tuesday, 23 August 2011

Selangor Palace is NOT Helpful as a Solution for Selangor OR the Nation

Read here for more in Malaysiakini

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Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has been dealt a major blow after the Selangor sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today said that the syura (consultative) council announced yesterday was redundant.

In a statement from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) signed by the sultan's private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani, it was clarified that the sultan had NEVER recommended that the syura council be established.

It was also explained that the sultan had only advised that in addition to Khalid and the state mufti Tamyes Abdul Wahid, the Selangor deputy mufti Abdul Majid Omar also be included in a meeting with the church.

Mohamad Munir said that the sultan was subsequently "shocked" upon hearing of news reports that the council was established on the his advice, and had expressed his wish to clarify that were NOT true.

"The sultan's position on the syura council or the setting up of inter-religious dialogue (is that), they were never assented to as the state already has the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais), Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and the Selangor Mufti Department," said Mohamad Munir.

Yesterday, Khalid announced the establishment of the council to "resolve" the controversy which had emerged from a Jais raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC), accused of proselytising Muslims.

Khalid had in a statement said that the idea to form the syura council came from the Selangor sultan when they discussed the matter last week.

"I appreciate His Highness' advice regarding how best to resolve this matter satisfactorily,” Khalid said in a statement.

The controversy surrounding the Aug 3 raid by Jais has backed the state government into a corner, as Khalid's administration maintained its silence amidst brickbats from Christian groups and BN leaders.

Christians leaders and NGOs slammed Jais for allegedly carrying out an unlawful raid on the DUMC premises, while BN leaders chastised the state government for failing to control a department that is under its administration.

Jais, however, have denied that it conducted a raid, saying they did not barge in on the dinner and merely questioned a group of Muslims who attended the event on suspicion that they were being proselytised.

Sunday, 21 August 2011

MUSLIMS and CHRISTIANS in a CHURCH Together.... Praying to the Same God, Using Different Books

Read here for more

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Chaldean Cathedral, Kirkuk, Iraq


1st June 2011
Kirkuk, Iraq

Iraqi MUSLIM LEADERS have joined their Christian counterparts for prayers at a CHURCH in Kirkuk, in a public bid to ease tensions in the disputed northern city.

Around 1,500 people -- including Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen -- gathered at the Chaldean Cathedral late on Tuesday (31st May) , singing Christian hymns before reciting prayers and verses from the Bible and the Koran.

"Christians and Muslims have gathered together here in Kirkuk, which has suffered from deadly violence that has scared us all in recent weeks," said Louis Sakho, Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk, scene of deadly unrest last month.

"It is appropriate for Christians and Muslims to pray together for peace and stability in our country and our city, which has been shocked by recent events."

Sakho added he hoped to hold similar prayers in Sunni and Shiite mosques in future, "to have a firm and true fraternal stand for peace, stability and security in our city."

Adnan Sayid Fattah Agha, the head of the Kurdish Kakiyah tribe, noted the event "brought us back to the original reality -- Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen together. Their lives and their destiny are one, living together."

Kirkuk lies at the centre of a swathe of territory claimed by the central government and Kurdish regional authorities.





Friday, 19 August 2011

General Zulkifeli, as Chief of the Malaysian Arm Forces, How Ridiculous and Ignorant Can You Be ?

Read here for more

Tak Masuk Akal
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General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin
Chief of Malaysian Arm Forces


Quote

"General (Zulkifeli) does NOT understand the concept of loyalty in the context of a country and its people.

The General must understand that the Armed Forces belong to the people. There is NO need to be loyal to the ruling government.

He should not follow the example of the IGP (inspector-general of police Ismail Omar) and his deputy (Khalid Abu Bakar), who have issued various statements that insulted the rakyat and went against the constitution.

What happened in the context of postal votes is criminal."

- Constitutional Expert, Professor Aziz Basri

General Zulkifeli 'shames' the Malaysian military, says constitutional expert.

A senior law lecturer today tagged Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin as "a shame" to his colleagues for questioning the loyalty of parties involved in the expose of an alleged postal vote manipulation.

Constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari said the general "does not understand" the concept of loyalty in the context of a country and its people, slamming the latter of making "empty denials".

"Loyal to whom? Political parties need not be loyal to the Armed Forces. Everyone must be loyal to the country and its symbol, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said in a statement.

Aziz was responding to a statement by Zulkifeli yesterday, who said that those who had claimed the military's rank-and-file were involved in electoral fraud were traitors.

Aziz, a law professor with the International Islamic University of Malaysia, (UIA), stressed that the Armed Forces is a branch of the federal civil service, which means its only loyalty lies with the COUNTRY and the KING.

"There is no need to be loyal to the ruling government. It is compulsory for the civil service to be neutral, and not side with the ruling party. The Armed Forces simply needs to carry out the government's orders in line with the law. What happened in the context of postal votes is criminal," he said.

Aziz pointed out that the burden of responsibility finally falls on the Armed Forces to prove beyond reasonable doubt that postal vote manipulation has never happened in the military.

He stressed that rather than sniping at the PAS' Youth wing for raising the issue, Zulkifeli should at the very least launch a probe to verify the claims.

"The Armed Forces should thank DPP (PAS Youth). PAS are merely representing the rakyat who want elections that are clean and free of fraud. The Armed Forces must prove it is clean, not demand that the rakyat be loyal to the Armed Forces. The general must understand that the Armed Forces belong to the people. He should not follow the example of the IGP (inspector-general of police Ismail Omar) and his deputy (Khalid Abu Bakar), who have issued various statements that insulted the rakyat and went against the constitution," Aziz said.

PAS Youth, meanwhile, said it was shocked by Zulkifeli's accusation of treason against the wing for hosting a series of confessions by four ex-military personnel who revealed cases of postal vote manipulation while they were in service.

Mohd Adram Musa, the deputy chair of the wing's democratic reform and mobilisation committee, said it was never the intention of PAS to "use" ex-military personnel to dish out exposes", adding that they themselves had voluntarily stepped forward to reveal the foul play.

"It is impossible for PAS Youth to use former military personnel who are instilled with discipline and high self-esteem during training and while in service. Indirectly, the Armed Forces general has insulted the four ex-servicemen (who made the recent claims).

"I am confident that there are many other former military personnel who will come forward to expose postal vote manipulation in future... PAS Youth will give them all the space they need," Adram said.

He also slammed Zulkifeli for disregarding the evidence put forward by the four ex-servicemen, saying that the general should have instead arranged to get the information directly from them and subsequently form an investigative body that would in turn present its recommendations to the government.

"Blaming PAS Youth in this postal vote issue is not a wise move. I am very sure the general was not given the true information regarding postal vote manipulationPAS Youth is ever ready to explain this issue to the general... we are not traitors. If we were traitors, we would not give space for a discussion with the Armed Forces general," Adram added.


Must Watch Video Clip: The Confession of Fraudulent Practice of Postal Votes in the Military



Four more ex-soldiers admit to postal vote fraud


Read here for more in Malaysiakini

Four ex-military personnel have confessed to committing election fraud - the same way an ex-army man said he did so earlier this month.

The four, who had served at army and air force bases across the country, say they marked thousands of postal votes in three separate general elections between 1978 and 1999.

The four:
  1. Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor ,
  2. Kamarulzaman Ibrahim,
  3. Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and
  4. Mohd Kamil Omar .

They said they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark postal votes for the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field.

Their expose today is the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other personnel.

Kamarulzaman, who was a clerk working at the Terendak army camp in Malacca, said he was ordered to spend three days marking thousands of ballot papers during the 1986 general election.

The 53-year-old said he was given three pens of different colours, which he used alternately to sign the postal votes in the absence of the army personnel who were on their tour of duty.

“For example, I would use a blue pen to sign for one serviceman and a black pen to sign for his wife. I was also ordered to mark votes for the opposition,” he said at a press conference hosted at the PAS headquarters by the party's youth wing.

When asked how many postal votes he signed, Kamarulzaman said he could not remember the exact number but was sure that it ran into the thousands.

“If you want to say how many, let's just say my hand went numb (from signing the ballot papers). I basically voted for soldiers from all over the country.”

Kamil, a retired Air Force commando based at the Butterworth Air Force base, claimed he was offered a “reward” if he complied with the order to mark a box full of postal votes during the 1999 general election.

The 21-year veteran however refused to carry out the order, saying that he realised it was not right for him to mark ballots for his colleagues.

“They gave me a box, and expected me to mark all the ballots in 30 minutes. I realised it was wrong,” said the 49-year-old, adding that he has no idea what the “reward” was since he did not carry out the order.

Nasir, 50, who was a clerk based in Sandakan during the 1986 general election, said he and another colleague were told to split over 900 postal votes between them to be marked on behalf of their fellow soldiers.

He pointed out that being in the military, orders are orders and that soldiers were “not too bothered” about politics.

“Even after retirement, we didn't care so much about politics. But when Bersih came about, we started to realise that what we did was not right,” he said.

Risman stressed that this practice went as far back as the 1978 general election, when he and nine others were ordered to go through around 200 sacks - each containing 10 postal votes - during his time at the Kampung Sawah army camp in Port Dickson.

“I did it just that one time... I don't remember the figures but I believe there were about 10 (ballots) in each sack. In effect there were just 10 of us actually voting,” he said.

RELATED ARTICLE

Army Denies Allegation of Fraud of Postal Voting by the Military

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Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin today described those claiming that its rank-and-file had been involved in electoral fraud as an act of betrayal.

In an emotional statement issued this afternoon, Zulkifeli slammed those making the allegations and questioned their “loyalty” to the Armed Forces of Malaysia (ATM).

He said,
“The actions can be interpreted as treachery and it should stop immediately. The ATM is the nation's wall of defence that should be supported by all levels of the people, regardless of ethnicity, religion and political position...

“It is hoped that the ATM is not made a scapegoat by those seeking to advance their own interests... the people should show their support and appreciation for the contributions of the ATM.In this context: 'How can we be loyal to you if you are disloyal to us'?"
Yesterday, four ex-military personnel confessed to committing election fraud at a press conference organised by opposition party PAS.

The four - Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor, Kamarulzaman Ibrahim, Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and Mohd Kamil Omar - said they had marked thousands of postal votes in three separate general elections between 1978 and 1999.

According to the four, they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark postal votes for the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field.

Their expose yesterday was the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other military personnel.

Zulkifeli countered the allegations, stressing that the Armed Forces has always respected the freedom of its troops to cast their votes, as enshrined under the Elections Act 1958 and section 16 of the Election Regulations (Postal Votes) 2003.

The Armed Forces denies that there is any manipulation as claimed,” he said in a written statement, issued to the media at today's press conference.

“The voting process carried out by the Armed Forces is clean, transparent and professional without any interference by all levels of the Armed Forces' leadership.”

Zulkifeli also accused “irresponsible parties” of trying to sully the Armed Forces' image by “poisoning the minds of the rakyat and erode their trust and support” in the Armed Forces – which he described as “apolitical”.

In what appears to be an indirect attack on the opposition – which has been highlighting several allegedly dubious arms acquisitions by the country – he claimed that there have been clear efforts to leak out military secrets and to spread false information regarding the efficacy and capabilities of the Armed Forces' weapons systems.

“Such actions will not only expose military secrets to interested parties who want to know the Armed Forces capabilities, but even worse, it has shaken the confidence of Armed Forces personnel,” he said.

Friday, 12 August 2011

A Malaysian Senator, as DEFENDER of ISLAM, Becomes ARSONIST, Threatens to Burn Down Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider News Portals

Read here for more

A POTENTIAL
ARSONIST-PARLIAMENTARIAN

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(in the holy month of Ramadhan)

Quote

".....Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, we are giving you a very last warning. Our warning is a serious one.If you do not stop this rubbish, we are going to burn you down!"
- Malaysian Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor (12 August 2011)




UMNO Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor said today he will wage war IN DEFENCE of ISLAM, including burning two online news portals, which he claimed to be agents against Islam.

He said,
"We are saying here that we will launch an all-out WAR to DEFEND our faith (Islam) if they (anti-Islam elements) do not stop (and) use their agents - Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider - which were biadap (rude) towards the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS).

Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, we are giving you a very last warning. Our warning is a SERIOUS one.

If you do not stop this rubbish, WE are going to burn you down!"

The former ally of PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim - now the opposition leader's bitter foe - blamed the news portals for "Jais' woes" for their coverage of the Selangor religious enforcement body's raid at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) compound last week.

Ezam issued his threats at a highly-charged rally of some 200 people inside the compound of the Selangor state mosque in Shah Alam.

Also present were Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Nordin and Umno Youth exco member Lokman Noor Adam , who was clad in a red Patriot T-shirt.

Zulkifli, also a former ally of Anwar, echoed Ezam's warning, calling on Muslims working in the news portals to “repent”.

“I see representatives from Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider here, I would like to tell them, particularly Muslims, to repent.

"You are being barua (running dogs) of propagandist and enemy of Islam. Don't be running dogs of kafirs (infidels) that go against us,” he said.

The group, armed with banners, chanted “Long Live Islam” and “Takbir” as they protested against apostasy among Muslims.

One banner read “Faith Sale, Religion Sale” with a picture of Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad's head protruding out of a toilet bowl. Another banner read “Ban English language Bibles”.

Several of the protesters donned masks of state exco leaders while displaying placards, one of which read “(Selangor Menteri Besar) Khalid Ibrahim is head priest”.

Earlier, Ezam launched a broadside against those he deemed disrespectful of Islam, in which he placed prominent figures in the Selangor state government in the same group.

“We have no problem with non-Muslims. But we have big problems with non-Muslims who are disrespectful to us and our religion, we have big problems with non-Muslims who proselytise to Muslims.

“We have big problems with them more so if they are government excos - Ronnie Liu, Teresa Kok, Xavier (Jeyakumar), Elizabeth Wong, we have big problems with you. You better stop before we go all out,” Ezam said.

Later, Zulkifli reaffirmed his support for the Jais raid on DUMC, claiming that there was evidence that showed the dinner event, at which 12 Muslims were present, was intended to proselytise.

“We urge the authorities to take action against DUMC. According to our information, the church is illegal and has not been approved,” he said.

Zulkifli added that he and like-minded protesters would be lodging police reports against DUMC throughout the state from tomorrow onwards, on top of seeking an audience with the sultan to urge action be taken against proselytising.

Sunday, 7 August 2011

Bishop Tells Malaysian Christians: Use YOUR Vote in Next Election to STOP Being Vilified by Those in Power

Read here for more in Malaysiakini

Quote

"...It's depressing - this continuing trial of Malaysian Christians by innuendo and insinuation.

Those papers (Berita Harian and Harian Metro) are owned by the powers-that-be (read UMNO-BN) who only recently elected to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican.

Only through the ballot box can we bring this continuing vilification of Christians in Malaysia to a shuddering halt.

Christians should press for proof and, if and when, it is unavailable, express clearly their disgust at the next general election.

The days of Christians in Malaysia being supine objects of the machinations of duplicitous politicians are over....."

- Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing


PhotobucketCatholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing, said today he was NOT surprised that “hard upon accusations by Jais of Christians proselytising Muslims comes unsubstantiated print media stories seemingly validating those claims.”

He was commenting on on the stories in today's editions of the Berita Harian and Harian Metro that quote a couple of Muslims claiming that they have been targeted by Christian groups as potential converts.

Bishop Dr Paul Tan is the head of the Catholic Church in the Melaka-Johor diocese, who is concurrently president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Malaysia.

The prelate advised Christians to press for proof by Jais (Selangor Islamic Affairs Department) that Christians are targeting Muslims for conversion, and that IF such proof is not proffered soon, to act on what that implied at the next general election.

Bishop Tan said,
“It's depressing - this continuing trial of Malaysian Christians by innuendo and insinuation.

Need we be surprised? I'm NOT surprised the stories in those papers do not have anything more than hearsay to back them.

Those papers are OWNED by the powers-that-be who only recently elected to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican.

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I don't know whether to laugh out in scorn or cry out in pain at their duplicity and the naivety of those who help them think that publicly expressed good intentions are a sufficient proof of sincerity.

Only through the ballot box can WE bring this continuing vilification of Christians in Malaysia to a shuddering halt.

Christians should press for proof and, if and when, it is unavailable, express clearly their disgust at the next GENERAL ELECTION.

The days of Christians in Malaysia being supine objects of the machinations of duplicitous politicians are OVER.”