Which Islamic Party do we trust?

So malaysiakini informs us that the PM wants Muslims to strive for equality, democracy.

AAB told a forum on economic development that Muslim nations would see peace and stability only when justice and the rule of law were in place and women were fully empowered.

‘… justice and the rule of law …’ – hmmm …

He sang out that "Justice, the rule of law, participatory governance, respect for the rights of all, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, and women as well as men ... These were all hallmarks of Islamic governance and civilisation."

Well …

Continuing he admitted: "These virtues have dulled in parts of the Muslim world today. We will not become fully developed until we have restored them."

It’s well and good for AAB to sing those motherhood statements but … alas, what more can I say.

Oh, by the way a ‘motherhood statement’ is, according to the dictionary, a ‘feel good’ platitude, usually (and bloody frequently) uttered by a politician, about a worthy concept that few people would disagree with, but without any specified plans for realisation.

What about the other Malaysian Islamic party then?

PAS itself knows if it wants to be the ruling party it has to gain the trust and votes of the non Muslims. Its biggest boast thus far has been its tolerance of the Buddha statue in Kelantan.

Yes, in the past couple of years it has tried but each time when one imagined for an instant that it might just be succeeding the party would revert to its old misogynist intolerant blind self. It’s a party so prone to implosion. Such a shame, for I have PAS friends whom I respect greatly, like my brother mahaguru58.

Talking about its ‘blindness’ or in fact, I think would be better termed as, its lack of moral courage and religious conviction, let’s examine the case of the Mufti of Perak.

That man committed seditious action that nearly resulted in inter-religious inter-ethnic violence. And the cruel shame of this man, who is supposed to be a father figure among the Islamic community of Perak, had been his actions were based on a pack of nonsense. There wasn’t an iota of substance in his allegations which sent a mob to confront some unsuspecting Christians at a church, with nearly dire consequences.

He shamefully disgraced Islam. But he is still a state Mufti, can you beat that!

So did PAS as the so-called party that promotes Islam and its teachings and values take action to recommend to the Sultan of Perak that the man who shamed Islam be sacked?

No, it did nothing.

Instead when the FT Gerakan Party tried to do what no Islamic based party had bothered to do - in other words the Islamic parties, PAS and UMNO were condoning a blasphemous action by the Mufti - what did PAS do?

It attacked Gerakan, demanding that Gerakan stay out of an Islamic area, but forgetting of course that the person in the 'Islamic area' had initiated actions 'outside the Islamic area' that could have perpetrated violence on non Muslims. And it has been precisely that which rendered non Muslims every right to initiate action against the Mufti, since no Islamic party wanted to do it.

PAS showed its double standard when its FT acting youth chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad remarked, with great irony that he obviously didn’t realise:

“This is a sensitive issue among Muslims that can stir discord among various groups.”

"... stir discord among various groups ..."? Did he say that?

Yes, ‘twas exactly the Mufti who did that, nearly causing a racial religious riot with his irresponsible rumour mongering. And what did PAS do? Zilch, nada, zero action!

I had then blogged:

Why shouldn’t the Mufti be sacked for seditious agitation? And why hasn't PAS initiate the demand for that to preserve the whole matter within the Muslim community?

In the end, PAS is no better than UMNO, exploiting religion for its own grubby political benefit instead of seeing to the justice that Allah (swt) intends for the Muslims to practice.

If I am kind, I would just say that PAS’ stand is a case of not seeing the wood for the trees. But if I want to be nasty, I would declare it as not unlike the moral in my poem Magic of the 100th name of God, where God is incidental, but Man’s interest reigns supreme.

PAS had missed the greatest opportunity for it to show Malaysians that it is truly a God-fearing party, and would apply Islamic standards of justice, compassion and good governance without fear or favour.

Instead it succumbed to its blindness for rigid narrow parochial interests.

If Malaysia is an Islamic state, which Islamic party do we trust then?