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Wednesday, July 03, 2019

About the Man who had tea with PM Mahathir


From Malaysiakini:

Zakir's here to stay makes a sordid narrative

OPINION  |  S THAYAPARAN
Published:   |  Modified: 
“In all times, and all countries, especially in those countries which are divided within by religious faith, there are always fanatics who will be well contented to be regarded as martyrs.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers
COMMENT | It all seems a little dubious. Nearly two weeks ago, Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail claimed that “the government has not received any application from India to extradite Zakir". Now, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah says, "We received the application from the Indian government. I don't remember when.”
So let me get this straight. The deputy prime minister of Malaysia says that the government had not received any application from India for the extradition of Zakir Naik, while the foreign minister says the government did receive an application but he does not remember when. How convenient.
Now all this could be just another example of the amateur hour of the Harapan government but considering how Zakir seems to have wormed his way into the political apparatus of this country, this may well be just another example of how Harapan applies rules differently for some religious personalities.
It is disappointing that Malaysia chooses to keep an alleged money launderer here when we have a former prime minister charged with money laundering and the 1MDB fiasco, which has drained this country of billions of ringgit. At a time when the Harapan government is going around attempting to retrieve stolen money, the government chooses not to extradite a man who is alleged to have engaged in financial malfeasance that diverted funds meant for Muslim welfare for his own use.
Honestly, it does not get any more sordid than this. Here we have a Muslim preacher accused of diverting funds meant for Muslims, and the political elite in this country, which has experience in this kind of financial shenanigans – the Tabung Haji scandal, for instance – chooses to side with the alleged perpetrator, instead of standing up for the Muslims he may have cheated. If there is a message here, it is lost on the political elite of this country.
Here is a fugitive who claims he cannot get a fair trial in India and so chooses to remain in this judicial paradise of impartiality. Didn’t Jho Low make the same argument for not facing the music in this country? What kind of country is this when, on the one hand, we play the victim card when it comes to the 1MDB scandal but, on the other, we choose to protect a man, who is facing money-laundering charges in a foreign country?

Forget about the fact that this preacher faces money-laundering charges in his own country, India; what is of paramount importance for this country is this: Is Zakir a threat to national security? In my piece arguing that he was, I also noted that I was making an exception to my free speech stand, because of the new political realities on the ground. Adherence to principle is not a suicide pact.
I wrote: “While Muslim potentates in this country court a firebrand like Zakir, they unknowingly allow a certain type of Islamic fervour to spread amongst the disenfranchised. I say unknowingly because there is a disconnect between the political elite and the security apparatus who genuinely want to keep the country safe.”
However, we give too much credit to the political apparatus in this country. The rot of extremism is much deeper than that. Take this heartwarming news piece about the schoolchildren from Chinese and Islamic schools attempting to learn about the diversity in Malaysia.
What do you think Zakir thinks about this? What has Zakir said about other religions? What has he said about the purity of Islam? What has he said about Islamic preachers who do not follow his interpretation of the Quran?
Imagine if these Muslim students were to be influenced by Zakir. What does one walkabout achieve? What do a hundred interactions achieve in the face of the kind of Islam that Naik preaches?
Look at one of Zakir’s students, Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu. Think about his comments during the PAS muktamar (general assembly). He reminds his audience of religious political operatives and their supporters that Chinese unity, when it comes to certain issues, is something that Muslims should emulate.
In other words, he conflates secular issues (education, for instance) with religious ones and advocates a Manichean perspective when it comes to racial and religious interactions in this country. Granted this is something the far right does on a daily basis, but what separates the far right and foreign actors like Zakir is the kind of influence he brings to the table.

There is enough circumstantial evidence that Zakir’s words have influenced violence. Of course, he has denied this. There is also enough evidence that his influence – though through proxies – has seeped into the religious bureaucracy of this country. In my article on Zamri Vinoth (photo), I drew attention to the fact that the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) had recruited him to carry out courses that would make it easier for preachers to convert Tamil-speaking Indians, using their language as an entry point.
This idea, put forward by Zamri Vinoth's middle-class English-speaking supporters, that he is misunderstood or that his critics should “debate” him, reveals a profound disconnect that is even more dangerous for this country than the politically-motivated radicalism of the far right.
This is a dangerous situation we find ourselves in. If Zakir is going around the country attempting to rehabilitate his image by preaching the kind of Islam which is considered “moderate” in this country, then there would be some grounds to keep him here – or at least a rational argument to be made for giving him sanctuary. But what exactly is his narrative, beyond claiming victimhood and courting the wealthy elite in this country?
Ultimately, Zakir is a symbol for this country but not in the way his supporters think. Here is a foreigner using religion to profit and allegedly looting from coffers meant for the betterment of Muslims.
And Malaysia gives him shelter!




But what about me?

Are you Muslim? No? STFU then!

4 comments:

  1. People are ignoring the fact that India shelters a lot of Malaysian Indian fugitives.

    Relationship between nations have to be based on mutual respect and mutual cooperation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The writer does not seem to understand that Zakir Naik is now an icon of Political Islam which suits the current political climate of politicising Islam in Malaysia, where Islam plays a huge impact for getting Malay/Moslems votes in elections in the overall political ecosystem of Malay/Islam politics.

    Zakir Naik has positioned and made himself to be a very important part of the Malay/Islam politics in religion and any Malay political party or politician endorsing him would definitely find him an asset to their political interest.

    Is it any surprise that after PAS and UMNO started it, to capitalise for their political interest, it has now shifted to PPBM and Amanah after the BN regime was overthrown? Is it any surprise that Malaysian Moslems have now even considered his preachings and his extradition as seen as part of an Islamic Jihad in this issue?

    What is really worrying for Malaysians whether Moslems or non-Moslems in this blinkered politicians game of politics in using Zakir Naik and him using them to provide a sanctuary for himself are the following consequences:-

    1. Zakir Naik ultimate goal is to promote/convert Malaysian Moslems to the ideologies of Wahhabism/Salafism among Sunni Moslems thru funding and links with the Saudis. Any surprise Zakir Naik is made a Saudi citizen? It is ultimately part of the Saudi/USA game of global politics over controlling the Moslem world especially in the Middle East and around the world where both Saudi and US have interests.

    2. The Malaysian Constitution is desecrated by politicians/parties in promoting Zakir Naik as an iconic figure of Islam instead of the King, Sultans and Rulers where the powers and responsibilities of the Royalties in safeguarding Islam has now been eroded and slowly shifting towards religious clerics/preachers like Zakir Naik and politicians/political parties in the name of championing and safeguarding Islam as a religion in Malaysia.

    3. If ever the ideologies of Wahhabism/Salafism among Malaysian Moslems are finally established, it would progress to then become a fertile ground for the propagation of Takfirism ideologies which the world saw in groups like Al-Qaeda, IS, Daesh and other terrorist groups around the world to serve global political interests and who believe they were fighting and dying for a noble cause for themselves and Islam.

    Moslem politicians/parties and among the Deep State players in Malaysia who believes in Machiavellian politics of using the maxim "The Ends justifies the Means" thru their own blinkered eyes should seriously ask themselves whether such temporary gains in politics or religious jihad as made out to be, is worth the price to pay finally for the Royalties, Malays and Moslems.

    Malaysians who can see thru all these games being played out, whether Moslems or non-Moslems, Malays or non-Malays, West or East Malaysians and can see the dangers ahead for themselves and the future generations in these games played out on religion and in politics, should rise up and save their country from the impending turmoil and disasters which have befallen and as seen in various Moslem majority countries especially those in the Middle East and Central Asia.

    In the face of such differing opinions on this issue and fears of political ramifications and possible ramifications of diplomatic and economic ties, wouldn't it be wise to deport such a controversial preacher/cleric back to Saudi Arabia where he is also their citizen?

    Let Saudi Arabia determine Zakir Naik's fate instead of Malaysia.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i still dun get this thaya, not only his hilarious stance wrt free speech, he also hv the habit to tell something no matter how absurd when it suit him.

    everyone know mahathir is msia robber no 1, if msian hv no problem to vote this robber no 1 to be pm, who cares abt a small thief like zn? would bring in najib n 1mdb into his argument really make his case sound more convincing?

    since most muslim in this country r racist n bigot until no point to tell the distinction of jew n zionist, then i think its also fine to let zn insult other religion, this is what racist n bigot do n want in this country, so why complain?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ZK has a "special place" in the hearts of Hindus like Thaya, Dr Rama etc, wakakaka

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