The real objective of PAS' Hudud

As many have written, PAS should be focussing on crimes, corruption, racism* and injustice in Malaysia rather than introducing an Islamic penal code, Hudud, which is viewed at best with distaste and in the worst case scenario with much fear, because Hudud's punishments would generally be irreversible.

* I doubt many in PAS would bother about this as they have shown themselves to be Malay nationalists rather than Islamist.

Yes, Hudud's punishments are generally irreversible because, for example, once a hand is chopped off, can the mullahs guarantee they have the bio-technology to grow one back for the punished victim if it were to be found later than the victim had been wrongly and unjustly punished - and that would be the same as saying no appeal or legal review would ever be successful, even if allowed.

We have already witnessed in the infamous Qatif (Shia) girl case in Saudi Arabia how the Saudi syariah court horrendously punished a rape victim (yes, a rape victim, not the rapist) with flogging and imprisonment, and then increased that unjust punishment when she appealed, and threats of further increased punishments to deter her from any further appeals.

We have witnessed in Pakistan how a raped victim Mukhtaran (Mai) Bibi was constantly harassed by authorities to withdraw her rape police report, and how 5 of those 6 culprits eventually got away with it, with one having the mandated death sentence reduced to life imprisonment (which in real terms is as good as a less than 10 years sentence). We also witnessed how Pakistan's then-president denigrated her credibility by suggesting to western press that some Pakistani women would claim to be raped so as to migrate to Canada.

In both the Saudi and Pakistani cases, it was the USA (under pressure from its own citizens) which came to the victims' rescues, and not because of those countries judiciaries.

US horses are faster than Saudi camels

In Malaysia as yet without hudud, we have also witnessed how an Indonesian Christian woman has been charged with Islamic apostasy - who if hudud was in place in our country, would have seen her executed under the Malaysian Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence.

Today, PAS has effectively broken its concorde with DAP, or more correctly DAP has in the most blunt manner, without any ambiguity or tap dancing, told PAS to leave Pakatan if it still insists on introducing hudud - see Malaysiakini's Quit Pakatan if set on hudud, DAP MP tells PAS.

DAP organising secretary Anthony Loke, stressing that DAP is not anti-Islam, nor has it ever belittled Islamic laws or used the issue to stoke fear among non-Muslims as had been done by MCA leaders, was reported to have said:

PAS should quit Pakatan Rakyat if it wanted to act on a unilateral basis regarding this issue.

If PAS is adamant in making decisions which do not have consensus in Pakatan, then the most honourable and rational move would be for PAS to withdraw from Pakatan.

DAP’s stand on this matter is common knowledge and it would not agree to the implementation of hudud because it is impractical and unfitting for a multiracial nation.

How can laws be enforced effectively if there are two sets of laws applying for Muslims and non-Muslims. Crime is not related to skin colour or religion.

These are delightful music to my ears but which no doubt would have driven 'someone' up the wall, wakakaka.

But I have to recognize that DAP must have been pushed painfully to the wall to arrive at such an unambiguous statement, one drawing a non-negotiable red line in the sand. The issue of PAS' incessant push to implement hudud is far far far too f**king dangerous to tolerate even if it means abandoning the political alliance with an anyway-unreliable ally.

yeah right!

yeah right now!

wakakaka

My favourite English-language blogger (wakakaka) Azly Rahman, has this to say (extracts only):

The image of those calling for the implementation of the hudud in Malaysia is one of intolerance to varying viewpoints, condescendingness, enforcing others to follow this or that fatwa even if these injunctions are merely opinions, subjugating the mind of the gullible especially in schools populated by Malay-Muslims, ..... 

..... inability to sustain arguments on matters requiring rationalistic and humanistic perspectives, and above all, the inability to look at the bigger picture of corruption, abuse of power, and race politics as crimes against humanity themselves requiring more that just amputation, public flogging, and stoning to death as antidote - and these horrible crimes are carried out by those projecting piousness in public themselves [...]

We are yet to discuss the origin and genealogy of the thinking of the groups urging an ‘Islamic state’ in terms of their education and the influence gathered and harnessed into political parties that ultimately will only .....

..... operate within the paradigm of the setting up of a theocratic state; one that will limit freedom of expression, of assembly, to petition, of press, and to revolt against an unjust State, even if the State has by then evolved into a Talibanistic one shooting helpless little schoolgirls in the face and legalising marriage for nine year-olds.

And that's what we all fear!

Azly continued:

... women are the ones usually the victims of the mis-administration of the Hudud Ordinance as in Pakistan, especially in rape cases.

Indeed, as we have also witnessed in Saudi Arabia, and even Malaysia!

If the hudud is such a questionable form of punishment and its implementation vis-a-vis the number if witnesses required to convict, increasing from two to four, why is there a need to urge its implementation when, even different schools of thought have not resolved the issues surrounding the history of its evolution, as well as the subjectivity of the sources by which the law is derived from.

In Malaysia, it is as if the word ‘hudud’ is used as a political bogeyman to scare off non-Muslim as well as Muslim voters. Is there sincerity in implementing the “no-longer-suitable ordinances for this age and time”?

Ultimately, too, who amongst the ‘ummah’ who hath not sinned shall cast the first stone?

And RPK has quite succinctly said that in matters of religion whether Islam or Christianity, there can be NO logical argument or discussion.

So, rather than argue against Hudud, we need to ask, why does PAS want hudud when as stated by Azly Rahman, If the hudud is such a questionable form of punishment and its implementation vis-a-vis the number if witnesses required to convict, increasing from two to four, why is there a need to urge its implementation when, even different schools of thought have not resolved the issues ...

Consider, it hasn't as yet attended to issues of corruption, crimes, racism (wakakaka), social injustice etc. Maybe it couldn't be bothered to?

Also consider, 5 of the top safest countries in the world, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Japan, adhere to principally Confucian practice cum secular laws and not Islamic syariah-hudud. Tell me, is there a message somewhere here?

Okay then let me attempt to answer why PAS has been so insistent about its hudud implementation, even if it means abandoning Pakatan, its erstwhile key to Putrajaya.

Firstly, PAS sees the opportunity is now, when there is internal strife in both UMNO and the UMNO-section (wakakaka) of PKR, when it can now put the pressure of 'who-is-holier' on the politicians of those two parties, and DAP can go f**k the Pakatan spider even the one belonging to Miss Muffet, wakakaka.

Secondly, the history of PAS' impatience has been witnessed several times, as seen in the campaign leading up to the 2004 general elections when it became unbearably arrogant, and as recent as the Kota Damansara debacle in 2013 general elections.

I notice PAS would move in on what it believes to be a sure political kill when it (thinks it) senses political opportunity as sharks and piranhas sense blood.

Recall its over-bearing hubris in May 2012 when the late Harun Taib, PAS’ former Ulama Chief said about Hudud if PAS wins more seats than allies. And that was regardless of whether Pakatan had arrived at a consensus about hudud.

While that declaration by itself, that of embracing hudud, had not been new, and a known aspiration of PAS, what was then far more worrying was Harun Taib’s assertion that PAS would implement hudud regardless, as evident in his reported words “… if not with the current partners we have in Pakatan … may be there will be other pacts that will lend us their support …”.

I don’t like to criticize someone who has long gone but if that didn't smack of arrogant go-it-alone-after-winning treachery, what was it then? What kind of coalition partner would PAS be?

Anyway, let’s re-examine what Allahyarham Harun Taib meant by his arrogant words of “… if not with the current partners we have in Pakatan… may be there will be other pacts that will lend us their support …”.

Pray tell me, what 'other pacts' would possibly lend PAS their support for hudud in the event of a Pakatan victory in GE-13 but with a DAP (or even PKR) refusing PAS its demand?

Now, what was that remarkable political term so loved by PAS people like Hadi Awang, Nasharudin Mt Isa, Allahyarham Azizan Abdul Razak and (lurking or just standing by in the nearby shadow) Hasan Ali?

Malay unity! Specifically one with UMNO!

There was no mistaking PAS' (2012) openly voiced intention to jettison the alliance like a used tissue paper, of course after it had already won enough seats with support from (DAP/PKR canvassed) non-Muslim votes. I raised the alarm but most Pakatan people told me to f**k off, wakakaka.

And may I say, Alhamdulillah, PAS didn't win as much as it had anticipated or fantasized, wakakaka.

Today it's fluttering the same eyelashes at Najib and his UMNO, wakakaka.

Thirdly, I believe PAS's real objective, as to why it has been so adamant about bringing in hudud is ..... actually has already been stated by Azly Rahman, namely:

The image of those calling for the implementation of the hudud in Malaysia is one of intolerance to varying viewpoints, condescendingness, enforcing others to follow this or that fatwa even if these injunctions are merely opinions, subjugating the mind of the gullible especially in schools populated by Malay-Muslims, ...

and 

..... operate within the paradigm of the setting up of a theocratic state; one that will limit freedom of expression, of assembly, to petition, of press, and to revolt against an unjust State, even if the State has by then evolved into a Talibanistic one shooting helpless little schoolgirls in the face and legalising marriage for nine year-olds.

That's how Nazi Germany controlled its people, through threats of painful and/or fatal consequences by its Gestapo and SS, and how Iran and Saudi Arabia do likewise!

Argue and you can lose more than an arm and a leg (excuse my pun) or as per Qisas, even an eye, or your life.

Fear as a doctrine, especially a religious doctrine, for state control has been eternal, since the time of the biblical Moses and Samuel through the ages to Robespierre's France, Hitler's Germany, Stalin's USSR, Pol Pot's Kampuchea and Ayatollah's Iran, etc.

Once hudud is implemented, initially in Kelantan and finally throughout the states of Malaysia, the mullahs will be unquestionable, unimpeachable and probably eternal in their draconian rule. This is the real objective.