Academic laments disconnect between Islamic teachings and conduct
An academic said some Muslims would insist on eating only at halal-certified outlets yet had no qualms taking or giving bribes. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: An academic believes there is a disconnect between Islamic teachings and how Muslims conduct themselves in Malaysia.
Anis Yusal Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies said Muslims appeared to be “selective” over what is permissible and impermissible in Islam.
“For instance, both the consumption of pork and corruption are impermissible in Islam.
“While many Muslims strictly obey the former, it appears there is a disregard for the latter,” he said during a forum on the topic of Islam in Malaysia.
Anis said this was a matter of integrity and questioned how Muslims could continue to be insistent on only eating in halal-certified outlets yet took or gave bribes.
He also said the country needed to rethink the form of Islam currently being practised, adding that there was a need for a more progressive and inclusive form of the religion.
Anis lamented the fact that Malaysia’s public education system did not openly encourage the learning of other religions or inter-religious studies.
“Why don’t we have educational trips to churches and other houses of worship, or invite non-Muslims into mosques?” he asked.
He called on Muslims to be open and respectful to other faiths, adding that this was essential to promote religious harmony.
PETALING JAYA: An academic believes there is a disconnect between Islamic teachings and how Muslims conduct themselves in Malaysia.
Anis Yusal Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies said Muslims appeared to be “selective” over what is permissible and impermissible in Islam.
“For instance, both the consumption of pork and corruption are impermissible in Islam.
“While many Muslims strictly obey the former, it appears there is a disregard for the latter,” he said during a forum on the topic of Islam in Malaysia.
Anis said this was a matter of integrity and questioned how Muslims could continue to be insistent on only eating in halal-certified outlets yet took or gave bribes.
He also said the country needed to rethink the form of Islam currently being practised, adding that there was a need for a more progressive and inclusive form of the religion.
Anis lamented the fact that Malaysia’s public education system did not openly encourage the learning of other religions or inter-religious studies.
“Why don’t we have educational trips to churches and other houses of worship, or invite non-Muslims into mosques?” he asked.
He called on Muslims to be open and respectful to other faiths, adding that this was essential to promote religious harmony.
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kt comments:
Once RPK wrote about a visit to China by Muslim businessmen amongst whom he was a member of. That first night when they had their dinner, many "made noise" about the possibility of pork in their meals even though they were dining in a Muslim shop. But when the dinner was over most of the males went for the "other meat" skimpily covered by brief cheongsums. Those hypocrites couldn't or didn't want to know what was also haram.
The hypocrisy is very well known.
ReplyDeleteMuslims go berserk should anyone say a wrong thing of the prophet. In Malaysia, a cross can elicit such fear as though they were dracula being confronted by a cross.
They pontificate about how tolerant Islam is and that there is no compulsion in the religion but fight for dear life to prevent a person from leaving a religion they are not interested in but cheerfully ignore the corruption being practised by muslim leaders.
Kelantan is a glaring example of this hypocrisy.
The saving grace is there are still "genuine" followers of Islam like the writer. But frankly, their voices are being drowned by those hypocrites the writer wrote about.