NO ISA! Charge Them And Bring Them To Justice!

Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) expresses condemnation towards the statement by the Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein and Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Musa Hassan that the government and the police would not hesitate to use the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA) against those who were responsible for the bombing of the 3 churches in Klang Valley which have been linked to protests against the recent “Allah” ruling.

GMI recognizes that irresponsible individuals and groups have and may further resort to violence, and that this might lead to chaos in the country. We understand the need to be tough against criminals. In fact, GMI urges the government to bring the culprits who have been trying to incite intolerance among the races in Malaysia to justice by not using the ISA or any form of detention without trial laws. Instead, proper investigation should be take place immediately. The use of the ISA and any other detention without trial acts will not resolve the real problem; instead it will only cause more fear and insecurity among the citizens in Malaysia.

Therefore, we strongly condemn the use of the draconian ISA in making the arrest as any form of detention without trial is in violation of basic human rights and blatantly circumvents the rule of law.

GMI would like to remind the government that the ISA makes a mockery of the principle of presumption of innocent until proven guilty; it unjustly denies our civil liberties; it allows for detention without trial and thus denies natural justice. Worse still, it creates conditions for torture and other degrading forms of treatment while under detention.

GMI calls upon the government to stop arresting people under the ISA , abolish the draconian law, and release all ISA detainees or to charge them in court.

Abolish ISA!

Release All The Detainees!

Close Down Kamunting!

Released By,

Nalini.E

Secretary GMI

THEMICAHMANDATE

The cowardly and utterly senseless act of a group of misguided, chauvinistic bigots in torching at least three churches in the Klang Valley this morning must be condemned in no uncertain terms by all peace loving Malaysians.

This act of arson, committed presumably in the name of Islam desecrates the very religion it purports to protect. The Holy Quran unequivocally prohibits destroying the houses of worship of all religions, as warned in Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 40.

“… Had not Allah checked the excesses and aggression of one set of people by means of another, surely would be destroyed monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated …”

During the reign of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second righteous caliph, the religious freedom of the citizens of Ilya (Jerusalem) and the sanctity of their synagogues and places of worship were confirmed: “This is the protection which the slave-servant of Allah, Umar, the Commander of the Believers, extends to the people of Ilya: The safeguarding of their lives, properties, churches, crosses, and of their entire community. Their churches cannot be occupied, demolished, or damaged, nor are their crosses or anything belonging to them to be touched. They will never be forced to abandon their religion, nor will they be oppressed …” (At-Tabari, Tarikh, Vol III, p. 609, ed. Dar Al-Ma`arif, Egypt.)

In the light of these tragic turn of events, the Muslim Professionals Forum:

1. Demand the authorities to immediately conduct an impartial and thorough investigation to identify , apprehend and punish the perpetrators of this despicable violence lest the country spirals into a vicious cycle of retaliatory acts which would fracture the very fabric of Malaysian civil society.
2. Urge the authorities to either refuse or revoke the permit for the planned demonstration in order to contain the heightened emotions and sensitivities from among the Muslim quarters, angered by the recent high court decision on the usage of the word Allah.
3. Urge individuals, organisations and political parties to refrain from further issuing provocative and inflammatory statements related to the high court verdict.
4. Urge all Malaysians to emphatise and stand in solidarity with our Christian community in their hour of grief and need.
5. Urge all peace loving Malaysians to maintain composure and let cool heads prevail.

May Allah guide us all in this most troubling times.

Board of Directors
Muslim Professionals Forum

Dr. Mazeni Alwi,  Dr. Shaikh Johari Bux
Haji Mohamed Ali Ghazali
Dr. Jeffrey Abu Hassan
Dato’ Dr. Musa Mohd. Nordin

Dear Mr Prime Minister, you have failed me.

This is not a letter to tell you where you went wrong. You should already know that by now and if you don’t, many will gladly bring you up to speed.

But this is a letter to tell you what you have done to an ordinary Malaysian like me.

I voted against your government in the last elections but when you came into power, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, I was wrong about you.

That, just maybe, this time, the perceived enemy would be an ally in disguise. That, just maybe, 1 Malaysia wouldn’t be the joke at which everyone laughed.

Change needs time and maybe, just maybe, that was what was necessary. So, against my better judgement, I let myself believe in possibilities.

Then racism reared its head and the moment of truth arrived in the form of cow-head protestors, BTN and the “Allah” issue.

You couldn’t have asked for more perfect opportunity to prove that you are more than just a string of clever words. It was your chance to leave a legacy by uniting the nation to stand up against the real enemies – ignorance and fear.

Instead you did nothing, and by doing that, you turned us against each other.

I’m sure you have your litany of reasons for acting the way you have but those reasons don’t interest me. All I know is that, when it really mattered, you made me feel like I didn’t.

When it came to delivering on your “People First” promise, you chose who those people would be.

When it came to “Performance Now”, you failed to see the sense of urgency.

You became everything you told us not to be. To me, you are nothing more than the wizard of Oz.

There was a time when I believed in this country. When I couldn’t imagine making a home anywhere else. When I was proud to hold a Malaysian passport. When I felt warmth each time I heard the pilot announce, “Welcome to Kuala Lumpur International Airport”. When I took pride in showing off my country to foreign friends who marvelled at how Malaysians lived so peacefully in diversity. Those days are gone.

So forget about how this will affect tourism and FDIs, and think instead about the damage it has done to an ordinary Malaysian like me.

You have made a mockery out of my trust, patriotism and faith. You have made me feel unwelcome in my own home. You have made me feel ashamed to be Malaysian.

My heart breaks at what you have done to my country. Then again, I’m not even sure if I can still call it my country anymore.

* Stephanie Sta Maria is a reader of The Malaysian Insider.

‘I am surprised that we suddenly have a PM who is unable to stop protests when all this while the cops and FRU units are able to stand guard when it concerns the opposition parties.’

I study journalism at college and one of the issues often brought up is how news today is very much commercialized and sensationalized, catering to the masses’ appetite instead of reporting issues that truly concern our lives. The role of the media as the fourth estate: the public watchdog, is being jeopardized.

On occassions, however, I realize that the problem also lies with us, the newspaper readers. We turn to our favourite Sports or Entertainment sections first, cheer our football team’s victory and ooh and aah over celebrities’ gossip and very often forget about the rest. In doing so, we miss out important news that we need to know before we can Change Our World.

Ever since Change Your World was launched, I have become more sensitive towards injustice. Human trafficking in the news never fails to grab my attention, and you know what, I realize it is being reported in our newspapers again and again. How come I never noticed it before?

Malaysian Today reported this on 17th September. Perhaps you want to take a look.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/195500a3#/195500a3/16