It's a Fucked up world; We're a Fucked up place
Everybodys judged by their Fucked up face
Fucked up dreams; Fucked up life
A Fucked up kid with a Fucked up knife
Fucked up moms and fucked up dads
and a fucked up cop with a fucked badge
With a fucked up job with fucked up pay
and a fucked up boss that's a fucked up day
fucked up press, fucked up lies
Ain't it a shame that you can't say Fuck?
Fuck's just a word and it's all Fucked up
like a Fucked up punk with a Fucked up mouth
And Nine inch nails is getting knocked the Fuck out
Fucked up babes, Fucked up sex
and fake-ass titties on a Fucked up chest
Your all fucked up, so whatcha wanna do?
Fucked up me, and fucked up you
ain't life a bitch? a Fucked up bitch?
A fucked up sore with a Fucked up stitch
a Fucked up head- It's a Fucked up shame
swinging on my nuts is a Fucked up game
Jealousy fillin' up a Fucked up mind;
It's real Fucked up like a Fucked up crime
If I say Fuck two more times;
That's 46 Fucks in this Fucked up rhyme
There is no Escaping, What You Sow You Will Reap, Prisoners Of The Damned, Find Another Land, Planet Of The Lost, Land Of Fire And Frost, Prisoners Of The Dead, Fear The Unknown Dread, Tidal Waves At Sea, Set The Serpents Free, Coup D'etat On A Global Scale, Opposition Locked Up In Jail, Domination where the Goons are the Boss
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
STUDENTS AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE
Glancing back to my university students years, I realized that I was not politically conscious not even remotely, I even doubt that it was imbedded in my subconscious mind. It was totally absent, my routine would involve going to class, a lot of reading and studying, swimming and tennis with jaymie and amie (my bff) or hanging around my hubby. The clubs I joined were known as zouk , aloha and modestos ( just to name a few- LOL-). In a nutshell I partied as hard as I studied.
I was never caught up with campus election, honestly to this day I do not understand how it works, I don’t even know yet care or even bothered to be elucidated by the pro aspirasi or pro mahasiswa shenanigans. I didn’t even vote for the first two years I was in uni. After my second year it was made compulsory to vote or we risked being fined, I survived this ordeal by voting for the cutest guy and the most fashionable girl.
My political consciousness started to emerge only after BN sweeping lost in the recent 2008 elections. Looking back now , I kinda regretted not being politically conscious, especially looking at the situation now, and the controversy surrounding it. Adam Adli a student that was fighting for the removal of university and college act together with his comrades had become a hero for some and an object of contempt for some, merely for because of flags. Before I embark upon this treacherous threshold, I would like to reinstate my point I am not a fan f DSAI, personally I am the last person that wants him as PM. Secondly when comes to politician I lived by this analogy… the are all Casanovas they would say anything to get into your pants… it is the vocation of academician to give an objective facade of the situation to the public.
coming back to the issue of auku, I am arguing that students are agents of social change, The phrase was first used in 1965 at the annual conference of Canadian University Press in Calgary, when a delegation led by the McGill Daily proposed and passed an amendment to CUP's statement of principles that said "one of the major roles of the student press is to act as an agent of social change." The motion's authors argued that university students, including student journalists, had a special role to play in the social and civil-rights revolutions of the time, and objective reporting could not achieve this. Instead, student journalists had to take sides on social issues, and guide campus opinion accordingly.
As educators, it is our responsibility to develop students with knowledge and skills that provide mechanisms to effectively integrate academic disciplines with an understanding of self in relation to others on campus, in the community, and across the globe. Intentional integration of student development theories, such as leadership identity development, in the classroom can effectively facilitate deeper understanding of how students are personally connected to greater social issues. Students develop as socially conscious leaders capable of creating sustainable social change. In other words, student development theory offers academic disciplines—specifically public administration, a framework in which to guide faculty and students through the process of developing oneself as an agent of change.
Within the individual category, the values of consciousness of self, congruence, and commitment are included. This is the point at which students learn and become aware of their own values. Metaphorically, during this process, students understand the lens through which they see the world. Personality and self-awareness,are acknowledged and discovered in this category. There are many aspects of individual identity; it is multidimensional , and perhaps most important, it involves acquiring a greater understanding of self through the context of one’s environment, race, sexual orientation, and gender (just to name a few). In other words, self-awareness, once acknowledged and discovered, means that students have a greater capacitywith which to make meaning of and connection to their lived experiences.
The intellectual and practical motif which most readily captures both the values and alternative practices exemplified in the Students as agent of change initiative is that of mutuality, of education as both a shared responsibility and a shared achievement predicated on the dispositions and demanding realities of dialogic encounter. What is both exciting and daunting about Students as agent of change is the way in which it both clarifies issues that are central to the development of a dialogic learning community (whether it be a school or some other kind of human practice) and the way it insists on a response to fundamental questions those issues throw up. The issues to which I am referring are at the heart, not only of what it means to be a citizen, but also of what it means to be and become a person. They have to do with both the intellectual and practical challenge of articulating what an inclusive educational community might look and feel like.
Central to such a project are issues to do with power and authority, freedom and equality, and, as important and necessary as each of these, the dispositions and values of democratic living without which democracy itself becomes a mere mechanism that more often than we would wish turns out to betray the very aspirations that inspire its inception. Students as agents of change is potentially as creative and important as it is demanding, if only because it has within it the possibility of helping us to make a practical and theoretical leap of grounded imagination that takes seriously Raoul Vaneigem’s insistence that ‘A minute correction to the essential is more important than a hundred new accessories’.
Monday, December 19, 2011
I LOVE YOU DADDY!!!
I was a privileged child, my dad did not have much when he was growing up, he didn’t even finish high school, and my dad was a self made man. He singlehandedly managed to provide his kids with luxurious and privileged life. A frequent trip to country clubs and expensive shopping spree was a common occasion. I had so much privileges more than any kids my age could have so much that by the age of 13, I had turned into a very irresponsible, disobedient, difficult child that did not managed to finish anything I have started.
My parents dreaded at the potential of me growing up as an irresponsible adult. Then my mum which had a short lived career in modeling and acting was approached by one of her old friends with a proposal that I should try to have a career in modeling both of my parents thought that it would be a great idea. Mind you at the age of 14 I am already a towering 167cm weighing less than 45 kg I had the perfect model body. I was overjoyed with my parents proposal, but my dad pulled out a contract that I cannot quit the job if it gets too hard. Failure to do so I have to pay double the money I earned and all he expenses my parents had spent on this modeling gig, transport/ portfolio etc. Well I thought yea how hard could this be you just need to look pretty so I gladly and naively signed the contract.
It is not so long before long I realize that being a model glitz and glamour aside was actually a real tough job. It is a harsh world a lot of competition where people speak their mind without sugar coating it. If you are late your bosses are going to be mad at you, it consume long hours and with a lot of stress. You are expected to give 101% commitments and dedications body soul and mind. Reality blew up on my face knowing I could not possibly quit ( god knows how much I wanted it!) I decided to outdo my dad by saving all my hard earn money to pay him back.
After 6 months I managed to do so. When I finally handed him the money I was fighting back tears those were my hard earned money. My dad sat me down he says, I am not allowed to quit yet,he would hold on to this money and I would be given a break on one condition that I must finish reading a book. After I finish reading this book then I can quit. He handed to me a plastic wrapped book the title of this book was The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.
So I sat my sorry ass down and start reading, Peck opened his book with -- "Life is difficult". Do take note I was 15yrs old teenager by now, so I was think wtf this sucks! But for the sake of quitting my job I continued reading, as I continued I discovered that "Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."
On the topic of discipline he puts forth the truth that life is a series of problems, and that life often seems difficult because the process of confronting these problems "evoke in us frustration or grief or sadness, anguish or despair." Yet it is in facing these problems that we gain wisdom, strength and courage. He states, "This tendency to avoid problems and the emotional suffering inherent in them is the primary basis of all human mental illness." He then follows with a discussion of the various ways people can learn to cope with suffering and go on to become a truer manifestation of one's soul here on Earth.
On the topic of love he discusses the difference between being "in love" and love. He notes that love is not a feeling, but an activity, and defines it as "the willingness to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own and another's spiritual growth." He bemoans the rampant notion of romantic love that pervades society today, which holds that one is not truly in love unless one feels those incredible "I'm in love" feelings that we all know so well. He observes, "Many, many people possessing a feeling of love and even acting in response to that feeling act in all manner of unloving and destructive ways. On the other hand, a genuinely loving individual will often take loving and constructive action toward a person he or she consciously dislikes..."
In a nutshell what I can say is, the book is written in a voice that is timeless in its message of understanding, The Road Less Traveled continues to enable me to explore the nature of loving relationships and leads me toward a new serenity and fullness of life. It helps me determine how to distinguish dependency from love; how to become a more sensitive child; and ultimately how to become my own true self
After a week I sat down again with my dad, I told him I want to continue, this book and my dad changed my life, from that moment on take problems by the horn and battle them. I am no longer the spoilt brat I was, I have started to live my life with a sense of responsibility. Who I am today I am deeply indebted to my dad, thanks that for showing me the meaning of being resilient. I love you a lot
Monday, October 31, 2011
'Crocodile Dundee'/ Buaya Darat
It’s not easy being women, as cheesy as this may sound the truth is many women always get tangled in a sticky , complicated relationship that would involved a lot of sacrifice and tears. They often always become victims of situation, some might say because of their own stupidity but I disagree; In multiple studies, women have been shown to be more intuitive, which makes them more sensitive than men," says Judith Orloff, MD, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. "Studies also reveal that women show more empathy and patience, whereas men are inclined toward problem-solving and are more comfortable with the language of logic than of emotion. In Western culture, especially, males are taught that it isn't macho to be sensitive and show emotion. Women are given more support to express their feelings than men are." So women basically are built this way. Nonetheless men's who realize these circumstances would tactlessly use it to their own advantage. Accordingly as women, one must know and be aware of her situation and the men's around them. Here is a list of men’s women should try to avoid.
1. Married Men’s
If you know he is married you should run as fast as you can. Married men’s are usually looking for fun; they are bored of the wife and kids. It’s a fact of life when you get married, your life become mundane and expected. Affairs are exciting all the sneaking out and ala’ FBI dating, yes fun until the novelty runs off and you realized that you wanted more. Now you wanted to redeem the words he used to woo you such as I am going to leave my wife and marry you or I am going to make you my second wife. Guess what happens he will give you 1001 excuses not fulfill those promises and still make you hang around. He would play you as if you are the puppet and he is the puppet masters. He would have you hanging by a string of hope that he could use to control you
2. The Gamer
This guy is already in a committed relationship. But the greedy bastard in him wants you. Thus he will get close to you, pretend to care and be there as a friend, he might gave you the aura of a platonic friend but behavior wise he is treating you like a girlfriend. He would pretend that he is Freud, leading you into thinking that he knows you. He will give you not so subtle signals and leave you confuse of what he really wants from you. At the same time he doesn’t want to lose you, or the other women he is in a stable relationship with, so he would play all these confusing mind games simply because he is too selfish to admit he like you more than a friend. This kind of men’s lacks the confidence and charisma to decide what he wants. He would only get you tangled in a web of perplexing obscure confound that makes it difficult for you to decide whether to leave or stay.
3. He can’t keep his pants on.
This kind of men’s would hit on anything that moves. These men’s are usually emotionally unavailable. Most of the time they think with those dangly piece of meat they have in between of their legs. The only sensible thing to do is pack your bags and leave. This is the most uncivilized immature types of men’s. Nothing could be done to cure them beside it’s not a disease its just a habit, and if we knows habit especially bad habits they die hard. These men’s live by these rules;
I party like a rockstar,
Look like a movie star,
Play like an all star,
Fuck like a pornstar,
Baby I'm a superstar
Look like a movie star,
Play like an all star,
Fuck like a pornstar,
Baby I'm a superstar
Despite the fact that I am a confident, independent woman who has succeeded in many facets of life, in the past I have been emotionally immature when it comes to relationships. I am writing this based on my previous and current experience with men. These are men’s women should avoid since they would bring nothing but heartbreaks and poignant dilemma in your life, come to terms with your sensitive nature and guard your heart from heartbreaks.
P/S: Recently I have come to realization that, much as I hate to admit it, I am unconsciously attracted to men like my dad. And though one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, I'm finding this attraction quite hard to fight. This isn't some Shakespearean tragedy. My dad had lots of great qualities. He's a handsome, smart, successful man, and those are all qualities that I want in my Mr Right. But he was also very distant in a sense that he is always away for work, and I had to work very hard in order to gain his affection. I hope I have finally found my Mr Right...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Picturesque Anecdotes of My Adolescent
I was inspired to write about this on my way back from my hometown. I spent most of my tender years in a small town north of Perak known as Kuala Kangsar. It originates from the name kurang sa or kurang satu, kurang sa was given since it has 99 creeks that derived from the Perak river. Kurang satu or kurang sa denotes less one creek to 100. (Yeah you better know how to swim if you intend live here).
Indeed it was a picturesque town with river running through it lushes of greens, hilly countryside, colonials era buildings, traditional boats. My teen years was simple, we had a supermarket, kfc, Mcd and pizza hut. 2 cinemas, 1 bar, 2karaoke and 1 nightclub. I was brought up in the middle of all this. Yupp when I say I was I was brought up in the middle of all this: I literally meant in the middle of all these things were in a walking distance from my house.
Among my favourite spots would be the banks of Perak River where I would sit and read for hours and it is also my favourite jogging and dating spot. Yes which bring us to the next topic boyfriend in my life I only had 3 serious relationships, this was my first love, I was 14 when we met, he was a tall, handsome, well built ( when I say well built I meant he had 6 packs) 16 yr old. For privacy purposes I shall call him A
My fondest memory was motorcycle ride with A, he would pick me up from school and take me to my second favourite spot which is Bukit Chandan (yeah that were the sultan lives), so the place is majestic and beautiful. It situated on a hill overseeing the Perak River. I was a hopeless romantic back then. There were so many memories on the hill that passing through that place brought tears to my eyes. It is true what they say about first cut being the deepest; A was a fine young man not only introduce me to the exciting world of rock and roll, nightclubs, bars ,karaoke and cigarettes but was also a self made man. At the tender age of 16 he bought his RXZ bike using his own money, which he earns from working after school. Undeniably this place embraces a unique mark in my life, it is here I learned the meaning of love it is here I discover how it feels like to be kissed. It is here I played truant.
I will always treasure these memories of my beautiful adolescent years with me, it was beautiful and fun. I was very naughty in school. I was an athlete so I didn’t have anytime for tuition. I skip classes regularly except for a few classes like history, literature and PE (all which is my favourite). One of my bizarre occurrences is when my English teacher suggested me to join the debate club. I ran as far as I could. Well in my school there a few types of kids cool ones and nerdy ones, how are they differentiated? Nerds join activities such as debates coral speaking choir etc, while cool people like me join hockey team, swim team, and soccer ( which I joined all).( LOL for all its worth I still think only dweeb join debates and choir and all that stuff). I wasn’t concerned about getting As, school was one hell of a fun ride for me.
Well that was life 15 years ago so simple and fun we didn’t have blackberry or blue berry or Ipad, we had public phone wherewith you put coins and test pad to write on, but somehow I feel life was in its full circle back then. Maybe it’s my location, maybe lack of responsibility, maybe because I can rely on my parents, maybe its A... I truly cannot offer any explanation except if I had a chance I wanted to live and re- live those moments
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Art of Homemaking
Women of the 21st century are no longer confined to their traditional roles. They no longer are homemaker; in gratitude to the development of women education, they are now professionals that contribute to the nation economy. These women subsequent to tying the knot would later embrace the traditional role of home maker mutually with their professional roles. Indeed maintaining and striking a balance between these two roles is quite exigent in nature.
Contrary to the women in the 50’s and 60’s, the 70’s saw women entering the workforce in immensity. My mum and my mother in law was the first of these generation, my mum had a wonderful secretarial career, followed later with a little in modeling and acting. My mother in law was a teacher for 30 over years she recently retired early this year. I have grown up seeing these women tackle these two demanding role as professionals and homemaker. Unlike now education in the 50’s and 60’s stressed not only in academic excellence but also to produce outstanding homemakers. I can singlehandedly testify to this since everything that I learn today in the art of homemaking I have learned from my mother and my grandmother school textbooks.
So how do women in the 21st century cope with this dual task; should we delegate this task to the Indonesian maids so that we could focus more on our professional development. I grew up with a governess and a maid meaning at one time we had two servants in the house; nonetheless they did not take over the role of homemaking their role is mainly to assist my mother in her daily task.
I would advocate as the women of the 21st century we should embrace these twofold roles with grace. We should strive and attempt to contribute to our traditional intended role and modern prescribed roles to safeguard the family institution. By no means should we leave this role to Indonesian maid, hence this move is fatal to the family institution. A woman is naturally created to be a wife and a mother so we must come to terms with this natural function and struggle to poise this with our modern stipulated function.
So how to we accomplish this balance: I would modestly offer a few advices; based on my delicate experiences.
Be organize
Starts off with a schedule of daily task, weekly task and monthly task
Do not procrastinate
Once the schedule is done follow it carefully, do not put on hold or delay the schedule
Be industrious
Clean as you go, try to do more than one thing at one time : eg cooking while doing laundry. Pick up clothes put them in the cloth hamper. Make sure the house is tidy before you retire to your bed.
Housework vs. Office work
Try your best not to bring home office work since by doing that it would disrupt housework schedule
Take Pride
Take pride in a work well done, a tidy house a well cooked meals, how much effort you put on preparing your husband work cloth from ironing to matching ties , tie clips and cufflinks
Treat yourself
Take Pride
Take pride in a work well done, a tidy house a well cooked meals, how much effort you put on preparing your husband work cloth from ironing to matching ties , tie clips and cufflinks
Treat yourself
When all is done reward yourself with something, spa, a favorite tv show or reading make sure you have enough rest. So you would have enough energy and vitality to manage these challenging roles
Be Sincere
Convince yourself your doing this because Allah, and this an act of Ibadah, Allah would reward every act of sincerity with remuneration superior that any worldly enterprise could ever accomplish
Friday, October 7, 2011
Obidient Wives Club :)
PETALING JAYA: Wives who “obey, serve and entertain” their husbands can help reduce social ills such as prostitution and domestic abuse, according to members of The Obedient Wives Club.
The Club, to be launched Saturday by Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, aims to teach wives how to keep their husbands happy and contented.
Global Ikhwan, an organisation founded by former members of the banned Al-Arqam Islamic group, also launched the Ikhwan Polygamy Club two years ago.
Global Ikhwan spokesperson Siti Maznah Mohd Taufik said that many social ills were caused by disobedient wives who failed to bring joy to their husbands.“Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders. A man must be responsible for his wife's wellbeing but she must listen to her husband,”
Siti Maznah, 48, also stressed that husbands would not stray and turn to prostitutes if wives supplied them with a satisfying sex life.She said women had the duty of making themselves attractive and dressing up beautifully at home.
“Wives should welcome them with sexy clothes and alluring smiles when in the privacy of their homes,” she said, adding that she herself did the same as everyone in the club practised what they preached.Siti Maznah, a second wife and mother to five children, said she treated her husband's first wife like her elder sister.
“Altogether, we have 16 children in our household. My husband is a happy man, you can see it from his actions,” she said.According to her, the Ikhwan Polygamy Club now has over 1,000 members comprising both husbands and wives. The average number of children per polygamous household ranges from four to 26.Siti Maznah admitted that husbands were not perfect and it was natural for disagreements to occur, sometimes.“We can have discussions and disagreements. We don't just keep quiet when we don't agree with our husbands,” she said.However, as long as husbands did not go against Islamic law, their final word was law, she said
(excerpted from The Star 4th June 2011)
First of all I know this controversial piece of news gonna flabbergast people cause I actually today pick up a copy of a newspaper and read it (being a former UG fanzine editor-always thought that mainstream media is full of bullshit fyi I havent read one in years). So those who are close to me—especially lope n my crew- arini aku bace paper bro!!!!
So that was the first reason for people to have their jaw dropped… wait until you hear about what is my stand on the issue … well I kinda agreed…(ok jaws droppin-tutup mulut skit lalat masuk kang) Yeah I know I am a self proclaim liberal muslim feminist suddenly agreeing to this archaic notion that is perhaps moved the feminist movement 50 years back.
lemme makes this simple, when we were married… did he Qadhi says with the name of allah most gracious most merciful or did he says by the power vested in me by the state of xxxxx… so if you answers the first option meaning clearly you’re a Muslim tying a contract f marriage in the name of Allah which is considered an act of ibadah and like all ibadah it have rules and regulation that regulates performance of the ibadah, simple example: can you suddenly decide to pray zuhur in the morning? you cant? Why? Because zuhur is performed in the afternoon. This concept of ibadah applies to all walks of life
before I continue with my arguments and continue to make your jaw drops lemme just clarify one thing I am not a theologist , but iam gonna quote from the quran and hadith.
“People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.” The Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Last Sermon This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).
So those kickin n screaming saying that this is unfair for women we are being oppressed bla..bla..bla.. hey I got news this is the first proclamation on spousal rights a 7th century version of a prenuptial… so before you go all hysterical- take note women do have rights, if a women’s obey their husband he reserve the right to feed ,clothes and to be treated with kindness, although in the 21cent there are useless mens that maintains this relationships without fulfilling these conditions but even then women have rights dissolve or maintains the marriage. So if u are that unhappy…..( u know the answers)
Any woman who dies when her husband is pleased with her will enter Paradise. - The Prophet (saw)
"If I were to command a single person to bow in prostration to an other person, I could have commanded a women to bow down to her husband." - The Prophet (saw)
Perhaps my argument so far have been black n white without touchin any grey area, well for me it is clearly black and white, and the above two hadiths clearly shows my stand--- finally this world is gonna end—and our ultimate goal is to survive in the other world, we carry nuthin but our deeds… so be husband be it wives we are going to answer for what you have done in this world good n bad, for better or worse... pray for guidance from allah because believe me allah knows best :P
The Club, to be launched Saturday by Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd, aims to teach wives how to keep their husbands happy and contented.
Global Ikhwan, an organisation founded by former members of the banned Al-Arqam Islamic group, also launched the Ikhwan Polygamy Club two years ago.
Global Ikhwan spokesperson Siti Maznah Mohd Taufik said that many social ills were caused by disobedient wives who failed to bring joy to their husbands.“Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders. A man must be responsible for his wife's wellbeing but she must listen to her husband,”
Siti Maznah, 48, also stressed that husbands would not stray and turn to prostitutes if wives supplied them with a satisfying sex life.She said women had the duty of making themselves attractive and dressing up beautifully at home.
“Wives should welcome them with sexy clothes and alluring smiles when in the privacy of their homes,” she said, adding that she herself did the same as everyone in the club practised what they preached.Siti Maznah, a second wife and mother to five children, said she treated her husband's first wife like her elder sister.
“Altogether, we have 16 children in our household. My husband is a happy man, you can see it from his actions,” she said.According to her, the Ikhwan Polygamy Club now has over 1,000 members comprising both husbands and wives. The average number of children per polygamous household ranges from four to 26.Siti Maznah admitted that husbands were not perfect and it was natural for disagreements to occur, sometimes.“We can have discussions and disagreements. We don't just keep quiet when we don't agree with our husbands,” she said.However, as long as husbands did not go against Islamic law, their final word was law, she said
(excerpted from The Star 4th June 2011)
First of all I know this controversial piece of news gonna flabbergast people cause I actually today pick up a copy of a newspaper and read it (being a former UG fanzine editor-always thought that mainstream media is full of bullshit fyi I havent read one in years). So those who are close to me—especially lope n my crew- arini aku bace paper bro!!!!
So that was the first reason for people to have their jaw dropped… wait until you hear about what is my stand on the issue … well I kinda agreed…(ok jaws droppin-tutup mulut skit lalat masuk kang) Yeah I know I am a self proclaim liberal muslim feminist suddenly agreeing to this archaic notion that is perhaps moved the feminist movement 50 years back.
lemme makes this simple, when we were married… did he Qadhi says with the name of allah most gracious most merciful or did he says by the power vested in me by the state of xxxxx… so if you answers the first option meaning clearly you’re a Muslim tying a contract f marriage in the name of Allah which is considered an act of ibadah and like all ibadah it have rules and regulation that regulates performance of the ibadah, simple example: can you suddenly decide to pray zuhur in the morning? you cant? Why? Because zuhur is performed in the afternoon. This concept of ibadah applies to all walks of life
before I continue with my arguments and continue to make your jaw drops lemme just clarify one thing I am not a theologist , but iam gonna quote from the quran and hadith.
“People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness.” The Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Last Sermon This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).
So those kickin n screaming saying that this is unfair for women we are being oppressed bla..bla..bla.. hey I got news this is the first proclamation on spousal rights a 7th century version of a prenuptial… so before you go all hysterical- take note women do have rights, if a women’s obey their husband he reserve the right to feed ,clothes and to be treated with kindness, although in the 21cent there are useless mens that maintains this relationships without fulfilling these conditions but even then women have rights dissolve or maintains the marriage. So if u are that unhappy…..( u know the answers)
Any woman who dies when her husband is pleased with her will enter Paradise. - The Prophet (saw)
"If I were to command a single person to bow in prostration to an other person, I could have commanded a women to bow down to her husband." - The Prophet (saw)
Perhaps my argument so far have been black n white without touchin any grey area, well for me it is clearly black and white, and the above two hadiths clearly shows my stand--- finally this world is gonna end—and our ultimate goal is to survive in the other world, we carry nuthin but our deeds… so be husband be it wives we are going to answer for what you have done in this world good n bad, for better or worse... pray for guidance from allah because believe me allah knows best :P
The Head Scarf Controversy
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A former stockroom worker for Abercrombie & Fitch Co. sued the clothing retailer in federal court Monday, saying she was illegally fired after refusing to remove her Muslim headscarf while on the job.”
Before I embark upon writing the issues let me clarify I am also new to the hijab, if you count the on again off again shenanigans …. But it was introduce to me in its ultimate sense when I entered UIA 10 years ago( still managed to play hooky with it until last ramadhan). So reading this, one might say aha… that’s why she is so gung-ho about it… well let me clarify the things even during these shenanigans I do feel that hijab clad women not only are being discriminated but in worst case scenario these discrimination are being marginalize .
Let me narrate a story that happened to my colleague that encountered such issues in Malaysia , she was very traditional in wearing hijab and mainly resort to dark colored hijab, she was an amazing teacher , but she was refused the job by a private institution in Malaysia because of her appearance. Not only that the interviewer also resort to humiliate her during interviews, yes this company is situated in Malaysia, owned by a Muslim women and the interviewer was also a Muslim women. I was later employed by this institution on temporary basis needless to say it was the worst place to work. Yes this is not a western thing it is also a Malaysian thing; many Muslim women for some reasons resort to think that you would only look presentable in miniskirt, well everybody is entitle to their own opinion, I am not going to agree or disagree on this, but I do disagree when you let your cloth define you, you should be the one defining your cloth be it micro miniskirt or burqa …
The dawn of Islam in 7th century Arabia, brought light to women who were oppressed under a chauvinistic dynasty, Islam brought the idea of the rights of women and together with it an Islamic feminist movement, this concept of rights was unheard of in the west until the beginning of the 19th century. With this being said many of my liberal and western counterparts might ask me? If you have rights then why are you being oppressed by men. The hijab is men tools of oppression.
Again the air needs to be cleared, the hijab to me personally is not an object of oppression but rather it gives me independence to choose what I let strangers sees, I have control upon my body in the most definitive utter sense. I choose not to be an object of sexuality; I choose who I allow to see the most intimate part of my body. I feel I have control, I feel safe… I choose not to let men gawk at me. So if wearing hijab to you is a tool of oppression I say think again…. Because for me hijab have become a tool of liberation because I now truly feel liberated… For a lot of people in the West, Hijab – or covering ones’ head according to the teachings of Islam is a puzzle. Feminists consider Hijab as a tool of oppression, one used by men to suppress women. What most people fail to realise is that Hijab is a choice most women make and has nothing to do with oppression
Coming back to issue at bay why are women who decide to be modest are being discriminated…? So let go down to another question Should women be allowed to wear a bikini at the beach? Yes, and they are. If they CHOOSE not to, that should be THEIR decision. This is my stand on the issue We need not to vote whether women should wear shorts or what not because as an individual, she also has the right to wear anything that is suitable for the weather, for her convenience and for the activity she engages in.She need no permission from us nor even from her husband, on what clothes to wear. – this should be respected. Freedom of choice, together with the diversity should be respected.
If a woman wants to wear hijab the same philosophy applies, nobody in the world has the right to force her to wear something else. If she is deep into Islam and follows the teaching taught therein, she sure can continue with her choice. But, that must be her ‘choice’ irrespective of what her husband, religion or the nation wants. This is what we call freedom of choice – including the freedom to wear anything. However, if some entity forcefully impose the wearing or forcefully remove the notion of hijab, this is something that is against the basic freedom and choice of human beings. Free will is the apparent ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints apparently to me if feminist are kickin n screaming about how women is oppressed by hijab I think its about time they starts looking into cases when women wanted to wear hijab but was forced not to... freedom to me is not a one way street . in order for free will to exist discrimination must ceased to exist
Before I embark upon writing the issues let me clarify I am also new to the hijab, if you count the on again off again shenanigans …. But it was introduce to me in its ultimate sense when I entered UIA 10 years ago( still managed to play hooky with it until last ramadhan). So reading this, one might say aha… that’s why she is so gung-ho about it… well let me clarify the things even during these shenanigans I do feel that hijab clad women not only are being discriminated but in worst case scenario these discrimination are being marginalize .
Let me narrate a story that happened to my colleague that encountered such issues in Malaysia , she was very traditional in wearing hijab and mainly resort to dark colored hijab, she was an amazing teacher , but she was refused the job by a private institution in Malaysia because of her appearance. Not only that the interviewer also resort to humiliate her during interviews, yes this company is situated in Malaysia, owned by a Muslim women and the interviewer was also a Muslim women. I was later employed by this institution on temporary basis needless to say it was the worst place to work. Yes this is not a western thing it is also a Malaysian thing; many Muslim women for some reasons resort to think that you would only look presentable in miniskirt, well everybody is entitle to their own opinion, I am not going to agree or disagree on this, but I do disagree when you let your cloth define you, you should be the one defining your cloth be it micro miniskirt or burqa …
The dawn of Islam in 7th century Arabia, brought light to women who were oppressed under a chauvinistic dynasty, Islam brought the idea of the rights of women and together with it an Islamic feminist movement, this concept of rights was unheard of in the west until the beginning of the 19th century. With this being said many of my liberal and western counterparts might ask me? If you have rights then why are you being oppressed by men. The hijab is men tools of oppression.
Again the air needs to be cleared, the hijab to me personally is not an object of oppression but rather it gives me independence to choose what I let strangers sees, I have control upon my body in the most definitive utter sense. I choose not to be an object of sexuality; I choose who I allow to see the most intimate part of my body. I feel I have control, I feel safe… I choose not to let men gawk at me. So if wearing hijab to you is a tool of oppression I say think again…. Because for me hijab have become a tool of liberation because I now truly feel liberated… For a lot of people in the West, Hijab – or covering ones’ head according to the teachings of Islam is a puzzle. Feminists consider Hijab as a tool of oppression, one used by men to suppress women. What most people fail to realise is that Hijab is a choice most women make and has nothing to do with oppression
Coming back to issue at bay why are women who decide to be modest are being discriminated…? So let go down to another question Should women be allowed to wear a bikini at the beach? Yes, and they are. If they CHOOSE not to, that should be THEIR decision. This is my stand on the issue We need not to vote whether women should wear shorts or what not because as an individual, she also has the right to wear anything that is suitable for the weather, for her convenience and for the activity she engages in.She need no permission from us nor even from her husband, on what clothes to wear. – this should be respected. Freedom of choice, together with the diversity should be respected.
If a woman wants to wear hijab the same philosophy applies, nobody in the world has the right to force her to wear something else. If she is deep into Islam and follows the teaching taught therein, she sure can continue with her choice. But, that must be her ‘choice’ irrespective of what her husband, religion or the nation wants. This is what we call freedom of choice – including the freedom to wear anything. However, if some entity forcefully impose the wearing or forcefully remove the notion of hijab, this is something that is against the basic freedom and choice of human beings. Free will is the apparent ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints apparently to me if feminist are kickin n screaming about how women is oppressed by hijab I think its about time they starts looking into cases when women wanted to wear hijab but was forced not to... freedom to me is not a one way street . in order for free will to exist discrimination must ceased to exist
when a heart breaks, it dont break even....
Where do I even begin this topic is as common as the passing wind, as universal as sand on the beach and as ordinary as the moon at night. Being in love and being heartbroken. Love is so powerful because being loved causes one to love oneself. Nothing contributes to the self-image more than being loved by another. When the words, “I love you” are expressed to you for the first time, your world blossoms, your heart glows with inspiration, confidence and thoughts of the mountains you can move. It’s more than an emotional kick; suddenly you like yourself more than you ever have before.
Oh, that sweet feeling of falling in love! That dizzying magical enchanted feeling – that all is right with the world, and certainly with you, swept off your feet as you are. It is a mingling of hearts and souls. A slight tingle, a funny feeling in the tummy, a racing heart, is to be expected. You can literally see sparks fly. Passion is a wonderful thing. It makes us feel more alive, more connected to the world. Shakespeare once said ...Love is not love, Which alters when it alteration finds, Or Bends with the remover to remove. O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken. It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Then tragedies struck you get yourself heartbroken, Heartbreak can be caused by many different circumstances and that's what makes this emotion easily recognized by nearly every person on the planet. It can result from the loss of a loved one, a partner, a friend and even a close pet. Or it can be caused from disappointment, betrayal or a change from known surroundings. It might not even be a loss at all but a sense of loss, or the realization that the love of the person you care most for is drifting far from where it had always been. Heartbreak is more than just an emotional defeat; to some the pain is very real. At one point or another, everyone must experience this mind numbing feeling.
At the beginning you might feel enraged and infuriated; you launch a vendetta against the world. You might break things and burn things which usually end with an animalistic heart throbbing sobs. Later the melancholia sets in, which can cause such an intense reaction that you may feel your life has been completely stripped of meaning. Jobs, hobbies, and friends may no longer hold any joy. You feel so low and you feel like no one understands you, and when they try to you just think they have never felt like this and they never will.
Every song reminds you of them, and everything you do or see reminds you of them, you lie in bed thinking about them, you watch your phone 24/7 to see if they will call you. You go through pictures of you both all the time; you stalk his/her facebook/myspace to see if they are moving on from you.
You want to see them so much it hurts. You imagine you can’t live without them ever again and you will never be able to find someone like that again ever. No one understands you or will care for you like they did. You cry the entire time non stop and generally feel as low as anything. You feel like running but not going anywhere....it hurts to breathe and it hurts to not breathe...your face is burning hot and wet due to tears.. It felt like someone just siphoned out all the happiness from your body, and you felt like there was nothing you could do but feel depressed... and you couldn't stop thinking about what happened.
Finally the acceptance phase, where you accept that you are never meant to be, while you know like there's no point in even breathing now they're not with you and your future is completely empty without them. Every little thing reminds you of them and the thought of them moving on without you nearly kills you. Every single kiss every single touch roamed in the corner of your memories like film playing on cue. You grasp the astringent authenticity that all avenue for true love have close it doors forever... you now led a solitary destitute of life without love.
Oh, that sweet feeling of falling in love! That dizzying magical enchanted feeling – that all is right with the world, and certainly with you, swept off your feet as you are. It is a mingling of hearts and souls. A slight tingle, a funny feeling in the tummy, a racing heart, is to be expected. You can literally see sparks fly. Passion is a wonderful thing. It makes us feel more alive, more connected to the world. Shakespeare once said ...Love is not love, Which alters when it alteration finds, Or Bends with the remover to remove. O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken. It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Then tragedies struck you get yourself heartbroken, Heartbreak can be caused by many different circumstances and that's what makes this emotion easily recognized by nearly every person on the planet. It can result from the loss of a loved one, a partner, a friend and even a close pet. Or it can be caused from disappointment, betrayal or a change from known surroundings. It might not even be a loss at all but a sense of loss, or the realization that the love of the person you care most for is drifting far from where it had always been. Heartbreak is more than just an emotional defeat; to some the pain is very real. At one point or another, everyone must experience this mind numbing feeling.
At the beginning you might feel enraged and infuriated; you launch a vendetta against the world. You might break things and burn things which usually end with an animalistic heart throbbing sobs. Later the melancholia sets in, which can cause such an intense reaction that you may feel your life has been completely stripped of meaning. Jobs, hobbies, and friends may no longer hold any joy. You feel so low and you feel like no one understands you, and when they try to you just think they have never felt like this and they never will.
Every song reminds you of them, and everything you do or see reminds you of them, you lie in bed thinking about them, you watch your phone 24/7 to see if they will call you. You go through pictures of you both all the time; you stalk his/her facebook/myspace to see if they are moving on from you.
You want to see them so much it hurts. You imagine you can’t live without them ever again and you will never be able to find someone like that again ever. No one understands you or will care for you like they did. You cry the entire time non stop and generally feel as low as anything. You feel like running but not going anywhere....it hurts to breathe and it hurts to not breathe...your face is burning hot and wet due to tears.. It felt like someone just siphoned out all the happiness from your body, and you felt like there was nothing you could do but feel depressed... and you couldn't stop thinking about what happened.
Finally the acceptance phase, where you accept that you are never meant to be, while you know like there's no point in even breathing now they're not with you and your future is completely empty without them. Every little thing reminds you of them and the thought of them moving on without you nearly kills you. Every single kiss every single touch roamed in the corner of your memories like film playing on cue. You grasp the astringent authenticity that all avenue for true love have close it doors forever... you now led a solitary destitute of life without love.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Show Me The Money..
"Show Me the Money," a well-known phrase uttered by characters in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire. Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe.It's critical consensus states: Anchored by dazzling performances from Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renée Zellweger, as well as Cameron Crowe's tender direction, Jerry Maguire meshes romance and sports with panache."
Make no mistakes; I am not here to give a review on the movie. Nonetheless, I would love to review on how hot Tom Cruise is, that would be a different post altogether viewed under adult content..LOL. These two weeks have been a quite a revelation. As I sit down with a few quite interesting people that showed me a different deportment on life. One of them actually requested me to write it down but as always life gets in the way and I completely left it somewhere at the back of my mind.
Yesterday I was taken by surprise by the event that I am about to narrate, which co-relates to the three interesting people I convene with earlier last week. Last night I received a phone call from a former student a fine 19 years old young boy, he was sobbing he was saying that the people in the college is alienating him because he is not rich enough hence cannot afford to buy the coolest stuff (ie: I-pad, stamp pad , sanitary pad etc what not... I am very bad with technology and plus I don’t care much) The worst part is this student which is a Muslim have given up on life and god( according to him god is not fair since they are rich and poor people if god is powerful why cant he makes everybody rich) because of this quandary . He says between sobbing that my life would be so much better if my family was so much richer. Well without much deliberation I pretty much gave him a lot of consoling and try my best to convincing him, he finally calm down after 1 hour.
Alas, for me what he said stuck in me and pose a question within the inner realm of my conscience “ would our life be so much better if we are all richer? Many of us would scream no! but then why are we living on a constant rat race to make ends meet? Please do not misunderstood me.. I am the forth generation from a family of entrepreneurs, my great grandparents travelled thousands miles away from the Indian Sub-Continent and the coastal city of Yemen to this small peninsular to establish their own business, you want to talk money with me? I was brought up with only one motto: minimise cost maximise profits, so I do understood the meaning of money and its importance..but the ultimate reservation would it make everything feels so much better?
I started working at the tender age of 14, I was given the task of financial management at the same time, thus I have not become a very frivolous person. I have always been very careful with money. I have always taken pride that I rarely let material define whom I am. It is more one occurrence that I bought things from pasar malam and manage to work the outfit and I have always been taught from my previous career that it is not the brand or the outfit or other material stuff that make the person. It is their charisma, persona and character that make a great impact.
Despondently, even with this perspective in life I am constantly living in a rat race, I have without guilt constantly traded the RM with quality time with families and friends. I have always been a culpable workaholic striving for the RM. I have met and dated a lot of men that think money can buy love, well cant really blame them do we... ?The things some people would do for money. I constantly think about money and sometimes dream about money.
Moving back to my congregation with these three people: I have come to this finale, there is more to life than a profligate facade, live in expensive house, drive expensive cars , wine and dine in the best restaurant , because happiness is not something that can be bought, secondly your family , friends and faith is the most important things in life never neglect them, because we are given a limited time on earth, we must always put these things first before money, and finally when you die you leave this world with nothing except our deeds and a memories of our life on earth. Therefore re-evaluate your priority because all of us have an expiry date and eventually that day would come...
Monday, October 3, 2011
Moderating Islam: Revivalism vs re-valuation
Worryingly, Islam remains a criticized religion. People tend to have a far negative view of it. A censorious view of Islam is worrying because it has a direct bearing on how Muslims are viewed and accepted.
More than 4 in 10 Americans (43%) feel “a little” prejudiced toward Muslims — more than twice the number with a similar feeling against Christians (18%), Jews (15%) and Buddhists (14%), a recent Gallup Center for Muslim Studies survey report (titled “Religious Perceptions in America: With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam”)
The study, one among many, is surprising: It suggests that a year after President Obama’s thumping Muslim outreach attempt in Cairo, little may have changed on the ground. The bad PR continues despite some other positive Gallup findings, that Muslims admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technology, and American Muslims as a whole are second only to Jewish Americans in terms of educational empowerment.
Muslims’ capacity to reconcile their faith to evolving realities — social, political and economic — continues to be seen as inadequate.
Though a complex interplay of global events, past/present history and instinctive media reportage, present-day Islam’s image runs contrary to some manifest Quranic values.
According to me, in the present-day context, the current crisis in this great monotheistic religion needs to be addressed through two sets of instruments — re-evaluation and re-valuation, as opposed to revivalism that has been, historically, very narrow-based. Such a contrarian approach is the only viable way to open the critical door, if Islam is to be rescued from ignominy.
Viewing Islamic value-based systems
As yardsticks, I will use Princeton University definitions of value, valuation and evaluation, within the present context, however, for clarity.
Unless expressed in financial terms, value is said to be an ideal accepted by some individual or group. Evaluation is said to be an appraisal of the value of something.
Valuation, on the other hand, is the estimation of the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of a value. According to a standard definition, a value system is said to be a set of consistent values maintained by an individual or a group.
There are two reasons why Quranic values are important to understanding Islam, which then may form the basis of how the religion is viewed. One, the Muslim holy book is central to a majority of Islamic values and, two, Islamic culture is said to derive from it.
In my opinion, there are two major negatively perceived (ascribed) Islamic values — Muslims are less accepting of other religions (widely known as Islamic supremacy) and Muslims are prone to violence. Obviously, they run against modern values.
Deep-seated as they are, these views make Islam look dangerous; Islamic revivalism more so. Though very active, Islamic revivalists or preachers have focussed on just a handful of key Islamic values, such as prayer and fasting, ignoring others.
The Tablighi Jamaat, an organisation of preachers founded in the 1920s by Mohammed Illyas, a Deoband graduate, has restricted its preaching agenda to salaat and mosque attendance.
Unlike Deoband’s cleric associations, Illyas did not consider it necessary to belong to a formal ulama or clerics’ organisation in order to preach Islam. Instead, he attempted an informal grassroots movement to encourage religious renewal among Muslims.
Since the Tablighi Jamaat is mainly an organisation of voluntary associations, there is no central administrative structure or manuals to preach Islamic values. The preachers travel door-to-door, inviting locals to join them. They strongly emphasise piety and humility. Those inspired are encouraged to join them. In this way, it spread throughout the Muslim world.
Islamic revivalism has seldom touched upon issues such as Islamic supremacy and violence and the Quran’s position on such issues. Is it because it never felt the need to address these issues, as it did not consider them to be a part of Islamic values in the first place?
Notably, both the issues — religious tolerance and killing of innocents –are addressed by the Quran, which Muslims consider the very word of God and was revealed 14 centuries ago through Islam’s prophet Mohammed. The Quranic position on these issues makes a strong case for viewing it as a time-honoured faith in harmony with modern values.
In a specific verse (Chapter 6), the Quran clearly prescribes tolerance and respect for other religions, regardless of whether this Islamic value has been adhered to by Muslims.
“Revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deed seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do.” [Quran, Chapter-6, Verse 006-108]
The Quran’s Chapter 2, verse 32, prohibits killing of innocents (which can be appropriated to modern-day terrorism): “…whosoever kills an innocent, it is as if he killed the whole of humanity, and whosoever saves a life, it is as if he saved all mankind.”
Therefore, re-evaluation and re-valuation of Islamic values, as they exist in their nominal forms, is necessary to lift the fog.
How Islam is viewed has to ultimately do with actions Muslims take, regardless of whether such actions constitute an Islamic value. As God says in the Quran (13:11): “Truly, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
I personally thinks that this problem of perception is basically caused muslim fundamentalist Its "strictest form" includes "Wahhabism, sometimes also referred to as salafiyya. ... For fundamentalists the law is the most essential component of Islam, leading to an overwhelming emphasis upon jurisprudence, usually narrowly conceived or which American historian Ira Lapidus calls Islamic fundamentalism "an umbrella designation for a very wide variety of movements, some intolerant and exclusivist,
If we continue to focus on the fundamental right or wrong or hukm then Islam would just mainly maintain itself just sets of rules rather than a way of life, there are certain degree of flexibility in Islam. To again transfer Islam as a way of life then the door of ijtihad must be reopened. Questions and opinions need to be asked and shared... only we have reached this stage then only Islam can be restored to its glorious past.
Where we are today is sadly, the dark ages of Islam in almost the same manners as Europe plunged itself into darkness after the collapse of the Greeco-Roman civilization, where extremist christains dominates the religion people are not allowed to think and opinios are considered blasphemy... we are now here at this points.. the youth are not attracted to secularism more than ever, like a moth attracted to a lightbulb a very hot one in fact.... unless we come up with the way to make Islamic teaching less fundamental and more applicable as way of life... the same fate that have be fallen the christian church would next catch up with us...
More than 4 in 10 Americans (43%) feel “a little” prejudiced toward Muslims — more than twice the number with a similar feeling against Christians (18%), Jews (15%) and Buddhists (14%), a recent Gallup Center for Muslim Studies survey report (titled “Religious Perceptions in America: With an In-Depth Analysis of U.S. Attitudes Toward Muslims and Islam”)
The study, one among many, is surprising: It suggests that a year after President Obama’s thumping Muslim outreach attempt in Cairo, little may have changed on the ground. The bad PR continues despite some other positive Gallup findings, that Muslims admire the West for its democracy, freedoms and technology, and American Muslims as a whole are second only to Jewish Americans in terms of educational empowerment.
Muslims’ capacity to reconcile their faith to evolving realities — social, political and economic — continues to be seen as inadequate.
Though a complex interplay of global events, past/present history and instinctive media reportage, present-day Islam’s image runs contrary to some manifest Quranic values.
According to me, in the present-day context, the current crisis in this great monotheistic religion needs to be addressed through two sets of instruments — re-evaluation and re-valuation, as opposed to revivalism that has been, historically, very narrow-based. Such a contrarian approach is the only viable way to open the critical door, if Islam is to be rescued from ignominy.
Viewing Islamic value-based systems
As yardsticks, I will use Princeton University definitions of value, valuation and evaluation, within the present context, however, for clarity.
Unless expressed in financial terms, value is said to be an ideal accepted by some individual or group. Evaluation is said to be an appraisal of the value of something.
Valuation, on the other hand, is the estimation of the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of a value. According to a standard definition, a value system is said to be a set of consistent values maintained by an individual or a group.
There are two reasons why Quranic values are important to understanding Islam, which then may form the basis of how the religion is viewed. One, the Muslim holy book is central to a majority of Islamic values and, two, Islamic culture is said to derive from it.
In my opinion, there are two major negatively perceived (ascribed) Islamic values — Muslims are less accepting of other religions (widely known as Islamic supremacy) and Muslims are prone to violence. Obviously, they run against modern values.
Deep-seated as they are, these views make Islam look dangerous; Islamic revivalism more so. Though very active, Islamic revivalists or preachers have focussed on just a handful of key Islamic values, such as prayer and fasting, ignoring others.
The Tablighi Jamaat, an organisation of preachers founded in the 1920s by Mohammed Illyas, a Deoband graduate, has restricted its preaching agenda to salaat and mosque attendance.
Unlike Deoband’s cleric associations, Illyas did not consider it necessary to belong to a formal ulama or clerics’ organisation in order to preach Islam. Instead, he attempted an informal grassroots movement to encourage religious renewal among Muslims.
Since the Tablighi Jamaat is mainly an organisation of voluntary associations, there is no central administrative structure or manuals to preach Islamic values. The preachers travel door-to-door, inviting locals to join them. They strongly emphasise piety and humility. Those inspired are encouraged to join them. In this way, it spread throughout the Muslim world.
Islamic revivalism has seldom touched upon issues such as Islamic supremacy and violence and the Quran’s position on such issues. Is it because it never felt the need to address these issues, as it did not consider them to be a part of Islamic values in the first place?
Notably, both the issues — religious tolerance and killing of innocents –are addressed by the Quran, which Muslims consider the very word of God and was revealed 14 centuries ago through Islam’s prophet Mohammed. The Quranic position on these issues makes a strong case for viewing it as a time-honoured faith in harmony with modern values.
In a specific verse (Chapter 6), the Quran clearly prescribes tolerance and respect for other religions, regardless of whether this Islamic value has been adhered to by Muslims.
“Revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deed seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do.” [Quran, Chapter-6, Verse 006-108]
The Quran’s Chapter 2, verse 32, prohibits killing of innocents (which can be appropriated to modern-day terrorism): “…whosoever kills an innocent, it is as if he killed the whole of humanity, and whosoever saves a life, it is as if he saved all mankind.”
Therefore, re-evaluation and re-valuation of Islamic values, as they exist in their nominal forms, is necessary to lift the fog.
How Islam is viewed has to ultimately do with actions Muslims take, regardless of whether such actions constitute an Islamic value. As God says in the Quran (13:11): “Truly, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
I personally thinks that this problem of perception is basically caused muslim fundamentalist Its "strictest form" includes "Wahhabism, sometimes also referred to as salafiyya. ... For fundamentalists the law is the most essential component of Islam, leading to an overwhelming emphasis upon jurisprudence, usually narrowly conceived or which American historian Ira Lapidus calls Islamic fundamentalism "an umbrella designation for a very wide variety of movements, some intolerant and exclusivist,
If we continue to focus on the fundamental right or wrong or hukm then Islam would just mainly maintain itself just sets of rules rather than a way of life, there are certain degree of flexibility in Islam. To again transfer Islam as a way of life then the door of ijtihad must be reopened. Questions and opinions need to be asked and shared... only we have reached this stage then only Islam can be restored to its glorious past.
Where we are today is sadly, the dark ages of Islam in almost the same manners as Europe plunged itself into darkness after the collapse of the Greeco-Roman civilization, where extremist christains dominates the religion people are not allowed to think and opinios are considered blasphemy... we are now here at this points.. the youth are not attracted to secularism more than ever, like a moth attracted to a lightbulb a very hot one in fact.... unless we come up with the way to make Islamic teaching less fundamental and more applicable as way of life... the same fate that have be fallen the christian church would next catch up with us...
We LoVe Rock and Roll
A friend suggested i write from my heart, well i figure before writing from the heart it is better for people know what is it, in my heart. I love my music more than anything, when I was 16 , I became the editor of my own Underground Fanzine The RoyalTown Fanzine ( where which I earned the pen name Queen of the Damned) that circulated for about 5years before it ended its publication in 2004. I ended it due to the diaspora of the rest of my team in various location in Malaysia. Needless to say I was the only female member of the team. I would always miss these people, my friends lope, ejan and reza... indeed we made a good team, I wish we could just chill have cofee and just talk about music like the good old days. Nonetheless the following post is a tribute to them and an educational journey for those that perceive us as idiots( fyi: Iam a lecturer, lope is an engineer so does reza and ejan is a very sucessful chef and entreprenuer- not too bad for an Idiot eh), so lets embark on this jouney of knowing what is heavy metal music.
Heavy metal (often referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States.With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are generally associated with masculinity and machismo.
The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, though they were often critically reviled, a status common throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal had attracted a worldwide following of fans known as "metalheads" or "headbangers".
In the 1980s, glam metal became a major commercial force with groups like Mötley Crüe and Poison. Underground scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive styles: thrash metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, while other styles like death metal and black metal remain subcultural phenomena. Since the mid-1990s, popular styles such as nu metal, which often incorporates elements of grunge and hip hop; and metalcore, which blends extreme metal with hardcore punk, have further expanded the definition of the genre
Heavy metal is traditionally characterized by loud distorted guitars, emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound, and vigorous vocals. Metal subgenres variously emphasize, alter, or omit one or more of these attributes. New York Times critic Jon Pareles writes, "In the taxonomy of popular music, heavy metal is a major subspecies of hard-rock—the breed with less syncopation, less blues, more showmanship and more brute force."The typical band lineup includes a drummer, a bassist, a rhythm guitarist, a lead guitarist, and a singer, who may or may not be an instrumentalist. Keyboard instruments are sometimes used to enhance the fullness of the sound.
The electric guitar and the sonic power that it projects through amplification has historically been the key element in heavy metal. The lead role of the guitar in heavy metal often collides with the traditional "frontman" or bandleader role of the vocalist, creating a musical tension as the two "contend for dominance" in a spirit of "affectionate rivalry".Heavy metal "demands the subordination of the voice" to the overall sound of the band. Reflecting metal's roots in the 1960s counterculture, an "explicit display of emotion" is required from the vocals as a sign of authenticity.Critic Simon Frithclaims that the metal singer's "tone of voice" is more important than the lyrics. Metal vocals vary widely in style, from the multioctave, theatrical approach of Judas Priest's Rob Halford and Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, to the gruff style of Motörhead's Lemmy and Metallica's James Hetfield, to the growling of many death metal performers, and to the harsh screams of black metal
The prominent role of the bass is also key to the metal sound, and the interplay of bass and guitar is a central element. The bass guitar provides the low-end sound crucial to making the music "heavy".Metal basslines vary widely in complexity, from holding down a low pedal point as a foundation to doubling complex riffs and licks along with the lead and/or rhythm guitars. Some bands feature the bass as a lead instrument, an approach popularized by Metallica's Cliff Burton in the early 1980s.
The essence of metal drumming is creating a loud, constant beat for the band using the "trifecta of speed, power, and precision".Metal drumming "requires an exceptional amount of endurance", and drummers have to develop "considerable speed, coordination, and dexterity...to play the intricate patterns" used in metal.A characteristic metal drumming technique is the cymbal choke, which consists of striking a cymbal and then immediately silencing it by grabbing it with the other hand (or, in some cases, the same striking hand), producing a burst of sound. The metal drum setup is generally much larger than those employed in other forms of rock music.
The thematic content of heavy metal has long been a target of criticism. According to Jon Pareles, "Heavy metal's main subject matter is simple and virtually universal. With grunts, moans and subliterary lyrics, it celebrates...a party without limits.... The bulk of the music is stylized and formulaic."Music critics have often deemed metal lyrics juvenile and banal, and others have objected to what they see as advocacy of misogyny and the occult. During the 1980s, the Parents Music Resource Center petitioned the U.S. Congress to regulate the popular music industry due to what the group asserted were objectionable lyrics, particularly those in heavy metal songs. In 1990, Judas Priest was sued in American court by the parents of two young men who had shot themselves five years earlier, allegedly after hearing the subliminal statement "do it" in a Priest song. While the case attracted a great deal of media attention, it was ultimately dismissed. In some predominantly Muslim countries, heavy metal has been officially denounced as a threat to traditional values. In countries including Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and Malaysia, there have been incidents of heavy metal musicians and fans being arrested and incarcerated.
As with much popular music, visual imagery plays a large role in heavy metal. In addition to its sound and lyrics, a heavy metal band's "image" is expressed in album sleeve art, logos, stage sets, clothing, and music videos. Some heavy metal acts such as Alice Cooper, Kiss, Lordi, Slipknot, and Gwar have become known as much for their outrageous performance personas and stage shows as for their music.
Down-the-back long hair, according to Weinstein, is the "most crucial distinguishing feature of metal fashion." Originally adopted from the hippie subculture, by the 1980s and 1990s heavy metal hair "symbolised the hate, angst and disenchantment of a generation that seemingly never felt at home," according to journalist Nader Rahman. Long hair gave members of the metal community "the power they needed to rebel against nothing in general."
The classic uniform of heavy metal fans consists of "blue jeans, black T-shirts, boots and black leather or jeans jackets.... T-shirts are generally emblazoned with the logos or other visual representations of favorite metal bands."Metal fans also "appropriated elements from the S&M community (chains, metal studs, skulls, leather and crosses)." In the 1980s, a range of sources, from punk and goth music to horror films, influenced metal fashion.Many metal performers of the 1970s and 1980s used radically shaped and brightly colored instruments to enhance their stage appearance. Fashion and personal style was especially important for glam metal bands of the era. Performers typically wore long, dyed, hairspray-teased hair (hence the nickname, "hair metal"); makeup such as lipstick and eyeliner; gaudy clothing, including leopard-skin-printed shirts or vests and tight denim, leather, or spandex pants; and accessories such as headbands and jewelry.Pioneered by the heavy metal act X Japan in the late 1980s, bands in the Japanese movement known as visual kei—which includes many nonmetal groups—emphasize elaborate costumes, hair, and makeup.
Although everyone in the media writes off heavy metal like they write off opinions from Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, honest peace activists, Noam Chomsky and Siddhartha Guatama alike, I think it has a place in modern society's global culture and in fact represents a breath of fresh air in that.
In 1969, Tony Iommi saw a horror movie and wanted to make music that sounded like a horror movie. He wanted to do this because he was fed up with the hippies around him spouting simplistic non-solutions to enduring problems. They thought they could impose peace from without. He said war was within. This viewpoint was not popular. And so heavy metal was born.
It was fused early on with the prog rock of Jethro Tull and King Crimson, both of which had an archly cynical view of human futures. Humanity, they argued, was doomed because it refused to focus on its own degeneracy through its mindless pursuit of pleasure. In this, they echoed Aldous Huxley of the generation before. Of course, this viewpoint was not popular.
Heavy metal is a sonic reducer that takes the world of external, visual manipulations and cuts it down to some basic truths that transcend what humans think they want or need. It's about a world, interconnected, that has a process to it that resembles geology or biology, but not the neurotic sophistication of morality, bureaucracy or psychologyIt has made its mark
It's now common to hear distortion in normal songs on the radio. Heavy metal themes have soaked into movies, art and tattoo art and comics, and even into mainstream newspapers which pun on classic heavy metal song titles. Any time in this society you want to symbolize someone who isn't following the kool-aid line to destiny, out comes the long-haired, gentle but socially alienated, headbanger.
Heavy metal (often referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States.With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are generally associated with masculinity and machismo.
The first heavy metal bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, though they were often critically reviled, a status common throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Bands in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal such as Iron Maiden followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal had attracted a worldwide following of fans known as "metalheads" or "headbangers".
In the 1980s, glam metal became a major commercial force with groups like Mötley Crüe and Poison. Underground scenes produced an array of more extreme, aggressive styles: thrash metal broke into the mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, while other styles like death metal and black metal remain subcultural phenomena. Since the mid-1990s, popular styles such as nu metal, which often incorporates elements of grunge and hip hop; and metalcore, which blends extreme metal with hardcore punk, have further expanded the definition of the genre
Heavy metal is traditionally characterized by loud distorted guitars, emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound, and vigorous vocals. Metal subgenres variously emphasize, alter, or omit one or more of these attributes. New York Times critic Jon Pareles writes, "In the taxonomy of popular music, heavy metal is a major subspecies of hard-rock—the breed with less syncopation, less blues, more showmanship and more brute force."The typical band lineup includes a drummer, a bassist, a rhythm guitarist, a lead guitarist, and a singer, who may or may not be an instrumentalist. Keyboard instruments are sometimes used to enhance the fullness of the sound.
The prominent role of the bass is also key to the metal sound, and the interplay of bass and guitar is a central element. The bass guitar provides the low-end sound crucial to making the music "heavy".Metal basslines vary widely in complexity, from holding down a low pedal point as a foundation to doubling complex riffs and licks along with the lead and/or rhythm guitars. Some bands feature the bass as a lead instrument, an approach popularized by Metallica's Cliff Burton in the early 1980s.
The essence of metal drumming is creating a loud, constant beat for the band using the "trifecta of speed, power, and precision".Metal drumming "requires an exceptional amount of endurance", and drummers have to develop "considerable speed, coordination, and dexterity...to play the intricate patterns" used in metal.A characteristic metal drumming technique is the cymbal choke, which consists of striking a cymbal and then immediately silencing it by grabbing it with the other hand (or, in some cases, the same striking hand), producing a burst of sound. The metal drum setup is generally much larger than those employed in other forms of rock music.
In live performance, loudness—an "onslaught of sound," in sociologist Deena Weinstein's description—is considered vital.In his book Metalheads, psychologist Jeffrey Arnett refers to heavy metal concerts as "the sensory equivalent of war."Following the lead set by Jimi Hendrix, Cream and The Who, early heavy metal acts such as Blue Cheer set new benchmarks for volume. As Blue Cheer's Dick Peterson put it, "All we knew was we wanted more power."A 1977 review of a Motörhead concert noted how "excessive volume in particular figured into the band’s impact."Weinstein makes the case that in the same way that melody is the main element of pop and rhythm is the main focus of house music, powerful sound, timbre, and volume are the key elements of metal. She argues that the loudness is designed to "sweep the listener into the sound" and to provide a "shot of youthful vitality."
Sabbath and the many metal bands they inspired have concentrated lyrically "on dark and depressing subject matter to an extent hitherto unprecedented in any form of pop music," according to scholars David Hatch and Stephen Millward. They take as an example Sabbath's second album Paranoid (1970), which "included songs dealing with personal trauma—'Paranoid' and 'Fairies Wear Boot' (which described the unsavoury side effects of drug-taking) —as well as those confronting wider issues, such as the self-explanatory 'War Pigs and 'Hand of Doom.'"Nuclear annihilation was addressed in later metal songs such as Black Sabbath's Electric Funeral, Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes to Midnight", Ozzy Osbourne's "Killer of Giants", Megadeth's "Rust In Peace... Polaris", and Metallica's "Fight Fire With Fire". Death is a predominant theme in heavy metal, routinely featuring in the lyrics of bands as otherwise widely different as Slayer and W.A.S.P. The more extreme forms of death metal and grindcore tend to have aggressive and gory lyrics.
Deriving from the genre's roots in blues music, sex is another important topic—a thread running from Led Zeppelin's suggestive lyrics to the more explicit references of glam and nu metal bands.Romantic tragedy is a standard theme of gothic and doom metal, as well as of nu metal, where teenage angst is another central topic. Heavy metal songs often feature outlandish, fantasy-inspired lyrics, lending them an escapist quality. Iron Maiden's songs, for instance, were frequently inspired by mythology, fiction, and poetry, such as Iron Maiden's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", based on the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem. Led Zeppelin lyrics often reference Lord of the Rings as well as other mythology and folklore, such as in the songs "The Battle of Evermore", "Immigrant Song", "Ramble On", "No Quarter", and "Achilles Last Stand". Other examples include Black Sabbath's "The Wizard," Megadeth's "The Conjuring" and "Five Magics," and Judas Priest's "Dreamer Deceiver". Since the 1980s, with the rise of thrash metal and songs such as Metallica's "...And Justice for All" and Megadeth's "Peace Sells", more metal lyrics have included sociopolitical commentary. Genres such as melodic death metal, progressive metal, and black metal often explore philosophical themes.The thematic content of heavy metal has long been a target of criticism. According to Jon Pareles, "Heavy metal's main subject matter is simple and virtually universal. With grunts, moans and subliterary lyrics, it celebrates...a party without limits.... The bulk of the music is stylized and formulaic."Music critics have often deemed metal lyrics juvenile and banal, and others have objected to what they see as advocacy of misogyny and the occult. During the 1980s, the Parents Music Resource Center petitioned the U.S. Congress to regulate the popular music industry due to what the group asserted were objectionable lyrics, particularly those in heavy metal songs. In 1990, Judas Priest was sued in American court by the parents of two young men who had shot themselves five years earlier, allegedly after hearing the subliminal statement "do it" in a Priest song. While the case attracted a great deal of media attention, it was ultimately dismissed. In some predominantly Muslim countries, heavy metal has been officially denounced as a threat to traditional values. In countries including Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, and Malaysia, there have been incidents of heavy metal musicians and fans being arrested and incarcerated.
Down-the-back long hair, according to Weinstein, is the "most crucial distinguishing feature of metal fashion." Originally adopted from the hippie subculture, by the 1980s and 1990s heavy metal hair "symbolised the hate, angst and disenchantment of a generation that seemingly never felt at home," according to journalist Nader Rahman. Long hair gave members of the metal community "the power they needed to rebel against nothing in general."
The classic uniform of heavy metal fans consists of "blue jeans, black T-shirts, boots and black leather or jeans jackets.... T-shirts are generally emblazoned with the logos or other visual representations of favorite metal bands."Metal fans also "appropriated elements from the S&M community (chains, metal studs, skulls, leather and crosses)." In the 1980s, a range of sources, from punk and goth music to horror films, influenced metal fashion.Many metal performers of the 1970s and 1980s used radically shaped and brightly colored instruments to enhance their stage appearance. Fashion and personal style was especially important for glam metal bands of the era. Performers typically wore long, dyed, hairspray-teased hair (hence the nickname, "hair metal"); makeup such as lipstick and eyeliner; gaudy clothing, including leopard-skin-printed shirts or vests and tight denim, leather, or spandex pants; and accessories such as headbands and jewelry.Pioneered by the heavy metal act X Japan in the late 1980s, bands in the Japanese movement known as visual kei—which includes many nonmetal groups—emphasize elaborate costumes, hair, and makeup.
Although everyone in the media writes off heavy metal like they write off opinions from Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, honest peace activists, Noam Chomsky and Siddhartha Guatama alike, I think it has a place in modern society's global culture and in fact represents a breath of fresh air in that.
In 1969, Tony Iommi saw a horror movie and wanted to make music that sounded like a horror movie. He wanted to do this because he was fed up with the hippies around him spouting simplistic non-solutions to enduring problems. They thought they could impose peace from without. He said war was within. This viewpoint was not popular. And so heavy metal was born.
It was fused early on with the prog rock of Jethro Tull and King Crimson, both of which had an archly cynical view of human futures. Humanity, they argued, was doomed because it refused to focus on its own degeneracy through its mindless pursuit of pleasure. In this, they echoed Aldous Huxley of the generation before. Of course, this viewpoint was not popular.
Heavy metal is a sonic reducer that takes the world of external, visual manipulations and cuts it down to some basic truths that transcend what humans think they want or need. It's about a world, interconnected, that has a process to it that resembles geology or biology, but not the neurotic sophistication of morality, bureaucracy or psychologyIt has made its mark
It's now common to hear distortion in normal songs on the radio. Heavy metal themes have soaked into movies, art and tattoo art and comics, and even into mainstream newspapers which pun on classic heavy metal song titles. Any time in this society you want to symbolize someone who isn't following the kool-aid line to destiny, out comes the long-haired, gentle but socially alienated, headbanger.
History is written by those who won the war
The Imperial Japanese Army landed at Padang Pak Amat beach just after midnight on 8 December 1941, triggering a ferocious battle with the British Indian Army only an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor. This battle marked the official start of the Pacific War and the history of the landing of the Japanese in Malaya. The Japanese experienced high fatality rates, but wave after wave of attackers storming the beach forced the British to retreat. The Japanese then regathered their forces, before moving on to seize Kota Bharu airport. At the same time, the Japanese attacked Singapore, Hong Kong, and Pearl Harbor by air.
Living conditions under the Japanese were brutal with frequent reprisals against the ethnic Chinese population by both the occupying Japanese army and the secret police Kempeitai. During the occupation a guerilla resistance force battled the Japanese from the jungles of Malaya. Groups such as the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and Force 136 were involved in the bulk of anti-Japanese resistance during the occupation.
The Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) was a resistance movement during Japanese-occupied Malaya during World War II. It originated among ethnic Chinese cadres of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). Some units were trained by the British
Before the Japanese attacked Malaya, a potential resistance organisation already existed in the form of the Malayan Communist Party. This party's members were mainly from the Chinese community and implacably anti-Japanese. Just before the fall of Singapore, the party's Secretary General, Lai Teck, was told by the British authorities that his party should disperse into the forests, a decision already made by the party's members.
In isolation, the Communists formed the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). Their first arms and equipment were either donated by STS 101 before they were overrun, or recovered from the battlefields or abandoned British Army depots. The MPAJA formed rigidly disciplined camps and units in the forest, supplied with food by networks of contacts among displaced Chinese labourers and "squatters" on marginal land
Even though the Malays (who are Muslims) and Indians were not badly treated by Japanese forces in the beginning of the occupation, later they too felt the hardship of life under the occupation and this was magnified by the brutal treatment of anyone who was suspected of being anti-Japanese (although hardly any atrocities were inflicted on them). Thus the SOE found a suitable backing among a few Malays and sent their officers to train local resistance forces famously known as Harimau Malaya Force 136 (Tigers of Malaya of Force 136). However, certain individuals in Malaya were strong supporters of the Japanese, and were actively involved in the notorious Kempeitai "mopping up" operations and other atrocities.
It was due to these ill-treatment that prompted the local populace's involvement in Force 136. The main base for this group was near Gerik, a district in the state of Perak. The force's main task was to form an intelligence-gathering network and, should prospects be favourable, to establish a resistance movement in northern Malaya. The force also arranged the reception of other parties of Force 136 who landed by parachute, providing them with guides and local contacts in the areas of their planned operations.
The MPAJA engaged in reprisals against members of the local population who collaborated with the Japanese. Because of Japanese policy, these tended to be ethnic Malays, many of whom the Japanese employed as policemen. Although the MCP and MPAJA consistently espoused non-racial policies, the fact that their members came predominantly from the Chinese community caused their reprisals against Malays who had collaborated to be a source of racial tension.
After Japanese surrendered Before the arrival of the British, the Communist the struggle against Japanese under the umbrella of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army or [[MPAJA]] took the opportunity to rule and act against those considered cooperating with the Japanese. They punish anyone who is considered guilty without following the proper laws. Typically, they are found guilty will be sentenced to death. Communist widespread atrocities in Malaya, including Balikpapan and Muar in Johor. Malay community in the Parit Sulong, Batu Pahat, Johor, who was not equipped for self-defense firearms Haji Mohd Salleh has been chosen to lead the alliance to defend themselves from violence. This phase is known as 14 days of teror
This harbored animosity between the two races, this hostility later escalated into a racial tension. At the general grassroots level the Malays who was predominantly muslim viewed the communist atheist as a threat to their race and religion. Although communism was seen as a rival, and a threat to western democracies and capitalism for most of the twentieth century.]This rivalry peaked during the Cold War, as the world's two remaining superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, polarized most of the world into two camps of nations. This was characterized in the West as The Free World vs. Behind the Iron Curtain. It supported the spread of their economic and political systems, capitalism vs. communism, and strengthened their military powers. As a result, the camps developed new weapon systems, stockpiled nuclear weapons, and competed in space exploration. On the contrary to the malays it was a personal vendetta. The Malay saw communist as a threat to their race and religion that is why they sided with the British colonials. None the less the communist also believe that they are waging war against colonialism . but due to earlier incident and the atheistic nature of the communist ideology the Malay was not that interested. One must also take into consideration the harsh living condition that the Malay endured Japanese occupation this fostered a feeling that war should be avoided at all cost they still clouded by idea if they are not ruled by mat salleh their life would be difficult . And finally the malays are very moderate people that mainly prefer to claim independence through peaceful means.
As far as bukit kepong goes I clearly think that both party the police and the communist clearly think they fighting for a noble cause and they truly believe in their cause, we cannot deny the fact that the communist was fighting for freedom from the colonial with that being said we cannot also deny the fact that the fact that those policeman that died defending bukit kepong was also fighting t stop a new form of colonialism which is communism that is trying to gain a foothold against the British capitalism. The only means to do so was by collaborating with their colonial masters.
For a politician to crown mat indera a hero while sidelining the policeman as collaborator simply because they worked under British although historically would be correct but would be plainly insensitive and stupid. Without proper socio-historical understanding I would advise these politician stop making comments that would be one sided and would further aggravate the situation . What this situation need is an objective analysis that is not only historically correct but also not politically inclined.
One must understand this two wars of ideology between communism and capitalism but here in Malaysia there was also a race- religio situation that is very complex that makes it difficult to indentify who is he antagonist and protagonist
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