The book titled Islam & Pluralisme that I read last year was recently banned by the Ministry of Internal Security (KKDN). This includes ten other books; eight of them were published in English. The reason for this banning according to KKDN was due to the contents which have been found to be ‘deviating from the teaching of Islam’.
This book, being published by Middle-Eastern Graduates Centre (MEGC) was compiled by Al-Mustaqeem Mahmood Radhi and Khairul Anam Che Mentri. It talks about the subject of pluralism in religions and issues that concerns the Muslims regarding to this polemics. Essays published in this book were written by scholars such as Nurcholish Madjid, Hans Kung and Asghar Ali Engineer. What I can say is that, through out my reading, there was no such fact that deviates from the ‘true teaching of Islam’ as claimed by KKDN.
Justification by KKDN that the contents of the book ‘could stir confusions among Muslims’ to me, frankly, was not good enough. Such reasoning could only be spoken by a bunch of idiots whose intellectual’s positioned at his or her knees! If it was true that the book contains elements of confusion, so why not counter it back in an intellectual manners rather than abusing the authority by ‘killing’ others’ intellectual freedom?
Personally, I strongly disagree with this banning. It proof that the authority has now become a ‘molester’ of intellectual freedom. They (the authority) are now becoming so worry with the varieties of thinking that has been influencing the rakyat. Maybe they forgot or simply didn’t know that the first revelation to the Prophet (PBUH) 1400 years ago was the command to read (iqra’).
To me, KKDN’s arguement that the books which were being banned ‘could stir confusions among Muslims’ was baseless and immature. It seems that the rakyat especially Muslims through the eyes of the authority were stupid and dumb in dealing and engaging themselves with this polemics. The authority didn’t seems to honor and trust on the wisdom of the people.
It is much more appropriate for KKDN if it states that the banning of the books was being done due to its contents which have been found to be ‘raising people’s consciousness and awareness in searching and seeking for truth’. Or maybe the authority worries that the rakyat will start to read The Holy Qur’an and thus being a dedicated reader of it. And maybe after that an order will be issued by the authority to ban the publication of The Holy Qur’an since the contents of this holy book preaches mankind to fight cruelty and uphold justice.
Just ban the Qur’an if you (authority) worry that the rakyat will become smarter by reading it. Or maybe you guys can make some modification of the first revelation from Surah Al-’Alaq by omitting God’s commandment to mankind: Read! (iqra’).
And behold! A new version of the Quran: The Islam Hadhari Quran. It might be suitable to be used in Malaysia since the process to stupefy the rakyat has been a long time agenda by the authority; before, now, and in the future!
February 3, 2008 at 8:13 pm
[...] najwanhalimi wrote an interesting post today on Book Banning: Another Project By Islam Hadhari!Here’s a quick excerptIf it was true that the book contains elements of confusion, so why not counter it back in an intellectual manners rather than abusing the authority by ‘killing’ others’ intellectual freedom? Personally, I strongly disagree with this … [...]
February 11, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Book ban: the two faces of Islam Hadhari
Ismail Che Yahaya (Malaysiakini.com, Feb 11, 2008)
On Jan 29, the Malaysian government banned 11 books, one of them The Two Faces of Islam: Saudi Fundamentalism and Its Role in Terrorism authored by Stephen Schwartz, a Muslim convert.
Schwartz suggested that ‘Saudi-Wahhabi agents’ in Malaysia had become alarmed by the publication of the book in Bahasa Indonesia, Dua Wajah Islam.
In a protest statement against the Malaysian ban, Schwartz commented: ‘It’s contemptible and, frankly, reveals the backward-looking attitudes of authorities in Malaysia, a country which prides itself on its alleged modernisation as an economic tiger.
‘In reality, books cannot be banned today. They are smuggled, pirated – especially in Southeast Asia – downloaded, and, in the case of my book, can easily be imported from Indonesia and read by Malaysians who do not know English’.
Regardless of Schwartz’s wild guess, book banning in Malaysia of late has gone beyond ‘Saudi- Wahhabi agents’.
Before The Two Faces of Islam, the Internal Security Ministry banned four titles on religious fundamentalism over two years. They are: Islamic Fundamentalism since 1945 (banned on 7 June 2007), Feminism and Islamic Fundamentalism: The Limits of Postmodern Analysis (26 April 2007), The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (8 June 2006) and, A Fundamental Fear: Eurocentrism and The Emergence of Islamism (8 June 2006).
See the ministry’s full list of banned books here.
Islamic fundamentalism is a broad phenomenon, not solely engineered or funded by the Saudi regime. In fact, fundamentalism is no longer a Christian or Muslim political landscape. It has gained currency and inflicted other religions too.
Karen Armstrong, in her banned book, describes religious fundamentalism of the 20th century as a response to modern, liberal, materialist globalised civilization. She writes: ‘The West has developed an entirely unprecedented and wholly different type of civilisation, so the religious response to it has been unique’.
Religious fundamentalists, she elaborates, ‘have absorbed the pragmatic rationalism of modernity, and, under the guidance of their charismatic leaders, they refine these ‘fundamentals’ so as to create an ideology that provides the faithful with a plan of action’.
Therefore, it is of no surprise that even Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Confucianism have developed fundamentalist factions.
That is why I find the banning is so overwhelming in that it shows the ‘two faces’ of Islam Hadhari as formulated by our present prime minister. On one hand, he tries to promote more tolerant, progressive and moderate Islam but on the other hand, his government has time and again banned such scholarly books on fundamentalism.
Does it mean our government is protecting and nurturing a fundamentalist mindset among Muslims? Has his Islam Hadhari project been infiltrated by fundamentalist elements in his bureaucracy?
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/77904
February 23, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Sorry if this comes as an intrusion but there is an effort to get as many bloggers as possible to blog about bloggers whom are running for public offices on one particular day. One blogger candidate per day.
Below is the list:
1. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Friday, February 29)
2. Tony Pua (Saturday, March 1)
3. Elizabeth Wong (Sunday, March 2)
4. Jeff Ooi (Monday, March 3)
5. che’GuBard (Tuesday, March 4)
Please join! For more information, visit http://maddruid.com/?p=1563
March 22, 2008 at 5:03 am
Salam,
Saudara Najwan,
The issue before hand is government is attempting to shape the mind of Malaysian in one way of thinking only -Islam Hadhari. Compred to Indonesia, people get the opportunity to decide based on their daily reading.
Somehow, I don’t think all controversial book on “Liberalise Islam” only being victimised by government, but also applied to the books which promoted the real thought of Islamic faith – Fi Zilal Quran – Zaid Qutb.
That’s why we lost the culture of Intellectualism………
Faisal Aziz -Exco PKPIM
(faisalabdaziz.blogspot.com)
-DEB last night discussion
March 23, 2008 at 3:44 am
My brother Faisal,
It is not about shaping rakyat’s mind to be in line with Islan Hadhari, but it is just sad to see that this government is trying to control and insult rakyat’s ability to think and progress.
July 7, 2008 at 10:23 am
Ok…byk soalan tentang mcm mana org tua boleh liwat org muda? bayangkan, kakitangan Jabatan PERHILITAN menggunakan ubat pelali yang diberikan secara tembakan senapang patah untuk tewaskan gajah yang bertan-tan beratnya. Jadi, adakah kemungkinan Saiful diberikan sedatif (dadah) utk melemahkannya dan selepas itu perbuatan liwat mengambil tempat?
Dulu, diberitahu dengan yakin, 30 MP BN akan masuk PR, tetapi sekarang tinggal 4? Mana yang lain?
Sesiapa yang tgk rancangan Hujan di TV9, debat antara Mahfuz dan Aziz dengan dipengerusikan Dr. Agus (UKM) pasal kenaikan minyak, pasti terpegun dengan hujah Mahfuz yang penuh fakta dan dia buat research ttg harga minyak dan mekanisma mengekang kenaikan harga minyak utk Malaysia. Anu war ader ke ckp apa yang dia nk lakukan utk mengekang kenaikan harga minyak? Takder kan, setakat cakap kosong je. Camner rakyat nak percaya.
Kenapa baru sekarang timbul ancaman bunuh? Kenapa ancaman bunuh tidak dihebahkan selepas PRU 12 kerana ada khabar angin mengatakan Anu war adalah faktor utama pengundi muda pangkah PR? Padahal, selepas election, makin galak Anu war pegi road tour , time tuh lagilah, semua tempat dia pegi kecoh, dan kalu orang nk bunuh, dh lama upah sniper tembak dia dari jarak jauh. Kenapa selepas je Saiful buat report, dia pergi Kedutaan Turki? Takut ke? Dan kenapa sampai skrg, dlm kenyataan Anu war kepada media, dia tak cakap ” Saya tak pernah buat perbuatan liwat ke atas Saiful dan in adalah tipu helah semata”? Saya cuba refer sumber media dari dua2 pihak, BN dan PR tapi takder statement ni dikeluarkan?
Kepada adik2 yang semasa reformasi masih berada di sekolah rendah, meh saya ceritakan sedikit. Gelaran Al-[ SENSOR TKO ] kepada Anu war diberikan oleh pemimpin PAS, Mat Sabu dan isu Anu war berjubur ini pernah timbul dalam Majalah Keluaran PAS, Tamadun pada 1998. Tamadun diterbitkan oleh syarikat yang sama mengeluarkan Harakah. Time artikel Mat Sabu diterbitkan, Anu war masih dalam UMNO. Nak kata Mat Sabu tipu? Mat Sabu adalah antara orang yang rapat dgn Anu war sampai jadi driver Anu war. mesti dia tahu sedikit sebnyak pasal kelakuan Anu war yang Maha geli ni. Cari, jangan tak cari majalah tuh utk baca apa yang Mat Sabu tulis pasal kegiatan Anu war Kaki Jubor. Kalu nak clear lagi, tanya sendiri kat Mat Sabu kenapa dia tulis cerita tu?
Kepada mereka yang memuja blog Najwan, riwayathayat.blogspot.com, ingin saya bertanya, kenapa post ke-3 pasal musang dikeluarkan olehnya atas arahan Pejabat Anu war (ini didakwa oleh MatKeri)? Adakah kerana Saiful ini jambu orangya dan Anu war tak mahu jambunya ini terus dikacau oleh Najwan? Saiful tinggal di sebuah kondominium mewah. Sapa yang spionsor dia? Adakah Anu war? Tak munggkin oleh konspirator BN kerana sebagai staff Anu war, Saiful semestinya akan mengesahkan dimana temnpat tinggal dia dan sbg ahli politik, takkan Anu war tak menyuruh pihak2 berkenaan utk menyiasat siap dia Saiful? Gambar yang Wan Azizah tunjuk tuh dh lama ada dalam blog najwan. Bermakna, dh lama org2 PKR tahu tentang latarbelakang Saiful dan semestinya dh diberitahu kepada Anu war. Tapi tak berhasil tindakan mereka utk singkirkan Saiful dari Pejabat Anu war. Hasilnya, Saiful telh dinaikkan pangkat oleh Anuwar, jadi PA. Adakah Anu war tolak segala tohmahan orang kuat PKR semata-mata nak melayani nafsu buasnya? Saya hanya meletakkan soalan, bukan jawapan. Fikirkan
Saya rasa smpi setakat ni dulu. Kalu sapa2 nak cabar, silakan
http://anwaribrahimdotcom.blogspot.com