Nothing wrong in being muslim first

Sisters in Islam (SIS) was concerned that 60% of Malays in Malaysia considered themselves as Muslims first. Kok-Hin Ooi from Penang Institute first raised the matter in his article “The rise and rise of Muslim politics”.

What’s wrong with us, the Malays identifying ourselves as Muslims, first? Does that in anyway hinder us from being a patriotic citizen?

Isn’t it, being a Muslim, emphasized in the beginning of so many verses in the Quran as it speaks to us and about us?

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا….
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ……

Rasulullah SAW in calling us, identified us as Muslimun and Muslimat, Mukminun and Mukminat, both during his time, for the Muslims after his demised (PBUH) and for the rest of us until Yaumul Qiyamah.

Unless of course, SIS is giving the impression that identifying ourselves as Muslims first, is synonymous with Talibanism, ISIS and extremism, a claim so often made but with so few evidences, almost none! Extremists can be among people who claim they’re Muslims last, or non-believers. This stereotyping must be stopped.

This is similar to what Kok-Hin Ooi wrote:

“Race and racial politics may be in decline, but they are given a lifeline when injected with religion. Race by itself resonates less with Malay voters than when they are imbued with religion (mostly)………”

Where’s the proof?

The facts are, Institute of Penang and DAP are the ones who would quickly accuse and associate others with racism when Muslims discuss the tenets of Islam whether in the matter law or governance, and as stipulated by our Constitution in Article 3. By frequently ASSOCIATING the 2, they try to shift the blame on Islam as the source of racism. Left unchecked, one day, an admission that we are a Muslim may be regarded as a form of racism.

But interestingly, the above entities have no problem and conveniently talk about race when for example, the discussion of vernacular school is brought to the fore. Heck, Jocelyn Tan of the Star talk about Chinese matters in most of her writings.

Secular countries like US and France are still grappling with racism.

So why blame Islam and blaming us as we identify ourselves as Muslims first?

SIS and the author from Institute of Penang complained that “political parties” from both sides are trying to outdo one another in being more Islamic.

But they are also shouting that a government must be for rakyat. So if 60% of Malays identify themselves as Muslim first, both in 2006 and in 2010 as reported by Merdeka Centre, and Malays are the majority, what’s wrong in the government shaping policies towards the will and the needs of the people?

Back to SIS, why have Islam in your name, when you have trouble with being a Muslim first? Aren’t you supposed to help in the course of explaining to non Muslims that our Quran and Hadeeth indeed address us as Muslims all the time?

Unless of course SIS agrees with Kok-Hin Ooi that summed up his article with:

“With secularism, liberalism and perhaps even socialism in dire need of revival and new torchbearers, the only groups that are in position to take advantage of these trends are going to respond with a predictably conforming ideology based on political calculation. The contest is now left in the terms of political Islam. The question is, which one?”

Blame Islam for racism. The easy way out.
Opt for secularism.

That’s not going to happen. Muslims will never let it happen.

To SIS and the likes,

Being Muslims first does not mean we abandon our duties as Malaysians and disrespecting others. This fear mongering and accusations must be dispelled.

#WU

Prof Madya Dr Rafidah Hanim Mokhtar
Chief of Information, Wanita Isma