In the blessed month of all months of Islam, people seemed to like stirring up unpleasantness amongst Muslims of Malaysia, and funnily from Muslims of the liberal kind, the one who always like to think that they are under some kind of regime that forces them do things beyond their liking. Well, bad news for you liberal lots, we are an Islamic country, and citizens of an Islamic country we all shall be.
If you have a norm, lets break that norm. After all, rules are meant to be broken. Right Maryam? Nothing speaks volume of a person who cried wolf about the things that never was a problem in the first place. Is it really that terrible being a “Muslim looking” woman in Malaysia
According to Ms Maryam it is. (Did I just assume your gender by putting a Ms. there? I’m sorry if I’m mistaken) Woman nowadays are being oppressed for just being a woman. I can imagine that it’s tiring to don up yourself in the morning with proper hijab and matching shoes and then later on having to face a world full of condescending men.
When are we again? In the 70s? I can truly understand that back then, the understanding of the masses regarding Islam is patchy at most, hence the mistreatment of women. However, we have progressed considerably since then and hence our appreciation of women in Islam.
We are an Islamic country whereby there are Sharia laws to be followed as they are imposed on all Muslims. And of all the places you’ve decided to claw your way out of this law imposed to us all is at a Chicken Rice Shop. (Seriously?) Have you ever given thought the consequences of your actions? Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. Let’s pray for the former.
I was a student at one of the oldest law school in Australia. I lived there for 4 years during my degree, and honestly, there are times I thought to myself. What if I didn’t want to fast today? After all, this isn’t Malaysia. There’s no JAKIM to fine me, nor any fellow Muslim brothers and sisters around to tell me what to do, or what not to do. I could easily go to Woolies or Coles or some fancy hipster café and sit down to “literally nourishing” myself.
Yet I did not. I fasted the whole day like usual.
For I was afraid of Allah seeing me. That’s a no-brainer isn’t it. Even a six year old kid knows that Allah is All-Seeing.
Nonetheless another thought strike me. What if another fellow non-Muslim in Australia saw me and they think that its okay not to fast, thinking that fasting is OPTIONAL for any Muslims, like some Christians think that its optional to go to church on Sundays. The same thing goes for woman too. It doesn’t matter even if you are a woman on your menses or not, the fact remains that CROWD doesn’t know that. Unless you’re willing to wear a placard and distributes brochures explaining your situation of being excused from fasting to a flock of people on the streets.
The problem is not that Ramadan prevents any form of eating at all. You can eat. You can literally nourish yourself into bloating. No one cares. Just do it discreetly. We don’t care how you do it, be it under the sheets or behind some stairs. Just don’t publicly display it as if you’re actually proud of it.
It always perplexing to me why these liberal lots like to refer to the West (CNN and such), maybe just a little bit too much.
And even more confusing to me is the usage of the term “Islamised Malaysia”.
The way you have described Malaysia as being “Islamised” is somehow bearing a bad connotation, as if we are all nothing but a community of communists being brainwashed by a supreme leader into submitting ourselves under the rule of Islam. To simplify it, you’re unwilling participant with limited options who happens to be a citizen of Malaysia and its Islamic ruling. Why didn’t you say so, Zurairi? It’ll save time for the readers.
That’s not all, Mr Zurairi also claimed that a month is just a month, and it doesn’t have feelings. That’s very humanistic of him. I wouldn’t expect less. I hope he didn’t celebrate raya Aidilfitri or his parents’ birthdays annually because a day is just day, and it doesn’t bear any feelings nor meanings at all.
You know what gave meaning to them (days and months)? It’s the people or incident behind it that gave its meaning and in this case, it’s the order from Allah for men and women alike to fast on Ramadan. You celebrate Independence Day because you appreciate the struggle of our forefathers for independence, hence you wouldn’t do anything unpatriotic to ruin it. The same thing goes for Ramadan. You celebrate it, enjoy the blessings along with it and triumph at the end of the “struggle”.
And you said it yourself that it’s the holy month of Ramadan and yet you’re against respecting it. I hope when it comes to Christmas, you’ll not be one of many to wish others. After all it’s a bit ironic isn’t it, being Christmas is just a day, and hence not having any feelings and also the need to respect others enjoying it?
While you’re at it, could you stop trying to misguide people into believing that menstruating, pregnant and nursing woman are being oppressed in the month of Ramadan simply because stalls are closed and shops refused to serve them publicly. I’ve never heard any cases of Muslimah being starved to death. Why not just cook at home, or is that something feminist advocates are so afraid of?
Funny how you guys seemed to fight for the right to eat at public during Ramadan, and not the really oppressed women who are forbidden to don their hijab at workplace. People can be hypocrite.
I agree with him on one thing. Many Muslims are allowed not to fast for various reasons that is allowed by the religion itself. However, does the non-Muslim knows about the exclusion provided by Islam? How are you so sure that they will not misunderstood the actions of your rebellious lady friend who insisted to eat at a Chicken Rice Shop (seriously?) into thinking that fasting is optional or as not important as praying five times a day?
We don’t need solidarity with Muslims who do not fast. What we need is to understand the reason and logic behind respecting the blessed month of Ramadan and why the MAJORITY of the people doesn’t seem to be bothered by the restrictions imposed during this month by the authorities.
You said “Ramadan will not be missed”. You know what, it doesn’t bother Ramadan and the celebration of it, not even in the slightest bit.
Muhammad Akmal bin Abdul Ghani
I-Peguam Activist
