The nation is committed in bringing the extremes down
For more than a year, the world has been alarmed of the intensifying number of attacks which are reportedly, and some evidently, engineered by none other than the extremists groups such as IS and Daesh.
These savage attacks can be traced back in mid 2015 and in select few places worldwide, not to mention any unreported or uncovered incidences by the media.
From Tunisia on 26 June 2015, Egypt on 23 October 2015, Paris on 13 November 2015, Istanbul on 12 January 2016, Brussels on 22 March 2016, Orlando on 12 June 2016, Istanbul on 29 June 2016, Dhaka on 2 July 2016, Nice on 14 July 2016 and Wurzburg on 18 July 2016, these unwanted incidences recorded hundreds of innocent people died.
Unfortunately, as we mourn for the world, never imagining that we Malaysians would be haunted by the same horrors and nightmares, Malaysia was shockingly hit by the same modus operandi that happened in Puchong recently.
Malicious accusation
Despite Malaysia becoming one of their targets, there have been opportunistic claims by the liberalists, secularists and pluralists in shifting the blame towards the Islamisation – or more definitively understood as the process and efforts of dakwah – by the Islamic governmental agencies, state religious bodies and authorities, Fatwa council, Islamic NGOs and even Muslim individuals with whom they fight against the callous idea of liberalism, secularism and pluralism.
On a more serious allegation, these liberalists, secularists and pluralists attempt to taint a preposterous consistent standing and underlying precedence between the aforementioned Islamic groups and the whole corrupted idea of extremism as portrayed and committed by IS and Daesh.
On a much more serious allegation, these liberalists, secularists and pluralists, not only they admit the fact that the extremists IS and Daesh are using the religion to achieve theocracy, they accuse the aforementioned Islamic groups as intending to do the same and achieve the same.
I find these allegations baseless, irresponsible, malicious and opportunistic, as written by Syafiqah Hamzah Othman and Farouk A. Peru, the columnists of the Malay Mail Online.
Apart from these allegations, there also exist some people who put the entire blame and without reasonable reservations thereto on the current Malaysian Muslim leadership and Islamic institutions, as maintained in an article by Juana Jaafar on Astro Awani website, the same line of arguments put forth by Syafiqah and Farouk as linked to the cause of creeping theocracy and extremism.
Negating dakwah as the cause of rising extremism
There is no Islam in it (IS and Daesh). It certainly does not portray how Islam should be understood, practiced and paramount as the way of life. As maintained by Deputy Minister from Prime Minister Department reported on Ismaweb:
“IS adalah kumpulan kononnya berjuang menegakkan Islam yang menghalalkan segala-galanya tetapi hakikatnya mereka tidak memahami Islam sebenar.”
“IS is a group claiming to fight to uphold Islam, thinking that any methods are permissible, but the truth is, they don’t understand Islam”
“Mana mungkin Islam membenarkan umatnya membunuh sewenang-wenangnya atau menghalalkan segala-galanya seperti dilakukan militan IS”.
“How could Islam allows it’s followers the license to kill freely, or allowing things done by the IS militants.”
An extensive detail was explained by Wanita Isma activist, Nurhidayah Ismail, entitled ‘Malaysia is neither secular nor theocratic’ on Ismaweb regarding the appalling idea of theocracy which is not in any way consistent with the objectives, principles and efforts in upholding Islam as the only religion for mankind to govern their way of live, not to mention to preserve the position of Islam as provided for in our Constitution, debunking the senseless allegation that Malaysia is a secular country and creeping into a theocracy.
It is and has always been the subject matter and the most frequently uttered and reminded words among the aforementioned Islamic groups in ensuring obedience to Allah and Prophet Muhammad, in public sphere or private realm.
The logics as cohesively maintained by Syafiqah and Farouk have been rebutted in my article entitled ‘A response to Syafiqah and Farouk of the Malay Mail Online’ on Ismaweb in which I have proven the inconsistency behind their own logics of understanding and comparing between ‘the idea of achieving Islam as rahmatan lil alamin and upholding its sanctity in Malaysia’ and ‘the extremist IS and Daesh and its ideology in carrying out unwarranted terrorism in the name of jihad’.
The nation is committed in bringing IS and Daesh down
As intriguing as the allegations could be, recent news shows quite the opposite of what these liberalists, secularists and pluralists claim.
Jakim, as early as January 2016, made its statement in which it stated that Muslims are prohibited to join IS militant groups. Jakim once again made it clear in its statement saying that IS jihad is not true jihad reported on Bernama dated 21 July 2016.
The echoes going against the IS and Daesh continue to electrify the nation.
The government, through its Ministry of Communication and Multimedia Malaysia has established Jawatankuasa Komunikasi Menangani Ekstremis (Communication to handle Extremists Committee) in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Jakim to disseminate information through displays and articles about the real deal of extremism.
Further, the Ministry of Education has vouched its initiative to convene specific and holistic briefing sessions to the students, teachers and school administrations regarding the danger IS and Daesh alike poses and the abuse of religion to justify acts of violence looking from Islamic perspective.
On the side of Malaysian-Thai borders, we witness a close cooperation between Malaysian and Thai governments forming Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Malaysia-Thai in intensifying the level of security and defence measures.
Fight terrorism, redeem ourselves
It is unwise and unbecoming for us Malaysians to point fingers during these troubled times. As citizens, we should feel obliged to work together and support the initiatives by the government, Muslim leadership and institutions in bringing IS and Daesh down as its ideology is unprecedented and condone violence against humanity.
And of course, it depicts the worst image tainting Islam as a religion which promotes violence and war-mongering when it is a religion of peace and bestows blessings to all mankind regardless of their skin colours and religions.
Muslims should revert to the true precedence and understanding of Islam and we should not in any way compromise or liberate parts thereof.
It is difficult indeed if we were to quarrel amongst ourselves on who should we put the blame on and who should bear the burden. No, it is a tragic and undesired uprising in our vicinity and we should all rise and stand together against these foul and inhumane acts.
Danial Ariff Shaari
I-Peguam
The IS DO claim to fight for Islam; and there are a lot of IS sympathizers in the country. We have to admit something is wrong somewhere. Bare denials won’t cut it…