Different political tribes’ opinions about Islam in Malaysia

Malaysiansia is a multi- cultural multi cultural and multilingual bon ton with Malay, Indian and Chinese cosmos the study races in the population. There ar as sound another(prenominal) innate tribal groups and Bahasa Malaysia is the realms national language although such(prenominal) other dialects like Mandarin, English and Tamil atomic number 18 widely spoken curiously in the commercial and craft sectors.The countrys official devotion is Islam practiced by majority Malayans but other faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity argon also practiced (Verma 96). Malaysia is made up of two major regions that guide been separated by South China Sea and consists of a federation of thirteen differentiates and 3 federal territories. Although little interaction is notable, the communities are said to coexist in harmony regardless of their spectral and cultural differences (Hussain).In Malaysia like in any other state that is predominantly Moslem it is hard t o separate godliness and state matters and frequently attention is return to the manner in which Islam is represented in the socio-cultural and political spheres. It is no esteem then that in Malaysia, faith has depart very much politicized small-arm contentiousness marks the secular state (Lahoud 40, 43). In a multi-ethnic country that is on the modernization path like Malaysia the implications and reality of a government whose policies are rooted in Islam has begun to sink in the minds of to the highest degree people.Such issues like Moslem state, license of religion, the hudoud law and freedom of expression defecate spilled out into the popular arena as the two major Islamic political parties, the opposition PAS ( troupe Islam se-Malaysia) and ruling UMNO (United Malays National Organization) continue to get by for political dominance in this nation. UMNO is the major political ships company and has dominated Malaysian politics for decades.After Prime Minister Abdu llah Badawi came to power in 2003, thither has been notable attempts to force Islamic values on non-Muslims and his attempt to promote traditional Islam (Islam Hadari) has turned Islam into the integral part of all government policies (Esposito et al 94-103). The noble of the Hijab on non-Muslim women in the police force and those working in restaurants, and the eject imposed on couples not to apply opens in public are clear indications of the stylus Malaysian government policies continue to refer the non-Muslim population. exclusively PAS is opposed to Islam Hadhari and aims at establishing a state of Malaysia based on a theoretical approach of Islam as provided for in the Sunnah (way of the prophet and Quran) (Hussain). In view of the fact that Islam and Malay identity are so intertwined, there is a tough contest between the PAS and UMNO parties as they try to out-do apiece other on the political and ghostly arenas and win the role of Islams standard-bearer, and in such a way, the vote of the Malay constituents.UMNO has frequently been impeach by PAS of failing to uphold Islam and its values while UMNO institutionalises PAS of creation fanatical and led by conservative traditionalists who pose a threat to the stinting growth of the country. PAS goes on to criticize UMNO of practicing uneven development and in this way has managed to attract the appeal of the Malay Muslim. The PAS party has diverted its political propaganda from Malay nationalism and value of Islamic law and now stresses that is its affiliated to authentic Islam.The party necessitateers are using their position to diversify social-cultural liveliness among the Northern states governed by PAS (Esposito 94-103). Islamic institutions and mosques in opposition strongholds such as Selangor have been banned from any promotion of Islam Hadhari arguing that it is distorting the religion of Islam by including non-Muslims in its laws. PAS which is an opposition party goes on to argue tha t Islam Hadhari is stellar(a) to a loss of spiritualism in the Islamic religion and that Islam is being mis employ to promote economic development.Other opposition parties like the peoples Justice Party (PJP) and Chinese dominated Leftist Democratic Party (CDP) have not opposed this ban. Various Muslim groups have also been debating over the role that Islam should play in Malaysian society, be it in relation to religious freedom in such a plural society, democracy or rights for minorities and women (Lahoud 40-43). In Malaysia, ethnic and religious diversity is outstanding and certain religions are identified with certain ethnic groups for example Malays with the Islamic religion, and ethnic Chinese tribes with their traditional religions.The communalization of Islam by the Malays through their approach that ethical and religious sakes are gibe does not go sound with non-Muslims who hold a view that Islam is to blame for underachievement in Malayan society (Verma 94). The Malays ian constitution defines all Malays as Muslim irrespective of their ethnic orbit and states that Islam should not be challenged either constitutionally or conventionally. Introduction of religious discourse in national identification delimitate a Malayan as either Muslim or non-Muslim has not gone well with non-Muslims who view this t land up as discriminative.Although Islam defines emphasis on such principles as tolerance, peaceful co-existence, human brother-hood and respect for all, the Muslims in Malaysia like in any other Muslim dominated country seem to enjoy finicky rights and this status-quo is bound to continue until such a time that Islam gets modernized or reformed. Muslims in Malaysia have proved very reluctant to extend equal rights to the nonage non-Muslim community and although other religious groups have been given freedom to practice their beliefs, this practice is limited and building of places of worship is sanctioned by the state.Demolition of some Chinese t emples and several Hindu temples in 2004 and 2005 raised rumpus within these communities leading to discontentment with the authorities. Worship places for Muslims are also make from public funds while others are privately funded. The non-Muslim tax-payers are sure as shooting not happy or so this and view such a move as exploitation of the minority (Verma 94-103). Traditional Chinese view just about Islam has still been much bent towards indifference rather than hostility.Ethnic Chinese are far above the Malays in the fields of trade, modern education and business and they find no good reason to show any interest in Islam because of its identification with inferior ethnic groups. The Malays on the other hand question the Islamic worth of ethnic Chinese cultural practices such as use of chopsticks for eating although this practice has been traditionally unacceptable to the Malays. Because of the locating the Malay Muslims hold towards Chinese culture, the ethnic Chinese has got all the more(prenominal) convinced that Islam is not suitable for the Chinese people.Most of the Chinese oppose understructure Islam because as they argue, it poses political opposition to Malaysias economic transformation. Non-Muslims and liberal Muslims accuse Islam of being intolerant to secularism and trying to interpret any issue on the basis of Islamic religion. They argue that Islam tends to be too rigid and fails to see that social situations continue to evolve and change with time and that such interpretations as were used in ancient times re not matched with the changing social situations (Esposito 92-107).In Malaysia, Muslims have all long enjoyed particular(prenominal) religio-ethnic privileges at the expense of the Indians, Chinese and other indigenous communities that practice other religions. The non-Muslims are subjected to discrimination in the government-supported sectors such as education (scholarships, schools and universities) as well as in businesses a nd employment sectors. They are also subject to religious discrimination such as use of the Islamic Sharia laws to steady down any religious disputes between the Muslims and non-Muslims, a practice that is done in Islamic courts which remain inaccessible for non-Muslims.In the recent past, Shariah court rulings in marriage, conversion, child custody and divorce cases involving non-Muslim have also drawn much criticism from the non-Muslim community because the verdict is passed based on Islamic laws (Peletz 3-6, 12). but non-Muslims still continue to convert to Islam for marriage purposes and because they indirect request to enjoy the special privileges accorded to the Muslims. A non-Muslim cannot be married to a Muslim unless the former converts to Islam first. But it is unfortunate that one cannot convert back to their original religion subsequently a divorce because Islam gives no room for someone to desert the faith.They interpenetrate that once a Muslim always a Muslim and those who have tried to change have only changed their belief but de jure remain Muslim. In most cases in Malaysia conversion from Islam to another religion is not allowed especially for the ethnic Malay and such an offence pull up stakes lead to a jail term or fine or in some cases both. Most public institutions are Muslim dominated and non-Muslims normally convert to Islam to be included in such institutions. The minority ethnic tribes of Malaysia also identify with Islam as the only means of being recognized by the state and benefiting from state programs (Esposito 92-96).Islam can be a blessing to all Malaysians if it is practiced the proper way. But the fact that the Muslims want to persuade the other communities into living an Islamic kind of life which fit in to the Muslims is the only acceptable way, has led to a lot of discontentment among the non-Muslims. Muslims leave alone that Islam is a religion and should not be forced upon others in a multi-racial country that ad vocates religious tolerance. It should therefore not destine the way of life of a different religious group or even determine the political system in such a multi-ethnic country like Malaysia.In a society where everyone pays tax irrespective of their ethnic or religious background, it is most unfair that tax-payers money is only used to pay Islamic teachers and maintain Islamic institutions at the expense of others (Hussain). Views about Islam are also diverse among the Muslim believers and radical groups propagating for reform such as Sisters in Islam have become very strong in Malaysia. They are calling for more rights for women such as being allowed to learn and become judges in the countries judicial courts, and are also calling for an end to the outdated practice of polygamy.Such groups are fighting against religious radicalism that has been fighting to put the woman back to the confinement of the home in a society where formal education has been extended to every gender (Anwa r). There is change magnitude awareness that using Islam to design laws and public policies that will be used to govern private and public live in this country, will lead to a situation whereby it becomes very important to determine who is responsible for defining the role Islam plays in society.In Malaysia, womens groups, political parties, NGOs, the Media and human rights organizations have began to lock away in public debates on several such issues and the role that religion should play in political life. Most of these people feel that the state of Malaysia should be one in which there are equal rights for every citizen but not rights based on gender, ethnicity or religion (Hussain). Opinions about Islam in Malaysia therefore vary in different places depending on the ethnic and religious composition of the population and also depending on the political party that has its stronghold in a particular region.Different political parties, even those that are Islamist have had contras ting secular and Islamist stands. Such parties as DAP and PAS are passing opposite in their view about Islamic law and practices where PAS takes a radical approach while DAP has a more secular approach. The struggle to attract the Muslim vote that is going on between UMNO and PAS has however only led to a society where Islam is now more and more being used directly to define the way of life of the Muslims and indirectly that of the non-Muslims (Lahoud 40-43).