Most Islamic countries in the world are non-Muslim

Writter: Yin Ee Kiong writes from Indonesia.
Date: 1:54PM Nov 25, 2011
Article from Malaysiakini. (http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/182393)

What makes a good Islamic country? Is it one where the people dress conservatively (or even severely in the case of women), adhere strictly to the rituals of Islam, where shariah laws apply?

Or is a good Islamic country one that keeps to the substantive teachings of Islam, more concerned with the content rather than the form of the religion? Where fairness, justice, honesty are the cornerstones of government policies and of its citizens' daily dealings.

How is a good Muslim judged? By the number of times he prays a day, by how assiduously he keeps to the rules? Or by how he lives the true meaning of his faith?

A study by Scheherazade S Rehman and Hossein Askari from George Washington University, published in the Global Economy Journal Vol 10 drew surprising conclusions.

The study examined if policies of Muslim countries (or Muslim majority countries) were founded on Islamic principles in comparison to non-Muslim countries. 208 countries were studied.

The criteria: economic opportunity, economic freedom, corruption, financial systems and human rights were used to measure the level of 'Islamicity' (based on an information website about Islam and Muslims).

The study found that most Islamic countries did not conduct themselves according to Islamic principles concerning economic, financial, political, legal, social and governance issues.

This is reflected in the governments in those countries but also the practices of the citizens in their daily dealings. Even at a social level it was found that many non-Muslim countries did much better in keeping to Islamic values.

The most ‘Islamic' country the study found was actually non-Muslim – New Zealand. Luxembourg came second. The top 37 countries in the study were all non-Muslim.

Imaddudin Abdulrahim, one of Indonesia's leading thinkers on Islamic monotheism claimed that Ames, a small city in Iowa, represents an exemplar of an Islamic state.

Yet Islam does not play a part in the day-to-day social, economic and political life of the city. The population does not observe Islamic rules on food or dress.

Imaddudin was not interested in form; he used parameters which reflect what he considered true Islam – trust, justice, fairness, freedom.

He found that people did not lock their doors when they went out and yet no one trespassed.

If you returned a broken egg to the grocer he accepted that it was broken when you bought it and replaced it without question.

People were honest in their dealings irrespective of the value of the transaction.

The government was fair and non-discriminatory. People were accepting of ethnic or religious differences.

He saw Islam beyond shariah and beyond its textual appearances. He was more concerned with the substantive elements of the religion.

Recently I enquired through a friend the possibility of getting a scholarship (from a certain university funded by a Muslim tycoon) for an Indian girl who had done very well in her exams but whose parents were poor and unable to send her to university. I was told in no uncertain terms that scholarships were only given to Muslims.

How does this reflect the true values of Islam?

When I was in Sudan I visited villages where artesian water was pumped out by equipment donated by Christian charities. I saw clinics and schools built and maintained by Christian foundations. Every village involved was however 100 percent Muslim!

Is there anywhere in any ‘Christian' country where Muslims are forbidden to build mosques? As long as they comply with the local building codes they have every right to do so and the law will protects their rights.

Yet this is not the case in many Muslim countries. No wonder so many non-Muslim countries score higher than Muslim ones based on Islamic principles.

It's no use spouting chapter and verse of the Quran if our deeds do not match the words we mouth.

We can follow all the rituals – fast, do the haj, pray five times a day, abstain from non-halal food, and cover ourselves. They all count for little if our deeds do not reflect the values of the religion.

If we are corrupt, if we discriminate against others because of ethnicity or religion, if we deny freedom of worship to others or even to one's own, are we living by the true values of Islam?

Are our economic policies geared to help those at the bottom of the ladder or do they benefit the top disproportionately? Is our political system fair?

Do we respect human rights? Have we an untainted legal system? Is our governance transparent and accountable? Are we tolerant of other religions and not impede their practice?

By any of the above criteria Malaysia has failed to live up to Islamic principles.

The authorities obstruct the building of non-Muslim places of worship – or even demolish them.

Christians are persecuted on dubious grounds. Our government discriminates on race and religion. Corruption is rife especially in high places.

The poor (the majority of whom are Malays) are left behind while the rich get richer. There is no respect for human rights and the political system is skewed.

On every count we fail to live up to Islamic values.

Lately radical Muslims have started to see ‘Christians under the bed' – an Islamic form of the infamous McCarthyism of the fifties in the US.

They imagine that Christians are out to proselytise their fellow believers. They don't believe that other Muslims can be more sophisticated than they and can make up their own minds what to believe in.

More than that, they demand Christians desist in doing whatever may remotely be a threat to them.

If these people were in charge in Sudan there would have been a lot of thirsty people and a lot of people without medicine and children without schooling.

I suppose they will now pass a fatwa that no Muslims must go to Christian hospitals. The Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Penang has been servicing the people for a long time and a lot of Muslims use the hospital.

There are symbols of Christianity everywhere and there are Bible tracts for those who want to read them.

Going by recent events the hospital could be charged with proselytising. If so I think they would have failed miserably - I doubt a single Muslim patient has converted.

You go to a hospital because you are sick and because you think it gives good service. You send your children to a school because you think it gives your children the best education, you drink because you are thirsty, you don't care who paid for the pump that brought the water out.

Religion does not come into the reckoning for most people in this way.

Conversely you provide care irrespective of that person's religion or give scholarships because the person is poor and deserving, irrespective of her skin colour or her religion.

If Malaysia lives up to the real values of Islam and not its superficiality, the country would be much better off.

Radical Muslims should be careful that the Christians they imagine lurking under their beds may turn out to be better Muslims than themselves.

But then maybe that's the crux of the problem, they are being exposed for what they are, faux Muslims.

让人愤怒

《17个有关警察向医院发射的证据》

作者：beatrice
日期：2011年7月12日 下午 1点00分

致：卫生部长廖中莱，警方和政府。

17个有关于警察在7月9日向医院发射催泪弹或水炮的证据（图片或影片）。

请记得，我们还有一大群的目击证人。请向身为人民的我们和那些公正的媒体道歉。

清楚可见警察发射催泪弹或水炮在医院里：

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Va6VhkwN4 ---> this one clearly see the tear gas canister inside the hospital compound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R7B0Yn_ioA ---> check out at 0:45 to 0:53

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNpVwRlhwOw ---> check out at 0:09 to 0:12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLQIHp9g5PE ---> water cannon

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2?46332682043865&set=o.213938935311531&type=1&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1?64781526923980&set=a.164777433591056.40982.108644352537698&type=1&pid=374509&id=108644352537698

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=27?09149&l=ccefb5706a&id=1185339101

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUz5Cezm8?CE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8BWyBwRL?Qc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIa9_4Aoj?lU

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1?0150306693578142&set=a.10150304869913142.381474.771618141&type=1&ref=nf ---> by Patrick Leong

不清楚但是还是可以看见浓烟或水炮的水柱：

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150256819498112&set=o.213938935311531&type=1&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=130424110374640&set=o.213938935311531&type=1&ref=nf

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=130931693657215&set=o.213938935311531&type=1

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150230749755509

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utfMiYt82Rs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bie-fT2RiK8


以上资料摘取于《今日大马》。

心声。。。

原本净选盟代表人民向政府请谏，要求政府实行一个公平、廉洁、透明的选举改革。但是蓝色政府却把净选盟拒之门外，不把意见放在圆桌上对话、探讨，一意孤行，当耳边风。

在无奈之下，净选盟唯有发起7月9日“净选盟2.0”和平大集合，借助人民的力量，再次向政府请谏。悲愤蓝色政府还是无动于衷，而且还摆出强权政治姿态、以一切野蛮霸道的手段，施压净选盟，恐吓人民，目的是要强迫人民放弃应有请柬的权力，更可耻的是禁锢民众穿黄色衣服，逢黄必捉，真让人啼笑皆非。曾几何时也禁过民众穿黑衣，在大马是没有穿着颜色的自由，这不强人所难吗？

在7月9日，我们可以看到一个团结的大马，这是一场所有种族都挺身而出捍卫基本人权和选举权利的集会。我们要的是文明社会，以及自由公平选举。因为蓝色政府已经忘本，忘了他们有今天是民众推举出来的。

事发之后，那些官大爷们就一直跳出来否认他们的过错。一哥最棒的实际行动就是出国去了，逃之夭夭，向来大声的二哥，销声匿迹，也许忙着接下来要使出什么阴谋诡计。而那位大口国防部长就站出来说一切都为国家安全设想。蔡老不甘寂寞就来个马后炮，廖兄就睁眼说瞎话，还有那位我一眼看过去就想赏她一把掌的黄姐的胡说八道、强词夺理。好啦就让你们说吧！实事就摆在眼前，网上一直不断的流传着当天所发生的铁证。我还在瞧蓝色政府还会怎样的颠倒是非。

从网上看，人民是如此的安分守己，一步一步的实践着和平游行的承诺。令人发指的就是那些如面临大敌，惊慌失措的警察、保安部队对付那些手无寸铁的平民百姓。这些所谓的“合法流氓”真的已经分别不出“和平游行”和“暴力示威”了。而且也不专业，忘了国际的规则，连医院范围也袭击。真悲哀！怪不得连联合国的人权组织也忍无可忍。成员国知法犯法，还要怎么忍呢？

人民深爱着这个国家，无奈这个国家的领导们却仇恨它的人民。蓝色政府，你的腐败天地不容，你的执迷不悟，一错再错，真的彻底令人失望、心寒。身为人民之一的我，我选择不原谅！

七月围城

下半年了

好久没在此留下心声，今天已是2011年下半年第一天的开始，就借此总结上半年吧！

一月心潮不定，二月破财挡灾，三月突发事件，四月细雨纷飞，五月​狂风暴雨，六月有惊无险。观看天象，7月烟雾弥漫，前路迷茫，充满​着很多不定性的事情即将陆续而来，是好是坏只有天晓。

如果时间上允许的话，第三季会是我闭关的时候。为了应付上半年，​我已元气大伤，让我打回愿型。一切得从零开始，没有埋怨，自问已​问心无愧了。

那么你有否自定下半年的目标或​愿望？

飞鸟与鱼

世界上最遥远的距离，是飞鸟与鱼的距离。
一个翱翔在天空，一个却​深潜海底。
明知飞鸟与鱼是一种相互的折磨，
一个会因爱溺水而亡，​一个会因此干涸而死，
但彼此还是要了整片天空和海洋。

释尊精神

以下文章摘取于《当今大马》（刘铠毅，2011年5月17日）。我个人很认同作者分享有关释尊精神。

“。。。释迦牟尼佛是佛教的开创者，无可否认地，他也是一位影响人类文明深远的宗教导师和智慧圣哲。可是，大多数信徒只认识到释迦牟尼佛的形而上角色，有些宗派甚至把他完全神化，成了老百姓祈求实现自己的私愿的膜拜对象。

可能您不知道，释迦牟尼其实是一位当代伟大的社会主义改革家。在两千五百年前的远古印度，他当时提出的思想及推行的措施，直到二十世纪初的近代，都可被认爲“先进思想”。释迦牟尼生活的年代，当时的印度是奉行森严的种姓阶级制度，把人类分成四等，即祭司（婆罗门）丶王族（刹帝利）丶平民（吠舍）及奴隶（首陀罗），而且这些阶级是世袭的。也就说，一个人一出生就被剥夺了选择的权利，奴隶的永远当奴隶，世世代代为奴。

释迦牟尼，就是当时印度社会第一位胆敢公开反对这个野蛮制度的宗教领袖，他积极推动解放阶级的改革，还突破当时种姓制度下的社会禁忌，收了许多来自奴隶阶级的徒弟（其中是十大弟子之一的优婆离）。在他的僧团里，各个阶级出生的人生活在一起（十大弟子之一的富楼那就是来自婆罗门）。後来，释迦牟尼的举动引起了当权的婆罗门阶级的震怒和不安，担心他会动摇婆罗门阶级的利益，对释迦牟尼展开多次暗杀和迫害（全部失败），但释迦牟尼并无惧当权者的威胁，大胆地进行他理想的社会改革。

释迦牟尼，不只是是解放阶级的社会主义者，他也是一名女权主义者。释迦牟尼设立了比丘尼单位，允许女性加入僧团（著名的比丘尼莲华色是个妓女），赋予与比丘（男性出家人）相同的权利。此擧无论在印度还是其他地区都是史无前例的，别说在歧视女性的古代，就算是现代还有限制女性权利的教派。释迦牟尼种种的社会改革运动，其实源自于他推崇的衆生平等的慈悲精神。

此外，释迦牟尼的僧团成功贯彻了共有丶共管丶共享的经济制度，同时他主张的节欲生活，可谓今天健康理念和环保主义的先驱。释迦牟尼在形而上的教导中，他并没有肯定造物主支配轮的学説，而是认爲一切万物乃是因缘而起而灭，挑战了拥有无上神权的婆罗门。其理性又科学的辩证法不仅解放了被教条禁锢的百姓脑袋，更是体现了人类对思想自由的追求。

释迦牟尼，他放弃王权丶拒绝神权丶捍卫民权丶尊重女权，绝对是一位伟大的社会主义改革家。可是，很多人卻认爲佛教是个出世避世丶远离政治的宗教。千百年来，一旦面对残暴不公的当权者的迫害，佛寺总是给人认爲是最佳的避难所，这都是佛教给世人的刻板印象。我国有两成人民是佛陀弟子，与其在佛像面前祈求愿望快快实现，不如学习佛陀当年无惧强权迫害，捍卫弱势权益的精神。。。”


心声。。。

“。。。与其在佛像面前祈求愿望快快实现，不如学习佛陀当年无惧强权迫害，捍卫弱势权益的精神。”
 
讲得的确不错，如果有研读释尊所演说的经典，就可知道，释尊并非要我们向祂膜拜，而是向祂学习，释尊以身作则，秉持着勇气、正义、慈悲为怀，以行动去实践人类的幸福。这就是释尊出世为怀的真髓教导。我们应该好好地学习释尊的精神，尤其是身为佛教徒。

写e日记

今天友人跟我们分享有关面子书（Facebook）的事。他奉劝我们小心為妙，因为万一面子书感染了病毒，所有的文章或贴稿都会表露无遗。而且他的导师告诉他们别贴太多个人负面心声在面子书。尤其是求职者。因为很多公司都在面子书评估个人心理测试。

我个人也很认同以上的分享，只要不写得太过火，或是过于极端，凡是要量力而为，为自己所做的一切负责任就好。在这e世代里，这些布落格还是面子书，无形中已替代了过往的书写日记。只不过是以往的书写日记较为隐蔽，只有当事人自己知道而已。而现在的e日记就较为以分享方式公开给予一些朋友群或更大胆的就是公开给大众，不过一些人也会隐瞒自己的身份，这些都是因人而异。

至于那些公司借此为评估一个人的工具。那么我个人就不大认同。如果他们是以这些来衡量一个人的工作能力，那么我可奉劝忘了这些人吧！

我这样说是因为他们正在侵犯他人的私隐。一个不懂得尊重他人的老板，会是怎样的上司呢？e日记是很私人的空间，一些时候所表达是真是假，也是见仁见智。但无可否认是一个让人们发泄的地方。如果要用纸上谈兵的方式去衡量一个人的心理，而非面对面的恳谈，未免难于服众，而且也不实际。

每个人都有他自己开心与不开心的时候，说到底人是有情绪的生物，包括那些以这样方式来评估一个人的人在内。只要个人能持着理智与专业为本，分得出工作与私人关系就好。在怎样说，工作也是生活的一部份。