Thursday, January 17, 2008

PAS Wants To Apply Strict Syaria Law, Including Amputations And Stonings!

Malaysia's Islamist opposition party called on non-Muslims on Thursday to back its election campaign to apply strict sharia law, including amputations and stonings, for the country's Muslims.

Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) is trying to broaden its appeal beyond the predominantly Muslim heartland at the next election, which is expected by political experts to be called by end-March and to be fought partly on the issue of rising street crime.

"The people want the best and there is nothing better than Islam," Nik Aziz Nik Mat, 77, told Reuters after morning prayers at his home in the largely rural northeast state of Kelantan, ruled by PAS since 1990.

An Egyptian-educated scholar, Nik Aziz said non-Muslims had nothing to fear from strict sharia punishments, known as hudud, and a lot to gain from them, especially Malaysia's large and wealthy ethnic Chinese minority.

"It is more important for the Chinese to accept hudud laws because those who steal do not steal from the poor," said Nik Aziz, who wore a skullcap, white shirt and sarong.

"Who steals from the poor?"

Hudud laws would not apply to non-Muslims if the Pas campaign succeeds in the end.

Nik Aziz's spartan, single-storey home of green brick and wood sits next to a mosque and a religious school in a traditional Malay village. Malays constitute virtually the entire Muslim population and are defined as Muslim under the constitution.

"Thieves steal from the rich and the Chinese are more well-off than the Malays. If a thief's hand is amputated and he goes to the football field or he goes to the market, people can see that he is a thief," he said.

"Everyone will be afraid and won't steal."

Malaysia, a collection of Islamic kingdoms in medieval times, still treats Islam as its only official religion, though waves of Chinese and Indian migration in the last two centuries have dramatically changed the racial and religious landscape.

More than 40 percent of Malaysian are now non-Muslim.

RACIAL TENSIONS

"It's not impossible for hudud to be implemented," said a Muslim watch-seller who gave his name as Nor, as he sipped coffee near his stall at a street market in Kelantan. "It's a good deterrent, but it's not easy to be implemented because there are so many races."

Malaysia has been run since independence in 1957 by a multi-racial coalition of Malay, Chinese and Indian parties, which is considered the only political structure that can govern and keep a lid on Malaysia's religious tensions.

But Malaysia's opposition factions have been unable to come together. The main opposition Democratic Action Party, which is backed by mainly Chinese voters, says it could never go into a coalition with PAS while it retains its Islamist platform.

"It appears they still have a political death wish," said Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party, when he was told of Nik Aziz's latest comments. "That is why we cannot cooperate with PAS... We believe that a theocratic (federal) state is not appropriate for Malaysia. Even the Muslims themselves don't agree with a theocratic state."

Malaysia's current Islamic legal system deals mainly with issues such as apostasy and family matters, such as divorce. It cannot mete out severe punishments such as stoning for adultery. Even in Kelantan, the PAS state government says federal law prevents it from instituting these punishments.

In 2004, PAS fared poorly in general elections, just clinging onto Kelantan and losing power in neighboring Terengganu state. Since then, some younger and more pragmatic leaders have moved up the ranks, trying to move the party beyond its Muslim heartland.

But the party platform remains unchanged. (Reuters)

***** With that very direct message from Tok Guru, PAS has sealed its fate as far as the non-Muslims are concerned. They won't touch PAS even with a 50 foot pole. Tok Guru and his party can kiss goodbye to whatever little chance they had of convincing the non-Muslims to vote for them. Pity the non-Muslims though. They are unenviably placed
between the devil and the deep blue sea. The electoral choice they have left now is classic Hobson's choice; vote for the racists or the religious fanatics. Some choice!
Image - Source

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9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmmm...Hudud Laws do not apply to Non-Muslims...well...if they win, then they will be chopping off a lot of these UMNO Politicians' hands? Not a bad idea actually!!!

8:29 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

interesting proposal.........if it apply only to muslims, why not? Then to be fair, for the non-muslims, a strict jail sentence must apply.

In the end, crime goes down and everybody wins.

Before everybody starts coming out with negative comments, let's hit pause, think about it and discuss it.

9:20 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I doubt muslim like hudud laws. UMNO can now relax.

9:33 PM GMT+8  
Blogger AnakMelaka said...

LOL - how to win an election, UMNO?

ask PAS to talk hudud - LOL

Terima Kasih PAS for allowing UMNO & cronies to naik harga lagi!

9:37 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Non-Malays should vote for DAP & PKR. However, if there is no choice, vote for PAS!
Ecxept for Kelantan & maybe Terengganu, PAS is not going to get any majorities anyway! Don't forget a vote for the MCA or MIC is a vote for UMNO.

9:54 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let's take a step back & look at the bigger picture.

All of us have been complaining of the high crime rate. Rapes, homicides, robberies, snatch theft, you name it we have it etc.

The usual fall guy for our high crime rate is the illegal immigrant. Now, take a look at the police statistic. 80% of our crimes were committed by locals. If we were to divide the stats.along racial makeup it should be 60:20:10:10. being Malays,Chinese,Indian & others respectively.

IIIFFF (That's a big IF)PAS were to keep their word & implement hudud on muslims only. I am certain it will have a drastic effect on our overall crime rate.

Tok Haji might be on to something good here.!?

Like the chinese saying goes:-

"If you've not sinned in the daytime, you do not fear the knocking on your door at night!"

Cheers.

8:44 AM GMT+8  
Blogger Monsterball said...

Fact is this is both a Malay and Muslim majority country. So the predominant views of these communities will form the core of the countries policies, like it or not.
It appears we are stuck between the racist kleptocracy of UMNOputras and the religious theocracy of the Bulan-putras.

No wonder so many of our best and brightest have simply chosen to leave the country.

9:53 AM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The more you ponder on this the more "attractive" it seems!
Give a chance to Pak Haji lah...he will bring down the crime rate fast!
Our Police (read: Government) isn't doing it anyway!

4:29 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I found an interesting letter from The Star "How not to fall prey to snatch thieves" which says the following:

"The crime rates have gone up. Heavier penalties may be a deterrent. Ever wonder why one could walk safely in Saudi streets adorned with diamonds and jewels? Harsh punishment is the answer."

And I believe Muslims would like to have hudud law. Try asking Jazimin Abdul Jalil or anyone who have lost their daughter\belongings\limbs\love ones to the criminals.

8:31 PM GMT+8  

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