Talking about Islamic values to a non-Muslim

Sukhdev Singh    This exchange of messages took place on account of the news about the 15 year old schoolgirl who made RM30,000 by having sexual intercourse with five men a day during her school holidays. Friend: RM30,000 / 5 men = RM6000 per man. So good biz? Aiyah, the government already has 'moral education' based on Islamic principles. Guess that's not doing much good too, huh? Me: What use is education without supervision, laws and policing? Even patimokha (code of coduct for Buddhist Theravada tradition monks) has punishable laws, the worst sentence being disrobing. And what may I ask you are the effects of disrobing? Simple, plain humiliation. Kota Bharu town centre All religiously based laws have these common traits including the Muslim hudud. I wish, in the event the Kelantan state government gets a chance, that it makes itself as an experiment not just for Malaysia, but for the whole world to see the wisdom upon which religiously based laws act. Friend: So, you support Hudud laws, which may also including chopping off the hands, stoning someone to death, etc? Me: (Laughs) Excuse me? This Malaysia we are talking about and the state is Kelantan. The Menteri Besar is Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.  Whose head or hands are going to get chopped off and who is going to get stoned to death? What you are expressing is pure Islamophobia, though not of that chronic grade as expressed in the western media. There was once this article I read in Harakah some time ago claiming that once Kota Baru was a real 'maksiat' entertainment centre which could easily rival KL’s once famous BB Park. Nauseated, the residents pooled their political will and now decades later ‘Bandar Maksiat Kota Baru’ (BMKB) has been transformed into Bandar Islam Kota Baru (BIKB). Now it just happens that this is Tanah Melayu, and their religion is Islam. (Jocular digression: I always thought that ‘Singapura’ was ‘Tanah Singh’. However, instead of Karpal Singh, Lee Kuan Yew turned out to be the PM!). Okay, now you are a sincere Buddhist, rather a Theravadin, to be more specific. Let me ask you, would you like the country that you have adopted as your own to be run by people who are sincere followers of their religion or hypocrites who would twist and turn or interpret their teachings for material gain through corruption, unfair and one sided dealings. Basically, we are talking about all the problems we have been putting up with where our BN is concerned. In my whole life (and I am in yours too) I have never come across an attempt to run a government out of the teachings of a Holy Book. Yes, you may cite the few 'Islamic' governments today, you might even include the Islamic countries that are now undergoing violent revolutions at the moment, but if you were to read the Harakah the view of Islam that will build up in your mind will be radically different. However, the only thing that you will be required to do mentally is to pretend that you are not non-Malay. If mentally, we are going to continually mistrust the Malay or Muslim Malay administration of this country, we as a country are never going to develop and get ahead. Many, especially the entire opposition, already have the view that we are strategising to compete with Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia for the 10th place. Religiously speaking, now let’s talk Theravadin, okay, we have the Sigalavoda Sutta: There are six ways one dissipates one's wealth: 1. Drinking and drugs 2. Carousing late at night 3. Wasting away your time at shows 4. Gambling 5. Keeping bad company 6. Laziness What can we do to ensure that our citizens do not get caught up in the above and dissipate their wealth? The 'reclining Buddha' in Tumpat, Kelantan Buddhistically, nothing. We are not a Buddhist country. (Please, please, I have heard enough of education.  The Road Transport Department has a Road Safety Department which is the educational arm. But without the Traffic Police and the Laws the Road Safety Department will be one nice wayang kulit.) Next, administratively speaking how can we ensure that our government has the qualities as listed down here: The Ten Duties of a King (from the Pali Jatakas): But the common man or woman is not the only one for whom Buddha provides guidance... 1. Dana: Liberality, generosity, charity, concern with the welfare of the people. 2. Sila: High moral character, observing at least the Five Precepts. 3. Parccaga: Willing to sacrifice everything for the people -- comfort, fame, even his life. 4. Ajjava: Honesty and integrity, not fearing some or favoring others. 5. Maddava: Kindness and gentleness. 6. Tapa: Austerity, content in the simple life. 7. Akkodha: Free from hatred, ill-will, and anger. 8. Avihimsa: Non-violence, a commitment to peace. 9. Khanti: Patience, tolerance, and the ability to understand others’ perspectives. 10. Avirodha: Non-obstruction, ruling in harmony with the will of the people and in their best interests. Again, Buddhistically nothing. We are not a Buddhist country. But as Buddhist, or Sikhs for that matter we know that no founder of any religion taught anything bad nor was he ever motivated by bad intentions or aspirations. So, why don’t we just trust Islam? But, you will say that you have heard many scary things about Islam. That is what Islamophobia is all about. It happened because you listened to the wrong views about the wrong Muslims. You want to understand true Muslim administration read the Harakah. * Sukhdev Singh is a Harakahdaily reader.