Duuuude. The blase attitude toward the crackdown that the partiers show in this article would likely come to an end with a few lashes. Sharia Alert from modern, moderate Malaysia: "Muslims party on despite religious crackdown," from AFP, July 26 (thanks to Block Ness):
...A morality crackdown has seen Malaysian Islamic authorities hand out caning and jail sentences for illicit drinking and sex, and launch raids on homes and clubs in the glare of media flashlights.But for Asyikin, a petite and attractive business executive dressed in a knee-length skirt and strappy high heels, the campaign hasn't dampened her party mood.
"I couldn't care less, I'm partying. Religion to me is a personal thing," she says as she sips a glass of whisky and greets other regulars at the bars and restaurants that line the narrow streets.
Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population, are forbidden to have sex out of wedlock or drink alcohol under the Sharia legal system which runs in parallel to the civil courts in Malaysia.
In an unprecedented case that grabbed world headlines last year, Muslim model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 33, was sentenced to six lashes of the cane for drinking beer.
Kartika's sentence was commuted to community service after an uproar from rights groups, but three other women were quietly caned under Islamic laws in February for having sex out of wedlock.
Despite the highly publicised cases, every weekend Kuala Lumpur's top clubs are packed with fashionably dressed youngsters including Muslim Malays -- many offspring of the nation's elite -- socialising and drinking openly.
"I'm a bit more wary after all these cases but it doesn't really affect my mood to go out and party," says Muaz Omar, a civil servant who goes to pubs with friends to watch live band performances.
"People who drink still do go out because even private parties at home are subjected to raids, there is no longer a safe haven," says the 35-year-old, who adds that he does not drink himself.
"The religious authorities should not be a moral police. In the religion, if it's a private matter, then it should be a private thing. There must be a rethinking of the way they act."
The crackdown has fuelled debate over rising "Islamisation" of the multi-ethnic nation, and rights groups have urged religious authorities to stop acting as morality police.
"We don't agree with the way they go on, Islam is not about snooping around catching people committing sin," says Ratna Osman, legal manager from leading civil society group Sisters In Islam (SIS).
Ratna blasted the raids as a form of rights violation and an intrusion into people's privacy.
"Unless that person is a drunkard and started going around committing crime or causing accidents, then yes, you can punish them because they endanger people and their own life," she says.
"But if the person commits a sin in a private domain then it is between him and God. If as a Muslim you feel compelled to tell him, it should be done in a compassionate way or to educate them."
Religious authorities defend their actions, saying they are merely carrying out their duty to ensure fellow Muslims stay away from sin.
"We don't accept any behaviour that is not condoned by Islam," Che Mat Che Ali, the head of the Islamic affairs department in Kuala Lumpur, tells AFP.
"Drinking is a big sin. If you are drunk, you are not in the right state of mind, you yourself will suffer and others may suffer too."
"It's not just something between the person and God, we have a duty to advise them."...
And what better advice can anyone give than a few lashes with a cane?
".. three other women were quietly caned under Islamic laws in February for having sex out of wedlock.."
Sex out of wedlock!!! really? and what about Muhammad having sex out of wedlock !!!
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/03/muhammads-aunt-la-tante-de-mahomet.html
Isn't he the Perfect Man of Islam? a Model of Conduct for Muslims to follow?
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/07/perfect-man.html
So is it only Muslims that are subject to these punishments? Or are all Malays assumed to be Muslims? Can a Malay chose not to be Muslim without being subject to the death penalty for apostasy?
"We don't accept any behaviour that is not condoned by Islam," Che Mat Che Ali, the head of the Islamic affairs department in Kuala Lumpur, tells AFP.
That means that my refusal to become a Muslim or pay the jizya tax is not condoned. I'll drink to that.
Knightemplar2, But Allah made special rules for Mo and besides Mo was a man. It's women who suffer under Islam.
Faye Sullivan, "..and besides Mo was a man."
Hmmm !!!
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/03/transvestite-muhammad-mahomet-le.html
and Hmmmmmm !!!
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/03/muhammads-sexual-impotence-limpuissance.html
and Hmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!!
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/05/drawing-muhammad-dessiner-mahomet.html
Islam ironically assigns true virtue to oblivion because true virtue can only exist where one has the option, without consequences from a Big Brother type, not to be virtuous. Forced virtue is sham virtue and so it is not surprising that Islam fails in the virtue category as it does in so many other categories.
"We don't accept any behaviour that is not condoned by Islam"
No wonder then their brains are completely addled. Imagine always being on the lookout for small transgressors, watching out for every little thing the muslim prophet did not like. Eating in the approved manner, dressing, shaving, making love, washing, submitting to his puppet god etc, all the minute everyday things that make up the life of a human being, everything has to be according to Big Brother Mo and his superstitions, his insecurities, his obsessions, his cravings to be center stage and unanimously acclaimed.
Your words about forced-virtue vs free will reminded me of an old saying:
Image is what you do when people are watching; character is what you do when they're not...
Open, multi-cultural and multi-religious, permissive Malaysia, the darling of the naive and the gullible, the showcase for tolerance and harmony will soon not be that anymore.
One group is in the majority now and has been for some time, there´s a new sheriff in town and don´t you ever forget it!
@Perpetua,
Theoretically, these punishments apply only to Muslims, but I know of many non-Muslims who have been caught up in police arrests for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people.
Secondly, the Malaysian constitution considers one of the criteria for being a proper Malaysian is being a Muslim. Essentially, the constitutional status given to Islam grants it a special status and rigs the system legal system for Muslims and against non-Muslims. cf. discrimination against ethnic Indian Hindu ‘s and ethnic Chinese and the demolition of non-Muslim temples and shrines.
Thirdly, as for conversion from Islam within Malaysia, for the answer look at the Lina Joy case for an idea of where Malaysia is and where it is going. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lina_Joy.
I should point out that Malaysia has become more Muslim over the past few decades with the older generations being nominally Muslim and the younger generations being more Muslim. However, the problems within Islam were always there in Malaysia(and Indonesia too) and all that was needed was time and for Muslims to adhere to the Koran to help harvest Islam’s poisonous fruit.
Knightstemplar2
I was being sarcastic not supportive of Islam! Believe me if you read my posts you will see that no one on this sight is more anti mo and his hairy horde than me. Good vids though!
Islam cannot withstand the rebellion of the young people who wanna have fun. Thats why the Mullahs gotta either tame them, scare them into submission or kill them. But fun will win in the end!
Question is, will these people be willing to fight for their right to party when the going gets tougher and the canings more frequent? Will they knuckle under, become "good, obedient" muslims and eventually hand the whole of Malaysia over to the Islamic Moral(?) and Thought(?) police?
I'm heading out to the patio with my newly-arrived copy of "The Post-American Presidency" and a cold beer with which I will toast Kartika Shukarno. Somebody should steal one of those damn canes and give Che Mat Che Ali a taste of his own medicine.
Party on dudes and dudesses...don't let a little thing like sharia and the lash get in your way...
Perpetua: So is it only Muslims that are subject to these punishments? Or are all Malays assumed to be Muslims? Can a Malay chose not to be Muslim without being subject to the death penalty for apostasy?
Yes, only Malaysian Muslims are subject to sharia. Yes, all Malays are assumed to be Muslim. It's in the Malaysian constitution. A Malay who wishes to apostasize has a long court battle ahead of him or her, and may not be permitted. I have not heard of any Malay apostates being condemned by the civil courts.
Note: Malaysia is a country, Malaysian is a nationality, Malay is an ethnic identity. There are a number of laws in Malaysia that tend to favor the Muslim Malay majority and oppress kuffar ethnic minorities. The kuffar mostly keep the peace and don't complain too much because they know things could be a lot worse for them. Things are now tending to get worse for the kuffar anyway.
"Allah wanna do is have some fun" Sheryl Crowe
It really amazes me that they are muslims but have Hindu names.
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno.....the entire name is HINDU and if I had not read the article I would have thought it was just another Hindu girl who was drinking beer....which is nothing to write home about, just another good old college party.
"Che?" Lord, save the world from another one of those...
Indonesia Muslims have morales?....
Perpetua wrote:
So is it only Muslims that are subject to these punishments? Or are all Malays assumed to be Muslims? Can a Malay chose not to be Muslim without being subject to the death penalty for apostasy?
...............
Not all Malaysians are Muslim—there are also Malaysian Christians, Hindus, and atheists—although these groups are all discriminated against by the 'affirmative action' tinged "Bumiputra" laws, which favor Muslims for government jobs and university spots, and keep non-Muslims under a form of dhimmitude.
Most non-Muslim Malaysians are ethnically Indian, Indonesian, or Chinese. But all ethnic Malays are—*by law*—Muslim, and may not change their religion.
Malaysia may be "moderate" when compared with complete Islamic hell-holes like Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia—but it is a society severely warped by Shari'ah—and one that is becoming further Islamized all the time.
"Drinking is a big sin." -- headline
Drinking is not a sin -- but according to the Bible, getting drunk is. Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding, so there is nothing wrong with having some wine. The directive in the word of God is not to get drunk.
"...authorities hand out caning" ...
Caning? ...did I just go back in time?! What a barbaric and archaic practice.
It's poontang and gin until the stonings begin.
Whatever you taysir...until it's time to tow the line.
And I wonder for whom these young party-drinkers vote at election time?
Bumiputra....a Hindu term meaning Son of the Land.
Bumi...Land or Earth
Putra...Son
Amazing how these "Muslims" still use terms and names from their original Hindu identity and yet discriminate against non-muslims.
Wish I could have a face to face with them and tell them how idiotic they are. Their warlords still call themselves Rajas...
Perpetua, there have recently been cases in which Muslims who converted to another religion were prosecuted by Malaysian authorities.
Let's let Muslim, and formerly-Muslim, Malaysians speak for themselves on this issue;
http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=117676498244829
A fair number of Malaysian Christians also belong to the indigenous groups living in the interiors of Sarawak and Sabah (the Malaysian portions of Borneo).