And yet Malaysia is seen as a modern country?

Posted by: Dumbo at March 4, 2008 9:07 AM

Dumbo,

We just need to show some dipomacy and understanding and you will see religious freedom will reign in the Islamic world. Right?

Posted by: Elric66 at March 4, 2008 9:10 AM

At least they didn't condemn her to death.

Posted by: sadatoni at March 4, 2008 12:10 PM

Kamariah has already been convicted of apostasy in a separate case in 1992, and served less than 20 months,

For the benefit of those who do not know about these dangerous deviants of the Sky Kingdom Cult can check this out

http://illustratedpig.blogspot.com/2006/06/dangerous-deviants.html

Posted by: Shiva at March 4, 2008 3:09 PM

It seems the only way to hold on to the 'faithful' Muslim is to level laws and fear tactics to keep them within the confines of Islam; like you would keep a trapped animal but worse, because any sane person who closely examines Islam would want to leave given the choice. Intimidation & fear are some of Islams trademarks.

Makes me appreciate my religious freedoms all the more - and it makes me want to fight to keep them, too.

Posted by: champ at March 4, 2008 4:11 PM

Another example of the BBC's attempt to Dhimify the British people.

It is running a series of programmes about 'White working class Britons' (always a patronising jaundiced view by white liberal middle-class TV producers but we won't go into that now).

Part of this series is about a young white girl who seeks refuge in Islam to escape the pain of her white working class parents divorce.

Hopefully, after it is shown, it will be put on utube to study the propaganda.

To quote from the link.

This provocative and emotive drama from the Bafta Award-winning writer of Sex Traffic tells the story of the clash of cultures that occurs when a white family relocates from Leeds to an otherwise wholly Asian community in Bradford.

Abi Morgan's compelling film is told from the perspective of 11-year-old Leah, played by newcomer Holly Kenny, whose world is turned upside down when her mum Debbie (Bleak House's Anna Maxwell Martin) moves the family to Bradford to escape the fallout from her recent relationship break-up.

Leah becomes friends with her neighbour Yasmin and discovers that the culture she was initially intimidated by isn't so alien after all. She is soon seeking sanctuary in the rituals of Islam, away from the pain and strife at home. But this innocent fascination turns sour for Debbie when her daughter comes home wearing a hijab, and the family's violent reaction has explosive consequences for everyone.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/white/white_girl.shtml

Posted by: The Black Douglas at March 4, 2008 4:53 PM

". . . she and 58 others were arrested in July 2005 for following the teachings of the banned Sky Kingdom, a local sect claiming to promote interfaith harmony."

from the AP article

Wikipedia has a fairly long article on the sect (how accurate I don't know), founded in 1975 by Ariffin Mohamed, who is considered a reincarnation of Jesus, Shiva, Buddha, and Mohammed. He was visited by an angel in 1973. No wonder the Moslems are upset; that's kind of like infringement of a trademark or copyright.

Posted by: ebonystone at March 4, 2008 10:37 PM

more info, and a speculation:

Wikipedia says that the angel first visited Ariffin in 1953 when he was seriously ill, and then returned in 1973. It's interesting to note that the light adventure serial "Sky King" was being broadcast on radio from 1946 to 1954, with the first series of TV broadcasts in 1951 and 1952. I doubt that Ariffin had access to the TV show, but he could have heard the radio show while he was ill.

Posted by: ebonystone at March 4, 2008 10:56 PM

Hah! Pikers! Perhaps Robert might remember the Al Arqam guys. Really nutso (but possibly mainstream now, which is even scarier) folks who took the veil thing to an extreme. Well, not extreme anymore, but - geez, it's hard to make comparisons between ugly and fugly, you know?

Malaysia is still a 3rd World country. With possibly 1st world infrastructure (but only in certain parts) and 3rd world mentality. Gerrymandering isn't an exclusively US-thing, you know. We do it here all the time.

Do you know why they call it Sky Kingdom? Because it's modelled after Disney's Magic Kingdom. (I mean, giant teacups, for cryin' out loud) Look, even I think it's kooky. But people should have the right to be kooks on their own time in their own space.

Did anybody here know that in almost all the states, preaching to Muslims is an act punishable by death? Don't talk to me about religious freedom. As far as Muslims are concerned, there's no such thing.

Oh, btw, Terengganu is a swing state. They voted for PAS (the Islamic hardliner party, insofar as they exist here) two elections ago. Not that bad and worse can be compared, but jus' sayin'.

Let me lay the facts out to you. If you dead, you can convert out of Islam post facto. The Government, of course, would have taken your property already.

Also, the only reason that Malaysia is still afloat is because we (Non-Muslim Chinese and Indians and to a lesser degree other indigenous races) are keeping it that way. Give us unrestricted immigration rights to the USA upon our renouncing M'sian citizenship and watch rats leave the sinking ship. Except right now the rats are keeping the ship running. Weird, ain't it?

And if there are any Malay/Muslims reading this comment and disagree with me, BRING IT ON!!! I'll bury you with facts, so I will.

Posted by: gkong3 at March 4, 2008 11:39 PM

This tea-pot cult is touching, because it is so obviously seen as a way out of Islam. Not to jettison Islam for another, enemy faith. Not to jettison Islam for free-thinking, an absence of belief. But to construct a faith about a symbol of something -- say, the quality of mercy, that is not strained (pour it right from the tea-pot), but falleth as the gentle rain from heaven, upon the place beneath. And so on.

A semi-decent society would simply leave that lady alone, and others who, out of similar desperation, want to leave Islam. But Islam won't leave them, or others born into Islam through no fault of their own, alone. No. Once you are in, you can't get out.

Posted by: Hugh at March 6, 2008 1:56 AM

You have a right to join a nutty cult - look how many people in this country think that Brittany Spears is talented!

Posted by: tanstaafl at March 6, 2008 9:37 AM