[Malaysia] Sisters in Ayah Pin?

SIAP: SISTERS IN AYAH PIN

Pada 14 Julai 2005 yang lalu saya menulis berkenaan artikel Marina Mahathir dalam ruangan minggunannya dalam akhbar THE STAR yang telah mempertahankan hak Ayah Pin dan para pengikutnya untk mengamalkan amalan dan kepercayaan mereka.

Dalam artikelnya itu Marina menulis: "Terdapat kecenderungan banyak pihak untuk mendakwa sesiapa yang berfikiran berbeza dari mereka, lebih dari sebelum ini. Yang anehnya mereka ini lebih minat memberkas dari kalangan sesama akidah. Ianya umpama menyertai sebuah kelab, dan kemudian anda tidak dibenarkan sekali-kali meninggalkannya walaupun anda sudah tidak menyenangi peraturan-peraturannya."

Marina sesungguhnya terkapar-kapar dan lemas apabila membicarakan bab murtad seolah beranggapan dalam Islam seseorang Muslim mempunyai pilihan untuk keluar agama sesuka hati. Bab kufur setelah beriman ini adalah satu kesalahan yang serius dalam Islam sebagaimana difirmankan Allah swt dalam Surah an Nahl:106 (maksudnya): "Sesiapa yang kufur kepada Allah sesudah ia beriman (maka baginya kemurkaan dan azab dari Allah), kecuali orang yang dipaksa (melakukan kufur) sedang hatinya tenang tenteram dengan iman; akan tetapi sesiapa yang terbuka hatinya menerima kufur maka atas mereka tertimpa kemurkaan dari Allah, dan mereka pula beroleh azab yang besar."

Dan seperti yang saya jangkakan aliran fikiran yang berbahaya (bagi Islam) seperti Marina ini akan pasti ada pengikut dan penyokongnya. Terbukti dalam akhbar THE SUN hari ini fikiran seumpama Marina ini dalam zaman Islam Hadhari yang penuh fitnah memang ada pun penyokongnya.

Masjaliza Hamzah dari Sisters in Islam telah sebagaimana Marina turut menyokong dan mempertahankan hak Ayah Pin dan para pengikutnya. Beliau mempertikaikan mengapa orang yang telah Islam tidak boleh diberi hak untuk menggugurkan aqidahnya, beliau menulis: "How can religious authorities and Muslims demand that those wishing to convert to Islam should have all the freedom to do so, and at the same time, deny this freedom to Muslims who wish to leave their faith or believe otherwise?"

Bagaimana boleh pihak berkuasa agama dan umat Islam menuntut agar sesiapa yang berhasrat memeluk Islam diberikan kebebasan berbuat deminian, akan tetapi dalam waktu yang sama menafikan hak ini kepada orang Islam yang berhasrat meninggalkan agamaya atau menganut kepercayaan lain?

Tulisan di atas pasti memual dan menjijikkan untuk dibaca, malah lebih biadap lagi apabila penulis ini mewakili sebuah NGO Muslim! Penulis yang sungguh keliru dan serabut ini terus menulis: "Freedom of religion must recognise the right to practise one's religion, however unorthodox the beliefs may be. This right includes the freedom to change one's religion or belief, either alone or in community with others, in public or private."

Kebebasan agama perlulah mengiktiraf kebebasan seseorang untuk mengamalkan kepercayaannya, walau bagaimana pelik sekalipun amalannya. Hak ini perlulah termasuk hak mengubah kepercayaan atau agama seseorang, samada secara individu maupun satu-satu masyarakat di dalamnya, samada secara terbuka ataupun sebaliknya.

Sampai bilakah pihak berkuasa agama akan membenarkan Sisters in Islam ini berterusan mengeluarkan kenyataan dan pendirian yang sesat dan menyesatkan ini? Ianya bukan kali pertama mereka berbuat demikian.

Kita berada dalam satu zaman dimana Islam diserang hebat oleh pihak luar dari berbagai penjuru. Umat Islam sendiri pula terlalu lesu, semakin jauh meminggirkan agama, dan tiba-tiba dalam keadaan tenat ini kita mengizinkan pula malapetaka besar seumpama Sisters in Islam ini untuk bebas mengeluarkan pandangan kononnya sebagai sebuah NGO Muslim.

Segala hujah dan logik yang dikemukakan oleh SIS melalui tulisan Masjaliza ini sungguh kabur, songsang dan dengan sewenang-wenangnya telah memutarkan ayat-ayat Allah.

Kalau sayang dan cintakan sangat SIS ini kepada Ayah Pin (dan mereka yang seumpamanya) maka SIS sepatutnya ikut saja jejak langkah beliau menguasai kerajaan langit. Tukar saja akronim SIS kepada SIAP iaitu Sisters in Ayah Pin, kan jelas dan cantik bunyinya itu. Jangan lupa lantik Marina Mahathir sebagai penaungnya. roslan_s@yahoo.com

SILA KUNJUNGI BLOG ROSLAN SMS
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Let Sky Kingdom followers practice in peace
Claudia Theophilus, Jul 28, 2005, Malaysiakini

Rights advocates have expressed outrage, albeit belatedly, over the arrest and detention of followers of Ayah Pin, a 65-year-old man espousing an all-encompassing religious philosophy who had been jailed for deviating from Islam.

Sisters in Islam (SIS), in a statement dated yesterday, condemned the authorities' "punitive action" and calls to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) against Ayah Pin, or Ariffin Muhammad, and members of the Sky Kingdom.

Spokesperson Masjaliza Hamzah said the Sky Kingdom saga showed how religious authorities used state and federal resources to punish Ayah Pin and his followers without due consideration for their constitutional and religious rights.

"The government must take a brave and principled stand to respect freedom of religion.

"The principle of religious freedom is clearly affirmed in the Quran and reflected in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"The Quran is explicit and consistent in its recognition of freedom of religion," she said.

"How can religious authorities and Muslims demand that those wishing to convert to Islam should have all the freedom to do so (while) at the same time deny this freedom to Muslims who wish to leave their faith or belief?"

Ayah Pin and the Sky Kingdom followers grabbed media spotlight in recent weeks following a crackdown by Terengganu authorities on the village several times in an attempt to stamp out alleged deviant practices.

Respect and dignity

Citing a particular verse, Masjaliza said messages in the Quran should not be translated into detention and forced rehabilitation for those who believe differently.

"Freedom of religion must recognise the right to practice one's religion, however unorthodox the beliefs may be,” said Masjaliza, reiterating SIS' stand against any effort to criminalise people on the basis of their faith.

"This right includes the freedom to change one's religion or belief, either alone or in community with others, in public or private.

"Followers of unorthodox beliefs should be treated with respect and dignity."

She said that unless they resorted to violence, there was no basis to claim they are a threat to the rule of law or national security.

"If truly the religious authorities are concerned about the spiritual practices of Ayah Pin and his followers, then the path to take is not through punishment and mandatory detention but education and dialogue," she said.

Within the last one week, Kampung Batu 13 in Hulu Besut was torched by angry mobsters and then raided by religious authorities who arrested 48 followers currently facing syariah criminal charges.

Local police are still looking for the culprits and have recorded statements from several suspects, including two who were reportedly remanded yesterday.

Violation of free thought

Yesterday, a group of KL-based Ayah Pin followers handed over their complaints of rights violations to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and appealed for protection.

The group claimed infringement of their right to freedom of religion, life, security and liberty under the Malaysian constitution.

They also claimed a violation of the right to free thought, conscience and religion under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention of Rights of the Child.

Malaysian Youth and Students Democratic Movement (Dema) national affairs secretary Ginie Lim strongly opposed calls to detain Ayah Pin and his followers under the ISA reportedly made by 20 non-governmental organisations and Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria on the grounds they were a threat to national security.

"We think the draconian ISA should be repealed as it has been misused to serve the interests of certain people.

"We also believe that freedom of religion of any individual should be respected and not overruled by the authorities or mainstream interpretation of religion."

Dema wants the government to restore the rights to religious freedom of Ayah Pin and his followers and to protect them and their village from all forms of harassment.