Chitchat Issue of nurses wearing tudung discussed 6 months ago: Shanmugam

[whoami]

PAP trying hard to steal the thunder from WP.
PAP will delay implementation of this until it's nearer GE to reap as much political points that they have lost to the Muslim community.
But rest assured the muslim community will hammer PAP harder until they comply with the Constitution and allow ALL employees to wear their hijab.

Faisal Manap did a good job! Tats wat i called MP representing and speaking out for their race. Meanwhile Masago can go eat cow dung.

 

[countryman]

Tats cos ur bias against Islam/Malays. Not surprising though

So are u, you're even more bias against other faiths as well.
Pot calling kettle black? LOL

 

[countryman]

Open ur eyes big big.

It merely shows the young helping the elderly n that's about it. It's a good deed. But anyone else would have done it too.

 

[whoami]

So are u, you're even more bias against other faiths as well.

Show me my post to prove ur point

 

[whoami]

It merely shows the young helping the elderly n that's about it. It's a good deed. But anyone else would have done it too.

Its ok. U still cant see the real pic/intention. Skip...

 

[countryman]

Show me my post to prove ur point

That's not necessary. There's no need to prove anything. Not necessary for u also.

 

[countryman]

Its ok. U still cant see the real pic/intention. Skip...

Of coz it's ok. It's up to me.

 

[whoami]

That's not necessary. There's no need to prove anything. Not necessary for u also.

First u say i this and tat. Next u say not necessary to proof. Like tat wheres ur integrity?

 

[countryman]

First u say i this and tat. Next u say not necessary to proof. Like tat wheres ur integrity?

Say what u like. This will be an endless topic so let's stop it here.
No time for this. LOL

 

[whoami]

Say what u like. This will be an endless topic so let's stop it here.
No time for this. LOL

When u accuse me or anyone of anything, u need to show proof. Only a retard will kip in silent and not demand any explanation from the accuser.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

PAP trying hard to steal the thunder from WP.
PAP will delay implementation of this until it's nearer GE to reap as much political points that they have lost to the Muslim community.
But rest assured the muslim community will hammer PAP harder until they comply with the Constitution and allow ALL employees to wear their hijab.

If tat is the case. Pap will loose more votes. Many singkies fear the domination of islam n with mudslimes give them an inch they take a mile. The pap should question these mudslimes. How come the hijab was never an issue until recently? In the 60s n b4...hijab was more an option than a rule. Now must wear. Wat gives? N where in the religious books say must wear? So why r u wearing it? N i think this is promoted so mudslimes can sell more mudslime fashion etc. N one other good point. How come madhatter's wife dont wear it? N after these tudung thing i will bet the mudslimes will clamour for more like 4 wives, female circumcision, halal water, halal buses, halal tables n chairs in work places, halal refrigerators, banning of Dogs, pray 5 times a day, n even m&ds themselves will suffer as they will kenna religious police...if a m&d makan during puasa...will get flogged in public...etc

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Actually the m&ds themselves are the victims of these tudung thing.. as the have surrendered their culture to a foreign one n they dont see it. The cina etc have not even influenced them to the extent the arabs did. N the Arabs are miles away n yet control them by their religious schools. m&ds boleh

Against The Grain: Arabisation and the Malay identity
Against The Grain: Arabisation and the Malay identity
This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on October 24 - 30, 2016.
There has been much resentment expressed recently towards what is perceived as the Arabisation of Malays. This Arabisation is said to be manifested in a number of ways, the most common being the adoption by Malays of Arabic words in their vocabulary and the donning of Arabic dress such as the thobe, an ankle-length garment similar to a robe.

In the past, for example, Muslims in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia would use the term “buka puasa” for the breaking of the fast during the month of Ramadan. These days, however, the Arabic word, iftar, is often heard.

After the end of the fasting month, the common greeting among Muslims was Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, but this has increasingly given way to the Arabic eid mubarak.

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More and more male Muslims in the region are using the Arab thobe rather than the sarong or kain pelikat. In fact, a variety of thobes originating from the United Arab Emirates, Oman and other countries in the Arab world can be seen in our mosques and at religious functions.

Many have lamented the fact that things Malay have been substituted by things Arab and fear that this is the beginning of a trend of the Arabisation of the Malay identity and culture. Indeed, this phenomenon of Arabisation must be properly understood and distinguished from an earlier process of the Islamisation of the Malays, when Islam arrived in the Malay world of Southeast Asia.

When a religion spreads from one region to another, it is quite normal that elements of the culture of the society of origin of that religion would be adopted by its new adherents. This can be said to have happened with the spread of Islam to the Malay world.

When the Malays adopted Islam as a religion and way of life, the Malay language was influenced in significant ways. Not only was the Arabic script in a modified form adopted by the Malays, but many Arabic words also found their way into the Malay language. This was the case not only with religious vocabulary but also with words used in other areas of social, cultural and political life.

Some words in Malay are obviously of Arabic origin. Examples are tadbir (administer), had (limit) and mustahil (impossible). Other words, however, are less obviously of Arabic origin. Examples are kuat (strong), derived from the Arabic quwwah, and pasal (paragraph, section), derived from the Arabic fasl.

This process of acculturation is something normal that takes place whenever there is contact between two different cultural areas. Aspects of the Arabisation of the Malays that had accompanied the Islamisation of the Malays since the early days of the coming of Islam to the Malay world must be distinguished from what is being referred to as Arabisation today.

What is referred to as Arabisation today is in fact a worrying trend. This is because the adoption by some Malays of certain elements of Arab culture would result in the gradual erosion of Malay culture and practices. If more and more Malay men were to adopt the thobe, this would mean the marginalisation of the kain pelikat and baju Melayu and their possible demise as a cultural artifact. Indeed, it is already the case that there is hardly a Malaysian kain pelikat industry to speak of, as this is dominated by a few Indonesian manufacturers.

An even greater concern as far as the trend of Arabisation is concerned is the adoption of a way of life that is not only contrary to Malay culture but is also inappropriate for our society. The example I have in mind is the adoption of the niqab, the part of the hijab that covers the face. The niqab is a tradition of many Arab societies but is foreign to Malay culture. Still, it is increasingly seen on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta.

Arabisation in this sense is really a reflection of the influence of certain understandings of Islam originating from the Arab world. For example, there is the phenomenon of Malaysians and Indonesians going to the Hadhramaut region in Yemen to study and returning home with Hadhrami Arab practices such as the donning of the niqab, gender segregation and so on.

Those Malays and Indonesians who adopt such ways perhaps imagine that they are practising a more authentic version of Islam. In doing so, they set themselves apart from the larger Malay society, contribute to the erosion of Malay traditions and practices, and could be a party to the infusion of extremist interpretations of Islam.

When Islam arrived in the Malay world centuries ago, it adapted itself to the culture of the region and did not marginalise the culture of its people. Take the zapin, a musical and dance genre. Zapin (Ar. zafin) was introduced to the region from Hadhramaut centuries ago.

In each part of the Malay-Indonesian archipelago, zapin was indigenised to suit local conditions. Among the Malays of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, for example, the language of the song-text of zapin became Malay and the dance was not gender-segregated, unlike in Hadhramaut.

Furthermore, the introduction of zapin throughout the region did not result in the marginalisation of the music and dance genres that were already thriving in the Malay world. This is unlike the situation in Malaysia today in which some Malay music and dance genres, such as wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) and mak yong (dance drama), are said to be unIslamic and proscribed.

If elements of Arab culture blend in with Malay traditions and practices without eroding or eliminating things Malay, then such “Arabisation” can be said to be a creative process.

On the other hand, if Arabisation is founded on the idea of the greater Islamic authenticity of Arab culture, it would result in the erosion and marginalisation of Malay culture and the adoption of inappropriate practices.

It is this sense of Arabisation that has come under attack in Malaysia recently. The same can be said of the influence of any other culture such as Westernisation.

Syed Farid Alatas teaches at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Sociology

 

[Hypocrite-The]

As i said. The m&ds themselves are the victims of Arabisation. For their own culture is being eroded.

With Arabisation, whither Malay culture?
You don’t need to be an Arab to be a Muslim, but many seem to be abandoning their customs and traditions.

I HAVE said it many times: as the Malays become more Muslim, they become less Malay. They are discarding almost everything that they perceive as positing “Malayness” and embraced what they believe to be “Islamic.”

In doing so they are losing their real identity by trying to be what they are not. There is a real issue pertaining to identity struggle and contestation among the Malays today. In the name of religion, they are questioning not only how they look but their tradition, even folktales and performing arts.

Islamisation is not about Arabisation. You don’t need to be an Arab to be a Muslim.

But what we are seeing in this country today is the process of Arabisation of the Malays. The Malays have never been as confused in manifesting their true identity as they are now.

Islam is never against the discourse on race. The Quran acknowledges the existence of tribes.

But propagating a notion of one’s race as superior to others is not acceptable. In short, there is nothing with wrong with manifesting one’s race and at the same time professing the religion.

It used to be a lot less complicated back then. The race is Malay, the religion, Islam. Insofar as there is no conflict, race and religion co-exist.

But things have changed significantly over the last few decades. The Islamic movement of the 1970s has pressured the Malays to rethink their culture.

The fault lines were established. It is like telling the world that one needs to “look Muslim” to be one. To “look Muslim” is by imitating the Arabs.

There is a new demand to be “more Muslim”, for example in attire. Gestures, too, matter.

And by being Islamic, one is also judged by the words one uses. It is no more Hari Raya but Eid Mubarak. It is no more Selamat Hari Lahir but Sanah Helwah. The term for the yearly Quran reading competition too has evolved to ensure its purity in Islamic terms: musabaqah, tilawah, ujian.

Perhaps the reading competition itself is an interesting indicator of how Islamisation has evolved in Malaysia. One should read 50 Tahun Tilawah Al-Quran, a book published by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim). It is informative, as well as an eye opener.

The first official national Quran reading competition was started by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister, in 1960. A year later, the first international competition was organised. Interestingly, the venue chosen was Stadium Merdeka, the same venue for Pesta Bola Merdeka.

Two of the most successful qariah (woman readers) were Faridah Mat Saman and Rogayah Sulong, from Kelantan and Terengganu respectively. Faridah won the international competition seven times and Rogayah, four times.

They never wore the hijab while reading. The first qariah wearing a full tudung was a lady from Perak in 1978. The 1970s was the decade when the so-called new Islamic revival and consciousness came to the fore.

Prior to that, Malay women, as manifested in the movies of the 1950s and 1960s wore what they believed suitable for them, simply Malay dress.

I am sure Malay women of my mother’s generation were never less Muslim before they adhered to the new dress code. Perhaps times have changed.

Perhaps Malay women today are comfortable trading off their baju kurung and kebaya for what they believe to be “Muslim dress”.

But again, as pointed out by the Sultan of Johor some time back, the Malays should retain their culture instead of trying to imitate the Arabs. He was concerned that there are those who do not wish to follow Malay customs and traditions.

Historically, Johor leaders have always been in the forefront in arguing for modernisation, tolerance and moderation. The religious education of the state is exemplary in nurturing students who are open-minded yet confidently Malay and Islamic.

Earlier on, the then Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, also spoke about the need for the Malays to put a stop to Arabisation of their own culture. “We are not Arabs,” he argued.

Lately the former Information Minister, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, in his controversial blog wrote about the danger of Malays unwittingly believing that what is Arab is Islam.

The debate will rage on. Sadly, despite a spirited effort by a few well-meaning and concerned Malay intellectuals, the voice of conservatism is suppressing all discourse of reason.

Religion is an emotive subject. As the result of the tyranny of the silent majority, pleas for reason are little heard these days.

The Malays have adapted well to other cultures, unashamedly embracing traits and characteristics from others. But they have been steadfast in protecting what they believe is their own culture and identity.

But Arabisation, in the name of religion, is changing all that. The entire culture (with a big “C”) is being challenged.

Something definitely is not right: the growing conservatism that comes with it. The Malays have always taken the position that adat (customs and rituals) and agama (religion), insofar as it is not against the teaching of Islam, should supplement each other.

I hope this critical issue was addressed at the Kongres Budaya (Congress on Culture) last Saturday.

Johan Jaaffar was a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Tags / Keywords:

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

Nurses and drs are strongly advised not to wear unnecessary pieces of clothing or accessories such as rings and watches because they may act as an extra reservoir for pathogens to breed,as unlike our hands, these are things we may not wash regularly, straight and simple, not too sure why religion is even brought into the discussion and I have no idea what law min is saying...

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

As i said. The m&ds themselves are the victims of Arabisation. For their own culture is being eroded.

With Arabisation, whither Malay culture?
You don’t need to be an Arab to be a Muslim, but many seem to be abandoning their customs and traditions.

I HAVE said it many times: as the Malays become more Muslim, they become less Malay. They are discarding almost everything that they perceive as positing “Malayness” and embraced what they believe to be “Islamic.”

In doing so they are losing their real identity by trying to be what they are not. There is a real issue pertaining to identity struggle and contestation among the Malays today. In the name of religion, they are questioning not only how they look but their tradition, even folktales and performing arts.

Islamisation is not about Arabisation. You don’t need to be an Arab to be a Muslim.

But what we are seeing in this country today is the process of Arabisation of the Malays. The Malays have never been as confused in manifesting their true identity as they are now.

Islam is never against the discourse on race. The Quran acknowledges the existence of tribes.

But propagating a notion of one’s race as superior to others is not acceptable. In short, there is nothing with wrong with manifesting one’s race and at the same time professing the religion.

It used to be a lot less complicated back then. The race is Malay, the religion, Islam. Insofar as there is no conflict, race and religion co-exist.

But things have changed significantly over the last few decades. The Islamic movement of the 1970s has pressured the Malays to rethink their culture.

The fault lines were established. It is like telling the world that one needs to “look Muslim” to be one. To “look Muslim” is by imitating the Arabs.

There is a new demand to be “more Muslim”, for example in attire. Gestures, too, matter.

And by being Islamic, one is also judged by the words one uses. It is no more Hari Raya but Eid Mubarak. It is no more Selamat Hari Lahir but Sanah Helwah. The term for the yearly Quran reading competition too has evolved to ensure its purity in Islamic terms: musabaqah, tilawah, ujian.

Perhaps the reading competition itself is an interesting indicator of how Islamisation has evolved in Malaysia. One should read 50 Tahun Tilawah Al-Quran, a book published by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim). It is informative, as well as an eye opener.

The first official national Quran reading competition was started by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister, in 1960. A year later, the first international competition was organised. Interestingly, the venue chosen was Stadium Merdeka, the same venue for Pesta Bola Merdeka.

Two of the most successful qariah (woman readers) were Faridah Mat Saman and Rogayah Sulong, from Kelantan and Terengganu respectively. Faridah won the international competition seven times and Rogayah, four times.

They never wore the hijab while reading. The first qariah wearing a full tudung was a lady from Perak in 1978. The 1970s was the decade when the so-called new Islamic revival and consciousness came to the fore.

Prior to that, Malay women, as manifested in the movies of the 1950s and 1960s wore what they believed suitable for them, simply Malay dress.

I am sure Malay women of my mother’s generation were never less Muslim before they adhered to the new dress code. Perhaps times have changed.

Perhaps Malay women today are comfortable trading off their baju kurung and kebaya for what they believe to be “Muslim dress”.

But again, as pointed out by the Sultan of Johor some time back, the Malays should retain their culture instead of trying to imitate the Arabs. He was concerned that there are those who do not wish to follow Malay customs and traditions.

Historically, Johor leaders have always been in the forefront in arguing for modernisation, tolerance and moderation. The religious education of the state is exemplary in nurturing students who are open-minded yet confidently Malay and Islamic.

Earlier on, the then Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, also spoke about the need for the Malays to put a stop to Arabisation of their own culture. “We are not Arabs,” he argued.

Lately the former Information Minister, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, in his controversial blog wrote about the danger of Malays unwittingly believing that what is Arab is Islam.

The debate will rage on. Sadly, despite a spirited effort by a few well-meaning and concerned Malay intellectuals, the voice of conservatism is suppressing all discourse of reason.

Religion is an emotive subject. As the result of the tyranny of the silent majority, pleas for reason are little heard these days.

The Malays have adapted well to other cultures, unashamedly embracing traits and characteristics from others. But they have been steadfast in protecting what they believe is their own culture and identity.

But Arabisation, in the name of religion, is changing all that. The entire culture (with a big “C”) is being challenged.

Something definitely is not right: the growing conservatism that comes with it. The Malays have always taken the position that adat (customs and rituals) and agama (religion), insofar as it is not against the teaching of Islam, should supplement each other.

I hope this critical issue was addressed at the Kongres Budaya (Congress on Culture) last Saturday.

Johan Jaaffar was a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

Tags / Keywords:

Nice piece on nature vs nurture, waiting for the race vs iq guy to appear...

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Nice piece on nature vs nurture, waiting for the race vs iq guy to appear...

I am waiting for the Resident Mudslime whore to comment and deny that such thing is happening,,,that tudung is the best etc etc and cina bad,,yanks worse,,,ang mors even worse etc etc

 

[bobby]

Nurses and drs are strongly advised not to wear unnecessary pieces of clothing or accessories such as rings and watches because they may act as an extra reservoir for pathogens to breed,as unlike our hands, these are things we may not wash regularly, straight and simple, not too sure why religion is even brought into the discussion and I have no idea what law min is saying...

Very good points....but when these are said, you are always deemed islamophobic.

However, some countries even go beyond what is considered "political correctness" where religion is concerned....

 

[syed putra]

As I mentioned before, wearing a tudung is sign of piousness or just another Minah fashion statement? Then how come I still see many Minahs wearing tudungs smoking in public areas? Some Minahs wear tudungs but they still wear tight pants. Just the other day I saw my ex poly classmate now wearing a tudung but wore tight jeans until can see the shape of her JLo ass. Full of contradictions isn't?

Let them have their fashion statement.the malay girls never complain other peoples clothing.

 

[syed putra]

Very good points....but when these are said, you are always deemed islamophobic.

However, some countries even go beyond what is considered "political correctness" where religion is concerned....

Got AI maah! From the eye and slight nose bridge features, they can be recognised. Besides, arabs are very hard working. And dressed appropriately for the jobs. Unlike chinese, they do not live and congregate like in chinatowns.

 

[laksaboy]