PAS : Resolution on SIS...anything wrong?

PAS approve the resolution in their 55th Muktamar. Khir agrees, SIS cries foul. Shahrizat comes running, Mahathir fends off, PKR shies away...

1. It started all over again during the recently concluded 55th PAS muktamar. At the end of the muktamar, the assembly passed a resolution calling for the ban of Sisters in Islam (SIS).
2. The reasons given for PAS resolution is for the National Fatwa council to conduct study on the "liberal" approach conducted by SIS which is seen to be confusing to the Islamic society and "may destroy the Islamic faith".
3. SIS came out firing painting PAS as retrogressive and anti-democratic. Shahrizat, the Women, Community and Development minister, came to the defense of SIS saying that PAS should learn to accept differing views.
   
4. PKR distanced itself by saying that different and dissenting views should be protected because it is an essence of democratic, fair and just societies.
   
5. Mahathir said that PAS is acting on a draconian manner by calling for the ban and defended SIS because he claimed that in most instances SIS cited the Quran and hadiths to support their views. Meanwhile Khir Toyo suggested SIS to drop the word "Islam" so that the organisation's comments or views would not raise concern among the Muslim community.
   
6. First and foremost, it must be pointed out that PAS's resolution is for the National Fatwa Council to conduct study on SIS's activities. It is by no way banning the NGO (yet).
   
7. So, the question is why are SIS, PKR, Shahrizat and Mahathir getting unnecesarrily agitated? It may be possible to understand that DAP, BAR council and even Teresa Kok may not fully understand the resolution because they are non-Muslims but when those who profess Muslims becoming agitated on the call to conduct study on SIS's activities, then these Muslims need to re-examine their statements before blurting out, exposing their ignorance to the gist of the resolution.
8. SIS get it all wrong when they issue a statement indicating PAS as retrogressive and anti-democratic. Sometimes, what you see is right may be wrong and what makes it more dangerous is when those who have not undergone islamic learnings take the liberty to cite the Quranic and hadiths meaning witout proper education in Arabic language, the language of the Quran.
9. There is a mark difference between knowledge and information. Knowledge is when you learn something from qualified teachers which in Islam will be the ulamas and the ustazs and practising it. Information on the other hand is reading from books without the guidance of qualified and well versed teachers. And this is most dangerous especially when it concerns religion, which in this case is Islam. Reading and interpreting Quran and hadiths based on our secular views may brings more harm than good. More so, when as unqualified persons, we tend to interpret based on our understanding which , at most, has no bearing with Islam.
10. When this happen, the liberal thoughts tend to cloud one's mind and because of our insistence that as lawyers, doctors, engineers, bankers, we are better than the ulamas'. However, will it be necessarily true? Can our Islamic knowledge be better than the ulamas? "Ulamas are the heritance of prophets", so says the hadith and since SIS cited Quran and hadiths in their arguments, wouldn't they be accepting that particular hadith as well? If that is true, then who are we compared to the ulamas? Isn't it better if we let the ulamas' to guide us in matters relating to Islam?
11. Shahrizat is known to be very protective of women and that is her duty as the minister in charge of women's affairs. But for Shahrizat to say that PAS should learn to accept different views is totally unacceptable. Shahrizat is from UMNO and BN. She should be better off sticking to her party then to tell others what to do. PAS has been accepting different views all this while. They have engaged in numerous debates, dialogues, muktamars, muhabalah and muzakarah with different parties and have respected others from differing views. So, Shahrizat's statement is actually is a non-issue with respect to PAS resolution.
12. PKR, through it's VP, should learn one thing. To have different and dissenting views in terms of daily and political aspects is one thing. To have dissenting views, with regards to Islamic teachings, is totally different matter. Isn't it written in the Quran that if two parties have different views then they should revert to Quran, Hadiths, Ijma' and Khilaf. Isn't it also clear to the particular PKR VP that any dissenting views towards Islam, especially if the views are against Quran, Hadiths, Ijma' and Khilaf, are taken seriously? And this VP says that dissenting views (with reference to Islam) is an essence of democratic, fair and just society? He must be joking and has clouded himself to such an extent that he failed to differentiate what is social platform and what is Islamic platform. May I suggest to PKR to send this particular VP to some sekolah pondok and brushed up his Islamic knowledge!
13. For Mahathir to say that PAS is acting in a draconian manner is pure hilarious. What is Mahathir's stand on ISA? Isn't that a draconian law? Why is he not commenting on ISA where there are ISA detainees who have been lock up for the past 10 years? And how can PAS be practising in draconian manner when their resolution is calling for National Fatwa Council to study on SIS activities? PAS is not banning SIS. PAS is only requesting National Fatwa Council, which is under the purview of PM's department which happens to be under BN-led government, to study SIS activities. What is wrong with that? If Mahathir don't like it and if BN don't like it, they can just insist National Fatwa Council to issue an edict to say that SIS activities conform to Islamic teachings. Is that so hard? Or is BN afraid because they know that SIS activities contravene Islamic teachings?
14. It is understandable if our non-Muslim brothers did not understand the resolution. It is excusable because they do not profess Islam as their religion as Muslims do not interfere with other religions.
15. At least in this issue, Khir Toyo came out with a good suggestion. SIS to drop the word "Islam" so that their views may not be misconstrued as those of Muslims. What is so difficult in dropping the word? Drop the word and you can comment on whatever things you want until cows come home. Nobody will care...at least not this scribe.
16. This scribe did not see any confrontation in PAS's resolution. It is just a call for National Fatwa Council o conduct study and if SIS activities are wrong, banned the NGO. What's wrong with that? At least PAS are entitled to their opinion, don't they?
    
17. That said, it is with clear conscious that this scribe hope SIS, Shahrizat, PKR VP, Mahathir to istiqhfar. Who are we to be most knowledgeable or most perfect? We are humans and as humans we err...
    

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...