Of yoga, poco poco, video, bloggers...preferred treatment

Crossroad, that's where we are now. It is not an outright "caste"-based system but we are not far from it either...

I am talking about how things or issues are addressed. Let's start with the one that annoys me most - that of double standard preferential treatment!

Remember when a couple of years back, November 2008 to be more exact, our own National Fatwa council declared that yoga is haram (prohibited) in Islam and Muslims are banned from practising it! Reasons given then? Simply :-

1. incorporated physical movements, religious elements with chants and worshipping with the aim of "being one with God";
2. inappropriate for Muslims to do yoga because practising yoga, when it comes together with the three elements is haram;
3. Muslims should avoid practising it altogether as "doing one part of yoga will lead to another"

Now, fast forward to 2011. This time around, it's poco time! Well, our Perak mufti decreed that poco is haram to Muslims BUT this time around our same National Fatwa council declared that poco poco (dance) is not haram. Reason? Simply :-

1. It is beneficial for health;
2. Must be mindful of gender interaction;
3. adhere to Muslim dresscode;
4. not acts in the form of worship;

Then, why did Perak's mufti decreed as such? His reasonings simply :-

1. Poco poco is a ritual dance originating from Jamaica;
2. contains element of spirit worship;
3. some dictionaries refer it as wild dance performed whilst possessed by "ancestral spirits";

Whatever, what this scribe is bringing out is the manner how the National Fatwa council reacts to issues. Why is yoga "haram" whilst "poco poco" is not? And why is this scribe bringing up preferential treatment? Well, this scribe reads it as the National Fatwa council leaning back to accomodate RoseCTmah's favourite poco poco and since yoga do not have any dignified dignitaries living in Putrajaya practising it, then it is considered "haram". In, short, yoga is a poorman's poco poco and since it is "mass" practise, it is haram because there are no patrons for Malaysian yoga!

If that is the case, then National fatwa council should be more specific in their edict. How they accomodate or rather appease RoseCTmah by not stamping the "haram" to poco oco. Instead, they cleverly put a caveat which are listed above. How do one measure adhering to Muslim dresscode? Who is to provide the guideline? When RoseCTmah herself do not adhere to the Muslim dresscode in her daily life? If she do not conform to the daily Muslim dresscode, how do one expect her to conform to Muslim dresscode whilst gyrating to poco poco?

BUT to be fair, this preferential treatment is not confined to 1MPM6's wife alone. The same happens to the opposition as well! Just the other day, Azmin Ali is getting all riled up with PAS for commenting on Anwar's sex video.

First, let us be clear here. Like it or not Anwar is not a maksum! Maksum simply means that "do not sinned". So, saying that, this scribe believes normal persons including Anwar is not maksum! So if that is the case, why is Azmin Ali getting overtly hyper-active when PAS announced that they will wait for the police investigation results on Datuk T's video? Being patient will get you a long way and Azmin Ali has time and time again he is impatient and just wants it "his way" or rather "PKR's way". Is Azmin implying that there is a "preferred treatment" when it comes to Anwar? HHmmmph, I wonder...

Out of politics, the same goes for the world outside. A famous blogger posted "what happened to the anti-establishment bloggers" Maybe he has something in mind when he posted it or maybe he is just too happy that he managed to get two PM's and their wives under one roof. Anti-establishment? I wonder what he meant by that? Maybe anti BN gives a better ring!

However if this learned blogger really means anti-establishment, then tell me - when do anti-establishment entities complies to the norms and standards? Without taking the credit away from those bloggers who work tirelessly to make the first Malaysian-ASEAN bloggers meeting a success, it still has minor flaws which needs to be overcome. For one, it is suppose to be open to all but why did the registration form demands particulars and blog address? I love being anonymous, so why should I announce my name or my blog? I am not here to live in glory nor do I write for recognition. That's just not my style...

Since we are still on the bloggers event, 1MPM6 guarantee no censorship... heh heh heh. If that is so, then why are some of the blogs "out of reach" during critical periods of the recent Sarawak election? And why are 1MPM6's subordinates (read:ministers) suing bloggers for certain postings? Should I put more? NO...enough here. This posting is about "preferred tretament" and I think I have prove that "preferred treatment" is alive and well, be it in 1MPM6's household, PR's camp even in the suppose the "all are invited" bloghouse Malaysia...

I have said my piece, you may like it or you may choose to dislike it. I don't care! Why? As Neil Diamond's crooned "I am...I said". Proud to be an anti-establishment and proud to remain as one...

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