*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* { Sila lawat Laman Hizbi-Net - http://www.hizbi.net } { Hantarkan mesej anda ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] } { Iklan barangan? Hantarkan ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] } *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* PAS : KE ARAH PEMERINTAHAN ISLAM YANG ADIL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First step to end culture of fear The civilisational dialogue organised by DAP last Saturday evening in the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, where the Terengganu Mentri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang and other executive councillors spoke directly to a huge non-Muslim crowd, is admirably significant in the political history of Malaysia. Most major Chinese-language newspapers on Monday hailed it as a successful "civilisational dialogue at the grassroot level". From the size and the enthusiasm of the crowd in asking questions - in Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and English - we can see that there is a deep desire among non-Muslims to understand PAS and Islam, as well as to overcome the black propaganda spread by the mainstream media and non-Muslim component parties of the Barisan Nasional, especially MCA. Hadi Awang not only spoke eloquently but answered questions, even those which were highly hostile, in a very calm and dignified manner. He impressed many, including myself and another columnist from the Nanyang Siang Pau. What impressed Malaysians even more was Hadi Awang’s reiteration that the true teaching of Islam is against Assabiyah or ethnic chauvinism. In front of the some 1,000 multiethnic crowd, mostly Chinese non-Muslims, Hadi Awang said in no uncertain terms that Islam does not recognise the principle of "bumiputraism" because experience has shown that "bumiputraism" bred "Umno-putraism". He further said that in Islam, poverty is seen as a problem of human beings to be solved in a non-ethnic ways. Hadi Awang also invited non-Muslims and Chinese to ponder upon the historical fact that May 13 did not happen in Kelantan and Terengganu, but in states dominated by Umno. And again, he reaffirmed PAS commitment that "hukum hudud" and "murtad" would not be imposed on non-Muslims. What excited many PAS supporters who were also there in the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall was a short speech by a young Chinese Buddhist who openly declared his support for PAS’ commitment to restrict the sale of alcohol, because Buddhism too does not condone alcoholism being consumed in public. It is time for more open civilisational dialogues for the grassroots of the Barisan Alternatif, because Malaysians have matured and they need the venues to forge solidarity, understanding and mutual respect, instead of continuing to live in mutual suspicion, fear and phobia. As the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tze once said, a thousand-mile journey starts with one’s own feet. It is time for Barisan Alternatif to inspire the Long March for the masses, and to build a New Malaysia where no one should be fearful of another because of religion, race and culture. James Wong Wing On malaysiakini.com ===== COUNTERBALANCE.ANYWHERE.ANYTIME.ANYBODY.ANYONE.COM __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( Melanggan ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body : SUBSCRIBE HIZB) ( Berhenti ? To : [EMAIL PROTECTED] pada body: UNSUBSCRIBE HIZB) ( Segala pendapat yang dikemukakan tidak menggambarkan ) ( pandangan rasmi & bukan tanggungjawab HIZBI-Net ) ( Bermasalah? Sila hubungi [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pengirim: counterbalance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>