A Threat Against Whom, Exactly?
Technorati tags: Malaysia, Islam, Politics, Article 11, Federal Constitution
Yesterday, Sunday, July 23, 2006, a forum entitled "Syariah dan Cabaran Semasa" (Syariah and Current Challenges) was held in Kuala Lumpur. Is it a coincidence that it was held one day after the "Federal Constitution: Protection for All" forum in Johor Bahru? Perhaps, it was, perhaps it wasn't. Nevertheless, the KL forum issued an 11-point resolution, which can be read here (in Bahasa Malaysia), but somehow seems to be missing a few words here and there.
myAsylum is in the process of making a translation into English, and it will be posted here soon, God-willing.
The statement-cum-resolution appears to be more of demands, on the Federal and State Governments to stop the Article 11 coalition. But what is it that Article 11 is looking to achieve? The following can be found at the Article 11 website, and represents a charter of sorts, of what the coalition is fighting for:
1. No citizen shall be discriminated on the basis of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender
2. Parents (both mother and father) are equal guardians and have equal say in all respects of the upbringing of children
3. Children shall be protected from any form of discrimination on the grounds of religion and in all cases, the interests of children shall be paramount
4. The freedom of thought, conscience and belief for all persons shall be fully respected, guaranteed and protected
5. Every citizen has a responsibility to condemn discrimination and intolerance based on religion or belief
6. Every citizen has a responsibility to apply religion or belief in support of human dignity and peace
Now, Walski has a question to ask:
How do these 6 elements of what the Article 11 coalition is fighting for threaten Islam, Muslims practicing their faith, and the position of Islam vis-a-vis the Federal Constitution?
Please feel free to list your opinions, either through the comments facility, or drop Walski an e-mail. Frankly, Walski would really like to know why the Article 11 coalition strikes such fear in the hearts of some?
