Gossiping: The Favorite Malaysian Pastime

Technorati tags: Humor, Malaysia, Harmony, Gossip, Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk K

At a time when the nation seems divided on various issues (Article 11, IFC, Mahathir, etc.), it's nice to note that there is at least one attribute that almost all Malaysians share in common (apart from horrendous driving habits).

Malaysians love their gossips.

A couple of weeks ago, myAsylum did a post about how Walski's had just about enough of hearing and reading about Siti Nurhaliza 'n Datuk K. Well, early this morning, an anonymous blogger posted a very long comment in response to that post. It's written in perfect SMS-abbrevated Malay - but do give it a read if you're curious.

Walski won't translate it here (got better things to do, really), but the gist of it is that her hubby-to-be dumped his wife in favor of Malaysia's favorite miss thang. And that our little Ms. Siti, in that respect, was no angel either.

The biggest surprise? myAsylum's not the only blog that got that comment. At least one other blog, 5xmom - Humour, Life, Lies, Sex got exactly the same comment. Someone, it seems, is actively searching for blog entries about the celebrity couple and planting these gossips.

Meanwhile, a cursory look at Technorati (at 12:20pm) reveals that there are currently 8,533 and 2,119 posts on the web tagged with Siti and Datuk K, respectively (although many of the posts are probably tagged with both).

And who says there isn't anything that binds Malaysians of all ethnicities, creeds and religions? Sometimes the most unexpected ties are the ones that bind us best... (more in the full post)

One of the probable reasons why people like to gossip so much is because of the low credibility the mainstream mass media has with the general public. Plus the fact that some newspapers are nothing better than gossip mongers themseves (especially the Malay language tabloids). Or is it something in our genetic make-up? You know, that kay-poh gene...

But gossip tends to escalate to rumors, which then get spread in a very viral manner (especially in this day and age), to form public opinion. In certain respects, this can be dangerous - especially with the high gullibility factor that most Malaysian's seem to possess.

People just don't seem to take the trouble to verify what they hear, do they? Oh well, too much of anything is good for nothing, Walski supposes.

And so the rumor and gossip mills continue to turn, keeping Malaysians at large entertained, misinformed and gullible, in true Malaysia Boleh spirit! Walski will continue to keep tabs on these, not because Walski likes to gossip, but purely because of the entertainment value they bring, particularly the hilarious effect of watching fellow Malaysians getting so worked up over these stories, as though they came from reliable news sources...

Which begs Walski to ask: Isn't reliable Malaysian mainstream news an oxymoron? Or is it just because it tastes just like chicken?

Click here for the full post......

Would a Rose, by any other name, still taste like chicken?

Technorati tags: Humor, Society, Malaysia, Critique, Chickens

Lot's of things, apparently, taste like chicken. Name any exotic meat, ask what it tastes like, and for some reason, most will say, "Kinda like.. chicken". Maybe more pungent, or tougher, but at the end of the day, the chicken-like taste is hard to run away from.

Okay, most of the above is hearsay, as told to Walski by other exotic meat eaters - with the exception of gator meat and frogs legs (both ingested by accident). And guess what? Both do taste just like chicken.

No hidden meaning here, just a silly chicken joke cartoon

And it doesn't just stop at food. (more in the full post)

When insecurity, racist tendencies, selfishness, myopia, blind allegience, seiged minds and herd-mentality, all recently reared their ugly heads, collectively in the name of Islam, to protest against Article 11, the first thing that came to Walski's mind was, "Hmmm... tastes just like chicken".

Walski's seen it all before. The all-too-familiar rhetoric of us against them. It reflects a lot of sentiments hidden behind a stated agenda. Well, this post is not about debating who's right or who's wrong - it's like flogging a dead horse, really. And it's Sunday - there are lot's of better, more important things in life to do than beating up on dead equine carcasses.

So now, Walski's given y'all another euphemism to use, when you see something seeming nouveau (be it behavior, food, etc.). If it sounds/looks/tastes remotely familiar:

"Hmmm... tastes just like chicken"

Because, in all likelihood, it probably does.

Click here for the full post......

Riding the Mainstream

Technorati tags: Life, The Universe, Everything, Nothing, Conservatism, Religion

Walski's been on the road for the last couple of days. The worst part of being on the road is the inability to get connected at a decent bandwidth - dial-up simply just does not cut it. And all these reasons are just the bonuses... it's good to be home. That having been said, on to the real post.

mainstream - n. ordinary, conventional, familiar and represents the generally accepted ideas, practices, etc., by society at large (source: Wikipedia)

When it comes to religion, mainstream acceptance usually means the religious beliefs, philosophies and practices that are generally accepted by the majority of a religion's followers. And when it comes to religion, alternative viewpoints, regardless of whether they are based on valid reasoning or not, are usually dismissed as being heretical.

Safety in numbers, and having the comfort level that a majority cannot go wrong, are usually used as justification that the mainstream is the place to be.

One problem Walski has with mainstream thought and behavior, specifically when it comes to religion, is the dogmatic stance usually taken by its proponents. A particular religious mainstream point of view, or belief, over time becomes dogma that cannot be challenged, to the point that any viewpoints to the contrary are treated with contempt. No thinking or reasoning required. It's different, therefore wrong.

Then, you have conservatives, whom in general, view their beliefs and values to be absolute. Their viewpoint is the only correct one, and no one else can have a differing views. Period. Even worse, everyone else must accept their viewpoint as well, without question. Or else.

And when mainstream religious belief roots itself in the conservative realm, things get a whole lot hairier. Given a conservative mainstream religious viewpoint, that viewpoint becomes the only acceptable viewpoint, and everything else is heresy.

Walski believes that this is the phenomenon we are seeing today in Malaysia. Liberal Islamic thought is labelled by the conservatives as heresy, despite most of these thoughts having valid rational arguments associated with them. The mere fact that they challange traditional, millenium-old, almost dogmatic way of thinking and belief, makes the liberal school of thought wrong.

Discussions and fora become attempts at agitation and stirring up the proverbial hornets' nest, freedom of religion becomes an attack on their religious beliefs (despite the fact no one is putting a gun to their heads and forcing them to change). Meanwhile, memorandums fly in an attempt to make laws more stringent so that not only their viewpoints are upheld, anyone elses' must be supressed and eliminated.

And this time it is a call to make Article 11(1) more stringent and prohibit freedom of religion, in the true sense. Instead, it is freedom of religion from the conservative, so-called mainstream (it is their belief that they are mainstream) point of view only. Already the conservative mainstream, in their memo, are calling for the suppression of any other view contrary to theirs.

When you attempt to legislate religion (any religion) and make it the basis of law, the concept of parliamentary democracy, as what we have in Malaysia today, will slowly erode. Laws, once passed, become set in stone - for how can you amend a law that is based on religious precepts? To the mainstream that accept the given religious precept, any attempt to do so will be labelled as heresy. Justice, if based on the mainstream practice and beliefs of a particular religion, will only be justice to those who accept the mainstream practice and beliefs of that religion.

And if amendments to Article 11 are made as the conservative mainstream demands, just for the sake of political expediency, what next? What other fundemental rights, currently guaranteed for all Malaysians will become null and void?

All citizens are created equal, but some shall be more equal than others. One nation divided, under God, with equality and justice, for none.

And is being mainstream always right? Only in retrospect can we really tell for sure.

About 80 years ago, the importance of racial purity as the path towards building a strong nation became the basis of government that was accepted by the mainstream, and became the mainstream.

That nation was Germany, and the basis of gorvernment Nazism - mainstream at the time.

Click here for the full post......

Wash, Rinse, Repeat. Wash, Rinse, Repeat. Wash, Rinse, Repeat....

Technorati tags: Rantings, Truth, Lies, Repeat

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth
(more transformation in the full post)

Article 11 and IFC are the same thing

Article 11 and IFC are the same thing

Article 11 and IFC are the same thing

Article 11 and IFC are the same thing

Article 11 and IFC are the same thing

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Lies repeated enough times becomes the truth

Wash, rinse, repeat,

Wash, rinse, repeat

Wash, rinse, repeat

Click here for the full post......

Black Metal Court Case: Monday, July 31 2006

Technorati tags: Malaysia, Music, Black Metal, Police, Misconduct, Raid, Public Service Announcement

Got this heads-up via e-mail from Disarseter Records (with thanks).

Remember Goat Gate? New Year's Eve 2006? Paul's Place? Any of this ring a bell?

The court case pertaining to the Paul's Place raid on New Year's Eve will be heard at the Central Magistrate's Court 6 (opposite Dataran Merdeka) at 9:00 am on Monday 31st July 2006.

GoatGate 101 Refresher
a) A raid was conducted on Paul's Place by the Brickfields Police Station, 31 December 2005. Over 300 people were detained. Those detained were inside Paul's Place, in public places and food stalls within a 100 m radius of the venue. Several police officers we spoke to that night informed us that it was a "Black Metal" raid.

b) David and 3 other individuals were remanded for 2 days and released following a press conference and some assistance from Mr Ronnie Lui. During this time, the reason for the raids was shifted from "Black Metal" to "Unlawful gathering", "public indecency" and back to "Black Metal".

c) Finally, after several weeks, the police department decided why they had conducted the raid. David was charged on 4 counts, operating a pub without a license, selling liquor without a license, not having customs/import permits for the liquor (I think) and displaying the "Paul's Place" banner without getting a DBKL permit. In addition to that, the others were charged under the printing presses act for distributing printed 'zines and t-shirts without the approriate permits.

What You Can Do
Do turn up in large numbers and occupy pews in the public gallery - and guys from the press, do come yourselves or send your reporters to cover this important landmark in legal history - and hopefully whatever the outcome will be given space in the media, so that the truth shall be laid bare, and whoever is righteous will be vindicated (we hope).

(Text for the majority of this post courtesy of Disarseter Records)

Click here for the full post......

Lemmings

Technorati tags: Lemmings, Poetry, Blind Allegience

Lemmings - mammal, furry, not too bright

There be lemmings here amongst us
Following the lemming trail
Not with sight, yet they be joyous
Follow the leaders, nary astray
For that, be the lemming way

Destination, come what may
Lemmings blindly follow
Fret not, the leaders bray
Just follow what we say
For that, be the lemming way

Blindly follow, oblivion beckons
There be lemmings, near and far
No return, the lemmings reckon
And loudly they will bray
This be the lemming way

Tumbling along, the lemmings follow
Not with sight, and not with sound
Come be a lemming, without any sorrow
For a lemming cannot stray
If you follow our lemming way

Round and round, they tumble along
Just follow, front to rear
Think not, for thought is wrong
The lemming leaders hold them sway
Into the void, the lemming way

There be a multitude amongst us
Lemmings, light and dark
Be they sightless, blind but joyous
There be lemmings, come what may
Stumbling along, the lemming way

So who’s to say, don’t follow
It’s folly, can’t you see
They’re void of any sorrow
Blind may they be, but not astray
Off the ledge, lemmings lead the way

A thousand years of blind allegience
Speak not of right or wrong
Lemmings, in blind obedience
Till death, continue, come what may
The lemmings, and their lemming way

Click here for the full post......

Media Bias? Which news medium is NOT biased?

Technorati tags: Malaysia, Commentary, Alternative Media, Mainstream Media, Media Bias

Walski's note: Thanks to Howsy for the heads up (read this post of his - lots of good stuff related to the Bernama news report).

Of late, there has been a lot of talk about the media, mainstream , and non-mainstream media (including blogs). This morning, Bernama published a news report, in which Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated that "Alternative Media Should Refer To Mainstream Media". He was quoted as saying:

"What is happening now is that there are some mainstream media that pick up news from websites and blogs and other sources on the sidelines.

"Unfortunately most of the information are not based on sources that can be relied upon," he told reporters upon arriving at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport, here Tuesday evening.

Go take a peek at Sensintrovert, for an analysis of accuracy in reporting vis-a-vis the Malaysian mainstream media. This gives one a damn good idea why the alternative media is becoming more prevalent. That, and the worldwide rising trend in citizen reporting, via blogging, and more recently, podcasting and video-podcasting.

The world over, there is less and less trust in the mainstream media. Not just in Malaysia. And this, perhaps, is something the Deputy Minister is either ignorant of, or has chosen to overlook.

Walski's opinion? The Malaysian mainstream media, in essence, has long lost its credibility in being able to be fair and objective in its reporting, historically only providing a more than obvious pro-Governmental slant in reporting public interest issues. More recently, it has been complicit in ignoring certain events, deemed unsavory to the Government (for example the petrol price-hike demonstrations, and related events). Which is understandable, since the media mainstream is owned by parties closely linked to the ruling Government.

The Printing Press Act also acts as a virtual guillotine, ever ready to drop on the mainstream news media outlets deemed to have gone overboard. And thus, self-censorship sets in. Report only as how you think the authorities would like something reported.

While the media of late has shown some signs of positive change, the many years of one-sided reporting has definitely taken its toll on their credibility. And credibility, once damaged, will take a long, long time to fix.

But Walski suspects that another possible reason for the Deputy Minister's statement, could be the declining circulation numbers of the print media, newspapers in particular, as reported by Rocky's Bru recently.

Another factor, perhaps, is the gullibility many Malaysians seem to exhibit. Of course, there are numerous exceptions, but in general, Malaysians' opinions are too easily swayed. That, coupled with the fact that Malaysians are known to not read enough. So, the slightest rumor is taken as fact, then propogated as fact. Really true or not is never questioned. And when these fabricated (and sometimes exaggerated) truths are met with contrary reporting in the press - rumors usually prevail. Another notch on the credibility tree.

The mainstream press, however, is not totally innocent. Repeat a lie enough times, and it tends to become the truth. And this principal seems to have been sometimes adopted by the mainstream media when reporting on things deemed sensitive. In trying to reclaim some semblance of credibility, the path sometimes resorted to results in further loss of credibility, especially when the real truth surfaces. Another notch on that tree.

And over time, enough notches causes the tree to fall.

Meanwhile, there is a foreboding feeling going around that a clampdown on unauthorized media sources, including citizen reporting, isn't too far off. Is the statement from the Deputy Minister a hint? Or is it just paranoia? Or both?

And it also doesn't help when the Minister himself has given ominous signs (as reported by Jeff Ooi's Screenshots).

One fact remains obvious, at least to Walski: every news medium has its own bias. Even in the most liberal of social environments. And while the press may claim to be free - to varying degrees, depending on one's definition of freedom - it is rarely free from bias. Nevermind whom, nevermind where.
(more pressing thoughts in the full post)

Based on this premise, Walski usually doesn't rely on one and only one view. Rather, take in as many varied views as there are, or as Walski can find, then digest the information gathered to arrive at some level of truth.

Many call Walski cynical for going throgh this route. But in this day and age, it takes a certain amount of healthy cynicism, and lots of salt (at least more than a grain), to maintain one's sanity. Or at least Walski's.

Never believe what you hear for the first time, until it can be verified - and that, my friends, is the safest way to thread through this life, because no source of information is free from bias.

In the end, it is the aggregation of information, processed through your God-given intelligence, that allows truth to surface. The real truth, the whole truth, and nothing but...

Click here for the full post......

Professional Thuggery

Technorati tags: Malaysia, Article 11, Justice, BADAI, PEMBELA, Equality, Critique

Andrew Beckett: What do you call a thousand lawyers chained together at the bottom of the ocean?
Joe Miller: I don't know.
Andrew Beckett: A good start.
Dialog from the film Philedephia (1993)

The world over, lawyers don't have the best of reputations. Walski doesn't belittle their important role in a civil and lawful society, however. And while this is a commentary on the Masjid Wilayah resolution, some of the people who had a hand in drafting it were probably lawyers. Likely members of PPI (Peguam Pembela Islam) - a grouping of Muslim lawyers (whom, among other things, have a definite beef with the Bar Council, for taking a stand for civil liberties and human rights - see resolution item #11).

To digress slightly, there has been a claim made that liberals, such as Walski, have painted those opposed against the Article 11 coalition roadshow as "uncivilized". Walski can't speak for the other liberals whom have voiced their opinions, but myAsylum prefers to let the facts speak for themselves. Check out the following articles:
► Disrupted Forum: What really happened and Disrupted Forum: What others say (from Aliran)
► "Use ISA on Article 11 Coalition" (from BolehTalk©)
► PAS beri amaran, NGO jangan sokong IFC (from Harakah)

BADAI assembled there for one reason, and one reason only - to stop the forum. Peaceful assembly and protest would have been fine, as that's an exercise of their democratic rights. But that's not what they were there for.

And yet, some refuse to accept the fact that the mob gathered in Penang (and to a lesser extent in JB) were acting with a less than civil intent. The reason/excuse (a lame one, Walski might add)? Those opposed to Article 11 comprise of professionals, using this list as evidence.

People's behavior and what they do for a living
are two mutually exclusive attributes.

In other words, if an excuse has to be given, at least pick a plausible and logical one. But then again, logic doesn't seem to be a valued trait to some conservatives.

But back to the resolution. Lawyers had to have been invovled, because some of it is pretty sneaky. Take resolution item 6 for example (emphasis by myAsylum).

6. We insist that the mainstream media make a strong stand and not take sides in issues relating to Islam, and do not promote the view that Malaysia is a secular country, and that the practice of Islam is a personal right. We insist the media gives room to Muslims to view their opinions, and that they no longer marginalize the voice of mainstream Islam. The mainstream media must be professional and ethical in their reporting and analysis of Islam.

Since when has the mainstream media muzzled Muslims (conservative or otherwise) from airing their views? And to ask the media to not take sides, then in the very same sentence to not air views contrary to your own is... well, sneaky. Sloppy, but sneaky.
(more of this critique in the full post)

Another sneaky bit was giving the allusion that the position of Malay rulers was at stake. This was articulated in article 4. Lawyers are sneaky bastards, I tell you. Smart, but sneaky.

And as predicted, no conservative Muslim statement or rhetoric would be complete without some West-bashing, as evidenced in item 9 of the resolution (as well as in the preamble). This very culture of blame is one of the negative characteristics Walski sees in many Malaysians, not just conservative Muslims.

If some alien being were to land in Malaysia and use this declaration as the only means of finding out about Muslims in Malaysia, the impression would be that the Muslim ummah in Malaysia are a downtrodden lot, unable to fend for themselves, and as one reader put it an "endangered species".

But apart from the Malay characteristic of fatalism that seems to linger on after all these years, Muslims in this country are doing pretty okay, definitely a whole world apart from their brethren in more Islamic theocracies like Iran or Sudan.

And if they, the conservatives, accuse us of hidden agendas (of various natures), the conservative Muslims agenda is clear - turn Malaysia into a theocracy. That, in the their view, is the true ultimate aim for Islam in Malaysia.

To do that, though, they would have to do away with the Federal Constitution. As things stand today, the Federal Constitution remains as the supreme law of the land, whether they like it or not, superceding State Laws. The question of juridictional boundaries between Civil and Syariah, however, is a very complex one, and is really beyond the scope of myAsylum to address - Walski won't even try.

But it is this exactly the boundaries between Civil and Syariah jurisdictions that are part of the Article 11 discussions, not IFC. And the boundaries need to be defined so that all Malaysians may be protected by the constitution, regardless of religious belief, color, race or creed. Should God will the emergence of a aqua-marine colored race in Malaysia one day, they should receive equal protection as well.

And what is really disturbing is that the resolution, in a way, hints at the notion that all Malaysians are not equal and should not have equal rights. That human rights and Islam are at odds. Despite the fact that the Quran clearly states that there shall be no compulsion in religion, conservative Muslims have ever-ready other Islamic sources of jurisprudence to say, yes, there is compulsion. The Syariah transcends humanistic freedoms and equalities, they say.

So much for the assertion that the Quran is the infallible and unquestionable word of God - even the conservative Muslims don't treat it as such.

Now how exactly equal and humanistic rights for all Malaysians threatens a practicing Muslim's right to practice is really beyond Walski. Unless of course, it is the view of conservative Muslims that their human rights include imposing their beliefs and norms on others. Walski is sure them lawyers will find some sneaky way to justify this inequality as righteous.

And perhaps, because these bunch of professionals from PPI are involved, maybe 1,000 lawyers chained to the bottom of the ocean would be a good start. For a better, more progressive, more human Malaysia.

Click here for the full post......

Fudgy Logic

Technorati tags: Federal Constitution, Fudgy Logic, Malaysia, Article 11, Conservatives, Islam

No, it's not a typo.

The term fudgy logic is something Walski made up yesterday morning while driving in to work. You probably won't find it in any dictionary. Walski only recently submitted it to the Urban Dictionary for review (although, if you Googled fudgy logic you may come up with a handful of references).

It basically denotes a faulty method of reasoning, whereby, beginning with a conclusion, it is the process of using faulty and sometimes made up assumptions, reasoning and justifications, to arrive at the said foregone conclusion. Let's look at an example.

"Proton is the national car. Therefore, I oppose any discussions about the automotive industry outside the context of Proton." - Mat Nusia

And that is exactly the kind of stand, vis-a-vis the Malaysian Federal Costitution, being made by conservative Muslims (or so we are led to believe), as articulated by one specific blogger, who seems to be of the opinion that he speaks on behalf of all Muslims in Malaysia. In the first-person plural, to boot, giving the allusion of superiority and some sort of imagined authority.

Specifically, this person chooses to uphold Article 3 of the Federal Constitution, in which is stated that "Islam is the religion of the Federation", as part of subsection (1). And this is possibly the only portion of that article that he could see (people with tunnel-vision tend to do that). The complete subsection reads as follows:

Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation

Article 3 consists of five (5) clauses, and clause (4) states:

Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution.

What this means is that all other Articles 1, 2, 4 through 183 stand as they are written, and Article 3 takes nothing away from them. Including Article 11. Upholding Article 3 in its entirety (and not selecetive portions as one deems convenient) implicitly upholds Article 11 as well.

To argue that one portion of clause (1) alone means that the entire Federal Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia cannot be interpreted in a secular sense would generally be thought of as wishful thinking to most. To Walski, it's fudgy logic.

Q.E.D.

"My momma says Stupid is as Stupid does"
Tom Hanks in Forest Gump

Click here for the full post......

The Masjid Wilayah Resolutions

Technorati tags: Malaysia, PUM, BADAI, PEMBELA, Article 11, Islam, Politics

Update (2130hrs, July 24): another translation, from a more conservative Muslim friendly source, can be found here, and here (the orchard and fruit are the same, only from different trees).

As promised, the following is an English translation of the Resolusi Masjid Wilayah declaration, of which the original (complete with a hanging sentence) in Bahasa Malaysia, can be read either here or here. This is Walski's own translation, and is not sanctioned by those who wrote the document. However, Walski has translated it without any bias, and as accurately as possible. If there are any translation errors, please do point them out, and the mistake shall be rectified as soon as is practical.

Resolusi Masjid Wilayah 23 Julai 2006 / 26 Jamadilthani 1427H

We, whom have assembled today at Masjid Wilayah, Kuala Lumpur, to discuss current challenges in implementing the Syariah system in this country, state our concern/worry about certain quarters that are trying to marginalize the position of Islam in the state system, by hiding behind the name [Walski's note: missing end of sentence?]. This secular group has not gotten support from the majority of Malaysians in carrying out their agenda, a struggle to uphold human rights. These efforts are a step in denying the historical fact that for hundreds of years, the Syariah has been accepted-in-use in the lives of individuals and society in this country.

We are also worried with the room that is given to these negative efforts in the local and international mass media, despite this view representing peripheral and obscure voices, compared to the understanding of a majority of Muslims.

We are worried, maybe these negative efforts are being instigated by element from outside this country that wish to weaken Islam. This situation will definitely worsen if these wild/outrageous views are entertained by the authorities* in this country. If the Muslim community is not concerned and sensitive enough towards this development, they will continue to misuse legal channels to achieve their aim.
(*Walski's note: this is the most relevant translation for berwewenang, which was used in the original statement)

Realizing this, therefore we whom have assembled at Masjid Wilayah for the “Syariah and Current Challenges” forum on 23 July 2006, agree with the following resolutions:

1. The special position of Islam is an important element in the Constitution and the national legal system. It also is the Muslims’ human right in this country. If this precedence is altered/threatened, it has the potential to give rise to many negative effects on society. Therefore, the existing formula, which has been proven to maintain prosperity all this while, needs to be reinforced, and accepted by all parties, Muslims and non-Muslims.

2. All Constitutional Articles and Laws pertaining to Islam need to be strengthened to close all avenues of misusing legal channels to weaken the position of Islam.

3. The entire Muslim ummah must unite in voice, attitude and action, in defending the position of Islam that is under threat.

4. Every threat against Islam means a threat to the prestige and position of the Malay Rulers, who are each state’s religious leader, and to the authority of Islamic institutions.

5. Insist that all attempts to remodel and erode the position of Islam in the Constitution and national legal system be stopped at once. Whatever dissatisfaction with Islam should be channeled to the discussion table with those in authority. The confrontational approach through road shows and legal dispute will only cause tension and threatens public order.

6. We insist that the mainstream media make a strong stand and not take sides in issues relating to Islam, and do not promote the view that Malaysia is a secular country, and that the practice of Islam is a personal right. We insist the media gives room to Muslims to view their opinions, and that they no longer marginalize the voice of mainstream Islam. The mainstream media must be professional and ethical in their reporting and analysis of Islam.

7. The right and freedom of religion must be understood within the context of Islam, and not according to individual bias. Freedom and human rights from a secular-liberal perspective goes against Islam as well as other religions.

8. All State Legislatures and Parliament must immediately pass enactments/acts that prevent non-Islamic propaganda/proselytizing** to Muslims, and the authorities should implement these enactments/acts immediately.
(** Walski's note: the word used in the statement, dakyah literally means propaganda; in this context, it denotes a negative connotation of proselytizing)

9. The government must make a stand to reject efforts of the West and NGOs that conspire with and use local NGOs, academicians and individuals to influence policy and laws pertaining to Muslims.

10. There are Muslim leaders who have stated opinions supporting those that say the practice of Islam is an individual’s right, and moralistic laws should not be implemented in Malaysia. These statements are regrettable, since Islamic moralistic laws in Malaysia have formed a vital part of laws in Peninsular Malaysia, long before the arrival of the colonialists.

11. The Malaysian Bar Council, which represents over 12,000 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia have taken a biased stand without taking into consideration the views of Muslim lawyers, who constitute over 40% of the total number of lawyers. The Malaysian Bar Council, on the grounds of Human Rights, have interfered in the matters of Islam, and this goes against the purpose of setting up the Bar Council, and we insist that the Bar Council, as guardians of the sovereignty of law, follow the laws of this country.

Commentaries on this declaration shall come later, in a separate post. As such, the comments facility for this post has been disabled. You are, however, more than welcome to drop Walski an e-mail if you have something to say, and your off-post comments will be incorporated in Walski's own commentary post.

Click here for the full post......

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?

Click here for the full post......

Federal Constitution: Protection For All - forum protested, but allowed to continue

Technorati tags: Malaysia, Religion, Islam, Politics, Commentary

Update (Jul 22 2244hrs): The reduced and recycled blog has a first-hand report of the forum in JB.

Today was to be an important day for many. Saturday, July 22, 2006. Fortunately, as of 4pm today, it's just another Saturday (a nice day, earlier, allowing Walski to do some gardening, before it rained).

To certain individuals they saw this day as a day of battle between "good" and "evil". In a sense, Walski agrees. Whatever protests BADAI, UMNO Youth, PAS and those similarly misguided, put up against a legal, peaceful meeting of minds, it was about good versus evil - with the exception of which party exhibits what attribute.

As it turns out, thank God, the forum went to without any disruption, this time, unlike the Penang forum. There were approximately 500 protesters outside the Hotel Selesa, Johor Bahru, as reported by The Star online, and again, thank God, the protests were peaceful. The police did their job this time around, which is a good thing.

For sure, Article 11 of the Federal Constitution is a very touchy subject - the mere mention of this article evokes all kinds of emotional responses. If anyone is interested in finding out what the Article 11 Coalition is really all about, visit their website.

But for the parties opposed to the Article 11 Coalition, they have their own idea for why the coalition should be opposed. Walski will address this in a future post. In the meantime, go look at what the coalition website and learn first-hand what it is they are asking.

The misguided barking up the wrong tree (from Article11.org,
during the Penang forum that eventually had to be aborted)

In the end only dialog can put to rest misunderstanding and dispute - mob behavior, beligerant denial and unintelligent actions only make matters worse, and only adds fuel to the opinion of some that Islam is something to be feared.

There's nothing scary about Islam, really. Some of its followers, however, is an entirely different story.

Click here for the full post......

Sit, Siti, Siti... Enough Already!

Technorati tags: Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk K, Malaysia, Celebrity

Walski finds it hard to understand, sometimes, this Malaysian fascination with celebrities. It's almost a morbid curiousity thing. So Siti Nurhaliza's gonna get hitched to Datuk K. Good for her. A whole instant family, minus the labor pains. Beyond that, Big F*ck*ng Deal! Get on with life, people.

In any case, out of sheer stupid curiousity, Walski did a Technorati search on Siti Nurhaliza, and came up with about 7,986 posts (and counting) containing her name. Un-fuck*ng-believable...

7,986 posts and counting: Malaysia's most
blogged about individual... maybe

Well, Walski wishes her well on her new phase in life. I guess Malaysians will be the kay-poh (busybody) people that they are and continue to yak, yak, yak about her and her upcoming exravagant multi-million ringgit show wedding in August. And then after that, yak-yak-yak some more about the sure heboh event.

Holy Sh*t, Batman! Just realized something... oops, make that 7,987 posts!

Well, Walski leaves you with a couple of Siti related silliness. The first is this joke that's been making its rounds on the SMS circuit (Received it twice so far! Fair chance you may have gotten it.):

It would seem, Datuk K is too old to drive a brand new City, he should learn from a more humble Datuk Effendi, who drives a used Tiara.

Ok, that was pretty lame, Walski knows. One last thing. Someone wrote a song and made a video about his hearbreak upon hearing that Siti Nurhaliza was getting married. Go view it at this site, if you got nothing better to do (it's mildly amusing, and in Malay).

Click here for the full post......

Son of Malaysian Bandnames

Technorati tags: Malaysiana, Music, Band Names

Related post: So you need a Malaysian band name?.

Lot's has happened since April, when the first Malaysian Band Name post appeared. Here's a fresh batch of 'em. Some of them are linked to actual events or news, but all of them have to do with Malaysia, its idiosyncracies, and some of its more prominent idiots. The list is by no means exhaustive, so let Walski know if you wish to contribute.

A
Apostate Death Squad
Attack of the Killer Tun

B
(The) Bolehlanders
Bollywood Suicide Train

C
Chow Kids

D
Doggiecide

E
Elegant Silencers

G
Generation M

H
Headbutt This!
Hellbound Intellectuals

I
Interfaith Mob Attack

J
Jumbocide

K
Kompressor No Equal *

L
(The) Living Dead

M
Masterpiece of Shit *
Mighty Mullah Power Rangers
Mullahs Stole My Religion

N
Native Bride Scam
Nodders and Shakers (link requires QuickTime)
Nosejob Vacation

O
One-Eyed Jackass *

P
PACwarrior

Q
Queer Alliance **

R
Rempit Roundup

S
Simian War Prance

T
Trigger-Happy Teens
Turbans-Я-Us

* - all of these refer to the now infamous Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusof. Frankly, there are just way too many links!!

** - queer in this context meaning strange, not homosexual (but feel free to make your own insinuations).

Click here for the full post......

Mob Rule 101 Curriculum Outline

Technorati tags: Satire, Social Problems, Malaysia, Mob Mentality, Racism

Not one week after the Ethnic Relations course textbook fiasco at UPM (Universiti Putra Malaysia, formerly known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia), the same university has once again become the center of a new controversy.

Walski supposes by now most of the bloggerhood has heard about the latest disgraceful, apparently racially motivated incident, which happened at UPM earlier this week. If you haven't, background information on it can be found in several places, among them:
► Lim Kit Siang's blog
► The Malaysian
► Jee's Life

There's even a YouTube posting on the incident, which we've included below, to get you up to speed with what happened. This is a video of the actual incident, by the way.

Is it really a surprise that the perpetrators, apparently linked to the UPM Student Council, acted in a totally undignified manner, pushing around the smaller group of Chinese students? Not to Walski. You see, they've got lots of great role models in society that display a similar arrogance, beligerance and in extreme cases resort to the same kind of violent behavior (BADAI, rowdy Members of Parliament, the FRU, etc.).

In fact, Walski thinks that Mob Rule is becoming rather trendy these days, replacing civilized dialog and intelligent discourse, as the means of getting your views across. Want to get your point understood and accepted? Organize a mob. Screw civility and mutual respect.

Well, if that's the case, we may as well prepare the next (de)generation of professionals with the proper way of conducting themselves through mob action. myAsylum presents to you what could possibly constitute the new Mob Rule 101 Curriculum, coming to a backwater university near you (starting with UPM).

Mob Rule 101 (credit hours: 3, Social Studies - compulsory elective)
(curriculum outline and more in the full post)

Introduction
Mob rule is fast becoming the de facto method of getting your voice heard or of getting something done, without the hassles of due procedure or of lawful process. During the duration of this course this semester, you will learn a rules of thumb and engagement techniques to successfully organize and execute a mob attack.

Mob Rule 101 Pre-requisites
Must be close-minded, have a conservative outlook, and must possess a maximum IQ of 89.

Course Content
The course shall last the duration of one semester and shall account for three (3) credit hours. Grading will be based on periodic written assignments, a mid-term, a final, and one practical project. The following topical areas shall be covered:

The Philosophy of Mob Rule - in this module, you will learn why mob rule is an important facet of everyday life, superceding the liberal methods of discussion, civil debate and intelligent discourse. During the duration of the semester, logical reasoning shall be frowned upon, and may result in you not getting full credit.

Picking a Cause - in this module, you will learn how to pick a good cause. Racist and religious reasons always make good and popular mob action causes.

Selecting your mob - in this module, you will learn to identify some of the characteristics necessary in selecting the right kind of individuals. This is a crucial step to ensuring that your mob action will be a successful one. Most successful mobs consist of a single racial grouping, particularly if your cause is racist in nature.

Building Fervor - in this module, you will learn effective brainwashing techniques to rile up the mob you have chosen to fight your cause. Lying, distortion of the truth, misrepresentation and deceit are only a few of the effective methods you will learn. For religious causes, threatening your mob with an eternity in Hell if they don't perform well usually gets your mob pretty riled up.

Lobbying and Influencing the Authorities - in order that your mob event is successful, you will need to learn the art of lobbying and how to convincingly sway the authorities. The purpose of having this skill is to of course coerce the Authorities to be on your side, no matter how rabid your cause may be.

Mid-Term, Final and Course Practical
All tests shall be written tests, with the exception of the Shouting-and-Screaming oral test, which will be conducted sometime after the Mid-Term exam. The Course Practical shall consist of applying all the techniques learned, and organizing a mob event. Extra credit shall be given if the Course Practical is an actual mob intimidation session, preferably within campus.

Course Textbook and Suggested Reading
The required textbook for this course is "Mob Rule: Getting Things Done" by Ima Biggot, U. Press (2006). Other suggested texts that may be useful for this course include Mein Kampf by A. Hitler, and The Doctrine of Fascism by B. Mussolini.

Footnote: Walski knows that this is really no laughing matter, but sometimes it's necessary to exaggerate something to the point of being ridiculous. This is done for two reasons. One - we need to learn to chill out and laugh at ourselves. And two - exaggeration is the best means of learning how silly we can be sometimes. Walski apologizes in advance if this post is deemed insensitive to ome...

Click here for the full post......

Offbeat Travelogue: Wacky Malaysian Tourism Ideas

Technorati tags: Offbeat Travelogue, Humor, Satire, Malaysia, Tourism

Walski's note: It's been a long while since the last Offbeat Travelogue post. The main reason for this is that Walski is currently without a working digital camera, which sustained water damage some weeks back - don't ask; it's a long story.

Tourism is important to Malaysia and is an industry that sees growth year on year. Walski's just thought up a few wacky, unique, never before ventured tourism ideas to help Tourism Malaysia with their efforts in making Visit Malaysia Year 2007 an even bigger success than previous VMYs.

Malaysia has numerous unique attributes that most Malaysians themselves usually take for granted. Instead, why not exploit them for more tourist dollars (or Yuan, Euro, or any other currency of choice). So unique are these programs that you probably won't see them duplicated anywhere else in the whole wide world! Malaysia, Truly Boleh!

#1 - Grid-Lock Tourism
What better way to learn first-hand about the Malaysian city lifestyle than to experience the hassles of everyday road travel in this unique tour package. Our 4-day 3-night progam takes you right to the center of the notorious urban traffic jams that stress out our urbanites each and every day. Among the thrilling highlights of this tour are:
► The Sungai Buloh Snail Trail
► The Tun Razak Crawl
► Penang Magical Mystery Public Bus Tour
► Rush Hour 4: The Penang Bridge
► The Mid-Valley Shopper Jam
► Balik Kampung Mayhem (seasonal)

Daily excursions into pain begin as early as 7:30am (earlier if it rains), from which time we take you to the congestion hotspots of our beautifully jammed roadways. Don't miss the humorous photo opportunities of accidents and breakdowns causing massive jams on both sides of the road! Witness the artistry of our kapchai krusaders as they weave in and out of traffic with ease.

And if you're really lucky, catch the magical expressions of anger and frustration on the faces of motorists as police-escorted motorcades of VVIPs brush aside everyone else on the road - truly a priceless moment for your holiday enjoyment and rememberance.

#2 - Eco-Damage Tourism
Why go for the mundane eco-tourism attractions you can get everywhere else, when Malaysia can offer you something even more awesome?

On this special 10-day package holiday, we take you to once beautirul areas around the country whose ecology has been damaged beyond repair, like the Sipadan Dead-Reef Zone. Why settle for live coral elsewhere when Sipadan can offer you the beauty of carnage that has befallen its once legendary reefs.

Then, we take you to the remote forests of Malua and Ulu Semaga to take part in our Logging Experience excursion. Learn how Reduced Impact Logging may not be able to save the delicate ecology of these areas, home to many endangered fauna and rich flora. In fact, have a hand in the destruction by felling a tree, or two if you're the really gung-ho type. Experience this once-in-a-lifetme ecology-damage-in-progress portion of our tour - hurry, before there's nothing left to destroy.

From there we take you back to the Klang Valley, where you get to visit the remnants of Kampug Pasir, the site of the Highland Towers collapse, and the remains of Bukit Cherakah. And what eco-damage tour would be complete without a visit to the industrial areas around the Klang Valley responsible for untreated effluent discharge and air pollution?

Return to your home refreshed and in awe of the continuing ecological damage in Malaysia, all thanks to this unique package deal.
(more wild 'n wacky tour ideas in full post)

#3 - Malaysian Tour d'Toilet
Come see the apalling standard of Malaysian public hygiene in this unique (albeit a little disgusting) tour program. Upon arrival at the otherwise impressive Kuala Lumpur International Airport, get a whiff of the unique aroma that's commonplace in a typical toilet in Malaysia - that deliciously pungent mix of urine and disinfectant.

We then take you to various locations around the country to sample the various versions of a uniquely Malaysian phenomenon - the Wet Toilet Sydrome. From the mildly moist, to the sloshingly submerged, you will be amazed at the resilliance of Malaysians from all walks of life who tolerate the rich odours and dubiously wet floors. Get your cameras ready, and don't miss a single photo opportunity of footprints on the toilet seats you'll typically find in the toilet stalls.

Since Malaysians seem to be more particular about fitness (rather than about hygiene), take in some callisthenics with a visit to the ubiquitous squat toilets. Master the fine art of disrobing in a wet, smelly and cramped squat toilet stall, without soiling your clothes. It a task that's easier said than done, especially if it's one of those emergency-type visits.

This tour package comes with an ample supply of toilet paper and your own personal bar of soap, since many public toilets don't seem to have enough of either. Optional items, available upon request, include gas masks, puke bags, and foong yau (traditional Chinese mentholated rubbing oil) to help with the odours, if it gets a little overwhelming.

The foulest smelling package tour you'll ever experience on planet Earth. And only in Malaysia.

#4 - Taxi Tout & Scam Tours
The KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) has pretty much let the taxi tout problem exist for the past several years. But this is not a bad thing - introducing the Taxi Tout and Scam tours! Since these touts are difficult to control, why not make full use of 'em? A little out of the box thinking can bring in lots more tourist dollars!

Upon arrival at the KL International Airport, you'll be greeted by one of our well-trained taxi touts. Skilled in the art of soliciting total strangers, our touts will take you on a ride of a lifetime to the various spots of interest around Kuala Lumpur, always via the scenic route.

Our smartly dressed touts will ensure that your visit to the nations capital will be an exhillarating one, including the ride to and from the airport, using the most scenic routes imaginable.

#5 - Mat Rempit Tourism
Love fast cars? Enjoy the thrill of break-neck speed? Well now, you have one more reason to visit Malaysia. The Rempit Tours will take you across the nation, comfortably riding by the skin of your teeth in over-modified automobiles of various makes.

Zoom down the NKVE (New Klang Valley Expressway) in a souped up 300 horsepower Kancil! Zip in and out of traffic on the North South Expressway, 25% of the time on the Emergency Lane. Congestion on the highway? No problemo - our skillful drivers will squeeze thru whatever available space there is, be it between lanes, or even on the wrong side of the road, to get you there (hopefully) in one piece.

Learn to enjoy the fascinating brute-force technique of avoiding Police road blocks, and live out your vacation totally on the edge. And to cap off your holiday, get front row seats to witness the ever-popular late night drag race Grand Prix. Locations vary, according to where the Police aren't.

So there you have it. Walski's first installment of wacky tourism ideas for Tourism Malaysia to help make Malaysia a truly memorable tourist destination, bar none. There's plenty more ideas in Walski's twisted mind, so stay tuned!!

Click here for the full post......

BADAI - Birds of a Feather Storm Together

Technorati tags: Social Criticism, Sarcasm, Article 11, BADAI, Malaysia, Islam

BADAI - or Badan Anti-IFC (Anti-IFC Body) was the party responsible for illegally disrupting a forum in Penang organized (legally) to discuss the superiority of the Federal Constitution as the body of law in Malaysia ("Federal Constitution: Protection For All"), on May 14, 2006.

Walski's literary trivia note: The word badai is a Malay word meaning "storm". Not to be confused with Bandai, makers of excellent Power Rangers, Mobile Suit Gundam and Hello Kitty toys for young and old.

They see themselves as an Anti-Body fighting against the liberal disease that has plagued the nation. White blood cells, with turbans. Hmm... interesting image. I guess Walski better stop and let you, the reader, imagine it for yourself, lest someone accuses Walski of blaspheming turbans.

Back to BADAI. Sometime back, Walski found this neat site that deciphers a given name to tell you what kind of monster that name represents. It turns out that BADAI deciphers as:

Rather fitting, don't you think? The Arcane Isle being Penang, in this case (which is actually where BADAI was formed). And boy, are these folks blood-thirsty... okay, maybe not in the literal sense, since ingesting blood is haram in Islam.

The next vampire you meet will very likely not be a Muslim

So, what prompted this post? Well, it's this news report from Bernama : "Johor Umno Youth And Pas Oppose Forum On Article 11". And of course, Walski's favorite apostate-hitman did a post on this over the weekend. It's odd to see UMNO Youth and PAS to be in agreement, but Walski supposes that birds of a feather... and all that.

But what is it about IFC (Inter-Faith Council) that's gotten these storm-troopers all riled up? For one thing, they are opposed to freedom of religion for all Malaysians. They couldn't care less for them other godless heathens, but definitely not for the Malay-Muslims. No sir - that part of the constitution shouldn't apply to Malay-Muslims, as this will weaken the position of Islam, they say.

There's also the legal quagmire of a Malay's status should he or she leave Islam, because technically (per the Constitution), he or she would no longer be Malay. But that's not BADAI's concern. The real issue is apostacy.
(more apostacy, apostrophes and apothecaries in the full post)

The Perak State Mufti, not too long ago, issued a statement stating that there were 100,000 apostates in Malaysia. The figure comes from a group of "Muslim professionals" who conducted a research. Or were they professional Muslims? Walski doesn't really know.

No decent group of professionals would be
complete without a wrestler

It's not known what kind of research, or what kind of Muslim professionals were involved in the study, but the Mufti stands by his numbers.

But here's Walski's question: Why go for quantity, when it's quality that should be the goal? Or maybe, the Malay-Muslims really don't care about quality, and feel that it's the numbers that count.

While the Quran does state that apostacy, in Islam, is a grave sin, the holy book is also silent on what punishment should be meted out for an apostate in this life. The death penalty, which some conservative Muslims would really love to have instituted here in Malaysia as a punishment for apostacy, comes from numerous other non-Quranic sources. Basing on the Quran alone, it would imply that God will deal with them in his own way and wisdom.

This, of course, doesn't sit well with the conservative camp, because as mentioned earlier, they're just plain blood-thirsty - in the non-haemoglobal-ingesting sense, of course. Threatening others, crying bloody murder is all A-OK, as long as it's for Islam.

And it is the issue of apostacy (vis-a-vis Article 11 of the Constitution) that has blinded BADAI to the fact that the IFC is not about promoting apostacy (or apostrophes and apothecaries). Making freedom of religion an unalienable right of citizenship is not going to cause hundreds of thousands of Malay-Muslims leave their religion overnight, as they seem to alude to.

Give a cat enough catnip and it will spin itself into a silly frenzy - which is exactly the effect that the mere mention of IFC and Article 11 seems to have on BADAI and their storm-trooper kin.

The quest for knowledge, reason, and dialog seems to have given way to brute force and mob mentality with these people. The May 16 incident in Penang is proof of that.

And in the process they are doing Islam a big, big disfavor by showing the world how intollerant Muslims can be and how sieged their mentality has become. Not to mention promoting a face of Islam that's unpalatable.

And then they wonder why some people get disenchanted with it...

Click here for the full post......

Mutant Mullah: UltraMENJ steps over the line of decent behavior

Technorati tags: Mutant Mullah, MENJ, Apostacy, Violence, Inciteful

All kidding aside - this time MENJ has gone too far. BUNUH ORANG MURTAD is the call that this misguided soul has made in his post earlier this afternoon.

Posted on PPS at 1312hrs on July 17, 2006
(click on image for larger view)

If this is the kind of Islam that he champions as the correct non-Liberal kind, is it any wonder why so many people (non-Muslims and Muslims alike) find it so distateful? Isn't his post inciting a violent act, that even Islam finds heinous - murder?

Defending Islam? Or inciting murder?
(click on image for larger view)

There is a right way and a wrong way, and UltraMENJ has chosen the latter. Rhetoric is one thing. But this is really stepping over the line.

BUNUH ORANG MURTAD - KILL THE APOSTATES

UltraMENJ - here is the proof. This is not about copyright (in your feeble understanding), but to provide documentary evidence of what you have done, especially since you are notorious for sweeping your tracks clean, deleting portions of your posts in retrospect, and pretending they were never there in the first place.

Have you not learnt your lesson? Or is it true what they say, that only human beings with a functioning brain have the capacity to learn from their mistakes and not repeat them?

Click here for the full post......

Rotting from the inside

Technorati tags: Allegory, Mind, Body, Soul, Oblivion, Redemption

Superiority complex - a thinly veiled overcompensation of an underlying feeling of inferiority and a mind beseiged. It manifests itself by a need to condemn others, by putting oneself upon a padestal, beyond reproach, beyond criticism. Almost god-like, some would reckon. An implicit sort of hypocrisy that may not be obvious to the afflicted, but visually and audibly clear to the rest of the vibrant world around him.

But behind the facade lies a frightened, child-like mind, unable to address the tumultuous issues that plague his psyche. He can never be wrong, he can never be corrected; criticism is seen as insult, advice as personal attacks. The fantasy world he lives in fuels the malignant mind further, superior on the outside, slowly rotting on the inside.

It is a wall, not of brick and mortar, but of selfish thought. And within that wall, a festering soul awaits redemption from himself. His world is dark. As if a layer of impermeable metal protecting his heart from the obvious truths that beseige him. But it is that same shield that prevents him from being a fulfilled entity on this earth.

The shields of heart and mind can be broken, but only from the inside. Yet, the choice between forever festering in a mired existence, or breaking free is not an easy one to make. For the dark side of humanity has its comforts and privileges.

Lies become truths, dellusions become reality. The one true source of all that is righteous is ignored, and instead the creation of misguided mortals are elevated to the status of the divine - and in this he finds solace, duped by the very same shields he himself has erected.

It is a disease. Of the mind. And of the soul.

Not one curable by a barrage of antibiotics, but an affliction that can only be eradicated when the soul is set free. That very freedom is what the festering mind fears, reinforcing the blinding sheild, which continues to surround his soul, micron by tiny micron, until the gaps of escape are forever shut, never again to see the light of a beautiful day.

Click here for the full post......

Is the world merrily skipping towards Armageddon?

Technorati tags: Middle East, War, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon

The question posed by this post title is probably alarming to everyone. Or at least Walski hopes it is.

But this post is not about the apocalypse/armageddon chasers, or the End-Times Christian movement. It is about the Mid-East, where the situation gets worse every day, it would seem.

Unless there is lasting peace in that region, the world may just be on the brink of a global meltdown, just waiting to happen.

To date, myAsylum has not posted any thoughts about the turmoil and conflict in the Middle East. Until now. Not because of it's lack of importance, but because it's been covered well by other bloggers in the local Malaysian bloggerhood, such as KTemoc (his two latest posts on the subject can be found here and here, but there are many other posts on the subject worth reading).

That, and the fact myAsylum never set out to be a political blog in the first place. But when one sets out to blog about anything and everything, touching on politics, even global politics, at some point is, well... inevitable.

Without a doubt, the current aggression of Israel across its northern borders into Lebanon should be condemned. The magnitude and target of force used, allegedly on the pretext of trying to rescue their soldiers, is certainly disproportionate.

The carte blanche approach historically taken by the U.S. in dealing with conflict in the region has not helped. This has been even more glaringly obvious with the current Bush 2 administration, in particular, exercising the power of veto to potentially shoot down any resolution brought up that implicates Israel of wrongdoing.

But the lists of UN resolutions against Israel is already lengthy. At best, the US and its allies in Western Europe have only paid lip service to peace in the Middle East - at worst, their overt inactions (and according to some, ther covert actions) has only made the stability in the region more fragile.

Indeed, what's happening now in the region, according to some, is the fact that Israel and the US are punishing the Palestinian people for democratically selecting the wrong majority - namely, Hamas, into government earlier this year. Hamas, of course, is known for their suicide bomb attacks against Israeli civillians, and their hostility towards the Jewish state, but whose anti-Israeli rhetoric apparently won enough mindshare of the Palestinians, who viewed Fatah, whom had led the previous Palestinian Authority, as ineffective and corrupt. Hamas has, to date, refused to acknowledge Israel's right to exist.
(more thoughts in the full post)

One fact remains, however: be it Israel, Hamas, or Fatah, all parties have blood on their hands. No one can claim to be totally innocent when it comes to attrocities that have been committed, and continue to be committed.

Israel's beef right now may be against the Hezbollah - who hold hostage a small number of Israeli troops, and who operate from Southern Lebanon. Israel is holding Lebanon responsible, hence the forray into their territory.

But let's play devil's advocate for a moment, and suspend reality for a bit. Say you were in Israel's position; and you have those countries and organizations surrounding you calling for your destruction. What would be your response?

Okay, back to reality.

In truth, there is no easy solution to the problems in the Middle East, and the last thing we should do is to kid ourselves that there is one. Matters are not made better when you have the likes of Hamas, Hezbollah and a large portion of the conservative Muslim world calling for Israel's destruction. The notion that Palestine belongs to Islam exclusively (and no one else) doesn't assist in solving any problems either.

Israel was carved out of an already-inhabited area under colonial rule, and in the process displacing the population then, Muslim and Christian Arabs, partly out of the US and Europe's guilt for the attrocities suffered by the Jewish people under Nazi Germany. It doesn't matter whether the casualties of this genocide numbered 600 or 60,000 or 6 million - the actual number is moot. What Hitler did to the Jews was immoral, inhuman, and wrong. Period.

But in redeeming themselves, the US and Europe started a disasterous chain of events, beginning with the forced displacement of the Palestinians. This too, in retrospect, was immoral, inhuman and wrong.

And as the old addage goes: two wrongs don't make a right. The situation we see today is proof.

It would be nice if there were a way to call time-out on the situation. Just like in a basketball game. A hardline approach from either or any party is not going to allay the brittle situation, nor is it in the long run going to be good for anyone - Israel, Palestine, the US, or the rest of planet Earth. Calling for a holy war is not going to help the Palestinians. Violence begats more violence and should never be a justified means, no matter how noble an end we wish to achieve.

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent
Isaac Asimov - Foundation

As mentioned previously, a convoluted situation such as what we see in the Middle East today has no easy solution. The US must somehow be made to realize that their no-questions-asked support for Israel will come to no good end, and will bring the world closer to all out, and possibly cataclysmic war. Israel must realize that their strong-arm tactics will result in placing the nation in jeopardy, from continued retaliation. And those who seek to destroy Israel should realize that their continued efforts will do more harm to the Palestinian people, rather than help them - short, medium and long run. Exclusivist views, be it Jewish, Christian or Islamic, will get the world no closer to resolving the conflict, which has plagued the region for the better part of the 20th century, up till the present.

Sometimes, though, the simplest solution may be the most effective. Time-out. This is the only possible scenario where dialog can occur. And dialog is something all the parties involved must do, if the end-result desired is truly peace.

All said and done, there is still one important nagging question that haunts Walski:

What if it peace is not really the true objective?

Click here for the full post......