Showing posts with label about islam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about islam. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

If this is the way we raise our children, then no wonder our children turn out bad

imageI am neither a mom nor a child psychologist. I am just a woman who think too much.  And I think, if this is the way we raise our children, then no wonder our children turn out bad. So stop whining, stop blaming the school, stop blaming the government and stop blaming the west, because the problem starts within us.

Define: BAD… you might ask. Well I am not talking about children who do not reach their “maximum academic potential”. BAD does not mean doing poorly at school. When I say BAD I mean children who lie, who cheat, who play truant, who talk back, who scream at their parents & who steal grocery monies from your purse. These children grow up to be liars, cheaters, do very bad at work, have no sense of responsibility, involve in corruptions, bribery, adultery etcetera and etcetera… I am sorry, but I think it all stems from us (well, not me as I am not a parent (yet)) and our severe lack of parental skills that resulted in their poor upbringing. 

 The false concept of “Let children be children”
I read in Wardina Safiyyah facebook fanpage, she quoted a Christian she knew . “Islam is a living religion but with dead followers… But Christian is a dead religion with living followers”
image
It’s a big statement, liked by 128 fellow Muslims. When you take a glimpse at the statement, many of us would agree on the difference between Islam & Christianity and the description of their followers. But this is a preposterous,image ludicrous statement! I can not comment on Christianity as I am not one, but to me, the only Muslims that are dead are in GAZA, trying to defend their religion! Other than that, Muslims all around the world are more than alive, trying to send messages to the world but they are all (well, WE all are) being misinterpreted & unjustly discriminated by the media. 

So when a Christian says Islam is a living religion with dead followers?  Do we listen? NO! WE PROVE THEM WRONG!  Now, what does this have anything to do with the false concept of “Let children be children?”

imageCome on people, open up your eyes! For years and years, the supposedly expert Western or Western educated Child experts had been saying that we should let our children be children..But letting your children let loose, play the whole day, listen to mind numbingly stupid children songs, watch cartoons or hooked up to the play station 24/7 and encouraging role playing with Barbie kissing Ken, dressing and undressing the dolls, exposing them to pre-mature sexual education, what for? For the 20 years that we have been following these “advices”, had our children do any better as a person or as a Muslim?

Teach them early and teach them what counts
Moms & dads and all of you in between. Have we forgotten the memorable words of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W? “Go in quest of knowledge even to the distant China”. Have we forgotten that the much glorified western renaissance that brought about the advancement of today’s science and technology was originally STOLEN from Islamic knowledge and civilisation? 

When our babies were still in our wombs, we prayed that they’d be the next Avicenna, the next Abu Hurairah or imagethe next Islamic leader. But from their first day of lives, we bombarded them with worldly materials and toys, we distract their pure minds with songs, lullabies, cartoon sand video games. Truth to be told, there is nothing to be proud of if they can sing Ba Ba Black sheep at the age of 2, when previous Islamic scholars have already memorized the whole Quran by age 3!

Teach our children early. And teach them what counts! The Quran & The Hadiths, of course. I am not saying that you should not be proud of your children when they can burp out the A,B,C from memory… but what is the point of learning A,B,C if they do not know Alif, Lam, Lam, Ha?

A father should know that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice
Lead by example! Muslim parents, you and I both nkow that Islam is the way of life. Islam is the best way to live and to raise our children. But moms, do not show off your shoulder length crowning glory to other people if you want your daughter to not show theirs! Fathers, you treat your wife finely, as shown by Prophet Muhammad if you want your young mans to be gentlemen. You don’t lie, don’t cheat don’t drink and don’t steal if you don’t want them to do the same. imageimage






So I must say,  having a child actually means a total lifestyle turnover. We need to be respectable people before we could gain respects from our kids. These babies, they are not just for cuddles… They are huge responsibilities and that first responsibility is for us to be better Muslims.

Wallahualam.
Ana 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized no person is perfect, Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet... we will be successful. Cat Stevens

 
Many times I read in ex-Muslim atheist blogs, the reason they became atheists was because they thought that the teachings of Islam does not make sense.
They are usually 3rd or 4th degree Muslims living in non-Muslim countries.  Most are from middle class Muslimimage families and are typically characterised by having busy parents. Where they live, “proper” Islamic educations are either seriously lacking, or they just had no access to it.
Ever since they were small, they practiced Islamic teachings by merely following what their parents and grand parents did… oblivious to the relevance behind each divine act..For them,  the practice of Islam such as fasting during Ramadhan is just some kind of long family tradition that has no value what so ever other than to please family members. They do not identify themselves with Islamic values nor virtues.
It broke my heart when I watched Oprah last year. A Muslim doctor from Dubai brought the audience into her grand house trying to tell the world “This is how we in Dubai live”… Despite the various things that they could possibly chat about in the space of 5 minutes, Oprah asked “I notice that you are not wearing the Burka as do your mom and grand mom. Is it not customary to wear the burka in Dubai?” Cordially she answered “No. Wearing the burka or the head scarfs are only traditions. We only wear them when we are older.” Considering how influential the Oprah Winfrey Show is, the doctor’s cordial answer to a very critical question was taken as the truth, when we all knew that what she said was wrong!
This is the basic to the development of dysfunctional Muslim families. First the mom & dad are not sure on how to differentiate between compulsory Islamic teachings and family traditions. Next due to general ignorance,  their children will grow up having no idea why there is Burka on the first place. And before long, their grand children will write blogs about why they think Islam is ridiculous and that the practice of Islam does not make sense anymore.
That is why I quoted:
“I did not come into contact with any Muslim before I embraced Islam. I read the Qur'an first and realized no person is perfect, Islam is perfect, and if we imitate the conduct of the Holy Prophet... we will be successful” Cat Stevens
imageSo I am calling all Muslims to please study your own religion in greater detail now. You may have been a Muslim for the entire 20 years of your lives but your knowledge about Islam might still be way inadequate. The last thing you want to have is an atheist as a grand child. image
And for Non- Muslims, do not judge Islam just from the way Muslims act. Muslims are only human with human feelings, obsessions, ambitions and needs. What ever stupidity we display it only define who we are as a person… not our religion. 
And with that, I rest my case.
Wabillahitaufik walhidayah. Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Love,
Ana

Monday, January 3, 2011

Disbelieving God = Atheism: dialogue with an atheist professor.

Atheism is no longer a foreign concept in my home country. People who are atheists used to hide their disbelief on the existence of God and only reveal it to fellow atheists or close friends.  It was and is highly frowned upon to be an atheist, in fact it could be against the civil law… pardon me for saying that but I am reflecting back at our Rukunegara (National Principals), which is a declaration of the nation’s philosophy instituted by royal proclamation on Independence day. Malaysians must first “Believe in God” before proclaiming their loyalty to the King and country and everything else. So in short, in my humble opinion, not believing in God is very non-Malaysian.
Having said that, there are atheists everywhere in Malaysia, who customarily hide behind the shadow of “non-religiousness”.
When I moved to Australia to further my studies, I read a lot of pamphlets and articles about this country from which I learnt, Australia is a Christian dominant country. Unfortunately, when I mingle with more Australians, I come to realize that that is not the case. Almost half of the people I know here are in fact atheists or non-religious Christians.. or non-religious Muslims for that matter. Many of them are highly educated people, professors in their fields, scientists or at the least science/biology students. After all, these are the people that I have the chance to meet everyday. There might be more in the business and arts departments only that I haven’t had the chance of meeting them yet.
The reason atheism becomes popular over here and around the world could be due to the advancement of science and technology that demands every statements to only be valid when it is be backed by strong scientific evidences. So when one claims that God created the world, naturally people would ask what is your evidence?  It is not easy to prove or disprove the existence of God. The fact that you can not see HIM does not mean that he is not there. But how do we prove the existence of a superior being who can not be seen, touched, heard or tasted for that matter? Could this being be completely IMAGINARY?  These are the basis of why “scientific methodists” choose to believe that there is no God until proven otherwise...
I was told that people who work with me either directly or indirectly detest my strong aversion towards the theory of evolution, the theory of the survival of the fetus and the rubbishness of the theory of natural selection. I do not know whether they are atheists or not, but hopefully the following article will be able to summarise why… 

WHY PSEUDO-SCIENCE FAILS TO EXPLAIN GOD  

(A DIALOGUE BETWEEN An ATHEIST PROFESSOR & A MUSLIM STUDENT)


The following scenario takes place at an educational institute:
"Let me explain the problem science has with God..." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Muslim, aren't you, son?"
"Yes, sir."
"So, you believe in God?"
"Absolutely!"
"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good!"
"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."
The professor grins knowingly and considers for a moment.
"Here's one for you: Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"
"Yes, sir. I would."
"So, you're good...!"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... In fact, most of us would if we could... God doesn't."
[No answer.]
"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Muslim who died of cancer, even though he prayed to God to heal him. How is this God good? Hmm? Can you answer that one?"
[No answer.]
The elderly man is sympathetic.
"No, you can't, can you?"
He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones.
"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er... Yes."
"Is Satan good?"
"No."
"Where does Satan come from?"
The student falters.
"From... God..."
"That's right. God made Satan, didn't He?"
The elderly man runs his fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking student audience.
"I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen."
He turns back to the Muslim. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
"Yes."
"Who created evil?"
[No answer.]
"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"
The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
"Who created them?"
[No answer.]
The professor suddenly shouts at the student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME. PLEASE!" The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Muslim's face. He speaks in a small, deadly voice, "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"
[No answer.]
The student tries to hold the professor's steady, experienced gaze, but fails. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an ageing, confident panther. The class is mesmerised. "Tell me..." he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all the evil throughout all time?" The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. "All the hatred, the brutality, the pain, all the torture, all the needless deaths and ugliness, and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world - isn't it, young man?"
[No answer.]
"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" The professor pauses. "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is God good?"
[No answer.]
"Do you believe in God, son?"
The student's voice betrays him, and in a cracked voice he mutters, "Yes, professor. I do."
The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses that you use to identify and observe the world around you. You have never seen God, have you?"
"No, sir. I've never seen Him."
"Then tell us if you have ever heard your God?"
"No, sir. I have not."
"Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, or smelt your God? In fact, have you any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
[No answer.]
"Answer me, please."
"No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't."
"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"
"No, sir."
"Yet, you still believe in Him?"
"Yes..."
"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling. "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says that your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"
[The student does not answer.]
"Sit down, please!"
[The Muslim sits, browbeaten into apparent defeat. However, 'the help of Allah is at hand and victory is imminent.']

Another Muslim, wearing a religious cap, having a beard and easily identified as a Muslim by his dress, lifts his hand up."Professor, may I address the class?"

The professor turns and smiles. "Ah! Another Muslim in the vanguard. A Fundamentalist, I see. Come, come, young man! Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering!"

The Muslim ignores the sarcasm in the tone of the professor. He looks around the room, waits for the attention of the students and turns to the professor. "Sir, you have made some interesting points. With your permission,sir, I would like to tackle each point individually. This subject has to be tackled logically and scientifically, and not emotionally. The first point is your basic doctrine that God does not exist. The universe, therefore, started with the doctrine of 'The Big Bang' and through a process of evolution, Man finally came into existence. Is that not your belief, professor?"

"My son, it goes without saying. There is enough scientific evidence for this. What are you getting at?"

"Let us not be hasty. Let us use logic and reason and proper scientific argument. As a preamble, I wish to point out that I use the word 'doctrine' knowingly, for the priests of pseudo-science are, in fact, merely promoting atheism as a religion. I have a question for you, professor. We have in this world millions upon millions of fireworks, ammunition and bombs. Have you heard of any going off spontaneously, or do you admit that, although the ingredients may be in existence in a container, there is required a detonating mechanism to set off the explosions? Two factors have to be present: firstly, the correct ingredients in correct amounts in a suitable environment; and, secondly, somebody to set off the explosion, whether it be by means of a match stick, or the hammer of a pistol, or some electrical spark. For example, if somebody said that he had a bullet in his hand and it went off on its own and killed somebody sitting nearby, would any scientist accept such a ludicrous statement?"
"Of course not. What are you trying to say?"
"Surely, then, if you want us to believe in the Big Bang, that a massive explosion took place on its own without anybody there to 'pull the trigger' or 'light a match' or 'electrical spark' then explain to us how smaller bangs are not taking place all over the world without any external agency? Any scientific claim has to be reproducible for it to be accepted."

The professor's mouth fell open, but no words came out.
 
"Also, we know that it is scientifically impossible for matter to create itself. Take this wooden desk. It did not come into existence by itself. Some external agency had to make it. Even the wood did not come into existence by itself. It came from a seed that was planted and nourished. The seed itself came from some source and could not come into existence by itself. Can you explain to us how the original matter came into existence - matter that the priests of pseudo-science state was ignited by the mysterious Big Bang to produce the first living matter? Also, why are your priests not able to reproduce this phenomenon in the laboratory? Professor, you must know that any scientific argument must be reproducible for it to have any scientific credence."

"Son, it is naive to thing that we can do such a thing. The energy that was unleashed with the Big Bang was such that we do not have access to, otherwise we would also have reproduced the same phenomenon."

"Professor, you have not told us who provided the basic ingredients, and you are unable to tell us who it was who pushed the button or pulled the trigger or lit the matches for the Big Bang to take place. Where did this tremendous energy, that you are speaking about, originate? Come, come, professor! Let us be scientific about it. Yes, professor, it takes a lot of FAITH in the doctrinal teachings of the priests of pseudo-science to believe in the Big Bang. Do you expect us to discard proper scientific principles and believe in all this hocus-pocus on blind faith in the face of definitive scientific principles?"

[No answer.]
 
"If you don't mind, professor, I will now go on to the doctrine of evolution as promulgated by the priests of pseudo-science. You are aware that no fossils have been shown that would directly link the descent of Man from the apes and that there is a constant search for what is termed, the 'Missing Link'?"

"Yes, but there is so much other evidence..."
"Sorry to interrupt, professor. You admit there is no direct link. You must also admit that there are no fossils showing definite intermediary steps in the transition from ape to Man. And I'm sure you are also aware of the Piltdown Forgery, professor?"

"Piltdown...? Piltdown...?"

"Let me refresh your memory, professor. Some fossils were discovered in a place called Piltdown in England. These fossil-remains showed all the features that all the priests of pseudo-science and atheism were searching for as the 'Missing Link' in the chain of evolution. The whole world was led to believe in it, and even the sceptics were convinced - until it was found, some forty years later, that someone from the scientist-priest fraternity had 'doctored' the fossils to make them appear to be the missing link. It was a big lie, a massive forgery that your priests had forged to try and convince the world that the religion of atheism was true and Man had descended from the apes! If you want more enlightenment on it you can read the works of Professor Tobias, of South Africa, on the details of the forgery."
The professor's face goes an ashen. Still there was no comment.

"Speaking about forgeries - professor, do you know what is plagiarism? Can you explain to the class what is plagiarism?"

Rather hesitantly, the professor speaks, "Plagiarism is to take somebody else's work and pass it off as one's own."

"Correct. Thank you, professor. If you were to take the trouble of doing a bit of honest and truthful research you will find that the Western nations had plagiarised all the TRUE scientific works of the Muslims and then built on it and passed them off as their own 'discoveries', which led to modern scientific progress. You don't have to take my word for it. Just write to the 'Centre for Studies on Science', Al-Humera, Muzzammil Manzil, Dodhpur, Aligarh, India, and they will gladly send you all the relevant literature to prove this point."

By now the class is fully attentive to the Muslim student's words and they hastily jot down the address.

"Let us come back to the doctrine of evolution which the priests of pseudo-science have fostered on the world. The back-bone of all their doctrines is the concept of 'natural selection'. This means that species adapted to the changes in the environment by a change in morphology and physiology, changes which they then passed on to succeeding generations, enabling them to survive; while those species which did not adapt, became extinct. The classic example given is that of the dinosaurs which could not compete with smaller, more agile animals which had miraculously 'evolved', thus the bigger, more slower animals became extinct, whilst the smaller animals survived. Also, during the course of evolution what was of no use anymore, disappeared, like tails and claws, being replaced with tail-less species with hands which could hold, the final result being Man. You do subscribe to this doctrine, don't you, professor?"

The poor professor is unsure whether to nod or not, as he is uncertain from which angle the next salvo is coming!

"Come, come, professor! This is the cornerstone of the doctrine of evolution which you priests have been brainwashing the unwary masses with. Let us challenge this pseudo-science with true science. Professor, has any scientist ever produced any new species of life in his laboratory by controlling and changing the environment? Remember, science can only accept material doctrines if they are reproducible."

[No answer.]

"Of course not, even though attempts have been made, sure enough! Let us go a step further: We know that the Jews circumcise their male offspring very soon after birth. We also know that circumcision has been practised by them in an unbroken chain since the time of Abraham (A.S.). As a result, certain illness patterns have changed. Any male child with an inherited bleeding tendency would have died from bleeding and this disease would not have passed on to the next generation. You agree, professor?"

The professor nods eagerly, thinking that this is a point in his favour.

"So, tell us, professor, after thousands of years of circumcising all male infants, why are Jewish children not born without a foreskin? Even if the whole foreskin was not missing, according to the doctrine of natural selection of your priests, there should be some signs of the foreskin getting smaller! Don't you agree, professor?"

The poor professor just stares blankly ahead, not knowing what hit him!
"Professor, do you have children?"
Somewhat relieved at the change of topic, the professor tries to muster some of his previous confidence. "Yes, I do. I have two boys and a girl." The professor even manages to smile when he mentions his children.

"Professor, did you breast-feed them when they were infants?"
Somewhat taken aback by this obviously silly question, the professor blurts out. "What a stupid question! Of course, I did not! My wife did the breast-feeding."

"Professor, have your priests ever discovered any males who breast-feed infants?"
"Again a stupid question. Only females breast- feed infants."

"Professor, without undressing you, I am certain that you have two nipples, just like all other males. Why have these not disappeared because of redundancy? According to the doctrine of natural selection, such useless items as nipples in males, should have disappeared in all males thousands - if not millions - of years ago! Professor," the Muslim student spoke gently, he did not shout and he did not push his face into that of the professor's, "I'm sure that, based on proper scientific argument - and not on pseudo-science - you will agree that the doctrine of evolution is just a big load of rubbish?"

The professor's face changes a number of colours and all he can do is splutter helplessly. 
The Muslim student turns to the class of students and addresses them with a wisp of a smile on his lips.
"In fact, one can go further and state that whoever believes he is descended from the apes, must be a monkey!"
It takes a few moments for the class to catch on to the pun in the Muslim student's statement, but the moment it hits home, they roar with laughter.

When the students recover from their laughter the Muslim student continues. Turning to the professor, he says, "There are so many holes in the doctrine of evolution that it leaks like a sieve. However, time is running out - I have to rush to the Mosque for prayers shortly - so we will not deal with all the myths now. Let us go on to the topic of morality that you raised. But, before that, let us look at the point you may about your brother dying of cancer. If you are upset that he died, then you are absolutely foolish. That human beings, as well as all living matter, will certainly die is such an established fact, that it is believed in by all people, irrespective of whether they believe in God or not, and nobody can really object to the process of death. Secondly, you cannot be so naive as to object to the process of illness - whether it being cancer or any other illness, or an accident, etc. - as a prelude to the process of death. Your objection stems from your misconception that 'goodness' is to relieve suffering, and to cause suffering is being 'cruel'. If this was so, then, professor, you have no choice but to agree that the cruellest people in the world are the medical research-scientists who use animals for all their horrible experiments. Surely you must be aware of the thousands upon thousands of animals that are tortured in different ways and made to suffer a million agonies to prove or disprove certain scientific and medical claims? Are these experimenters not cruel? You're still with me, professor?"

The professor looks quite ill. The Muslim student goes across and gives him some water to drink.

"Professor, I'm going to ask you another obvious question. You are aware of examinations - tests that are given to students in order for them to pass and be promoted to the next grade?"
The professor merely nods his head.

"A student has to make certain sacrifices, and even live away from home, to attend a university or college; he has to deprive himself of all home comforts; he is loaded with work; he has to give up his leisure time and his sleep in order to get ready for the examinations; then he is faced with horribly difficult questions to answer in the examination and he may also be grilled in his oral examination - and he still has to pay the institution for putting him through this torturing process! - you do not consider all this to be cruel? Is the professor a 'good' person for all the mental and physical suffering he is putting the student through?"

"I do not see your point. Of course, the institution and the professor are doing the student a favour by putting him through a training process in order for him to qualify in his particular field. Only a very short-sighted person would object to students having to write examinations, irrespective of the sacrifices they have to make."

The Muslim student sadly shakes his head. "Professor, it is amazing how you can understand the need for tests and examinations when you have to set them, but you can't see the same wisdom when God sets tests and examinations for His creatures. Take your brother - if he withstood the test of his illness and he died with faith, what we term as Imaan - he will be rewarded abundantly in Paradise for the suffering that he underwent here. So much so, that he would wish that he had suffered a hundred times more so that his reward would be so much greater, a reward that no eye has seen and no mind has imagined! Unfortunately, 'only a very short-sighted person' - and an ignorant one - would object to the tests placed on His creation by God, bearing in mind the everlasting rewards awaiting those who are successful."

"Paradise? Huh! Have you seen Paradise, touched it, smelt it, tasted it, heard it? According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says that your Paradise doesn't exist."
"We will come to that point also, God willing. Let us continue. Tell me, professor, is there such a thing as heat?"
The professor has recovered somewhat and he is feeling more confident. "Yes, there's heat."
"Is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, there's cold, too."
"No, sir. There isn't!"
The professor just stares blankly. The student explains, "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, or - at the opposite pole - a little heat, or no heat, but we can't have anything called 'cold'. We can reach 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go further beyond that. There is no such thing as 'cold', otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458 degrees below zero. You see, sir, 'cold' is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat but merely the absence of heat."
 
Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the room.

The Muslim student continues. "Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"

"So, you say there is such a thing as darkness?"
"Yes..."

"You're wrong again, sir! Darkness is not an entity - it is the absence of an entity. It is the absence of light. One can have dim light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. If one has no light constantly then one has nothing, and this is called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, one would be able to create darkness in a positive way and make darkness darker and obtain it in a container. Can you fill a jar with darker darkness for me, professor?"

"Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

"Yes, professor. The point I'm making is that your philosophical premise is flawed, to start with, and so your conclusion must be in error. You are not scientific, but pseudo-scientific!"

The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!"

The Muslim student is very cool and calm, and he speaks gently, as if to a little child. "Sir, may I explain what I mean?"
The students in the class eagerly nod their heads. They are all ears. The professor has no alternative but to consent. "Explain... oh, explain..." He waves his hand indifferently, in an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. The class is silent, expectant.

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Muslim student explains, "that, for example, there is life and then there's death, two different entities; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as a finite entity, an entity we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain what a thought is. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen them, much less understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive entity. Death is not the opposite of life, but merely the absence of life."

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from one of the other student's desks. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
"Of course there is. Now look..."
"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such a thing as injustice? No, sir. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Muslim student pauses. "Isn't evil the absence of good?"

The professor's face has turned an alarming colour. He is so angry that he is temporarily speechless.

The Muslim student continues. "If there is evil in this world, professor - and we all agree that there is - then God must be accomplishing some work through the agency of evil. What is that work that God is accomplishing? Islam tells us it is to see if each one of us will choose good over evil."

The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognise the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation, because God is not observable."

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code is probably one the most observable phenomena going," the Muslim student replies. "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week. Professor, you have tried to put the blame of the evil in this world on the shoulders of God - in whom you don't believe - which is an obvious contradiction. However, let us analyse who is really responsible for the spread of evil - those who believe in God, or those who don't? A fundamental belief that a Muslim has is that of being resurrected on the Day of Judgement and answering for his actions in this world. For every good that he did he will be rewarded, and for every evil that he committed he will be held responsible. Every Muslim has to believe that he/ she is responsible for his/her actions and that nobody else will bear his/her burden on the Day of Judgement. The concept of Paradise being a reward for the believers and that Hell will be the abode of the disbelievers, the infidels, is also a fundamental belief, as well as the belief that even Muslim wrongdoers will be punished for their misdeeds. Professor, these concepts have stopped countless millions of Muslims from committing wrong. We all know that punishment is a strong deterrent for committing crimes. Without this concept we would not be able to run our worldly affairs: fines, penalties, jail sentences are part and parcel of any civilised system. On the other hand we have the priests of atheism who do not believe in these concepts when they are mentioned in relation to moral issues. To them there is no Day of Judgement, no accountability, no reward, no punishment. The message to the masses is quite clear, that 'if you can get away with it then you are O.K. You have nothing to worry about'.
 Also, seeing that they state that there is no such thing as sin - sin, in our context, means going against the Laws of God - each individual is free to do anything he wishes and no action can be labelled as 'wrong'. Let me put it this way: the atheist priests maintain that God does not exist. If He does not exist, then He can't have set down any rules of what is right and what is wrong - thus there can't be sin, sin means going against the wishes of God. So, man is free to make up his own rules, his own code of 'morality'. Thus men get 'married' to men; women get 'married' to women; to spread AIDS and other diseases is O.K.; there is nothing sinful with adultery and fornication, as long as those involved are 'consenting adults'; according to the logic of the atheists even incest would not be sinful if the parties are 'consenting adults', seeing incest is a sin based on a code of morality with its basis being religion, whereas the professor has categorically stated that he 'absolutely does not recognise the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world factor'; to kill infants in their mothers' wombs is fine - it is exercising the 'rights' that the woman has; and so forth. The list of 'rules' passed by the atheist social pseudo-scientists priests is endless. The height of intellectual dishonesty is to place the blame for the spread of this immorality and filth on God! Let us be scientific about the whole issue, professor. Take a group of people who are God-conscious - who believe in Him as he should be believed in - and take a group of people who are adherents to your atheistic creed. Assess, objectively, who is spreading evil. I don't wish to labour the point, but any objective observer will immediately see that the group of God-conscious people who use the Laws of the Almighty as their code of morality, are in fact, spreading goodness; whereas the those who make up their own rules of 'relative morality' are, in fact, the one's spreading evil throughout the world."

The Muslim student pauses for these important remarks to sink in. The eyes of the students in the class light up as they see these issues in a clearer light. Nobody had ever explained these important issues to them before, having being brought up on the diatribe spewed forth by the mass media.

"Professor, I am amazed, but not surprised, at your unscientific attitude to morality. I am amazed that, even though you believe that Man evolved from the apes, he will not behave like an animal! I am amazed that, even though you do not believe in angels, you expect Man to behave like one on his own accord, without the assistance of a Divine moral code. The reason that I'm not surprised is that such muddled thinking is to be expected from those who are adherents of the false creed of atheism!"

There is a burst of spontaneous applause from the class.

"We have already discussed evolution, professor. Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives the student a silent, stony stare.

"Professor, since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an ongoing endeavour, are you not teaching a doctrine - a doctrine that leaks like a sieve and has less merit to it that any theological teachings? This is pseudo-science, not science, and its proponents are nothing but its ignorant priests!"

The professor goes blue in the face. "What impudence!" He huffs and puffs and strides up and down in front of the class, finally managing to regain some of his self control. "In the light of our philosophical discussion, I'll overlook your impudence, son. Now, have you quite finished?" The words come out as a hiss.

"Sir, you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
"I believe in what is - that's science."

"Sir, with due apologies, what you believe in is not science, but pseudo-science - and your pseudo-science is also flawed!"

"PSEUDO-SCIENCE.....? FLAWED...?" The professor looks as if he is going to have a fit. The class is in an uproar. The Muslim student stands cool and calm, that wisp of a smile back on his face.

When the commotion subsides, he continues, "You see, professor, TRUE SCIENCE is to discover the laws and designs that the Creator of the universe has put into the system of the running of the universe, from the mega to the micro, from the measurable to the immeasurable. Pseudo- science is an atheistic religion that tries to oppose this concept by forgeries, manipulation of statistics, half-truths, etc. Pseudo-science postulates a mythical unnamed force -their own, man-made, false deity - caused a Big Bang and then started a process of evolution that is contrary to what actually happened.
The priests of this atheistic religion are the ones that try to justify the gibberish that must accompany such falsehood by means of forgeries, half-truths and manipulation of data. Truth must win - the truth of the logical conclusion anybody with any sense can deduce, that there is one God (Allah) Who is the Creator of the whole universe. He created the whole system whereby the whole universe has been running smoothly from time immemorial. Let us go back to the point you had made earlier to the other student and which I said I will deal with later. I will give you an example which everyone can follow: Is there anyone in the class who has seen air, oxygen molecules, atoms, the professor's brains?"

The class breaks out in laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt it, smelt it or tasted it?"
Nobody says anything.
The Muslim student sadly shakes his head. "It appears that no one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brains whatsoever. Well, according to the rules enunciated by the professor himself, the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol of the professor's pseudo-science I HEREBY DECLARE that the professor has no brains!"

The professor buckles into a chair. The class again applauds spontaneously.
The student goes and ministers some water to the professor. After a while he recovers. He glares at the student. "Your insults in no way proves the existence of God."
The Muslim student replies. "Professor, I'm really surprised. I would have thought that you would have conceded defeat. But, it seems that you are a glutton for punishment."
He pauses, looks very thoughtfully at the class and then at the professor. With a heavy sigh he addresses the professor again. "Sir, you have parents - you have a father and a mother?"
"Another of your stupid questions. It is obvious that we all have parents."
"Be patient, sir. Are you certain that your father is your father and that your mother is your mother?"
The professor goes livid. "How preposterous! OF COURSE, MY FATHER IS MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER IS MY MOTHER!" He is shouting.
The Muslim student pauses. The pause becomes lengthy. There is an eerie atmosphere suddenly as the students sit on the edge of their chairs. With a quiet well controlled voice, the Muslim student says, "Prove it to me!"
The atmosphere is electric. The professor is unable to control himself. His face changes to a purple hue. "HOW DARE YOU!" He is shouting even louder, quite beside himself. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR INSULTS..! GET OUT OF MY CLASS..! I'LL REPORT YOU TO THE RECTOR...!

The class sits petrified at the outburst. Is the professor heading for a fit or a stroke?
The Muslim student stands his ground, unruffled. Facing the class he lifts his hand up, reassuring them that there is nothing to worry about. He then turns his compassionate eyes on the professor. A force appears to emanate from his eyes, directed at the professor. The professor cannot maintain his stare. His gaze drops. His anger subsides. He flops back into his chair and holds his head in his hands.
After a few minutes, the Muslim student speaks, very gently. "Dear professor, I am not implying that your parents are not your parents. All I am trying to point out is that neither you, nor me, nor any of us in this class can prove that our parents are our parents or not."
Complete silence.
 
"The reason is that we did not witness the act of intercourse between our parents when we were conceived. We were not present to identify whose sperm it was that fertilised the ovum in our mother's womb. We take our parents word for it that they are our parents. We consider our parents to be honest and truthful in the matter. We do not question them their integrity. In the same way, your children will have to take your word that you are their father and that their mother is really their mother. Is that not so, professor?"

The professor lifts up his head. He looks up at the Muslim student. One can see his face clearing up as some understanding dawns on him. The anger is gone. Very slowly he repeats, "We take the words of our parents.. We take the words of our parents..."

"Yes, professor. There are so many things that we have to take the word of others. The existence of air, of oxygen, of molecules, of atoms, and so forth. So, when it comes to matters that are metaphysical, from our real scientific research we know that there have been no persons existing in the world more honest and reliable than those who are termed Messengers (Rasools).
We Muslims are prepared to stake our lives on the fact that Muhammed - peace be on him - had an absolutely flawless character. He never lied to anybody. His integrity was such that even his avowed enemies called him 'Al-Ameen' (the Truthful).If he said that God (Allah) exists - and we are prepared to accept the word of our parents that they are our parents- then, in all sincerity and honesty, we have to accept his word for it, as we have to accept many other things - the existence of Paradise and Hell; the existence of angels; the coming of the Day of Judgement; accounting to God for our deeds in this world; and many other concepts. Besides this one point, there are many other pointers to the existence of God (Allah).
The Revelation called 'Al-Quran' is there for anybody to study. It has certain specific challenges for anybody who has any doubts. These challenges have not been met in the fourteen hundred years of its existence. If one is not prepared to believe in such a Messenger - peace be on him - then it is pure hypocrisy to accept the word of scientists, whose doctrines keep on changing, and even to believe in the word of our parents. Judging from the number of law-suits that take place every year in our courts, where parents deny parentage of their offspring, and also taking into account that there are innumerable babies conceived from donor sperms of men who are strangers, and also the fact that innumerable infants are adopted in infancy by childless couples and brought up as their own children, statistically there is room for a large degree of error in any person's claim that his/her parents are really his/her biological parents."

Turning to the class the Muslim student concludes. "It is every individual's duty to learn more about Islam. Al-Quran is there for everybody to study. Enough literature also available on Islam. It is my duty only to inform you that the only Truth is Islam. There is no compulsion in religion. Clearly the right way has become distinct from error; And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah (God), has grasped a firm handhold which will never break; And Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing. Having informed you, it is also my duty to invite you to join the brotherhood of Muslims by embracing Islam. Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of darkness into the light. As for those who disbelieve, their guardians are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness... These are verses from Al-Quran - Words of the Almighty - which I have quoted to you."
The Muslim student looks at his watch. "Professor and students, I thank you for having giving me the opportunity to explain these issues to you. If you would kindly excuse me, I have to go to the mosque for my prayers. Peace on those who are rightly guided."


Saturday, January 1, 2011

IT’S ONLY SCIENCE…. THERE IS NO GOD?

Two years ago, when I was doing my Master, I had a debate with the two Professors in Science. One a Christian because he said so, well at least he was raised a Christian back in England. The other one, I am not sure. But being a hard core Aussie, I think he is probably an atheist.
These two professors were having a hard time trying to prove to me that the “Theory of evolution” is true. I know it took a lot of time and efforts to gather all those evidences, but there is still so much more needed to be discovered before one could answer the origin of all lives on earth. And in my opinion, the works done so far is simply not enough…

Creationism, Evolution, Intelligent Design or Islam?

By Aisha Stacey (© 2009 IslamReligion.com)
Creationism, natural selection, intelligent design, the theory of evolution.  Thinking about the creation of the world, the universe, and humankind can be confusing.  There are theories, opinions,  and beliefs that state that the creation of the universe was a random act, that humankind evolved from apes and that living creatures climbed out of the primordial swamp. In general, science proves  some sort of intelligence designed the universe.
Confused?  You should be, because that is not all.  There is also neo creationism , old earth creationism, flood geology, the big bang theory, evolutionary biology, the common descent theory, and macroevolution.  What does it all mean?
For many people it must be a kind of lottery, or a theory of the year choice.  Each group has its evidence, some believe in God, others do not.  Some use science to prove their opinions, others  use the book of Genesis or other creation myths.  In Islam, the story of creation is clear.  There are no partly formed theories or strange opinions to add to the confusion.  The creation of the world and all that exists is  attributed to God.  The most merciful, most wise, most forgiving.
“God created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days.” (Quran 7:54)
“Then He completed and finished from their creation seven heavens in two Days and He made in each heaven its affair.  And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to guard (from the devils by using them as missiles against the devils).  Such is the Decree of Him the All-Mighty, the All-Knower.” (Quran 41:12)
“And indeed, We created man from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.” (Quran 15:26)
“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: “I am going to create a man (Adam) from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud.” (Quran 15:28)
God created Adam the father of humankind from mud (clay, soil, earth, or dust mixed with water) and He created his wife Eve from  a rib bone.  The traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, relate that God created Eve while Adam was sleeping,  from his shortest left rib and that, after sometime, she was clothed with flesh.  God then endowed Adam and Eve with the ability to procreate.
“God has created every moving (living) creature from water.  Of them, some creep on their bellies, some that walk on two legs, and some that walk on four.  God  creates what He wills.  Verily!  God  is Able to do all things.” (Quran 24:45)
“And God said: ‘O Mankind!  Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam) and from Him (Adam) He created his wife (Eve), and from them both He created many men and women.’” (Quran 4:1)
“And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay (water and earth).  Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and female sexual discharge) (and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the woman). Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation.  So blessed be God  the Best of creators. (Quran 23: 12 -14)
In Islam, unlike other religions  there are no great debates involving the separation of science and religion.  Islam teaches us that  great scientific discoveries and break throughs are simply evidence of the existence of GodIf scientific theories conflict with the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, Muslims simply reject  them.  However apart from the premise in Darwin’s theory of evolution, that man descended from apes, the Quran, and modern science are remarkably in accord.
“Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of mankind do not realize it.” (Quran 40:57)
More than 14 centuries ago the Quran mentioned scientific facts that have only recently been discovered using  modern scientific methods and  advanced equipment.  The development of scientific disciplines, such as cosmology and astrophysics  have explained some of the mysteries of God’s creation. Cosmic events that were previously part of the unseen now make sense according to modern scientific theory.
“Then He rose over towards the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: ‘Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.’  They both said: ‘We come, willingly.’” (Quran 41:11)
Modern cosmology indicates that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’,  an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition. It is now possible for scientists to  observe new stars being formed out of the remnants of the ‘smoke’. Dr. Loretta Dunne from Cardiff University says, “Cosmic dust consists of tiny particles of solid material floating around in the space between the stars. It is not the same as house dust but more akin to cigarette smoke.”[1]  Astronomers studied supernovae SN 2003gd using the Spitzer space telescope, and found that it had produced tremendous amounts of dust.
In the creation of humankind we are also now able to see  modern scientific evidence that seems to be in accord with the words of God in Quran. Many elements present in the earth are also contained in the human body.  The most critical component to land-based life is the top soil; that thin layer of dark, organically rich soil in which plants spread out their roots.  It is in this thin, vital layer of soil that microorganisms convert raw resources and make them available to the myriad forms of life around and above them.
The Quran instructs Muslims to “contemplate the wonders of creation” (3:191)  Imagine the precision and timing that allows the world and all that is  in it to function. Complex systems run perfectly. The earth is specifically designed for human life and life on earth is a delicate balance, from  the lofty skies to the depths of the ocean.
“The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly) calculated with measured out stages for each (for reckoning, etc.)... And the heaven He has raised high, and He has set up the Balance... And the earth He has put for the creatures.” (Quran 55:5-10)
God created the universe and He created humankind. Certain sections of all the theories and opinions that are abound agree with the words found in Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, but really that is of no consequence. Nor is it important when theories try to disprove the existence of God.
The sun and the moon are fixed in their orbits and life continues.  Muslims know with certainty that the world and all that exists was created by God. When new discoveries prove this beyond doubt, believers smile and wait for the other miracles of God to reveal themselves. The complexity of life is almost too simple to grasp. God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
Footnotes:
[1] Smoking supernova; Science daily (July 24, 2003)

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

why don’t I just slack away from my prayers today and repay them back in double tomorrow?

My big programming study is well underway. There is a reason why the word “BIG” precede the description of my project. Because amongst many things, being BIG is the best description for it.
Firstly, BIG amount of money had been invested and will be invested on it. And compared to the last programming project, this one involves BIGGER number of rodents. And most importantly, it is the BIGGEST thing happening in my life right now.
Thinking about the project can easily send chills down my spine. In total, 768 rats will be generated from 96 pregnant mothers and 300 or so of them will be culled. 350 kg of standard diet, 350 kg of high fat diet and 350kg of high fat, high omega-3 diets will be ordered and used. The amount of animal work will be MASSIVE which include daily pregnancy generation, daily offspring body weight and food intake measurement, training the rats for blood pressure measurement, training myself for cardiac ultrasound and performing DEXA radiation scan. Should I mention the “odd hours” tissue collection that will be done at 8am, 2pm, 8pm and 2 am. No, it was not a typo, I did consciously typed 2 am.
I supposed, I had been given enough times to come into terms with the massive amount of works destined for me. And I am not the least bit worry because, I know myself, InsyaAllah, I can push through, Ameen..
If I could survive back to back calls, this should be manageable. I didn’t mean to brag but, none on these works involve a continuous 58 hours of continuous standing, running around doing cardiac resuscitation or chasing x-rays. and most importantly none of these works involve total sleep deprivation. there will be some altered sleep pattern that will ultimately screw up my circadian rhythm… but it will be worth it.
In fact I do feel a bit lucky because at least there is a PhD degree awarded at the end of it. because if I was still doing calls, the money received get spent almost immediately. and how much did I make a night? wasn’t it just 100 Ringgit a night? Subhanallah…. those of you who are still doing that, I salute you.
So Jess, in response to your question, “why don’t I just slack away from my prayers today and repay them back in double tomorrow?,” I have to say that unfortunately I can’t. This PhD thing is already so huge, I don’t know if I could do it alone. I can’t be arrogant because I need Allah’s help, I need Allah’s guidance and I desperately need His love all the more right now.

Monday, September 27, 2010

clip_image002
Why are you wearing that?
A common question from 2 different perspectives
Today I attended a meeting with my sponsor, University of Malaya in UWA Business School. This meeting was meant to remind us on our research progress and our responsibility to return back to our home country, Malaysia as soon as possible once we have finished. Being the 5th person on the waiting list of 6, I knew that it would take a lot of time before it was my turn, so I engaged in some chit chat to pass the time. Well, it was after all a rare occasion that we, UM lecturers to actually meet up and get to know one another... So I joined in the fun. Mostly listening than talking.
There were a lot of topics being discussed, but one that most interesting to me was about Muslim women feeling discriminated by the non-Muslims when they are living in a foreign country. Intriguing heh? I have always thought that the current general idea is Muslim women are being discriminated by their own religion and that it is the non-Muslim female organisations that are fighting for these women's right ( be it to free them from the discrimination of polygamy, or the right to wear anything that they want, etc).
So why would these women still feel discriminated when all that the westerns are trying to do is to "free" them so that they have equal rights just like any other non-Muslim women in this world?
aween seyumA very passionate lady said, a woman's right is to be free to do what she'd want to do with her life and to be allowed reach her highest potential. Another said that a woman's right is to be given the freedom of speech, and to be heard and be taken seriously in the community. Well, they are right! And that is exactly what all these female movements are doing all over the world. To give them all these things that they want. But why do they still think that they are being discriminated by the very society that wants to help them.
Well, I now know why.
Western people look at these women wearing layers of clothing covering up from head to toe, showing only their faces and hands as a symbol of male domination over women and a violation against free will.
As a consequence to that, Islam is seen as a cruel religion that oppresses it's female follower and a woman who is also a Muslim is therefore a sad little tortured creature that needs to be freed.
How so narrow and how so wrong these perceptions are.
We, Muslims women, that opted to follow the religion by the book, want our right to be given fair and square. If women from other religion is allowed to wear just as they please, why should we not being given the same right if this is what we choose to wear?
We are not covering our body because it is what our men asked us to do, we are covering up our body because it is what our God asks us to do. It has nothing to do with the husbands. It is purely an act of surrendering to Allah's will. When the nuns do it for God, they are identified as pure because they'd surrender the fun of dressing ups and looking pretty; for HIM, the almighty. But when we do the same thing on a daily basis, (giving up this worldly fun of expressing our femininity to the world) you look at us as if we are discriminated, oppressed and depress.
kingspark
You judge us "why are you wearing that?" because what we wear looked out of the ordinary to you, but have we ever judge you, "why are you wearing that?" because for all you know, what you wear (or does not wear for that matter) is equally out of the ordinary to us. We never judge, because what you choose to wear is your right, so please do give our right back and let us wear our hijabs, our burqas, our jilbabs and our abayas as we please.
It is fine if some Muslim women do not want to dress up as Muslims, it is their call. May be they want to enjoy life first and only start covering up when they are a little bit older, or when they get married and have kids, or after they have retired from work... But for the majority of us that do want to follow the original Islamic dress code, please give us our right back.
What we want is to let Muslim school girl to be allowed to wear her hijab at public schools and not being forced to enter expensive private schools just so that she can practice her religion properly. What we want is to be treated fairly, based on our knowledge and abilities at tertiary institutions and at work and not stigmatized as conservative and stupid based on the piece of cloth we use to cover our head, neck and breasts. And what we want is that you would see pass this thin veil that there is a person, a girl and a lady who also wanted to make her mark in this world.
IMG_0860
After listening to all these conversations, I just realize how lucky I am. Malaysia is a Muslim country, so we have almost total freedom on choosing what we want to wear or to practice the religion as much as we want. And I am now studying in Australia, one of the most diverse country in the world. It is liberal and very open to accepting the rights of Muslim women. But for other Muslim women out there that are not as lucky, I dedicate this entry to them and hope that I could get this message across, by one way or another.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

I understand completely that your position as a proud women activist requires you to stand up to prevent child marriages. But lets be realistic, if a “reproductively matured” 14-year-old already knows how to have sex and actually wanted to, she is not a child anymore. If she seeks sexual partner or partners for that matter, face the fact that she will produce an offspring.

fear of the future mom stressful mom4
(Reuters) - A Malaysian state is to allow Muslim girls under the age of consent of 16 years to wed in a bid to stem unwed pregnancies, angering the country's women's activists and politicians.
The Islamic council in the southern Malaysian state of Malacca on Tuesday announced that it would to allow marriage for Muslims below the current minimum age of 16 years for females and 18 for males.
"This is an outrage. We're turning back the clock when there's ample evidence to show that we should not condone child marriages," said Ivy Josiah, executive director of Women's Aid Organization, a rights group.
Muslims make up about 60 percent of the 28 million population of the Southeast Asian country and fall under Islamic family and criminal laws individually drafted and run by each of the country's 13 states. Non-Muslims come under federal civil laws.
The chief minister of Malacca, Mohammad Ali Rustam, said permission would only be granted after consent by the teenager's families as well as the state Islamic courts.
"For the state government, this is the best step to deal with the problem of abandoned babies and unwed pregnancies," he was quoted as saying by the Utusan Malaysia newspaper.
Malacca earlier announced that the state would open a special school for Muslim girls who become pregnant out of wedlock, a move that also came under fire from rights groups.
Finally someone is doing something to help solve the ever rising cases of unwanted teenage pregnancies and hopefully also put an end to the cases of abandon babies. Well, I have no doubt that it is going to be a tough job, given the amount of “exposure” teenagers are receiving nowadays from paid TVs, internet, video clips and many more…surely difficult to control their raging libido. Whatever it is, it’s a good start..In fact, an Awesome start!
As I read the article, I was pleased that out of so many states, Malacca made the first initiative to allow teenage marriage if circumstances required her so. But my happiness didn’t last long as I learned how angry the executive director of women’s aid organisation was with this news. She said “This is an outrage! We're turning back the clock when there's ample evidence to show that we should not condone child marriages.”
Ample evidence you said? haven’t you seen enough of abandon babies from the news? Some were mauled by stray dogs, and some were even buried alive. Now, I am ashamed to say that the bulk of those abandon babies do happen to be Malays and most probably of Muslim origin… But not all of them are Muslims either. When so many people point fingers to the decline of familial institution, delinquancy (if that is even a word) and so many more, aren’t you relieve to know that at least the someone is doing something to solve this problem? 
I understand completely that your position as a proud women activist requires you to stand up to prevent child marriages. But let's be realistic, if a  “reproductively matured” 14-year-old girl already knows how to have sex and actually wanted to, she is not a child anymore. if she seeks sexual partner or partners for that matter, face the fact that she will produce an offspring. Unwanted, unwed pregnancies like these are associated with extreme social stigmas. Parents will disowned her and as usual her partner wouldn’t want to be responsible for the baby, and in an act of desperation, she will abandon the baby in a nearby bushes or trash bin and leave it to die… wouldn’t it be better if she got married on the first place? There will be no problem with the baby being unwanted, there is no question about the father running away. and even if he runs, the girl family will still take care of her. A much, much better outcome for both the baby and the teenager.
Well, I also know that you’d immediately say marriage will ruin the girl’s life because she will be forced into being a wife, being a mom and being a personal slave to her husband. If sex is what she afters, let her have sex and give her condoms instead. Well, it is so happen that the religion that we are talking about right now is Islam. Sexual “freedom” is not an option. Giving out condoms will only promote sexual promiscuity which is against the teaching of Islam. For an Islamic country like Malaysia, we can not afford to do that. So the proposal to allow teenage marriage is very reasonable indeed.
The fact that you wanted to ban teenage marriage but in a way allow teenage pregnancy is absurd. In Western countries where condoms are available everywhere and people are allowed to have sex as they please, still there are “accidents”. Underage pregnancies and illegal abortions are indeed 2 of the most serious social problems in these countries to date. So clearly, giving away condoms, sexual education and free contraceptive pills are not the answers. It is best if we could teach these girls to actually does not desire sex before marriage. But that is not going to happen in a million years what with the “over sexualized” media that we have right now. So, what else can a State Islamic organisation do as a short term management of unwed pregnancies other than to allow teenage marriage… with strict regulations of the matter of course. 
Before an outrageous comment is made to the media, I think it is wise that you actually think about why such decision is made on the first place because just so you know, these people who made the decisions are not stupid. They are also specialists in their areas just like any of us. Don’t assume that just because it is about the religion Islam then in will be bias and oppressive towards women. I’m a Muslim and a woman, and I think this is a good start.
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