Comments on: Responding to the Islamophobe “Chewyx” on PAS http://www.ibnjuferi.com/responding-to-the-islamophobe-chewyx-on-pas/ Brutally honest Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:25:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: pkler http://www.ibnjuferi.com/responding-to-the-islamophobe-chewyx-on-pas/#comment-538 pkler Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:28:47 +0000 http://www.ibnjuferi.com/responding-to-the-islamophobe-chewyx-on-pas/#comment-538 Living in Australia all these years I am quite used to ignorance about Islam, but it still surprises me when such comments occur in Malaysia itself. But it also highlights the 'separateness' of our society when such misconceptions run rampant. I wonder how far your angry (and understandably so) rhetoric can go in changing these people's minds when education might well prove more effective, assuming such individuals are open to receiving a contrary opinion. But PAS is proving a very effective vehicle in watering down such misconceptions-there are plenty of non-Muslims like myself who, while fundamentally opposed to a creation of a theocracy, fully understand that PAS is alone, among the main political parties, that sticks to its guns. It behaves rationally, ethically and does not force its views down anybody's throats. It has its aims, but full well understands that until such time as its aims can be democratically realised, must deal with the everyday reality of give and take. It is a model of how a responsible political party should behave (something DAP can learn from if it wishes to gain popularity amongst secularists like myself), and I think you may well be pleasantly surprised as to how well it now stands in the eyes of non-Muslims. Doesn't mean we'll vote for PAS, but I can tell you many of us respect the party. People like this 'Chewyx' form a minority, as do the Malay-Muslim nationalists in UMNO that make up the other half of the coin. Living in Australia all these years I am quite used to ignorance about Islam, but it still surprises me when such comments occur in Malaysia itself. But it also highlights the ’separateness’ of our society when such misconceptions run rampant. I wonder how far your angry (and understandably so) rhetoric can go in changing these people’s minds when education might well prove more effective, assuming such individuals are open to receiving a contrary opinion.

But PAS is proving a very effective vehicle in watering down such misconceptions-there are plenty of non-Muslims like myself who, while fundamentally opposed to a creation of a theocracy, fully understand that PAS is alone, among the main political parties, that sticks to its guns. It behaves rationally, ethically and does not force its views down anybody’s throats. It has its aims, but full well understands that until such time as its aims can be democratically realised, must deal with the everyday reality of give and take.

It is a model of how a responsible political party should behave (something DAP can learn from if it wishes to gain popularity amongst secularists like myself), and I think you may well be pleasantly surprised as to how well it now stands in the eyes of non-Muslims. Doesn’t mean we’ll vote for PAS, but I can tell you many of us respect the party. People like this ‘Chewyx’ form a minority, as do the Malay-Muslim nationalists in UMNO that make up the other half of the coin.

]]> By: allen http://www.ibnjuferi.com/responding-to-the-islamophobe-chewyx-on-pas/#comment-537 allen Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:21:47 +0000 http://www.ibnjuferi.com/responding-to-the-islamophobe-chewyx-on-pas/#comment-537 So how do you propose to reconcile the fundamentally different philosopy between islamic way of life and secularism? So how do you propose to reconcile the fundamentally different philosopy between islamic way of life and secularism?

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