The New Imperialism - Economic Warfare, Consumer Products And Disease Exports

By Mike Adams
29th May 2007

History tells us that imperialist nations quite predictably invade weaker nations on a regular basis... especially when those weaker nations happen to be standing on valuable natural resources like oil or uranium. Thanks to this desire for strategic control over territories, the twentieth century was the bloodiest in human history, with more people being lost to war, greed and conquest than during any single century in recorded history (including the centuries spanning Greek and Roman civilizations).

War remains as supported as ever today, and in fact, many nations actually thirst for war. Just look at the pro-war coverage on Fox News and the unending war games being played on computers and game consoles by young men who find entertainment in war. (In fact, the U.S. Army is actually recruiting young men now through a free, downloadable video game that teaches young boys how to pick up a rifle and kill people with it.)

Why some nations create war

The people of some nations actually create war (or support it) in their quest to express a sense of nationalistic heroism. Failing nations need heroes, and when those heroes are no longer found in the realms of science, art, politics or global achievement, they will be fabricated from the false victories of war.

The tearful American mom whose son dies in Iraq is, indeed, suffering a tremendous personal loss, but her loss is a necessary part of feeding the population's desire to proclaim there are heroes among them. Through the sacrificing of young men who are killed in Iraq, the people of America can find common connection, righteousness, and purpose where none existed before. War gives meaning to empty lives, and it delivers a masochistic form of entertainment to those who are too young, too old or too wealthy to participate. This is precisely why, throughout human history, the leaders of failing nations have habitually turned to military imperialism as a method to distract the people from far more serious problems at home. When the sons of a nation are returning home in body bags, nobody pays much attention to failures in education or the economy.

This is not to say that there are not some instances in which going to war has genuine justification. When a nation is threatened by an invading force, for example, going to war to defend your own land against invading aggressors is not only necessary, it is also truly heroic. Defending your own land is courageous; invading your neighbor's land is cowardly. (Some people claim, by the way, that the only way to protect America's land is to invade other countries first. This concept, called "preemptive war" is based on mass distortions used to falsely justify actions of war.)

In America today, the thirst for war remains as strong as ever. But the real war being waged on the world right now by America is not merely found in the limited military action in the Middle East. That's only the blunt instrument of this war. The real American invasion is happening through foods, medicines, personal care products, international banking and intellectual property law. Through the proliferation of fast food restaurants, pharmaceutical companies, chemically-contaminated consumer products and similar items invented in America, the world is being bombarded by systems of food, medicine and distorted intellectual property claims that are producing far more casualties than any bombs-and-bullets war.

How to control a nation

In World War II, the Germans attempted to steal natural resources from neighboring nations by forcefully occupying and controlling the targeted territories. Today, war is far more sophisticated: America steals national resources by patenting seeds, genes, medicines and ideas, then applying economic and political pressure against targeted nations to forcefully take a cut of their productivity through the application of intellectual property law. Only Thailand has offered any sort of resistance in an attempt to protect its people from the predatory, monopolistic drug pricing of Big Pharma, for example, but most countries just go right along and pay tribute to the western world through outrageous patent royalties on medicines that should belong to the people.

If that's not enough to dominate the targeted nation's economy, America sends in the World Bank. The World Bank makes predatory loans to desperate nations, knowing full well they cannot pay them back. It then uses the leverage of debt to invade those nations with western financial institutions. Those banks and lending institutions subsequently turn around and engage in predatory financial practices that soak the people of the target nation, skimming off productivity and exporting it back to the West where rich white men cash in billions without a single honest day's work.

The World Trade Organization, for its part, makes sure that targeted nations comply with imperialistic western trade practices. The huge push of Big Tobacco into Asia, for example, is the result of support by "world trade" proponents who threatened to impose trade sanctions against Asian nations if they tried to ban cigarette advertising. Today, more than a third of Chinese men are addicted to cigarettes, generating billions in annual profits for Big Tobacco companies who are right now producing more Chinese casualties than any war in China's long history.

Western medicine is also invading the continents around the world, bringing its expensive, heartless and corporate-controlled system of medicine to nations who were actually far healthier, happier and more financially solvent before America showed up with all its patented chemicals. Chinese medicine, for example, is routinely discredited in China by arrogant Chinese doctors who went to med school in America then returned home to betray their own fellow citizens. Drug companies see China's one billion people as nothing more than revenue-generating patients, and convincing all those people to take more medicines will require a well-planned, well-funded economic and philosophical assault on Chinese medicine. Essentially, Big Pharma must find a way to disconnect the Chinese from their heritage, turning them all into depressed, diseased "white" consumers whose medical mythology worships the falsehoods of western reductionism.

Consequences of the great American invasion

All around the world, America is invading nations through its foods, medicines, consumer products, dangerous economic practices, synthetic chemicals and intellectual property. And everywhere that American products are adopted, widespread disease and death soon follows.

Small island nations in the South Pacific, for example, had never heard of diabetes, heart disease or depression just two generations ago. But then American-made processed food products invaded their islands, edging out traditional foods like raw coconut, fresh fish, seaweed and taro. Today, South Pacific populations are suffering from widespread diabetes, depression, heart disease, learning disabilities, asthma and much more -- all thanks to the "invasion" of American foods, medicines and products.

America is the world's largest exporter of disease. Through our popular soda products, cigarettes, fast food chains and manufactured foods, we have caused more death and disease around the world than any nation in human history (including Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot). And it all remains perfectly legal. Our chemical companies even manufacture and export pesticide chemicals that have been banned in the United States. Poor agricultural nations openly use those deadly pesticides on their crops, then ship the produce back to the U.S. where consumers buy it at grocery stores. It's all perfectly legal and, in fact, encouraged by U.S. political leaders.

Resistance is futile

It's actually more than legal: It's required! Any nation that says "no" to western products and intellectual property is immediately branded an enemy of world trade and is targeted for legal action by the WTO. Even creating pro-consumer safety standards such as banning aspartame, sodium nitrite or hydrogenated oils can be deemed a violation of international trade agreements. Product sales, you see, are the No. 1 priority, even when nations are being decimated by the products manufactured and exported by American companies.

Poor nations with undereducated populations suffer enormously under western economic imperialism. It's easy to sell Pepsi, cigarettes and lotto tickets to people in a country like Panama, for example, where the education level remains low and people are easily tricked into thinking that western products will make them happier. Pepsi, in fact, is the dominant consumer product throughout most of Central and South America. You can hardly travel anywhere south of the U.S. / Mexico border without being inundated with Pepsi propaganda. The Pepsi logo is more prominent than images of the Virgin Mary or the Pope, even though many South and Central American populations are Catholic. (It's quite clear what they actually worship!)

These international product invasions are important to the bottom line of U.S. corporations, of course, who are expanding their propaganda campaigns to non-U.S. countries following the wising up of American consumers. Only uneducated, ignorant consumers drink soft drink products in America these days. It's the same crowd that buys lotto tickets, smokes cigarettes, watches TV infomercials and lives on frozen dinners. Smart consumers in America switched to healthier drinks long ago. That's why soda sales continue to fall each year, and that's why U.S. soda corporations have to increasingly crank up their marketing machines in countries that haven't yet caught on to the toxicity of aspartame or the links between diabetes and high-fructose corn syrup.

The west is conquering the world

There's no more need to drop tanks, soldiers and bombs on nations in order to conquer them. Countries can be controlled through economics, intellectual property law, banking and finance systems. Consumers can be controlled through advertising, publicity and corporate-fabricated fake news.

The corporations, as always, rake in the profits while the consumers pay the price all over the world. They eat their American hamburgers, drink their American sodas, take their American medicines and think they're cool, sophisticated consumers even while their internal organs are beginning to fail from all the toxic chemicals. Soon, they will suffer from American diseases: Cancer, diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity and violent, psychotic behavior. In fact, we're already seeing it: Countries like Thailand and Japan are witnessing unprecedented obesity for the first time in history, and diseases like diabetes and depression are only a few years away from becoming pandemic throughout Asia. This is almost entirely from their adoption of western diets and medical practices.

Those nations that continue to worship western culture are engaged in a dangerous game of paying homage to precisely the wrong group. Worshipping American foods, products and medicines will only destroy the health and happiness of any nation, and mimicking American financial markets will only spell economic suicide in the long run. There is nothing good that can come of debt spending, intentional disease proliferation (through ignoring disease prevention programs), widespread chemical contamination and corporate dominance over the people and the government. These are the things that will come to destroy the world's nations, probably starting with America.

The last days of America as we know it

The era of American dominance in the world is nearly over. It will likely be replaced by an era of Chinese dominance, in which western medicine, western science, western debt spending and western culture will ultimately be rejected by most world nations.

It's time for Americans to face up to the reality of the country they're living in. Take the issue of health care as a rather important example. Did you know that you can get better health care in Cuba than America? Did you know that the life expectancy of a Cuban citizen is the same as an American citizen, and yet Americans spend hundreds of times more money per capita on disease care and sickness care than Cubans? American medicine is an utter failure, and it's destroying the economic viability of the entire country. Businesses are going bankrupt or moving offshore because of health care costs, and even those that can afford to operate on U.S. soil are faced with the reality that it's almost impossible to hire employees who can actually think these days thanks to the widespread use of brain-damaging prescription drugs. Success stories like Google are increasingly rare.

I remember living in Taiwan in the 1990's, and I paid something like $4 / month for health insurance coverage. A visit to the doctor cost me $2 out of pocket. Every person in Taiwan who has a job gets automatic health insurance coverage, and the nation has prospered economically over the last four decades in a way that the U.S. simply cannot match. The Taiwan people are innovative, resourceful and hard working. Of course, they're also hopelessly corrupt when it comes to politics, but that seems to be a universal law: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

America's reputation is in shambles

If you travel the world these days and ask about America, you might be surprised at the negative answers you'll hear. This is not obvious to people living in America because, of course, they only have access to the controlled, pro-America news sources that dominate mainstream thinking. But the world opinion of America has already suffered a severe setback under the leaderhip of President Bush, and in time, the world will reject American intellectual property, the American medicine scam and the harmful effects of American foods and beverages.

History will reveal America to be a nation that burned itself out on drugs, debt spending and junk foods, destroying the health its own people until its population could hardly even reproduce without medical intervention. Lacking any useful ideas, steeped in the defense of the status quo and abandoning the true needs of its own people, American political leaders have set our nation on a destructive course that may prove impossible to reverse. And they seem to want to destroy as many other nations as possible along the way -- as long as it generates more profits for U.S. corporations in the short term. "Poison the world and reap the profits!"

The future belongs to smart nations

Any nation that wishes to protect itself from the same fate America is headed towards would be wise to reject American foods, medicines, beverages, consumer products, intellectual property laws and financial practices.

The nations that survive and prosper over the next hundred years will be:

• Those nations that save money and invest in their future (rather then spending it on war or underfunded entitlement program).

• Those nations that reject western foods and pass laws to protect their populations from dangerous chemicals in foods, beverages and consumer products.

• Those nations that reject American intellectual property guidelines and ban corporations or private individuals from "owning" patents on medicines, seeds and genes.

• Those nations that invest in education, energy efficiency and environmental cleanup in order to create a better future for their children.

• Those nations that invest now in energy independence, teaching their people to use less energy while switching to vehicles that can run on electricity (which can be produced domestically in any country).

• Those nations that reject elite-controlled banking and money systems and restore the power of the currency to the people, where open trade can happen with zero inflation, creating enormous abundance for the people.

No nation will likely fully embrace all these points, but those that manage to fulfill at least some of them will do far better than those who don't. What's certain is that those nations attempting to mimic the culture of America will suffer the same fate as America -- a fate that will soon be obvious to even the most insistent deniers who claim that environmental pollution, endless debt spending and the mass contamination of food and medicines with deadly synthetic chemicals are somehow sustainable practices. The end result of all this is not in question by any serious thinker: Widespread bankruptcy, disease pandemics, environmental collapse and a bursting of the food production bubble.

Papua New Guinea may ultimatey emerge as one of the few successful, sustainable nations in the world. If you're not sure why, I urge you to read Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, and then study the history of human civilization from a geographic viewpoint. You will see that the only nations with any sort of future are those that protect and nurture the health of their people and their environment, taking a long-term perspective rather than short-term economic gain. America has no long-term vision other than controlling world oil resources. America has no investment whatsoever in the health of its people and virtually no effort to protect its environment. America is fixated on short-term thinking and stop-gap measures, ignoring the greater concerns of education, renewable energy, individual health and individual liberty. And finally, America is a bankrupt nation by any honest accounting method, and it is only by the grace of debt holders of Asia that America can continue to sell debt at all.

No wise nation will follow America into this quagmire (and why should they, when they have their own quagmires to explore?).

The good news in all this, by the way, is that you don't have to follow the fate of your nation. By protecting your own health, saving your own wealth and investing in the future of yourself and your children (through education, fertile land, etc.), you can avoid the worst of what's coming and actually thrive during difficult times. That's why taking charge of your own life right now is more important than ever. Be independent from the mainstream. Learn how to protect your own health and reject medical propaganda. Understand the basic laws of economics and how debt is manufactured and sold. (A good book on that is called the Concise Guide to Economics and it's available free at http://www.conciseguidetoeconomics.com ). Teach yourself the basic principles of sustainable living, green living and "hippie wisdom." These are the things that will get you through the tough times ahead.

In terms of financial news, be sure to read the Daily Reckoning (www.DailyReckoning.com) if you want to hear the truth about world financial news. Also check out the book Empire of Debt, which earns my top recommendation for the best book available on the coming financial collapse of America.

I haven't even mentioned peak oil yet, by the way. Ever wonder what happens when the oil runs out? Check out this page on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil.

Mike Adams is a natural health researcher and author with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a veteran of the software technology industry, having founded a personalized mass email software product used to deliver email newsletters to subscribers. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, Pilates and organic gardening. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org

From:-

Newstarget.com

Censoring The Muftis?

by kilamxx


It looks like some of our senators are not too well versed on the contents of our Constitution. A couple of them are demanding that a Federal religious department be empowered to act against statements issued by State appointed muftis.

As reported by Bernama :-

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 -- A senator today said that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) should be given extra powers to monitor and act against statements issued by all state mufti to prevent confusion.

Senator Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshee said this was in light of statements on Islamic rulings made by several muftis which had caused confusion and differences of opinion among Muslims in the country.

He cited the one involving Perak Mufti Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria who reportedly said that Muslims were prohibited from attending the "Jom Heboh" concert and carnival held in Ipoh recently.

Syed Ali said this during the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address at the Dewan Negara here.

Concurring, Senator Mohd Puad Zarkashi said that a mufti should not issue statements on Islamic rulings at whim without referring to Jakim or the National Fatwa Council.

"And there was this mufti who once said that the `Maulidur Rasul' went against Islamic teachings, creating confusion among Muslims, especially in Johor, who would normally celebrate the life and struggle of the Prophet Muhammad in a big way," he said.

Senator Datuk Abdul Rashid Ngah was also supportive of Syed Ali's suggestion, pointing out that the fatwa council should view the matter seriously as some Muslims would regard statements issued by a mufti as religious decrees.


The last we heard of the National Constitution, religion falls under the jurisdiction of the Sultan or Raja of each state. The state appoints its own mufti who may issue statements or fatwas on Islamic religious matters affecting Muslims in the state.

I'm sure the muftis don't go around making statements just for the fun of it. The statements are usually on urgent matters of concern that an opinion has been asked for. And most muftis are not just any Tom, Dick or Harry who has been given a post by the Menteri Besar as a reward for political support. They certainly have their academic and religious credentials backing them up.

To dismiss a mufti's statement as being his own personal opinion and nothing more is just a way for some quarters to carry on with what they want to do when they are religious objections to their plans. The 'Jom Heboh' matter in Ipoh is surely a good example. The Perak mufti Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria has repeatedly stated that it is haram to stage, attend or support the 'Jom Heboh' concert. Yet the authorities gave permission for the concert to go ahead. As usual, this is what happens when money speaks louder than religion.

It seems that if we carry on this way we should stop addressing the muftis as 'muftis'. Just give these state officials any other name. They're certainly not being allowed to function as they are appointed to do. This is from Jakim's own defination of the function of a mufti.

WHAT TO SAY

1. When starting to do something: "Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem."

(In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.)

2. When reaffirming one’s faith. “Laa Ilaahaillallah.” (There is no god except Allah.)

3. When praising something say, "Subhanullah." (Glory to Allah.)

4. When in pain or distress. "Ya Allah." (O Allah.)

5. When appreciating something say, "Masha-Allah." (As Allah willed.)

6. When thanking someone. "Jazakullah." (Allah reward you.)

7. When you see something bad. "Nowthzubillah." (Allah protect us.)

8. When saying you're sorry to Allah for a sin. "Astaghfirullah." (Allah forgive.)

9. After sneezing or when you're happy about something. "Alhumdulillah." (Praise Allah.)

10. When meeting someone. "Assalamu 'alaykum." (Peace be upon you.)

11. Replying to the above greeting. "Wa 'alaykum assalam." (And upon you be peace.)

12. When hearing about a death or tragedy. "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun."

(To Allah we belong and to Him we return.)

13. When giving in charity. "Fee eemanullah." (In Allah's faith.)

14. When taking an oath. "Wallah." (I Swear to Allah.)

15. If someone sneezes and they say, "alhumdulillah," you reply with, "Yarhamakullah." (Allah have mercy upon you.) The sneezer will reply back, "Yehdikumullah" which means, "Allah guide you."

16. When mentioning something that will be done in the future. "Insha'llah." (If Allah wills.)

17. When you have nothing to say. “Allahhuakbar.” (Allah is the greatest.)

Reference:-

Guide To Islam For New Muslims

Artificial Blood

By kilamxx

The Mufti of Perlis, Dr. Mohd. Asri Zainul Abidin has said that the use of artificial blood is not against the teachings of Islam and in fact, it is encouraged if it is for the good of mankind (Utusan Malaysia Online 10 May 2007). He was commenting on the possibility that Malaysia might become the largest producer of artificial blood if negotiations go through.

Dr. Asri said this is because there is no verse in the Quran or Hadiths which forbids its use. Anything which is for the good of mankind is allowed as long as it is according to Islamic guidelines and Shariah law. Just as in the use of artificial limbs, there are no grounds that can be found in the Quran and Hadiths which forbid its use.

According to Dr. Asri, in the field of medicine or economy, if something is guaranteed to be beneficial to human livelihood and is not against syarak (divine law), then it is definitely allowed as in the case of artificial blood. The field of medicine is always expanding and the Muslim ummah must keep up with the advances in world technology including medical technology as in the case of artificial blood for the sake of economic development.

The Mufti of Terengganu, Datuk Ismail Yahya, has regarded the effort of the Government to produce artificial blood as something that is encouraged by Islam as it is for the good of mankind. However he said the government must ensure that the methods and resources used to produced artificial blood do not contain haram elements in order to safeguard its purity. He regarded the effort to produce artificial blood as similar to the act of donating blood to save human lives.

What Is Artificial Blood?

Artificial blood, which is also known as substitute blood, is a product made to act as a substitute for red blood cells. While true blood serves many different functions, artificial blood is designed for the sole purpose of transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body.

Why Is There A Need for Substitute Blood?

Public concern over the safety of transfusion and the impact of reduced blood donations is leading to annual shortages in blood. Shortages are an increasing problem and have worsened over recent years as a result of many factors, such as:

• An ageing population
• Advancement in surgical procedures
• Public opinion on virus transmission (e.g. HIV)

It has now been realised that there is a strong case for the development of 'blood substitutes' since an effective substitute could, in principle, solve problems associated with using donated blood for transfusion.

What Are The Advantages Of Artificial Blood

1. Unlike red blood cells, a blood substitute could be sterilised, this would mean the problems of disease spreading would be removed from transfusions.
2. Problems of human error, (mismatching of blood types) with donated blood would be removed since a substitute would not contain the properties of blood that cause this.
3. A blood substitute could be stored stably for a long time, which would allow for transport to third world countries or to a battlefield, or site of natural disaster without the need for refrigerators. Effectively there would be trouble free availability of blood.

What Is Artificial Blood Made From

Currently there are two main types of blood substitutes being developed with each being made from different base material:-

1. Haemoglobin-based substitutes

2. Perfuorocarbon-based substitutes.

1. Haemoglobin-based substitutes

These are usually made from haemoblobin extracted from outdated waste donor blood or from cow blood haemoglobin which has been modified.

Haemoglobin can also be manufactured synthetically from amino acids which are chemicals that plants and animals use to create the proteins that are essential for life. Hemoglobin synthesis requires a specific type of bacteria and all of the materials needed to incubate it. This includes warm water, molasses, glucose, acetic acid, alcohols, urea, and liquid ammonia.

2. Perfuorocarbon-based substitutes

Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are synthetic liquids that dissolve large volumes of oxygen, and also have the capacity to transport carbon dioxide. They are biologically inert materials that can dissolve about 50 times more oxygen than blood plasma. They are relatively inexpensive to produce and can be made devoid of any biological materials. This eliminates the real possibility of spreading an infectious disease via a blood transfusion.

From a technological standpoint, they have two significant hurdles to overcome before they can be commercially utilized as artificial blood. First, they are not soluble in water, which means to get them to work they must be combined with emulsifiers—fatty compounds called lipids that are able to suspend tiny particles of perfluorochemicals in the blood. Secondly, they have the ability to carry much less oxygen than hemoglobin-based products. This means that significantly more PFC must be used.

References:-


1 How Artificial Blood Is Made
2 Euro Blood Substitutes

Don't Rock The Boat, Guys

by kilamxx


Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Othman, the religious adviser to the Prime Minister, made quite a revealing statement last week. Commenting on the Perlis mufti council’s fatwa that converts were no longer required to change their names, Tan Sri Hamid said, by having their names changed, converts could assimilate themselves easily into Muslim society in general. As reported in the New Straits Times (1 May 2007), Tan Sri Hamid said :- "Some of the names before conversion were not suitable for Muslims. Can we maintain such names in Islam? "The present practice where converts are required to change their names should continue as this has long been established. "Do not simply say this (practice) is wrong, sinful in Islam and so on. It has been there for so many years and has also been successful in enhancing solidarity between converts and other Muslims all these years."

In reply to this the New Straits Times (7 May 2007) published the following letter sent in by a reader.

Nothing in the Quran, Hadith that compels name change

Rosey Wang Ma, Kuala Lumpur.

IT is beyond my comprehension that the religious adviser to the prime minister, Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Othman, can try to make blanket decisions for the country’s Muslims based on practices which have "long been established" (by whom, I wonder) rather than what is given to us in the holy Quran and Hadith.

To my knowledge, I do not recall anything in the Quran about names Muslims should have. I do remember though that the Prophet Muhammad advised: "Bestow on your children names with good meanings." And this is what Chinese parents, and almost all parents do.

Chinese names have a meaning because each word or character has a meaning. Chinese believe names will reflect the character and life pattern of the person.

Try as I may, I cannot think of any name that has a bad meaning and could therefore be deemed non-suitable for Muslims. (I must plead ignorance about names of non-Chinese origin).


As for Hamid’s claim that by changing their names, converts can assimilate themselves easily into Muslim society in general, I beg to differ, based on my 15 years of research and counselling work with converts (Chinese) in Malaysia.

I can’t see why any Muslim would accept better a Hussein bin Abdullah who may not practise an Islamic way of life than a Tay Guo Rong (without a name change) who lives a life according to the straight path.

Also, why the need to assimilate? We take pride in our multiculturalism; becoming Muslim is accepting a universal faith. Should it be viewed as "assimilating" into the Malay society?

Let’s remember that the new Muslim still has a family he was born into, parents who brought him up and an entire life environment before he accepted the Muslim faith. Islam places great emphasis on parents and family.

For countless many, the name change has been a serious issue, for the person himself and for the family, sometimes leading to consequences as dire as breaking family ties.

For those who wish to take on a Muslim name when they convert, it is their choice and to them will belong their reward; but for those who do not, let us remember that this is not a religious requirement.

Kudos to Rosey for spelling it out for those who are supposed to be more knowledgable on the subject.

PM's Religious Advisor Says No Chinese Mosque

Middle East Times

A top religious official dismissed a request from Malaysia's Chinese community to build its own mosques fearing segregation of the country's Muslims, a report said Tuesday.

Abdul Hamid Othman, the religious advisor to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, called on the government to disregard such requests as there were sufficient mosques in the country for all Muslims, the New Straits Times daily reported.

"If this is allowed by the authorities, I am afraid it will lead to disunity and segregate Muslims in the country," he said.

Othman said that the request by Chinese Muslims for their own mosques was unthinkable and carried wide political connotations.

"Now they want their own mosques, the next time around they will be asking for leaders to represent their ethnic groups," he said.

Danial Hakim Boey, a Chinese-Muslim who has been trying to build a Chinese mosque in Kuala Lumpur, said that the issue of building a mosque with Chinese architecture had been misinterpreted by the authorities.

"We just want a Chinese-designed mosque. There is no reason to have only Chinese going to the mosque, that is too partisan," Boey said. "Islam is, after all, for everybody, so we can have any design and it should reflect the universality of the religion," he said.

Boey, a practicing Muslim for 13 years, chairs the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Community in central Selangor state, where a majority of the country's 60,000 Chinese Muslims reside.

Boey pointed out that Indian Muslims in Malaysia had their own mosque buildings that reflected their culture.

"At the end of the day, we all pray in Arabic. We are not trying to change anything," he said.

Boey said that there was an underlying notion that Islam in Malaysia belonged to the Malays, who are defined as Muslims in the constitution.

"Islam is not a religion reserved for Arabs or just Malays, it is for everybody," he said. "Confusion arises when some Muslims who lack understanding of Islam give a wrong interpretation," he added.

Boey's perception echoes that of an outspoken young Muslim cleric in Malaysia, who has said that the Chinese should be allowed to build their own mosques and to preach in their own language.

"Malays assume they are the only pure Muslims, although Chinese Muslims may have stronger faith," Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying in February this year.

Multicultural Malaysia's almost 27 million population is made up of 60 percent Muslim Malays, 26 percent ethnic Chinese, and 8 percent ethnic Indians. The latter two groups are mostly Christians, Buddhists, or Hindus.

Source: Malaysia-Today

When it comes to the propagation of Islam in this country we seem to be bogged down by conservatives in high places who seem to have lost touch with what’s happening on the ground. Hamid Othman places politics (UMNO politics, ie.) above the sanctity of Islam.

Islam is for all races. Tell me, how is the elderly Chinese or Indian auntie or uncle going to deepen his knowledge of Islam if his mother tongue is not Malay. Does he or she have to master Malay first?

Sure, we have Bahasa Malaysia to foster unity among Malaysians. That is for communication among Malaysians.

But when it comes to truly understanding your faith or belief, you need to grasp the deeper message of the religion. For those weak in other languages, they need to listen to sermons or khutbahs in their mother tongue. That's what the Chinese or Indian mosque is for.

No, Mr. Danial Boey is wrong. The Chinese community there does not just want a Chinese-designed mosque. They NEED a mosque which can provide sermons and lessons on Islam in the Chinese language whether it be Mandarin, Cantonese or Hokkien.

To Hamid Othman and his kind,
Bahasa Malaysia may be sufficient for Malaysians but Islam is for ALL Races of the world.

kilamxx