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| Southeast Asia |
| Arabization of Malaysia |
| 2004-04-28 |
| THE Malay community is the result of a diverse and distinctive mix of cultures and religions. However, of late, there has been the concern that many traditions and rituals previously associated with the Malay psyche are being rejected as un-Islamic. Recently, a local daily carried an interview with Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim. Among issues discussed was the "Arabisation" of Malay culture. Rais talked about the rejection of many ancient Malay traditions and rituals considered un-Islamic, which resulted in the neglect of Malay culture. His concerns could not have come at a better time. Art forms such as wayang kulit, dikir barat and menora were deemed un-Islamic and banned in Kelantan after Pas gained control of the state. Some Malays reject the adat bersanding because of its Hindu origins. Now, there is a worry that many Malays are replacing their culture with an Arab-slanted one. The new "dress code" being adopted, says Dr Hatta Azad Khan, director-general of Istana Budaya, is definitely an example of this "Arabisation" of Malay culture. Eddin Khoo, director of Pusaka, a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultural preservation, notes the change of head dress he sees following Friday prayers. "The traditional songkok appears to be less popular with congregationists, especially among the younger ones," he says. He has noticed that the songkok has instead been replaced by the ketayap (skull cap), the kefayih (head scarf) and Tajik (Afghan) caps. If this is indeed true, why is it happening? The new resurgence of Islam is one of the reasons, says Johan Jaafar, New Straits Times columnist and former Utusan Malaysia editor. "It has had diverse effects on the mentality of the Malays," he says. "As they become more ’Muslim’, they become less Malay. They discard old values associated with the Malays, and which are considered un-Islamic. They believe that cultural expressions like theatre and art forms like wayang kulit are un-Islamic because of their pre-Islamic origins." President Bush’s hands-off policy towards Wahabi indoctrination in America and abroad has been a disaster. On 9-11, there were large secular movements through most of the Muslim dominated states. Three and a half years of Bush alliances with Muslim clerics, has butchered secularism in that part of the world. In last months elections in Malaysia, the choice was between two Islamofascist parties. In every case where Muslim fundamentalists dominate a state, genocidal movements arise, which threaten American interests. Either the US President supports Secularism, or the recruitment base for Islamic terror grows. Islam isn’t peace. As Ernest Renan said in 1870, it is, "the greatest shackle ever placed on humanity. Let’s put our security interests over their exercise of depraved cultic rites. |
| Posted by:Man Bites Dog |