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----- Original Message -----
From: joseph
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 7:08 AM
Subject: [Pelanduk] Astora's Travails Columnist battles PAS' brand of Islam
He is not an Umno member or even Malaysian, but he holds his own in a duel over correct teaching despite getting death threats from readers By BRENDAN PEREIRA A NEWSPAPER columnist is single-handedly trying to do what the Mahathir administration has failed to do -- successfully challenge the Islamic credentials of Parti Islam (PAS). By all accounts, Mr Hassan Abdul Rahman, or known widely by his pen name Astora Jabat, is stirring the hornet's nest with his view on religion in a twice-weekly column in Utusan Malaysia, the main Malay daily. He has received death threats, has been called a Jew, an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency and even less flattering names by readers, who typically send him hundreds of e-mails a week. His website has been hacked into twice. It now carries this statement: "Astora's website had to be shutdown because reformasi groups have tried to infiltrate it." Pro-opposition university graduates have also tried to disrupt his sessions with students in recent weeks. An example: At a residential college of the Universiti Teknoloji Mara, someone slapped a notice on the board informing residents that a talk by Mr Hassan was postponed. It was not. He says: "Some quarters are getting concerned that people are beginning to listen to me. I must make it clear that I am not a religious scholar, but I have been schooled in Islam since a young age and I know what is right and wrong." He says that PAS leaders are way off the mark when they say that Allah condones the use of obscene language and are misleading the community by telling Muslims that a vote for PAS is a passport to heaven. To counter them, he does what PAS politicians do best -- quote liberally from the Quran in his columns and replies to readers' questions. Publicly, PAS politicians question his religious credentials but privately, some admit that he is no pushover. A PAS leader says: "Pro-government speakers usually do not like to speak in universities. But he seems keen to talk to students." At a recent talk at Universiti Utara Malaysia, the columnist was halfway into his opening remarks when a section of the crowd started booing and shouting, drowning out his voice. Still, he remains hopeful. "Students are willing to listen to logical and reasonable views. But I must admit that my efforts are not enough. I am trying to galvanise religious scholars in Umno and the government to be more vocal and challenge teachings that are wrong." A strange role for someone who is neither an Umno member nor a recognised scholar. For that matter, he is not even a Malaysian. A Thai national, he has resided here for years after receiving his religious education in south Thailand, Tunisia and Morocco. Following the general elections, Umno politicians have slammed government religious scholars for not challenging several controversial religious edicts passed by PAS leaders. They say that this reticence gave the opposition party more legitimacy in the eyes of the Malay community and weakened the hold that Umno had on rural voters. Among the more controversial edicts: a vote for PAS was a vote for Islam and Umno was a party of infidels. Since then, government leaders have been thinking up strategies to counter the spread of PAS' brand of Islam. One plan is the introduction of a television channel devoted solely to programmes on Islam. An inevitable strategy -- getting religious scholars to challenge the views of PAS heavyweights such as Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Tuan Haji Hadi Awang and Datuk Ismail Kamus.  Shortcut URL to this page: http://www.onelist.com/community/Pelanduk |
