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Blaming ‘nafsu’ for our spiritual weakness

YOURSAY ‘If you can't control your ‘heat’, don't impose your rules.’

 

Baru: Not non-Muslims' job to remove 'nafsu'

 

Vijay47: Modesty in dressing, just as in beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder and there are no standards that can be applied universally.

 

Decorum, decency, and conduct are moulded by one's upbringing and the social mores that govern lifestyle. This is strengthened by that inherent concept of personal pride, dignity and basic intelligence that compel us to dress within accepted norms.

 

It is such self-imposed limits, various as they are, that stop us from wearing clothes that offend or cause discomfort, not the edicts passed by the Little Napoleons in government offices.

 

If someone dresses in clothes that outrage or disturb, he only brings shame and ridicule to himself or herself. How often do we see, even in cities, dressing that ‘pokes the eye’?

 

A dress code cannot be imposed by the authorities and definitely not according to someone's religious measure.

 

Knowing local fanatics, tomorrow the demand may be that all women should cover themselves fully, such that no one can eat openly. And the day after tomorrow?

 

Kawak: I fully agree with YB Bian Baru. ‘Nafsu’, or in English, ‘desires’, arise in the mind of a human being on seeing an external object - the shapes and features of a woman.

 

It is for the person who sees the ‘pleasant’ things that he has to control his own desire with wisdom. Are we blaming the external objects for our spiritual weakness?

 

Anon1: If you force all your family members and colleagues to cover up, why are you ogling at others and surfing porn then? If you can't control your ‘heat’, don't impose your rules. Worst case, just get a pair of blinkers and trot away.

 

Prudent: Baru Bian, many years ago, there was a demand in the Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) church for the opinions of their leaders to be respected even though their opinions were clearly against the wisdom of the Bible (e.g. trying to build church buildings by 'faith' without the money to do so).

 

Even today, a person in the SIB church can carry the day by accusing his interlocutor of not 'respecting' his views.

 

In those days and even now, BN politicians were dominating the SIB congregations. It looks like they have spread this BN mind-set, which is rooted in the Islam practised by the Umnoputras, to the SIB Christians i.e. others should respect their opinions, irrespective of the truth or wisdom of those opinions. To argue against their opinions is to show disrespect, which culturally is the greater sin among the Orang Ulu.

 

This BN mindset augmented the traditional authoritarian culture practised by the Orang Ulu chiefs in their villages. This is subtle Islamisation for you.

 

The Muslims represented by the mufti and the Umnoputras have the tendency to blame others for all their shortcomings, even for their own sins. This is spiritual childishness of a very dangerous kind.

 

The other Muslims have got to speak up and oppose them vigorously, otherwise their aggressiveness in blaming non-Muslims may well carry the day.

 

Real Truth: PM Najib Razak has been known not to have any testicular fortitude as he has demonstrated by absenting himself from the 'Nothing2Hide' event and similarly, in many instances, he has been silent to the detriment of constitutional freedom.

As in the case of minors being converted when one spouse converts to Islam. His deafening silence in many important issues that affect the unity of this nation has been noted several times.

Najib should be more proactive in balancing the nation’s needs so that all citizens can have a reasonably good life, peacefully.

 

Ferdtan: Religion is a matter of faith and a personal issue. It is between you and your God. If your religion demands certain rules, no matter how strict it is, it is your right to apply them to those of your faith, but not to hinder/trouble others who are not of your faith.

 

Que Sera Sera: By the way, Baru, this is not Islamisation, it is creeping Talibanisation. Sensible, respectable, moderate Muslims are not one bit like this individual in Perak, my beloved home state.

 

Speaking Sense: The only way is to sock it to them as Baru has done; and yes, shame on you, Najib, for behaving like a coward instead of a PM. If you can't do the job, resign.

 

MatiLoh: Yes, we need leaders who can speak some sense to these guys. Sin is in the eyes and the thoughts of the beholders.

 

Appum: It looks like YB Baru Bian understands Islam and respects Islam more than a so-called mullah.

 

This mullah, like PAS, is insulting their own religion and their own people by telling the whole world how easily distracted Muslims are by being exposed to females’ ‘aurat’ (exposed knees).

 

I know all, I repeat, ‘all’ my Muslim friends are not so weak in their understanding of their faith and are not that irrational. Even if a woman were to expose her breasts to them, they will not behave like horses that have been fed with Spanish Fly.

 

(Vets work up the male horses’ desire for mating by giving the Spanish Fly drug to them. That makes the male horses really horny and go into ‘musky’ behaviour.)

 

It's this type of mullah that the taxpayers should remove from the payroll of the religious department. They make their own religion seem so weak and perilous, and allow others to make fun of it.


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