Kelantan Chief Minister Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat none too ingeniously has stated that the recent spate of violent crimes directed at women (including young girls and children) was caused by the mass media.

He contended that images of women with exposed body parts have caused titillation and male sexual anxiety, thereby arousing lust. The result is the inevitable sexual crime against women.

Nik Aziz, who is also PAS spiritual leader, described a syllogistic cause-and-effect relationship, saying, to wit, the female aurat is a cause for male sexual arousal; the mass media have printed many images of them; therefore, men have resorted to raping women.

To him, Muslims would not be committing this insidious crime if they had not been instigated by something, and this 'something' are the images of women freely printed by the mass media.

That is his view, opinion, and theory, based on the social values and norms he has inherited from the past, which he has accepted in toto without any scepticism, inquiry and conceptualisation.

To the relief of all Malaysians, less perverted leaders have sounded off. Deputy Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin lambasted Nik Aziz for 'over-simplifying problems'. Puteri Umno chief Azalina Othman described him as suffering from 'blame syndrome'.

MCA Youth secretary-general Liow Tiong Lai said Nik Aziz failed to point out that the recent rape-cum-murder cases involved child victims who were not dressed provocatively.

They are all saying he is wrong. In other words, mainstream Malaysians believe his explanation is way off the mark, with scant credibility and substance.

Sexual values

Perhaps Nik Aziz expressed this view (i) to defend the Islamic view on sex, and (ii) to preserve the cultural integrity of the Malays, who are Muslims.

The reasoning is that in Islam, sex (that is, sexual intercourse between man and woman) is confined to and permissible in only two areas, (a) between married couples and (b) for procreation.

In modern human civilisation these two pre-conditions have undergone a major transformation. Advances in medicine, human psychology, physiology and even theology have transformed human values on sex.

While sex is still largely observed and meant for married couples, it has increasingly been practised, accepted and enjoyed by (c) loving (or consenting) couples and (d) for recreational purposes as well. There is a growing tolerance of (c) and (d).

Nik Aziz obviously does not subscribe to this terribly 'immoral' situation. In his mind, while Muslims must at all cost maintain conditions (a) and (b), they must refrain from getting into situations (c) and (d).

He is in a position of power, of decision-making. He has responded to this apparent erosion of religious standards by implementing policies designed to maintain the sanctity of sex within marriage. They must not be involved in any social behaviour that could encourage and lead to extramarital sex, however remotely.

A woman exposing her body parts is deemed to be guilty of such behaviour. A pretty girl seeking employment is another. A mixed queue for paying the groceries at the supermarket is yet another.

These are measures implemented by Nik Aziz himself in his home state of Kelantan. Now, an image of a scantily dressed woman in the mass media is another by his standards.

It is an obsession with the religious dogma on the sanctity of sex. It is a suppression of the natural sex instinct of all humans. The result is the suppression of any human behaviour that might contribute and promote extramarital sex, again, however remotely.

Does this suppression come to any good? We would generally expect the religion-inspired orthodox view on sex would help the Malay-Muslim lead a life of piety; that he would adhere to celibacy with humility and resolve.

Frame of mind

Recent revelations in Malay society puts paid to this expectation, for nature has a way of having its way. Recently the government, much to its credit, has released statistics indicating that the majority of crime especially rape (including those leading to the murder of the victims) have been committed by Malay-Muslims.

We should ponder over the matter for a little bit for the element of contradiction is very strong here. Just how could the religion-inspired Malay-Muslim be prone to rape-cum-murder?

I say it is because the suppression of sex. As sex needs an outlet, the Malay culture based on this orthodox belief for the sanctity of sex, has unwittingly developed a psychology that is plainly sex-starved. Malays have developed into sexual perverts.

The message though, it that rape and murder are functions of economic scarcity and social suppression, leading to sexual deprivation. The end result is sex crime. Photos of women in various degrees of exposure in the mass media might have an input, but to a tiny and insignificant extent.

Nik Aziz has been proven wrong by nature herself. But sadly he has no way of realising that he is wrong, or can be wrong. His frame of mind says that he is right and everybody else is wrong, including in this case, nature. He has to look for a convenient scapegoat to rationalise his version of the truth.

He is off the mark in yet another way. If indeed these photos are the cause of unbridled sexual urges of the Malay-Muslims, why is it that they do not affect non-Muslims in a similar manner?

The record of sex-related crimes committed by non-Muslims in this country has been quite respectable. It is below their respective ethnic proportions. In this country at least, there is a direct causal effect relationship between race and religion with that of sexual crime: if you are a Malay-Muslim you are more likely to commit sex-related crimes.

It pains me to say the next few words as a Malay-born Malaysian. But it is better said now, or the Malays shall be doomed to be blinded by dogma for that much longer.

I have to conclude that:

1. Malays are prone to committing sex crimes because their religion-driven culture suppresses sex to an extreme degree, so much so that ever so often there is an eruption arising from the suppression. The eruption comes in the form of the sex crimes. It is like water being boiled under high temperature and pressure; once ever so often, some steam would escape from the lid.

2. The mentality as demonstrated by Nik Aziz might have been applicable during the 12 th century when the level of human knowledge was virtually governed by theology. It is conceivable sex was then treated in the manner suggested and adhered to by him.

Sad to say, Muslim Islamic thinking was put on hold when its philosophers closed the doors of ijtihad (independent reasoning) or to any form of intellectualisation and rational thinking.

Muslim philosophy has remained at this static level without any further development for virtually 1,000 years. This door remains closed even to this day, in the 21 st century. To wit, there has been no discussion or intellectualisation on the subject of sex in Islamic philosophy.

Well, the world has changed by a lot ever since then, and the level of human knowledge has increased by an enormous margin. Advances in education have spurred the development of intellectualisation and understanding of science.

Modernisation and urbanisation, fuelled by rapid advances in science and technology have ensured a long series of change human values and ethos, including sex as we have seen.

All these have had profound effects on the mindset of humankind, and it goes without saying the world of today is far away from the 12 th century era of Islamic thought.

But people like Nik Aziz seem to be oblivious to the changes. They state that Islamic thought remains as in the past, to be protected and preserved for the present and on into the future.

Modern and rational lines of thinking such as contained in this very article are dismissed by them as berfikir secara barat (Western-influenced thinking). They do not accept the reality that their norms and ethos are caught in a time warp.

It would help if Nik Aziz and those who still harbour such thoughts wake up and be more in tune with the realities of today. Dare I challenge Nik Aziz and his type to start prising open the doors of ijtihad and join the modern world?

AB SULAIMAN is an observer of human traits and foibles, especially within the context of religion and culture. As a liberal, he marvels at the way orthodoxy fights to maintain its credibility in a devilishly fast-changing world. In his free time, he loves to read, travel and play golf (although his game could be better).