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Harsher actions if Bar Council holds more forums on religion, warn Muslim protestors PDF Print E-mail
Saturday, 09 August 2008 05:39pm
Zulkifli Noordin
Former one-time Bar Council member and Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Kulim Bandar Baharu MP, Zulkifli Noordin

Disrupted forum — a wasted opportunity?
A dissenting voice and lessons learned


©The Malaysian Insider (Used by permission)
by Adib Zalkapli

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Muslim protesters threatened to take harsher actions against the Bar Council if it holds similar forums on religion. The group of about 300 protesters managed to shut down the controversial council forum on conversions to Islam today.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Zulkifli Noordin, who took the lead this morning to address the protesters, said: "If they do it again we will take a stern action."

The first-term Kulim Bandar Baharu MP, who is also a lawyer, declared their protest a success after the forum was declared closed a little before 10am after the police advised the organisers to end it due to the noisy protest outside and in the hall. The forum was supposed to end at 1pm.

Harsher actions if Bar Council holds more forums on religion, warn Muslim protestors

The protesters shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great), "Hancur Bar Council" (Destroy Bar Council), "'Hidup Islam" (Long Live Islam) and "Death to the Jews".

Harsher actions if Bar Council holds more forums on religion, warn Muslim protestorsBefore the forum ended, Zulkifli told the protesters that the forum organiser was trying to challenge the position of Islam.

"I have negotiated with the Dang Wangi police to stop the forum at 9.30am or else we will act," he said.

Several participants who left the venue after the forum ended were harassed by the protesters, with a man heard shouting: "Hey, you pig! Traitor!" at a woman wearing the Islamic headscarf as she was walking out of the Bar Council building.

Harsher actions if Bar Council holds more forums on religion, warn Muslim protestorsThe protesters also attempted to confront the participants who were leaving by the rear entrance. Some of them were even chased by the protesters as they left the building.

"Some protesters just don't understand it; not everyone who attended the forum is against Islam," said telecommunications executive Mohamad Najib, 28, who was there to protest against the public forum.

"Some just participated to voice out their views in defending the position of Islam in the country," he said, adding that he also felt bad about the behaviour of some of the protesters.

Self-employed Abdullah Ahmad, 50, was definitely unhappy with the Bar Council's action. "This forum is about Islam, they want Indians to be Muslims and then Muslims to be Indians," he said.

Harsher actions if Bar Council holds more forums on religion, warn Muslim protestorsConfederation of Muslim Students Association (Gamis) secretary-general Muhamad Syaari Rahman said the forum had to be stopped as it was a threat to Islam.

"They have organised similar forums before on Malay rights and if we don't stop them today, they will do it again in the future," he told The Malaysian Insider.

PKR's Badrul Amin Baharum also regretted the Bar's decision to continue with the forum. "We have never interfered with Christian or Hindu affairs," he told the crowd.

Intervention by the police and members of Pas's Unit Amal helped prevent any untoward incidents today. Bar Council officials were also seen asking the police to protect participants leaving the forum.

Harsher actions if Bar Council holds more forums on religion, warn Muslim protestorsAt about 10.15am, the protesters were seen trying to barge into the building to end the forum but Unit Amal members, who were squeezed between the riot police and the protesters, managed to stop them.

After being assured that the forum had ended, the protesters dispersed at about 11.15am. A police officer told The Malaysian Insider that 110 policemen had been deployed to control the crowd.

Comments (8)Add Comment
ISLAM bukan dicemari Majlis Peguam tetapi...
written by Nik Elin Zurina Bt Nik Abdul Rashid, Sunday, August 10 2008 01:10 am

Sedih. Itulah perasaan saya semasa membaca artikel ini. Mengapakah begitu kuat bantahan hanya semata mata kerana Majlis Peguam mengadakan sesuatu yang sudah lama terbuku dibanyak sanubari?

Tidakkah pendemonstrasi terasa bahawa sememangnya terdapat permasaalahan yang dihadapi oleh mereka mereka yang tidak mahu dikongkongi oleh ugama kita? Adakah apabila terdapat masaalah, kita harus menolaknya dibawah permaidani, dan biarkan ianya menimbun sehingga menyebabkan ramai orang akan "trip" dan terjatuh akibat bongolan yang tidak dapat diratakan. Dan akhirnya menjadi gunung berapi yang meletup kerana terlalu lama dibendung.

Islam yang sebenar benarnya mengutamakan keamanan, dan tidak pernah mengalakkan keganasan. Saya rasa amat malu kerana ugama Islam saya telah tercemar, bukan oleh Badan Peguam, tetapi oleh pemprotes pemprotes yang mengakui diri mereka sebagai Islam tetapi sebaliknya menganjurkan perangai tidak menghormati orang lain, dan juga sikap ganas dan keterlaluan.

Mengunakan suara yang kuat untuk mengancam, bukan bijak. Ianya menunjukan kita tidak konfiden untuk menangani isu yang mengelirukan. Sepatutnya kita berbincang dengan cara yang intelektual. Sepatutnya kita guna peluang ini untuk membuktikan bahawa Islam adalah adil. Bukan guna kekuatan dan ugutan kekerasan untuk menang.

Perbuatan mereka hanya menambahkan kekeliruan tentang Islam. Ianya membuat orang akan membenci terhadap kami.

Ini bukan caranya. Ini bukan caranya. Sepatutnya kita membantu mencari jalan penyelesaian.

Nik Elin Zurina Bt Nik Abdul Rashid

Bilakah Orang Islam Akan Membuka Minda? Bila ?
written by Annou Anselm a/l Joseph Xavier, Monday, August 11 2008 09:16 am

Adalah ketara bahawa ramai orang Islam di tanahair kita mempunyai pemikiran kuno, bahkan lagi extremis apabila wujudnya isu-isu seperti begini.

Forum yang dianjurkan oleh Majlis Peguam adalah untuk semua bangsa dan penganut agama. Ianya tidak berhasrat untuk menindas mana-mana orang serta kepercayaan mereka.

Jadi, sekiranya Nordin serta pengikut-pengikutnya ingin mempertahankan Islam, mereka sepatutnya menyertai forum tersebut dan berdebat dengan minda terbuka, bukan bertindak dengan minda tertutup!

Annou Anselm a/l Joseph Xavier

That's other Malaysians think...
written by Tong Kuan Ling, Monday, August 11 2008 11:08 am

Dear Nik Elin Zurina Bt Nik Abdul Rashid,

How nice if everyone shares the similar views like yours...then Malaysia will move one step further towards a more successful nation in the world.

We need more people like you to keep educating those who needs to be educated.

Tong Kuan Ling

Politically correct comments, please?
written by Dara Waheda Mohd Rufin, Monday, August 11 2008 02:39 pm

Dear Annou,

Your reply is one of the kind that can create hatred amongst Muslim towards the non-Muslim.

True, the protestors are mostly Muslims but that fact doesnt give you any right to critise Muslims of being "Kuno" and "extremis".

I am a Muslim but I attended the forum. There were other Muslims attended the forum including Hj. Sulaiman. Some even tried to go in but were stopped at the entrance.

This is not about being Kuno and Muslims are not Kuno.

Dara Waheda Mohd Rufin

Keadilan untuk semua,anda pasti?
written by Ahmad Shuaib bin Ismail, Monday, August 11 2008 04:23 pm

Sekarang, bila saya berada di mahkamah, majoriti peguam muslim bercakap kat saya yang barisan peguam muslim akan take over bar council. Kepada ahli-ahli bar, kalu nak sangat keadilan, client muslim for muslim lawyer and client non-muslim for non-muslim lawyer, baru adil kan. biar lawyer muslim cari rezeki sesama muslim malaysia and luar malaysia dan peguam non-muslim sebaliknya, betul tak??? pikirkan, pandangan majoriti lawyer muslim di cafe court....

Ahmad Shuaib bin Ismail

Dear Nik Elin Zurina Bt Nik Abdul Rashid,
written by Ahmad Shuaib bin Ismail, Monday, August 11 2008 04:28 pm

Dear Nik Elin Zurina Bt Nik Abdul Rashid, you hanya cakap tentang kesalahan orang Islam, dan bukan kah orang bukan Islam turut menganiayai orang Islam juga, pergi cek restoran cina serata malaysia, anda akan terjumpa kaum muslim Indonesia menyediakan masakan non halal, halang pekerja muslim solat, pikirkanlah kalau anda bermazhab ahli sunnah wal jamaah.

Ahmad Shuaib bin Ismail

Mindset..Where are we?
written by R. Thanasegar A/R Ramasamy, Monday, August 11 2008 05:23 pm

I agree with Annou and Nik. Its sad.

It is an open discussion.. And maybe the protestors would have thought that their views [if they'd participated]would not hold water...

Why are you SO AFRAID to discuss this issue..

R. Thanasegar A/R Ramasamy

Let's be divided further and kill off our dream of a new Malaysia...
written by Syahredzan Bin Johan, Wednesday, August 13 2008 12:38 am

Goodlah.

First we have someone who calls most Muslims as 'kuno' and extremists.

Then we have someone else who talks about Muslim lawyers will take over Bar Council, Indonesians working Chinese shops and something about Muslim clients for Muslim lawyers in order to achieve justice (frankly, I have no idea what he means).

Go on. Keep up the good work. Let's all be divided further along racial and religious lines, even though we are members of the same profession.

And after that, let's forget our dream of building a better Malaysia.

Syahredzan Bin Johan


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