Mills’ Bar Room Brawl

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

–From Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)

Well, at least all my researches are worthwhile. All the late nights and sceptism paid off. Now i can embrace the concept of Islam Hadhari.

I think Islam Hadhari provide us an escape from Islamophobia. This revived islamic concept would also open up narrow minds and create a new breed of modern Muslims.

I can’t help but to feel that Hadhari mirrors a lot of Ijtihad. If that is the case, then surely it would be so much better if Ijtihad is officially integrated into Hadhari. Then there won’t be any more stupid fatwas or rules (i.e: last Christmas i was slammed for wishing my relatives and fellow Christians friends "Merry Christmas". Apparently there is a fatwa in Arab countries forbidding Muslims from wishing Merry Christmas" to the Christians (our theology cousin) as that alone would qualify us as kafirs.

That make as much sense as backpacking to Mars!!!.

If that makes us kafirs, i wonder why are we singing along to hip hop tunes by Too Phat?

Talking about Fatwas, when Salman Rushdie came out with his controversial book, ‘Satanic Verses’, that book was banned in almost every Muslim countries around the globe even before it was released. In Iran, the late Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini publicly announced his fatwa that earned Rushdie and his publishers death warrant in this following announcement:

"In the name of God Almighty. There is only one God, to whom we shall all return. I would like to inform all intrepid Muslims in the world that the author of the book entitled The Satanic Verses, which has been compiled, printed, and published in opposition to Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, as well as those publishers who were aware of its contents, have been sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them, so that no one will dare insult the Islamic sanctions. Whoever is killed on this path will be regarded as a martyr, God willing. In addition, anyone who has access to the author of the book, but does not possess the power to execute him, should refer him to the people so that he may be punished for his actions. May God’s blessing be on you all." - Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini.

Clerics are always using the term God willing in vain, I’m telling you.

Luckily for Rushdie, Khomeini successor pulled back the fatwa after his death.

Therefore, i believe ijtihad is paramount to put a stop to fatwas created out of spite and to stop extremists from misleading others to commit jihad in the name of God.

With Ijtihad, only qualified jurists have the duty to find God’s Law, not create God’s Laws.

Islam Hadhari is a reality check. We can no longer sweep every issues under the rug and whistle nonchalantly till doomsday. Each time a city is attacked or a decapitated head is found in a trash can, the automated response would be ‘Terrorist Attack’.

I always believe in this : Do not confuse angering Imam with angering God.

I have but to applaude Friendster’s new feature (the who’s viewed me feature). Not only you can keep track of who has been viewing your profile, but sometimes, if you’re lucky enough, you could discover a ghost as well!

Yes, check out this profile : http://www.friendster.com/user.php?uid=17170530

Yup, that’s me, created by someone i have no idea of, who took the liberty to copy my exact profile months ago, and only selected 6 of my nicest pictures. But hey, it isn’t nice to delete Shidi off from that picture i took at Segafreddo last Eid, is it? It just gives me the goosebumps, me posing next to a very blurry blackish photoshop entity.

I wonder who has the free time to stalk a non-celebrity person? When i first discover this profile it was last logged in 2 weeks ago. Then i thought i’d dropped this ghost a message, and obviously he has checked it, coz it has just been logged out. It would be scary if he replies my mail. But could it also be that ghost in my apartment? I thought i gave him the last of my peppermint gum to stop him from rattling my bed at night!

I’m okay with this, really, as long it it’s not anything nasty, like superimposed pictures and shits like that.

I’ll be honest. This year is the first year i embrace Ramadhan with sincere submission. The years before it was because Arif set me an example. Back when my dad was alive i was forced to fast (although Emily and I did set up a ‘tent’ in my room stashed with delectable chocolates so we could grab secret bites to tame two growling tummies).

This time I did it for God.

I also discovered that i’m capable to live without nicotine and caffeine, my two diabolical habits that i haven’t been able to kick off eversince i thought smoking was cool and a grand way to lose weight nine years back.

I filled my afternoons (when i feel hungry the most) reading books. I picked up a book bought and smuggled in illegally from Australia. The book is ban here in Malaysia, obviously. Too controversial. A book by Irshad Manji that called for Islamic reformation inside and out. "The Trouble With Islam".

Although i think Irshad judged Islam from a very Christianized p.o.v (she was brought up in States and even attended Catholic school and won  Best Catholic award or something, and oh, she’s a lesbian), it is also altogether hard to deny some facts she brilliantly pointed out. When i first read the book, i thought " Ok, here’s a screwed up lesbian trying to find means to justify her sexual orientation". But when she wrote that most muslims do not understand Arabic while reading the Quran, she had me nodding my head. So why musn’t we question the Quran over some ambiguities? Why must our Ustaz and Ustazah said "Read the Quran?" to every questions we raise when we do not understand what it says in the first place?

Islam is in the middle of this 21st century crusade on account of the muslims, not the religion, and much less the Quran. Innocence lives, muslims and non-muslims alike, are sacrificed in this reckless carnage caused by the rigidness of a religion and power hunger, oil rig seeker President. This is what happens when  people use the name of the religion in vain. We can no longer sweep everything under the rug and point our fingers to Al-Qaeda or any terrorist links.

‘Tis time to reform.

Maybe Islam Hadhari is all about reformation. Kudos to Pak Lah then…:)

I never could fathom how he always looks and smells like Raya morning, even when he’s fasting. He looked tired, granted, but he still jokes with me in the morning after sahur and the hours nearing berbuka.  I guess my only reward for him for answering the challenge of fasting is to cook him his dinner whenever he berbuka puasa with me. I made that a point.

Flipped thru the papers, and today i decided to suck up on my future in-laws; will have a hamper delivered to them before Raya.

I bought a new juicer and that alone is enough to turn me into juice freak. Wee-hee!

More after this; Arif tengah menyebok beside me….*harump*