I refer to the letter Let's not uphold Islamic values selectively by Melayu Tak Mudah Lupa. The writer is right in giving examples of hypocrisy within the Malaysian government in the implementation of Islamic values.
My argument for Melayu Tak Mudah Lupa is this - does hypocrisy only exist in Malaysia or is it the trend nowadays of all Muslims around the world?. Who really has sole legitimacy to interpret Islam? Even Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden claim that what they are doing is saintly by quoting verses from the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
Since the Quran sanctions militancy, should we then ban the Quran? It is this wide-ranging interpretation of the Quran that causes confusion. Of course, a leader of a country will form conclusions appealing to him while excluding opinions detrimental to his rule.
The classic case is what happened in Africa where a common thief had his hand amputated while top generals of the country were siphoning of billions of dollars of the people's money. So much for Islamic law.
The other side of the coin is pro-western Muslims like Farish A Noor who talks about the dangers of the ' Talibanisation ' of Malaysian culture by the religious departments. Need I remind people like him that thousands of Taliban members were crammed into metal containers without holes causing them to die of asphyxiation by warlords who are now members of the Afghanistan government?
I challenge Farish to give an opinion as to whether abuse of human rights is justified in putting a stop to the 'Talibanisation' of Muslim societies. While I agree with Melayu Tak Mudah Lupa, I would go a step further in suggesting a solution.
It lies with the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). Only the OIC should be entrusted with the authority to interpret the Quran. The OIC should also be backed by military might to deal with rogue Muslim states instead of having countries like Kuwait asking non-Muslim countries to 'liberate' them.
Editor's note: Farish has written extensively on the issue of abuse of human rights by western countries, in particular United States. The more recent ones are: The other side of American charity , A cowardly vote from the 'land of the brave' , and Abu Ghraib - a testimony to modern injustices .
