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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Now ‘salam’ a No No for non-Muslims in Malaysia?

Sonia Ramachandran
When you visit the homes of Malaysian Muslims, it is almost always a tradition for the parents to call their children to “salam” their guests, where the hand of the guest is lifted and kissed by the child, denoting respect.
It is seen as a lovely and respectful gesture, but there is now an edict by a controversial Ustaz saying this tradition cannot be performed by Muslim students towards their non-Muslim teachers.
In his book, “Anda Bertanya, Ustaz Azhar Idrus Menjawab Berkenaan Permasalahan Umat”, Azhar writes that it is “haram” for Muslims to kiss the hand of those who are “kafir” (infidels) as it is a sign of lowering oneself to them and that Islam cannot be lower than other religions as all other religions are “batil dan bakal ke neraka” (false and heading for hell).
This was his answer under a question about the edict of kissing the hand of a non-Muslim teacher.
Thasleem
Jihad for Justice chairman Datuk Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Haj told theantdaily that this was “utter rubbish”.
“Nowhere in the Quran or Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) is it stipulated as such. I was told that he does not have any formal qualifications from any credible religious institution but I stand to be corrected on that. Looking at him I can call myself an Ustaz very soon as well as I interact with many religious leaders both locally and internationally.
“He is known for his pranks. He has a following because of the jokes he makes out of the messages he sends out and we have no qualms with that,” he said.
Thasleem also advised non-Muslims in the country not to react immediately to such comments.
“I’m sure there are many sane Muslims in the country. If people can live by the Quran and Hadith the way they are supposed to and not the insane manner it is interpreted by certain religious scholars, then there will be no issue,” he said.
When asked if Muslim students can still kiss the hand of their non-Muslim teachers, Thasleem, who claims to be a self-proclaimed mufti, said Muslim students should continue giving respect to their teachers in the way they have been doing so all this time.
Malaysian Community Development Organisation (MCEO) president Jeevithan P Ganasan questioned why an act of respect has now been turned into a religious and racial issue.
“Irrespective of race and religion, teachers, and any human being for that matter, are to be respected and this is a very respectful and humble way of showing respect.
“The Ustaz should be instilling this into the minds of students instead of crap like this that only tends to sow hatred and disrespect in the minds of impressionable students,” he said.
Malaysia, renowned for her multiracial peace and harmony, has had a spanner thrown into its works in this very aspect of late by racist and religious fanatics.
With traditions that have been around for centuries that have raised no ire or problems, why are certain individuals so intent on causing trouble and destroying what our forefathers built together?
Do they get some perverse enjoyment seeing the very fabric that keeps this nation alive torn and dismantled?
In the “bersanding” ceremony at a Muslim wedding, family and friends, including non-Muslims, will bless the couple by usually sprinkling rose water on the hands of the couple who will then “salam” them.
Will this act also be deemed “haram” soon?
An act of respect is an act of respect and the Ustaz should be proud that such a beautiful tradition is shared by the Muslims with the non-Muslims when they “salam” them.

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