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The more loving One

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13 years ago

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~by: Muhammad Fadli~

Recently, a Saudi blogger, Hamza Kashgari, has been deported from Malaysia by its Home Ministry into the custody of the Saudi authorities for allegedly blaspheming against the prophet in his tweets.  Despite the lack of an extradition treaty, Hamza was hurriedly packed off to Saudi Arabia before an injunction preventing the deportation could be filed. For us hapless onlookers, there is precious little we can do but remember him and his words.

What happened to Hamza however raises some uncomfortable questions on both sides of the causeway. For Malaysia, one can only speculate about the hidden hands which were crucial in expediting his transfer. Worryingly this is yet another case in which the arms of the government machinery and bureaucracy were able to circumvent the procedures of the legal court in matters concerning Islam.

Even more damning is the fact that Hamza was no security threat and Malaysia probably would not have been his last stop for asylum.

For Singapore, this raises another set of questions, albeit indirectly. Hamza was due to be charged due to the supposed blasphemous contents of his tweets. However, a close inspection of his words as we shall examine shows that they are far from being blasphemous.

Singapore too has recently been wracked by a series of reports of religious intolerance, the veracity of which varies from case to case. The uncomfortable fact is that there could be some who could perceive the remarks as insulting or inciting ethnic tensions.

What if the tweets had been made by a Singaporean? Should he or she be subject to the same legal scrutiny as Hamza? One unaddressed issue seems to be that the legislation guiding religious harmony are blunt instruments whose actual applications can be somewhat imprecise.

However pressing these issues are, they are considerations for another time. Personally I hope that amidst the maelstrom surrounding the issue that the words which incited the uproar be remembered and contemplated with a spirit as best deserved them.

In reference to the Prophet’s birthday, Hamza had tweeted (to the best of my knowledge):

‘On your birthday, I will say that I have loved the rebel in you, that you’ve always been a source of inspiration to me, and that I do not like the halos of divinity around you. I shall not pray for you.

On your birthday, I find you wherever I turn. I will say that I have loved aspects of you, hated others, and could not understand many more.

On your birthday, I shall not bow to you. I shall not kiss your hand. Rather, I shall shake it as equals do, and smile at you as you smile at me. I shall speak to you as a friend, no more.’

At a glance, one might react in aversion but personally I am reminded of a story about the Prophet. The prophet advised a group of men against the use of artificial pollination of date palms. When it failed, the prophet reminded the men that although in matters of religion he was the prophet he was to be obeyed, for earthly matters he was a man and all too fallible.

This illustrates that as much as there is the Prophet who is the messenger of God, there is the prophet who is a man. The prophet as a man is long gone but the prophet as a concept remains. And much of the prophet as a concept has been reduced to an idol, a fetish to be used for legitimacy.

Now many blasphemies are spoken in the name of the prophet as a concept, things the prophet as a man would have probably recoiled.

How many of us have heard of supposed stories of the prophet used to justify this insanity or that brutality? Perhaps there are scholars wise and learned who can distinguish truth from falsehoods, but they in turn are limited by their own human understandings. They also seem obscured by the many charlatans who peddle the good name of the Prophet to gain power and influence. How does a layman differentiate truth from falsehood?

Perhaps it was in this tumult of doubt and despair that Hamza chose to remember the one undeniable aspect of the Prophet, that the prophet was a human being. A human being wracked with the mantle of other worldly message, and a herald of this worldly change. A human being like any other that you knew in any time or space; parts of which you loved, parts of which you hated and parts of which you simply did not understand. And amidst the regal splendour imbued with the infinite majesty of the divine he imagined not just any man, but a friend. A friend who did not want you to bow to him or kiss his hands who despite his high stature will only stand by you as an equal, nothing more, nothing less.

In Hamza’s parrhesia, I see the great affection and love he had for the prophet.

It does lead me to wonder, why did people hate him so for saying this? Perhaps on some level, those that now call for his head saw this pure simple love and saw themselves for what they were, poor needy suitors whose servile exaltations to his name pays lip service to the twisted abomination used for domination and control.

They hated looking into the pure still waters of your love for they saw only themselves.

This article first appeared on Muhammad Fadli's blog. We thank him for allowing us to reproduce it in full here. 

 

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PA confirms Clementi stabbing victim was a grassroots volunteer; wake to commence on 23 Oct

The funeral wake for Mr Winson Khoo Chin Wah, the victim of the Clementi stabbing, will begin on 23 October. The People’s Association (PA) confirmed he was a grassroots volunteer and expressed deep sadness over his passing.

Published

14 hours ago

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23 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: The funeral wake for Mr Winson Khoo Chin Wah, the victim of the Clementi stabbing incident, will commence on Wednesday afternoon (23 Oct) at 2.30pm.

An obituary was posted on Death Kopitiam Singapore, a local social media page dedicated to mourning and providing a platform for expressions of grief.

His cortège will depart for Bright Hill Temple Crematorium at 1.30pm on Sunday (27 Oct), with cremation scheduled to take place an hour later, at 2.30pm.

The 41-year-old is survived by his wife and two young sons.

In a statement issued on 22 October, the People’s Association (PA) confirmed that the deceased was a grassroots volunteer.

The PA and the Grassroots Advisor expressed their deep sadness over his passing, adding that the family has requested privacy and will not be granting any media interviews.

The PA also urged the public to refrain from sharing graphic footage or images of the incident.

While initial reports suggested that the alleged suspect in the stabbing incident, 50-year-old Toh Chee Hong was also involved in grassroots activities within the same network, the PA clarified that this was inaccurate, stating that the suspect is not a member of any PA grassroots organisation.

“We would have preferred to clarify this only after the Police have formally charged the suspect and released his identity. But to prevent the public from being further misled by this inaccuracy, we have decided to clarify the matter quickly.”

Suspect charged with murder in court on 23 October

Toh was charged in court on 23 October with the murder of the victim, who was found unconscious at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) void deck in Clementi on Monday.

If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Following a request from the prosecution, Toh will be remanded for one week, with permission to be taken out for investigations, referred to as “scene revisitation,” in order to recover additional evidence.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Monday at Block 311B, Clementi Avenue 4, prompting responses from the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Residents reported witnessing the event, which unfolded at the pick-up point between Blocks 311B and 311C, directly in front of the Trivelis Residents’ Network office.

The victim had tripped near a drain about 20 metres away from the office when he was reportedly attacked by the suspect.

A woman, believed to be Mr Khoo’s wife, screamed during the assault as he lay on the ground. Witnesses stated that the attacker later turned his attention to the woman, chasing her as she fled in terror.

The woman sought refuge in a pre-school located at Block 311C. After the attack, the suspect walked to his black car at the pick-up point and drove into the multi-storey carpark, where he allegedly reversed repeatedly into another vehicle.

Toh was detained at the scene and subsequently arrested, while the 41-year-old victim was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he later died.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that both individuals were known to each other.

Victim and suspect allegedly connected through community garden, reports Chinese media

According to 8World News, the suspect and the victim had known each other for several years and lived in neighbouring blocks. The two became acquainted through a community garden.

The Trivelis estate in Clementi has a small garden where residents can grow plants. Sources revealed that the victim, as a volunteer with the Residents’ Network, would help maintain the garden.

The suspect, a resident of the estate, applied in 2019 to plant in the garden, which is when the two first met.

An informed source added that the suspect was previously believed to have worked as a private-hire driver but may currently be unemployed.

On Monday, Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Development Sim Ann, who represents Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, acknowledged the incident in a Facebook post.

Expressing her shock, she stated, “My team and I are deeply shocked and saddened by this horrific occurrence.”

She expressed gratitude to the residents who had tried to assist during the incident, and conveyed her condolences to the victim’s family, who have requested privacy during this difficult time.

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Clementi stabbing suspect charged with murder in court

A 50-year-old man has been charged in court on 23 October with the murder of a 41-year-old victim in a stabbing incident in Clementi. The People’s Association confirmed that the victim was a grassroots volunteer and expressed sadness over his death. However, they clarified that the alleged suspect is not affiliated with any PA grassroots organisation.

Published

15 hours ago

on

23 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: A 50-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 41-year-old man, who was found unconscious at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) void deck in Clementi on Monday.

According to CNA, the accused, Toh Chee Hong, appeared via video link in district court on 23 October, dressed in a red polo shirt and sporting dishevelled hair. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.

Following a request from the prosecution, Toh will be remanded for one week, with permission to be taken out for investigations, referred to as “scene revisitation,” in order to recover additional evidence.

Toh, who understood the court proceedings in English, requested that the prosecution’s request be repeated before responding with “okay.”

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Monday at Block 311B Clementi Avenue 4, prompting alerts to the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Toh was detained at the scene and subsequently arrested, while the 41-year-old victim was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he later died.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that both individuals were known to each other.

PA: Alleged suspect is not a member of any PA grassroots organisation

Earlier, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that the two men were involved in grassroots activities of the Trivelis Residents’ Network, which serves the Trivelis estate in Clementi Avenue 4.

The victim, identified by The Straits Times as Mr Winson Khoo, was recognised as a grassroots volunteer by the People’s Association (PA), which expressed sadness over his death.

The PA announced that Mr Khoo’s wake would begin on 23 October and urged the public not to share graphic footage or images of the incident.

While initial reports suggested that Toh was also involved in grassroots activities within the same network, the PA clarified that this was inaccurate.

“We would have preferred to clarify this only after the police have formally charged the suspect and released his identity,” it stated.

“But to prevent the public from being further misled by this inaccuracy, we have decided to clarify the matter quickly.”

According to Zaobao, some residents indicated that the two had a history of disputes, with the suspect being known for frequent arguments.

On the afternoon of 21 October, shouts and screams shattered the peace of the estate as the suspect allegedly attacked the victim.

Residents reported witnessing the incident, which unfolded at the pick-up point between blocks 311B and 311C, directly in front of the Trivelis Residents’ Network office.

The victim had tripped near a drain about 20 metres away from the office when he was reportedly attacked by the suspect.

A woman, believed to be Mr Khoo’s wife, screamed during the assault as he lay on the ground. Witnesses stated that the attacker later turned his attention to the woman, chasing her as she fled in terror.

The woman sought refuge in a pre-school located at Block 311C. After the attack, the suspect walked to his black car at the pick-up point and drove into the multi-storey carpark, where he allegedly reversed repeatedly into another vehicle.

He was apprehended by the police as he was attempting to exit the carpark.

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