Sunday, June 17, 2007

Rejecting labels on Islam

Moderate is less, says Karen Armstrong. According to Marina Mahathir, wh0 attended Karen Armstrong's talk in KL yesterday:
Dr Armstrong talked about the need for Muslims to reject labels imposed on them. Not only should they reject extremist labels but Dr Armstrong also said she disliked the term 'moderate Islam'. She argued that 'religion means extravagant compassion' and believes that in the West, 'moderate' means "let's have a bit less of Islam".

That's so basic, isn't it?

Happy Fathers' Day.

17 comments:

  1. I know I should kick myself. I must have been the first blogger to blog about it becos the organiser, a former NST colleague - called me to ask if i could help "publicise" about her talk. No problem. Blogged it within 20 minutes after the call.
    I told myself that I had one question to ask Ms Armstrong -- about the fact tht (some)of her books are banned.
    Turned put that I couldn't make it. I thought i could but just couldn't.

    I read Marina's, Bernama's and Pak Idrus'.

    But...nothing like being there!
    thanks, Bro.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is so sad that we (Muslims = Melayus) need a White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) to tell us what we Minangkabau already know! Islam is Islam, the religion is equal to compassion, peace, love and do not kill thy neighbour, dont have to change your name to different name just because you are married to a Melayu, and Islam Haadari is bull so on and so forth! Just because an American is saying it does not mean that we finally realised "it" is true! But then we are all Morons arent we except for the Minangkabaus!

    BTW There is no such thing as moderate Islam it is an insult to me and the rest of my Minangkabau clan!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pasquale

    The problem does not lie with the minangkabau or jawa or bugis or whatever.

    It is more of the problem with a day sleeper who is confused of his own identity - melayu, or cina, or arab. His late his wife is malay and japanese and current one eurasian. HIs adopted son is chinese that look indian.

    That is the problem w islam hadari - confused identity.

    OK, people ntg agst mixed race. I am javanese with dashes of malay and lost of pink floyd and jimi hendrix.

    Just need my daily dose of pak lah bashing.

    By the way, he claims he is political son of tun razak. Where does leave his political guru musa? Sarang musang?

    Talk of image building ... like a bachang fruit being spiced up as apple.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:24 pm

    Alahai pasquale,

    tak kan orang Minang jo yang "enlightened"? marah orang lain. Ni macam kato orang Minang ni master race jo...

    tak baik gitu...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:24 pm

    Alahai pasquale,

    tak kan orang Minang jo yang "enlightened"? marah orang lain. Ni macam kato orang Minang ni master race jo...

    tak baik gitu...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rocky, Dr Armstrong had a very funny story about why she dislikes the word 'moderate'. She said she once had a boyfriend who told her she was 'moderately pretty'. Needless to say, that relationship didn't last long.

    Islam has no need for any sort of qualifier, especially not 'moderate'.It only feeds into the belief of those prejudiced against us that Islam is usually very extreme.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thus performing the fundamentals of islam thereby being a fundamentalist is not good enough nowadays.

    How does being more liberal, moderate, fanatical or whatever description make a muslim more or less a muslim.

    The West tried to quantify Islam per se into these secularistic definitions but the muslims themselves are equally to blame for following the same script.

    Except the Minangs, I think.

    Meanwhile, Islam Hadhari, anyone? The trend continues.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hei galadriel who ever you are stop being a Melayu Moron and stop using the word "alahai", that I hate the most! Alahai alahai! Apo bondo eh tu!

    Itu lah sobab eh orang Melayu bangang suko pakai perkataan alahai bilo tak bulih berdebat! Kau tau tak orang Minang ni keturun Alexander the Great and a beautiful Mughal princess? Tu lah sobab eh semuo orang Minang macam kacukan Brad Pitt dan Angelina Jolie!

    Jangan lah gunokan perkataan "alahai" tu lahi yo!

    ReplyDelete
  9. oh my... does anyone here has a contact in singapore? pak idrus just suggested that i should get the book. if anyone can get me the book, please email me ^_^. radicalscope@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Karen Armstrong tu Kunyung Pencen laaa (bekas Catholic Nun). Bukannya Protestant. Protestant dengan Catholic ni.

    ALAHAI KALAU NAK BERDEBAT PUN GOOGLE KAN LAH INFO MASUK WIKIPEDIA KE.

    Karen Armstrong is a bridge (whether we like it or not) between Islam and the Western Christian world. In a way she is a spokesperson for Muslims, because of her moderate errr I mean middlestand view.

    ALAHAI APSAL LAH MELAYU NI KALAU KAMPUNG, KAMPUNG SANGAT.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:04 pm

    Rakyat nak tau apa pendirian PKR mengenai pergolakan di Palestin. PAS dah terang-terang sokong Hamas.PKR pulak macam mana..takan nak tunggu George Bush nasihat Anwar dulu.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous4:26 pm

    Going forward Year 2057 - Malaysia will see a trend where more and more leaders, rakyats and foreigners starting talking, behaving and/or acting playing God and Prophets. Where are our Muftis... those in 'Black Chauferred Driven Perdana V6"?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous11:58 pm

    Ah! Pasquale,

    by making sweeping statements
    like that u make urself look a moron.

    Firstly...Part nak berdebat tu...tak koso den nak berdebat ngan oghang yang citer tiga suku...

    Sebelum citer pasal Brad Pitt tu....rajin rajin la tengok cermin dulu...last den tengok...bukan lawa sangat pun..

    alahai, perkataan ni dah lama sangat digunakan dalam Bahasa Melayu. Apo salah den pakai? Ko tak suko, ko punyo pasal laa.

    Lastly, ur assumption that i'm a Malay Moron...heheh...
    Tak baik u call ur fellow Malay Moron, and me? I'm no Malay at all...and moron i'm certainly not.

    Kalau tak geti berbahaso tu...ko ni Minang stakat namo jo...tak beradab.

    Oghang kato, terlajak perahu boleh undur, yang ko ni terlajak kato...tak leh nak cakap apo lagi dah...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous12:09 am

    Alahai Pasquale,

    kot yo pun nak citer karut, citer biar oghang leh cayo.
    Alexander the Great n Mughal princess. Lain abad tu.

    Kepalo ko dah bersawang agak eh.
    Kosian nyo. sio sio jadi wartawan.

    Orang Pilah ni selalunyo ada otak...ko apasal jadi gini?

    ReplyDelete
  15. So Wong Saiwan eden mintak maaf lah yo! He! he! You Morons are so sensitive!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous11:09 am

    for karen armstrong's full speech
    gssq.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete