Police put a stop to a ceramah by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim last night in a blow for freedom of expression. The crowd of about 500 at the PKNS Flats in Kampung Kerinci, Kuala Lumpur expressed their displeasure by chanting “reformasi!”.
A haunting melody by songwriter Amirah Ali, who won the Best Pop Category for “Tell Me“ in the 2008 Signature Songwriting Competition. Thanks for the lead, Sivin. While listening to the song, check out the report “Four reasons for controversial ‘Allah’ ruling” in the Malaysian Insider here. Music and Lyrics by Amirah Ali Engineered by Jon Gillespie I am saddened and angered by the recent happenings in my country, Malaysia. I would like to share with you this song that I wrote. We are all ONE and so is GOD. KATAKANLAH Hari ke hari ku cari Tapiku tidak pasti Seribu malam ku mimpi Tapi ku belum fahami
Here are a couple of articles that gave me hope and which I appreciated. On respect, thinking and dialogue – Interview with Tariq Ramadan (theSun) The day I spoke at the Hall of Holy Spirit – by Mujahid Yusuf Rawa (Malaysian Insider) Meanwhile, broken glass has been found near the outside wall of a mosque in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
2033: We round off this dark day with a statement just released by the Aliran exco: ‘Bigotry in the name of Allah’. The silver lining in all this is that the crowds at the various protests were not as large as many had feared, and the vast majority of Malaysians simply walked away and refused to join in. Many groups and netizens issued statements and comments condemning this lapse into momentary madness. Therein lies a glimmer of hope for a better Malaysia that many of us believe is possible. Another bright light can be seen over here, where blogger Dr Rafick, a Muslim, has initiated a donation drive to raise funds to repair the Metro Tabernacle Church. 1928: IGP Musa Hasan denied reports that a fourth church was attacked, according to the Insider. He said three demonstrations were held in Kuala Lumpur, two in Pahang, four in Selangor and one [Read more]
What a brilliant way to start the new year, 2010, with the news that the Herald is free to use the word ‘Allah’. The High Court declared that the Home Minister’s order banning the use of the term was illegal, null and void; the term is not exclusive to any religion.