Candlelight Vigil
There will be a peaceful candlelight vigil in support of Revathi, and many others like her, who are unable to fully exercise their Constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of faith.
The vigil is an initiative of civil society organisations including MCCBCHST (the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism) and various women’s rights groups (All Women’s Action Society (AWAM), Sisters in Islam (SIS), Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), Women’s Centre for Change, Penang (WCC) and Women’s Development Collective (WDC)).
Date: Tuesday, 19 June 2007
Time: 8 p.m.
Venue: Dataran Merdeka (at the flagpole)
Show your
Bring candles, candle-holders and banners.
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Summary of Revathi’s case:
Revathi, an ethnic Indian woman, has been held in a rehabilitation center run by Islamic authorities since January 2007 because she wants the State to acknowledge she is a Hindu and not a Muslim.
Revathi was born to Indian parents who had converted to Islam before her birth. She claims she was raised by her grandmother as a Hindu. She and Suresh were married according to Hindu rites in March 2004. Revathi was advised by the Malacca Islamic Religious Department to make an application at the Malacca Syariah High Court to confirm her status as a Hindu. She did as she was told.
However, the Syariah Court ordered her detained in a rehabilitation centre in Ulu Yam, Selangor under Melaka’s Syariah criminal laws for 100 days. This detention was extended in Revathi’s absence for a further 80 days supposedly because she had not “repented”. In the meanwhile, Revathi’s Muslim mother obtained a Syariah Court order granting her custody of Revathi and Suresh’s 15 month old baby. That order was enforced on Suresh’s Hindu family with the assistance of the police.
The family is now torn apart – with the mother in detention, the child with the grandparents and the father in limbo without his family.
LimSeyWee
June 14, 2007
Can anyone enlighten me the true interpretation of “No compulsion in Islam”?
<em>
Hi Lim.
I wrote an article entitled ‘Islam-as I say-tion : The Slide Into Tyranny?’. You can access this at http://www.accin-badailies.org. Have a look at it and see if it helps your understanding of the ‘no compulsion’ principle in Islam.</em>
Peter Chen
June 15, 2007
Hi Haris Ibrahim,
I have published a post which I hate to publish in my Guide to Malaysia blog because this blog is supposed to publish good things about Malaysia. But because I am a concerned Malaysian citizen, and do not like some developments going on in the country I was born and bred in, and is probably 100% going to live the rest of my life in, I intend to attend the candlelight vigil that you have alerted me to, about which I got from Berita Malaysia. I am keen to get your message to as many people as possible, and have made that post which I had said I really don’t like to make. The post is at Candlelight vigil for Ravathi (and for Malaysia). Part of the post may have infringed upon your copyright. Hope you take a look and if you have any objection, the post or part of it will be deleted.
Peter (Blog*Star 2006 and 2007)
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kahlua
June 15, 2007
Revathi’s plight has been higlighted in malaysiakini. You can access this video at http://www.malaysiakini.tv/?vid=1069
zorro
June 15, 2007
Haris, I will be there under the flagpost….after which I hope to see you at our normal joint.
You’re on, my friend
Paul Warren
June 17, 2007
So how is what’s being done to Revathi reflect on Islam? How does it further the cause of Islam?
<em>Paul,
What’s being done to Revathi has nothing to do with the cause of Islam. It is part of the agenda of ‘Islam-as i say-ists’, who use Islam as their front to further a cause that cannot be justified on any verse in the Holy Qur’an.</em>
If what’s happening to Revathi is because Islam requires it to be so, then my contempt for Islam.
<em>Please re-direct your contempt to the perpetrators of the wrong, not the way of life of peace that is Islam.</em>
It would seem like those who are doing this to Revathi find their mandate in the Quran and/or the Hadiths. My contempt for those two sources too.
<em>
No, the Holy Qur’an does not mandate that which is being inflicted on Revathi. If there is any hadith account which contradicts the Holy Qur’an, it could not have originated from the Holy Prophet.</em>
Doing the candle light vigil unfortunately only addresses the support for Revathi but does not hold in contempt the reprehensible mandate that makes possible such inhumane injustice and cruelty.
<em>I think a peaceful, collective show of concern by fellow citizens allows the average individual to register his disagreement with what is being done to Revathi. It allows the average person to do the absolute minimum. It is a start at citizen empowerment, however minimal it might be. Better than doing nothing. Having said that, I urge those who do attend the vigil to not go home after that thinking that you have done your part. Give some serious thought to how an informed exercise of your right to vote might further aid the plight of Revathi and like cases.</em>
What needs to be condemned and held in contempt unfortunately is left unscathed to vent and visit its horror upon another soul another day.
ladyRP
June 18, 2007
I have Muslim friends and they certainly do not reflect this “Islam” and even they do not understand this “Islam”. I’ll come with my candles and candleholders and some extras too
LadyRP,
Ask your Muslim friends to also come along. Also, please ask them to speak up. The world needs to hear the voice of compassion and reason that is Islam.
lulu
June 18, 2007
barring rain which brings floods unto the dataran, lulu will be there with friends.
see you!
Paul Warren
June 19, 2007
Em
Then I guess it is about time that this candle light vigil be held in front of the Ulu Yam rehabilitation Centre which appears to represent a mandate. It is these icons of a mandate that ought to be brought down.
Dear Paul,
What a great idea. Will you organise this vigil? Let me know the date and time and I will be there. I will bring friends.
However, in all the very appeasing responses you have given, it would seem like there is this incestuous relationship that exists between the “moderates” and the “fundamentalists” who are accused of hijacking the religion.
My responses were not to appease.
From everything that I read, it would appear that the hijackers number but a small proportion of their total adherents. Yet the majority would be guilty of just remaining silent and doing nothing.
It appears to me that you are part of that silent majority. Correct me if I am mistaken.
So far, really beyond their vocal attempts at appeasing the non-believers there has been nothing done to oppose or to stop the hijackers, has there? All these nice appeasing tones applied to stall us continues with the same vigor while the hijackers and fundamentalists move on forward attaining their objectives. How long more are the rest of us to sit still and remain appeased?
Yes, how long more will you sit still and remain appeased?
Paul Warren
June 20, 2007
You are funny Haris…but I like your attitude and approach. It is one thing about the Malay Muslim that makes them different from Arab or Pakistani Muslims, where you find that over the years with the experience of knowing that there is really no threat from the non-Muslim neighbours, that you have been able to let your guard down and allowed us into your home and domain. Indeed in personal relationships you find soem of the better and more trusted and long lasting relationships and bonding taking place between Malay Muslims and non-Muslims. Like my dad had some real close buddies who cried at his wake. They came over for Christmas and we went over for Hari Raya…it was like an extended family in that they took pride in each others’ childrens’ successes. But here I am talking about the 50s and the 60s.
Politicians interfered and some people of the cloth who realised the power of the platform they were standing on buggered it all up. It is they who set the agenda, it is they who control the attitudes and it is they who have contributed to Islam being looked upon disfavourably by non-Muslims rather than indifferently or appreciatively. Do I want to hold a negative thought about Islam and/or for that matter anything else? Not really. I’d rather be appreciative or indifferent. these are rather far better emotions and notions to hold on to rather than negative ones. They are just an unnecessary baggage. you see, when you saw no threat, you roamed the field with no notion of fear or threat. When you sense threat, you hide in the trenches or you dig out a trench to hide in. I have experienced both situations and know what I prefer.
LimSeyWee
June 23, 2007
Hi Haris,
I’ve read your article. Thanks.
One comment on the posting. Can you use larger text size for all postings? A middle age man like me find it difficult to read small text size!
Nesakumar
July 11, 2007
Please sign this online petition in support of Revathi:
http://www.petitiononline.com/2007Diva/petition.html
aravindan neelakandan
July 11, 2007
Please sign this petition for Revathi
http://www.petitiononline.com/2007Diva/petition.html