OutSyed The Box

OutSyed The Box

"by whatever means necessary"

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 02:39 AM PST


Disclaimer : To all the readers of the "I" Files, do exercise some caution.  Despite an initial excitement, I do not see anything really substantive coming out of all these "exposures".  No verifiable facts have been presented. Neither is there further clarification of events that have been reported in the media before. This actually makes the whole thing fictional.  It may even be a clever disinformation campaign by the Rear Admiral's handlers - anything is possible. 

Chapter 14 is going around today.  This one is a bit of a blockbuster. It casts serious aspersions on the independence of the Malaysian judiciary under the tenure of Abdullah Badawi - pertaining to the overturning of Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction and his subsequent release from jail in 2004.  

Here is a very truncated version of Chapter 14. My comments follow.  Click on this link to get to the site :  CHAPTER FOURTEEN: ANWAR, WOLFOWITZ AND THOSE NIGHT FLIGHTS
  • August 2004 : Singapore : US Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz stepped out of the private jet .. young Malay came to fetch his bags. 
  • KL : the Sec Gen of the OIC Abdelouahed Belkeziz and Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud bin Faisal were escorted directly from their plane to another waiting Mercedes. They did not speak during the entire drive to Seri Perdana.
  • Wolfowitz walked directly into a small conference room... "Fourth Floor Boys" – three men, two sons of former diplomats and another, older gentleman, a protégé of the late Noordin Sopiee of ISIS Malaysia (conveyor of the Pacific Dialogues) with a doctorate in International Relations from one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world.
  • Wolfowitz explained as patiently as possible that Anwar Ibrahim's appeal of his sodomy charges should succeed, by whatever means necessary.
  • Saud bin Faisal formally and warmly greeted Abdullah Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia. He had brought along Belkeziz to add weight to his argument – which was, essentially, that Anwar Ibrahim's appeal of his sodomy charges should succeed, by whatever means necessary. Anwar's release was the official position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Roughly an hour apart, both men made the same pitch: Releasing Anwar would provide a boon to Malaysia's international standing. Both men could guarantee increased foreign direct investment in the country. 
  • On 2 September 2004, the Federal Court allowed Anwar's appeal. 

My comments :  This is just a story from the "I" Files ok. Ever since the appeal was allowed, people have been gossiping if there was indeed any "interference" from the US to have the  conviction overturned?  

Anyway the only thing that I found interesting was when the "I" Files says "On 2 September 2004, the Federal Court allowed Anwar's appeal".  Note that Anwar was kicked out of UMNO and the Government exactly six years before on 2 September 1998 -  Now isn't that a coincidence - to be discussed over tea and scones old chap.   

Obama To Visit Myanmar This Month

Posted: 09 Nov 2012 01:30 AM PST

Obama to make landmark visit to Myanmar this month


US President Barack Obama later this month will become the first US leader to visit Myanmar, marking the strongest international endorsement so far of the fragile democratic transition in the once-isolated Southeast Asian country after decades of military rule.

Obama will travel to Myanmar as part of a Nov. 17-20 tour of Southeast Asia that will include stops in Thailand and Cambodia, the White House said on Thursday as it confirmed his first international trip since he won a second term in Tuesday's election.

He is going ahead with the trip despite recent sectarian violence in western Myanmar, which has drawn concern from the United States and European Union. 

This is an interesting piece of news. I hope Obama's visit to  Myanmar does not stir up street riots like Al Gore did when he came to KL. 

I am just glad that Obama is not coming to KL. The last round of butt kissing when Kate Middleton and her husband came to KL was too much already.  Nampak sangat orang punya dunggu.

It is however significant that Obama is not coming to KL. It could be that they dont see us as being important enough (compared to Myanmar and Cambodia) - which I think is a great blessing. The less we see of Uncle Sam the better. 

Since the Americans still like the odd regime change here and there around the world they do not want to show too much support for the PM and the BN.  The President of the United States standing on a stage in KL beside Premier Najib will only add to the PM's prestige and help the BN in the elections which are around the corner.  I dont think the Americans want that too much.


On the other hand they may also be planning more nasty things for us - do not totally discount regime change ok   - so they dont want to come here smiling and shaking hands when they know they are planning to stab us in the back.  Maybe they still  have some guilty conscience. 

The Salat Of Shuaib

Posted: 08 Nov 2012 08:54 PM PST

Well it's a Friday. We had some interesting visitors to our home last nite. We had a good long discussion about the Quran and Islam. It is astounding (I am saying this as a fact) that the average Muslim has so many questions about what is taught by the religious people.  

The religious people are the source of the problem in Islam  – they are not the solution. That is why people have endless questions.  Nothing gets solved.

We spoke a little about the Prophet and Messenger Shuaib whose name  is mentioned in the Quran eleven times. Shuaib  was sent to Midyan.  

For those of you who are interested here are the references to Shuaib in the Quran. 

Surah 7:85 – 92
Surah 11:84 – 94
Surah 26 : 176 - 187 and 
Surah 29:36   

It is advisable to read from a few verses before and also up to a few verses after.  This way, if there is a context then you will understand it better.  It is really worth your effort to read these few verses about Shuaib in the Quran. I can assure you that you will become an expert on Shuaib - from the Quran of course.  (I cannot vouch for other extra Quranic fairy tales).

Having said that I really want to talk about a fair economic system - a system which is what the Prophet Shuaib was sent to teach the people, plus a few other things of course. This will also throw more light on the false notion of "Islamic banking".

Here is  Surah 7:85 - 95

7:85  To Midyan we sent their brother Shu`aib. He said, "O my people, serve Allah; you have no other god beside Him. Proof has come to you from your Lord. You shall give full weight and full measure when you trade. Do not cheat the people out of their rights. Do not corrupt the earth after it has been set straight. This is better for you, if you are believers.

7:86 "Refrain from blocking every path, seeking to repel those who believe from the path of Allah, and do not make it crooked. Remember that you used to be few and He multiplied your number. Recall the consequences for the wicked.

7:87 "Now that some of you have believed in what I was sent with, and some have disbelieved, wait until Allah issues His judgment between us; He is the best judge."

7:88 The arrogant leaders among his people said, "We will evict you, O Shu`aib, together with those who believed with you, from our town, unless you revert to our religion." He said, "Are you going to force us?

7:89 "We would be blaspheming against Allah if we reverted to your religion after Allah has saved us from it. How could we revert back to it against the will of Allah our Lord? Our Lord's knowledge encompasses all things. We have put our trust in Allah. Our Lord, grant us a decisive victory over our people. You are the best supporter."

7:90 The disbelieving leaders among his people said, "If you follow Shu`aib, you will be losers."

7:91 The quake annihilated them, leaving them dead in their homes.

7:92 Those who rejected Shu`aib vanished, as if they never existed. Those who rejected Shu`aib were the losers.

7:93 He turned away from them, saying, "O my people, I have delivered to you the messages of my Lord, and I have advised you. How can I grieve over disbelieving people."

7:94 Whenever we sent a prophet to any community, we afflicted its people with adversity and hardship, that they may implore.

7:95 Then we substituted peace and prosperity in place of that hardship. But alas, they turned heedless and said, "It was our parents who experienced that hardship before prosperity." Consequently, we punished them suddenly when they least expected.

The following message is a recurring theme in the messengership of Shuaib : 

"You shall give full weight and full measure when you trade. Do not cheat the people out of their rights. Do not corrupt the earth after it has been set straight"

The prominence of Shuaib in the Quran is that of an an economic reformer. Obviously the people were indulging in unfair and hence unjust practises in business and trade. They were also "corrupting the earth" which caused them calamity.  Shuaib's message to his people was that they should not cheat in trade and give less than what is due.

Here is that recurring theme again :

26:176 The People of the Woods (aiqah) disbelieved the messengers.
26:177 Shu`aib said to them, "Would you not be righteous?
26:178 "I am an honest messenger to you.
26:179 "You shall reverence Allah, and obey me.
26:180 "I do not ask you for any wage; my wage comes only from the Lord of the universe.
26:181 "You shall give full measure when you trade; do not cheat.
26:182 "You shall weigh with an equitable scale.
26:183 "Do not cheat the people out of their rights, and do not roam the earth corruptingly.
26:184 "Reverence the One who created you and the previous generations."
26:185 They said, "You are bewitched".
26:186 "You are no more than a human being like us. In fact, we think you are a liar.
26:187 "Let masses from the sky fall on us, if you are truthful."

Again Shuaib was impressing upon his people to give full measure and do not cheat. Weigh with an equitable scale. Do not cheat the people out of their rights. Do not corrupt the earth. Causing coruption on the earth is also mentioned repeatedly :


29:36 To Midyan we sent their brother Shu`aib. He said, "O my people, you shall serve Allah and seek the Last Day, and do not roam the earth corruptingly."

Finally (before I make some conclusions) here is Surah 11:84 - 94.

11:84 To Midyan we sent their brother Shu`aib. He said, "O my people, serve Allah; you have no other god beside Him. Do not cheat when you measure or weigh. I see that you are prosperous, and I fear for you the retribution of an overwhelming day.
11:85 "O my people, you shall give full measure and full weight, equitably. Do not cheat the people out of their rights, and do not roam the earth corruptingly.
11:86 "Whatever Allah provides for you, no matter how small, is far better for you, if you are really believers. I am not a guardian over you."
11:87 They said, "O Shu`aib, does your SALAT  (as-salaatuka) dictate to you that we must abandon what our parents' served, or doing with our money in any manner we choose? Surely, you are known for being clement, wise."
11:88 He said, "O my people, what if I have solid proof from my Lord; what if He has provided me with a great blessing? It is not my wish to commit what I enjoin you from. I only wish to correct as many wrongs as I can. My guidance depends totally on Allah; I have put my trust in Him. To Him I have totally submitted.
11:89 "And, O my people, do not be provoked by your opposition to me into incurring the same disasters as the people of Noah, or the people of Hood, or the people of Saaleh; and the people of Lot are not too far from you.
11:90 "You shall implore your Lord for forgiveness, then repent to Him. My Lord is Most Merciful, Kind."
11:91 They said, "O Shu`aib, we do not comprehend many of the things you are telling us, and we see that you are powerless among us. If it were not for your tribe, we would have stoned you. You have no value for us."
11:92 He said, "O my people, does my tribe command a greater respect than Allah? Is this why you have been heedless of Him? My Lord is fully aware of everything you do.
11:93 "O my people, go on doing what you wish, and so will I. You will certainly find out which of us will incur shameful retribution; you will find out who the liar is. Just wait in anticipation, and I will wait in anticipation along with you."
11:94 When our judgment came, we saved Shu`aib and those who believed with him, by mercy from us. As for the evil ones, they were struck by a disaster that left them dead in their homes.

The recurring theme in the messengership of Shuaib is economic reform. To be equitable in trade, not to cheat the people of their dues in buying and selling, to weigh and measure accurately and fairly and not to corrupt the earth.  But some of the people of Shuaib rejected him. 

They demanded if the commitments that Shuaib was trying to impart to them would prevent them from doing what they wanted with their money and their wealth?

How does this relate to Islamic banking? Now the proponents of the Islamic banking system (its a joke really) say that the conventional banking system is "haram". They say the conventional banking system squeezes the people and robs them of their money.  A favorite boogeyman again are the Jews - the Jews invented 'banking' and moneylending as a means to usurp peoples' wealth and money.  So conventional banking which is interest based is "haram". 

So now here comes the Islamic banking system.  But there is no difference between the Islamic banking system and the conventional system when it comes to the amount of money one has to pay the bank.

But more often than not, under "Islamic banking" the people end up paying more to the Islamic bank to buy a house or a car than they would pay the conventional, interest based, Jewish invented, "haram" banking system. 

And if you default on your Islamic financing, the 'Islamic bank' can become worse than Shylock the Jewish moneylender.  The Islamic bank will auction your house or car in no time. Plus they will ask you to pay the full amount of the financing, even after selling the house and getting back the full amount of the original principal that they advanced to you.

Here the Islamic bank can be worse than the conventional bank. 

The Islamic banking braders will reply, "Yes we know all that but our Islamic banking is halal whereas conventional banking is haram. Halal banking does not necessarily mean cheaper. Halal can be more expensive than haram." 

This is the kindergarten answer by an unthinking people who have no faith in the Quran. They do not read the Quran about what the Prophet Shuaib was teaching.  Even if they read it, they will not believe it. They reject the Quran. They are anti-Quran.

If the Islamic bankers claim that the interest based conventional banking is oppressive and unjustly deprives the people of their money and wealth, then they are accusing the conventional banking system of :  

i.    not giving full measure
ii.   not weighing with an equitable scale and 
iii.  cheating the people out of their rights.  

This was exactly the message of Shuaib.  Therefore to show a better example the Islamic bankers must not be oppressive like the conventional banks, they must not be unjust like the conventional banks and they must restore back to the people what has been deprived from them by conventional banking.

But in reality the Islamic bankers make the people pay more money (for example in monthly instalments and in the events of default) than the conventional banking system.  

This means  the Islamic bank is more unjust, more unfair and more oppressive than the conventional banking system.  

To me there is only one way to be an Islamic bank - they must be cheaper than the conventional bank. 

It must be cheaper for the people to get financing from the Islamic bank compared to a conventional bank. And the people  must also get more returns from their savings and fixed deposits in the Islamic bank when compared to the conventional bank.  Only then you can say that you are an Islamic bank which is more just and fair than the conventional bank. 

Why so?   Because "You shall give full measure when you trade; do not cheat, you shall weigh with an equitable scale, do not cheat the people out of their rights" Surah 7:85.

Otherwise apa beza sangat, ya brader Islamic banker? 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jom berjuang bersama rakan bloggers di Facebook!

Tunjukkan sokongan anda! Sila Like.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...