"GENERALLY, love and sex seem to be a taboo subject within polite Malay circles. It’s not exactly something you bring up as conversation over dinner.
In fact, even the mention of Valentine’s Day would most probably bring up a salvo of negative responses, especially for Malays who are remotely thinking of partaking in its celebration.
On the Net, there’s already the chorus of naysayers warning us to once again ignore Valentine’s Day, a day that has become one of the most commercial and profitable days of the year in the context of the western world.
From the plethora of postings and remarks online warning Malays, in particular, to stay home and not go on dates on this day makes me wonder if the Malays really are prudes. I’d always thought that it was the British who were prudes. Remember the saying: “No sex please, we’re British”? I think we should now change it to “No sex please, we’re Malays”....
Read more: Love, lust and a few local puritans.
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I know this post might come a bit late.
This New Straits Times online issue which I have kept aside, in order to give ways to my never ending chores, including focusing on a couple of projects in hand, re-reading this interesting article written by Anwardi Jamil made me wanna share my opinion too.
This article, if I summarised, basically trying to get to the bottom of the current situation where the Malay muslims are getting more religious; good or bad -- that depends on how one want to evaluate it.
In general it is a -- 'Dont get your ass worked out too much yearly when February comes with your so heavenly, divined Islamic lifestyle telling people not to celebrate the Valentine's Day... And that the Malays themselves are not a whole lot of pious people to start with...
His statement in the earlier para-- "The funny thing is, the Malays, from what I have observed in my adult life, are actually preoccupied with sex and love. Really."..and this really made me laughed and wanting to more what this writer has to tell.
Yup, as expected. I like his article.
I mean, THIS is what Im talking about.
This is what I thought so too.
Its like we're sharing the same wavelength so to speak.
Let's put it this way.
Im the same race as this writer.
But I very much want to be subdivided into something else.
This is an endless conundrum since my younger years.
And, we always use the word - typical.
Or, if on the political side of it, we have (in Malaysia) the UMNO baru (new) and the "old" UMNO during the 1988 judicial crisis.
Basically they're the same but subscribed to a different way of looking at things.
Now, lets not divert.
Back to the actual story I wanted to share.
Valentine's Day, Islamic authorities and sex.
As Anwardi Jamil mentioned in his early paragraph, 'it's a taboo subject (sex) within polite Malays'.
And I must agree with him.
It's a taboo. We (my mom and sisters) don't talk or discuss about it.
Although I don't really think Im that polite.
Im far from being politically correct.
Im blunt, straight forward and say my opinion well besides manifesting it regularly too.
But, yes, it is a very sensitive issue even though I still believe discussing about it with close lady friends; not on the technical aspect of it, but rather on the health and emotional side of it is not a problem at all.
Coming back to Malaysian nowadays.
Just like the controversial Kassim Ahmad claiming that "Islam in Malaysia has been abused through a “priesthood caste” system."....I somehow must agree with him to a certain level.
According to him this priesthood caste did not exist at the time of the Prophet or the four caliphs. They only emerged about 300 years later by appointing themselves as interpreter of religion for Muslims, and the Muslims view their religious leaders like gods and goddesses, that these leaders are seen to be protected from maksum (protected from sin) and must decide on everything about their lives.”...how truthful!
And, not enough of that enigma amongst the Islamic authorities, the Muslim Malays at large are becoming too overly "alim" or pious and sometimes to blind to know between the truth or false, as long as they are able to share all sorts of hadiths on social media (they'll claimed good deeds in spreading the word of Islam plus they believed it could gain them more credits to heaven), or if one can get the free title of Ustaz or Ustazah by donning long tudung or wearing kopiah ; they'll get paid conducting 'ceramah' here and there, or perhaps on a smaller scale for the 'commoners'; they race to organise daily or weekly 'usrah' -- all in oder to broadcast their religious standing among the rest.
And, heck, the things that they routinely talk about are mostly what you can find by reading and researching hadith, and word from companions, or if that is not enough, it will definitely about sex -- this is MUST congratulate one Ustaz (self claimed) Azhar Idrus in particular.
Who am I to judge?
Yup, I far from being a pious person.
I didn't cover my head and don't intend to become another religiously-stricken woman. But I do read.
And I do view and listened to see and hear what these 'religious people' has to preach about.
All in all -- they are nothing near compared to the realisation and questions answered by the known Peace TV speaker Dr Zakir Naik of India.
During my teenage years early late 80s and 90s where you can hardly find any tudung clad girl in a school, the scenarios are a total opposite now. I do not frankly know whether this is a good or bad sign.
During those days, almost no news about child rape, and no news about newly born being left to die in the drain, or left at rubbish dump, or at surau or masjid unlike now....
So, what are the clerics doing?
Are you trying to showcase your religious supremacy among one another, giving talk on the telly and at some open field, and gaining followers via facebook and tweeter?
Why bother about those who want to celebrate the Valentine's Day?
Why bother about whatever intimacy they'd manifest to one another, when the actual problem is in the community itself?
A community that loves to feel that they are more better than the other.
A community that has the largest out of wedlock children.
A community that top the throwing and killing of unborn or newly born babies.
If the wrong things about celebrating the Valentine's Day is because as a Muslim one are not allowed to celebrate another religious celebration -- then say so.
But is Valentine's a religious celebration?
And do you, people of the authorities, found a studied that show a lot of out of wedlock babies were born post Valentine's Day?....
What are your basis?
Religiously or morally?
Cartoon source ; Superhanallah tumblr.com
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