Is the sanctity of Malayness fardu kifayah?

Is the sanctity of Malayness fardu kifayah?

This entry is my reaction to three articles, Perkahwinan campur orang Melayu wajar dipantau (Utusan Malaysia's Forum of 22nd June 2005), FFM18: Sepet pilihan tepat  (Utusan Malaysia's Entertainment section of 24th July 2005), and "Sepit" (....... dalam versi "Sepet") (Rem of 26th July 2005).  Non-Malay language readers can hover their mouse over the hyperlinks to get the English translations. 

A reader of Utusan Malaysia wrote to the the Forum section quoting an article published by the same broadsheet on 21st June 2005.  The quoted article is about the former Mufti of the Federal Territory, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Talib and his wife, Sohari Abdel Moneim, an Egyptian woman of Turkish ancestry.  He was proud and pleased that Abdul Kadir successfully "taught" his wife to live like a Malay, speak Malay, wear Malay dress and cook Malay food. They have six children who were all given beautiful Islamic names. 

That reader contrasted that with the increasing incidents of young Malays marrying non-Malays, i.e. entering into mixed marriages. Baki Minuddin, that's how he signed his article, was of the opinion that such mixed-marriages should be monitored!  (Do exclaim here if you need to, otherwise you could hold your breath, more to come). 

Baki wrote: (translated) "Although our country practises a liberal policy, this country is still an Islamic country.  This is not a human rights issue. This is an issue of fardu kifayah.  We need to concern ourselves with the actions of those who belong to our race and our religion." 

(Author's note: Fardu kifayah is an Islamic duty that every Muslim is beholden to every other Muslim, which includes but is not limited to provisions for the poor, graves for the dead, protection of the sanctity of Islam and Muslims, etc.) 

With his last phrase, "our race and our religion", all in one breath, it is logical to conclude that Baki is of the opinion that protecting the sanctity of Islam and Malayness is an Islamic duty.  Gosh!  Inasmuch as I am for the perpetuation of culture, I cannot equate the sanctity of religion (Islam) with the perpetuation of cultural identity! Not until kingdom come, never!

In his article, Baki gave many examples of Malay celebrities who are in mixed marriages and he deplored their way of life, their choice of un-Islamic names for their children.  He derided their spouses of non-Malay and non-Muslim origin who became Muslims simply to marry these Malay and Muslim celebrities.  (I grudgingly use the term celebrity to describe these people for lack of other commonly understood vocabulary to describe popular-fame seeking artists). 

Baki tried to strengthen his argument for the need of Big Brother, i.e. monitoring of mixed marriages by citing the movie, Green Card, which is about the United States Immigration monitoring foreigners (aliens in official American speak) who marry American women in order to gain permanent residency. 

Whilst I am not with Baki on his suggestion, I thought his choice of example to shore up his line of argument could not be worse.  Foreigners might marry Americans in order to get a Green Card, i.e. the benefits of the right to participate in the American economy and the right to stay in America.  Surely, in religion, where there is no associated economic gain in this world / lifetime; why would anyone want to be a Muslim if they are not after the spirituality and the promises post-lifetime? 

Yes, Malaysian law does not permit civil marriages for Muslims, and Muslims are subject to Islamic Family Law which do not permit them to marry non-Muslims.  Therefore, there are cases of people "turning" to Islam when their objective was simply to enter into a state of matrimony with another Muslim.  These individuals have no inclination to practice Islam at all beyond tying the knot and enjoying the economic and tax benefits of a couple as opposed to two singletons (throw in "to celebrate their love for one another" here if it is the case or if you wish).  

However is the Islamic Family Law out to protect the perpetuation of Malay cultural identity? NO, because being Malay can NEVER be equated to being Muslim.  Is the non-Malay spouse's deception of being Muslim a matter of deceiving the Malays and their culture? NO again, because Malay culture can be compatible with Islamic practices, but can NEVER be Islamic practices. 

To wrap up his argument, Baki said we (Malaysia) should have a policy similar to the policy of the United States Immigration on foreign spouses of Americans, for the sake of the sanctity of Islam, as well as to protect Malay demographics and socio-economic position.  (There, he said it in the same breath again!) 

We should never blind ourselves to the notion that Malays are Islam and Islam is Malay.  A cultural identity and the problems of lack of, should never be read as a religious deception or a dereliction of religious duty (fardu kifayah).

I applaud the fact that the 18th Malaysian Film Festival gave recognition to Sepet, a low-budget film directed by Yasmin Ahmad.  The movie is about a romantic relationship between a Chinese Malaysian and a Malay Malaysian.  Film critics, who can kill off a film with just a few lines, had this to say about Sepet: "It is truly a Malaysian film (about time one is produced!), not a rhetoric or cliché, and most important of all, it gave a straight perception of a multi-culutural country."

Previously the Malay movie industry in Malaysia had been responsible for fanning the fire of Malayness.  Such films portrayed Malay-Chinese Malaysian relationships as a social taboo.  (Read relationships as mixed romantic relationships or marriages.  Had those producers read relationships as friendships or everyday encounters, it would have been racism). 

Regrettably, such films have had their hand in modulating the minds of Malay Malaysians, hence we have many people who are not capable of seeing beyond their own racial origin, who adopt a universal religion such as Islam as exclusive to their own ethnic group.   

For an unofficial sequel to Sepet, do read Rem's attempt as a playwright here.