Malaysia: Educational Book has Offensive Caricatures of Africans, refers to Them as “Mr. Charcoal.”

According to the propaganda, Islam "eradicates racism". Apparently not....

From Bikya Masr:

KUALA LUMPUR: Black face is never a good idea. Malaysia’s new comic book aimed at educating the country’s taxi drivers as cultural ambassadors for the country has shown that racism and xenophobia can find a place in the location one least expects it.

For the Malaysian government to employ it and publish Africans in this lens is “disrespectful and racist,” said cultural psychologist Mariam Razq, who told Bikyamasr.com that she was “shocked that in today’s modern multicultural world, this kind of overt racism continues.”

She was referring to a recent “M1-Malaysia” magazine aimed at educating the governments recent addition of taxi drivers to be the frontline for tourist relations in the country.

The booklet reveals the dark side of racism and its undercurrents that can be shown publicly. In the magazine, dark-skinned foreigners are depicted with large mouths, white lipstick and slapstick-type qualities in what experts and organizations haave condemned as “highly crude and discriminatory remarks.”

In a statement the Working Group on National Ratification of International Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said the booklet is a distorted propaganda publication bearing the 1Malaysia logo and was widely distributed at the 1Malaysia People’s Taxi Program launch on June 25.

“We strongly and collectively condemn the discriminatory cartoon in the comic booklet entitled “M1-Malaysia – Majalah untuk rakyat,” the statement said.

“The irony is this degrading comic book was actually given to the thousands of tax drivers who were being heralded as the “tourism ambassadors” of our country,” the coalition of NGOs said in the statement.

The booklet continued to refer to black foreigners as “Mr. Charcoal.”

Razq said that getting beyond racism can be a difficult process and one that takes time, “but government officials should have known better than to publish something so blatant and which could have horrible affects for black people visiting the country.”

“This negative depiction of any race or nationality based on skin color is a violation of basic human rights. Sadly this embarrassing document obviously contradicts the spirit, sentiment and principles of “1 Malaysia” as espoused by PM Najib’s government.

“Respect, unity and tolerance for all are not values only to be enjoyed by Malaysian Citizens but they are universal principles applicable for all human beings on this earth!

“This “Xenophobic” behavior or the ridiculous and unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners is truly embarrassing for our nation and our multicultural population. It is a total contradiction to the common claim that Malaysians are very sensitive to each other despite racial and religious differences, and we have achieved the delicate balance of “unity in diversity”,” said the statement in demanding the government immediately remove the document from circulation and publish a new magazine that accurately represents dark-skinned visitors to the country.

The statement continued to warn and question what the result would be if children in Malaysia came in contact with the booklet.

The Malaysia Information Ministry said it was looking into the matter and would investigate the groups’ argument and claims.

For now, the booklet remains in public view, and for the first line of “ambassadors” and taxi drivers who will meet and greet visitors to the country, there are worries that it could have dramatic consequences.

Razq said that more efforts are needed to “educate Malaysians on differences between people, but in a manageable way that does not divide and show people that it is all right to promote racist behavior.”

Haram Pop Stars

This is a very short list, but I'll expand it as I find more of them. Feel free to email me with any more examples of haram pop stars.

Lady Gaga

It is funny how the media like to make a big deal of a few Christians and Buddhists in the Philippines and Thailand protesting her concert. Unlike her planned performance in Indonesia, she didn't receive threats of violence and her concert was not banned. Over in neighboring Malaysia, Lady GaGa's lyrics in 'Born This Way' were censored due to its "offensive" pro-gay message. In addition to all that, Christians in Indonesia actually supported Lady Gaga's visit. 

A high-ranking member of Indonesia’s highest Islamic authority has urged Muslims not to attend Lady Gaga’s upcoming concert in Jakarta, declaring that the pop star known for her sexy and controversial outfits was forbidden under Islamic law.

“[The concert is] intended to destroy the nation’s morality,” said Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) chairman Cholil Ridwan, who added that he had never watched the singer perform and only heard of her “reputation” second-hand.

He urged Lady Gaga fans to return their tickets for the June 3 concert at Gelora Bung Karno and ask for a refund.

More than 25,000 tickets to the Jakarta leg of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way Ball” tour were sold in less than two hours on March 10, the first day the tickets were available.

Cholil took exception with Lady Gaga’s revealing outfits and sexualized dance moves, claiming that a female dangdut singer who wore similar costumes would also be haram.

But he claimed Lady Gaga was worse. "She is from the West, and she often shows her aurat [private parts of the body] when performing," Cholil said.

While he was aware that many Western singers have already performed in Indonesia, Cholil said maybe it was time to put an end to these "cultural attacks."

He worried that this kind of performance would only encourage young Muslims in the country to do the same. But he added that watching the concert was still the call of Indonesia's Muslim youth.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/lady-gagas-jakarta-concert-is-haram-declares-mui-chairman/505557

Adam Lambert

Malaysia's Islamist opposition party on Monday demanded that authorities cancel a planned concert by U.S. glam rocker Adam Lambert that they say is promoting "gay culture" in the mainly Muslim country.

The Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) has also threatened to call "as many of its members and supporters" to proselytize to concert-goers if the performance by the former "American Idol" runner-up goes ahead on Thursday, a party official said.

"Adam Lambert's shows... are outrageous, with lewd dancing and a gay performance that includes kissing male dancers, this is not good for people in our country," said PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hasan. Homosexual sex is a criminal offence in Malaysia.

PAS is Malaysia's second-largest political party with close to a million members and is a partner in a rainbow opposition grouping led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/11/us-malaysia-protest-idUSTRE69A1LE20101011

Elton John

Shahril Azman Abdul Halim Al-Hafiz, an official with the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), said the concert by singer Elton John at the Genting Highlands resort on Nov. 22 would corrupt young Muslims because of John's homosexuality.

"It's not good. In Islam homosexuality is forbidden," he told AFP. "What he is doing is hedonism. Hedonism is not good in Islam."

The British singer is openly gay, marrying his partner in 2005 after same-sex unions were legalised in Britain.

Shahril is the chairman of the PAS youth wing of eastern Pahang state. The casino resort lies on the border of the state, about an hour's drive from the capital Kuala Lumpur.

An official from concert promoter Tune Live declined to comment.

But the show, part of John's "Greatest Hits Tour," is expected to go ahead in the resort. John will be singing in Singapore before he comes to Malaysia and then go on to Jakarta.

PAS often protests concert by Western acts, saying the artists promote a promiscuous lifestyle and corrupt youngsters' minds.

But despite protest threats, most concerts have gone ahead without incidents though performers had to abide by strict rules, barring them from bearing too much skin and kissing on stage.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/25054/World/International/Malaysian-Islamic-party-protests-Elton-John-show.aspx

Freddie Mercury

Launch Radio Networks reports: A celebration planned for this weekend in Zanzibar to honor native son Freddie Mercury has been called off due to religious protests. The population of the Tanzanian islands off the East Coast of Africa is primarily Islamic, and conservative Muslims threatened to disrupt the event, which would have marked the 60th anniversary of the late QUEEN singer's birth, according to the AFP news agency. Sheikh Azzan Hamdani of the local Association For Islamic Mobilization And Propagation said, "We were ready to join forces against the party because we had information that a number of gays from abroad had come to take part."

Organizer Simai Mohamed Saidi said, "We have decided to cancel the party after misleading and erroneous information was spread about it. I urge Muslim groups in the future to seek correct information from us instead of relying on rumors." Saidi, who owns the "Mercury's" theme restaurant in Zanzibar, had also intended to use the party to raise money for people with HIV/AIDS.

Local religious leaders felt that honoring Mercury, who was gay and who died of AIDS in 1991, would have gone against their faith, and that it would have brought shame to Zanzibar, where Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946.

The local government had been asked to close the party down before it started. Officials, who never formally responded to the request, are said to walk a fine line between the needs of people who lead a secular lifestyle, a busy tourist industry, and religious conservatives. However, media outlets that are overseen by the government were told by the information ministry not to cover Saidi's Mercury event.

http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=57586

Others

Foreign acts often draw protests from PAS, which since 2007 has campaigned against performances by singers including Beyonce, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne and Mariah Carey.

Police in May broke up a demonstration by Islamists including PAS supporters protesting against a concert by U.S. rapper Pitbull, underscoring a deepening tide of Islamic conservatism in the country.

An official from Malaysia's Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry was reported saying that the singer, had signed a contract agreeing to abide by the Ministry's rules on performances, which can require foreign performers to tone down their acts to suit local sensibilities.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/11/us-malaysia-protest-idUSTRE69A1LE20101011

Moderate Malaysia: PAS Spiritual Leader says Prime Minister Must be a Muslim

He said this in the context of giving his approval to non-ethnic Malays becoming PM, provided they adhere to Islam. The fact that he would need to make such a declaration underscores how prevalent racism is in Muslim societies.

Apologists would have you believe Islam somehow magically removes racist tendencies, but in today's world, nowhere is racism more widely accepted than among Muslim majority nations.

For example; if you're a racist far-right bigot who wants to be cheered by thousands for calling President Obama an ape but don't want the mainstream media to hassle you, why not convert to Islam and fly to post "Arab Spring" Tunisia? Problem solved!

From Bernama:

The question of race need not be disputed for a person to become a prime minister provided he is a Muslim, said PAS Spiritual Leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Nik Aziz said the leader must be from among Muslims because he would be heading the government and leading Muslims in the country.

"Okay to be non-Malay, so long as he is a Muslim. How to lead Muslims if he is not a Muslim? Will a democratic nation give the post to a communist?

"And in the same vein, will a Communist country accommodate a democratic leader? No such thing! A Communist country will be helmed by a Communist, a democratic country will be led by a democratic leader," he said.

"So, a Muslim nation must be led by a Muslim, regardless of race."

He said this to reporters after opening a Kelantan Pas Ulama Congress at the Labok Dewan Ulama Headquarters, here, today.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh, prior to this, was reported to have said that he would continue his fight to ensure a non-Malay could became a prime minister of the country on the basis that there was no law against it.

Moderate Malaysia: Government to Force Buddhist Building to Incorporate Islamic Designs

Can you feel the peace and tolerance of moderate Islam yet? Neither can they.

From The Jakarta Post‎:

A controversy is brewing over the proposal for the construction of a Buddhist building here after the PAS-led state government ruled that new buildings should include Islamic designs to reflect the state capital’s status as an Islamic city.

State Local Government, Culture, Arts and Tourism committee chairman Takiyuddin Hassan said developers must incorporate some Islamic elements in their plans or the proposals would be rejected.

“We will ensure development will be based on Islamic principles and features,” he told a press conference here.

He claimed the ruling was well-accepted by the majority of developers, including non-Muslim developers.

“I do not see it as an issue or something that could cause religious tension, as it only involves architecture and design,” he said.

“They have accepted the new ruling well.”

Takiyuddin was commenting on an appeal by the Kelantan Buddhist Association for the state government to approve its building, to be constructed with Chinese features at Jl. Sultan Zainal Abidin here.

It is understood that the association had been told that its building design should have dome-shaped motifs, which have created a controversy in the Chinese media.

In an immediate reaction, Kota Baru MCA division chief Tan Ken Ten slammed the directive, which he said was an infringement of the rights of non-Muslims in the state.

“The ruling is an extreme attempt to impose one’s beliefs into other people’s culture or religious beliefs,” Tan said.

“The PAS government must be mindful that Malaysia is a multi-cultural and multi-religious society that respects the differences of each community. It should appreciate this diversity which makes this country unique,” Tan added.

State MCA Youth chief Gan Han Chuan said the Kelantan government was showing disrespect towards the non-Muslims with its new policy.

“With the new directive, PAS is trying to create discord by destroying the harmonious relations between the communities that had been built by the Barisan Nasional over the years,” he added.

“One can only wonder what type of archaic policies PAS will introduce if Pakatan Rakyat manages to take over the Federal Government,” Gan said.

Moderate Malaysia: “If it Means Canceling Some of the Shows, so be it,” Gay TV Characters Banned

This disgraceful treatment of the LGBTT community in "Moderate" Malaysia is nothing new. How the media and apologists can continue to refer to countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey as "moderate" with a straight face beggars belief.

From Bikya Masr:

KUALA LUMPUR: Gay television characters can be a mode to tolerance and understanding, say Malaysia’s LGBT community. But the government disagrees, and they barred gay television characters from being shown on the country’s airwaves last month, in a move that has activists frustrated that the government is pushing the conservative tide against the community.

“We are facing an uphill battle for acceptance and this ruling will do a lot to continue negative stereotypes of the gay community in Malaysia,” lesbian activist Anita told Bikyamasr.com.

She added that culture is “a strong part of Malaysian society and to not allow gay characters on television will be a negative push toward alienating gay people who are simply wanting to live their lives,” she added, saying a number of activists are petitioning the culture ministry to change its policy.

The ongoing debate stems from the information department overseeing television in the country decision in April to ban TV shows that show gay characters.

The country’s Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz made the decision last month, despite protests from human rights groups and the LGBT community.

The ban became effective immediately with state-owned TV and radio stations, he said. No specifics about which shows will be affected were revealed, but the ban will likely be expanded to cover privately-owned stations as well as satellite TV providers.

“If it means canceling some of the shows, so be it,” he said. The decision was to curb the “influence” of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, he added.

As for foreign productions, he said the Censorship Board will remove indivudual episodes from current TV shows and bar movies with gay characters from being screened locally.

“Effective immediately, radio and TV stations are asked to stop screening shows which feature gay, effeminate men as well as characters that go against the norm of a religious society because this encourages and promotes LGBT now,” said the directive.

That could mean any television show that has an inkling of “gayness” would be removed from Malaysian television, which has sparked controversy on censorship in the country and the future of the LGBT community.

For Anita, it is a sign that “the government wants to make us seem like we are the enemy of morality, and that is a path that could lead to violent backlashes against people in the country.”

Malay Consultative Council: Islam has never condemned other religions, so why insult Islam?

What a ridiculous statement coming from a religion which mandates insulting Christians and Jews at least seventeen times a day, and ferociously attacks them, their beliefs and their doctrines in its holy book.

From Bernama Media:

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- A total 164 Malay non-governmental organisations under the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) stand firmly behind the timely address of Perak Regent Raja Dr Nazrin Shah on statements by non-Muslims which ridicule and belittle Islam.

MPM political and governance bureau chairman Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Ismail said this had really happened and MPM was strongly opposed to such actions. "We wish to remind that Muslims have never questioned other religions in this country. Islam has never condemned other religions. But why is Islam being insulted and viewed cynically lately? 

 "And in this situation, there are political parties with many of their non-Muslim members allowing their parties to be used by fellow non-Muslims to ridicule the Quran and hadis (sayings and practices ascribed to Prophet Muhammad)," he told Bernama, here, today.

He said the position of Islam was enshrined in the Federal Constitution and should not be disturbed.

 -- MORE

 MPM-NAZRIN 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR

 He said remarks which defiled the dignity of Islam should be stopped immediately to prevent the nation from falling into chaos.

 Yesterday, when opening the Perak state assembly sitting, Raja Nazrin Shah voiced out his disappointment over breaching of the guideline on Islam. In fact, he said, there were those among non-Muslims who were getting louder in challenging matters related to Islam and in ridiculing and belittling the religion. He wanted this firmly checked.

 Hilmi, who is also the chairman of Gagasan Melayu Perak (GMP), said Raja Nazrin''s address should be viewed seriously especially by Islamic political parties, and not treat it with frivolity.

"I pledge to stand behind the Regent of Perak to defend Islam, the Malay race and Malay rulers," he said.