Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: allah, fat bidin, innocence of muslims, islam, journalism, krue se mosque, malay, malaysia, media, muhammad, prophet, sam bacile, terrorism, The Malaysian Insider, zan azlee
The opposite reaction
By Zan Azlee
SEPT 28 — I will always stand up for what I believe in. I’ve even walked away from lucrative projects because I didn’t think they were right. Most of the times, I believe so much in certain things that I make a lot of noise and ruckus that it gets annoying. Oh yes, I guess you could say I have a holier-than-thou attitude when it comes to certain things!
But there are times when you believe in something so much that you have to remain quiet because that would be the most logical strategy. That’s why I think that the many Muslims who showed outrage towards the film “Innocence of Muslims” are making a big mistake, and I did not show my outrage.
Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, and even Malaysia, where thousands of Muslims protested against the anti-Islam film, were basically playing right into the hands of the film-makers.
They walked the streets, vandalised as they went along. Damn it, they even killed innocent people because of the bloody film.
And was it all worth it?
Was it to protest a film that insulted the Prophet Muhammad and ridiculed believers of the second largest religion in the world, thus offending over a billion people? Or was it really to bring international attention to a lousily-made, 15-minute, tasteless, online film that would have just gotten lost in Internet oblivion? A film made by a conman?
Maybe I should put this into better perspective. A perspective that I think most of my readers would actually understand and be able to relate to. Let’s say a hypothetical country is being run by a hypothetical government that many of the people feel needs to be changed. So they take to the streets to demonstrate and protest. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, allah, fat bidin, islam, journalism, malay, malaysia, muhammad, muslim, new media, prophet, quran, ridhuan tee, The Malaysian Insider, zan azlee
Looks like Ridhuan Tee got a bit touched by my column last Friday at The Malaysian Insider and responded to it in his own column in Sinar Harian on Monday. Click here to read what he wrote!
Funny thing is, although we both disagree with each other, neither of us resorted to childish name calling… which is not what can be said for some of the readers who posted their comments (both in his blog and under my column!). Hahaha!!
Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, allah, fat bidin, islam, journalism, malay, malaysia, muhammad, muslim, new media, prophet, quran, ridhuan tee, The Malaysian Insider, zan azlee
Ridhuan Tee does it again!
By Zan Azlee
JULY 27 — My beef with Ridhuan Tee began a few years ago when I first started reading his writing and listening to him speak in public about Islam. I have to say that I although I don’t agree with almost everything that this man utters, I still subscribe to the belief that I will defend to the death his right to say it. And when I say that, I also hope that my right to express my disagreement with him will be defended by the man himself. How else can we enter a discourse, right?
Anyway, my beef with him has grown thanks to his recent rant at the launch of his books “Masih Adakah Ketuanan Melayu?” and “Cabaran Saudara Baharu di Malaysia”. I have yet to read them, but trust me, I definitely will. But what he said during the launch, which was reported by the media, was enough to ruffle my feathers. Tee, a Chinese who embraced Islam many years ago, mentioned that because the Federal Constitution defines Malays as those who profess Islam, he had no choice but to place himself among those in the Malay race as well. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, allah, ambiga, anwar, bersih, city, conflict, demo, documentary, fat bidin, igp, interview, islam, journalism, keadian, kuala lumpur, malay, malaysia, media, muhammad, muslim, new media, news, nik aziz, pakatan rakyat, pas, police, police brutality, prophet, rahim noor, rally, riot, solo journalism, The Malaysian Insider, video journalism, violence, web video, zan azlee
Manipulating religion for worldly gains
By Zan Azlee
MAY 11 – One Muslim calling the other a kafir (infidel). Muslims simply declaring anything they feel like as being haram. All this while still in the heat of Bersih. What I am referring to is to the article in the New Straits Times which carried the headline ‘Nik Aziz the father of kafirs’.
And I am also referring to the country’s fatwa council declaring that it is haram for Muslims to be participating in Bersih rallies. The New Straits Times wrote that former IGP, Tan Sri Rahim Noor, says that PAS’ Nik Aziz is the father of kafirs. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: 1malaysia, abbasid, ambiga sreevesanan, bersih, city, DAP, demonstration, documentary, empire, fat bidin, fru, indian, interview, islam, journalism, Keadilan, khairy jamaludidin, khilafat, kuala lumpur, liew seng tat, malay, malaysia, media, mughal, muhamad, muslim, new media, news, pakatan rakyat, PKR, police, prophet, protest, quran, rally, shura, smoke bomb, solo journalism, tear gas, The Malaysian Insider, umno, video journalism, web video, zan azlee
I can’t seem to get BERSIH out of my head! Here’s my latest column at The Malaysian Insider.
Democracy, Islam and Malaysia’s ruling party
By Zan Azlee
JULY 22 — I think the ruling party in Malaysia has become a little bit confused about how they should be governing the country in this day and age. We’ve all heard it mentioned that they fight for the rights of Malays and Islam . . . so much so that they are beginning to sound like a broken record.
Now why do I say they’re confused? Well, they seem to have this thinking whereby Islam rejects democracy when it is really the opposite. They seem to think that the people should not have a voice and that the majority is what they determine instead of what the people determines.
By denying the people their right to express themselves and to determine how they are governed, as in the case of Bersih 2.0, they are really rejecting the Islamic way. But it’s hard to blame them when many of the Islamic countries around the world reject democracy too and seem to embrace autocratic rule. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: allah, blasphemy, fat bidin, islam, journalism, malay, malaysia, muhammad, muslim, prophet, quran, The Malaysian Insider, zan azlee
My column this week at The Malaysian Insider in response to the comments from last week.
I’m no expert in Islam but…
By Zan Azlee
JUNE 3 — Religion seems to be quite a hot topic whenever it is discussed. This is especially so when it comes to Islam. And even more so when it challenges conventional thought. I’ve learnt this over the course of writing my thoughts and opinions openly and frankly all this while and receiving the opinions and thoughts of the readers as well.
Sometimes the comments that I get are just okay and sometimes, they can be quite passionate. The latter is when I feel obligated to respond. My column last week received quite a range of comments that I felt warranted a proper response from me this week.
There were many that concurred with my thoughts, but no point responding to them. That would just be preaching to the converted. What I really want to do is to respond to those who disagreed with me. Everyone is definitely entitled to his or her opinion, but right now I have the pen in hand! [Read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Filed under: internet, journalism, new media, The Malaysian Insider, writing | Tags: allah, blasphemy, fat bidin, islam, journalism, malay, malaysia, muhammad, muslim, prophet, quran, The Malaysian Insider, zan azlee
My column this week at The Malaysian Insider. Please don’t condemn me to hell my fellow Muslims!
Let us be blasphemous!
By Zan Azlee
MAY 27 — I am no longer a believer and will burn in hell for questioning Islam. And, by raising and seeking answers to issues that I am in doubt of, my children will even grow up to have sex with animals. These are some of the things I have been called and accused of by certain people in reaction to the documentary films and articles I’ve written that deal with my religion. Of course, I don’t take these comments to heart. But it does make me think about how receptive Malaysians, Muslims specifically, are when it comes to really learning about Islam. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
