| The Malaysian Insider - Mencari Kartika, mencari Malaysia |
|
by Dina Zaman MAY 28 — A new filmmaker is born. Norhayati Kaprawi, a prominent member of Sisters in Islam, made her film debut this week with her entertaining and insightful piece on the caning of Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor. The crowd which came to applaud her ranged from politicians like Khalid Samad, womens’ rights activists such as Ivy Josiah and members of the media who were invited to the screening.
The film, which featured interviews with Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Dr Siti Mariah of PAS, syarie lawyers like Saadiah Din, and members of the public, was not a run-of-the-mill documentary on faith and current issues. It was a personal take on the issue of faith, the “Islamisation” of Malaysia — all of which the caning of Kartika had brought to light. It was an objective take on how and what conservative and liberal Muslims thought of the whipping and hudud law, and how Muslim Malaysians viewed their country. “Mencari Kartika” is actually a Muslim’s search on what it means to be Muslim and Malaysian. And herein lies our navel-gazing. Many intellectuals and activists have put forth their views on their brand of Islam, and Malaysians must appreciate this diversity of views, offensive or not. At the Ajmal Perfumes launch yesterday, I met a few staff from the UAE, and one was quite perplexed by the type of Islam practised in Malaysia. Why do we do this? Why do we do that? Why do we follow ill-learned muftis? “Well what sort of Muslim are you?” I asked one. “I’m a Wahhabi,” he said. However, my new friend said, be we Sunni or Wahhabi or Shi’ite, why wasn’t there a culture of intellectual curiosity among Muslims here? That was when I thought, I think a Patchi chocolate would be timely. I was at a fashion event to enjoy perfumes, not have a discourse on religion. My new friend came back. I told him about “Mencari Kartika.” Popping a succulent date into his mouth, he said, in UAE if a Muslim was caught drinking, he’d be lashed 90 times. Though, of course, there were many different interpretations of the edict. It was all based on the mufti. If he was a good mufti, all would be well. I asked him about the whipping procedure. In Malaysia, we were told that the whipping would not hurt anyone. It was just... flicks. There was a demonstration between civil and Syarie whipping, I told him. His eyes widened. “My dear. In my country after you’re whipped THREE times, you won’t feel a thing anymore because you’d have fainted from the pain. What kind of whipping is this, that does not hurt? To kill a fly?” I grabbed another Patchi. Chocolates were always good. I went home wondering. Like how halal standards and certifications seemed to differ from country to country — I have friends in the halal industry who have polarised and passionate views of what was halal or not — I wanted to know what the “right Islam” was for us Malaysians. Most Malaysians I know viewed Wahhabis as nutjobs, though I think my new friend was entertaining and articulate. A lot of my friends viewed Shi’ite Muslims with great suspicion. And I also know of many Muslim women in Malaysia who attend rival usrah classes, and observed certain ulamas with great disdain. “But you know,” my friend came back, after seeing off guests, “I may be right and you may be right, and I could be wrong and you could be wrong. Only Allah knows the truth. We could all end up in hell!”
* Dina Zaman is Projects Editor, The Malaysian Insider. Her book, I Am Muslim, is available at the nearest bookshop. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified. |
| < Prev |
|---|